cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of forage species on fatty acid content and performance of pasture-finished steers.

Abstract Consumers are increasingly concerned with the form and quantity of fat present in the foods they consume. This is leading to a shift in the way food is produced. In particular the animal industry is increasing the number of organic and naturally finished meat animals rather than finishing them on grains. The objective of this study was to determine if different pasture compositions (i.e. grass only or grass legume mixtures) would impact the fatty acid (FA) meat composition of beef steers ( Bos taurus L.). The pasture treatments were tall fescue [ Lollium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbysh] only, or tall fescue combined with either red clover ( Trifolium pretense L.) or alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L. ssp. sativa L.). Beef steers ( n = 9–10 per treatment) rotationally grazed each pasture treatment. Forage from treatments were different for crude protein (CP), in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) and the FA myristric (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), palmitoleic (C16:1), stearic (C18:0), oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2), and total FA. Steers grazing mixtures with either red clover (RC) or alfalfa (ALF) had greater average daily gains (ADG) than tall fescue only. Additionally, RC treatment steers had larger ribeye areas (REA) and greater finishing weights than those in the ALF treatment. However, the differences found between pasture treatments in FA concentration did not translate to any differences in the FA concentration of meat harvested from steers. Thus, it is concluded that although the pastures contained different FA concentrations, with the levels of legumes present, this does not influence the FA composition of beef.
Avoiding and Managing Temporomandibular Joint Total Joint Replacement Surgical Site Infections

Purpose Surgical site infections (SSIs) are rare complications after total joint replacement (TJR); however, should an SSI occur, the clinical and economic consequences can be significant. A Medicare 5% national sample administrative dataset was used to identify and longitudinally observe patients undergoing total knee TJR for deep infections and revision surgery. In 69,663 patients undergoing elective total knee TJR, 1,400 infections (2%) were identified. The infection incidence within 2 years of implantation was 1.55%. A recent retrospective survey of 2,476 temporomandibular joint (TMJ) alloplastic TJR cases involving 3,368 joints reported that a 1.51% SSI rate occurred over a mean of 6 months postoperatively, with a range of 2 weeks to 12 years. This article discusses approaches to avoid and minimize TMJ TJR SSIs and recommends management options should early or late SSIs occur. Materials and Methods On the basis of a review of the orthopedic SSI literature, this article will discuss TMJ TJR SSI risk, prevention, and management from a number of perspectives, including preoperative patient risk assessment, preincision antibiotic prophylaxis, anesthesia and skin preparation protocols, intraoperative surgical technique and duration of surgery, and postoperative antibiotic and follow-up regimens. Result Ways to avoid and manage potential risks for SSI in TMJ TJR cases are recommended. The diagnostic criteria and management protocols for both early- and late-occurring SSIs after TMJ TJR are recommended. Conclusions The risk of SSI after TMJ TJR can be decreased with appropriate consideration to preoperative patient risk assessment; properly timed antibiotic prophylaxis; and intraoperative, postoperative, and postdischarge attention to detail.
Tissue-based class control: the other side of tolerance.

In this Essay, the authors present a new perspective on how immune responses are regulated. They propose that the class of immune response is tailored to suit the tissue in which it is occurring rather than the invading pathogen.
Reprogramming intestinal immunity is the answer to induced pathogenic inflammation.

Intestinal inflammation is a complex immunologic process involving both cellular and soluble molecules that are produced in response to transient or permanent imbalances in the gut microbiota and/or their gene products. This inflammatory process is tightly controlled via specific checkpoints that regulate the progression or suppression of the immune response. Thus, a number of pathways utilizing a myriad of gene products are involved in the homeostasis between the intestinal epithelium, the gut microbiota and the host immune system [1]. This homeostasis is a delicate balance, and dysregulation of any aspect of host–microbe interactions in the intestinal environment can have devastating immune consequences that may lead to diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this respect, IBD is characterized by exaggerated inflammation induced by various factors, including microbial products [2–5] that influence the differentiation of infiltrating pathogenic CD4 T cells that are the driving force behind intestinal tissue destruction [6–8]. These CD4 T cells are induced by proinflammatory cytokines produced by cells of the intestinal innate immune system, including highly activated intestinal dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages or mast cells. All of these innate cells can be involved in serious acute or systemic inf lammatory processes wherein i ntestinal d isease will be imprinted. Emerging data from well-designed studies are beginning to shed light on the causes of gastrointestinal disease, including IBD, in an attempt to determine the etiologies and epidemiologies of these pathologic processes. To this end, studies are underway to address the f ollowing questions:  What are the immunologic mechanisms that modify intestinal homeostasis and the interactions between microbes and host immune cells [9]?
Ultrapotent topical corticosteroid treatment of hemangiomas of infancy

Background Superficial cutaneous hemangiomas of infancy represent a therapeutic challenge. Two small case series using ultrapotent topical corticosteroids for periocular hemangiomas were reported in the ophthalmologic literature. The use of this therapy for hemangiomas of infancy at other sites on the body has not been reported. Objective We sought to assess the clinical effects of short-term application of ultrapotent topical corticosteroids for the treatment of hemangiomas of infancy. Methods The records of 34 infants with proliferating hemangiomas of infancy that were treated with ultrapotent topical steroids were reviewed retrospectively. Treatment response was based on: (1) cessation of growth; (2) shrinkage or flattening of the lesion; and (3) lightening of the surface color. Lesions demonstrating responses of two of the three criteria were judged to have good response; one criterion, partial response; and no improvement, no response. Results Of the patients, 35% demonstrated good response, 38% partial response, and 27% no response. Conclusions Hemangiomas in 74% of the infants demonstrated either good or partial response to treatment with ultrapotent topical corticosteroids. Of the responders, the majority reported cessation of growth before what would have been expected for their age. Improvement varied, with thinner superficial hemangiomas demonstrating better cosmetic improvement than thicker lesions.
Relationship of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentrations in Oral Fluid and Plasma after Controlled Administration of Smoked Cannabis

Understanding the relationship of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations in oral fluid and plasma is important in interpretation of oral fluid test results. Current evidence suggests that THC is deposited in the oral cavity during cannabis smoking. This "depot" represents the primary or sole source of THC found when oral fluid is collected and analyzed. In this research, oral fluid and plasma specimens were collected from six subjects following smoking of cannabis cigarettes containing 1.75% and 3.55% THC. There was at least one week between each cannabis administration. Plasma specimens were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and paired oral fluid specimens were analyzed by radioimmunoassay (RIA). In addition, one individual's oral fluid specimens were also analyzed by GC-MS. These data are unique in that they represent simultaneous or near simultaneous collection of oral fluid and plasma specimens in subjects following controlled cannabis dosing. The first oral fluid specimen, collected from one subject at 0.2 h following initiation of smoking, contained a THC concentration of 5800 ng/mL (GC-MS). By 0.33 h, the THC concentration in oral fluid had fallen to 81 ng/mL. From approximately 0.3 h through 4.0 h, the mean (+/- SD) THC ratio of oral fluid to plasma THC concentrations was 1.18 (0.62) with a range of 0.5 to 2.2. Within 12 h, both oral fluid and plasma THC concentrations generally declined below 1 ng/mL. RIA analyses of oral fluid specimens for six subjects demonstrated the same pattern of initial high levels of contamination immediately after smoking, followed by rapid clearing, and a slower decline over 12 h. Mean THC oral fluid concentrations by RIA at 0.2 h were 864 ng/mL and 4167 ng/mL compared to plasma concentrations of 52 ng/mL and 230 ng/mL at 0.27 h following the low- and high-dose cannabis cigarettes, respectively. The similarity in oral fluid and plasma THC concentrations following the dissipation of the initial "contamination" indicates the likelihood of a physiological link between these specimens. Recent studies have shown that sublingual or transmucosal administration of pure THC results in direct absorption of intact THC into the bloodstream, thereby bypassing the gastrointestinal tract. The current study demonstrates that THC is deposited in the oral cavity and remains for up to 24 h following cannabis smoking. The decline in THC oral fluid concentration over this time suggests that there may be absorption of THC into blood as previously shown with pure THC. Passive cannabis exposure studies appear to indicate that positive oral fluid tests for THC can occur shortly after cannabis smoke exposure, but results were negative within 1 h. Consequently, when very recent passive exposure to cannabis smoke can be ruled out, it is concluded that a positive oral fluid test provides credible evidence of active cannabis use.
Development of materials and composites for >25 MHz single element transducers

Miniature hollow spheres with diameters of 1 to 6 mm and wall thicknesses of 20 to 120 /spl mu/m have been fabricated in the lead titanate (PT) family of piezoceramics for use as pre-focused transducers. Spheres are produced using a new sacrificial core technique that produces 100s of spheres with a more uniform wall thickness than previously reported. Shells produced from these spheres were found to have a wall thickness variation of 10% or more. Despite this variation, bulk properties were estimated from capacitance and impedance data. Shells tested in this work had free dielectric constants near 280 with loss <2% and d/sub 33/ values of 68 pC/N. Coupling coefficients averaged 50% with mechanical quality factors of <15. The operating frequency range for composites having 1-3 connectivity has also been expanded into the 15-70 MHz range using fine scale piezoceramic fibers. Composites were fabricated with volume fractions from 10 to 45% with diameters up to 4.5 mm. Also, the composite dielectric constants could be tailored through volume fraction or fiber composition. The thickness dependence of the properties gave indications to radial mode/thickness mode interactions at pillar aspect ratios near 1.7 to 1 thickness to diameter. Coupling coefficients (k/sub t/) of /spl ges/58% with mechanical quality factors <15 were reported and transducers showed bandwidths up to 89% with insertion losses as low as 22 dB.
Tensorlines: advection-diffusion based propagation through diffusion tensor fields

Tracking linear features through tensor field datasets is an open research problem with widespread utility in medical and engineering disciplines. Existing tracking methods, which consider only the preferred local diffusion direction as they propagate, fail to accurately follow features as they enter regions of local complexity. This shortcoming is a result of partial voluming; that is, voxels in these regions often contain contributions from multiple features. These combined contributions result in ambiguities when deciding local primary feature orientation based solely on the preferred diffusion direction. In this paper, we introduce a novel feature extraction method, which we term tensorline propagation. Our method resolves the above ambiguity by incorporating information about the nearby orientation of the feature, as well as the anisotropic classification of the local tensor. The nearby orientation information is added in the spirit of an advection term in a standard diffusion-based propagation technique, and has the effect of stabilizing the tracking. To demonstrate the efficacy of tensorlines, we apply this method to the neuroscience problem of tracking white-matter bundles within the brain.
Resistance and Identity Politics in an Age of Globalization

This article questions the widely held view that indigenous movements in Latin America during the last decades of the twentieth century were caused by globalization. The author reviews several bodies of literature and concludes that, although globalization may be a fit descriptor for some of the actions and narratives of indigenous movements, it cannot be understood as a causal determinant. Many indigenous movements emerged long before the neoliberal current started, others coincide with it, and yet others lag significantly. The author proposes an alternative framework that gives primary significance to state–society relations. Contrary to the idea that national states may have lost prominence in the age of globalization I contend the opposite, suggesting also that indigenous movements have emerged where there are (1) challenges to preexisting corporate identities, (2) transcommunity networks to provide the resources for mobilization, and (3) associational spaces to facilitate collective expression.
An Introduction to Bayesian Inference via Variational Approximations

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods have facilitated an explosion of interest in Bayesian methods. MCMC is an incredibly useful and important tool but can face difficulties when used to estimate complex posteriors or models applied to large data sets. In this paper, we show how a recently developed tool in computer science for fitting Bayesian models, variational approximations, can be used to facilitate the application of Bayesian models to political science data. Variational approximations are often much faster than MCMC for fully Bayesian inference and in some instances facilitate the estimation of models that would be otherwise impossible to estimate. As a deterministic posterior approximation method, variational approximations are guaranteed to converge and convergence is easily assessed. But variational approximations do have some limitations, which we detail below. Therefore, variational approximations are best suited to problems when fully Bayesian inference would otherwise be impossible. Through a series of examples, we demonstrate how variational approximations are useful for a variety of political science research. This includes models to describe legislative voting blocs and statistical models for political texts. The code that implements the models in this paper is available in the supplementary material.
Malignant teratoma of the thyroid: Review of literature and report of a case

(Editoria] Comment: This review is essential reading for any clinician faced with an unusual fibroid neoplasm.) Teratomas comprise the most common extragonadal germ cell tumors in childhood. 1 The head and neck accounts for 5% of all benign and malignant germ cell tumors and for 6% of all teratomas, 1 where the most common sites of involvement are the soft tissues of the neck, thyroid, superficial facial structures (most commonly, infratemporal fossa and zygoma), oral cavity, nasopharynx, and orbit. 2 Most teratomas involving the thyroid are benign and occur in children. 3 Malignant teratomas of the thyroid are rare, and only 19 cases have been reported in the literature (Table 1). 4-20 Given its rarity, no certain treatment modality has been established for this tumor. We report the case of a patient with malignant teratoma of the thyroid and describe a previously unreported treatment method. CASE REPORT
A randomized pilot study of improving foot care in home health patients with diabetes.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve patients' foot care knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-care practices. METHODS A prospective, randomized, single center, 2-group design was used with a convenience sample of 40 home care patients from a Medicare-certified home health agency. Baseline measures of foot care knowledge, self-efficacy, and reported self-care practices were obtained at study entry and 6 weeks later to control for foot care interventions provided during routine home care services. After obtaining the 6-week baseline measures, patients who were randomized to the intervention group received individualized education about proper foot care. All patients were interviewed a third time 3 months after study entry to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. RESULTS The educational intervention improved patients' knowledge, confidence, and reported foot care behaviors. CONCLUSIONS A brief, individualized educational intervention about standard foot care topics improved patients' foot care knowledge and self-efficacy as well as reported self-care practices. Incorporating such interventions into routine home care services may enhance the quality of care and decrease the incidence of lower-extremity complications.
A simple theoretical model for predicting the effects of benzannelation and bismethylenation on the rates of four-membered ring-opening reactions

Abstract A model based on simple Huckel MO theory is applied to the ring-openings of several cyclobutene derivatives and their benzo- and bis-methylene-analogs. The calculated changes in activation enthalpy upon benzannelation and bismethylenation are found to be in qualitative accord with experimental results. Application of the model to Dewar benzene and bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-2,4,7-triene ring-opening is discussed.
HABITAT PROTECTION, ECOLOGICAL ISSUES, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES ACT

Fishery scientists and managers and the general public are becoming increasingly aware of, and concerned about, the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of habitat change on commercial and recreational fisheries, and the effects of these fisheries in an ecosystem context. This set of concerns is coupled with declines in some fish stocks due to mismanagement, such as overfishing, failure to account for bycatch, or gear damage to habitats, and/or changing environmental conditions. At the same time, there are examples of management decisions and habitat restoration efforts that have led to the recovery of depleted stocks and habitats. All of this is happening in the context of new concerns about marine biodiversity, marine reserves, and application of the Endangered Species Act to marine species (e.g., salmonids with extensive riverine, and ocean habitat needs). The Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA), passed by Congress in September 1996, and signed by President Clinton 11 October 1996, is a wake-up call th...
Metal–Oxide Interactions on Copper‐Segregated and Copper‐Deposited TiO2 Rutile (001) Surfaces

Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy are used to study local electronic variations across a surface containing one monolayer of copper on TiO2 rutile (001). The interactions that occur at the metal–oxide interface when the sources of the copper are segregation from the bulk and ultra-high-vacuum deposition are compared by characterizing the associated surface morphologies and electronic properties. The morphologies of these surfaces are similar in that the copper forms clusters; they are dissimilar in that copper features exist on two size scales on the segregated surface, whereas the deposited copper clusters are uniform in size and are aggregated. The electronic properties of the two surfaces also are found to differ: the copper-segregated surface is insulating, whereas the copper-deposited surface is conductive. The electronic properties are discussed in terms of the effects of surface-charge and ionic-charge concentration gradients.
Pyrimidine synthetic enzymes of the rat testis and epididymis following unilateral vasectomy.

The de novo pyrimidine synthetic enzyme, aspartate carbamyltransferase, and the two pyrimidine salvage enzymes, uridine and thymidine kinases, of the rat testis and epididymis were measured 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 wk following unilateral vasectomy. Vasectomy had no effect on organ wet weights and on testicular and epididymal aspartate carbamyltransferase and thymidine kinase activities. Increases in the uridine kinase activity of the caput epididymidis at 2 wk and of the cauda epididymidis from the second to the sixth weeks were the only significant enzymatic changes observed.
A Cognitive Model Of Trust In E-Commerce: Evidence From A Field Study In China

Trust formation in the virtual environment is a complex process and is influenced by a plethora of factors. This paper proposes a cognitive model of trust in e-commerce based on consumer research and the trust literature. It argues that perceived informativeness, perceived entertainment, and perceived irritation of online shopping, coupled with trust propensity, contribute to a customer’s general trust in e-commerce and intention to use e-commerce. This model is tested in a field study in China via a survey instrument. Path analysis of data collected shows that all proposed relationships in the model are supported in the hypothesized directions. Results demonstrate that online marketers and Web system designers alike should pay keen attention to elements that may influence an Internet shopper’s cognitive perceptions in order to nurture consumers’ trust in e-commerce and realize the full potentials of doing business online.
Creating consistent datasets by combining remotely-sensed data and land surface model estimates through Bayesian uncertainty post-processing: The case of Land Surface Temperature from HIRS

Abstract Satellite remote sensing allows many hydrological variables to be retrieved at regional and global scales, and these retrievals can contribute to our knowledge of these quantities and their spatial and temporal variation. However, the availability and precision of measurements from remote sensing are still limited. Other important sources of information are represented by reanalysis products and simulations from land surface models (LSMs), which are continuously improving their ability to reproduce the terrestrial hydrological and energy cycles. Such global datasets are very informative and they can be used to integrate the data provided by remote sensing. Among these datasets, the NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) provides many hydrological variables covering the period from 1979 to 2011 with hourly temporal resolution and ~ 0.3-degree spatial resolution. This paper addresses the frequent challenge arising from remote sensing data: how can we create a long-term, global dataset starting with remote sensing data that are sparse in space and time, and provided by sensors flown on different satellites? This was the challenge for creating a long-term Land Surface Temperature (LST) dataset at an hourly resolution based on the High-Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS). To this end, a methodology is presented that merges the continuous CFSR LST estimates with the HIRS retrievals that come from 11 different NOAA satellites. The goals of the analysis are to have a long-term LST dataset consistent with the HIRS retrievals, and to assess the uncertainty associated with the reconstructed data through a Bayesian uncertainty post-processing methodology. The result of this approach is a temporally and spatially continuous dataset, with no step changes associated to the different NOAA satellites, and a dataset described in terms of a probability distribution function whose expected value is unbiased with respect to the original HIRS LST retrievals.
Seckel Syndrome with Holoprosencephaly

A case of Seckel syndrome (SS) accompanied by semilobar holoprosencephaly and arthrogryposis is reported from Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
Understanding State Spending on the Arts, 1976–99:

citizens and politicians to influence discretionary policy. At the federal level, arts policy appears to reflect the agendas of po litical elites rather than public demands, as illustrated by the evolution of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Funding for the program, which was founded by the Democrats in 1965 largely as a tribute to Pr?s. John F. Kennedy, increased during the first 15 years of its existence at a much more rapid rate than did the federal budget. Republicans stopped expanding the NEAs budget in the 1980s and cut it in half after gaining control of Congress in 1994. These drastic political measures did not correspond with the inten sity of public sentiment toward the arts, how ever. The only major public outcry over the NEA?the 1989-90 controversy over whether it was funding indecent, blasphemous art? had minimal immediate impact on its budget (DiMaggio and Pettit 1999; Lewis 2006). Patterns in less frequently examined state arts spending tell a somewhat different story. State arts agencies jointly spend substantially more than the NEA (Schuster 2002). In 2006, for instance, states appropriated $327.5 mil lion for the arts?more than double the NEA
Protein kinase C stimulates the small-conductance K+ channel in the basolateral membrane of the CCD

We have used the patch-clamp technique to study the regulation of the activity of the basolateral small-conductance K+ channel (SK) in the cortical collecting duct (CCD) of the rat kidney. Addition of 50-75 nM calphostin C, an agent which specifically inhibits protein kinase C (PKC), reduced channel activity by 90% in cell-attached patches. In contrast, addition of 1 microM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, a stimulator of PKC, led to addition of “new” K+ channel currents in 9 of 20 patches in the basolateral membrane of the CCD, and the mean increase in NP0, a product of channel number (N) and open probability (Pzero), was 0.90 in these 9 patches. However, application of 1 nM exogenous PKC had no significant effect on channel activity in inside-out patches, suggesting that the PKC effect on the activity of the SK observed in cell-attached patches was not a result of a membrane-delimited action, such as a direct phosphorylation of the SK or closely associated proteins. The effect of calphostin C on the SK ...
Abstract B15: The homeobox patterning gene DLX4 confers resistance to transforming growth factor-β signaling in tumors

Rationale: Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) inhibits cell proliferation and also induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The antiproliferative effect of TGF-β is orchestrated by a cytostatic program of gene responses that induce G 1 arrest and are controlled by Smad-dependent mechanisms, whereas TGF-β induces EMT by both Smad and non-Smad mechanisms. In contrast to normal cells, many tumors are resistant to the antiproliferative effect of TGF-β. This resistance has been attributed to TGF-β receptor or Smad mutations in several types of tumors, particularly those of gastrointestinal origin. However, the rareness of these mutations in many other tumors (e.g., prostate, lung cancers) indicates that resistance to TGF-β also stems from other aberrations. The transcription factor encoded by the homeobox gene DLX4 is aberrantly expressed in a wide range of malignancies. Increasing evidence indicates that crosstalk between members of the TGF super-family and DLX genes is important for controlling normal embryonic patterning. The objective of this study is to determine whether and how DLX4 modulates the TGF-β signaling pathway in tumors. Experimental procedure: The effect of DLX4 on TGF-β-mediated growth inhibition and EMT was investigated by cell cycle and morphological analyses in different types of nontumorigenic and malignant epithelial cells. Molecular mechanisms of DLX4 in modulating TGF-β signaling were determined by protein and chromatin immunoprecipitation and analysis of transcriptional activity of TGF-β target genes. Results: Our studies demonstrate that DLX4 blocks the antiproliferative effect of TGF-β by disabling key transcriptional control mechanisms of the TGF-β cytostatic program. In particular, DLX4 blocked the ability of TGF-β to induce p15 Ink4B and p21 WAF1/Cip1 transcription by directly interacting with Smad4 and Sp1. Binding of DLX4 to Smad4 prevented Smad4 from forming transcriptional complexes with Smad2 and Smad3, whereas binding of DLX4 to Sp1 inhibited DNA-binding activity of Sp1. DLX4 also induced expression of c-myc, a repressor of p15 Ink4B and p21 WAF1/Cip1 transcription. On the other hand, DLX4 enabled epithelial cells to retain epithelial morphology and partially prevented TGF-β-mediated downregulation of E-cadherin and induction of N-cadherin. Conclusion: Our studies demonstrate that DLX4 blocks the antiproliferative effect of TGF-β and partially inhibits TGF-β-mediated EMT. The ability of DLX4 to counteract key transcriptional control mechanisms of the TGF-β cytostatic program could explain in part the resistance of tumors to the anti-proliferative effect of TGF-β in the absence of mutations in core components of the TGF-β signaling pathway. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; 2011 Sep 14-18; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(18 Suppl):Abstract nr B15.
Optical characterization of pericellular mechanical heterogeneity

While there is strong evidence for roles of bulk tissue stiffness in cell regulation, roles for the pericellular mechanical microenvironment are less clear. We use optical microrheology to study these roles in 3D tissue culture.
Predictive Validity and Sensitivity to Change of the Neurological Outcome Scale for Traumatic Brain Injury (S49.002)

Objective: The Neurological Outcome Scale for Traumatic Brain Injury (NOS-TBI) is a measure designed to assess neurological functioning in traumatic brain injury (TBI) across the spectrum of recovery. We hypothesized the NOS-TBI would demonstrate predictive validity and be more sensitive to change than other well-established measures. Background Clinical trials in TBI frequently rely on a single global outcome measure. Available tools do not provide an assessment of neurological functioning, per se. We recently developed a measure of neurological functioning in TBI, the NOS-TBI. While the NOS-TBI has been validated in patients with TBI undergoing rehabilitation up to 18 months post-injury, its performance in TBI-related clinical trials and its sensitivity to change over time are unknown. Design/Methods: We analyzed data from the National Acute Brain Injury Study: Hypothermia-II (NABIS:H-II) clinical trial. Patients were 16-45 years with severe TBI, assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months post-injury. A subset was assessed at 1 month. For analysis of criterion-related validity, Spearman correlations were performed comparing the NOS-TBI to Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), GOS-Extended (GOS-E), Disability Rating Scale (DRS), and Marshall CT classification. Sensitivity to change was analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test. Results: Significant correlation was observed between the NOS-TBI and the GOS, GOS-E, DRS, and NRS-R total scores, demonstrating the concurrent validity of these tools. The GCS, Marshall CT classification, and lesion volume demonstrated overall limited ability to predict outcome at 3, 6, and 12 months post-injury. In contrast, the NOS-TBI total score at both 1 and 3-months post-injury demonstrated a significant ability to predict outcome at 3, 6, and 12 months post-injury. Trial subjects whose recovery appeared to have stabilized based on GOS and GOS-E scores, demonstrated significant changes in their level of neurologic recovery using the NOS-TBI. Conclusions: The NOS-TBI demonstrated significantly better outcome prediction and sensitivity to change compared with well-established outcome measures. Supported by: In part by grant NS 43353 from the NIH/NINDS, Guy L. Clifton, Principal Investigator. Disclosure: Dr. Moretti has nothing to disclose. Dr. McCauley has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wilde has nothing to disclose. Dr. Levin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Clifton has nothing to disclose.
Pre-Service Teachers Are Competent in Phonological Processing Skills: How to Teach the Science of Reading.

Approximately 20% of students experience reading failure each year. One of the difficulties associated with this large percentage is that it has been documented that pre-service teachers may not be receiving the most appropriate training regarding reading acquisition. The present study sought to determine if pre-service teachers were proficient in phonological processing skills and thus capable of learning concepts for which these skills are prerequisite. One-hundred sixty-four participants (85 pre-service teachers and 79 non-education majors) were administered the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP). The results indicated that pre-service teachers’ phonological processing skills were sufficiently developed and not significantly different from non-education majors or from the CTOPP's normative sample. These students have the ability to learn the concepts related to the science of reading. Components of an appropriate curriculum for pre-service teachers such that they can acquire this kno...
Considerations in the management of hypoxemic respiratory failure and persistent pulmonary hypertension in term and late preterm neonates

Considerations in the management of hypoxemic respiratory failure and persistent pulmonary hypertension in term and late preterm neonates
Review of Strategies and Technologies for Demand-Side Management on Isolated Mini-Grids

Review of Strategies and Technologies for Demand-Side Management on Isolated Mini-Grids Meg Harper March 2013 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Schatz Energy Research Center
Immunobiology and Neuroscience of Xenotransplantation in Neurological Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of neural xenotransplantation—transplantation of fetal neuroblasts derived from homologous neural structures of a different (mammalian) species into the adult brain. Although evidence is accumulating in favor of the therapeutic potential of allogeneic neural transplantation in Parkinson's (and Huntington's) disease, the limited availability of human fetal neural tissue may pose serious limitations on clinical application of this potential treatment modality. The most optimal clinical situation would be a treatment that would make the graft acceptable and nonrejectable, currently all the studies suggest that it is only with cyclosporine and combinations of systemic immune suppression by which sufficient immunosuppressive effects are achieved. Moreover, the xenografts are rejected upon withdrawal of the immunosuppression. The current need for systemic cyclosporine (CsA) immunosuppression for extended xenotransplant survival highlights the need for more research into alternative immunological strategies to prevent neural transplant rejection. The single greatest risk factor for the patients in neural cell xenotransplantation is a rejection of the implanted cells. The second major risk factor is side effects from immunosuppressive treatments, such as cyclosporine.
Materials science: Silk and sequence

What determines the structure of silk fibres? This question is of particular interest in the quest to make synthetic silk. It has usually been assumed that the amino acid sequence of the silk protein determines the fibre's crystalline structure; but by using natural silk proteins and drawing them into fibres artificially, new experiments hint that processing may be more important than sequence.
Modeling eye movement patterns to characterize perceptual skill in image-based diagnostic reasoning processes

Experts have a remarkable capability of locating, perceptually organizing, identifying, and categorizing objects in images specific to their domains of expertise. In this article, we present a hierarchical probabilistic framework to discover the stereotypical and idiosyncratic viewing behaviors exhibited with expertise-specific groups. Through these patterned eye movement behaviors we are able to elicit the domain-specific knowledge and perceptual skills from the subjects whose eye movements are recorded during diagnostic reasoning processes on medical images. Analyzing experts' eye movement patterns provides us insight into cognitive strategies exploited to solve complex perceptual reasoning tasks. An experiment was conducted to collect both eye movement and verbal narrative data from three groups of subjects with different levels or no medical training (eleven board-certified dermatologists, four dermatologists in training and thirteen undergraduates) while they were examining and describing 50 photographic dermatological images. We use a hidden Markov model to describe each subject's eye movement sequence combined with hierarchical stochastic processes to capture and differentiate the discovered eye movement patterns shared by multiple subjects within and among the three groups. Independent experts' annotations of diagnostic conceptual units of thought in the transcribed verbal narratives are time-aligned with discovered eye movement patterns to help interpret the patterns' meanings. By mapping eye movement patterns to thought units, we uncover the relationships between visual and linguistic elements of their reasoning and perceptual processes, and show the manner in which these subjects varied their behaviors while parsing the images. We also show that inferred eye movement patterns characterize groups of similar temporal and spatial properties, and specify a subset of distinctive eye movement patterns which are commonly exhibited across multiple images. Based on the combinations of the occurrences of these eye movement patterns, we are able to categorize the images from the perspective of experts' viewing strategies in a novel way. In each category, images share similar lesion distributions and configurations. Our results show that modeling with multi-modal data, representative of physicians' diagnostic viewing behaviors and thought processes, is feasible and informative to gain insights into physicians' cognitive strategies, as well as medical image understanding.
Dynamical Theory of Electron Diffraction for Perfect Crystals

In this chapter, we outline the dynamical theory of high-energy transmission electron diffraction. There have been three major, and related, approaches to the subject; each was developed for specific applications.
To change China

Julian Gewirtz’ study of the role of Western economists in China’s post-Mao economic reforms stands, in a unique way, as a marker of the historiographic shifts in how Western scholarship has addres...
Peculiarities of alkyl-modification of ordered mesoporous materials: A single-step treatment of uncalcined MCM-41 involving template removal and surface functionalization

Abstract The purpose of this work was to explore a new procedure of ligand grafting on the surface of ordered mesoporous silicas such as MCM-41 synthesized via templating procedure. This procedure allows to synthesize ordered mesoporous silicas of hydrophobic properties via one-step treatment of uncalcined MCM-41 samples with trialkylchlorosilanes. This treatment causes a simultaneous removal of the surfactant template from mesopores and attachment of trialkylsilyl groups. In the current work a series of samples modified via one-step procedure was compared with those prepared via conventional modification. Trimethylsilyl and octyldimethylsilyl ligands were attached to the surface of mesopores by reaction with monochloroalkylsilanes of the general formula ClSiMe2R. The attachment of alkyl groups to the silica surface, the structure of the bonded layer and changes in the mesopore volume of materials upon their functionalization were studied by means of elemental analysis, high resolution thermogravimetry, nitrogen adsorption, 13C and 29Si solid-state NMR. The one-step procedure shows some advantages, e.g., higher surface coverage and better ordering of bonded ligands, in comparison to the conventional modification, especially when longer alkylsilanes are used.
Reflections on Our Collaboration in Industry Studies

Adams and Brock credit their success to “congruence of values … cemented by personal compatibility and congeniality.” They stay away from large projects and abstract theories. On regulatory matters, they look at functional aspects of firms, industries, and markets. They source problems involving power to the domain of political economy. They emphasize values over value-free methodology. Adams and Brock share a taste for the absurd and adore the Socratic dialog approach in teaching.
Detecting Error, Learning from Our Mistakes, and the Appellate Asymmetry

This paper investigates the epistemic obstacles posed by a legal system that prevents reversal of acquittals. Because such prevention disincentivizes appeals of non-guilty verdicts by prosecutors, false acquittals are virtually impossible to identify. Apart from entailing that such errors cannot be corrected (since they are not detected), this policy has a more egregious consequence; to wit, that appellate courts have little or no opportunity to learn what kinds of flaws lead to false acquittals. Without such knowledge, the courts are in no position to make or to recommend the sorts of changes that would otherwise allow the system to reform itself by learning from its mistakes. Finally, the appellate asymmetry arguably creates a situation in which rulings from lower court judges are much more likely to favor the defendant than the prosecution. All these problems could be resolved if double jeopardy protection were seriously rethought.
Training Patient Navigators for a Reformed Health System

While PN initially began in the cancer arena, the concept has spread to numerous chronic conditions such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma/COPD, and mental health [1, 2, 3, 4]. Patient navigation is also used in primary care to improve access and care coordination in patient-centered medical homes [5], and The Affordable Care Act calls for PN in the future reformed healthcare system [6].
WOMAC Pain Scores at the Time of ACL Injury are Associated with Concentrations of Serum and Urine Biomarkers of Type 2 Collagen Degradation at the Time of ACL Reconstruction.

Objectives:Individuals sustaining anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are at increased risk for post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Methods to discern early physiologic changes associated with PTOA are lacking. Surrogate measures of OA that may include soluble biomarkers of cartilage metabolism and pain measures have been correlated with early OA development as well. It was the objective of this study to determine whether serum biomarkers related to Type II collagen metabolism are associated with pain measures at an early time point after ACL injury.Methods:Cadets at a U.S. Service Academy who sustained primary ACL injuries were enrolled in a prospective cohort study to evaluate the relationship of WOMAC Pain Scores with serum and urine levels of C2C. C2C is an epitope of Type II collagen produced by the breakdown of the Type II collagen fibrils in articular cartilage. Questionnaires assessing the WOMAC score were completed at the time of injury with serum and urine samples obtained at the time of...
The Shape of Vesicle-Containing Organelles Is Critical for Their Functions in Vesicle Endocytosis.

Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by a variety of cell types under physiological and pathological conditions. When Saccharomyces cerevisiae are grown in low glucose, small vesicles carrying more than 300 proteins with diverse biological functions are secreted. Upon glucose addition, secreted vesicles are endocytosed that requires cup-shaped organelles containing the major eisosome protein Pil1p at the rims. We aim to identify genes that regulate the function of cup-shaped organelles in vesicle endocytosis. In cells lacking either VID27 or VID21, Pil1p distribution was altered and cup-shaped organelles became elongated with narrower openings. Change in shape reduced the number of vesicles in the deeper areas and impaired vesicle endocytosis. Vid21p and Vid27p were localized to vesicle clusters and interacted with other Vid proteins. In the absence of these genes, these vesicles failed to aggregate and were secreted. Vid21p and Vid27p are required for the aggregation and retention of vesicles that contai...
Alginate Application for Heart and Cardiovascular Diseases

Alginate biomaterial has been extensively investigated and used for many biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility, low toxicity, relatively low cost, and ease of use. Its use toward cardiovascular application is no exception. Alginate is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for various medical applications, such as a thickening, gel forming, and as a stabilizing agent for dental impression materials, wound dressings, and more. In this chapter, we describe the versatile biomedical applications of alginate, from its use as supporting extracellular matrices (ECM) in patients after acute myocardial infarction (MI), to its employment as a vehicle for stem cell delivery, to controlled delivery of multiple combinations of bioactive molecules. We also cover the application of alginate in creating solutions for treatment of other cardiovascular diseases by capitalizing on the natural properties of alginate to improve creation of heart valves, blood vessels, and drug and stem cell delivery vehicles.
The Missing Mass Extinction at the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary

The Late Triassic was a prolonged episode characterized by high rates of biotic turnover and discrete extinction events due to elevated extinction rates for some biotic groups and low origination rates for many. An end-Triassic mass extinction continues to be cited as one of the “big five” mass extinctions of the Phanerozoic. However, a detailed examination of the fossil record, especially by best-sections analysis, indicates that many of the groups usually claimed to have suffered catastrophic extinction at the end of the Triassic, such as ammonoids, marine bivalves, conodonts and tetrapod vertebrates, experienced multiple extinctions throughout the Late Triassic, not a single mass extinction at the end of the Period. Many other groups were relatively unaffected, whereas some other groups, such as reef communities, were subject to only regional effects. Indeed, the lack of evidence of a collapse of trophic networks in the sea and on land makes the case for an end-Triassic mass extinction untenable. Still, marked evolutionary turnover of radiolarians and ammonoids did occur across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. The end of the Triassic encompassed temporary disruptions of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems, driven by the environmental effects of the eruption of the flood basalts of the Circum-Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), through outgassing in particular, but these disruptions did not produce a global mass extinction.