cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microvascular approach to scalp replantation and reconstruction: a thirty-six year experience.

Background: Soft tissue defects of the scalp may result from multiple etiologies and can be challenging to reconstruct. We discuss our experience with scalp replantation and secondary microvascular reconstruction over 36 years, including techniques pioneered at our institution with twin–twin scalp allotransplant and innervated partial superior latissimus dorsi (LD) for scalp/frontalis loss. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients presenting with scalp loss requiring microvascular reconstruction at a single center was performed from January 1971 to January 2007. Medical records were reviewed for age, gender, defect size/location, etiology, type of reconstruction, recipient vessels used, vein grafts, and complications. Results: Thirty-three patients were identified; mean age was 33 years (range, 7–79). Mean scalp defect size was 442 cm2 (range, 120–900 cm2). Thirty-six microvascular reconstructions were performed; of these, 10 scalp replants and 26 microvascular tissue transfers. Of these 26, 17 were LD based (partial superior LD with and without reinnervation, LD combined with serratus, LD combined with parascapular, LD combined with split rib, LD only) and 2 free scalp allotransplant among others. The superficial temporal artery and vein was used as recipient vessels in 70% of cases. Overall, microvascular success rate was 92%; complications occurred in 14 cases, nine major (tumor recurrence [n = 2], partial flap loss [n = 2], replant loss [n = 3, size <300 cm2], hematoma [n = 2]) and five minor (donor site seroma /hematoma [n = 3], flap congestion [n = 1], superficial wound infection [n = 1]). Conclusions: Every attempt should be made at scalp replantation when the patient is stable and the parts salvageable. Larger avulsion defects had higher success rates after replantation than smaller defects (<300 cm2), with the superficial temporal artery and vein most commonly used for recipient vessels (P = 0.0083). Microvascular tissue transfer remains a mainstay of treatment for scalp defects, with LD-based flaps, demonstrating excellent versatility for a range of defects. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery, 2012.
The Interaction between Two Radiosensitizers: 5-Iododeoxyuridine and Caffeine

5-Iododeoxyuridine (IUdR) and caffeine are recognized as potential radiosensitizers with different mechanisms of interaction with ionizing radiation (IR). To assess the interaction of these two types of radiosensitizers, we compared treatment responses to these drugs alone and in combination with IR in two p53-proficient and p53-deficient pairs of human colon cancer cell lines (HCT116 versus HCT116 p53-/- and RKO versus RKO E6). Based on clonogenic survival, the three single agents (IR, IUdR, and caffeine) as well as IUdR or caffeine combined with IR are less or equally effective in p53-deficient human tumor cells compared with p53-proficient tumor cells. However, using both radiosensitizers, a significantly greater radiosensitization was found in p53-deficient human tumor cells. To better understand the interaction of these two radiosensitizers, additional studies on DNA repair and cell cycle regulation were done. We found that caffeine enhanced IUdR-DNA incorporation and IUdR-mediated radiosensitization by partially inhibiting repair (removal) of IUdR in DNA. The repair of IR-induced DNA double-strand breaks was also inhibited by caffeine. However, these effects of caffeine on IUdR-mediated radiosensitization were not found in p53-proficient cells. Cell cycle analyses also showed a greater abrogation of IR-induced S- and G2-phase arrests by caffeine in p53-deficient cells, particularly when combined with IUdR. Collectively, these data provide the mechanistic bases for combining these two radiosensitizers to enhance tumor cytotoxicity. This differential dual mode of radiosensitization by combining IUdR and caffeine-like drugs (e.g., UCN-01) in p53-deficient human tumors may lead to a greater therapeutic gain.
Polyphosphazene elastomers, gels, and other soft materials

Nearly all soft materials are based on organic polymer molecules. In other words they are derived from macromolecules constructed around the chemistry of carbon. Yet there are roughly 100 other elements in the periodic table that could in principle provide the building blocks for polymers and for soft materials. A few “inorganic” elements are incorporated into gels and related materials. Examples include silicate, aluminate, and titanate sol–gel substances, but the opportunities for diversification within these systems are relatively limited. The poly(organosiloxanes) (silicones) were the first hybrid inorganic–organic polymers to be discovered and they continue to play a major role in research and technology. Nevertheless, a need exists for additional systems that have the structural diversity found in the field of organic polymers, combined with the attributes of inorganic skeletal elements rather than carbon. It is with this objective in mind that we have devoted several decades to exploring the synthesis and diversification of the polyphosphazenes.
Response mapping for epidural spinal stimulation for the restoration of controlled hindlimb movement after spinal cord injury

Epidural spinal stimulation induces controlled muti-joint movements in the lower limbs after spinal cord injury. Though often approached as a method for eliciting locomotor movements, unilateral induced movement could enable the control of step height and duration, critical in restoring freeform locomotion with a brain machine interface post spinal cord injury. In this study, hindlimb movement was induced in the rat by electrical stimulation at the lateral aspect of the dorsal surface in the L1-L6 levels. Stimulation in the L2 and L3 segments induced hindlimb extension while the induced movement changed to hindlimb flexion when the stimulation was moved to L4 and L5. This pattern of activation was maintained in transected animals and was consistent with both mineral oil and saline hydrating the cord during stimulation. This work develops a rat model of epidural spinal stimulation for spinal cord injury.
Microscopic evidence for a partially gapped density wave state in α-(BEDT–TTF)2KHg(SCN)4 in high magnetic fields

Abstract We present NMR measurements on α-(BEDT–TTF)2KHg(SCN)4, in which the six inner carbon sites of BEDT–TTF are labeled with the 13C isotope, at low temperatures and in magnetic fields up to 28.8 T. We find, based on microscopic measurements which probe the center of the primary molecular orbital, that the density wave ground state of this system persists up to fields well above the so-called “kink field”, a hysteretic transition observed in transport near 23 T below 6 K. The main implication of this result is that in the low temperature limit, the ground state of this material is not fully metallic, but still partially gapped, even to 28.8 T. We obtain a BCS-like relationship between the transition temperature and the energy gap, as derived from the spin relaxation measurements using a simple model. Further, the 13C NMR spectrum is relatively insensitive to crossing the phase boundary, a result that does not support the notion that the ground state is a conventional spin density wave ground state.
The Importance of Caloric Restriction in the Early Improvements in Insulin Sensitivity After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery: Comment on Isbell et al.

We commend Isbell et al. (1) on an important study on the immediate weight loss–independent effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and caloric restriction on glucose metabolism. The study, along with others (2), adds to the increasing understanding of changes in insulin resistance postbariatric surgery. However, the criteria applied to select the …
Charge Transfer and Electrochemistry in Graphite Intercalation Compounds

Charge transfer in graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) refers to the exchange of electrons between the graphitic carbon (C) and intercalate (I) layers [1,2]. It is an important quantity which affects directly the electrical, thermal and lattice dynamical properties. If electrons are “donated” to the carbon layers from the intercalate layers, the GIC is referred to as “donor-type”, on the other hand, if electrons are transferred from the C layers and “accepted” by the I layers, the GIC is termed “acceptor-type”. The position of the Fermi level (EF) in the carbon it bands must, of course, be consistent with the degree of charge transfer. From the point of view of the carbon sublattice, charge transfer can be defined by the quantity fc, which is the hole (electron) concentration expressed as the number of free carriers per carbon atom. Charge transfer is also expressed in the literature from the point of view of the intercalant. For example, in KC24, fK≅1, indicates one electron per K atom is donated from the K atom. For charge neutrality in this latter example, we would have 24fc=fK, if charge is exchanged between the K(4s) and carbon it states, and no other states are involved. In stage 2 KC24 this is thought to be the case, however in other GICs the situation may be more complex. For example, (1) localized carbon states which can accept charge may be formed as a result of intercalation or (2) several charged intercalate species may coexist in the intercalate layer. Charge transfer in GICs is studied using a variety of experimental techniques [1,2] which may be sensitive to the mobile cariers in the carbon n bands (i.e. sensitive to fc), or sensitive to the excess charge localized on particular intercalated molecules or atoms (i.e. sensitive to fI, where fI is the excess charge residing on the intercalated species I). For reasons such as those given above, caution must be exercised when comparing values obtained for fc and fI. If these values are not consistent, it may indicate that all the states participating in the charge transfer were not taken into account.
Validity and Reliability in Qualitative Research on Second Language Acquisition and Teaching: Two Researchers Comment…

Because research on second language acquisition and teaching (SLAT) draws on and contributes to a variety of disciplines, it is important to study differing views on the nature of inquiry. Researchers and teacherresearchers in this field should be able to read, assess, conduct, and benefit from research with an understanding of different views about what constitutes high-quality inquiry. Eisner and Peshkin (1990) suggest that being bimethodological or multimethodological is a mark of scholarly sophistication. This idea is worth considering for SLAT students who need to know about methods and standards of inquiry in linguistics, education, the humanities, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and so on. We focus here on the notions of validity and reliability as standards in research. Although our own research perspective is essentially qualitative in nature, we will argue for the potential utility of auxiliary quantitative procedures in achieving these standards. We will also argue that qualitative procedures are important for establishing the validity of research conducted from an essentially quantitative perspective. In other words, the two approaches should be seen as complementary rather than mutually exclusive (see, for example, Jaeger, 1988). Notions of validity differ substantially in different research traditions, but the generally accepted view derives from a positivist-realist
Smart (shrink manufacturing advanced research tools)

The challenge of micro- and nano-fabrication lies in the difficulties and costs associated with patterning at such high resolution. To make such promising technology - which could enable pervasive health monitoring and disease detection/surveillance - more accessible and pervasive, there is a critical need to develop a manufacturing approach such that prototypes as well as complete manufactured devices cost only pennies. To accomplish this, instead of relying on traditional fabrication techniques largely inherited from the semiconductor industry, we have pioneered a radically different approach. Leveraging the inherent heat-induced relaxation of pre-stressed thermoplastic sheets - commodity shrink-wrap film - we pattern in a variety of ways at the large scale and achieve our desired structures by controlled shrinking down to 5% of the original, patterned sizes.
Impact of RNA degradation on measurements of gene expression

The use of low quality RNA samples in whole-genome gene expression profiling remains controversial. It is unclear if transcript degradation in low quality RNA samples occurs uniformly, in which case the effects of degradation can be normalized, or whether different transcripts are degraded at different rates, potentially biasing measurements of expression levels. This concern has rendered the use of low quality RNA samples in whole-genome expression profiling problematic. Yet, low quality samples are at times the sole means of addressing specific questions  e.g., samples collected in the course of fieldwork. We sought to quantify the impact of variation in RNA quality on estimates of gene expression levels based on RNA-seq data. To do so, we collected expression data from tissue samples that were allowed to decay for varying amounts of time prior to RNA extraction. The RNA samples we collected spanned the entire range of RNA Integrity Number (RIN) values (a quality metric commonly used to assess RNA quality). We observed widespread effects of RNA quality on measurements of gene expression levels, as well as a slight but significant loss of library complexity in more degraded samples. While standard normalizations failed to account for the effects of degradation, we found that a simple linear model that controls for the effects of RIN can correct for the majority of these effects. We conclude that in instances where RIN and the effect of interest are not associated, this approach can help recover biologically meaningful signals in data from degraded RNA samples.
Confusion in reperfusion

In this issue of the Journal , Dubois et al. [(1)][1]evaluate the clinical outcomes among patients treated with urgent or elective percutaneous intervention (PCI) after pharmacologic reperfusion with tenecteplase combined with unfractionated heparin, enoxaparin, or abciximab. The data presented here
Energy and Entropy Extrema; Legendre Transformations; Thermodynamic Potentials; Clausius–Clapeyron Equation; Gibbs Phase Rule

In the preceding chapter titled, “Zeroth Law Revisited; Motive Forces; Thermodynamic Stability,” we examined some issues that pertain to thermodynamic motive forces. Also, some matters relating to intrinsic thermodynamic stability were investigated. These analyses were guided by the extremum principles for the internal energy and the entropy. In Chap. 10, other extremum principles are also identified and their consequences predicted.
Hubris and Unethical Decision Making: The Tragedy of the Uncommon

The research theorizes how hubris impacts ethical decision making and develops empirical evidence that earnings manipulation is more likely at firms led by CEOs influenced by hubris. The theory posits that hubris impairs moral awareness by causing decision makers to ignore external factors that otherwise drive such awareness. Additionally, these individuals apply a flawed subjective assessment of the decision they face which further impairs moral awareness. The predicted result is that hubris leads managers to invoke an amoral decision process which causes a higher incidence of unethical behavior among these individuals. An empirical study investigates the relationship between CEO hubris and the unethical practice of earnings manipulation. This study finds a significant correlation between CEO hubris and earnings manipulation at the firms they lead, an outcome broadly consistent with the theory developed.
Aumento dos casos de malária em Moçambique, 2014: epidemia ou novo padrão de endemicidade?

OBJECTIVE To describe the increase in cases of malaria in Mozambique. METHODS Cross-sectional study conducted in 2014, in Mozambique with national weekly epidemiological bulletin data. I analyzed the number of recorded cases in the 2009-2013 period, which led to the creation of an endemic channel using the quartile and C-Sum methods. Monthly incidence rates were calculated for the first half of 2014, making it possible to determine the pattern of endemicity. Months in which the incidence rates exceeded the third quartile or line C-sum were declared as epidemic months. RESULTS The provinces of Nampula, Zambezia, Sofala, and Inhambane accounted for 52.7% of all cases in the first half of 2014. Also during this period, the provinces of Nampula, Sofala and Tete were responsible for 54.9% of the deaths from malaria. The incidence rates of malaria in children, and in all ages, have showed patterns in the epidemic zone. For all ages, the incidence rate has peaked in April (2,573 cases/100,000 inhabitants). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest the occurrence of an epidemic pattern of malaria in the first half of 2014 in Mozambique. It is strategic to have a more accurate surveillance at all levels (central, provincial and district) to target prevention and control interventions in a timely manner.
(Re) Creating Ethnicity: Middle Eastern Immigration to Brazil

There once was a group of peddlers who sold their wares in the interior of Espirito Santos, going from place to place by mule. One of the peddlers was named Aziz and his wife, Marat, was considered the leader of the women who stayed behind as the men went out to sell their goods. These women went out every day to wash clothes in a place called the “Turkish bath” (bacia das turcas). Over time, the town that grew up around the place where the women washed their clothes came to be called Marataize in honor of the wife (Marat) of Aziz. In Brazil hyphenated identities are very real in spite of the fact that elite culture aggressively rejects such social constructions. Thus, while there are no linguistic categories that acknowledge hyphenated ethnicity (a third generation Brazilian of Japanese descent remains “Japanese” while a fourth generation Brazilian of Lebanese descent may become a “turco,” an “arabe,” a “sirio” or a “sirio-libanese”), in fact immigrant communities aggressively tried to negotiate a status that allowed for both Brazilian nationality and ethnic difference. Immigrant groups in Brazil often did this by claiming a more “original” or “authentic” Brazilianess than members of the European descended elite, often via active constructions of social myths specific to the Brazilian milieu (see “The Legend of the Town of Marataize” above). This is possible since immigrant ethnicity is not some “immutable primordial indentit(ies)” but rather, as Anthony Cohen and others have suggested, a self-conscious and symbolic means by which boundaries were built.
Community and Communality in Voting Participation

Studies of voting participation have tended to focus on factors other than community per se. When community is the focus, it is usually represented by population size, density, or type (urban/rural...
Control of the Ferric Ion Concentration in Iron-Aceto-Carmine Staining

The Fe+++ concentration is controlled by adjusting the FeCl3 normality of the iron-aceto-carmine staining solutions. Two stock mordant solutions are prepared by dissolving ferric chloride (FeCl3·6H2O; m. w. =270.31) in 45% glacial acetic acid, the normality of one being N/1, and of the other N/10. By combining aceto-carmine (preferably prepared from Merck's carmine No. 40 N. F., or from the Coleman and Bell product) and one or the other of the stock mordant solutions, a series of iron-aceto-carmine solutions is made up, each solution being of different normality for FeCl3, depending on the proportions combined. Trial series: N/50, N/100, N/500, N/1000 and 0 N.Tissue (spermatogenic) from one specimen is fixed in Carnoy-2, divided equally among the five iron-aceto-carmine solutions for staining, then squashed, dehydrated and mounted as usual. Subsequently the trial series may be retained or adjusted. Advantages of the method: 1) discloses quickly the optimum stain for a particular tissue type; 2) automatica...
Abstract 1944: NFκB: Activation by EGF requires TLR4 and activation by LPS requires EGFR

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA In normal cells, quiescent NFκB is activated by inflammatory stimuli, whereas the abnormal constitutive activation of NFκB is important for the survival of most cancer cells. NFκB activation is regulated by several different pathways. Recently we showed that EGFR is an important mediator of NFκB activation, in both non-malignant and malignant cells. We now provide additional mechanistic insight into this pathway by further investigating whether signaling to NFκB in response to EGF depends solely on EGFR, or involves another receptor known to activate NFκB. Knockdown experiments revealed that TLR4 and two downstream components in the canonical TLR4 pathway, MYD88 and TAK1, are all required for EGF-dependent NFκB activation. Conversely, the ability of TLR4 to activate NFκB in response to LPS was impaired by down regulating EGFR expression or by use of the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib. PP2, a general inhibitor of SRC-family kinases, blocked EGF-induced NFκB activation, and the SRC family member LYN became bound to EGFR upon LPS stimulation. Erlotinib blocked this LPS-dependent association, indicating a key role for LYN in EGFR-TLR4 cross signaling. In mice, erlotinib blocked the LPS-induced, NFκB-dependent expression of TNFα and IL-6, indicating that EGFR is essential for LPS-induced NFκB activation in vivo. Citation Format: Sarmishtha De, Hao Zhou, Xiaoxia Li, George Stark. NFκB: Activation by EGF requires TLR4 and activation by LPS requires EGFR. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1944. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1944
LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF NERVE CONDUCTION VELOCITIES DURING CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL DIALYSIS

Nerve conduction velocities were measured repeatedly in 20 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis for one or more years. Nerve conduction velocities remained stable in most cases.Per...
The Level of Serum Insulin like Growth Factor-1 in Malnourished Stunt Children and the Relationship to Anthropometric Indexes.

Objective The investigate the level of serum insulin like growth factor l(IGF 1) in malnourished stunt children and the relation between IGF 1 and anthropometric indexes. Methods The serum IGF 1 and zinc were measured by radioimmunoassay in 23 children with malnourished stunt and 17 healthy children. Correlation analysis was employed to investigate the relation of IGF 1 and anthropometric Indexes. Results The levels of serum IGF 1 and zinc were lower significantly in malnourished stunt children than in healthy children ( P 0.01). IGF 1 was positively related to SDSwt, SDSht,Qeutelet index and zinc, respectively. Conclusion The level of serum IGF 1 in malnourished stunt children is significantly low and the degree of decline is relative to anthropometric indexes.
Insecticide resistance of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus and Musca domestica in some areas of Hunan province, China in 2011

Objective To investigate the resistance of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus and Musca domestica to commonly used insecticides in Changsha, Yiyang, and Yueyang, Hunan province, China in 2011, and to provide a scientific guidance for the management of mosquitoes and houseflies.Methods The resistance of mosquitoes and houseflies to insecticides was determined by larval immersion and topical application, respectively.Results Cx. pipiens quinquefasciatus showed resistance to all insecticides tested with the following resistance ratios: 1.14-2.86 fold to deltamethrin, 2.25-6.75 fold to beta-cypermethrin,1.00-17.24 fold to fenobucarb, and 25.00-65.00 fold to temephos, of which temephos resistance was the highest. Musca domestica was also resistant to all insecticides tested in this study, with resistance ratios as follows: 36.13-109.13 fold to deltamethrin, 28.46-32.81 fold to beta-cypermethrin, 1.43-2.25 fold to DDVP, and 0.82-2.34 fold to propoxur; the resistance to chrysanthemum ester was the highest, with a peak value of 109.13 fold.Conclusion More efforts should be made to the resistance of Cx. pipiens quinquefasciatus and M. domestica to insecticides. It is necessary to enhance resistance monitoring and to use insecticides rationally,so as to prevent and reduce the development of pesticide resistance.
INSIGHT responsive parenting intervention is associated with healthier patterns of dietary exposures in infants.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether a responsive parenting (RP) intervention affects infant dietary patterns. METHODS Primiparous mother-newborn dyads (n = 291) were randomized to the Intervention Nurses Start Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories (INSIGHT) RP intervention or control. Curricula were delivered at nurse home visits at ages 3, 16, 28, and 40 weeks. RP group feeding guidance advised responsive feeding, delayed introduction of solids, repeated exposure to novel foods, and age-appropriate portion sizes. Latent class analysis identified patterns of dietary exposure at 9 months. Class membership at 9 months was used to predict BMI percentile at 2 years. RESULTS Five dietary patterns were identified: "Breastfed, Fruits and Vegetables," "Breastfed, Low Variety," "Formula, Fruits and Vegetables," "Formula, Low Variety," and "Formula, High Energy Density." Over 60% of infants had patterns low in fruits and vegetables or high in energy-dense foods. RP group infants were less likely than control to be in the "Formula, Low Variety" class (OR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.23-0.71) or "Formula, High Energy Density" class (OR = 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.61) relative to the "Formula, Fruits and Vegetables" class. Dietary pattern at 9 months was significantly associated with BMI percentile at 2 years. CONCLUSIONS While a majority of infants consumed diets low in fruits and vegetables, the INSIGHT RP intervention was associated with healthier dietary patterns.
FRAMING PORTUGAL: Representational Dynamics

Abstract Existing research on the representation of tourism destinations by the mass media has primarily focused on the ideological implications of advertising messages. This study adopts framing analysis to determine the representational dynamics utilized in travel articles. The purpose of this study is to identify the frames used in the selected American newspapers— New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today— travel sections’ coverage of tourism in Portugal. As such, this study identifies and discusses some of the general narrative characteristics, as well representations of Portugal and the Portuguese. Findings suggest two types of frames: traditional and contemporary. Their sociocultural significance and implications are discussed.
What to Teach in HCI?: How to Educate HCI Students to Envision the Future of Human Being, not the Future of Technology?

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has been rapidly changing from the design and evaluation of interfaces into the enhancement of general human values. Because of this dramatic change, there is a gap between what has been taught in HCI and what is (or will be) required in the HCI field. In the present paper I describe the status quo of HCI education as domain science and then, I argue that we had better focus more on human sides in HCI education: emotions and embodied cognition, socio-cultural interactions, and theoretical and design research approaches. This will enable HCI students to be independent researchers who can envision creating an interspace (a new eco-system), beyond just designing a fashionable interface.
Corpora lutea control the progression of small antral follicle growth in the pig ovary

The growth of activated ovarian primordial follicles into mature preovulatory follicles takes several months in sexually mature pigs. The penultimate growth period of small antral follicles, like the 0.5-mm diameter follicle shown on the upper right, occurs during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle. Small antral follicle growth is limited to 2-4 mm in diameter by the presence of functional corpora lutea, such as the one shown on the lower left. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Tropomodulins and Leiomodins: Actin Pointed End Caps and Nucleators in Muscles

Cytoskeletal structures characterized by actin filaments with uniform lengths, including the thin filaments of striated muscles and the spectrin-based membrane skeleton, use barbed and pointed-end capping proteins to control subunit addition/dissociation at filament ends. While several proteins cap the barbed end, tropomodulins (Tmods), a family of four closely related isoforms in vertebrates, are the only proteins known to specifically cap the pointed end. Tmods are ∼350 amino acids in length, and comprise alternating tropomyosin- and actin-binding sites (TMBS1, ABS1, TMBS2, and ABS2). Leiomodins (Lmods) are related in sequence to Tmods, but display important differences, including most notably the lack of TMBS2 and the presence of a C-terminal extension featuring a proline-rich domain and an actin-binding WASP-Homology 2 domain. The Lmod subfamily comprises three somewhat divergent isoforms expressed predominantly in muscle cells. Biochemically, Lmods differ from Tmods, acting as powerful nucleators of actin polymerization, not capping proteins. Structurally, Lmods and Tmods display crucial differences that correlate well with their different biochemical activities. Physiologically, loss of Lmods in striated muscle results in cardiomyopathy or nemaline myopathy, whereas complete loss of Tmods leads to failure of myofibril assembly and developmental defects. Yet, interpretation of some of the in vivo data has led to the idea that Tmods and Lmods are interchangeable or, at best, different variants of two subfamilies of pointed-end capping proteins. Here, we review and contrast the existing literature on Tmods and Lmods, and propose a model of Lmod function that attempts to reconcile the in vitro and in vivo data, whereby Lmods nucleate actin filaments that are subsequently capped by Tmods during sarcomere assembly, turnover, and repair.
Strategies to Identify and Reduce Opioid Misuse Among Patients with Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Systematic Scoping Review

Scoping reviews are preliminary assessments intended to characterize the extent and nature of emerging research evidence, identify literature gaps, and offer directions for future research. We conducted a systematic scoping review to describe published scientific literature on strategies to identify and reduce opioid misuse among patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and disorders. We performed structured keyword searches to identify manuscripts published through June 2016 in the PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to extract original research articles that described healthcare practices, tools, or interventions to identify and reduce opioid misuse among GI patients. The Chronic Care Model (CCM) was used to classify the strategies presented. Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria. A majority of studies used quasi-experimental or retrospective cohort study designs. Most studies addressed the CCM’s clinical information systems element. Seven studies involved identification of opioid misuse through prescription drug monitoring and opioid misuse screening tools. Four studies discussed reductions in opioid use by harnessing drug monitoring data and individual care plans, and implementing self-management and opioid detoxification interventions. One study described drug monitoring and an audit-and-feedback intervention to both identify and reduce opioid misuse. Greatest reductions in opioid misuse were observed when drug monitoring, self-management, or audit-and-feedback interventions were used. Prescription drug monitoring and self-management interventions may be promising strategies to identify and reduce opioid misuse in GI care. Rigorous, empirical research is needed to evaluate the longer-term impact of these strategies.
Redskins: insult and brand

The role of sports in the production, reproduction, and contestation of racism and inequality in the society remains paradoxical. On the one hand, many in the athletic establishment champion sports...
Live and Let Die: Phosphatidic Acid Modulates the Self-Incompatibility Response.

Pollen tubes are remarkable vehicles that deliver immobile sperm nuclei from the stigma to the ovule during angiosperm reproduction. Their journey delicately balances turgor pressure with the precise spatiotemporal regulation of polarized growth machinery to navigate pollen tubes and their cargo to
Boosting Efficiency for Computing the Pareto Frontier on Tree Structured Networks

Multi-objective optimization plays a key role in the study of real-world problems, as they often involve multiple criteria. In multi-objective optimization it is important to identify the so-called Pareto frontier, which characterizes the trade-offs between the objectives of different solutions. We show how a divide-and-conquer approach, combined with batched processing and pruning, significantly boosts the performance of an exact and approximation dynamic programming (DP) algorithm for computing the Pareto frontier on tree-structured networks, proposed in [18]. We also show how exploiting restarts and a new instance selection strategy boosts the performance and accuracy of a mixed integer programming (MIP) approach for approximating the Pareto frontier. We provide empirical results demonstrating that our DP and MIP approaches have complementary strengths and outperform previous algorithms in efficiency and accuracy. Our work is motivated by a problem in computational sustainability concerning the evaluation of trade-offs in ecosystem services due to the proliferation of hydropower dams throughout the Amazon basin. Our approaches are general and can be applied to computing the Pareto frontier of a variety of multi-objective problems on tree-structured networks.
Teaching Resources, Microbiology

Microbiology is the focus of education at many levels, from K-12 through undergraduate and graduate studies to professional schools. Microbiological topics are newsworthy and otherwise deemed as relevant to the general population. Many professionals are involved in the microbiology educational enterprise. A vast array of resources are available to the global community of teachers and students of microbiology. Additionally, material in related areas – including molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and immunology – is also pertinent to lessons in microbiology. Classroom teaching and discussions in microbiology are significantly enhanced by laboratory exercises. In addition to standard protocols, educators have developed and contributed investigative and open-ended activities in which student-learning has been shown to be effective. Textbooks, videos, animations, journal articles, and online postings, many of which have undergone peer review, serve as a rich resource of ideas, techniques, and assessment strategies for teaching and learning. Additionally, educators support each other through attending and presenting at conferences, and informal networking. Experts have been assembled by various professional societies to respond to web-posted questions from any interested inquirer. The development and contribution of new hypotheses, methods, and results in the area of teaching/learning is seen as an important area of scholarship for teaching faculty.
Epstein-Barr virus-mild acquired immune deficiency syndrome (EBV-MAIDS) in postsurgical sinusitis.

Background Functional endoscopic sinus surgery has remarkably improved the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis patients. Computed tomography, endoscopic optical instrumentation, powered microdebriders, and computer-assisted surgery have surmounted the technical problems of obstructive sinusitis care. Most experienced practitioners achieve reported success rates of 85-95% among their surgical patients. However, the 5-15% refractory patients reported by all rhinologic surgeons leave an exasperating and perplexing group who, despite appropriate mechanical corrections, continue to experience debilitating rhinosinusitis episodes requiring repeated oral, nebulized, or intravenous antibiotics, and in some cases, antifungal therapy. Methods Recent studies have indicated that host immune response mechanisms may be altered in the paranasal sinus tissues of sinusitis patients. After years of observation, it was felt that these difficult patients may suffer from a common thread of significant partial immunocompromise. Drawing on military experience of treating immunoimmature populations prone to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infectious mononucleosis and the consequent postmononucleosis syndrome, it was sought to screen disabled refractory postsurgical sinusitis patients for this factor and treat them with long-standing military protocols for the immunoimmature populations dispatched to third-world combat conditions. Results Treatment of Epstein-Barr Virus-Mild Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome consisted of periodic intramuscular serum immune globulin injections (immunomodulator therapy), after obtaining their thorough written informed consent, which produced substantial and sustainable improvement in patient's quality of life. Conclusion Detection of mild-to-moderate acquired immune deficiency among postsurgical rhinosinusitis patients can lead to successful treatment and an improved quality of life.
Production evidence for the origins of the Oxus Civilization

L'etude est consacree aux origines et aux traits caracteristiques de la Civilisation de l'Oxus (2100-1800 BC ; region de la riviere Amou-Darya), et plus particulierement, au riche materiel decouvert sur le complexe archeologique de Bactriane-Margiane (BMAC). L'A. propose donc un panorama de la tradition stylistique et iconographique de divers petits objets de pierre, de figurines anthropomorphes ou zoomorphes, de terres cuites, de sceaux en bronze, de sceaux cylindres, de vaisselle metallique, et d'autres objets rituels ou a caractere administratif
Effects of a Complexity-Based Approach on Generalization of Past Tense -ed and Related Morphemes.

Purpose In a previous article, we reported that beginning treatment for regular past tense –ed with certain types of verbs led to greater generalization in children with developmental language diso...
Response to intervention: Empirical demonstration of a dual-discrepancy population via random effects mixture models

Abstract Response to Intervention (RtI) is a commonly used framework to identify students in need of additional or specialized instruction. Special education eligibility decisions within RtI rely on the assumption that there are subpopulations of students: those who demonstrate appropriate growth and those who do not demonstrate appropriate growth, when provided specialized instruction. The purpose of the present study was to illustrate the use of random-effects mixture models (RMMs) to estimate the likely number of (unobserved) subpopulations within one curriculum-based measurement of oral reading (CBM-R) progress monitoring dataset. The dataset comprised second grade students' CBM-R data collected weekly over 20 weeks. RMMs were fit with several numbers of classes, and a two-class model best fit the data. Results suggest that RMMs are useful to understand subpopulations of students who need specialized instruction. Results also provide empirical support to some extent for the use of a dual-discrepancy model of learning disability identification within RtI.
Nanophotonic Device in Combination with Bacteriophages for Enhancing Detection Sensitivity of Escherichia coli in Simulated Wash Water

AbstractAmong various approaches to control and monitor cross-contamination of fresh produce, a biosensor that can rapidly detect the presence of a specific bacterium in wash water or on fresh produce can be effective. This research demonstrates the development of a rapid biosensor based on a combination of a nanophotonic device and the bacteriophage T7 for the detection of Escherichia coli without the need for culturing or nucleic acid extraction. This biosensor platform is based on bacteriophage mediated specific lysis of target bacteria and release of β-galactosidase. The enzyme could be further detected by a nanophotonic device that amplifies the fluorescent signal, therefore allowing better sensitivity. Production of β-galactosidase is induced by isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and the enzyme is then released by bacteriophage lysis, which is detected by the nanophotonic device using a fluorescent enzyme substrate resorufin β-D-galactopyranoside. Using this approach, the results demonstra...
Should all diabetic patients be on aspirin for primary prevention

Not all patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) should be routinely prescribed daily aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) for prevention regardless of their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Aspirin is rou...
Trajectory Control of Multiple Aircraft: An NMPC Approach

A multi-stage nonlinear model predictive controller is derived for the real-time coordination of multiple aircraft. In order to couple the versatility of hybrid systems theory with the power of NMPC, a finite state machine is coupled to a real time optimal control formulation. This methodology aims to integrate real-time optimal control with higher level logic rules, in order to assist mission design for flight operations like collision avoidance, conflict resolution, and reacting to changes in the environment. Specifically, the controller is able to consider new information as it becomes available. Stability properties for nonlinear model predictive control are described briefly along the lines of a dual-mode controller. Finally, a small case study is presented that considers the coordination of two aircraft, where the aircraft are able to avoid obstacles and each other, reach their targets and minimize a cost function over time.
Distance-dependent Fluorescence Quenching on a Silver Nanoparticle Surface

Distance dependent fluorescence quenching and mechanisms are studied on a silver nanoparticle (AgNP) surface. The longer the distance between fluorophore and AgNP surface, the less quenching. The r...
CBD products that resemble tobacco products enter traditional retail outlets.

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule in 2016 deeming new tobacco products (any product made or derived from tobacco that is intended for human consumption, including any component, part or accessory of a tobacco product) under its authority. The products include electronic nicotine delivery systems, also referred to as vapes, vaporisers or electronic cigarettes, and products meeting the statutory definition that may be developed in the future.1 The US Agriculture Improvement Act of 20182 (known as the Farm Bill) removed hemp from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substance Act, effectively legalising cannabis-derived products with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations of no more than 0.3%. In contrast to high-THC cannabis products legally sold in some states, products primarily featuring cannabidiol (CBD) are now widely available in many forms nationally, including vaping liquids for use in vaping devices.3 4 Despite the availability of CBD products consumed with vaping devices, there is little research …
Open, Programmable, and Virtualized 5G Networks: State-of-the-Art and the Road Ahead

Abstract Fifth generation (5G) cellular networks will serve a wide variety of heterogeneous use cases, including mobile broadband users, ultra-low latency services and massively dense connectivity scenarios. The resulting diverse communication requirements will demand networking with unprecedented flexibility, not currently provided by the monolithic black-box approach of 4G cellular networks. The research community and an increasing number of standardization bodies and industry coalitions have recognized softwarization, virtualization, and disaggregation of networking functionalities as the key enablers of the needed shift to flexibility. Particularly, software-defined cellular networks are heralded as the prime technology to satisfy the new application-driven traffic requirements and to support the highly time-varying topology and interference dynamics, because of their openness through well-defined interfaces, and programmability, for swift and responsive network optimization. Leading the technological innovation in this direction, several 5G software-based projects and alliances have embraced the open source approach, making new libraries and frameworks available to the wireless community. This race to open source softwarization, however, has led to a deluge of solutions whose interoperability and interactions are often unclear. This article provides the first cohesive and exhaustive compendium of recent open source software and frameworks for 5G cellular networks, with a full stack and end-to-end perspective. We detail their capabilities and functionalities focusing on how their constituting elements fit the 5G ecosystem, and unravel the interactions among the surveyed solutions. Finally, we review hardware and testbeds on which these frameworks can run, and provide a critical perspective on the limitations of the state-of-the-art, as well as feasible directions toward fully open source, programmable 5G networks.
Cross-sectional and Prospective Associations of Rest-Activity Rhythms With Metabolic Markers and Type 2 Diabetes in Older Men.

OBJECTIVE Disruption of rest-activity rhythms is cross-sectionally associated with metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, yet it remains unclear whether it predicts impaired glucose metabolism and homeostasis. The aim of this study is to examine the cross-sectional and prospective associations between rest-activity rhythm characteristics and glycemic measures in a cohort of older men. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Baseline rest-activity rhythms were derived from actigraphy with use of extended cosine model analysis. With subjects fasting, glucose, insulin, and HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were measured from blood at baseline and after ∼3.5 years. Type 2 diabetes was defined based on self-report, medication use, and fasting glucose. RESULTS In the cross-sectional analysis (n = 2,450), lower 24-h amplitude-to-mesor ratio (i.e., mean activity-adjusted rhythm amplitude) and reduced overall rhythmicity were associated with higher fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (all Ptrend CONCLUSIONS Rest-activity rhythm characteristics are associated with impaired glycemic metabolism and homeostasis and higher risk of incident type 2 diabetes.