cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Switchgrass Contains Two Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenases Involved in Lignin Formation

Lignin content of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a bioenergy species, is a critical determinant of biomass quality since it can negatively impact conversion of biomass into liquid fuels via biochemical platforms. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) is a key enzyme in lignin biosynthesis. Here, we have shown that cv. Kanlow switchgrass contains at least two closely related CAD genes (PviCAD1 and PviCAD2) that code for proteins containing highly conserved domains and residues that identify them as bona fide CADs. Both recombinant proteins displayed substrate kinetics consistent with their presumed role in cell wall lignification. Proteomic and immunoblotting detected CAD containing spots in internode protein extracts, and proteomic analyses demonstrated that both CADs were expressed. In planta CAD activity, CAD protein levels were observed at all stages of tiller development. A real-time qPCR analysis of the two CADs and one CAD-like sequence indicated that transcripts coding for PviCAD1 were present in greater abundance than those coding for PviCAD2. Transcripts for a third CAD-like sequence (PviAroADH) were present at intermediate levels as compared to PviCAD1 and CAD2. The predicted protein sequence of PviAroADH indicated that it was an enzyme unrelated to lignification based on phylogenetic and protein modeling data.
Publication Productivity in Geriatrics: 1995–2006

THE understanding and future development of a field is dependent on its history (1). History creates the values of a field. History also allows a field to move forward without repeating the mistakes of the past. This is particularly important in modern geriatrics where there are continuous forces touting the science and the pseudoscience of rejuvenation—that is, the anti-aging movement—and others who minimize the importance of science in favor of “high touch” care and undervalue the need for a rigorous scientific training (2–5). Recently, the history of geriatrics has been chronicled (6–8) as has the history of nursing homes (9).
An effective scheduling algorithm based-on QoS adaptation framework over data streams

Based on the QoS adaptation framework in data streams, This paper aims at the data stream with two characteristic parameters (i.e. deadline and importance). After discussing the disadvantages of the current scheduling algorithm, A DIF (deadline-importance first) real-time scheduling algorithm is proposed and the list to implement the algorithm is used. The experiment results show that the DIF algorithm can improve the performance compared to the EDF (earliest deadline first), HVF (highest value first) and CDF (criticalness-deadline first) algorithms, especial when the load is heavy, the performance can degrade gracefully.
N-Acetylserotonin: Circadian Activation of the BDNF Receptor and Neuroprotection in the Retina and Brain

TrkB is the cognate receptor for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin family involved in neuronal survival, neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. BDNF has been shown to protect photoreceptors from light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) and to improve ganglion cell survival following optic nerve damage. However, the utility of BDNF as a retinal neuroprotectant is limited by its short half-life, inability to cross the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers, and activation of the proapoptotic p75 neurotrophin receptor. N-Acetylserotonin (NAS) is a naturally occurring chemical intermediate in the melatonin biosynthetic pathway in the pineal gland and retina. Its synthesis occurs in a circadian fashion with high levels at night and is suppressed by light exposure. Until recently, NAS was thought to function primarily as a melatonin precursor with little or no biological function of its own. We have now shown that TrkB activation in the retina and hippocampus is circadian in C3H/f+/+ mice, which synthesize NAS, but not in C57BL/6 mice, which have a mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme that converts serotonin to NAS. In addition, treatment of mice exogenous NAS, but not with serotonin or melatonin, activates TrkB during the daytime in a BDNF-independent manner. NAS appears to have neuroprotective properties and its administration reduces caspase 3 activation in the brain in response to kainic acid, a neurotoxic glutamate analog. We have developed structural analogs of NAS that activate TrkB. One of these derivatives, N- [2-(-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-2-oxopiperideine-3-carboximide (HIOC), selectively activates TrkB with greater potency than NAS and has a significantly 5-hydroxy-1Hlonger biological half-life than NAS after systemic administration. HIOC administration results in long-lasting activation of TrkB and downstream signaling kinases. The compound can pass the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers when administered systemically and reduces kainic acid-induced neuronal cell death in a TrkB-dependent manner. Systemic administration of HIOC mitigates LIRD, assessed electrophysiologically and morphometrically. Hence, NAS may function as an endogenous circadian neurotrophin-like compound and HIOC is a good lead compound for further drug development for treatment of retinal degenerative diseases.
Structure of Bi-Ag eutectic alloy

Abstract Light microscope observations verify the scanning electron microscope studies of Southin and Jones 1 ) that the Ag lamellae in the Bi-Ag eutectic may be due to branching in the parent Ag ribbon. X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the interface plane in the Bi matrix is not the basal plane.
ISSUES IN TESTING BUSINESS ENGLISH: THE REVISION OF THE CAMBRIDGE BUSINESS ENGLISH CERTIFICATES

ISSUES IN TESTING BUSINESS ENGLISH: THE REVISION OF THE CAMBRIDGE BUSINESS ENGLISH CERTIFICATES. Barry O'Sullivan. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Pp. xiv + 394. $34.00 paper.Testing language for specific purposes (LSP) is critical for understanding how an individual's language performances might vary from situation to situation, with different test tasks, or both. Researchers and language test practitioners are faced with a complex task when designing field-specific tests and implementing viable test methods in which field-specific contextual constraints arise. This volume reviews the challenges and changes to accommodating these influences and provides methodologies for the revision of the Business English Certificates (BEC). Divided into five chapters, the volume opens with a brief historical introduction to the testing of language for business purposes. The first chapter seeks to provide an overview of some of the central issues in LSP facing language testers today by embedding practical considerations in a theoretical context and by reviewing tests of business language (e.g., Test of English for International Communication, Pitman Qualifications, and London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board tests). Also discussed are tests of language for business and commerce in languages other than English. From a systematic point of view, the volume discusses the construct upon which each test focuses, the test method, skills coverage, measurement qualities, degree of specificity and situational authenticity, impact of nonlanguage factors, and score reporting. Furthermore, the development of business English testing at the Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL; e.g., Certificate in English as a Foreign Language for Secretaries, Certificate in English for International Business and Trade, Oxford International Business English Certificate, and Business Language Testing System) is discussed at length.
Acupuncture as an Adjunct to Methadone Treatment Services

The authors randomly assigned 60 subjects entering methadone maintenance treatment to receive “specific” or “nonspecific” (placebo) auricular acupuncture; patients were followed for 6 months. The two groups did not differ in acupuncture attendance, self-reported withdrawal symptoms, or drug use, by self-report or urinalysis. Their reports of heroin and cocaine cravings differed in a direction opposite to expectation, with greater cravings in the specific than the nonspecific group. The combined acupuncture groups bad fewer cocaine-positive urine results than a no-acupuncture historical comparison group over the 6 months. Results are discussed in relation to recruitment for such studies, selection of an appropriate acupuncture placebo, and the need to control for potentially confounding variables in future studies.
In vivo binding of (+)-α-[3H]dihydrotetrabenazine to the vesicular monoamine transporter of rat brain: bolus vs. equilibrium studies

Abstract The regional rat brain distribution of (+)-α-[ 3 H ]dihydrotetrabenazine was determined following (a) infusion to equilibrium between brain and blood or (b) bolus injection. Infusions provide for direct measurement of total distribution volumes. The free plus nonspecific distribution volume for the brain was determined using infusion of very low specific activity (+)-α-[ 3 H ]dihydrotetrabenazine; specific distribution volumes, which represent specific radioligand binding, were then calculated as total minus the free+nonspecific distribution volume. Both total and specific distribution volumes correlated very well (r2>0.99) with in vitro distributions of the vesicular monoamine transporter binding site. Bolus injection, and measurement of radioactivity at a single time point, also provided regional estimates of radioligand binding which correlated well (r2>0.98) with in vitro values. The bolus method shows a small positive bias (+10–15%) in regions of high binding site concentrations. Both infusion and bolus injection methods give acceptable in vivo measures of (+)-α-[ 3 H ]dihydrotetrabenazine binding to the vesicular monoamine transporter of rat brain.
Ferredoxin Is Involved in Secretion of Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 across the Cytoplasmic Membrane in Escherichia coli K1

We previously showed that cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1) contributes to Escherichia coli K1 invasion of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) and interacts with the receptor on the surface of HBMEC. CNF1 is the cytoplasmic protein, and it remains incompletely understood how CNF1 is secreted across the inner and outer membranes in E. coli K1. In order to investigate the genetic determinants for secretion of CNF1 in E. coli K1, we performed Tn5 mutagenesis screening by applying β-lactamase as a reporter to monitor secretion of CNF1. We identified a Tn5 mutant that exhibited no β-lactamase activity in the culture supernatant and in which the mutated gene encodes a ferredoxin gene (fdx). In the fdx deletion mutant, there was no evidence of translocation of CNF1 into HBMEC. Western blot analysis of the fdx deletion mutant revealed that ferredoxin is involved in translocation of CNF1 across the cytoplasmic membrane. The fdx mutant exhibited significantly decreased invasion of HBMEC, similar to the decreased HBMEC invasion observed with the CNF1 mutant. The failures to secrete CNF1 and invade HBMEC of the fdx mutant were restored to the levels of the parent strain by complementation with fdx. These findings demonstrate for the first time that ferredoxin is involved in secretion of CNF1 across the inner membrane in meningitis-causing E. coli K1.
Detection in vitro of cellular hypersensitivity to drugs

Abstract The in vitro macrophage migration inhibition technique was used to detect the presence of cellular hypersensitivity in patients with suspected drug allergies. Blood lymphocytes from 11 patients (3 serum sickness, 1 allergic vasculitis, 2 nitrofuradantoin syndrome, 1 erythema nodosum, 2 erythema multiforme, 1 polymyalgia rheumatica, 1 granulomatous hepatitis) and 10 control subjects were assayed for the in vitro production of migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in response to penicillin G, sulfisoxazole, and nitrofuradantoin. Lymphocytes from 6 of 11 patients with clinical manifestations of drug hypersensitivity produced MIF in response to the suspected drug but not in response to other drugs. The serum from one patient with serum sickness secondary to penicillin allergy stimulated autologous lymphocytes as well as those of control subjects to incorporate increased amounts of 3 H-thymidine, a finding that could be explained by the presence of immune complexes in the patient's serum. Lymphocytes from the control subjects did not produce MIF in response to any of the drugs, suggesting that this technique may be of use in the detection of drug allergies.
Power, Leadership and US Foreign Policy

The Obama administration is attempting to ‘lead from behind’ in Libya, causing much concern among its allies and derision among its adversaries. Nevertheless this strategy represents an appropriate response both to the specific situation in Libya and to the wider constraints on American global leadership. With the shift in global resources from North to South and West to East, collective action has become more difficult to organise and global institutions have become harder to reinforce. Meanwhile governments in the United States and elsewhere must wrestle to bring their fiscal accounts back under control. A cooperative approach is the only answer. The difficulty for the Obama administration is that by emphasizing cooperation they make the success of their Libya intervention depend upon the actions of the other countries involved. Should France and Great Britain fail in Libya, President Obama's new conception of American global leadership will falter as well.
Executing web application queries on a partitioned database

Partitioning data over multiple storage servers is an attractive way to increase throughput for web-like workloads. However, there is often no one partitioning that yields good performance for all queries, and it can be challenging for the web developer to determine how best to execute queries over partitioned data. This paper presents DIXIE, a SQL query planner, optimizer, and executor for databases horizontally partitioned over multiple servers. DIXIE focuses on increasing interquery parallel speedup by involving as few servers as possible in each query. One way it does this is by supporting tables with multiple copies partitioned on different columns, in order to expand the set of queries that can be satisified from a single server. DIXIE automatically transforms SQL queries to execute over a partitioned database, using a cost model and plan generator that exploit multiple table copies. We evaluate DIXIE on a database and query stream taken from Wikipedia, partitioned across ten MySQL servers. By adding one copy of a 13 MB table and using DIXIE's query optimizer, we achieve a throughput improvement of 3.2X over a single optimized partitioning of each table and 8.5X over the same data on a single server. On specific queries DIXIE with table copies increases throughput linearly with the number of servers, while the best single-table-copy partitioning achieves little scaling. For a large class of joins, which traditional wisdom suggests requires tables partitioned on the join keys, DIXIE can find higher-performance plans using other partitionings.
Mitral Valve Stenosis after Open Repair Surgery for Non-rheumatic Mitral Valve Regurgitation: A Review

Mitral stenosis (MS) after mitral valve repair is a slowly progressive condition, usually detected many years after the index mitral valve surgery. It is defined as a transmitral pressure gradient (TMPG) of >5 mmHg or a mitral valve area (MVA) <1.5 cm2. Pannus formation around the valve annulus or extending to the valve leaflets is suggested as the main mechanism for developing delayed MS after MV repair. Early stenosis, on the other hand, is thought to be a direct result of an undersized annuloplasty ring. Furthermore, in MS following ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR), subvalvular tethering is the hypothesized pathophysiology. MS after MV repair has an incidence of 9-54%. Several factors are associated with higher risk for developing MS after mitral valve repair including; flexible Duran annuloplasty rings versus rigid Carpentier-Edwards (CE) rings, complete annuloplasty rings versus partial bands, smaller anterior leaflet opening angle and anterior leaflet tip opening length. Intraoperative echocardiography can measure the MVA and TMPG values that have been suggested as possible predictors of future development of MS.
Analysis of 57 Children less than 4-Year-Old with Sexual Precocity

Objective To analyze the characteristics and diagnosis of children aged 4 years with sexual precocity,and to estimate the value of a simple gonadotropin releasing hormone(GnRH) stimulation test in diagnosing this kind of disease.Methods Fifty-seven cases aged 4 years were reviewed retrospectively.The GnRH stimutation test were established in all the 57 cases. Rank sum test was used to analysis the difference of luteinizing hormone(LH) valne between central partial central precocious puberty.Results Thirty-four patients were diagnosed as peripheral precocious puberty(55.9%).Three patients were boys,the others were girls,and the level of LH was high in central precocious puberty,and 50% peak vale fell between 60-90 minutes.The level of follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) was higher in partial central precocious puberty,and 84.2% peak vale fell between 90-120 minutes.There were significant differences of LH levels between central and partial central precocious puberty in 30,60,90,120 minutes(All P0.01).Conclusions The morbidity of sexual precocity in children whose age 4 years is low,and the morbidity in girls are higher than that in boys.Most of the patients are peripheral precocious puberty.The GnRH stimulation test is necessary for classification.The levels of LH,FSH in 0,60,120 minutes are suggested to be tested to differentiate central and partial central precocious puberty.
Clinical investigation of a new phenothiazine compound, methdilazine.

The applicability of new phenothiazine compound, methdilazine, to the clinical practice of anesthesiology was examined in 527 adult patients. Methdilazine in a dose of 25 mg. by intramuscular injection, when combined with 50 mg. of meperidine, was found to be a useful drug for the preanesthetic preparation of the surgical patient. The patients who had received methdilazine were more drowsy after operation than those in the placebo group but could be readily aroused. The preanesthetic administration of the drug did not appear to offer any protection against postoperative emesis. The use of methdilazine in the prevention of postoperative emesis was studied follOWing the intramuscular injection of 12.5 mg. at the termination of anesthesia. There was a significant decrease in emetic symptoms in the 3 hour postoperative period. Postanesthetic drowsiness and hypotension were minimal. Methdilazine was administered to patients during the first 24 hour postoperative period. These patients were given 50 mg. of meperidine whenever they requested an analgesic drug to relieve their pain. It was found that the patients who had received methdilazine had a significantly greater requirement for meperidine than those in the placebo group. It was concluded that methdilazine exhibited analgesic antagonism.
A Low Power Current-Mode Flash ADC with Spin Hall Effect based Multi-Threshold Comparator

Current-mode Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) has drawn many attentions due to its high operating speed, power and ground noise immunity, and etc. However, 2n -- 1 comparators are required in traditional n-bit current-mode ADC design, leading to inevitable high power consumption and large chip area. In this work, we propose a low power and compact current mode Multi-Threshold Comparator (MTC) based on giant Spin Hall Effect (SHE). The two threshold currents of the proposed SHE-MTC are 200μA and 250μA with 1ns switching time, respectively. The proposed current-mode hybrid spin-CMOS flash ADC based on SHE-MTC reduces the number of comparators almost by half (2n-1), thus correspondingly reducing the required current mirror branches, total power consumption and chip area. Moreover, due to the non-volatility of SHE-MTC, the front-end analog circuits can be switched off when it is not required to further increase power efficiency. The device dynamics of SHE-MTC is simulated using a numerical device model based on Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation with Spin-Transfer Torque (STT) term and SHE term. The device-circuit co-simulation in SPICE (45nm CMOS technology) have shown that the average power dissipation of proposed ADC is 1.9mW, operating at 500MS/s with 1.2 V power supply. The INL and DNL are in the range of 0.23LSB and 0.32LSB, respectively.
A hybrid approach to population construction for agricultural agent-based simulation

An Agent Based Model (ABM) is a powerful tool for its ability to represent heterogeneous agents which through their interactions can reveal emergent phenomena. For this to occur though, the set of agents in an ABM has to accurately model a real world population to reflect its heterogeneity. But when studying human behavior in less well developed settings, the availability of the real population data can be limited, making it impossible to create agents directly from the real population. In this paper, we propose a hybrid method to deal with this data scarcity: we first use the available real population data as the baseline to preserve the true heterogeneity, and fill in the missing characteristics based on survey and remote sensing datasets; then for the remaining undetermined agent characteristics, we use the Microbial Genetic Algorithm to search for a set of values that can optimize the replicative validity of the model to match data observed from real world. We apply our method to the creation of a synthetic population of household agents for the simulation of agricultural decision making processes in rural Zambia. The result shows that the synthetic population created from the farmer register can correctly reflect the marginal distributions and the randomness of survey data; and can minimize the difference between the distribution of simulated yield and that of the observed yield in Post Harvest Survey (PHS).
Quantitative Analysis of Dopamine Neuron Subtypes Generated from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Dopamine (DA) neuron subtypes modulate specific physiological functions and are involved in distinct neurological disorders. Embryonic stem cell (ESC) derived DA neurons have the potential to aid in the study of disease mechanisms, drug discovery, and possibly cell replacement therapies. DA neurons can be generated from ESCs in vitro , but the subtypes of ESC-derived DA neurons have not been investigated in detail despite the diversity of DA neurons observed in vivo . Due to cell culture heterogeneity, sampling methods applied to ESC-derived cultures can be ambiguous and potentially biased. Therefore, we developed a quantification method to capture the depth of DA neuron production in vitro by estimating the error associated with systematic random sampling. Using this method, we quantified calbindin+ and calretinin+ subtypes of DA neurons generated from mouse ESCs. We found a higher production of the calbindin+ subtype (11-27%) compared to the calretinin+ subtype (2-13%) of DA neuron; in addition, DA neurons expressing neither subtype marker were also generated. We then examined whether exogenous sonic hedgehog (SHH) and fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8) affected subtype generation. Our results demonstrate that exogenous SHH and FGF8 did not alter DA neuron subtype generation in vitro . These findings suggest that a deeper understanding DA neuron derivation inclusive of mechanisms that govern the in vitro subtype specification of ESC-derived DA neurons is required.
SERPINF1 as a Cause of Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type VI

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) type VI is a unique form of OI, which is characterized by increased osteoid (unmineralized matrix) and a fish scale pattern of bone lamellation. Recently, several groups have identified loss of function mutations in SERPINF1 leading to OI type VI. SERPINF1 encodes pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), which has been studied as an antiangiogenic, neurotrophic and neuroprotective factor. PEDF is a 50 kDa secreted glycoprotein that regulates several intracellular signaling pathways. The genetic findings suggest a novel function of PEDF in regulating bone mineralization. Despite being expressed in several cell types critical for bone maintenance, the role of PEDF in bone homeostasis is not yet clear. Further investigation of the function of PEDF in bone by using mouse genetic models and molecular biology techniques would potentially open new avenues for the development of clinical and therapeutic strategies for OI type VI.
High textbook reading rates when using an interactive textbook for a Material and Energy Balances course

Textbooks are experiencing a 21st century makeover. The author has created a web-based electronic textbook, Material and Energy Balances zyBook, that records students’ interactions. Animations and question sets create interactive and scaffolded content. The interactive format is adopted successfully in other engineering disciplines and is now translated to chemical engineering. Decades of data quantified that less than 30% of university students complete textbook readings, while an average of 87% of the interactive web book was read across all 100 students during a recent semester. The students’ final course grades correlated with the average textbook reading scores. Further analysis finds statistically significant higher textbook reading scores for students earning A and B final course grades compared with C, D, and F final course grades as well as for female students compared to male students.
Effect of chemical pressure on the electronic phase transition in Ca 1-x Sr x Mn 7 O 12 films

We demonstrate how chemical pressure affects the structural and electronic phase transitions of the quadruple perovskite CaMn7O12 by Sr doping, a compound that exhibits a charge-ordering transition above room temperature making it a candidate for oxide electronics. We have synthesized Ca1−xSrxMn7O12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) thin films by oxide molecular beam epitaxy on (LaAlO3)0.3(SrAl0.5Ta0.5O3)0.7 (LSAT) substrates. The substitution of Sr for Ca results in a linear expansion of the lattice, as revealed by X-ray diffraction. Temperature-dependent resistivity and X-ray diffraction measurements are used to demonstrate that the coupled charge-ordering and structural phase transitions can be tuned with Sr doping. An increase in Sr concentration acts to decrease the phase transition temperature (T*) from 426 K at x = 0 to 385 K at x = 0.6. The presence of a tunable electronic phase transition, above room temperature, points to the potential applicability of Ca1−xSrxMn7O12 in sensors or oxide electronics, for example, vi...
1-P: CAN WE ACCURATELY PREDICT CROSSMATCH OUTCOMES MEDIATED BY ANTI-DQA1 ANTIBODIES ASSIGNED BY SINGLE ANTIGEN BEAD ANALYSIS?

Aim The purpose of this study was to correlate the presence of anti- DQA1 antibodies with crossmatch outcome. Methods Over a period of nine months, we identified eleven patient samples which contained anti-DQA1 antibodies. Samples were selected having MFI values greater than 4000 using Class II single antigen bead analysis. The DQA1 specificities assigned were: DQA1∗01,02,03,04,05,06. Each one of these samples was tested in three color flow cytometry crossmatches with several donor cells that were positive for the assigned DQA1 specificities as well as with cells that lacked the desired antigen. Results Suprisingly, only two of the eleven samples yielded the predicted result: one was positive when the specific allele group antigen was present, and the other sample (multiple specificity assignments) was negative when selectively crossmatched with cells that lacked the assigned DQA1 antigens. The remaining nine sera did not correlate with the expected crossmatch outcome. Conclusions Our data demonstrates that we cannot accurately predict crossmatch outcomes mediated by Anti- DQA1 antibodies that were characterized by Class II single antigen beads. This could have serious impacts whenever virtual crossmatching involves Anti-DQA1 antibodies. If assiged anti-DQA1 antibodies can not correlate with a crossmatch outcome, we conclude that typing for DQA1 will not be particularly helpful in identifying a crossmatch-suitable donor.
Managing the Burden of Non-NASH NAFLD.

The purpose of this review article is to raise awareness of the significance of steatosis that exists within the spectrum of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). While the impact of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and its potential for histologic progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma is widely appreciated, the impact of non-NASH NAFLD (steatosis) on morbidity and mortality is less well recognized. NAFLD is a spectrum of hepatic pathology with a rising prevalence worldwide. Steatosis without fibrosis carries a low risk of progression to cirrhosis but likely confers an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. About a quarter of the world population is affected by NAFLD. NAFLD represents a burden to affected individuals and economics of the healthcare system and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide. An increased level of awareness and knowledge about risk factors and diagnostic strategies is needed to identify patients affected with disease.
Minimally invasive surgical exposure among US and Canadian pediatric surgery trainees, 2004-2016.

Abstract Background Minimally invasive pediatric surgery has increased in breadth and complexity over the past several decades, with little data on minimally invasive surgery (MIS) training in US and Canadian pediatric surgery fellowship programs. Methods We performed a time series analysis of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education pediatric surgery fellow case logs from 2003 to 2016. Proportions of cases performed in an MIS fashion as well as per-fellow MIS case averages were recorded over time. Results There was a 30.9% increase in average number of MIS cases per fellow over the study time period. Twenty-three recorded procedures included MIS and open options (17 abdominal, three thoracic, and three genitourinary). The proportion of cases performed using a minimally invasive approach increased by an average of 29.0%, 14.6%, and 47.0% for each of these categories, respectively. Significant variability was observed in specific cases such as laparoscopic and open inguinal hernias, ranging from 0 to 85 and nine to 152 per trainee, respectively, in the final year of data collection. When examining pyloromyotomy, a high-volume procedure with a known increase in the MIS approach, the proportion of cases performed MIS increased by 83.3%. The minimum and maximum number of cases per fellow recorded ranged from 0 to 114 during the eight years in which MIS pyloromyotomy was recorded. Conclusions MIS case exposure among graduating US and Canadian pediatric survey fellows increased substantially during the study period. More granular data, however, are needed to better define the current operative experience and criteria for determination of competency in advanced MIS.
Analysis of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Internalization Using Flow Cytometry

The internalization of activated receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) by endocytosis and their subsequent down regulation in lysosomes plays a critical role in regulating the duration and intensity of downstream signaling events. Uncoupling of the RTK cMet from ligand-induced degradation was recently shown to correlate with sustained receptor signaling and increased cell tumorigenicity, suggesting that the corruption of these endocytic mechanisms could contribute to increased cMet signaling in metastatic cancers. To understand how cMet signaling for normal cell growth is controlled by endocytosis and how these mechanisms are dysregulated in metastatic cancers, we developed flow cytometry-based assays to examine cMet internalization.
Particle Contents of Human Lungs

An automated analysis technique utilizing scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and image analysis was used to determine the exogenous particulate burdens for 48 urban lung specimens from the Cincinnati, Ohio area. Over 60,000 individual particle analyses were performed for the sample group. The mean exogenous particle concentration was 508 ± 417 × 106 particles per gram of dry lung, with a range of 107 − 1844 × 106 particles/g. The particle compositions found in all lungs were very similar. Major particle types included various aluminum silicates, silica, rutile, iron oxide, talc, and alumina. This data will serve as baseline data for lungs with no overt pneumoconioses against which the particle contents of diseased lungs can be compared.
Muscle tissue regeneration

Abstract: Muscle is unique among tissues because it generates its own force, presenting a unique challenge in tissue engineering. new tissue developed from the scaffold must not only have structural integrity, it must also be able to coordinate the protein-based changes necessary for contraction and force generation. in this chapter we will investigate the tissue engineering of muscle, specifically the use of electrospun nanofibres in skeletal muscle tissue engineering. We will focus on the advantages of nanofibrous matrices for muscle regeneration and how investigators combine nanofibres with different types of external stimulation to enhance tissue growth.
Earthquake Fingerprints: Extracting Waveform Features for Similarity-Based Earthquake Detection

Seismologists are increasingly adopting data mining and machine learning techniques to detect weak earthquake signals in large seismic data sets. The detection performance of these new methods, especially their sensitivity and false detection rate, depends on the choice of feature representation for waveform data. We have previously introduced Fingerprint and Similarity Thresholding (FAST), a new method for waveform-similarity-based earthquake detection that uses a pattern mining approach to detect earthquake signals without template waveforms. FAST has two key steps: fingerprint extraction and efficient indexing for similarity search. In this work, we focus on FAST fingerprint extraction: the method used to map short-duration waveforms to a set of features, called waveform fingerprints, used for detection. We describe the FAST fingerprint extraction method, a data-adaptive variation on the Waveprint audio fingerprinting method tailored for use in continuous seismic data. We compare the performance of the FAST fingerprint extraction method with existing fingerprinting techniques designed for audio identification. To overcome the challenges associated with using limited or incomplete event catalogs to evaluate detection algorithms, we propose a framework for quantifying the performance of different fingerprint extraction methods in the context of blind similarity-based detection. Our framework uses computational experiments on benchmark data sets, constructed with known event waveforms, to compute a measure of fingerprint effectiveness. We use this framework to show that, among the audio fingerprinting schemes considered in this work, our proposed FAST fingerprint extraction method achieves the most consistent performance in distinguishing similar, low signal-to-noise earthquake waveforms from noise in waveform data sets from eight stations in the Northern California Seismic Network.
Tree-Ring Indicators of Fire in Two Old-Growth Coast Redwood Forests

Fires that burn through forests cause changes in wood anatomy and growth that can be used to reconstruct fire histories. Fire is important in Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. (coast redwood) forests, but fire histories are limited due to difficulties crossdating annual rings of this species. Here we investigated three fires (1985, 1999, 2008) in two old-growth forests (Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve and Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve, California, USA) to quantify these responses via crossdated increment cores from lower trunks of 53 trees, including 10 that were climbed and cored at 10 m height intervals. Redwoods frequently responded to fire by producing anomalous growth during the fire year; 100 of 240 lower trunk cores recorded at least one anatomical indicator (i.e., intra-annual density fluctuation, faint latewood, resin, or scar). Following fire, radial growth decreased by 29% to 43% compared to the fire year. After accounting for climatic influences, radial growth was 27% to 32% lower than expected in the post-fire year and declined to as low as 46 % after three years. Growth suppression persisted for up to seven years after fire, followed by up to 40% higher than expected radial growth. Several of the climbed trees expressed disruption of incremental growth along the height gradient following fire. The 1985 event consistently generated stronger growth and anatomical responses than the 1999 and 2008 events, and showed a co-occurrence between faint latewood during the fire year and subsequent narrow or missing rings. We used post-fire low growth relative to drought combined with anatomical indicators to detect past fires, identifying five additional events at Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve dating back to 1634. Although other disturbances could have initiated these responses, our detection method enhances current capabilities for the spatiotemporal resolution of redwood fire histories via non-scar indicators on increment cores from living redwoods.
Augmented Visual Instruction for Surgical Practice and Training

This paper presents two positions about the use of augmented reality (AR) in healthcare scenarios, informed by the authors’ experience as an interdisciplinary team of academics and medical practicioners who have been researching, implementing, and validating an AR surgical telementoring system. First, AR has the potential to greatly improve the areas of surgical telementoring and of medical training on patient simulators. In austere environments, surgical telementoring that connects surgeons with remote experts can be enhanced with the use of AR annotations visualized directly in the surgeon’s field of view. Patient simulators can gain additional value for medical training by overlaying the current and future steps of procedures as AR imagery onto a physical simulator. Second, AR annotations for telementoring and for simulator-based training can be delivered either by video see-through tablet displays or by AR head-mounted displays (HMDs). The paper discusses the two AR approaches by looking at accuracy, depth perception, visualization continuity, visualization latency, and user encumbrance. Specific advantages and disadvantages to each approach mean that the choice of one display method or another must be carefully tailored to the healthcare application in which it is being used.
FINDINGS OF A PILOT STUDY ON THREATS TO OLDER ADULTS SAFETY DURING HOSPITAL TO SKILLED HOME HEALTH CARE TRANSITIONS.

AbstractOlder adults requiring skilled home health care (SHHC) after hospital discharge are among those at highest risk of re-hospitalization and adverse events. SHHC agencies need strategies to provide safer SHHC transitions. Previously, we developed the “Index of SHHC Transition Quality”, including questions on 12 safe, individual and organizational transitions practices (ex: proper medication use, home safety, clear communication), and an overall care transition star rating: 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). We conducted a pilot study with two objectives: 1) describe the incidence of care transitions threats from the researcher, SHHC provider, and older adult/caregiver perspectives; 2) compare ratings of care transition quality among these perspectives. During the study, researchers observed 50 hospital-to-SHHC transitions visits. After each visit, the researchers administered the Index to the SHHC provider (n=9) and older adult or caregiver (n=50), and completed the Index themselves to produce gold-standard responses. The greatest difference in overall quality of care transitions was evident in the frequency of five-star ratings. Researchers, SHHCP, and older adults/caregivers assigned five stars to 3, 17, and 6 visits, respectively. Transition threats were marked by the proportion of “no” answers to Index domains. Threats were identified 2–55% of the visits. Fisher tests evaluating differences in proportion of “transition threats” showed significant differences (p<0.05) among the three perspectives in 10/12 Index domains. In all 10 domains, the SHHC provider indicated less transition threats than the researcher and the older adult/caregiver. These results will inform research on improvement of SHHC workflow, and interventions addressing threats to patient safety.
‘Albyon, þat þo was an Ile’: Feminist materiality and nature in the Albina narrative

The story of Albina and her sisters conventionally justifies the patriarchal foundation of Britain by presenting it as a conflict between men and women, in which the environment of Britain functions as a reflection and extension of the women. Reevaluating the narrative through feminist materiality and ecocritical studies, however, facilitates a fresh approach to understanding how medieval people perceived nature and human-nature relations. Far from functioning as a reflection of humans, the story showcases the active work of nature that is not subordinate to humans, but works with and alongside them, influencing them in ways that highlight the limits of anthropocentric readings of the narrative and nature’s role in it.
First total syntheses of the pro-resolving lipid mediators 7(S),13(R),20(S)-Resolvin T1 and 7(S),13(R)-Resolvin T4

The first total syntheses of the pro-resolving lipid mediators 7(S),13(R),20(S)-Resolvin T1 [7(S),13(R),20(S)-RvT1] and 7(S),13(R)-Resolvin T4 [7(S),13(R)-RvT4], derived from n-3 docosapentaenoic acid (n-3 DPA), are described. 7(S),13(R),20(S)-RvT1 was prepared from 7(S),13(R)-RvT4 via an enzymatic lipoxidase reaction. 7(S),13(R)-RvT4 was obtained by total synthesis where the chiral centers at C7 and C13 where introduced by a Noyori transfer hydrogenation and a chiral pool strategy respectively. Wittig reactions, Sonogashira coupling and Boland Zn(Cu/Ag) reduction were the key steps in the synthesis.
Barrett’s esophagus patients are becoming younger: analysis of a large United States dataset

Barrett’s esophagus (BE), a complication of long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), has been reported to affect 6–8% of those with heartburn. Most patients are males, Caucasians and middle aged. However, there are no recent demographic studies that evaluated the proportion trends of BE. We aimed to assess proportion trends of BE over an 11-year period, using a very large national dataset. This was a population-based analysis of the national Explorys dataset. Explorys is an aggregate of electronic medical record database representing over 54 million patients. Proportions of BE’s variables such as age, gender, race, BMI, and treatment with PPI were recorded during an 11-year period. BE patients were classified into seven age groups (15–19, 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, ≥ 70 years old). Secular trends of the proportion of BE were assessed over time for each age group. The majority of patients diagnosed with BE were ≥ 70 years old across all calendar years. However, the proportion of BE patients who were ≥ 70 years old has significantly decreased between 2006 and 2016 (− 19.9%, p < 0.001). The proportion of patients with BE increased in all age groups but most prominently in the age groups, 30–39: 2.07%, 40–49: 3.64%, 50–59: 6.89%, 60–69: 6.18%, p < 0.001. BE was significantly more common in those who were Caucasian and male. PPI usage fell significantly in those who were ≥ 70 years old (− 20.8%, p < 0.001), but increased in the other remaining age groups. The proportion of BE patients who are 70 years and older has significantly dropped. Younger patients’ groups have demonstrated the highest increase in the proportion of BE patients, especially those in the age group of 30–39 years old.
Depressive Symptom Severity and Immigration-Related Characteristics in Asian American Immigrants

The study examined immigration factors associated with depressive symptom severity among Asian American immigrants. Participants were 458 Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese adults. Depressive symptom severity was measured by PHQ-9. Overall, the likelihood of being moderately to severely depressed was significantly increased among immigrants living in the US for < 10 years and Korean Americans compared to Chinese Americans. However, mild level of depressive symptoms was not associated with any immigration-related factors. The positive impact of shorter duration of living in the US and a younger age at immigration (≤ 17) on depressive symptoms was evident among women but not among men. For men, marital status and education level were significant predictors of being moderately to severely depressed. Differentiating immigrant factors and identifying depressive symptom severity can help drive community and clinical interventions to detect and treat depression early among Asian American immigrants.
Word learning from context in school-age children: relations with language ability and executive function

Purpose: Although school-age children learn most new word meanings from surrounding context, the joint roles of language ability and executive function (EF) in the word learning process remain unclear. This study examined children's acquisition of word meanings from context in relation to oral language ability and three EF skills (working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility). Method: Typically developing school-age children completed measures of language and EF, then read and listened to short stories containing unfamiliar target words. A multiple-choice pretest-posttest measure assessed children's target word knowledge gains. Results: Regression analyses showed that language and cognitive flexibility were both related to word knowledge gains; each skill assumed greater importance among children with relative weakness in the other skill. Conclusion: Language ability and cognitive flexibility may each play a direct role in contextual word learning among school-age children, with children naturally relying on one skill if the other is weaker.