cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydroxyapatite cement in temporal bone surgery: a 10 year experience.

Objectives: To describe the indications for successful use of hydroxyapatite cement (HAC) in temporal bone surgery. Study Design: Retrospective case review. Methods: One hundred nine temporal bone defects related to surgical approaches to the skull base, infection, neoplasms, or congenital defect in 102 adults and children were corrected using HAC over a 10-year period. The results and complications were obtained through retrospective chart review. Results: Ninety-seven percent of temporal bone defects were successfully repaired using HAC, and the reconstruction remained stable over the course of this study. There was one case of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak. Wound infection occurred in three patients, which required reoperation and removal of the biomaterial. Conclusions: HAC is a biomaterial that should be used as the primary method to reconstruct temporal bone defects. Proper use of this biomaterial results in restoration of the integrity of the temporal bone and elimination of cerebrospinal fluid leak as a postoperative complication.
The role of alpha1 and alpha6 subtype amino-terminal domains in allosteric regulation of gamma-aminobutyric acida receptors.

The γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABA) receptor in the mammalian central nervous system is composed of pentameric combinations of α1–6, β1–4, γ1–3, δ1, and/or e1 subunit subtypes. Although each of the different subunits influences the functional properties of γ-aminobutyric acidA receptors (GABARs), the α subunit subtypes have been shown to be important for activation of the receptor by GABA and pentobarbital and the regulation of GABARs by numerous allosteric regulators, including benzodiazepines, furosemide, zinc, and lanthanum. However, with the exception of the benzodiazepines, the α subtype domain that is responsible for the action of these allosteric compounds is unknown. The α1 and α6 subtypes are among the most diverse of the α subunit family and confer a different responsiveness of GABARs to GABA and many of the allosteric modulators. These regulatory compounds act after extracellular application and therefore likely act on extracellular GABAR sites, the largest of which is the amino-terminal extracellular domain. To determine the role of this domain in the action of these allosteric regulatory agents, we constructed chimeras of the rat α1 and α6 subtypes with a splice site within the first putative transmembrane domain (TM). This separated the large extracellular amino-terminal domain from the transmembrane, intracellular, and TM2–3 and carboxyl-terminal extracellular domains of the subunit. The chimeric subtypes were expressed in L929 fibroblasts along with β3 and γ2L subtypes, and their pharmacological properties were determined with whole-cell electrophysiological recording. The α subtype amino-terminal extracellular domain was the primary determinant of GABA sensitivity and was responsible for the functional properties of activation by pentobarbital, sensitivity to diazepam, potentiation by lanthanum, and high affinity inhibition by furosemide. The remaining carboxyl-terminal domains influenced the GABA sensitivity and determined zinc sensitivity and low affinity inhibition by furosemide. Both domains were apparently required for inhibition by lanthanum.
Sequential risk-efficient estimation for the ratio of two binomial proportions

A risk-efficient sequential point estimator is considered for the ratio of two independent binomial proportions based on maximum likelihood estimation under squared error loss and cost proportional to the observations. It is assumed that the cost per observation is constant. First-order asymptotic expansions are obtained for large-sample properties of the proposed procedure. Performance of the procedure is studied through the criteria of risk efficiency and regret analysis. Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to obtain the expected sample size that minimizes the risk and to examine its finite sample behavior. An example is provided to illustrate its use.
Sibling jealousy in early childhood: longitudinal links to sibling relationship quality

The current investigation examined the long-term prediction of sibling jealousy assessed in a laboratory-based paradigm on sibling relationship quality 2 1/2 years later. This multi-method longitudinal study included mothers, fathers, and two children from 35 families. Younger siblings were 16 months and older siblings were, on average, 4 years at Time 1. Positive longitudinal associations were found between older siblings' jealousy reactions when interacting with the father at Time 1 and sibling conflict at Time 2. These associations continued to exist even when older siblings' behaviour during the mother sessions was considered. Children's inability to regulate their jealous reactions may be indicative of lower levels of emotion regulation skills, which may, in turn, translate to poorer sibling interactions years later. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thrust Measurement of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators and Power Requirements for Aerodynamic Control

Plasma-based aerodynamic actuators can modify a flow field without the need for moving control surfaces or a source of pressurized air. Actuator power consumption and thrust production were measured for driving frequencies between 1 and 18 kHz, and for driving voltages of 6 and 9 kV peak to peak. The actuator consumed between 3 and 22 W, and produced thrust levels between 0.05 and 0.2 mN per meter span. A comparison of results showed good agreement between this work and previous authors’ results. The actuator effectiveness (thrust produced per watt of power input) was found to range between 0.017 and 0.11 mN/W. The continuous power consumption of a DBD actuator-based control system was then estimated by modeling the actuators as jet flaps. The elevator jet flap strength required to trim a small aircraft in flight was determined. A 0.5 kg aircraft with 0.76 m 2 wing area required between 0.47 and 2.22 kW of power for trim. A 3 kg aircraft with 1.27 m 2 wing area required between 13.6 and 54.6 kW of power for trim. In the most challenging circumstances, flight at stall or max velocity, current battery capacities would allow these aircraft to maintain trimmed flight for only 73 seconds.
Addition of activated switchgrass biochar to an aridic subsoil increases microbial nitrogen cycling gene abundances

It has been demonstrated that soil amended with biochar, designed specifically for use as a soil conditioner, results in changes to the microbial populations that reside therein. These changes have been reflected in studies measuring variations in microbial activity, biomass, and community structure. Despite these studies, very few experiments have been performed examining microbial genes involved in nutrient cycling processes. Given the paucity of research in this area, we designed a six-month study in a Portneuf soil (coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid) treated with three levels (1%, 2%, and 10% w/w ratio) of a biochar pyrolyzed from switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) at 350°C and steam activated at 800°C to measure the abundances of four genes involved in nitrogen (N) cycling. Gene abundances were measured using qPCR, with relative abundances of these genes calculated based on measurement of the 16S rDNA gene. At the end of the six-month study, all measured genes showed significantly greater abundances in biochar amended treatments as compared to the control, potentially increasing the amount of N cycled in soils receiving such treatments. In soil amended with 10% biochar, genes involved in nitrogen fixation (nifH), and denitrification (nirS), showed significantly increased relative abundances. Lastly, gene abundances and relative abundances correlated with soil characteristics, in particular nitrate nitrogen, % N and % carbon. In toto, these results confirm that activated switchgrass-derived biochar, designed for use as a soil conditioner, has an impact on the treated soils microbial communities. We therefore suggest that future use of biochar as a soil management practice should take into account not only changes to the soil's physiochemical properties, but its biological properties as well.
Proposed oocyte donation guidelines for stem cell research

To expand the availability of stem cell lines suitable for basic research and clinical application, somatic cell nuclear transfer has been proposed and will require human oocyte donation. The recommendations made by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine advisory committee on oocyte donation are based on peer-reviewed, best practices, and best clinical judgment and are intended to assist researchers in design and Institutional Review Board (IRB) evaluation of research protocols for oocytes donated exclusively for research purposes.
Shelter During the Storm: A Search for Factors That Protect At-Risk Adolescents From Violence

Using data from the Rochester Youth Development Study, the authors show that trajectories of past violence predict future violence better than other more traditional measures of risk. The authors then evaluate whether factors that can be manipulated during this time can both promote less violence for all individuals as well as protect against violence among those who are most at risk for more violence. This article finds that several factors protect youth from violent behavior but not from gun or weapon carrying. Implications of these findings for future research on risk and protective factors of youth violence and for strategies for preventing such behavior are discussed.
Towards a Principle-Based Healthcare Agent

To feel comfortable allowing healthcare robots to interact with human beings, we must ensure that they act in an ethically responsible manner, following an acceptable ethical principle(s). Giving robots ethical principles to guide their behavior results in their being ethical agents; yet we argue that it is the human designers, not the robots, who should be held responsible for their actions. Towards the end of designing ethical autonomous robots that function in the domain of healthcare, we have developed a method, through an automated dialogue with an ethicist, for discovering the ethically relevant features of possible actions that could be taken by a robot, with an appropriate range of intensities, prima facie duties to either maximize or minimize those features, as well as decision principles that should be used to guide its behavior. Our vision of how an ethical robot assistant would behave demonstrates that an ethical principle is used to select the best action at each moment, rather than just determine whether a particular action is acceptable or not. Further, we maintain that machine ethics research gives us a fresh perspective on ethics. We believe that there is a good chance that this research may lead to surprising new insights, and therefore breakthroughs, in ethical theory.
In vitro resistance to dexamethasone of basophils from patients receiving long-term steroid therapy

Previous studies have shown that in vitro culture of human basophils for 24 h with physiologic concentrations of glucocorticoids leads to a pronounced inhibition of the subsequent release of histamine or leukotrienes when the cells are challenged with anti-IgE. However, both acute and chronic therapy in vivo with steroids fails to lead to an impairment of subsequent histamine release in vitro. To test whether the failure of in vivo steroid therapy to inhibit subsequent in vitro histamine release was due to the selection of a subpopulation of basophils that responded normally to anti-IgE but were resistant to steroids, the in vitro sensitivity to inhibition of mediator release by steroids in basophils obtained from normal patients as well as patients receiving chronic steroid therapy was studied. Basophils from steroid-dependent asthmatics (SDA) who had been receiving steroid doses orally of 7.5 to 50 mg equivalents of prednisone per day (mean, 19 mg), patients with collagen vascular disease (CVD) who had been receiving steroids orally of 4 to 80 mg equivalents (mean, 25 mg), non-steroid-dependent asthmatics (NSDA), and normal subjects were prepared, and their in vitro response to the potent glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, was determined. Dexamethasone was considerably more effective as an inhibitor of histamine release from basophils of normal subjects and NSDA than from basophils of SDA and patients with CVD. Because this was true in both SDA and patients with CVD, it seems most likely to be the result of the treatment with steroids rather than the underlying disease processes. Such a finding may be the result of a steroid-induced selection process by which sensitive cells are removed from the bloodstream in steroid-treated persons.
Lasallian Research: An International Movement Calling Scholars to Create New Knowledge Around Faith-informed Research Priorities

Adapted from a keynote address to participants of the Second Annual Symposium on Lasallian Research, this essay situates the various papers, workshops, and research leadership opportunities that comprise the three-day event in the context of the questions, conclusions and models related to Lasallian research that emerged from the inaugural symposium.
Capsule Commentary on Williams et al., Factors Underlying Quality Problems with Alcohol Screening Prompted by a Clinical Reminder in Primary Care: A Multisite Qualitative Study.

One in ten deaths in working adults in the United States can be attributed to alcohol use.1 One response to contain alcohol-related consequences is to implement population-based screening using a validated instrument of adults.2 In order to ensure the same accuracy of the screening instrument, it must be used exactly as studied; for example, if done verbally, the language should be verbatim. As noted by Williams et al., the U.S. VA has been a leader in implementation of screening for unhealthy alcohol use. In practice though, routine screening has had lower sensitivity than anticipated; this means that patients with unhealthy alcohol use are being missed. In this qualitative study, Williams et al. 3 sought to identify factors that may explain the low sensitivity of alcohol screening. They observed 31 staff members conducting 72 instances of alcohol screening. Some notable themes that emerged that may explain the low sensitivity included non-verbatim screening, making inferences introduction and adapting questions to enhance patient comfort. These themes make clinical sense. The authors conclude that using non-verbal screening could avoid some of the issues identified in their study. Given the significant impact that alcohol-related morbidity and mortality has in the United States, it is imperative that patients with unhealthy alcohol use are identified and counseled on reducing their use or referral to treatment when indicated. Primary care practices are a natural setting for this. However, given the constraints of busy primary care practices, we must also ensure that screening for alcohol does not become simply a check-box with no assurance of quality. The results of this work suggest that using non-verbal approaches, such as patient self-administration, can ensure fidelity to the screening instruments while identifying patients with unhealthy alcohol use. Future work is indicated to determine the effectiveness of such strategies.
In Vitro Metabolism of Radiolabeled Carbohydrates by Protective Cecal Anaerobic Bacteria

Cecal anaerobic bacteria from adult broilers were cultured in media containing .25% glucose or .25% lactose. Media also contained either [14C]-labeled lactose, glucose, galactose, or lactic acid as metabolic tracers. Cultures were analyzed at 4, 8, and 12 h for pH, radiolabeled and unlabeled volatile fatty acids, and lactic acid. The pH values of cultures containing .25% lactose were significantly (P galactose, lactose > glucose. The volatile fatty acids in which radiolabel was most concentrated were acetic acid, propionic acid, or butyric acid.
A Social Network Study of Online Communication among Elementary Students and Teachers with Home Internet Access

This paper presents preliminary results from a social network study of an after-school, online community among 24 fifth grade students and two teachers from the PCs for Families Project. The project provided students and teachers with free home network technology and Internet access. A proxy server recorded home Internet usage so that student communication patterns could be determined. All recorded instances of after-school communication took place via email or project chat rooms. Teachers and students made greater use of email than chat to communicate outside the classroom. Students were more likely to communicate with students of the same gender using the Internet, with female students more likely than male students to email the female teaching staff. Further, once the physical classroom community ceased to exist, the Internet-enabled community virtually disappeared. Study results have implications for both research (e.g., how student characteristics relate to a student's role in Internet communication ...
Hepatocyte growth factor enhances the neural differentiation from human embryonic stem cells

AIM:To investigate the possibility that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) directly induces differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into neural progenitors (NPs). METHODS: hESCs colonies were induced to form the embryoid body (EB). Four-day-old EBs were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group (EBs were cultured in neural induction medium); G5 supplement group (EBs were cultured in neural induction medium supplied with G5 supplement); HGF group (EBs were cultured in neural induction medium supplied with 10 mg/L HGF),and HGF+G5 group (EBs were cultured in neural induction medium supplied with 10 mg/L HGF and G5 supplement). After induced in suspension system for 7 days,EBs with various treatments were cultured in poly-D-lysine/laminin-coated plates for 7-10 days for selection of NPs. NPs were gathered by 0.3 g/L dispase treatment and characterized by immunofluorescence staining. The percentages of the nestin+ cells in NPs in various groups were detected by fluorescent activated cell sorter (FACS). The multipotency of NPs was determined by immunofluorescence staining after the NPs were cultured without G5 and HGF for 7 days. The expression of region markers of neural progenitors treated with sonic hedgehog (Shh) protein (one of the neural inductive signals),was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: HGF+G5 supplement induced hESCs differentiation into neural progenitors. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that NPs differentiated from hESCs expressed NP markers including nestin,Pax6 and musashi-1. FACS data showed that the proportion of nestin positive cells in HGF+G5 supplement group (87.3%±3.9%) was the highest in all treatment groups. The time of HGF and G5 supplement treatment was important to differentiate into NPs,the maximal effect was observed at 7th day. After treated with Shh,the expression of ventral forebrain/hindbrain marker genes (Nkk2.1,and Nkk2.2) and hindbrain progenitor marker gene Gbx2 in NPs were upregulated,while the forebrain progenitor marker genes Otx2 and Bf1 were downregulated. CONCLUSION: The neural induction system containing HGF and G5 supplement effectively induces the differentiation of hESCs into NPs,which might be a potent model for investigating the mechanism of neural development and differentiation.
Simultaneous optical and electrical in vivo analysis of the enteric nervous system

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a major division of the nervous system and vital to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and its communication with the rest of the body. Unlike the brain and spinal cord, relatively little is known about the ENS in part because of the inability to directly monitor its activity in live animals. Here, we integrate a transparent graphene sensor with a customized abdominal window for simultaneous optical and electrical recording of the ENS in vivo. The implanted device captures ENS responses to neurotransmitters, drugs and optogenetic manipulation in real time.
System Parameter Analysis of Nir-Trs Spectra from Homogeneous Media with and without an Absorbing Boundary and from Heterogeneous Media with a Single Absorber

Traditional near infrared-time resolved spectroscopy (NIR-TRS) analysis includes fitting a spectrum with a known analytical solution to obtain the media absorption and scattering coefficients or computing mean time-of-flight for heterogeneity localization. The benefit of applying frequency response analysis to NIR-TRS data reduction is that magnitude ratio (MR) and phase shift (φ) information in a wide frequency range can be obtained from a single TRS spectrum. The sharper the input pulse is the wider the frequency range values one can obtain. This analysis has been applied to NIR-TRS spectra to obtain optical parameters from homogeneous systems (Kang et al., in press) and for localizing absorbers in heterogeneous systems (Kang et al., 1994). MR and φ can also be obtained from phase modulation spectroscopy (PMS). PMS, however, provides these values at a fixed modulation frequency unless the instrument is sophisticated enough to change the modulation frequency in a wide range. Another benefit is that multiple system parameters can be obtained from a single TRS spectrum, i.e., MR, φ, steady state gain (K), break frequency (fb)/time constant (τ), and system order (n). Steady state gain (K) is a valuable parameter that can be used to check system linearity. Other new parameters (fb/τ, n) are still to be studied in an optical sense.
Polymorphisms in stearoyl coa desaturase and sterol regulatory element binding protein interact with N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake to modify associations with anthropometric variables and metabolic phenotypes in Yup'ik people

Author(s): Lemas, Dominick J; Klimentidis, Yann C; Aslibekyan, Stella; Wiener, Howard W; O'Brien, Diane M; Hopkins, Scarlett E; Stanhope, Kimber L; Havel, Peter J; Allison, David B; Fernandez, Jose R; Tiwari, Hemant K; Boyer, Bert B | Abstract: Scopen-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) intake is associated with protection from obesity; however, the mechanisms of protection remain poorly characterized. The stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD), insulin-sensitive glucose transporter (SLC2A4), and sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBF1) genes are transcriptionally regulated by n-3 PUFA intake and harbor polymorphisms associated with obesity. The present study investigated how consumption of n-3 PUFA modifies associations between SCD, SLC2A4, and SREBF1 polymorphisms and anthropometric variables and metabolic phenotypes.Materials and methodsAnthropometric variables and metabolic phenotypes were measured in a cross-sectional sample of Yup'ik individuals (n = 1135) and 33 polymorphisms were tested for main effects and interactions using linear models that account for familial correlations. n-3 PUFA intake was estimated using red blood cell nitrogen stable isotope ratios. SCD polymorphisms were associated with ApoA1 concentration and n-3 PUFA interactions with SCD polymorphisms were associated with reduced fasting cholesterol levels and waist-to-hip ratio. SLC2A4 polymorphisms were associated with hip circumference, high-density lipoprotein and ApoA1 concentrations. SREBF1 polymorphisms were associated with low-density lipoprotein and HOMA-IR and n-3 PUFA interactions were associated with reduced fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels.ConclusionThe results suggest that an individual's genotype may interact with dietary n-3 PUFAs in ways that are associated with protection from obesity-related diseases in Yup'ik people.
Inhibiting device degradation induced by surface damages during top-down fabrication of semiconductor devices with micro/nano-scale pillars and holes

High-aspect ratio semiconductor pillar- and hole-based structures are being investigated for photovoltaics, energy harvesting devices, transistors, and sensors. The fabrication of pillars and holes frequently involves top-down fabrication (such as dry etching) of semiconductors. Such a process contributes to different types of crystalline defects including vacancies, interstitials, dislocations, stacking faults, surface roughness, impurities, and charging effects. These defects contribute to degraded device characteristics impacting detection sensitivity, energy conversion efficiency, etc. In this presentation, we review dry-etched semiconductor devices and demonstrate several possible methods to inhibit device degradation induced by surface damage. These methods include hydrogen passivation, the growth of oxide passivating thin films using wet furnace growth, and low-ion energy etching. These methods contributed to a leakage current reduction by as much as four orders of magnitude.
Abnormal Muscle Pathology and Physiology

Abstract This chapter provides a detailed overview of genetic muscle diseases associated with cardiomyopathy and also discusses the impact of coincident cardiac and muscle disruption.
Demographic Transformation in a Policy Vacuum: The Changing Face of U.S. Metropolitan Society and Challenges for Public Schools

AbstractEducators and policy makers must confront the race and class disparities in learning opportunities across American society. Nowhere are these disparities more acute than in the country's great metropolitan areas. As the demographic landscape continues to shift, metropolitan areas are fueling the transition to a majority-minority country. This essay provides an overview of the challenges for the country's public schools and offers an alternative path to creating a more just and vital society.
Emerging Technology: Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common operations performed by general surgeons worldwide. Several techniques for open and laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernias have been well described and are common in general surgical practice. These techniques have resulted in low morbidity and recurrence rates; however, surgeons continue to develop alternative techniques or technologies to improve outcomes of inguinal hernia repairs.
The effect of asparagine depletion on the cytotoxicity of nelarabine (compound 506U78) in human T-cell leukemia cell lines.

3096 Nelarabine (compound 506U78, GlaxoSmithKline), a prodrug of 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyl guanine (ara-G), is preferentially cytotoxic to T-cell lymphoblasts due to enhanced phosphorylation of ara-G and intracellular accumulation of dGTP. Nelarabine was active in T-cell leukemias in the initial clinical trials, and its role in combination regimens is now being studied. L-asparaginase (ASNase) antagonizes the cytotoxic effects of antimetabolites, such as methotrexate and cytarabine in a schedule dependent fashion. Prior to incorporation of nelarabine into multiagent chemotherapy regimens that include ASNase for pediatric T-cell leukemia, we examined the effect of asparagine depletion on the in vitro cytotoxicity of nelarabine in two human T-cell leukemia lines. Molt4 (10,000 cell/well) or CEM (20,000 cell/well) grown in DMEM/10%FBS containing 20mM L-glutamine and 15mM L-asparagine had doubling times of 45 hr and 38 hr, respectively. Asparagine depleted FBS was prepared by incubation of FBS with E coli ASNase (SIGMA Chemical, 0.1U/mL) at 37±2° C for 4 hrs followed by heat inactivation (56±2° C for 1 hr) and added to DMEM/20mM L-glutamine for asparagine depleted media. Cells were dispensed into 96 well plates and nelarabine (0-100μM in dH2O) was added to each well. MTT assay was performed to determine cell survival after 72 hrs of incubation at 37°C/5% CO2. Dose response curves were constructed by plotting the percent cell survival relative to the untreated control as a function of the nelarabine concentration (d). The IC50, maximum effect (ME) and slope of the sigmoidal dose response curve (h) were estimated using MLAB mathematical modeling software by fitting the equation, S(d) = (ND –ME)/(1 + (d/IC50)h) + ME, (where S(d) is the survival at d, ND is survival at d = 0, ME is survival at d = ∞, and IC50 is the mid-effect concentration) to the concentration-survival data. In Molt4 cells, the IC50 of nelarabine in asparagine containing media was 1.61 ± 0.3 μM and in aparagine depleted media was 0.13 ± 0.25 μM. In CEM cells, the IC50 of nelarabine in asparagine containing media was 0.87 ± 0.12 μM and in aparagine depleted media was
Analyzing the costs and benefits of distributed solar energy in Virginia (USA): a case study of collaborative energy planning

Solar energy policy has become controversial in Virginia and many other states. Proponents point to its environmental, public health, and economic development benefits, and argue that it can help s...
The Role of Resilience and Resilience Theory in Solution-Focused Practice

The term resilience is associated with the ability to bounce back or recover from adverse conditions. Understanding resilience from a theoretical and empirical vantage point can be useful for solution-focused practitioners. We believe the solution-focused process provides individuals with an opportunity to highlight and build on their inherent and environmental resources and competencies and in turn creates pathways for positive adaptation or resilience when faced with adverse circumstances. This article provides an overview of the historical development of resilience, resilience theory, and waves of empirical inquiry, and demonstrates the relationship between resilience and solution-focused practices.
Gut Microbiome and Inflammation: A Study of Diabetic Inflammasome-Knockout Mice

Aims. Diabetes is a proinflammatory state, evidenced by increased pattern recognition receptors and the inflammasome (NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain (NLRP)) complex. Recent reports have elucidated the role of the gut microbiome in diabetes, but there is limited data on the gut microbiome in NLRP-KO mice and its effect on diabetes-induced inflammation. Methods. Gut microbiome composition and biomarkers of inflammation (IL-18, serum amyloid A) were assessed in streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic mice on a NLRP3-knockout (KO) background versus wild-type diabetic mice. Results. SAA and IL-18 levels were significantly elevated in diabetic mice (STZ) compared to control (WT) mice, and there was a significant attenuation of inflammation in diabetic NLRP3-KO mice (NLRP3-KO STZ) compared to control mice ( ). Principal coordinate analysis clearly separated controls, STZ, and NLRP3-KO STZ mice. Among the different phyla, there was a significant increase in the Firmicutes : Bacteroidetes ratio in the diabetic group compared to controls. When compared to the WT STZ group, the NLRP3-KO STZ group showed a significant decrease in the Firmicutes : Bacteroidetes ratio. Together, these findings indicate that interaction of the intestinal microbes with the innate immune system is a crucial factor that could modify diabetes and complications.
“Legitimate” Concerns: A Duoethnography of Becoming ELT Professionals

This chapter reports findings from a duoethnography of two developing ELT professionals from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, exploring themes of marginality and acceptance in the experience of developing professional identities. Through this process, the authors seek to construct what it means to be “legitimate” ELT professionals. The authors (one a Korean citizen working at a university in the US, the other a US citizen completing a doctoral degree in the US after significant international experience) juxtapose their narratives to explore themes of marginality and acceptance in the experience of developing professional identities. Duoethnography is founded on a dialogic approach (Bakhtin, The dialogic imagination: four essays (C. Emerson & M. Holquist, Trans.). University of Texas Press, Austin, 1981) where collaborators explore a concept or shared experience with the goal of creating new understandings or promoting change. Thus, it is a particularly appropriate choice for exploring the divergences and similarities between two individuals’ experiences in the shadow of historical and frequently narrow conceptualizations of a native/non-native dichotomy. Sharing stories of critically constructing and reconstructing our legitimacy as ELT professionals revealed different but similar processes and developed new understandings of the contexts each of us were familiar with. We share these findings and consider how they can serve to further cultivate new understandings of professional identity in local and global contexts.
Interventions to curb the overuse of Acid-suppressive medications on an inpatient general medicine service.

Tables 3 and ​and44 present comparisons of overall use and inappropriate use of ASMs in phases 1 and 2. Even though the study was originally powered to distinguish between phase 1 and the entire phase 2 patient populations, we also performed analyses between phase 1 and individual phase 2 subgroups (Interventions A, B, and C) as well as between the phase 2 subgroups themselves. Table 3 Overall Use of Acid-Suppressive Drugs during the Hospital Stay (Phase 2 Interventions versus Phase 1 Historical Controls) Table 4 Inappropriate Use of Acid-Suppressive Drugs (Phase 2 Interventions versus Phase 1 Historical Controls) Intervention A Alone In the phase 1 control group (general medicine services), 66% of patients (170/257) received ASMs on admission. Of these phase 1 patients, 59% (101/170) had received prescriptions of ASMs for inappropriate reasons. In the phase 2 group of 2006, Intervention A (intern boot camp) lowered the percentage of patients who received ASMs from 66% to 62%, although this number was not statistically significant. However, Intervention A was successful in decreasing the rate of in-appropriate use of ASMs from 59% to 37% (P < 0.001). Adding Intervention B to Intervention A When Intervention B (the early-in-the-month reminder lecture) was added to Intervention A, the volume of ASM use was significantly reduced to 53% (P = 0.025) and the rate of inappropriate ASM use was reduced to 32% (P < 0.001), compared with the 2005 phase 1 controls. However, there was no statistical difference between this group and the Intervention A group alone. Adding Intervention C to Interventions A and B When Intervention C (pharmacists making rounds with the team on post-call days) was added to Interventions A and B, the volume of ASMs was reduced to 53% over Intervention A alone (P = 0.025). Intervention C decreased the rate of inappropriate use even further to 19% (P < 0.001). In fact, compared with Intervention A, the reduction in the rate of inappropriate use with Intervention C, from 37% to 19%, was statistically significant (P = 0.007). Table 5 lists the distribution of inappropriate indications for the use of ASMs in phase 2. In all three intervention groups combined, 95 patients had received prescriptions with unapproved indications; this comprised 31.5% of all patients (95/302) audited in this intervention study, a figure that was substantially lower than the 59% in the phase 1 historical controls. Of all patients for whom ASMs were deemed inappropriate, the reviewer (A.O.) could discern no reason for 48% of these orders; the prescribers justified another 34% of these orders in the medical record for use as stress ulcer prophylaxis. Finally, 10% of these patients received ASMs for prophylaxis resulting from corticosteroid use. Table 5 Inappropriate Indications for Acid-Suppressive Medications in 2006 (N = 95)
Full Band Monte Carlo Simulation of Wurtzite AlGaN/GaN MODFETs

We present full band Monte Carlo simulations of a wurtzite Al0.15Ga0.85N/GaN modulation-doped field-effect transistor (MODFET). We found that without inclusion of the piezoelectric effect, the electron concentrations in the channel are much lower than obtained from experimental data. The calculated Ids-Vds curves show a strong negative differential resistance, which is a feature observed in experimental devices. Self-heating effects are usually believed to be the main cause of the negative differential resistance. Our simulations do not include self-heating, and this would indicate that at least part of what is observed is also caused by the drift-velocity behavior vs. electric field of the narrow conduction channel. For a 0.2 μm gate MODFET, the simulations yield a maximum trans-conductance Gm ≈ 250 mS/mm with VG = 1.0 V and Vds = 5.0 V. When VG = 0.0 V and Vds = 8.0 V, we obtain a maximum cutoff frequency fT = 180 GHz with Id = 1159 mA/mm.
Seismic Response and Damage of Reduced-Strength Steel MRF Structures with Nonlinear Viscous Dampers

AbstractAn experimental investigation of the seismic response and damage of steel moment resisting frame (MRF) building structures with nonlinear viscous dampers was conducted using ground motions ...
In operando thermal signature probe for lithium-ion batteries

Thermal metastability is an inescapable trait of lithium-ion batteries. However, canonically, only electrochemical signatures are studied as calorimetry imposes a controlled environment to isolate the self-heating signal. We propose an in operando approach for characterizing the thermal signatures. Using an inverse heat transfer formulation, we deconvolve the self-heating signature from other simultaneous heat transfer modes. Temporal variation of heat generation is subsequently estimated. This approach does not presuppose a particular electrochemical operation and is agnostic to materials used in the Li-ion cells. The generality and simplicity of this experimental approach rely on inverse thermal analysis and concurrent calibration of ambient natural convection response.
Ulipristal acetate decreases active TGF-β3 and its canonical signaling in uterine leiomyoma via two novel mechanisms.

Objective To characterize the effect of ulipristal acetate (UPA) treatment on transforming growth factor (TGF) canonical and noncanonical signaling pathways in uterine leiomyoma tissue and cells. UPA decreased extracellular matrix in surgical specimens; we characterize the mechanism in this study. Design Laboratory study. Setting University. Intervention(s) Exposure of leiomyoma cell lines to UPA. Main Outcome Measure(s) RNAseq was performed on matched myometrium and leiomyoma surgical specimens of placebo- and UPA-treated patients. Changes in gene expression and protein were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western immunoblot analysis, respectively. Result(s) In surgical specimen, mRNA for TGF-β3 was elevated 3.75-fold and TGFR2 was decreased 0.50-fold in placebo leiomyomas compared with myometrium. Analysis of leiomyomas from UPA-treated women by western blot revealed significant reductions of active TGF-β3 (0.64 ± 0.12-fold), p-TGFR2 (0.56 ± 0.23-fold), pSmad 2 (0.54 ± 0.04-fold), and pSmad 3 (0.65 ± 0.09-fold) compared with untreated leiomyomas. UPA treatment demonstrated statistically significant reduction in collagen 1, fibronectin, and versican proteins. Notably, there was a statistically significant increase of the extracellular matrix protein fibrillin in leiomyoma treated with UPA (1.48 ± 0.41-fold). Data from in vitro assays with physiologic concentrations of UPA supported the in vivo findings. Conclusion(s) TGF-β pathway is highly up-regulated in leiomyoma and is directly responsible for development of the fibrotic phenotype. UPA attenuates this pathway by reducing TGF-β3 message and protein expression, resulting in a reduction in TGF-β canonical signaling. In addition, UPA significantly increased fibrillin protein expression, which can serve to bind inactive TGF-β complexes. Therefore, UPA inhibits leiomyoma fibrosis by decreasing active TGF-β3 and diminishing signaling through the canonical pathway. Clinical Trial Registration Number NCT00290251.
Understanding the third wave of judicial review: Afterword to the Foreword by Doreen Lustig and J. H. H. Weiler

In this short essay, I respond to the Foreword article by Doreen Lustig and Joseph Weiler. This important article maps three subsequent waves of judicial review: (1) courts ensuring that domestic laws conform to the constitution; (2) courts ensuring that domestic laws conform to international law, and (3) courts re-asserting the primacy of the constitution over international law. The article’s most important contribution is the mapping of the third wave, which is a response to the growing importance of international law in domestic legal orders, and entails national courts scrutinizing the constitutionality of international law along with the emergence of a judicial discourse that emphasizes national identity. This response focuses on the nature of the third wave. Specifically, while I believe that the third wave is important and real, I develop two slightly different hypotheses about its nature. My first conjecture is that some features that Lustig and Weiler regard as part of third wave are so closely connected to the second wave that they might not represent a new wave at all. Specifically, while the importance of international law in domestic legal orders has increased, the vast majority of countries have long had constitutional safeguards in place to ensure the primacy of the domestic constitution. As a result, when courts review the constitutionality of international law, they are not doing anything new or unusual: they are merely fulfilling their long-standing constitutional duty. My second conjecture relates to the causes of the third wave. While Lustig and Weiler argue that the discourse of the third wave emerged in response to the problems of the first two waves, I hypothesize that it might instead reflect broader social change. Specifically, as populist movements have been swept into power by appealing to nationalist rhetoric, courts may be responding to these larger societal trends.
Healthy Families: An Investigation Into Factors That Promote Robust Family Health for Families Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Date Presented 04/05/19 Primary Author and Speaker: Hannah Burke Additional Authors and Speakers: Sarah Smith
Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Information Diffusion

In this chapter we examine spatio-temporal patterns of information diffusion in online social networks. We present relevant results from study of a Digg dataset. We analyze spatio-temporal patterns with friendship hops as distance in the Digg dataset. Finally, we discuss spatio-temporal patterns with shared interests as distance in the Digg dataset. For both distance metrics, spatio-temporal functions of influence exhibit S shape and are similar to logistic functions.
Nasal continuous positive airway pressure versus noninvasive NAVA in preterm neonates with apnea of prematurity: a pilot study with a novel approach.

Neonates with apnea of prematurity often fail CPAP because it does not provide adequate support during apnea. NAVA provides proportional ventilator support based on electrical activity of the diaphragm. When the NAVA level is 0 cmH20/mcV, the patient receives minimal support above PEEP when breathing and backup ventilation when apneic. This study compares number of clinically significant events on CPAP versus noninvasive NAVA level 0. Retrospective study of preterm neonates having apnea of prematurity on nasal CPAP. Patients were then placed on NAVA level 0. The number of events on each mode was collected. Statistics were paired t-test. Seventeen subjects with gestational age 26.1 ± 1.7 weeks, study age 19.5 ± 12.5 days. Events decreased from 17.9 ± 7.8 on CPAP to 10.2 ± 8.1 events on NAVA level 0 (p = 0.00047). NAVA level 0 reduced the number of clinically significant events compared with CPAP in premature neonates with apnea of prematurity.
Signal Integrity Considerations of PCB Wiring in Tightly Pitched Module Pin Fields of High Speed Channels

Effects of PCB wiring in tightly pitched module pin fields on high speed channel signal integrity are evaluated in this paper. Three different module orthogonal pin pitches are considered: 0.8mm, 1.06mm and 1.27mm. Each of the pin pitch scenarios is represented through corresponding PCB via and PCB pin area wiring models. Frequency domain SI metrics, at 16GHz, of a full end to end channel including the different tightly pitched module PCB wiring scenarios are quantified, compared and discussed. Additionally, full channel time domain eye simulations carried out at 32Gb/s are used to evaluate effects on eye opening and correlate with the frequency domain observations.
Quantitation of spin probe-detectable oxidants in cells using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy: To probe or to trap?

Abstract Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy coupled with spin traps/probes enables quantitative determination of reactive nitrogen and oxygen species (RNOS). Even with numerous studies using spin probes, the methodology has not been rigorously investigated. The autoxidation of spin probes has been commonly overlooked. Using the spin probe 1-hydroxy-3-methoxycarbonyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine (CMH), the present study has tested the effects of metal chelators, temperature, and oxygen content on the autoxidation of spin probes, where an optimized condition is refined for cell studies. The apparent rate of CMH autoxidation under this condition is 7.01 ± 1.60 nM/min, indicating low sensitivity and great variation of the CMH method and that CMH autoxidation rate should be subtracted from the generation rate of CMH-detectable oxidants (simplified as oxidants below) in samples. Oxidants in RAW264.7 cells are detected at an initial rate of 4.0 ± 0.7 pmol/min/106 cells, which is not considered as the rate of basal oxidants generation because the same method has failed to detect oxidant generation from the stimulation of phorbol-12-mysirate-13-acetate (PMA, 0.1 nmol/106 cells) in cells (2.5 ± 0.9 for PMA vs. 2.1 ± 1.5 pmol/min/106 cells for dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-treated cells). In contrast, the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), which exhibits minimal autoxidation, reveals differences between PMA and DMSO treatment (0.26 ± 0.09 vs. −0.06 ± 0.12 pmol/min/106 cells), which challenges previous claims that spin probes are more sensitive than spin traps. We have also found that low temperature EPR measurements of frozen samples of CMH autoxidation provide lower signal intensity and greater variation compared to RT measurements of fresh samples. The current study establishes an example for method development of RNOS detection, where experimental details are rigorously considered and tested, and raises questions on the applications of spin probes and spin traps.
‘Columbus Might Be Dwarfed to Obscurity’: Italian Americans’ Engagement with Columbus Monuments in a Time of Decolonization

With the ongoing ‘decolonization’ actions of Christopher Columbus’s legacy in the United States, Italian Americans have been challenged to contend with their historical affiliation with and championing of this historical figure. This chapter focuses on two contemporary cases involving calls to remove memorializations of Columbus—Manhattan’s large-scale Columbus Circle monument and the smaller Columbus statue in San Jose City Hall in California—so as to consider the roles collective memory and ideology play with civic monuments and public art. Building on Pierre Nora’s notion of rememoration the authors position Columbian material culture as sites of memory whereby contemporary Italian Americans use rhetorical strategies to defend or decry monuments originally gifted primarily by Italian immigrants to U.S. municipalities, in light of mounting criticism against them in the present. Scrutinizing various histories and debates, the chapter sheds light on the dynamic experiences and actions of Italian Americans, a white ethnic group often misguidedly defined in limiting terms.