cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioluminescence Imaging of Cancer Therapy

Monitoring cancer therapy to predict clinical outcome of therapeutic response to a given therapy is imperative for pharmaceutical companies in developing new drugs and for evaluating novel combination therapies for treating various cancers. An imaging biomarker that could provide an accurate early quantitative metric of clinical treatment response in cancer patients would represent a paradigm shift in clinical cancer care. Currently various nonimaging-based clinical metrics such as tumor morphology, tumor volume, and histological grades have been used to obtain relatively limited information at very late stage following treatment. To cover this gap, several imaging modalities are under development for imaging biomarkers based on chemical ligands, peptides, and antibodies specifically targeting vascular biology, hypoxic status, and apoptosis of tumors preclinically and clinically. This chapter provides a concise review of optical bioluminescence imaging in the preclinical therapeutic evaluation of tumors in response to various mono- and combination therapies, and how these preclinical imaging strategies can accelerate drug development and evaluation of tumor response to cancer therapy.
Computational Modeling of Total Temperature Probes

A sensor for high-temperature applications is the thermocouple; however, this probe is characterized by errors due to convection, conduction, and radiation heat transfer to/from the sensing element...
The Sound of Silence: How Much Noise Should We Make About Postablation Silent Strokes?

Article, see p 867 Catheter ablation has become an essential therapeutic option for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias. For premature ventricular complex (PVC)/ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation in structurally normal hearts, recently reported success rates are as high as 80% for right ventricular outflow tract ablation, and 60% to 100% for left-sided ablation.1 Procedural safety and efficacy have improved with better understanding of surface ECG predictors of PVC origin location, refined electroanatomic mapping techniques, evermore precise electroanatomic activation maps to localize PVC origins, automated techniques to quantify the fidelity of pace-mapping surface QRS morphologies, improved ablation technology, and intracardiac ultrasound.1 Although these advancements might lead us to believe we have entered a golden age for interventional electrophysiology, we as electrophysiologists and cardiologists need to continue our vigilance for serious complications arising from these invasive procedures. In this issue of Circulation, Whitman et al2 evaluate the incidence of subclinical brain emboli in a small series of patients with structurally normal hearts undergoing endocardial catheter ablation for PVCs and VT. Electrophysiologists frequently map and ablate in the left ventricular (LV) endocardial and aortic root spaces,1,3,4 with an assumption that, with proper intravenous systemic anticoagulation, the risk of systemic embolization phenomenon is acceptably low. In addition, with transseptal procedures, the risk of air or thrombus entry to the systemic circulation via the transseptal sheath is minimized through continuous saline flush through the long sheaths, or by retracting the sheath back to the right atrium. More recently, with the near-universal adoption of open-irrigated catheters, it is assumed that the risks of catheter char, coagulum, or thrombus are mitigated, although there are few clinical data to support this claim. It turns out that we know very little about whether any of these measures are truly effective in minimizing …
The Molecular Revolution in Cutaneous Biology: Investigating the Skin Microbiome

Building upon the knowledge garnered from investigations utilizing traditional culturing methods, advances in sequencing technologies have catalyzed a revolution in studying human-associated microbes: bacteria, fungi and viruses. Skin microbiome research in healthy individuals and patients with dermatologic disorders has provided insights into the complexity and biogeography of human skin microbes. The continual developments in sequencing and analyses will provide increasingly sophisticated tools to interrogate human-associated microbes, ultimately to improve our understanding of health and disease.
Nonparametric Statistical Tests for Radioactive Source Detection

Abstract This work describes a study carried out to assess the feasibility of using radiation sensors for real-time detection of radioactive sources within a facility. The source detection problem is formulated as a nonparametric hypothesis test using statistics computed from the radiation sensor signals. The purpose of this study is the development of tools that enhance the security and safety of nuclear material processing facilities by introducing new sensor modalities and developing remote monitoring capabilities. The results indicate that a source can be detected quite well using non parametric statistical tests in spite of poor signal to noise ratios, unknown background signals, and high measurement noise levels.
Initial Clinical Experience With Testosterone Undecanoate Therapy (AVEED) in Men With Testosterone Deficiency in the United States.

Objective To report our initial experiences with testosterone undecanoate (TU 750) mg (AVEED) in men with testosterone deficiency. Methods All patients receiving TU 750 mg at our center between July 1, 2014, and August 1, 2016, were identified. Clinical response was assessed through structured interviews and laboratory evaluations. Adverse events were documented, including increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA), increase in hematocrit (Hct), and the development of postinjection cough. Results More than 2 injections were received by 147 men, with mean age 63.2 years. Mean baseline total testosterone (T) and free T were 305 ng/dL and 0.69 ng/dL, respectively. Nadir mean results during treatment were higher for total and free T, at 413.2 ng/dL and 0.81 ng/dL, respectively ( P Conclusion This initial clinical experience with TU 750 mg provides evidence for good patient satisfaction and persistence with treatment, together with a favorable safety profile. Optimal dosing may be less than 10 weeks for some individuals.
Relative energies of grain boundaries in silicon iron

Relative grain boundary energies in silicon-iron crystals are determined for differences in crystal orientation (1) in the range 0 to 20° for a (110) series having grains with a common axis and (2) in the range 0 to 45° for a (100) series having grains with a common axis. Micrographic data to show movement and configurations of boundaries are given.
Breastfeeding, Parenting, and Infant Attachment Behaviors.

Objectives Infants and toddlers need secure attachments in order to develop the social competence required to successfully navigate later peer and adult relationships. Breastfeeding is a parenting factor that has been associated with child emotional development—specifically the attachment between children and their mothers. Yet, this link may simply be the result of other parenting behaviors that are associated with breastfeeding. Thus, our objective is to examine whether the link between infant attachment behaviors and breastfeeding endures when accounting for a broad array of in-depth measures of parenting. Methods We use the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of children from 9 months to 2 years of age collected by the National Center for Education Statistics. Using Ordinary Least Squares regression, data analyses examine the association between the Toddler Attachment Sort-45 (TAS-45) measures of toddler-parent attachment (infant attachment security and temperamental dependency) and breastfeeding practices. We also examine individual items of the TAS-45 to isolate specific attachment behaviors that have the strongest associations with breastfeeding. Results We find an enduring link between children who are predominantly breastfed for six or more months and infant attachment security. However, we find no evidence that breastfeeding is linked to a child’s temperamental dependency. Of the nine items used to examine infant attachment behaviors, we find that breastfed children are rated as having slightly higher scores on two measures (“warm and cuddly,” “cooperative”) and lower scores on one measure (“demanding/angry”). Conclusions for Practice Breastfeeding has an important link to the child’s use of their caregiver as a secure base for exploration and a place of comfort when distressed (infant attachment security). Yet, breastfeeding does not appear to reduce a child’s temperamental dependency or level of clinginess as measured by how demanding, fussy or distressed the child becomes when separated.
MR Imaging of Acute Appendicitis

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is highly accurate for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Lack of ionizing radiation and high contrast resolution makes MRI an attractive alternative to ultrasound and CT in pediatric and pregnant patients. This chapter discusses the literature supporting use of MRI in diagnosis of acute appendicitis, proper MRI technique essential for maximizing diagnostic accuracy, the MRI findings of acute appendicitis, and potential cases of false-positive and false-negative results.
Recreating stem-cell niches using self-assembling biomaterials

Abstract Stem-cell niche constitutes a dynamic and complex extracellular environment around stem cells, providing signals for self-renewal and differentiation. Existence of separate niches for different types of stem cells, varying in their composition and properties, implies the requirement for unique combination of niche-specific signals. With the growing interest on artificial stem-cell niche for application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, a major challenge is to incorporate these signals in a synthetic and defined material environment. Self-assembling biomaterials are built on the principles of noncovalent interactions with their modular design offering unprecedented control over presentation of structural and biochemical cues. This review will cover the general strategies for incorporating niche extracellular matrix (ECM) signals in biomaterial scaffold and the unique advantages gained from exploiting the principles of molecular self-assembly. Our focus will be restricted to self-assembling peptide and proteins, two major categories of materials in this class. Use of these materials on various stem-cell applications and some of the future challenges and opportunities will be discussed.
Becoming a Good Welfare Manager: Paternalistic Oppressive Othering and Neoliberal Boundary Maintenance

Using data from telephone interviews with 69 county welfare-to-work program managers in Ohio, we examine how individuals rely on paternalism and neoliberal ideology to construct themselves as “good...
Geometric Power Fall-Off in Radar Sounding

This paper reports the analysis of the geometric power fall-off of Fresnel zone scattering in radar sounding. Radar sounders can take advantage of strong coherent scattering from Fresnel zones at nadir which grow with sensor altitude. The strength of the signal and the actual rate of power fall-off, however, depend heavily on the surface properties. We first use the radar equation to separate geometric versus scattering mechanisms driving $R^{2}$ , $R^{3}$ , or $R^{4}$ fall-off. The Fresnel zone for planetary surfaces, where body curvature has an effect, is derived and its implications discussed. We show the impact of Gaussian and fractal surface roughness on the exponent of power fall-off and the transition from coherent to incoherent scattering. This is done in simulation and analytically to derive coherence loss functions. Finally, we study the effect of incoherent area fraction within the Fresnel zone. These results are intended to be used in radar link budgets, performance metrics, and scientific interpretation of sounding data.
Phylogeny and Evolution

Beginning in the late 1970s, results from a variety of studies enabled an increasingly detailed Mollicutes phylogenetic tree to be reconstructed4. The overall tree is based on 16S rRNA sequence analyses and provides a framework for results on other relationships between Mollicutes strains and between Mollicutes and Gram-positive bacteria; e.g., other macromolecule sequences, lipid composition, metabolic enzymes and pathways, gene organization, and antibiotic sensitivity.
TRAUMA, CHEST | Postpneumonectomy Syndrome

The postpneumonectomy syndrome is a rare complication of pneumonectomy that is typically seen several years after surgery. The classical presentation is in patients who have undergone right-sided pneumonectomies during childhood or early adult life. However, it can occur in patients at any age and can also be seen in patients who have undergone left-sided procedures. This syndrome develops as a result of severe anatomical changes that occur in the chest after pneumonectomy. Signs and symptoms include progressive dyspnea, wheezing, and recurrent episodes of pneumonia. Symptoms typically develop months to years after pneumonectomy. Pulmonary function tests, chest computed tomography, and bronchoscopy are helpful in confirming the diagnosis. Treatment is surgical, with excellent outcomes. Surgical correction of these anatomical changes results in resolution of symptoms, and good long-term survival.
Palladium-catalyzed approaches to carbo- and heterocyclic compounds

a-Alkylidene-y-butyrolactones are readily prepared by the palladiumcatalyzed heteroannulation of a variety of 1,3-dienes by a-iodo and a-bromo acrylic acids. The best results are obtained by employing a catalytic amount of the stericaliy hindered chelating alky I phosphine D'BPF [(di-terf-butylphosphino)ferrocene]. In most cases, this process is highly regioselective. The reaction is believed to proceed via (1) oxidative addition of the vinylic halide to Pd(0), (2) organopalladium addition to the less hindered end of the 1,3-diene to form a kallylpalladium intermediate, and (3) nucleophilic displacement of the palladium by the carboxylate ion. Introduction The synthesis of a-methylene-y-lactone derivatives has been of great interest due to their biological activity and occurrence in numerous natural
Over-the-counter performance enhancing mouthguards are unable to decrease blood lactate and improve power output during a Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT)

Abstract Background/Objective Mouthguards are the primary mode of protection against maxillofacial injuries in contact sports, but recent research has also linked performance enhancement to this piece of equipment. The purpose of this study was to test the claims of the Under Armour ArmourBite (UAAB) mouthguard to decrease blood lactate concentration ([BL]) and increase power when compared to a generic over-the-counter mouthguard (OTC) and no mouthguard (NOMG) during an anaerobic performance test. Methods Seventeen recreationally active males (23.4 ± 2.7 years; 179.6 ± 7.4 cm; 83.0 ± 14.0 kg) were tested using the 30 s Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) during three separate testing sessions. Results There were no differences in [BL] between any of the conditions immediately or 5 min posttest. There were also no differences in peak, relative or average power, or fatigue index during the WAnT. The UAAB mouthguard was therefore unsuccessful in improving anaerobic performance. Conclusion It is likely that more expensive, custom-fit dental mouthguards may be necessary for individuals to see any benefits to athletic performance.
Synthesis and processing of killer toxin from Ustilago maydis virus P4.

Abstract The synthesis of toxin protein from Ustilago maydis virus (UmV) strain P4 was studied in vitro and in vivo. The protein synthesized in vitro and in vivo has a molecular weight of approximately 30 kd whereas the native toxin has a molecular weight of about 12 kd. In the presence of protease inhibitors and glycosylation inhibitors, toxin protein synthesized in vivo showed higher molecular weight products that could be immunoprecipitated with toxin antibodies. These results suggest that the UmV P4 toxin protein is synthesized as a preprotein, which upon processing results in the 12 kd secreted form toxin.
Evolution of Abstraction Across Layers in Deep Learning Neural Networks

Abstract Deep learning neural networks produce excellent results in various pattern recognition tasks. It is of great practical importance to answer some open questions regarding model design and parameterization, and to understand how input data are converted into meaningful knowledge at the output. The layer-by-layer evolution of the abstraction level has been proposed previously as a quantitative measure to describe the emergence of knowledge in the network. In this work we systematically evaluate the abstraction level for a variety of image datasets. We observe that there is a general tendency of increasing abstraction from input to output with the exception of a drop of abstraction at some ReLu and Pooling layers. The abstraction level is relatively low and does not change significantly in the first few layers following the input, while it fluctuates around some high saturation value at the layers preceding the output. Finally, the layer-by-layer change in abstraction is not normally distributed, rather it approximates an exponential distribution. These results point to salient local features of deep layers impacting overall (global) classification performance. We compare the results extracted from deep learning neural networks performing image processing tasks with the results obtained by analyzing brain imaging data. Our conclusions may be helpful in future designs of more efficient, compact deep learning neural networks.
What can be learned from action learning coaching? Learnings of novice action learners and their coach

ABSTRACTAction learning coaching (ALC), a form of action learning that integrates leadership coaching, is suggested as a method and ethos to build future capacity, specifically in novice HRD practitioners. The purpose of this article is to offer an account of learning from the perspectives of novice action learners, who were new to the field of human resource development (HRD) and to the concept of ALC, as well as their similarly noviced coach. Data from budding practitioners and their coach, participants in an action learning action research (ALAR) study, are analyzed to show how they used action and generative learning through ambiguity to apply learning to their new roles. Action learning coaching elevated participants’ skills, self-concept, efficaciousness, professionalism, commitment to action, and capacity for learning and growth. Participants changed themselves, their practice, and ultimately the way they approached human resource development as novices.
Detection of axonal degeneration in a mouse model of Huntington's disease: comparison between diffusion tensor imaging and anomalous diffusion metrics.

The goal of this work is to study the changes in white matter integrity in R6/2, a well-established animal model of Huntington’s disease (HD) that are captured by ex vivo diffusion imaging (DTI) using a high field MRI (17.6 T). DTI and continuous time random walk (CTRW) models were used to fit changes in the diffusion-weighted signal intensity in the corpus callosum of controls and in R6/2 mice. A significant 13% decrease in fractional anisotropy, a 7% increase in axial diffusion, and a 33% increase in radial diffusion were observed between R6/2 and control mice. No change was observed in the CTRW beta parameter, but a significant decrease in the alpha parameter (− 21%) was measured. Histological analysis of the corpus callosum showed a decrease in axonal organization, myelin alterations, and astrogliosis. Electron microscopy studies demonstrated ultrastructural changes in degenerating axons, such as an increase in tortuosity in the R6/2 mice. DTI and CTRW diffusion models display quantitative changes associated with the microstructural alterations observed in the corpus callosum of the R6/2 mice. The observed increase in the diffusivity and decrease in the alpha CTRW parameter providing support for the use of these diffusion models for non-invasive detection of white matter alterations in HD.
Transcanal Resection of a Type 1 Glomus Tympanicum

Objective: To present a case of Type 1 glomus tympanicum, its clinical presentations, surgical management and outcome. Methods: Study Design: Case Report Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital Patient: One Results: A 44-year-old woman with pulsatile tinnitus, vertigo, headache, ear fullness and decreased hearing on the right had a pulsatile reddish mass behind the tympanic membrane and Brown sign. Weber test lateralized to the right with mild conductive hearing loss on pure tone audiometry. Contrast CT scan demonstrated a 5x6 mm well-defined enhancing mass in the meso- and hypotympanum. Internal auditory canal MRI showed an avidly enhancing 5x3x4 mm nodule within the right middle ear adjacent to the cochlear promontory and anterior to the lateral semicircular canal. Impression was glomus tympanicum, type 1. The mass was excised via transcanal approach with post-operative resolution of tinnitus, headache, vertigo and improvement of hearing. Final histopathology was consistent with glomus tumor. Conclusion: Glomus tympanicum tumors are rare, benign middle ear paragangliomas that arise from Jacobson’s nerve, are slow-growing and locally destructive. CT scan and MRI may detect involvement of other structures. Surgical resection is the primary treatment modality. Type 1 glomus tympanicum tumors are small and limited to the promontory, and a less-invasive transcanal approach may be employed. Keywords: glomus, tympanicum, paraganglioma, transcanal approach
The “Black Middle-Class Toolkit” as a Framework for Understanding the Cultural Implications of Recreational Running

Despite Black women having disproportionately low rates of physical activity, the number of Black Americans who participate in non-professional, recreational running is on the rise. Scant research ...
Analysis of polygenic risk score usage and performance in diverse human populations

A historical tendency to use European ancestry samples hinders medical genetics research, including the use of polygenic scores, which are individual-level metrics of genetic risk. We analyze the first decade of polygenic scoring studies (2008–2017, inclusive), and find that 67% of studies included exclusively European ancestry participants and another 19% included only East Asian ancestry participants. Only 3.8% of studies were among cohorts of African, Hispanic, or Indigenous peoples. We find that predictive performance of European ancestry-derived polygenic scores is lower in non-European ancestry samples (e.g. African ancestry samples: t = −5.97, df = 24, p = 3.7 × 10−6), and we demonstrate the effects of methodological choices in polygenic score distributions for worldwide populations. These findings highlight the need for improved treatment of linkage disequilibrium and variant frequencies when applying polygenic scoring to cohorts of non-European ancestry, and bolster the rationale for large-scale GWAS in diverse human populations. Predominant participation of European-ancestry individuals in genetic studies has hindered the better understanding of genetic risk in non-European ancestry individuals. Here, Duncan et al. quantify polygenic risk score use and performance in worldwide populations.
Understanding the Effect of the Combination of Navigation Tools in Learning Spatial Knowledge

Spatial knowledge about the environment often helps people accomplish their navigation and wayfinding tasks more efficiently. Off-the-shelf mobile navigation applications often focus on guiding people to go between two locations, ignoring the importance of learning spatial knowledge. Drawing on theories and findings from the area of learning spatial knowledge, we investigated how the background reference frames (RF) and navigational cues can be combined in navigation applications to help people acquire better spatial (route and survey) knowledge. We conducted two user studies, where participants used our custom-designed applications to navigate in an indoor location. We found that having more navigational cues in a navigation application does not always assist users in acquiring better spatial knowledge; rather, these cues can be distracting in some specific setups. Users can acquire better spatial knowledge only when the navigational cues complement each other in the interface design. We discussed the implications of designing navigation interfaces that can assist users in learning spatial knowledge by combining navigational elements in a complimentary way.
Nationwide analysis of healthcare burden and risk of mortality in cancer patients with deep venous thrombosis.

e19093Background: Occurrence of venous thromboembolism is well known to have increased mortality in cancer patients with pulmonary embolism known to be the leading contributor. However, risk of mor...
Social distancing meet social media: digital tools for connecting students, teachers, and citizens in an emergency

In a public health crisis where social distancing, or physical distancing while in public spaces, is the new normal, social media offer respite from being alone. Recent statistics show spikes in social media usage worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic. More than just easing loneliness, such freely available digital tools offer affordances for education in an emergency.,This paper summarizes insights from literature reviews of over a decade of research and recent case studies on the benefits of teaching with social media in K-12 education.,The authors highlight three affordances of social media for fostering active learning, community building and civic participation and describe how social media can be used in conjunction with conventional learning management systems. Furthermore, the authors argue that the unprecedented health crisis that is faced today requires the participation of responsible citizens of all ages; K-12 public education is on the front lines of preparing informed and active citizens and the integration of social media as part of remote education plans can help.,The paper includes instructional guidelines for K-12 teachers and instructional designers in various settings who seek to integrate social media as part of their strategy for teaching students at a distance and facilitating their civic participation.,This paper fulfills an identified need for evidence-based and pragmatic approaches to K-12 online teaching and learning using technologies already widely in use (i.e. social media).
Perilous Proxies: Issues of Scale for Consumer Representation in Agency Proceedings

One oft-ignored but frequently employed method for improving agency accountability is the use of “proxy advocates,” government agencies or lawyers charged with giving voice to underrepresented interests in agency proceedings. Though the bulk of these proxy advocates are used in state agencies to aid ratepayers in regulatory proceedings, several were created to police federal agency action in the 1970s. Though those federal proxy advocates were short-lived, the idea has persisted in national politics, both in legislative and non-governmental calls for administrative reform. These advocates remain in use by the states. This Note asks what conditions contribute to effective consumer advocacy by proxy advocates by examining the historical and institutional context of proxy advocates at the state and federal level. It concludes that a proxy advocate can most successfully represent consumer interests at the state level when it is independent from political influence and at the federal level when it can be held accountable to consumers rather than the general polity. Finally, it addresses ways in which these findings can be used to improve representation by proxy advocates at the federal level.
Delivery Outcomes of Pregnant Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Compared With the General Population and With Women With Other Autoimmune Diseases at a Tertiary Care Center.

BACKGROUND Variable data have suggested that pregnant women with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are more likely to have cesarean deliveries and adverse pregnancy outcomes than the general population. The aim of this study was to describe the rates of cesarean delivery and adverse pregnancy outcomes among patients with IBD as compared with patients with other autoimmune diseases and with the general population. METHODS Pregnant patients with IBD, those with non-IBD autoimmune diseases, and control patients were identified. Baseline demographics, disease characteristics, medication use, and delivery outcomes were recorded in a retrospective manner. The primary outcome was overall rate of cesarean delivery; secondary outcomes included rates of planned and unplanned cesarean delivery, delivery complications, preterm delivery, and fetal complications. RESULTS Ninety-three women with IBD were age-matched to 376 control patients; 38 women with other autoimmune diseases were also identified. Women with IBD had higher rates of cesarean delivery (47%) when compared with control patients (31%; P < 0.0001) but not when compared with women with other autoimmune diseases. There were high rates of planned cesarean deliveries for IBD-related factors in the IBD cohort. Women with IBD did not have increased rates of adverse delivery or fetal outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Women with IBD have higher rates of cesarean delivery than the general population and rates similar to those of women with other autoimmune diseases. Planned cesarean delivery plays an important role in maintaining continuity and sphincter control in select situations, but a diagnosis of IBD does not mandate cesarean delivery.
Explaining away crime: The race narrative in American sociology and ethical theory:

Rates of crime for Blacks in the United States in the post-slavery era have always been high relative to Whites. But explaining, or minimizing, this fact faces a major problem: individual excuses f...
ASCs derived from burn patients are more prone to increased oxidative metabolism and reactive oxygen species upon passaging

Patients with severe burn injury (over 20% of the total body surface area) experience profound hypermetabolism which significantly prolongs wound healing. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been proposed as an attractive solution for treating burn wounds, including the potential for autologous ASC expansion. While subcutaneous adipocytes display an altered metabolic profile post-burn, it is not known if this is the case with the stem cells associated with the adipose tissue. ASCs were isolated from discarded burn skin of severely injured human subjects (BH, n = 6) and unburned subcutaneous adipose tissue of patients undergoing elective abdominoplasty (UH, n = 6) and were analyzed at passages 2, 4, and 6. Flow cytometry was used to quantify ASC cell surface markers CD90, CD105, and CD73. Mitochondrial abundance and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were determined with MitoTracker Green and MitoSOX Red, respectively, while JC-10 Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Assays were also performed. Mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis were analyzed with a high-resolution respirometer (Seahorse XFe24 Analyzer). There was no difference in age between BH and UH (34 ± 6 and 41 ± 4 years, respectively, P = 0.49). While passage 2 ASCs had lower ASC marker expression than subsequent passages, there were no significant differences in the expression between BH and UH ASCs. Similarly, no differences in mitochondrial abundance or membrane potential were found amongst passages or groups. Two-way ANOVA showed a significant effect (P < 0.01) of passaging on mitochondrial ROS production, with increased ROS in BH ASCs at later passages. Oxidative phosphorylation capacities (leak and maximal respiration) increased significantly in BH ASCs (P = 0.035) but not UH ASCs. On the contrary, basal glycolysis significantly decreased in BH ASCs (P = 0.011) with subsequent passaging, but not UH ASCs. In conclusion, ASCs from burned individuals become increasingly oxidative and less glycolytic upon passaging when compared to ASCs from unburned patients. This increase in oxidative capacities was associated with ROS production in later passages. While the autologous expansion of ASCs holds great promise for treating burned patients with limited donor sites, the potential negative consequences of using them require further investigation.
Relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and pulmonary function measures on spirometry in the UK Biobank

OBJECTIVE To investigate the independent relationship of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to the type and severity of pulmonary patterns on spirometry compared to the pulmonary patterns in general population controls. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the association of RA with pulmonary function measures on spirometry among subjects in the UK Biobank who underwent spirometry for research purposes. RA cases were identified based on self-report and current disease-modifying antirheumatic drug/glucocorticoid use. Controls were subjects without RA from the general population. Outcome measures included continuous forced expiratory volume in 1 second percent predicted (FEV1 %) and forced vital capacity percent predicted (FVC%), type of spirometric pattern (restrictive or obstructive), and severity of the restrictive or obstructive pattern. We used multivariable regression to estimate the effects in RA cases compared to the effects in controls, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking status/pack-years. RESULTS Among 350,776 analyzed subjects who underwent spirometry (mean age 56.3 years; 55.8% female; 45.5% ever smokers), we identified 2,008 cases of treated RA. In multivariable analyses, RA was associated with lower FEV1 % (β = -2.93 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) -3.63, -2.24]), FVC% (β = -2.08 [95% CI -2.72, -1.45]), and FEV1 /FVC (β = -0.008 [95% CI -0.010, -0.005]) compared to controls. RA was additionally associated with restrictive patterns (odds ratio [OR] 1.36 [95% CI 1.21, 1.52]) and obstructive patterns (OR 1.21 [95% CI 1.07, 1.37]) independent of confounders, and was most strongly associated with severe restrictive and obstructive patterns. CONCLUSION RA is associated with increased odds of restrictive and obstructive patterns, and this relationship is not explained by confounders, including smoking status. In addition to restrictive lung disease, clinicians should also be aware that airway obstruction may be a pulmonary manifestation of RA.
Virtual Intimacies: The Networks of Mary Penry

In July 1802, Mary Penry wrote a letter to Wales from a room in Lititz, a small Moravian settlement in backcountry Pennsylvania. Penry had lived in Lititz’s enormous single sisters’ house for nearl...
Mobile Communication Technology and the Lifeworld: Examining the Implications of the Second Offline Concept from a Phenomenological Perspective

The second offline perspective, as introduced by Hidenori Tomita and explored in his edited volume, The post-mobile society: From the smart/mobile to second offline (2015), offers a valuable way of perceiving how the world works from a communication viewpoint as well as what problems may arise. In this chapter, I examine historical precedents, drawing on both my own research and that presented in the Hidenori volume. These precedents offer insight into the way technology consistently affects lives as well as the enduring human inclinations that seek realization through our modes of communication, no matter the ambient technology. Using material from the Tomita volume, I delve into the second offline concept, connecting it to retrospective views of analog precursors from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Selected issues from the Tomita volume chapters as they concern the second offline in today’s society are explored along with a mini-theory that helps explain some micro-behavior, especially in an environment of dyadic relationships and mobile communication. I close the chapter by offering my gloss on the second offline construct, connecting it to significant issues concerning social realities stemming from the rise of the second offline throughout our lives.
The Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus Disease of Small Grains

Publisher Summary Barley yellow dwarf virus is a yellows-type virus representing a relatively small group of plant viruses that persist in their aphid vectors. The disease occurs in all parts of the United States and in many regions of the world where oats, barley, or wheat are grown. Yield losses because of infection are usually greater in oats and in barley than in other small grains. The wide host range and general occurrence of barley yellow dwarf virus make it potentially the most destructive virus known to affect small grains and grasses. Symptoms of the disease, which include stunting and characteristic leaf discolorations, often are not sufficiently diagnostic for certain identification of the disease. Transmission of the virus by means of at least one of nine known aphid vectors is the only means of confirming diagnosis.
Anthrax and Iron

In order to cause disease, pathogenic bacteria require specialized means to sense the various microenvironments presented to them in the context of a host and then to regulate the systems required for establishment, persistence, growth, and induction of the pathologies associated with infection. The example presented in this chapter focuses on one such system utilized by Bacillus anthracis during anthrax infections, iron acquisition. Recently, research focused on the acquisition of one such nutrient essential for successful anthrax infections, iron, has come to the fore. The chapter summarizes the various mechanisms used by B. anthracis for obtaining iron, reviews the relative impact of each of these mechanisms on a successful anthrax infection, and presents the transcriptome regulated by low concentrations of iron. Once inside the bacterial cytoplasm, iron is released from heme when the heme monooxygenase, IsdG, breaks down the molecule. Siderophores are high-affinity iron-chelating molecules that are secreted into the extracellular environment, where they scavenge iron from a variety of host sources. B. anthracis produces two siderophores, bacillibactin and petrobactin. Petrobactin is made up of one central citrate flanked by two spermidine molecules, each with terminal dihydroxybenzoic acid residues. Consequently, molecules that inhibit or block iron acquisition, related membrane transport processes, or bacterial iron-based regulation, in general, may prove to be effective new medical counter-measures against anthrax and related infections. It is predicted that as more defined details of the genes, proteins, factors, and mechanisms that regulate iron metabolism become understood, reasonable countermeasure targets will be identified.
Spawning ecology of flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus lattipinnis (Catostomidae), in two small tributaries of the lower Colorado River

We report the first published accounts of spawning behavior and spawning site selection of the flannelmouth sucker in two small tributaries of the lower Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Spawning was observed on 20 March 1992 and from 28 March to 10 April 1993 in the Paria River, and from 16 to 19 March 1993 in Bright Angel Creek. Flannelmouth suckers exhibited promiscuous spawning behavior–individual females were typically paired with two or more males for a given event and sometimes changed partners between events. Multiple egg deposits by different females sometimes occurred at one spawning site. Flannelmouth sucker selected substrates from 16 to 32 mm diameter in both streams. Spawning occurred at depths of 10 to 25 cm in the Paria River and 19 to 41 cm in Bright Angel Creek. Mean column water velocities at spawning locations ranged from 0.15 to 1.0 m sec-1 in the Paria River and from 0.23 to 0.89 m sec-1 in Bright Angel Creek. Water temperatures recorded during spawning ranged from 9 to 18° C in the Paria River and 13 to 15° C in Bright Angel Creek. Spawning flannelmouth sucker ascended 9.8 km upstream in the Paria River and 1.25 km in Bright Angel Creek. Spawning females (410–580 mm) were significantly larger than spawning males (385–530 mm) in the Paria River. The mean size of spawning fish in the Paria River was significantly smaller than the entire stock, averaged throughout the study period (380–620 mm). However, fish spawning in 1992–1993 averaged 53 mm larger than fish spawning in the same reach of the Paria River in 1981, indicating a shift in the size structure of this stock.
The Sex-cited Body in Margaret Atwood

In her fiction generally, and particularly in the novel Lady Oracle and the story "The Man From Mars," Margaret Atwood explores the gendered body as surface, in the process exploring the implications in capitalist culture of women either having or not having the "right" surface. By building conflict around the conventions that polarize the "right" surfaces against abject surfaces, Atwood recognizes the trap of "sex-citation" and the possibilities of bodies beyond such a binary. Her reading of "attraction" is just that — a reading — variable and unstable, the body as a "sex-citing" text.
Preparation of DNA from Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue

Purification of DNA from fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue (PET) requires the removal of paraffin, proteins, and, in some cases, heavy metal ions. The resulting DNA is not generally suitable for Southern blot analysis. However, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be used to amplify short regions of this DNA. The Basic Protocol is rapid and involves only a small number of manipulations, thus minimizing the possibility of contamination. The Alternate Protocol involves additional steps including extractions with xylenes and phenol/chloroform. This procedure is recommended as the primary approach when tissue has not been fixed in an optimal manner or as a secondary approach when the Basic Protocol has failed to produce satisfactory DNA.
Energetic Alpha Transport in a Magnetized Fusion Target

Magnetized target fusion (MTF) promises to ease the power and intensity requirements for a fusion driver. High gain MTF targets require fusion ignition to occur in the magnetized fuel. Ignition requires the energy deposited by the charged fusion reaction products to exceed that lost from the plasma by a variety of loss mechanisms. The authors have used single particle tracking through a magnetized plasma to obtain preliminary results on the DT alpha particle deposition as a function of the plasma {rho}R and BR for a uniform spherically symmetric volume with a uniform B{sub {theta}} magnetic field. More complicated plasma density, temperature, and field distributions can be handled by the code, including 2-D distributions, but the efficiency of this approach makes extensive calculations impractical. A more efficient approach is needed, particularly for use in dynamic calculations. However, particle tracking is useful for obtaining information for building more accurate models of the deposition for use in survey codes.
Rain on a Dead Child

It was midnight. Our government van had a permit to carry us from the corporation offices where we worked to our homes. We drove through torrential rain. In a flash of lightning, we saw a woman carrying something like a sleeping child wrapped in a blanket in her arms. With sadness in her eyes, she hailed us to stop. We stopped. Noticing her tears, I told the driver that we should take her in. The driver, whom we called "Uncle" Saeed, gave me a reluctant look; but he covered his head, got down from his seat, and opened the door. Crying bitterly, the drenched woman begged Uncle Saeed to take her into the van. She got in, requesting those inside to allow her to sit with them. Embarrassed, and in tears, she sat down, still apologizing. But then she changed her seat, covering the child so we could not see him.
Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America by Melissa Harris-Perry

Sister Citizen is a pivotal work building on the long tradition of Black Feminist scholarship that makes the lives of Black women the central point of theorizing, treats their experiences as valid ...
Does Big Drive Out Small

This paper measures the impact of the entry of large supermarkets on incumbents of various sizes. Contrary to the conventional notion that big stores drive small rivals out of the market, data from Tokyo in the 1990s show that large supermarkets’ entry induces the exit of existing large and medium-size competitors, but improves the survival rate of small supermarkets. These findings highlight the role of store size as an important dimension of product differentiation. Size-based entry regulations would appear to protect big incumbents, at the expense of small incumbents and potential entrants.
Evolutionary diversification of cranial and spinal nerves and their targets in the gymnophione amphibians.

The ancestral gymnophione (caecilian) became elongate and limbless early in its history. Further structural reduction, including loss of components, followed by redirection and occasionally cooption of remaining structures, particularly muscles and nerves, has evolved. Function may remain that of the ancestral condition, or may change dramatically. Examples include the evolution of the tentacle, the jaw-closing apparatus, and the hypobranchial musculature, including their innervation. ‘Regressive’ evolution has provided opportunity for new structural-functional relationships and for increased variation.
Imperfect models, imperfect conclusions: An exploratory study of multiple-choice tests and historical knowledge

Abstract This article explores the extent to which multiple-choice history/social studies exams measure student knowledge of social studies content. This article presents descriptive statistics that quantify the findings from a qualitative study. Data for this study were collected from 13 tenth-grade world history students in an urban classroom in New York State. Each participant answered 15 multiple-choice questions that had appeared on previous versions of the Global History and Geography Regents exam, the high-stakes exam they would have to take at the end of the school year. As a small-scale exploratory study, the findings are not what quantitative researchers would call generalizable. Nevertheless, the findings raise questions about what tests measure, their effectiveness, and what constitutes social-studies knowledge.
Modeling the effect of tramp oil contamination on selective component depletion in metalworking fluid systems

Functional component depletion and physical interaction of contaminants with the machining process are thought to be the primary determinants of metalworking fluid useful life. An oil/water partition coefficient and mass balance based model is derived that is capable of accounting for the effect of tramp oil induced extraction of metalworking fluid components. After developing general expressions for the predictive model, the magnitude of extraction for a synthetic metalworking fluid is investigated. The model is then used to predict system concentrations over time in the presence of such metalworking fluid contaminants and is verified via laboratory experimentation and an industrial case study. The partition coefficient/mass balance modeling procedure is further utilized to determine the amounts and frequency required for tankside addition of metalworking fluid components, while accounting for depletion by the tramp oil mechanism.