cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elevation of meal-stimulated gastrin release in subjects with Helicobacter pylori infection reversal by low intragastric pH

back inhibition of gastrin release by intragastric acid. Of 48 subjects evaluated, 26 (54%) were seropositive for H. pylori by ELISA. Fasting and peptone meal-stimulated gastrin release at pH 2.5 and pH 5.5 as well as integrated 24-hour plasma gastrin concentrations were significantly higher in the seropositive group, even when subjects with a history of duodenal ulcer were excluded. The inhibitory effect of low pH on the release of gastrin was not attenuated in subjects with positive results in the ELISA. These data indicate that the association between seropositivity for H. pylori and enhanced release of gastrin is independent of a history of duodenal ulcer and is not caused by a disturbance of the normal feedback inhibition of gastrin release by intragastric acid. Helicobacterpylori is strongly associated with superficial gastritis [1-5] and peptic ulcer disease [6-11]. The reduced recurrence of duodenal ulcer following eradication of H. pylori supports a role for this organism in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer disease [8, 11-13]. Recently, Levi and co-workers [14] reported significantly higher meal-stimulated serum concentrations of gastrin and peak output of acid in patients with duodenal ulcer who were colonized with H. pylori than in those who were not colonized. A subsequent report by McColl and colleagues [15] showed that eradication of H. pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer disease resulted in a reduction of meal-stimulated gastrin release and acid secretion. These observations suggest that the elevation in acid secretion frequently found in patients with duodenal ulcer may reflect effects of H. pylori. Intragastric acid is a potent inhibitor of gastrin release and acid secretion [16]. The hypergastrinemia of hypochlorhydric states, such as those caused by reduced parietal cell mass, vagotomy, or potent antisecretory drugs, is thought to be due to the loss of acid and its inhibitory influences on the release of gastrin. In individuals colonized with H. pylori, however, there is an apparent increase in both acid secretion and gastrin release in response to food- changes suggesting that H. pylori may be involved in the inappropriate release of gastrin. The aim of the present study was to determine whether increases in meal-stimulated gastrin release in persons colonized with H. pylori are independent of a history of chronic duoGrant support: National Institutes of Health (DK17328) and The Procter
Relation of Adult-Onset Asthma to Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke

Asthma was associated with atherosclerotic disease in several studies, with evidence that this association may be limited to women. However, most previous studies failed to account for the heterogeneity of asthma subtypes. We previously reported increased carotid intima-medial thickness in women with adult-onset asthma. In this study, the association of adult- and child-onset asthma with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke were examined. Subjects were classified according to self-report of physician-diagnosed asthma and age of asthma onset. Cox proportional hazards models were used to test the association of adult- and child-onset asthma with incident CHD and stroke, testing for gender interaction. Subanalysis was also performed using only never smokers. Women with adult-onset asthma experienced a 2-fold increase in incident CHD and stroke that was independent of other risk factors, including smoking, body mass index, and physical activity, and persisted when analysis was restricted to never smokers. No significant association was found in women with child-onset asthma or in men. In conclusion, adult-onset asthma may be a significant risk factor for CHD and stroke in women, but not men.
Specific aggregations of alanine tetrapeptide derivatives as studied by nuclear magnetic resonance.

By use of high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy, we have found evidence for specific folded forms for the methoxyethoxyethoxyacetyl-blocked alanine tetramer ethyl ester. It appears that this tetrapeptide derivative exists in a folded form which is in rapid equilibrium with an extended structure (i.e., below 1% w/v). At high concentrations (i.e., above 1% w/v in chloroform) the folded form is stabilized by an association of the alanine tetrapeptide derivative into a side-by-side dimer which contains specific hydrogen bonds between the amine terminal regions of the two folded structures.
Finding the best in the presence of a stochastic constraint

Our problem is that of finding the best system - i.e., the system with the largest or smallest primary performance measure - among a finite number of simulated systems in the presence of a stochastic constraint on a secondary performance measure. In order to solve this problem, we first find a set that contains only feasible or near-feasible systems (phase I) and then choose the best among those systems in the set (phase II). We present a statistically valid procedure for phase I and then propose another procedure that performs phases I and II sequentially to find the best feasible system. Finally, we provide some experimental results for the second procedure.
The prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder following neonatal aortic arch repair.

Objective: We sought to determine the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a population of children who underwent neonatal heart surgery involving repair of the aortic arch for Norwood Stage I, interrupted aortic arch, and combined repair of aortic coarctation with ventricular septal defect. Methods: Children between the ages of 5 and 16 were surveyed using the ADHD-IV and the Child Heath Questionnaire-50. Classification as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was defined for this study as either a parent-reported diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD-IV inattention score of ⩾93 percentile. Results: Of the 134 surveys, 57 (43%) were returned completed. A total of 25 (44%) children either had a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and/or ADHD-IV inattention score ⩾93 percentile. Eleven of the 13 (85%) children with interrupted aortic arch, 3 of the 7 (42.9%) children with combined coarctation/ventricular septal defect repair, and 9 of the 33 (27.3%) children with hypoplastic left-heart syn- drome were classified as having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Only 7 of the 25 (28%) children received medical treatment for this condition. Quality of life indicators in the Child Heath Questionnaire-50 Ques- tionnaire were highly correlated with the ADHD-IV scores. Conclusion: The risks for the development of atten- tion-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are multifactorial but are significantly increased in this post-surgical population. This study revealed a low treatment rate for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and a significant impact on the quality of life in these children.
Globalization, Integration, and the European Welfare State

This paper considers three challenges to the mature European welfare states posed by economic and social integration, demographic changes, and the alleged decline of state capacity in the form of fiscal extraction in an era of globalization. I argue that the experiences of the older member states in the European Union are difficult to reconcile with the common assertions that globalization necessarily leads to a “race to the bottom” where welfare spending is downsized to the lowest common denominator. I develop a set of hypotheses on plausible linkages between demographic challenges, globalization, political capacity, and welfare spending, and test the propositions in an empirical analysis of 14 European Union member states from 1983 to 1998. My empirical results suggest that economic integration does not pose a threat to European welfare states. Rather, demographic changes such as low fertility rates and the aging of the population and their political implications for political leaders’ incentives are more serious challenges for the continuation of the welfare state in Europe.
A novel doxycycline-inducible system for the transgenic analysis of mammary gland biology

Normal developmental events such as puberty, pregnancy, and parity influence the susceptibility of the mammary gland to tumorigenesis in both humans and rodent model systems. Unfortunately, constitutive transgenic mouse models that rely on mammary-specific promoters to control transgene expression have limited utility for studying the effect of developmental events on breast cancer risk since the hormonal signals governing these events also markedly influence transgene expression levels. A novel transgenic mouse system is described that uses the MMTV-LTR to drive expression of the reverse tetracycline-dependent transactivator rtTA. Transgenic mice expressing rtTA in the mammary epithelium were crossed with reporter lines bearing tet operator-controlled transgenes. We tested the ability to spatially, temporally, and quantitatively control reporter gene expression after administration of doxycycline to bitransgenic mice. Transgene expression using this system can be rapidly induced and deinduced, is highly mammary specific, can be reproducibly titrated over a wide range of expression levels, and is essentially undetectable in the uninduced state. Homogeneous transgene expression throughout the mammary epithelium can be achieved. This system permits transgene expression to be restricted to any desired stage of postnatal mammary gland development. We have developed a mammary-specific, doxycycline-inducible transgenic mouse model for studying the effect of mammary gland development on transgene-mediated phenotypes. Unlike other mammary-specific, transgenic systems that have been described, this system combines spatially homogeneous transgene expression in the mammary epithelium during puberty, pregnancy, lactation, and involution with the use of an orally administered, inexpensive, and widely available inducing agent. This system offers new opportunities for the transgenic analysis of mammary gland biology in vivo.
Reduced-order, trajectory piecewise-linear models for nonlinear computational fluid dynamics

A trajectory piecewise-linear (TPWL) approach is developed for a computational ∞uid dynamics (CFD) model of the two-dimensional Euler equations. The approach uses a weighted combination of linearized models to represent the nonlinear CFD system. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is then used to create a reduced-space basis, onto which the TPWL model is projected. This projection yields an e‐cient reduced-order model of the nonlinear system, which does not require the evaluation of any full-order system residuals. The method is applied to the case of ∞ow through an actively controlled supersonic difiuser. With an appropriate choice of linearization points and POD basis vectors, the method is found to yield accurate results, including cases with signiflcant shock motion.
Dialytic Support in Patients with Acute Renal Failure with Implantable Left Ventricular Assist Devices

The left ventricular assist device (LVAD), used thus far as a bridge to heart transplantation, may offer an alternative to heart transplantation. Because patients receiving LVADs are in cardiogenic shock, many experience acute ischemic renal failure in the peri-implantation period. We describe 10 patients who underwent dialysis after receiving LVADs for end-stage heart disease. Among 37 patients who received an LVAD, 10 required dialytic support (8 men, 2 women; mean age, 47.3 ± 11.3 yr; mean APACHE II score at ICU admission, 18.0 ± 4.7). Renal replacement therapy was started for fluid removal within 48 hours of LVAD implantation in 8 patients. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) was the first-line modality for 9 patients, including 3 slow continuous ultrafiltrations (SCUF), 4 continuous venovenous hemofiltrations (CVVH), 5 continuous venovenous hemodiafiltrations (CVVHD), 2 continuous arteriovenous hemofiltrations (CAVH), and 1 continuous arteriovenous hemodiafiltration (CAVHD). Patients remained on CRRT for a mean of 14.4 ± 6.1 days, and 5 were eventually changed to intermittent hemodialysis. The mean time on renal replacement therapy was 27.8 ± 19.7 days. During CRRT, despite daily average ultrafiltration of 3,445 ± 623 mL, net fluid loss was only 358 ± 507 mL/day. Metabolic control achieved with CRRT, expressed as mean ± SD, was: BUN 75.5 ± 13.0 mg/dL (26.9 ± mmol/L), serum creatinine 4.0 ± 0.7 mg/dL (354 ± 62 mmol/L), carbon dioxide content (bicarbonate plus dissolved CO2) 21.5 ± 1.7 mEq/L, and serum electrolytes within normal limits. Survival for patients with LVADs who did not require dialysis was 93% compared with 40% for the group with combined LVADs and dialytic support. The 4 patients who survived in the dialysis group all recovered renal function, and their need for dialysis ceased within 18 to 33 days. Mean serum creatinine levels at follow-up after transplantation were 2.0 ± 1.0 mg/dL (177 ± 88 mmol/L). In conclusion, CRRT provides good metabolic control and allows large ultrafiltration volume in patients supported by an implantable LVAD. We observed a 40% survival rate in patients with combined LVADS and dialytic support, and the survivors all recovered renal function.
An importance sampling analysis of a noninterleaved Viterbi decoder in an RFI environment

This paper presents an importance sampling simulation model which analyzes a communications system consisting of a noisy channel, a transmitter/receiver, and a convolutional encoder/Viterbi decoder. The model determines the amount of signal degradation caused by any noise environment that can be modeled as a Markov chain. The specific example of a Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) noise environment is discussed in detail. The model uses importance sampling to determine low bit error rates (BERs) for a wide range of noise environments. It is faster than a conventional simulation because the required run time is independent of the BER. It is more flexible than existing analytic models, as these make major assumptions, such as that symbol errors are independent (interleaving), or that all bursts have infinite power. The model increases the simulation efficiency by biasing the channel statistics so that more codeword errors occur and adjusts for this by using a weighting function whose value is calculated through the use of a Markov chain. The results show that using interleaving results in a significant performance improvement when the lengths of the interfering bursts are long relative to the data symbol length. >
Anticonvulsant Hypersensitivity Syndrome: Implications for Pharmaceutical Care

Anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome (AHS) is a delayed adverse drug reaction associated with the use of aromatic anticonvulsant drugs. It has been most commonly reported with the use of phenytoin, carbamazepine, and phenobarbital. Although its occurrence is rare, 1 in every 1000-10,000 exposures, AHS is a serious adverse event often resulting in hospitalization and even death. The clinical manifestations of AHS include a triad of symptoms consisting of dermatologic rashes, fever, and evidence of systemic organ involvement. Diagnosis is most frequently based on the recognition of this triad of symptoms and clinical judgment. The exact mechanism of AHS remains to be determined but is thought to have at least three components: deficiency or abnormality of the epoxide hydroxylase enzyme that detoxifies the metabolites of aromatic amine anticonvulsants, associated reactivation of herpes-type viruses, and ethnic predisposition with certain human leukocyte antigen subtypes. Arene oxides, the toxic intermediaries in the metabolism of anticonvulsant drugs, can accumulate and directly bind to macromolecules, causing cell death, as well as act as prohaptens that bind to T cells, initiating an immune response and systemic reactions. Management of AHS primarily includes discontinuation of the associated anticonvulsant drug. Systemic corticosteroids are usually required for full recovery. An important issue regarding AHS is the cross-sensitivity among aromatic anticonvulsant drugs, which has been reported to be 40-80%. This means that patients with a history of AHS should avoid further use of any aromatic anticonvulsant drug. In addition, a familial association with AHS exists, and family members of the patient with AHS should be educated that they may be at increased risk for developing AHS if they use aromatic anticonvulsant drugs. Anticonvulsant drugs that are generally considered safe are valproic acid and benzodiazepines. Other nonaromatic anticonvulsant drugs should also be acceptable. Pharmacists as health care providers can play an important role in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of AHS.
Moderators of Mother’s Problems on Middle-Aged Offspring Depressive Symptoms

Objectives. Conserv ation of Resources (COR) theory postulates that individuals utilize various resources to manage stressful circumstances. Children employ many resources to cope with the problems of parents who suffer from disabilities, cognitive impairment, and functional limitations. This phenomenon is rarely explored among middle-aged offspring and their aging parents. Method. Dra wing from the Family Exchanges Study, we focus on a sample (N = 308) of middle-aged adults (mean age = 51) whose only living parent was their mother. We use multiple regression to examine maternal support and selfreported health as moderators of maternal problems on offspring depressive symptoms. Results. P articipants whose mothers had few problems generally reported low levels of depressive symptoms. When mothers had high problems, results indicate a negative association between depressive symptoms and physical health. When maternal problems were high, the amount of support offspring receive from their mother had a negative association with offspring depressive symptoms. When mothers had low problems, receiving more maternal support was associated with lower depressive symptoms and receiving low support was associated with increased depressive symptoms. Discussion. Middle-aged of fspring use both personal and family-based resources to buffer the psychological ramifications of their mother’s problems. Our results provide a unique extension of COR theory.
Medication use patterns and two-year outcome in first-admission patients with major depressive disorder with psychotic features

Abstract Objective This study examined the patterns and predictors of medication use and 24-month course/outcome in first-admission patients with major depressive disorder with psychotic features (MDD/P). Method An epidemiological sample of 87 first-admission patients with research diagnoses of MDD/P received intensive clinical assessments at baseline and at 6- and 24-month follow-ups and telephone assessments at 3-month intervals. Use of medications (antidepressant [AD], antipsychotic [AP], and antimanic agents) was determined from self-reports corroborated by external sources where possible. Outcome was assessed with the Global Assessment of Functioning and consensus evaluations of illness course and time in remission. Results More patients received APs (77.0%) than ADs (57.5%) at discharge, with almost half (49.4%) receiving these in combination. At 24-month follow-up, 40.2% reported using no medications; 39.1% used ADs, and 32.2% used APs. Only early AD use predicted regular AD use during the 6- to 24-month follow-up. A minority (29%) achieved functional recovery (Global Assessment of Functioning score ≥71) by 24 months. Although about 60% of the sample achieved a period of complete remission by 24 months, only about 40% had a sustained remission for at least 19 months. Medication use was not predictive of these outcome measures. There was little evidence that changes in medication, augmentation strategies, or electroconvulsive therapy was used to reduce symptoms during the 24-month follow-up. Fewer than half of our subjects received a MDD/P clinical diagnosis at discharge, which appeared to influence medication use patterns over the 24-month follow-up. Conclusions These findings suggest that for most of these patients with MDD/P, outcome was suboptimal for both functional and syndromal recovery. The lack of an association between medication use and outcome suggests that medication changing and augmentation strategies, electroconvulsive therapy use, and/or strategies to improve medication adherence might be considered in the treatment of patients with MDD/P who remain low functioning and symptomatic even while receiving pharmacotherapy. Finally, our findings highlight the need for routine systematic diagnostic procedures to ensure appropriate diagnosis and treatment of MDD/P at first admission as well as the need for replication of our findings in a more contemporary sample.
Transform domain LMS algorithm in fullband and subband based acoustic echo cancellation

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of transform domain adaptive algorithms in suppressing acoustic echo in fullband and subband acoustic echo cancellers (AEC). The subband AEC considered consists in main and auxiliary subbands designed to provide a numerically efficient subband structure. Comparison results between the fullband using the transform domain LMS adaptive algorithm and subband cancellers are provided.
Measurement of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, macular thickness, and foveal volume in amblyopic eyes using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Although the changes in the anatomy of the visual cortex and lateral geniculate nucleus as the result of amblyopia have been well documented, retinal involvement is still controversial. Time-domain optical coherence tomography with an axial resolution of 10 μm has been used to evaluate retinal and peripapillary tissues in amblyopic eyes with contradictory results. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography has a greater resolution (5–10 μm) and can determine retinal layers more precisely. Our purpose was assess by means of spectral domain optical coherence tomography whether the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, macular thickness, and foveal volume of the amblyopic and the fellow eyes differ in patients with unilateral amblyopia. Intereye differences in these parameters were found to be insignificant.
Behavior of oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ) larvae in flume boundary layer flows

Larval behaviors are increasingly recognized as determining factors in the water column distribution and subsequent settlement patterns of marine invertebrates. In particular, larvae within one or two body lengths of the seafloor (= interaction zone) may be better able to control their settlement location or respond to settlement cues. Here we examine temporal changes the behavior of larval oysters (Crassostrea virginica) swimming in the bottom 1 cm of a flume boundary layer. In addition, we present a novel behavior, called "dive-bombing", that consists of an abrupt downward acceleration and subsequent contact with the bottom. Larvae were divided into two arbitrarily chosen size classes (those retained on a 153 μm screen and those retained on a 202 μm screen) to separate those that developed eyespots from those that did not develop eyespots. Behavior in a flume boundary layer was monitored from day 15 to day 21 post-fertilization. In the larger size class, the percentage of oyster larvae within close proximity (1 to 2 body lengths) of the flume bed steadily increased from 6% to 28% with larval age. In contrast, if larvae were restricted from reaching larger sizes through sieving this proportion remained constant at 12%. Dive-bombing was exhibited by a constant 4% of the larval population regardless of age or size. Kinematic analysis of swimming paths shows dive-bombing to be distinct from other swimming behaviors and from the passive sinking of dead larvae. For example, vertical acceleration at the initiation of dive-bombing is some 30–400 times that measured for other live or dead larvae. Our results indicate that larvae are capable of rapid acceleration and that they may be able to control their approach to the bottom under a much wider range of conditions than had previously been suspected.
Age and experience-dependent representational reorganization during spatial learning

Previously, we found that aged rats showed a significant enhancement of hippocampal CA1 place cell spatial specificity, as well as a reduction of hilar place cell spatial specificity, during asymptote performance of a spatial memory task. Because such an age effect was not observed when animals performed a nonspatial task, the present study tested the hypothesis that the different patterns of spatial selectivity observed in memory and nonmemory tests reflected a redistribution of spatial representations that occurred in response to changing task demands. In the present experiment, after animals became familiar with the test environment and motor demands of performance on a radial maze, CA1 and hilar place cells were recorded as they learned a spatial memory task. CA1 place cells recorded from unimpaired old, but not impaired old or young, animals became more spatially selective as animals learned the task. Hilar spatial selectivity for both age groups was not significantly related to choice accuracy. These data support the hypothesis that at least a subpopulation of aged rats may benefit from reorganization of spatial representations in such a way that the normal age-related spatial learning deficit is attenuated.
Propagation of short stress pulses in discrete strongly nonlinear tunable metamaterials

The propagation of short pulses with wavelength comparable to the size of a unit cell has been studied in a one-dimensional discrete metamaterial composed of steel discs alternating with toroidal nitrile O-rings under different levels of precompression using experiments, numerical simulations and theoretical analysis. This strongly nonlinear metamaterial is more tunable than granular chains composed of linear elastic spherical particles and has better potential for attenuation of dynamic loads. A double power-law relationship for compressed O-rings was found to describe adequately their quasi-static and dynamic behaviour with significantly different elastic moduli. It is demonstrated that the double power-law metamaterial investigated allows a dramatic increase in sound speed and acoustic impedance of three to four times using a moderate force.
Two decades of new drug development for central nervous system disorders

This article analyses the characteristics of the pipeline for experimental drugs for central nervous system disorders and how they have fared in the clinical phases prior to FDA approval over the past two decades.
Relations between rainfall–runoff‐induced erosion and aeolian deposition at archaeological sites in a semi‐arid dam‐controlled river corridor

Process dynamics in fluvial-based dryland environments are highly complex with fluvial, aeolian, and alluvial processes all contributing to landscape change. When anthropogenic activities such as dam-building affect fluvial processes, the complexity in local response can be further increased by flood- and sediment-limiting flows. Understanding these complexities is key to predicting landscape behavior in drylands and has important scientific and management implications, including for studies related to paleoclimatology, landscape ecology evolution, and archaeological site context and preservation. Here we use multi-temporal LiDAR surveys, local weather data, and geomorphological observations to identify trends in site change throughout the 446-km-long semi-arid Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, where archaeological site degradation related to the effects of upstream dam operation is a concern. Using several site case studies, we show the range of landscape responses that might be expected from concomitant occurrence of dam-controlled fluvial sand bar deposition, aeolian sand transport, and rainfall-induced erosion. Empirical rainfall-erosion threshold analyses coupled with a numerical rainfall–runoff–soil erosion model indicate that infiltration-excess overland flow and gullying govern large-scale (centimeter- to decimeter-scale) landscape changes, but that aeolian deposition can in some cases mitigate gully erosion. Whereas threshold analyses identify the normalized rainfall intensity (defined as the ratio of rainfall intensity to hydraulic conductivity) as the primary factor governing hydrologic-driven erosion, assessment of false positives and false negatives in the dataset highlight topographic slope as the next most important parameter governing site response. Analysis of 4+ years of high resolution (four-minute) weather data and 75+ years of low resolution (daily) climate records indicates that dryland erosion is dependent on short-term, storm-driven rainfall intensity rather than cumulative rainfall, and that erosion can occur outside of wet seasons and even wet years. These results can apply to other similar semi-arid landscapes where process complexity may not be fully understood. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anatomic Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Engineered Cartilage Constructs for Biologic Total Joint Replacement

Cartilage has a poor healing response, and few viable options exist for repair of extensive damage. Hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels seeded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) polymerized through UV crosslinking can generate functional tissue, but this crosslinking is not compatible with indirect rapid prototyping utilizing opaque anatomic molds. Methacrylate-modified polymers can also be chemically crosslinked in a cytocompatible manner using ammonium persulfate (APS) and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED). The objectives of this study were to (1) compare APS/TEMED crosslinking with UV crosslinking in terms of functional maturation of MSC-seeded HA hydrogels; (2) generate an anatomic mold of a complex joint surface through rapid prototyping; and (3) grow anatomic MSC-seeded HA hydrogel constructs using this alternative crosslinking method. Juvenile bovine MSCs were suspended in methacrylated HA (MeHA) and crosslinked either through UV polymerization or chemically with APS/TEMED to generate cylindrical constructs. Minipig porcine femoral heads were imaged using microCT, and anatomic negative molds were generated by three-dimensional printing using fused deposition modeling. Molded HA constructs were produced using the APS/TEMED method. All constructs were cultured for up to 12 weeks in a chemically defined medium supplemented with TGF-β3 and characterized by mechanical testing, biochemical assays, and histologic analysis. Both UV- and APS/TEMED-polymerized constructs showed increasing mechanical properties and robust proteoglycan and collagen deposition over time. At 12 weeks, APS/TEMED-polymerized constructs had higher equilibrium and dynamic moduli than UV-polymerized constructs, with no differences in proteoglycan or collagen content. Molded HA constructs retained their hemispherical shape in culture and demonstrated increasing mechanical properties and proteoglycan and collagen deposition, especially at the edges compared to the center of these larger constructs. Immunohistochemistry showed abundant collagen type II staining and little collagen type I staining. APS/TEMED crosslinking can be used to produce MSC-seeded HA-based neocartilage and can be used in combination with rapid prototyping techniques to generate anatomic MSC-seeded HA constructs for use in filling large and anatomically complex chondral defects or for biologic joint replacement.
The Leaky Ark: The Failure of Endangered Species Regulation on Private Land

The Endangered Species Act has been a source conflict and controversy ever since its enactment in 1973. A persistent source of controversy has been the Act’s treatment of private land. While the law imposes significant costs on private landowners, there is little evidence the ESA has done much to conserve endangered and threatened species on private lands, and increasing evidence the Act may discourage private land conservation. The regulatory structure of the Act also appears to place pressure on the collection of species-related information and decisions whether to list species. If the ESA is to succeed at conserving and recovering endangered and threatened species, substantial reforms are necessary. Such reforms should include a greater reliance upon non-regulatory and non-punitive conservation measures, compensation for landowners burdened by habitat controls, greater insulation of listing decisions from political and economic pressure, and greater funding for species conservation efforts.
A Case Series Of Todays Vertical Integration

In todays business environment outsourcing attracts considerable attention. The general rationale is that anything that is not a core competency of the firm is a candidate for outsourcing. The touted benefits are generally considered to be substantial cost savings, better productivity and more strategic use of scarce resources within the firm. In contrast, vertical integration has to some degree come to be viewed somewhat negatively the argument being that no single firm in todays competitive environment can possibly or should manage an extended enterprise. But as this series of case studies show, some firms are flourishing by going against prevailing logic and vertically integrating their supply chains.
Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women

Chronic pelvic pain in women is defined as persistent, noncyclic pain perceived to be in structures related to the pelvis and lasting more than six months. Often no specific etiology can be identified, and it can be conceptualized as a chronic regional pain syndrome or functional somatic pain syndrome. It is typically associated with other functional somatic pain syndromes (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, nonspecific chronic fatigue syndrome) and mental health disorders (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, depression). Diagnosis is based on findings from the history and physical examination. Pelvic ultrasonography is indicated to rule out anatomic abnormalities. Referral for diagnostic evaluation of endometriosis by laparoscopy is usually indicated in severe cases. Curative treatment is elusive, and evidence-based therapies are limited. Patient engagement in a biopsychosocial approach is recommended, with treatment of any identifiable disease process such as endometriosis, interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, and comorbid depression. Potentially beneficial medications include depot medroxyprogesterone, gabapentin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists with add-back hormone therapy. Pelvic floor physical therapy may be helpful. Behavioral therapy is an integral part of treatment. In select cases, neuromodulation of sacral nerves may be appropriate. Hysterectomy may be considered as a last resort if pain seems to be of uterine origin, although significant improvement occurs in only about one-half of cases. Chronic pelvic pain should be managed with a collaborative, patient-centered approach.
Effect of pelvic fluid from endometriosis patients on human sperm penetration of zona-free hamster ova.

Abstract Peritoneal fluid (PF) samples from fertile women, infertile women without signs of endometriosis, and infertile women with endometriosis were examined for effects on motility of normal spermatozoa and for effects on their fertilizing capacity as measured by the interspecies penetration test (ISPT). All unheated peritoneal fluid samples caused rapid destructive changes in the female hamster gametes, presumably due to the presence of unidentified serum components, and caused clumping of spermatozoa but no change in sperm motility. Heat-treated fluid samples were therefore used in subsequent experiments to assess their effect on the ISPT. The mean penetration rate for fertile women was 58%; for infertile women without endometriosis, 55%; and 54% for infertile women with endometriosis. The differences between the penetration rates in these patient groups were not significant. No adverse effects of heat-treated fluid from infertile women with or without endometriosis were thus found on the fertilizing capacity of fertile spermatozoa.
His Influence in the Anglo-Saxon World

Medema, a scholar sensitive to the issue of the Italian contribution to the foundation of Public Choice, extensively discusses the role of De Viti de Marco’s ideas in the Anglo Saxon world.
Improvement in Follicular Non Hodgkin Lymphoma Survival among VA Patients.

Background: Follicular non Hodgkin lymphoma (FL) remains uncurable disease for majority of patients. Natural history of follicular lymphoma is changing with inroduction of new treatments. We examined outcome of FL among VA patients in the era of monoclonal antibodies. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis. The VA Central Cancer Registry (VACCR) database was used to identify patients with FL diagnosed between 1995 and 2005. There are approximately 120 VA medical centers diagnosing and/or treating patients with cancer. Data were analyzed using bio-statistical software SPSS. Variables included age, sex, stage of disease, histology subtype, date of diagnosis, date of last contact, vital status. Results: There were1338 patients with FL at the VACCR database between 1995 and 2005, 283 (88%) were white, 128 (10%) black patients, and 39 (2%) patients from other racial groups. The mean age at diagnosis was to 64 years. Four hundred twelve (31%) were grade I FL, 312 (23%) Grade II, 215 (16%) Grade III, and 399 (30%) FL, NOS. Four hundred twelve (30%) patients were early stage (I,II), 600 (45%) were advanced stage (III,IV) and 331 (25%) missing or unkown. No FLIPI score data were available. Median overall survival (OS) was 7 years. The median OS for early stage was 8.6 years compared to 5.5 years for advanced stage. The median OS for patients diagnosed 1995–2000 was 5.9 years compared to 9.7 years for patients diagnosed between 2001–2005. (log rank test, P value 0.025). The two groups were balanced regarding stage, race and chemotherapy. Conclusions: The survival of FL patients has improved in the VA system in the era of rituximab.
Highly uniform 150 mm diameter multichroic polarimeter array deployed for CMB detection

The Advanced Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter is an upgraded receiver for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, which has begun making measurements of the small angular scale polarization anisotropies in the Cosmic Microwave Background using the first of four new multichroic superconducting detector arrays. Here, we review all details of the optimization and characterization of this first array, which features 2012 AlMn transition edge sensor bolometers operating at 150 and 230 GHz. We present critical temperatures, thermal conductivities,saturation powers, time constants, and sensitivities for the array. The results show high uniformity across the 150 mm wafer and good performance in the field.
Concussion management plan compliance: a study of ncaa power five conference schools

Objective To examine the concussions management protocols (CMPs) from the 65 institutions within the NCAA Power 5 conferences for compliance with the NCAA 2015 concussion guidelines. Design Descriptive Study. Setting N/A. Participants 65 universities of NCAA conferences: Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pacific-12 Interventions The 65 publicly-available CMPs were evaluated for compliance with the 47 NCAA rules and guidelines (combined N=3,055). Each CMP was reviewed and graded “yes” or “no” for each recommended or required item and compliance was reported descriptively. Outcome measures Overall compliance rate, mean, item-level, category-level, and institution-level compliance with the 47 items. Each institution’s athletic training staff size, academic performance, and athletic performance were examined as independent predictors with quasi-binomial regression. Main results CMPs varied substantially in length (range: 4-66 pages) and level of detail. The overall compliance rate for all components across all institutions was 94.3% (2,880/3,055). Twelve components achieved 100% institutional (65/65) compliance, and the lowest levels of compliance were clustered in “Return-to-Learn” (RTL). There were 22 institutions that achieved a 100% compliance rate; the lowest institutional compliance was 59.6%. There were no significant associations between the independent predictors and institutional compliance. Conclusions Overall compliance with NCAA concussion management requirements was high, but there remains room for improvement. There was low compliance with RTL as well as limited details provided in the reducing head trauma component. Items with lower compliance (reducing head trauma, return-to-learn) tended to be outside the core competencies of the medical staff, indicating an area for improvement. Competing interests None.
A Tendency of the American Mind: No Duty to Retreat

One of the many influences in the development of American constitutionalism was the old English common law. As early as the thirteenth century, the English government began to develop policies of administration and taxation that would be the beginning of a representative and more limited government. 1 The Magna Carta, drafted in 1215 to serve the aristocracy, functioned as an adaptive document to meet the needs of the colonists in America. They took the notion of no taxation without consent and the idea of limited government in forming their own definitive policies. Americans also used the common law to generate the core of their own bill of rights. Some of these core issues were the right to a trial by a jury of one's peers, the right to a speedy trial, the right to compensation for the taking of private property and equal protections under the law. The idea that a judge should not have interest in any case in which he sits in judgment helped to spark the idea of separation of powers. Twenty percent of America's bill of rights had first been stated in the Magna Carta. 2
Return Path Discontinuity Analysis of an Edge Mount SMA Launch Structure in Multilayer Boards

Return-path discontinuity of an edge-mount SubMiniature version A (SMA) launch structure in multilayer boards, widely used in high-frequency fixtures and boards, is analyzed, and a simple equation to quantitatively estimate the frequency bandwidth without signal distortions is proposed. The proposed equations are experimentally validated for various physical dimensions, and a simple circuit model is demonstrated to take the return-path discontinuity into account in the channel simulations. In addition, based on the understanding of the return current discontinuity, quantitative design guides are drawn and a technique using an edge plating to enhance the bandwidth up to 50 GHz is demonstrated
DUSP5 functions as a feedback regulator of TNFα-induced ERK1/2 dephosphorylation and inflammatory gene expression in adipocytes

Adipose tissue inflammation is a central pathological element that regulates obesity-mediated insulin resistance and type II diabetes. Evidence demonstrates that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK 1/2) activation (i.e. phosphorylation) links tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) to pro-inflammatory gene expression in the nucleus. Dual specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) inactivate ERK 1/2 through dephosphorylation and can thus inhibit inflammatory gene expression. We report that DUSP5, an ERK1/2 phosphatase, was induced in epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) in response to diet-induced obesity. Moreover, DUSP5 mRNA expression increased during obesity development concomitant to increases in TNFα expression. Consistent with in vivo findings, DUSP5 mRNA expression increased in adipocytes in response to TNFα, parallel with ERK1/2 dephosphorylation. Genetic loss of DUSP5 exacerbated TNFα-mediated ERK 1/2 signaling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in adipose tissue of mice. Furthermore, inhibition of ERK 1/2 and c-Jun N terminal kinase (JNK) signaling attenuated TNFα-induced DUSP5 expression. These data suggest that DUSP5 functions in the feedback inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling in response to TNFα, which resulted in increased inflammatory gene expression. Thus, DUSP5 potentially acts as an endogenous regulator of adipose tissue inflammation; although its role in obesity-mediated inflammation and insulin signaling remains unclear.
Estradiol and luteinizing hormone reverse memory loss in phencyclidine model of schizophrenia: Evidence for hippocampal GABA action

The cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia are poorly understood and difficult to treat. Estrogens may mitigate these symptoms via unknown mechanisms. To examine these mechanisms, we tested whether increasing estradiol (E) or decreasing luteinizing hormone (LH) could rescue declarative memory in a phencyclidine (PCP) model of schizophrenia. We then assessed whether changes in cortical or hippocampal GABA may underlie these effects. Female rats were ovariectomized and injected subchronically with PCP. To modulate E and LH, animals received hormone capsules or Antide injections. Short-term episodic memory was assessed using the novel object recognition task. Brain expression of GAD67 was analyzed via western blot, and parvalbumin-containing cells were counted using immunohistochemistry. Some rats received hippocampal infusions of a GABA A agonist, GABA A antagonist, or GAD inhibitor before behavioral testing. We found that PCP reduced hippocampal GAD67 and abolished object recognition. Antide restored hippocampal GAD67 and rescued recognition memory in PCP-treated animals. Estradiol reversed PCP9s amnesic effect but failed to restore hippocampal GAD67. PCP did not cause significant differences in number of parvalbumin-expressing cells or cortical expression of GAD67. Hippocampal infusions of a GABA A agonist restored memory in PCP-treated rats. Blocking hippocampal GAD or GABA A receptors in ovx animals reproduced memory loss similar to PCP and inhibited estradiol9s memory rescue in PCP-treated animals. In summary, decreasing LH or increasing E can reverse memory loss in a PCP model of schizophrenia. Alterations in hippocampal GABA may contribute to both PCP9s effects on declarative memory and the hormones9 ability to reverse them.
Improving outcomes with Qualitative Data Analysis Software: A reflective journey:

Now more than ever, qualitative social work researchers are being called upon to conduct increasingly complex, multifaceted, and intersectional research. Given the heightened complexity of social w...
Generalized Continua Concepts in Coarse-Graining Atomistic Simulations

Generalized continuum mechanics (GCM) has attracted increased attention in the context of multiscale materials modeling, an example of which is a bottom-up GCM model, called the atomistic field theory (AFT). Unlike most other GCM models, AFT views a crystalline material as a continuous collection of lattice points; embedded within each point is a unit cell with a group of discrete atoms. As such, AFT concurrently bridges the discrete and continuous descriptions of materials, two fundamentally different viewpoints. In this chapter, we first review the basics of AFT and illustrate how it is realized through coarse-graining atomistic simulations via a concurrent atomistic-continuum (CAC) method. Important aspects of CAC, including its advantages relative to other multiscale methods, code development, and numerical implementations, are discussed. Then, we present recent applications of CAC to a number of metal plasticity problems, including static dislocation properties, fast moving dislocations and phonons, as well as dislocation/grain boundary interactions. We show that, adequately replicating essential aspects of dislocation fields at a fraction of the computational cost of full atomistics, CAC is established as an effective tool for coarse-grained modeling of various nano/micro-scale thermal and mechanical problems in a wide range of monatomic and polyatomic crystalline materials.