cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Significance of Periclot MMP-9 in Ischemic Stroke Patients Undergoing Intra-arterial Interventions (P4.303)

OBJECTIVE: To identify blood biomarkers associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after ischemic stroke. BACKGROUND: HT after ischemic stroke is associated with increased stroke morbidity and mortality. The identification of predictive biomarkers for HT is important. Several markers have been identified, but they are collected from peripheral blood and corroborated with CT scans to assess HT. In this study, we focused on patients with ischemic stroke who had an MRI and intra-arterial (IA) intervention. We tested the hypothesis that periclot blood markers differ quantitatively from those in peripheral blood. We focused on MMP-9, which has been shown to be a predictive marker for HT. DESIGN/METHODS: Periclot, arterial, and venous blood samples were taken from patients undergoing IA intervention. Protein levels were assessed by ELISA and DiscoverMAP250+ panel by MYRIAD RBM. The primary outcome measure was HT detected by CT or MRI. Associations were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression and Student’s t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test (p<0.05 as significant). RESULTS: The best model predicting HT (p=0.0026) included periclot MMP-9, circulating monocytes, and baseline NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (n=28). Meanwhile, the same model using arterial (p=0.419; n=30) or venous (p=0.418; n=22) instead of periclot MMP-9 was not predictive. Within the model, periclot MMP-9 (p=0.0326) and monocytes (p=0.0269) were significant predictors. MMP-9 and monocytes correlated negatively and NIHSS score correlated positively with HT. Elevated periclot MCP-4 (p=0.0015) and angiogenin (p=0.0374) expression were also associated with HT (n=15). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased periclot MMP-9 may be predictive of HT after ischemic stroke, contrasting with previous work demonstrating elevated peripheral MMP-9 as predictive of HT. Increased periclot MCP-4 and angiogenin expression, as well as decreased numbers of circulating monocytes, may serve as additional predictive markers of HT. Future work should measure the activity of periclot MMP-9. Study Supported by: Shimojani, LLC and NIH (DJ). Disclosure: Dr. Song has nothing to disclose. Dr. Prager has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brennan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Uchino has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hussain has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rasmussen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Janigro has nothing to disclose.
Kidney Regeneration Using Stem Cells And Acellular Whole Organ Scaffolds: Perspective And Recent Developments

Several tissue engineering strategies have been proposed for the regeneration of whole kidney organs. Embryonic stem (ES) cells have the benefit of pluripotency but present challenges for the choice of appropriate growth factors to induce functional fully mature tissue. Use of embryonic renal precursor structures (i.e. the metanephros) is very promising, but their fetal sources can have potential ethical and immunologic shortcomings. Seeding of acellular tissue scaffolds with mature cells has had success, but has been limited by simple organ architecture not requiring complex configurations of large numbers of cell types. We explored the use of decellularized intact kidneys for matrix-to-cell signaling to induce differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Rat kidneys underwent detergent (ionic and nonionic), osmotic, enzymatic and mechanical decellularization and were seeded via the artery or ureter with murine ES cells. The organs were cultured for up to 2 weeks with static as well as pumped pulsatile media conditions. The cells adhered to basement membranes, multiplied and showed evidence for lumen formation. Without the addition of growth factors there was evidence for differentiation by light microscopy, immune-histochemical staining and RT-PCR genetic analyses. These preliminary results stress the importance of matrix-cell as well as cell-cell and cell-matrix signaling for differentiation, and support further investigations of the use of scaffolds in tissue engineering and regeneration.
Comparison of Unit-Level Patient Turnover Measures in Acute Care Hospital Settings.

High patient turnover is a critical factor increasing nursing workload. Despite the growing number of studies on patient turnover, no consensus about how to measure turnover has been achieved. This study was designed to assess the correlation among patient turnover measures commonly used in recent studies and to examine the degree of agreement among the measures for classifying units with different levels of patient turnover. Using unit-level data collected for this study from 292 units in 88 hospitals participating in the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators®, we compared four patient turnover measures: the inverse of length of stay (1/LOS), admissions, discharges, and transfers per daily census (ADTC), ADTC with short-stay adjustment, and the number of ADTs and short-stay patients divided by the total number of treated patients, or Unit Activity Index (UAI). We assessed the measures' agreement on turnover quartile classifications, using percent agreement and Cohen's kappa statistic (weighted and unweighted). Pearson correlation coefficients also were calculated. ADTC with or without adjustment for short-stay patients had high correlations and substantial agreement with the measure of 1/LOS (κ = .62 to .91; r = .90 to .95). The UAI measure required data less commonly collected by participating hospital units and showed only moderate correlations and fair agreement with the other measures (κ = .23 to .39; r = .41 to .45). The UAI may not be comparable and interchangeable with other patient turnover measures when data are obtained from multiple units and hospitals. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Testing and validation of multi‐lidar scanning strategies for wind energy applications

Several factors cause lidars to measure different values of turbulence than an anemometer on a tower, including volume averaging, instrument noise and the use of a scanning circle to estimate the wind field. One way to avoid the use of a scanning circle is to deploy multiple scanning lidars and point them toward the same volume in space to collect velocity measurements and extract high-resolution turbulence information. This paper explores the use of two multi-lidar scanning strategies, the tri-Doppler technique and the virtual tower technique, for measuring 3-D turbulence. In summer 2013, a vertically profiling Leosphere WindCube lidar and three Halo Photonics Streamline lidars were operated at the Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Radiation Measurement site to test these multi-lidar scanning strategies. During the first half of the field campaign, all three scanning lidars were pointed at approximately the same point in space and a tri-Doppler analysis was completed to calculate the three-dimensional wind vector every second. Next, all three scanning lidars were used to build a ‘virtual tower’ above the WindCube lidar. Results indicate that the tri-Doppler technique measures higher values of horizontal turbulence than the WindCube lidar under stable atmospheric conditions, reduces variance contamination under unstable conditions and can measure high-resolution profiles of mean wind speed and direction. The virtual tower technique provides adequate turbulence information under stable conditions but cannot capture the full temporal variability of turbulence experienced under unstable conditions because of the time needed to readjust the scans. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seasonal Shifts in the Relative Resistance to Insect Attack of Eight Commercial Cabbage Varieties

Throughout the 1961 growing season at Kenosha, Wis., frequent evaluations were made of the relative resistance of 8 commercial cabbage varieties to oviposition and larval attack by the imported cabbageworm, Pieris rapae (L.), and the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) ; to larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella maculipennis (Curtis) ; and to injury by the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.); Seasonal shifts were observed in the relative resistance of the varieties to the imported cabbageworm, the diamondback moth, and the cabbage aphid, but no significant shifts were found in relative resistance to the cabbage looper, which does not occur in appreciable numbers until the latter part of the season. The red cabbage varieties proved least susceptible to early-season oviposition by the imported cabbageworm and to host selection by the alate cabbage aphid, but their susceptibility to both these species increased as the season progressed; the red varieties apparently are more favorable hosts for both these insects than are the green varieties. The varieties least injured by first-generation populations of the imported cabbageworm tended to be relatively more susceptible to second-generation oviposition. Diamondback moth populations always were low, but varietal preferences became more pronounced as the season advanced. Two green varieties showed significant shifts in resistance to this species.
Thermomigration of Au 195 and Sb 125 in Gold

The effect of large thermal gradients on the mass transport of ${\mathrm{Au}}^{195}$ and ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$ in gold has been investigated. Specimens in the form of rods containing two welded interfaces separated by ⅛ in. were fabricated. Each interface contained a layer of the appropriate tracer and an inert radioactive ${\mathrm{Hf}}^{181}$${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ marker. The specimens were annealed in a vacuum furnace which provided a temperature gradient of approximately 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C/cm. The radioactive penetration profiles at the hot and cold interfaces were determined experimentally by sectioning the specimen on a lathe and assaying the radioactivity in each section. The penetration profiles, which were skewed Gaussians, were curve-fitted by the method of least squares. The temperature at each interface and the temperature gradient were determined from the measured $D$ values and the known tracer self-diffusion coefficients. During the temperature-gradient anneal, the maximum of the tracer profile at the hot interface shifted with respect to the ${\mathrm{Hf}}^{181}$${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ marker. From the measured shift values, the heat of transport of ${\mathrm{Au}}^{195}$ in gold was measured to be $Q_{}^{*}{}_{\mathrm{Au}}{}^{}=0.80\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.27$ eV, approximately equal to the vacancy migration energy. The heat of transport for ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$ in gold was found to be $Q_{}^{*}{}_{\mathrm{Sb}}{}^{}=\ensuremath{-}2.02\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.23$ eV. These results indicate that the static temperature gradient dominates the thermomigration process of the solvent, while a charge-carrier-impurity interaction governs the process for the solute.
HCP-07THE INFLUENCE OF PERIOPERATIVE SEIZURE PROPHYLAXIS ON SEIZURE RATE AND HOSPITAL QUALITY METRICS AFTER GLIOMA SURGERY

BACKGROUND: Seizures represent one of the most common and feared perioperative complications following brain tumor surgery. Despite conflicting evidence regarding efficacy, prophylactic antiepileptic drugs (AED) are frequently administered in an effort to reduce seizure incidence and improve patient and hospital reported outcomes. The authors address this question by examining an institutional glioma population. METHODS: Patients with glioma undergoing craniotomy for resection between 1998 and 2014 were enrolled into our institutional tumor registry. Perioperative seizures were considered those occurring within 14 days of the index surgery. Student t-test and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze differences in means between continuous and categorical variables, respectively. RESULTS: Among 347 patients undergoing craniotomy for glioma resection, 299 (86.2%) were administered prophylactic AED post-operatively. Levetiracetam was the preferred agent, utilized in 73.7% of subjects. Sixteen (5.3%) patients receiving prophylactic AED suffered a perioperative seizure, compared to 1 (2.1%) not on prophylaxis (p = 0.62). Among the 17 patients that suffered a perioperative seizure, only 6 (35%) had a prior history of seizure. Mean hospital length of stay (LOS) was similar between both groups: 3.29 (AED) vs. 3.54 (no AED) days, p = 0.626. Similarly, there was no difference in ICU LOS among patients receiving (2.25 days) and not receiving (2.64 days) seizure prophylaxis, p = 0.38. The prophylaxis group had a similar rate of 90-day ED visits as the non-prophylaxis group: 12.0 vs. 17.0%, p = 0.341. However, patients administered seizure prophylaxis were less likely to be readmitted within 90 days of the index surgery (21.9 vs. 35%, p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge this is the first study specifically evaluating the influence of perioperative seizure prophylaxis on emerging hospital quality metrics including length of stay and readmission. Interestingly, while associated with lower rates of readmission, perioperative AED administration fails to reduce the risk of post-operative seizures or hospital and ICU LOS.
17 COMPARISON OF FARMING AND NON-FARMING MOTHERS IN THAI NGUYEN, VIETNAM.

Objective In Vietnam, past research has demonstrated that female farmers are at a three times increased risk for delivering a low birth weight (LBW) infant. Nevertheless, there have not yet been studies focused on the characteristics of female farmers that may predispose them to LBW deliveries. Methods Using secondary analysis, this cross-sectional study compared the characteristics of 103 farming and 253 non-farming women in order to identify possible factors that could lead to the differences observed in pregnancy outcomes. Exposure was defined as having the occupation of a farmer while non-exposure was classified as having occupations other than farming. These two groups were derived from the control group of the original LBW study, excluding cases (women who delivered LBW infants). Results This study9s results indicated that female farmers were more likely to be less educated (OR: 7.7, 95% CI: 3.7, 16.1), have partner9s who were also less educated (OR: 4.0, 95% CI: 1.9, 8.5), be unmarried (OR: 3.7, 95% CI: 0.8, 17.8), and reside in a rural location (OR: 14.7, 95% CI: 8.4, 26.0). In terms of anthropomorphic characteristics, farmers had lower pre-pregnancy weight (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.7), BMI (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 0.9, 3.6), and rate of gestational weight gain. Compared to non-farmers, more farmers also had not intended for this pregnancy (OR: 4.7, 95% CI: 1.6, 13.7). During the pregnancy, farmers utilized less antenatal visits and had a shorter duration of folic acid intake (2.8 ± 1.8 months versus 3.4 ± 1.4 months in non-farmers). Conclusions Our results highlight the possible factors that may influence the elevated incidence of LBW deliveries among farming women, providing a preliminary direction for the policies and programs that need to be implemented to assist the needs of this unique population.
Putting the Stories into Perspective

Disturbing anecdotes that are real but not representative can capture a lot of attention in the media and cascade into widely accepted panics that are out of proportion to reality. Student debt is just one example of this phenomenon. Some proposed policy responses, such as forgiving and eliminating all student debt, would be very poor strategies even if they were feasible. Increased educational attainment has significant benefits both for society as a whole and for individuals. Although there is significant variation among people with the same level of education, people with college degrees generally earn much more than others. They can reasonably use a portion of their higher incomes to repay debt—as long as there is protection for people who run into unexpected difficulties.
The Influence of Business Ties and National Culture on Foreign-Subsidiary Capability Building in an Emerging Market

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the effects of formal and informal business ties on foreign-subsidiary capability-building activities. Data from 175 foreign subsidiaries in the Philippines shows that formal business ties are negatively related to capability building, whereas informal business ties are positively related to capability building. The authors also find that foreign-subsidiary home country assertiveness positively affects the positive relationship between informal business ties and capability building. These results indicate that in an emerging market, foreign-subsidiary capability building varies by the type of business ties being employed by a foreign subsidiary and that home-country assertiveness influences these outcomes.
A Nonvolatile Flip-Flop-Enabled Cryptographic Wireless Authentication Tag With Per-Query Key Update and Power-Glitch Attack Countermeasures

Counterfeiting is a major issue plaguing global supply chains. In order to mitigate this problem, a wireless authentication tag is presented that implements a cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator and authenticated encryption modes. The tag uses Keccak, the cryptographic core of SHA3, to update keys before each protocol invocation, limiting side-channel leakage. Power-glitch attacks are mitigated through state backup on ferroelectric capacitor-based nonvolatile flip-flops with a fully integrated energy backup storage, which needs a 2.2 $\times $ smaller area compared with conventional approaches. The 130 nm CMOS tag harvests wireless power through a 433 MHz inductive link and communicates with a reader by a pulse-based modulation that minimizes the wireless power dead time. The proposed regulating voltage multiplier simultaneously rectifies, boosts, and regulates a >0.55 V ac input to a 1.5 V supply voltage with <1.1% line and load regulation while requiring only one on-chip decoupling capacitor. The bidirectional data telemetry operates at 125 kb/s, while requiring 4% (downlink) and 6.25% (uplink) duty cycles. Full system operation including the tag, reader, and server protocol is demonstrated in the presence of worst-case power interruption events.
Borrowing Money, Exchanging Relationships: Making Microfinance Fit into Local Lives in Kumaon, India

Summary Why don’t microfinance clients use programs the way development planners and funders expect? Why do clients change how microfinance projects function in unanticipated ways? Previous scholarship on microfinance has overlooked the relevance of already existing borrowing practices and norms to how people engage with and use microfinance. Over 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork in the Kumaon region of eastern Uttarakhand state in northern India, I found that Kumaonis altered the microfinance program of a local NGO to make it fit with their already existing borrowing practices, which were intimately tied to their livelihood strategies. Kumaoni livelihoods were based on exchange relationships with family, friends, and neighbors through which they could secure the means for physical and financial survival, as well as social and emotional survival. These relationships were governed by a moral economy that obligated exchange partners to properly assist one another, and ensured balance between partners and across multiple social ties. Rather than abandoning their exchange relationships, Kumaonis and local fieldworkers, who also relied on these ties, altered microfinance so that it fit with this moral economy and became another node in the already existing networks of assistance. If they had not been able to alter projects, Kumaonis would likely have stopped participating, as other groups in similar circumstances around the globe have done. Although the microfinance program was a success in the eyes of beneficiaries, senior staff members and donors remained unaware of why projects changed on the ground. To ensure that development programs can be made relevant to people’s lives and cultural values, development practitioners must relinquish control over the minutiae of development and allow local-level workers to negotiate the details of projects with participants.
Applications of Hyphenated Liquid Chromatography Techniques for Polymer Analysis

We find polymers everywhere in our daily activities, for example, as a part of consumer electronics products, healthcare devices, vehicles, etc. Analytical characterization of such materials is an important step towards understanding their properties and behavior in various applications. The increase of material complexity driven by highly demanding requirements for many applications necessitates the use of sophisticated analytical techniques to obtain sufficient insight into the structure of these materials. Coupling of liquid chromatography with other information-rich instrumental techniques becomes more and more important in the field of polymer characterization. Such combination can enable simultaneous separation, identification, and quantification of polymer sample components. In addition, it can provide information on interdependence of two polymer properties, e.g., molecular weight and chemical composition. Different hyphenated systems may be applied to address different problems in polymer research and development and a selection of the right technique may not be an easy and straightforward task. In this paper, the applications of LC-NMR, LC-IR, LC-Raman, LC-MS, LC-MALDI, LC × LC, and LC × Py-GC for polymer analysis are reviewed, their advantages and limitations are discussed, and practical challenges for the implementation of these techniques in a lab are addressed. Different hyphenated options are compared to facilitate selection of a suitable instrument for the particular problem at hand.
Fokker—Planck Equation

This chapter reviews the solution of Fokker–Planck equation applicable to linear ordinary differential equations with linearly appearing “white Gaussian noise” terms. If a differential equation contains random terms, then the solution to the differential equation can only be described statistically. The solution to the Fokker–Planck equation is the probability density of the solution to the original differential equation. The chapter presents the technique for constructing the Fokker–Planck equation for a linear system of ordinary differential equations depending on several white noise terms. The chapter highlights that with a “Fourier” transform, the method of characteristics can often solve a Fokker–Planck equation in one dimension. Because a Fokker–Planck equation and the equation for a Green's function both have delta function forcing terms, the solution techniques are similar. Not all noise terms are white Gaussian noise. When the coefficient of the noise term is small, then a singular perturbation problem generally results.
Contemporary patterns of fire extent and severity in forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA (1985–2010)

Fire is an important disturbance in many forest landscapes, but there is heightened concern regarding recent wildfire activity in western North America. Several regional-scale studies focus on high-severity fire, but a comprehensive examination at all levels of burn severity (i.e., low, moderate, and high) is needed to inform our understanding of the ecological effects of contemporary fires and how they vary among vegetation zones at sub-regional scales. We integrate Landsat time series data with field measurements of tree mortality to map burn severity in forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA, from 1985 to 2010. We then examine temporal trends in fire extent and spatial patterns of burn severity in relation to drought and annual fire extent. Finally, we compare results among vegetation zones and with expectations based on studies of historical landscape dynamics and fire regimes. Small increases in fire extent over time were associated with drought in all vegetation zones, but fire cumulatively affected <3% of wet vegetation zones, and most dry vegetation zones experienced less fire than expectations from fire history studies. Although the proportion of fire at any level of severity did not increase over time, temporal trends toward larger patches of high-severity fire were related to drought and annual fire extent, depending on vegetation zone. In vegetation zones with historically high-severity regimes, high-severity fire accounted for a large proportion of recent fire extent (43–48%) and occurred primarily in patches ≥100 ha. In vegetation zones with historically low- and mixed-severity regimes, low (45–54%)- and moderate-severity (24–36%) fires were prevalent, but proportions of high-severity fire (23–26%), almost half of which occurred in patches ≥100 ha, were much greater than expectations from most fire history studies. Our results support concerns about large patches of high-severity fire in some dry forests but also suggest that spatial patterns of burn severity across much of the extent burned are generally consistent with current understanding of historical landscape dynamics in the region. This study highlights the importance of considering the ecological effects of fire at all levels of severity in management and policy initiatives intended to promote forest biodiversity and resilience to future fire activity.
Calculations and Experimental Studies of TAGzT under High Pressure

We studied TAGzT theoretically using density functional perturbation theory within the plane-wave-pseudo-potential formalism and experimentally by Raman and IR spectroscopy at ambient and high pressure. The modeled spectra predict reasonably well the experimental spectra at ambient pressure and the Raman vibrational modes at pressures up to 25 GPa. We report the effects of pressure on volume, Raman and IR vibrational modes, and charge distribution of TAGzT.
Perspectives on the T'ang . Edited by Arthur Wright and Denis Twitchett. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1973. vii, 458 pp. Maps, Notes, Glossary-Index. $15.00.

Most contributions to this miscellany of conference-derived articles are heavily weighted on the side of political and economic affairs. A few studies in the fields of Buddhism and literature round off the volume. The introductory chapter, written by the two editors, sets the tone: a common interest in the pursuit of power and status in T'ang times. This emphasis extends even to treating Buddhism almost entirely in its secular role-as an interest group in the great competition, just like any other faction or cabal. The articles on T'ang poetry are of unusually high quality, and the best of them escape entirely the incubus that presides over the rest of the book. In short, they are concerned with poetry as a craft-not as source material for the careers of writers.
Clinical Presentation and Anatomical Location of Orbital Plasmacytomas

Purpose To evaluate the clinical and anatomical location of orbital plasmacytomas and assess local control following therapy. Methods The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Oncology Database was queried to identify patients diagnosed with orbital plasmacytoma. These patients' records were reviewed for demographic characteristics, clinical and radiologic findings, treatments, and outcomes. Results Thirty patients from 4 institutions (24 from MD Anderson Cancer Center, 3 from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 2 from University of California, Los Angeles, and 1 from Oregon Health and Science University) were identified. Eighteen patients (60%) were diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) before and 11 (37%) were diagnosed with MM immediately after orbital plasmacytoma. Based on imaging, 4 distinct anatomical patterns were identified: 1) bony plasmacytoma affecting the superotemporal orbit, epidural space, and temporal fossa (15 patients; 50%); 2) discrete orbital plasmacytoma (7 patients; 23%); 3) infiltrative plasmacytoma either originating from a sinus (4 patients; 13%); or 4) originating from the orbital floor and infiltrating facial soft tissue (4 patients; 13%). Of the 29 patients with available treatment data, 2 had radiation only, 3 had chemotherapy only, 6 had chemoradiation, and 18 had stem cell transplant following chemoradiation (n = 17) or only chemotherapy (n = 1). Following treatment, 10 patients achieved complete and 11 achieved partial responses. Conclusion Orbital plasmacytomas were found exclusively in patients with MM diagnosed before or immediately after orbital plasmacytoma. Plasmacytomas can have 4 distinct anatomical patterns of origin. Following treatment, all patients had good to excellent local control of their orbital lesions.
Abstract 215: An Agonistic Human Monoclonal Autoantibody to the β2-adrenergic Receptor: Implications in Postural Hypotension

Functional autoantibodies directed to the autonomic receptors have been increasingly recognized to contribute to the pathophysiology of various cardiovascular diseases. However, to date, no human monoclonal autoantibodies to these receptors with agonist activity have been available. We have recently reported a subgroup of patients with idiopathic postural hypotension who have no known etiology are associated with vasodilatory autoantibodies to the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR). Using standard hybridoma techniques, we produced a β2AR-activating monoclonal autoantibody C5F2 from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of a patient with idiopathic postural hypotension and high ELISA antibody titers to a peptide corresponding to the second extracellular loop (ECL2) of β2AR. C5F2 was of the IgG3 isotype and recognized an epitope located at the N-terminus of β2AR ECL2 as determined by epitope mapping using multipin peptide synthesis. Confocal immunofluorescence revealed C5F2 binding to the β2AR in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with human β2AR and rat cremaster arterioles, both of which were inhibited by presabsorption with the β2AR ECL2 peptide. Functionally, the C5F2 IgG stimulated cyclic AMP production in β2AR-expressing CHO cells in a dose-dependent manner (0.005-5 mg/ml). C5F2-induced cyclic AMP activation was specifically blocked by both the β2AR ECL2 peptide and β2AR selective antagonist ICI-118551. In an isolated rat cremaster arteriole assay, infusion of the C5F2 IgG produced a potent vasodilation which was inhibited by the β2AR ECL2 peptide and β2AR blocker ICI-118551 (from 67.8±5.8% to 9.3±5.1% and 4.4±2.1% of maximal dilatory response, respectively), indicating that antibody activation of vascular β2AR may contribute to systemic vasodilation. These data support the concept that circulating agonistic autoantibodies serve as vasodilators and may cause or exacerbate orthostasis by altering the compensatory postural vascular response. The availability of this first human monoclonal autoantibody to the β2AR provides opportunities to identify previously unrecognized causes and new pharmacological management of postural hypotension.
Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Response of Nanolaminate Composites Irradiated with Helium at Elevated Temperatures

We summarize recent work on helium (He) interaction with various heterophase boundaries under high temperature irradiation. We categorize the ion-affected material beneath the He-implanted surface into three regions of depth, based on the He/vacancy ratio. The differing defect structures in these three regions lead to the distinct temperature sensitivity of He-induced microstructure evolution. The effect of He bubbles or voids on material mechanical performance is explored. Overall design guidelines for developing materials where He-induced damage can be mitigated in materials are discussed.
3D printing nano conductive multi-walled carbon nanotube scaffolds for nerve regeneration.

Objective. Nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have been introduced to modify the surface properties of scaffolds, thus enhancing the interaction between the neural cells and biomaterials. In addition to superior electrical conductivity, CNTs can provide nanoscale structures similar to those present in the natural neural environment. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the proliferative capability and differential potential of neural stem cells (NSCs) seeded on a CNT incorporated scaffold. Approach. Amine functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were incorporated with a PEGDA polymer to provide enhanced electrical properties as well as nanofeatures on the surface of the scaffold. A stereolithography 3D printer was employed to fabricate a well-dispersed MWCNT-hydrogel composite neural scaffold with a tunable porous structure. 3D printing allows easy fabrication of complex 3D scaffolds with extremely intricate microarchitectures and controlled porosity. Main results. Our results showed that MWCNT-incorporated scaffolds promoted neural stem cell proliferation and early neuronal differentiation when compared to those scaffolds without the MWCNTs. Furthermore, biphasic pulse stimulation with 500 µA current promoted neuronal maturity quantified through protein expression analysis by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Significance. Results of this study demonstrated that an electroconductive MWCNT scaffold, coupled with electrical stimulation, may have a synergistic effect on promoting neurite outgrowth for therapeutic application in nerve regeneration.
What's Brewing? A Statistics Education Discovery Project

ABSTRACTWe believe that students learn best, are actively engaged, and are genuinely interested when working on real-world problems. This can be done by giving students the opportunity to work collaboratively on projects that investigate authentic, familiar problems. This article shares one such project that was used in an introductory statistics course. We describe the steps taken to investigate why customers are charged more for iced coffee than hot coffee, which included collecting data and using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Interspersed throughout the article, we describe strategies that can help teachers implement the project and scaffold material to assist students who may have gaps in their mathematical background and offer suggestions if using the lesson with students who are mathematically stronger. Students were highly motivated and enthusiastic to work on a problem with a rich, readily understood context. This article provides teachers with an alternative way to assess stud...
Topical chemotherapy for giant ocular surface squamous neoplasia of the conjunctiva and cornea: Is surgery necessary?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to report on the efficacy and safety of topical chemotherapy alone for giant ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). Methods: In this retrospective, interventional series, 10 eyes with giant OSSN underwent exfoliative biopsy to confirm the diagnosis followed by application of interferon alpha 2b (IFN α2b) and/or 5 fluorouracil, 1% (5FU). Reported outcome measures were tumor response, visual acuity, recurrence, systemic metastasis, and treatment complications. Results: Ten patients (3 female, 7 male) had a mean age of 73 (median, 69; range 40–89) years. Mean tumor diameter was 13.1 (median, 12.3; range 8.2–19.4) mm. Five (50%) eyes were treated with IFN-α2b alone; 1 (10%) with 5-FU alone and 4 (40%) required both IFN-α2b and 5-FU. The mean duration of treatment was 3, 0.5, and 6.4 months for IFN-α2b alone, 5-FU alone, and both IFN-α2b and 5-FU respectively. Complete tumor response was observed in all 10 cases at mean follow-up of 12.8 (median, 11.5; range, 3–25) months. Complications noted were transient irritation and burning (n = 4), dry eyes (n = 2), and transient flu-like symptoms (n = 2). There was no evidence of chemotherapy-related symblepharon, stem cell deficiency, scleral thinning, or corneal opacity. There were no tumor recurrences, and no patient required surgical excision or cryotherapy. Conclusion: Topical chemotherapy was a safe and effective treatment, inducing complete regression in all cases of giant OSSN in this series. There were no sight-limiting complications.
Privatizing and Publicizing Speech

When and how should governments be permitted to use private-law mechanisms to manage their public-law obligations? This short piece poses that question in the context of Summum, which the Supreme Court decided earlier this year, and Buono, which it will hear in the fall. In both cases, the government manipulated formal property rules in order to fend off constitutional challenges. In Summum, the government took ownership of a religious symbol in the face of a free speech challenge, while in Buono it shed ownership of land containing another sectarian symbol in an effort to moot an Establishment Clause problem. Although obvious differences separate the cases, they both raise the deeper question of whether and how governments ought to be able to structure private-law transactions with constitutional rules in mind. That issue, which cuts across a variety of legal fields, deserves more systematic attention.
Dual Ring Wound Protector Reduces Circular Stapler Related Surgical Site Infections in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass

While there are various techniques to create the gastrojejunostomy during a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB), many surgeons prefer using a circular stapler. One drawback of this method, however, is the higher incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs). To investigate the effect of a dual ring wound protector on SSIs during LRYGB. In April 2016, our bariatric surgical group implemented an intervention whereby a dual ring wound protector in conjunction with a conical EEA stapler introducer was used when creating the gastrojejunostomy. SSIs from pre- and post-intervention were compared using Fisher’s exact test. Only LRYGBs performed with a circular stapler were included in our analysis. Student’s t test and χ2 were used to compare pre- and post-intervention groups with respect to demographics and co-morbidities. Between April 2015 and January 31st, 2017, our surgeons performed 158 LRYGBs using a circular stapler for the gastrojejunostomy. There were 84 patients (53%) in the pre-intervention group and 74 (47%) in the post-intervention group. The pre- and post-intervention groups were not statistically different. The SSI rate for the pre-intervention group was 9.5% while the SSI rate was 1.35% in the post-intervention group (p = 0.0371). The use of a dual ring wound protector for LRYGBs with circular stapled gastrojejunostomy was associated with an 86% relative risk reduction in SSIs. Using a dual ring wound protector in conjunction with a conical EEA introducer for LRYGBs with circular stapled gastrojejunostomy significantly decreased SSIs.
5-Gb/s linear re-driver in 180 nm CMOS technology

Abstract A single lane, dual channel, 5-Gb/s linear re-driver has been developed and fabricated in low cost 0.18-μm CMOS technology. Some techniques have been applied to attain a very power efficient, low complexity re-driver: transistor optimization, forward scaling design, negative Miller capacitance, and inductive peaking. In addition, the re-driver achieves very good linearity thanks to careful ordering of design blocks. To combat with temperature effect and process variation, some techniques such as ratio-based design and the use of proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) reference current have also been used. The chip only consumes approximately 90 mA in 5-Gb/s bidirectional operation from a single 1.8 V power supply.
Contemporary ventilatory strategies for surgical patients

Respiratory failure affects a significant percentage of critically ill children, necessitating both invasive and non-invasive respiratory support. As the outcomes of these patients have improved, children with higher acuity and more complex respiratory pathophysiology require mechanical ventilation. Despite growing understanding of lung-protective strategies and ventilation induced lung injury, certain patients still require harmful ventilatory settings with conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV). High frequency ventilation, neurally adjusted ventilatory assist, and airway pressure release ventilation offer feasible alternatives to CMV. In addition to minimizing the risk of ventilatory induced lung injury when used appropriately, they provide a unique environment to facilitate operations on certain neonates and older children. Finally, non-invasive ventilation is now commonly employed in children with surgical conditions.
Carbonate formation in salt dome cap rocks by microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane

Major hydrocarbon accumulations occur in traps associated with salt domes. Whereas some of these hydrocarbons remain to be extracted for economic use, significant amounts have degraded in the subsurface, yielding mineral precipitates as byproducts. Salt domes of the Gulf of Mexico Basin typically exhibit extensive deposits of carbonate that form as cap rock atop salt structures. Despite previous efforts to model cap rock formation, the details of subsurface reactions (including the role of microorganisms) remain largely unknown. Here we show that cap rock mineral precipitation occurred via closed-system sulfate reduction, as indicated by new sulfur isotope data. 13C-depleted carbonate carbon isotope compositions and low clumped isotope-derived carbonate formation temperatures indicate that microbial, sulfate-dependent, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) contributed to carbonate formation. These findings suggest that AOM serves as an unrecognized methane sink that reduces methane emissions in salt dome settings perhaps associated with an extensive, deep subsurface biosphere.
Challenges to and Resources for Participation in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: Perceptions of Collegiate Athletic Trainers.

Context Health care systems are increasing their emphasis on interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) as a necessary component to patient care. However, information regarding the challenges ...
The Effect of Music- and Video-Distraction on High School Physical Education Student Exercise Intensity

This study investigated the relationship between use of distractions during exercise and (a) heart rate (HR), (b) rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and (c) enjoyment during exercise. Quasi-experimental design with six intact, single-gender high school classes was used. A control group experienced no distraction, while a treatment group first experienced no distraction, followed by 2 days each of listening to music and of watching a movie. HR was collected continuously in real time and RPE and enjoyment at 5-min intervals. In the treatment group, HR and RPE were not different between no distraction and music conditions but decreased while watching a film. The control group also decreased in the same measures during the third condition. No differences were seen in enjoyment. While various distractions may work in fitness settings, in the PE setting distractions in and of themselves are insufficient and cannot replace quality pedagogy and an engaging teacher. One cannot simply turn on the music or video and leave students to their own devices. Future research needs to investigate distraction use in combination with good pedagogy, engaging instruction, and the impact of sociality in physical education.Subscribe to TPE
Positional transient loss of consciousness and hemispheric deficits in the setting of severe four-vessel extracranial cerebrovascular disease.

Abstract Carotid artery stenosis typically causes hemispheric neurologic effects by atheroembolism. Nonhemispheric symptoms, such as syncope, are generally not attributable to extracranial carotid disease. This report describes a 62-year-old woman with severe bilateral carotid artery stenosis, right vertebral artery occlusion, and severe left vertebral artery stenosis who presented with transient loss of consciousness and unilateral weakness when upright. Her symptoms resolved after right carotid endarterectomy. Whereas vertebrobasilar insufficiency alone can cause syncope, in the case of severe multivessel cerebrovascular disease, unilateral carotid revascularization was successful in treating the patient's transient loss of consciousness, suggesting global cerebral hypoperfusion as the cause.
Expression of Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 and Associated Lymphocyte Infiltration in Olfactory Neuroblastoma

Background Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that interacts with the receptor programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) to suppress T-cell activation, reduce adjacent tissue damage, and promote tolerance to self-antigens. Tumors may express PD-L1 as a mechanism to evade immune detection. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of PD-L1/PD-1 antagonists through activation of tumor-infiltrated CD8+ T cells. The aim of this study was to determine the expression pattern of PD-L1 and PD-1 in olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) tumor cells and to determine the presence of PD-1+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in the ONB immune microenvironment. Methods Immunohistochemistry for expression of PD-L1, PD-1, and CD8 was performed on paraffin-embedded ONB tissue. Results Of the 10 primary site ONB samples, 4 demonstrated positive PD-L1 expression. Of PD-L1+ tumors, the 2 highest expressing samples were found to contain PD-1+ tumor cells. Of the 4 available metastatic samples, all of which arose from PD-L1− primary site ONB, 3 were positive for PD-L1 and contained PD-1+ tumor cells. PD-L1+ primary and metastatic tumors also demonstrated increased PD-1+ infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor and stroma (11.6- and 4.62-fold increase) compared with PD-L1− samples (P Conclusions These data demonstrate that a proportion of ONB primary and metastatic tumors express PD-L1 and possess an associated tumor and stromal infiltrate of PD-1+ and CD8+ lymphocytes.
Comparing urban sociology’s human ecology and community psychology’s ecological metaphor

This paper explores how two distinct scholarly disciplines both concerned with place-based human behavior have independently developed an ecological framework: urban sociology’s human ecology, and ...
Implementation of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol (ERP) is associated with an increase in the perioperative use of non-opioid multimodal analgesia for non-ERP patients.

Abstract Study objective Incorporation of multimodal, non-opioid analgesic medications into patient care pathways has become a common theme of enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs), which have been shown to improve patient outcomes such as complication rates and length of stay. With surgical care episodes, patients also incur a significant risk of persistent postoperative opioid use, whether the surgery is classified as major or minor surgery. One method that has been shown to reduce perioperative opioid administration is a structured non-opioid multimodal analgesic strategy, widely utilized in ERPs. Despite well-defined benefits, the time to translate evidence-based approaches into clinical practice can be prolonged. This study examines the effect of implementation of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol (ERP) on the adoption of intraoperative multimodal analgesia outside of the auspices of an ERP care pathway, describing factors influencing the clinical implementation of non-opioid multimodal analgesia (NOMA) in routine practice. Design Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting We identified all surgical cases between January 2013 and December 2016 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Interventions None. Measurements Using both segmented and logistic regression approaches, we compared non-ERP surgical cases before and after the initial ERP education and implementation in April 2014. Outcomes included provider, patient, and procedural factors associated with utilization of non-opioid multimodal analgesia (NOMA) in the immediate perioperative period. Main results We studied 73,560 non-ERP cases. Cases utilizing any element of NOMA increased from 17.06% to 35.21% (X2 = 2358, df = 1, p Conclusions From 2013 to 2016, NOMA usage in non-ERP patients increased significantly and in association with departmental education and concomitant implementation of an ERP pathway. Factors associated with increased uptake of multimodal analgesia included the presence of trainees, providers with a higher number of previous ERP pathway cases, patients who were younger, healthier, female, Caucasian race, and having specific types of surgery.