cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Telemedicine: A guide to assessing telecommunications in healthcare

Telemedicine--the use of information and telecommunications technologies to provide and support health care when distance separates the participants--is receiving increasing attention not only in remote areas where health care access is troublesome but also in urban and suburban locations. Yet the benefits and costs of this blend of medicine and digital technologies must be better demonstrated before today's cautious decisionmakers invest significant funds in its development. Telemedicine presents a framework for evaluating patient care applications of telemedicine. The book identifies managerial, technical, policy, legal, and human factors that must be taken into account in evaluating a telemedicine program. The committee reviews previous efforts to establish evaluation frameworks and reports on results from several completed studies of image transmission, consulting from remote locations, and other telemedicine programs. The committee also examines basic elements of an evaluation and considers relevant issues of quality, accessibility, and cost of health care. Telemedicine will be of immediate interest to anyone with interest in the clinical application of telemedicine.
Trace Lines for Testlets: A Use of Multiple-Categorical-Response Models.

It is not always convenient or appropriate to construct tests in which individual items are fungible. There are situations in which small clusters of items (testlets) are the units that are assembled to create a test. Using data from a test of reading comprehension constructed of four passages with several questions following each passage, we show that local independence fails at the level of the individual questions. The questions following each passage, however, constitute a testlet. We discuss the application to testlet scoring of some multiple-category models originally developed for individual items, In the example examined, the concurrent validity of the testlet scoring equaled or exceeded that of individual-item-level scoring
Developing and assessing curriculum on the physics of medical instruments.

Undergraduate educational settings often struggle to provide students with authentic biologically or medically relevant situations and problems that simultaneously improve their understanding of physics. Through exercises and laboratory activities developed in an elective Physics in Biomedicine course for upper-level biology or pre–health majors at Portland State University, we aim to teach fundamental physical concepts, such as light absorption and emission and atomic energy levels, through analysis of biological systems and medical devices. The activities address the properties of electromagnetic waves as they relate to the interaction with biological tissue and make links between physics and biomedical applications such as microscopy or laser eye surgery. We report on the effect that engaging students in tasks with actual medical equipment has had on their conceptual understanding of light and spectroscopy. These initial assessments indicate that students’ understanding improves in some areas as a result of taking the course, but gains are not uniform and are relatively low for other topics. We also find a promising “nonshift” in student attitudes toward learning science as a result of taking the course. A long-term goal of this work is to develop these materials to the extent that they can eventually be imported into an introductory curriculum for life sciences majors.
Effect of knee angle on quadriceps strength and activation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Quadriceps strength and activation deficits after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury or surgery are typically evaluated at joint positions that are biomechanically advantageous to the quadriceps muscle. However, the effect of knee joint position and the associated changes in muscle length on strength and activation is currently unknown in this population. Here, we examined the effect of knee angle on quadriceps strength, activation, and electrically evoked torque in individuals with ACL reconstruction. Furthermore, we evaluated whether knee angle mediated the relationship between quadriceps weakness and functional performance after ACL reconstruction. Knee strength and activation were tested bilaterally at 90° and 45° of knee flexion in 11 subjects with ACL reconstruction using an interpolated triplet technique. The magnitude of electrically evoked torque at rest was used to quantify peripheral muscle contractile property changes, and the single-leg hop for distance test was used to evaluate functional performance. The results indicated that although quadriceps strength deficits were similar between knee angles, voluntary activation deficits were significantly higher in the reconstructed leg at 45° of knee flexion. On the contrary, the side-to-side evoked torque at rest ratio [i.e., (reconstructed/nonreconstructed) × 100] was significantly lower at 90° than at 45° of knee flexion. The association between quadriceps strength and functional performance was stronger at 45° of knee flexion. The results provide novel evidence that quadriceps activation is selectively affected at 45° of knee flexion and emphasize the importance of assessing quadriceps strength and activation at this position when feasible because it better captures activation deficits.
METABOLISM OF LIPOPROTEINS CONTAINING APOLIPOPROTEIN B IN HEPATIC LIPASE-DEFICIENT MICE

Mice lacking hepatic lipase have been reported to express mild hyperlipidemia characterized by increased concentrations of large high density lipoproteins, but normal concentrations of lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B. Whereas hepatic lipase has been implicated in the clearance and processing of chylomicron remnants in rats, no such defect was found in these mice. We have further characterized the abnormal lipoprotein phenotype in young hepatic lipase-deficient mice and have found more pronounced elevations of high density lipoproteins associated in particular with a 5-fold increase in plasma concentrations of apolipoprotein E. In addition, there was a reduction in the concentration of low density lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B-100 and B-48 relative to precursor lipoproteins of lower density and a pronounced deficiency of apolipoprotein B-containing low density lipoproteins with density exceeding 1.029 g/mL. Conversion of radiolabeled rabbit intermediate density lipoproteins to low density lipoproteins was reduced by 6-fold as compared with wild-type mice. Although clearance of cholesteryl ester-labeled chylomicrons from the blood was unimpaired in the deficient mice, that of chylomicron remnants was reduced. Furthermore, endocytosis of chylomicron cholesteryl esters into liver cells occurred more rapidly than in wild-type mice. The unimpaired hepatic clearance of injected chylomicron particles in hepatic lipase-deficient mice may be the result of greater acquisition of apoE from high density lipoproteins during remnant formation. These studies thus demonstrate a critical role for mouse hepatic lipase in the formation of small, dense low density lipoproteins, as well as participation in the normal clearance and processing of chylomicron remnants.
Modeling Heterogeneity in Pooled Event History Analysis

Pooled event history analysis (PEHA) allows researchers to study the effects of variables across multiple policies by stacking the data and estimating the parameters in a single model. Yet this approach to modeling policy diffusion implies assumptions about homogeneity that are often violated in reality, such that the effect of a given variable is constant across policies. We relax this assumption and use Monte Carlo simulations to compare common strategies for modeling heterogeneity, testing these strategies with increasing levels of variance. We find that multilevel models with random coefficients produce the best estimates and are a significant improvement over other models. In addition, we show how modeling similar policies as multilevel structures allows researchers to more precisely explore the theoretical implications of heterogeneity across policies. We provide an empirical example of these modeling approaches with a unique data set of 29 antiabortion policies.
GPU-Accelerated Nick Local Image Thresholding Algorithm

Binarization plays an important role in document image processing, particularly in degraded document images. Among all local adaptive image thresholding algorithms, the Nick method has shown excellent binarization performance for degraded document images. However, local image thresholding algorithms, including the Nick method, are computationally intensive, requiring significant time to process input images. In this paper, we propose three CUDA GPU parallel implementations of the Nick local image thresholding algorithm for faster binarization of large images. Our experimental results show that the GPU-accelerated implementations of the Nick method can achieve up to 150x performance speedup on a GeForce GTX 480 compared to its optimized sequential implementation.
Cation vacancies and the crystal chemistry of breakdown reactions in kimberlitic omphacites

The degree of alteration in clinopyroxenes from eclogitic inclusions in South African kimberlites is directly related to the deviation from stoichiometry of remnant unaltered areas in individual grains. Deviations from stoichiometry are reconciled by allowing up to 9% vacancy in the M2 site. The breakdown reaction accounting for the apparent alteration is: CaAl/sub 2/Si/sub 4/O/sub 12/..-->..CaAl/sub 2/SiO/sub 6/ + 3SiO/sub 2/. The products of this reaction are observed in X-ray precession photographs as a second Ca- Tschermak's pyroxene intergrown with the host omphacite plus quartz powder rings. I infer that a vacancy-containing pyroxene is stabilized by pressure but is highly unstable at lower pressures. A general FORTRAN program which breaks pyroxene compositions into end-members has been written to include a vacancy-containing end-member.
Optimized Synthesis of a Pentafluoro-gem-diol and Conversion to a CF2Br-Glucopyranose through Trifluoroacetate-Release and Halogenation.

Pentafluoro-gem-diols are substrates that enable the synthesis of valuable difluoromethylene-containing organic molecules through the release of trifluoroacetate. Currently, only one synthetic strategy is available to assemble these important precursors. Herein, two new synthetic strategies to a complex pentafluoro-gem-diol are compared to the existing route, and an improved synthetic route has completed. Moreover, the first synthesis of a CF2Br-glucopyranose was finished by a tandem trifluoroacetate-release halogenation/cyclization protocol.
Invited) Rational Design of Etchants for Electroless Porous Silicon Formation

From fundamental considerations of the surface chemistry of Si etching in fluoride solutions as well as pore formation and propagation, we develop a mechanistic understanding of what must be known for rational development of etchants: (1) an acidic fluoride solution because the presence of OH- promotes step flow etching, (2) sufficiently high fluoride concentration compared to the oxidant concentration, (3) the oxidant must be able to inject holes into the Si valance band at a sufficient rate, hence E° > ~0.7 V is required, (4) oxide formation needs to be slow or nonexistent so as to avoid the formation of a uniform oxide and associated electropolishing, (5) reduction of the oxidant must lead to soluble products, (6) film homogeneity is enhanced if the oxidant's half-reaction does not evolve gas, and finally (7) the net etching reaction has to be sufficiently anisotropic to support pore nucleation and propagation.
The Digestive and Reproductive Systems of the Meloidae (Coleoptera) and Their Significance in the Classification of the Family

The digestive and reproductive systems of 46 meloid species, representing 32 genera from North America, Europe, North Africa, and India, were studied, and a subfamily and tribal system based on these internal systems is proposed. The fore-gut of the meloids includes a fairly well-developed esophagus, a simple proventriculus, and a stomodaeal or cardiac valve. There is no crop. The stomodaeal intima shows definite longitudinal and irregularly arranged internal folds; in addition, it exhibits other modifications such as transverse corrugations, emarginate, transversely oriented {-shaped and dotlike thickenings, and polygonal patterns. The spines on the intima may be scattered or may follow a definite arrangement. The size, number, and position of the lobes of the stomodaeal valve vary greatly. The mid-gut (ventriculus) is well developed; it is transversely wrinkled and granulate in Meloinae and rather smooth in Nemognathinae. The hind-gut (proctodaeum) usually is well developed. There are 6 cryptonephridial malpighian tubules, which may arise separately or in pairs; they are attached posteriorly either on the distal portion of the ileum or on the inner bend of the posterior flexure of the hind-gut; in some groups these tubules have basal pouches. The spermathecal capsule of the female reproductive system exhibits various modifications in size and shape; also, it may have a well-developed tubular or vesicular basal diverticulum, or it may merely show a basal swelling. A single, tubular or vesicular accessory gland is always present. The vagina is variable in length and width, but was not found to have taxonomic significance. In the male system, the testes are spherical or oval; they are much enlarged in the Nemognathinae. The vesicula seminalis varies in size; it is usually smooth externally but is transversely wrinkled in Lyttini. The first of the 3 pairs of accessory glands is spherically or ovally coiled or irregularly convoluted; the second pair (usually the smallest) arises posterior to it; the third pair (usually the largest) is variously convoluted. The ejaculatory duct was found frequently to be curved or looped and to be of differing widths; however, this structure was not used as a character in classification. The present study recognizes 2 subfamilies, Meloinae and Nemognathinae. The former includes the tribes Mylabrini, Cerocomini, Eupomphini, Epicautini, Pyrotini, Lyttini, Meloini, and Tetraonychini. The Nemognathinae contains the tribes Horiini, Apalini, and Nemognathini. Of all the tribes studied, the Eupomphini shows the greatest variation; several of its genera may eventually have to be assigned elsewhere. The genus Linsleya is removed from the Epicautini and tenatatively placed in the Lyttini. The Old World genera Cabalia and Sybaris have, with some question, been retained in the Lyttini although they lack the well-developed spermathecal diverticulum which has been considered an important character of this tribe.
Role of Doxorubicin in rhabdomyosarcoma: is the answer knowable?

Overview:The role of doxorubicin in treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) has been controversial for 30 years. Despite its known activity in RMS, because of its risk of cardiotoxicity, its use is not...
Solution-Processable Core-Extended Quinacridone Derivatives with Intact Hydrogen Bonds

A highly efficient and feasible “condensation followed by annulation” synthetic approach was developed to afford a subset of 9-ring-fused quinacridone derivatives on a 10 g scale. Despite the amenable intermolecular hydrogen-bonding ability of these rigid molecules, good solubility in common organic solvents and solution processability into uniformed thin films were achieved. Integrated advantages in the synthesis and properties make these compounds ideal building blocks for high-performance dyes and optoelectronic materials.
Developmental Alterations in the Fetal Lamb Bladder Subjected to Partial Urethral Obstruction in Utero

To identify the structural changes seen in the developing bladder subjected to outflow obstruction, a fetal lamb model was developed. With this model, which attempts to reproduce conditions such as those found in posterior urethral valves, quantitative biochemical parameters were used to evaluate the effects of partial outflow obstruction on detrusor cellularity and innervation in the developing bladder. Partial urethral obstruction was created in 9 fetal sheep (90 to 100 days gestation), 6 sham operated animals serving as controls. Fetuses were delivered at term and sacrificed. Bladders were removed and weighed. Mucosa free detrusor was assayed for DNA and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, indices of cell number and cholinergic innervation, respectively. In similar specimens of detrusor, cell ploidy and nuclear size were determined by flow cytometry and nuclear morphometry, respectively. The results showed that partial urethral obstruction in utero resulted in a significant increase in bladder weight (p < 0.05) and total detrusor DNA content (p < 0.01). With the increase in detrusor DNA content, there was a parallel increase in total detrusor ChAT activity. These results suggest that early development of the bladder is altered both on a cellular level (increase in cellularity) and a neural level (increase in cholinergic nerve density) under conditions of mechanical distension.
Relationship satisfaction in lesbian couples: Review, methodological critique, and research agenda

There has been increased interest in and attention to understanding the characteristics associated with relationship satisfaction among same-sex couples. This review examines the individual, couple, and external factors associated with relationship satisfaction among contemporary lesbian couples, highlighting domains such as internalized homophobia, personality, communication, conflict, sex, stress, and social support. I discuss methodological concerns and future directions to advance research in this area.
Cortisol-induced immune suppression by a blockade of lymphocyte egress in traumatic brain injury

Acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents one of major causes of mortality and disability in the USA. Neuroinflammation has been regarded both beneficial and detrimental, probably in a time-dependent fashion. To address a role for neuroinflammation in brain injury, C57BL/6 mice were subjected to a closed head mild TBI (mTBI) by a standard controlled cortical impact, along with or without treatment of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) or rolipram, after which the brain tissue of the impact site was evaluated for cell morphology via histology, inflammation by qRT-PCR and T cell staining, and cell death with Caspase-3 and TUNEL staining. Circulating lymphocytes were quantified by flow cytometry, and plasma hydrocortisone was analyzed by LC-MS/MS. To investigate the mechanism whereby cortisol lowered the number of peripheral T cells, T cell egress was tracked in lymph nodes by intravital confocal microscopy after hydrocortisone administration. We detected a decreased number of circulating lymphocytes, in particular, T cells soon after mTBI, which was inversely correlated with a transient and robust increase of plasma cortisol. The transient lymphocytopenia might be caused by cortisol in part via a blockade of lymphocyte egress as demonstrated by the ability of cortisol to inhibit T cell egress from the secondary lymphoid tissues. Moreover, exogenous hydrocortisone severely suppressed periphery lymphocytes in uninjured mice, whereas administering an egress-promoting agent S1P normalized circulating T cells in mTBI mice and increased T cells in the injured brain. Likewise, rolipram, a cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, was also able to elevate cAMP levels in T cells in the presence of hydrocortisone in vitro and abrogate the action of cortisol in mTBI mice. The investigation demonstrated that the number of circulating T cells in the early phase of TBI was positively correlated with T cell infiltration and inflammatory responses as well as cell death at the cerebral cortex and hippocampus beneath the impact site. Decreases in intracellular cAMP might be part of the mechanism behind cortisol-mediated blockade of T cell egress. The study argues strongly for a protective role of cortisol-induced immune suppression in the early stage of TBI.
Glioma and microglia, a double entendre

Microglia are important facilitators of glioma proliferation and invasion. An important component of this process seems to be glioma-mediated suppression of microglial activation via S-nitrosylation of microglial caspase-3.
Cyclin G2 promotes cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells responding to fulvestrant and metformin and correlates with patient survival

Definition of cell cycle control proteins that modify tumor cell resistance to estrogen (E2) signaling antagonists could inform clinical choice for estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC) therapy. Cyclin G2 (CycG2) is upregulated during cell cycle arrest responses to cellular stresses and growth inhibitory signals and its gene, CCNG2, is directly repressed by E2-bound ER complexes. Our previous studies showed that blockade of HER2, PI3K and mTOR signaling upregulates CycG2 expression in HER2+ BC cells, and that CycG2 overexpression induces cell cycle arrest. Moreover, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptor signaling strongly represses CycG2. Here we show that blockade of ER-signaling in MCF7 and T47D BC cell lines enhances the expression and nuclear localization of CycG2. Knockdown of CycG2 attenuated the cell cycle arrest response of E2-depleted and fulvestrant treated MCF7 cells. These muted responses were accompanied by sustained inhibitory phosphorylation of retinoblastoma (RB) protein, expression of cyclin D1, phospho-activation of ERK1/2 and MEK1/2 and expression of cRaf. Our work indicates that CycG2 can form complexes with CDK10, a CDK linked to modulation of RAF/MEK/MAPK signaling and tamoxifen resistance. We determined that metformin upregulates CycG2 and potentiates fulvestrant-induced CycG2 expression and cell cycle arrest. CycG2 knockdown blunts the enhanced anti-proliferative effect of metformin on fulvestrant treated cells. Meta-analysis of BC tumor microarrays indicates that CCNG2 expression is low in aggressive, poor-prognosis BC and that high CCNG2 expression correlates with longer periods of patient survival. Together these findings indicate that CycG2 contributes to signaling networks that limit BC.
BBPH: Using progressive hedging within branch and bound to solve multi-stage stochastic mixed integer programs

Abstract Progressive hedging, though an effective heuristic for solving stochastic mixed integer programs (SMIPs), is not guaranteed to converge in this case. Here, we describe BBPH, a branch and bound algorithm that uses PH at each node in the search tree such that, given sufficient time, it will always converge to a globally optimal solution. In addition to providing a theoretically convergent “wrapper” for PH applied to SMIPs, computational results demonstrate that for some difficult problem instances branch and bound can find improved solutions after exploring only a few nodes.
A Study of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Coping Strategies, Work Stress, and Self-Care in the Child Welfare Profession

This mixed-method study examines child welfare professionals’ adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and coping strategies they use to mitigate work stress. Survey data are from 104 child welfare services professionals in a Midwestern state. Participants reported high stress levels and frequent unhealthy coping strategies. Their ACE scores were higher than those of the general population. Quantitative analyses showed that the relativity of ACE to their career choice and unhealthy coping strategies also predicted their work stress. Qualitative analysis revealed challenges these workers face in self-care when dealing with work stress. Implications for child welfare staff, supervisors, and educators are suggested.
Genome-Wide Analyses of MicroRNA Profiling in Interleukin-27 Treated Monocyte-Derived Human Dendritic Cells Using Deep Sequencing: A Pilot Study

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and thereby influence cell fate and function. Recent studies suggest that an abundant class of miRNAs play important roles in immune cells, such as T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, B cells, and dendritic cells (DCs). Interleukin (IL)-27 is a member of the IL-12 family of cytokines with broad anti-viral effects. It is a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 infection in CD4+ T cells and macrophages, as well as monocyte-derived immature dendritic cells (iDCs). This pilot study compared miRNA profiles between iDCs and IL-27-treated iDCs (27DCs) using deep sequencing methods and identified 46 known miRNAs that were significantly differentially expressed in 27DCs: 36 were upregulated and 10 downregulated by IL-27. Many of the potential target genes of these miRNAs are involved in IL-27 associated pathways, such as JAK/STAT, MAPKs, and PI3K and several were also previously reported to be involved in the regulation of human DC function. This study found that these miRNAs also potentially target several viral genomes and therefore may have antiviral effects. Four of these differential miRNAs (miR-99a-5p, miR-222-3p, miR-138-5p, and miR-125b-5p) were validated using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Twenty-two novel miRNAs were discovered from deep sequencing and confirmed using RT-qPCR. This study furthers the understanding of the role of IL-27 in immunity and lays a foundation for future characterization of the role of specific miRNAs in DCs.
Spatial and temporal components of induced plant responses in the context of herbivore life history and impact on host

Plants defend against herbivores and pathogens through integrated constitutive and induced defenses. Induced responses may be expressed locally or tissue/plant-wide, i.e. systemically, and may also be primed for subsequent attack. Although the elicitation and efficacy of induced responses are increasingly well-characterized, we have little understanding of how timing and within-plant spatial patterns of induced defenses relate to different herbivore behaviors and selective pressures. We used interactions between pines and their major mortality agents, native bark beetle-fungal complexes, to explore this dimension. We analyzed concentrations of multiple terpenoid and phenolic classes, and lesion formation, to provide a comprehensive profile of specialized metabolites and histological responses in red pine (Pinus resinosa) phloem. We examined these profiles in constitutive tissue and following simulated attack, sampling both at the point of challenge and away from the attack site, and following a second simulated attack. Terpenoid concentrations increased by > 100-fold at the site of simulated attack. In contrast, systemic induction of terpenoids was absent or weak, with most exhibiting no change and others increasing only 1.5–2 fold. Previous elicitation did not influence terpenoid concentrations, either locally or tissue-wide, when trees were challenged a second time. Phenolics had mixed responses in localized tissues, with some compounds increasing and others decreasing. Like terpenoids, phenolics did not show substantial systemic, tissue-wide changes, and likewise showed no evidence of priming. Collectively, these results indicate that red pine employs a strategy of maximizing its response at each point of attack by bark beetles. Pines have been shown to express systemic induced resistance against several canker fungi, so the absence of these responses suggests agent-specific reactions, rather than inherent incapability. Rapid local induction seems to be a better strategy in this instance because when a bark beetle succeeds in entering and producing pheromones from a host, the resulting mass attack rapidly covers the entire circumference and kills the tree. These results highlight how plant defense syndromes can modulate the spatial and temporal dynamics of induced responses, in addition to the chemical and morphological traits deployed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Modeling Human Adaptation in Repeated Collaborative Tasks

This short paper summarizes a game-theoretic model of human partial adaptation to the robot. We model the human as following a best-response strategy to the robot action, based on theor own, possibly distorted, reward function. The model allows the robot to take informative actions, in order to teach the human its capabilities.
Predicting Progression of Intracranial Arteriopathies in Childhood Stroke With Vessel Wall Imaging

Background and Purpose— Childhood arterial ischemic stroke is frequently associated with an intracranial arteriopathy that often progresses in the first 3 to 6 months post stroke. We hypothesized that children with enhancing arteriopathies on vessel wall imaging (VWI) would have a higher risk of arteriopathy progression than those without enhancement. Methods— Our institutional radiographic database was searched for cases of childhood stroke with VWI. Inclusion criteria consisted of age ranging from 1 month through 20 years, diagnosis of arterial ischemic stroke, available VWI, and follow-up magnetic resonance angiogram. Imaging was reviewed to systematically describe VWI findings, categorize arteriopathies, steroid therapy, and identify progressive arteriopathies using CACADE definitions. Results— Sixteen cases of childhood stroke at Children’s Hospital Colorado between January 1, 2010 and July 1, 2016 were reviewed. Strong vessel wall enhancement at presentation was associated with progressive arteriopathy in 83% of cases (10/12), when compared with 0% (0/4) without strong enhancement ( P =0.008). Conclusions— Our case series demonstrates the potential benefit of VWI in children with stroke because it may identify patients who will have progressive arterial disease.
High-Side Current Regulation and Energy Limitation

The current regulation loop drives squibs that are used to inflate multiple airbags in cars. Squibs are electrically R-L-C networks with the resistance ranging from 1 Ω to 8 Ω. The inductance range varies from 1 μH to 3 mH and the capacitive loads range from 22 nF to 220 nF. The high-voltage LDMOS transistors are used as the HS and LS FETs. The specified currents are 1.2 A for 2 ms, 1.75 A for 0.5 ms or 0.7 ms and an optional mode of 1.2 A for 1.5 ms. In this chapter, the advantages and disadvantages of current sense circuit with sense resistor and senseFET approaches are compared. Based on this comparison, this chapter shows how the targeted current regulation is achieved for the HS driver by using the sense resistor-based approach along with the energy limitation circuit for inadvertent deployment protection.
Cross-Language Connections for English Learners’ Literacy Development:

The number of English learners continues to increase in the United States. Additionally, many English learners will experience language and learning disabilities. These students require specialized...
Arrhythmic outcome of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy patients without implantable defibrillators

BACKGROUND Implantable defibrillators (ICD) are an important therapy for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) patients at high risk of sudden death. Given the high appropriate ICD therapy rate, some have argued that the mere act of implanting an ICD inflates the malignant arrhythmia rate in ARVC. OBJECTIVE To report the arrhythmic course of ARVC patients without ICDs at the fulfillment of the 2010 Task Force Criteria and explore predictors of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. METHODS We included 131 definite ARVC patients (age 32 ± 15 years, male 39%, proband 50%) either without ICDs (N = 47) or receiving an ICD at least 6 months after the fulfillment of the diagnostic criteria. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac arrest (both resuscitated successfully and unsuccessfully) and sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (cycle length< 600 milliseconds, at least 30 seconds or requiring an intervention for termination). RESULTS At the fulfillment of the diagnostic criteria, ICDs were not recommended to 59 (45%) patients and declined by 22 (17%) patients. Forty (31%) patients were not recognized as having ARVC by the treating physicians. Over 8 (interquartile interval: 3-12) years, 38 (29%) patients had primary outcomes (8 cardiac arrests [3 died] and 30 sustained ventricular arrhythmias) while not having ICDs. The 1-year and 5-year event-free survival was 92% and 72%. Spontaneous sustained ventricular arrhythmias, cardiac syncope, men, proband, and inducibility in electrophysiology study were significantly associated with the primary outcome. CONCLUSION In a contemporary cohort, a considerable risk of malignant arrhythmias existed in ARVC when ICDs were not implanted.
Efficient Solar Cells on Polycrystalline and Highly Defected Substrates Using Ion Sputtered Indium Tin Oxide

Indium tin oxide (ITO)/silicon solar cells of practical size (∿ 4 cm2 ) and efficiency (> 11% total area) have been fabricated using an optimized ion beam milling/sputter deposition and low pressure oxide growth process. Results for a single crystal silicon substrate and four potentially low cost polycrystalline substrates are compared. Photovoltaic performance parameters of cells formed on the best polycrystalline material are essentially identical to those of a representative single crystal device.
Problem Set 2.2 – Membrane Transport

Publisher Summary This chapter presents various problems related to the transport mechanisms in cell membranes.
PRESERVATIVES | Permitted Preservatives – Natamycin

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by Jacques Stark, volume 3, pp 1776–1781, © 1999, Elsevier Ltd.
Introduction to 'America's First Great Depression: Economic Crisis and Political Disorder after the Panic of 1837'

This is the introduction to "America's First Great Depression: Economic Crisis and Political Disorder after the Panic of 1837."
In Vitro Propagation of Primary and Extended Life Span Murine Corneal Endothelial Cells

Purpose To establish primary and extended life span cell cultures of murine corneal endothelial cells for a model system investigating corneal endothelial cell replacement and the immunologic features of corneal graft rejection. Methods The authors have been able to grow corneal endothelium in culture by isolating adult murine Descemet's membrane and allowing the endothelial cells to proliferate from the explants. To isolate extended life span murine corneal endothelial cells, cells were infected with an adenovirus-SV40 hybrid virus (Ad12-SV40). Results The primary cells from adult corneas proliferated to passage 3 before growth arrest-senescence was observed. However, the extended life span cells remained proliferative through passage 36 and maintained a structure similar to the primary cells. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrate that the extended life span cells are SV40 large T antigen positive, and both the primary and extended life span murine corneal endothelial cells exhibit the common expression of several growth factor receptors and TGF-beta. Conclusions This is the first report of the isolation and culture of mouse corneal endothelial cells. Additionally, these cells have been infected with a virus carrying the SV40 large T antigen, which yields extended life span mouse corneal endothelial cells. These cells will be of interest in establishing a murine model for corneal cell transplantation, and the authors are currently establishing protocols for the specific introduction and manipulation of these cells in both in vitro and in vivo systems. These types of analyses may provide an important animal model specific to in vivo corneal endothelial cell replacement for the treatment of endothelial-related keratopathies and can be a useful model in delineating the immunologic parameters of corneal graft rejection.
Foot and Toes

Ultrasound of the foot, including structures from the subtalar joint distally, is helpful for evaluation of pain, and guided injections can improve the accuracy of needle placement. The subtalar (talo-calcaneal) joint can be a source of inflammatory arthritis and is visualized anterolaterally or posterolaterally. The sinus tarsi, seen anterolateral to the ankle joint, between the talar neck and anterior process of the calcaneus, is easily seen for guided injections. Obvious incongruity of the tarso-metatarsal (Lisfranc) joints may be apparent in midfoot trauma but will need radiographs and perhaps advanced imaging. Thickening of the plantar fascia is easily seen in plantar fasciitis, and ultrasound facilitates accurate needle therapies. The first metatarsophalangeal joint can be difficult to obtain fluid from unless ultrasound aids in needle aspiration. Interdigital neuromas are sometimes visible, and injection of these with guidance is safer to nearby vascular structures.
Story Hour in the Management Classroom

Using stories written for young children can be effective in the education of college students. Storytelling is a helpful instructional method that is relevant to many management topics. This activ...
UNIT 10.11A Immunoaffinity Chromatography

Immunoaffinity purification is a powerful technique for isolating proteins. Purifications of 10,000-fold or more can often be achieved in one step. This unit describes the isolation of soluble or membrane-bound protein antigens from cells or homogenized tissue by immunoaffinity chromatography. The technique involves the elution of a single protein from an immunoaffinity column after prior elution of nonspecifically adsorbed proteins. An alternate protocol describes the use of batch purification of antigens which can shorten the column loading time.
Abstract 859: Sepsis-Induced Cardiomyopathy is Caused by Mitochondrial Dysfunction Due to Protein Kinase C (PKC) Delta Activation

Objective: Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) is a frequent complication of sepsis that is associated with increased mortality. There are no effective therapies. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial...
Neonatal Nurses' Self-reported Practices, Knowledge, and Attitudes Toward Use of Maternal Voice for Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND/SIGNIFICANCE Infants born extremely premature (<1500 g) often experience lengthy stays in the challenging environment of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) separated from their parents. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to explore nurses' knowledge, attitude, and use of maternal voice as a therapeutic intervention for preterm infants in the NICU. METHODS Neonatal nurses (n = 117) completed an online survey about the use of maternal voice in their individual units. Questions included: (1) previous knowledge surrounding use of maternal voice in the NICU; (2) their attitudes about using maternal voice recordings and/or live maternal speech as an intervention; (3) whether their unit had the necessary equipment and environment conducive to using the therapy; (4) average amount of time parents were in the NICU with their neonate; and (5) in what situations they would personally encourage the use of maternal recordings (during procedures, rounds, etc). RESULTS Of those responding, 73.3% of nurse (n = 117) respondents agreed they were willing to incorporate maternal recordings into caregiving, with 80.8% indicating they were open to learning and employing different therapies to improve parental involvement in infant care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE When the appropriate equipment is available, neonatal nurses are interested and willing to use alternative therapies that incorporate parental participation into direct caregiving as well as utilizing maternal voice recordings. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH Further research with larger, more diverse samples is needed to determine the current knowledge, attitudes, and practices of maternal voice recordings by NICU nurses. Future research can also focus on barriers to utilization of the therapy during daily care.
Culturally Focused Classroom Staff Training to Increase Praise for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Ghana

This study examined the impact of culturally focused classroom staff training on delivery of praise and its collateral effects on student on-task behavior. Training involved self-monitoring and per...
Reflux Esophagitis is Associated with Higher Risks of Acute Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attacks in Patients Hospitalized with Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis

Abstract Objectives: Reflux esophagitis (RE) is a subset of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with endoscopic evidence of esophageal inflammation, which has been linked to an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, data on the effect of RE on patient outcomes is limited. We sought to examine the potential association of RE with outcomes of patients with AF in a nationwide study. Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was queried to identify hospitalized adult patients with AF and RE between 2010 and 2014. Primary outcomes included inpatient mortality, length of stay (LOS), and total hospital charges. AF related complications such as acute stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) and acute heart failure were assessed as secondary outcomes. Propensity score matching and multivariate regression analysis were used. Results: 667,520 patients were admitted for primary diagnosis of AF out of which 5,396 had a secondary diagnosis of RE. In the AF with RE cohort, the average age was 73.6 years, 41.5% were male, and 79.9% were Caucasian. There was a greater prevalence of concomitant dyslipidemia, chronic liver disease and chronic pulmonary disease (p <0.01) when compared to the AF without RE cohort. Patients with AF and RE also had higher incidence of acute strokes and TIAs (p<0.05), longer LOS (p<0.001), and higher hospital charges (p<0.05) with no difference in acute heart failure (p=0.08), hospital mortality (p=0.12), or CHA2DS2-VAS score (p=0.67). Conclusion: In hospitalized patients with AF, RE was associated with a higher rate of acute stroke and TIA, longer LOS, and greater hospital charges.
Using the Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory to Strengthen Collaborations for Improving Maternal and Child Health.

The Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory is a free, publicly available questionnaire about the quality and context of community collaboration. The purpose of this article is to share lessons from using this questionnaire in a North Carolina maternal and child health initiative. In 2015, the State’s General Assembly funded five local health departments to implement evidence-based strategies for improving maternal and child health. Each health department formed a community action team for this purpose. Members of each community action team completed the Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory (Inventory) in the first year of funding and again 1 and 2 years later. Technical assistance coaches also asked community action team conveners to complete a brief questionnaire annually, and used these as well as Inventory results to plan for improvements. During the first year, community action teams emerged as strong in seeing collaboration in their self-interest. A primary challenge noted by conveners was engaging consumers on the community action teams. Strategies to address this included using social media and compensating consumers for attending meetings. By the second year, teams’ average scores in engaging multiple layers of participation increased, and eight additional factors became strengths, which generally continued in year three. The most consistent challenge was supporting community action teams administratively. The Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory provided a feasible tool for identifying opportunities for improvement in several local, cross-sector partnerships, suggesting promise for other communities seeking to enhance their collective impact on maternal and child health.
Diagnostic accuracy of cardiac testing for coronary artery disease in potential liver transplant recipients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background The incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Liver transplant (LT) patients is much higher than prior estimates and the morbidity and mortality are significant in this group of patients. Coronary angiography is the gold standard for detection of CAD, a non-invasive test that allows appropriate risk stratification would be preferred. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we sought to assess the pooled diagnostic accuracy of various noninvasive cardiac imaging tests in detecting CAD in patients listed for LT. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing sensitivity and specificity of non-invasive tests to that of coronary angiography in diagnosing coronary artery disease in patients undergoing liver transplantation. Results Five studies (616 participants) evaluated myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI); five studies (1243 participants) dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE); and three (87 participants), other tests. MPI had a pooled sensitivity of 0.62 (95% CI 0.37, 0.83), specificity of 0.60 (95% CI 0.39, 0.79), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 2.5 (95% CI 1.7, 5.64) and Area under the curve (AUC) 0.649. DSE had a pooled sensitivity of 0.25 (95%CI 0.09, 0.51), specificity of 0.68 (95% CI 0.44, 0.84) and DOR of 0.7 (95% CI 0.12, 3.84). Conclusions Our results show that both MPI and DSE are not effective screening tools for detecting CAD in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Future studies are needed to evaluate the role of real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (RTMCE) and coronary artery calcium score (CAC) with coronary CT angiography in patients with ESLD.
Assessing regularization in tomographic imaging via hallucinations in the null space

Tomographic imaging is an ill-posed linear inverse problem, and is often regularized using prior knowledge of the sought-after object property. However, typical hand-crafted priors such as sparsity-promoting penalties may be insufficient to comprehensively describe the prior knowledge of the object to-be-imaged. In order to utilize more detailed prior knowledge, data-driven methods using deep neural networks have recently been explored for learning a prior from existing image data. However, an analysis of the ability of such data-driven methods to generalize to data that may lie outside the training distribution is still under investigation. This is particularly critical for medical imaging applications. In order to address such concerns, in this work we propose to understand the effect of the prior imposed by a reconstruction method by comparing the null components of the sought-after object and its reconstructed estimate, when ground truth objects are available. The concept of a hallucination map is introduced for the purpose of assessing non-data-driven and data-driven regularization for image reconstruction. Numerical studies were conducted using stylized undersampled k-space measurements from publicly available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets. It is demonstrated that the proposed method can be employed to identify the source of false structures in estimates of the sought-after object for a given reconstruction method.
Intradialytic exercise improves left ventricular mass in hemodialysis patients.

Graham-Brown et al. report the results of a randomized controlled trial in patients on hemodialysis in which a 6-month intradialytic cycling program led to significant reduction in left ventricular mass as compared to the control group. However, there was no significant effect on physical function, physical activity or health-related quality of life.