cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distinct adipocyte progenitor cells are associated with regional phenotypes of perivascular aortic fat in mice

Abstract Objective Perivascular adipose tissue depots around the aorta are regionally distinct and have specific functional properties. Thoracic aorta perivascular adipose tissue (tPVAT) expresses higher levels of thermogenic genes and lower levels of inflammatory genes than abdominal aorta perivascular adipose tissue (aPVAT). It is not known whether this distinction is due to the in-vivo functional environment or to cell-autonomous traits that persist outside the in-vivo setting. In this study, we asked whether the progenitor cells in tPVAT and aPVAT have cell-autonomous traits that lead to formation of regionally distinct PVAT. Methods We performed microarray analysis of thoracic and abdominal peri-aortic adipose tissues of C57Bl/6J mice to define gene expression profile of each depot. To derive adipocyte progenitor cells, C57Bl/6J mice were sacrificed and thoracic and abdominal aorta fragments were embedded in Matrigel and cultured under pro-angiogenic conditions. Adipogenesis was induced using the Ppar-γ agonist rosiglitazone, a thiazolidinedione (TZD). TZD-induced adipocyte populations were analyzed using immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR. Results Microarray analysis showed that tPVAT expressed higher levels of transcription factors related brown adipose tissue development compared to aPVAT. Classic brown adipose tissue (BAT) genes such as Ucp-1, Prdm16, Dio2, Slc27a displayed a concordant trend of higher level expression in tPVAT, while white adipose tissue (WAT) genes such as Hoxc8, Nnat, Sncg, and Mest were expressed at a higher level in aPVAT. The adipokines resistin and retinol binding protein 4 were also higher in aPVAT. Furthermore, adipocyte progenitors from abdominal and thoracic aortic rings responded to TZD with expression of canonical adipocyte genes Acrp30, Plin1, and Glut4. Adipocytes differentiated from thoracic aorta progenitors displayed markedly higher induction of Ucp-1 and Cidea. Conclusions Thoracic aorta PVAT expresses higher levels of brown adipocyte transcription factors than aPVAT. Precursor cells from the thoracic aorta give rise to adipocytes that express significantly higher levels of Ucp-1 and Cidea ex vivo, suggesting that progenitor cells in tPVAT and aPVAT have cell-autonomous properties that dictate adipocyte phenotype.
Cerebral Metabolic Stress Is Lower in Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia on Hydroxyurea Therapy

Hydroxyurea (HU) is the only medication available with neuroprotective potential in sickle cell anemia (SCA), yet the physiological mechanisms of this effect remain unclear. We utilized MRI to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) to test our hypothesis that HU therapy relieves ongoing cerebral metabolic stress by decreasing OEF in patients with SCA. Brain MRI measured CBF (pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling), OEF (asymmetric spin echo sequence that measures voxel-wise tissue deoxyhemoglobin) and vasculopathy (magnetic resonance angiography) in prospectively enrolled participants with SCA. FMRIB9s Linear Image Registration Tool individually co-registered CBF and OEF maps to corresponding T1 images, and FMRIB9s Automated Segmentation Tool segmented gray and white matter (GM and WM). For analysis, participants were cohorted by SCA therapy they were receiving at the time of the MRI. Group comparisons between SCA without HU, SCA with HU, and SCA pre-transfusion (pre-tx; MRI up to 24 hours before chronic tx therapy) were made with Kruskal-Wallis or chi-squared test, followed by pairwise comparisons with Mann-Whitney U test. Bivariate correlations were described with Spearman9s rho. Significance was specified as p-value Seventy-nine participants with SCA (70 HbSS, 9 HbSβ 0 thalassemia) underwent MRI. There was no significant difference in age (p = 0.965) or sex (p = 0.471) among treatment cohorts. Hemoglobin (Hb) was significantly different between cohorts (p = 0.001). While the SCA without HU cohort had a significantly lower Hb than both SCA with HU (p = 0.010) and SCA pre-tx (p There was no difference in GM (p = 0.680) or WM (p = 0.736) CBF among the 3 cohorts, even after controlling for age with multiple regression. However, there was a significant difference in GM OEF among cohorts (p To investigate potential mechanisms of metabolic stress reduction, we evaluated the relationship between OEF, total Hb, % Hb A, % Hb F and % Hb S. OEF and Hb were strongly correlated in both GM and WM (GM: spearman9s rho = -0.857, p 2 = 0.737, p = 0.003), and for WM OEF (total Hb: β = -0.041, p 2 = 0.719, p We report the first investigation into the effects of HU on cerebral oxygen metabolism in SCA. Our data suggest that HU mitigates ongoing cerebral metabolic stress by improving cerebral oxygen delivery, allowing reduction in OEF without altering CBF; however, the degree of OEF correction is not as strong as chronic tx therapy. Longitudinal evaluation of these cohorts is needed to determine if the improvement in OEF by HU is sufficient for prevention of stroke and cognitive dysfunction in patients with SCA. Disclosures Fields: Proclara Biosciences: Equity Ownership. Hulbert: Pfizer: Other: Spouse employment at Pfizer.
A Hierarchical Model for Heterogenous Reliability Field Data

When analyzing field data on consumer products, model-based approaches to inference require a model with sufficient flexibility to account for multiple kinds of failures. The causes of failure, whi...
Understanding sociodemographic factors related to health outcomes in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea.

Abstract Objectives (1) To examine relationships between socioeconomic status (SES) and successful treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with adenotonsillectomy (T&A). (2) To explore sociodemographic factors and medical comorbidities that separate OSA and refractory OSA populations in children. Methods We retrospectively reviewed pediatric OSA patients (ages 0–18). Patients evaluated for OSA by pediatric otolaryngology between January 2014 and December 2015 were included. OSA was defined as requiring T&A. Refractory OSA (ROSA) was defined as recurring, polysomnography-proven, OSA after T&A, ultimately requiring another intervention, such as a multi-level airway operation. Clinical data were complemented with sociodemographic data. ZIP codes were used to approximate median household income. Results Our cohort included 105 ROSA and 53 OSA patients. These patients came from similar rates of single parent households and coverage by public insurance. Median household income for OSA patients was $47,086 (IQR $36,395-$60,196), compared to $45,696 (IQR $37,669-$56,203) for ROSA patients. Over 60% of all patients fell below the national household income average. Nearly half of the cohort resided in the three largest metro counties closest to our institution. These patients represented higher rates of single-parent households (p = 0.045) and public insurance (p = 0.002), and trends towards lower rates of ROSA (p = 0.138). Conclusion Our results identified sociodemographic factors that may influence healthcare compliance and subsequently overall health outcomes. We identified no statistically significant difference in measures of SES between patients with refractory vs non-refractory OSA. Patients living closest to our medical center had lowest rates of ROSA, suggesting that access to care may affect outcomes of pediatric OSA.
Physical Management of Patients with Neuromuscular Diseases

In the current economic climate in which it is no longer practical for a patient with neuromuscular disease to routinely be evaluated by specialists in orthopedics, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, neurology, nutrition, physical and occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, and physiatry, a neuromuscular disease practitioner needs to be capable of understanding and managing 90 % of these domains. Patients’ ambulation can often be prolonged by judiciously eliminating lower limb contractures, repositioning muscles, targeted physical therapeutic interventions, and medical therapy. Children with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1) can live into adulthood without tracheostomy tubes despite requiring continuous ventilatory support from 4 months of age. Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can live into their late 40s without tracheostomy tubes despite continuous ventilator dependence for over 25 years. Twenty-five to over 40 % of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients can survive for an average of 1 and up to 8 years without tracheostomy tubes despite requiring continuous ventilatory support. All of these advances require knowledge of skeletal and respiratory muscle interventions. While critical for quality of life and to prolong life, they are little understood by the medical community.
Membrane Water Channels and SH-Groups

The transport of water across human red cell membranes is commonly interpreted in terms of small aqueous channels. This interpretation is based largely on indirect evidence. In this report, two sets of experiments providing more direct evidence for this idea is presented. (1) The effect of various SH-reactive reagents on the movement of water was studied. Using these compounds we attempted to localize and characterize those membrane SH-groups which are important for water transport. (2) Experimental evidence which suggests that these channels are assembled from aggregates of specific membrane protein(s) is presented.
An Integrated Multi-Domain Analysis Environment for High Consequence Systems

Modeling and analysis of high consequence, high assurance systems requires special modeling considerations. System safety and reliability information must be captured in the models. Previously, high consequence systems were modeled using separate, disjoint models for safety, reliability, and security. The MultiGraph Architecture facilitates the implementation of a model-integrated system for modeling and analysis of high assurance systems. Among the tools used for analyzing safety and reliability are a behavioral simulator and an automatic fault tree generation and analysis tool. Symbolic model checking techniques are used to efficiently investigate the system models. A method for converting finite state machine models to ordered binary decision diagrams allows the application of symbolic model checking routines to the system models. This integrated approach to modeling and analysis of high consequence systems ensures consistency between the models and the different analysis tools.
Recent Issues in Reasoning about Knowledge

It is by now common knowledge that the recent period of intense activity in reasoning about knowledge begins with two books, both by philosophers: Knowledge and Belief by Hintikka [Hi], and Convention by David Lewis [Lew]. Since then there has been much talk about muddy children and non-coperating generals, but the field has actually grown to be quite wide and interesting and we will try and give an overview of some of the work that has been done and some of the issues that are still of concern.
Over-the-counter ovulation prediction devices: do accompanying instructions adhere to low-literacy guidelines?

Objective To evaluate readability and layout features of English-language instructions accompanying brandname urinary- and salivary-based over-the-counter (OTC) ovulation prediction devices (OPDs). Study design We identified and purchased 6 urinary-based and 4 salivary-based OTC OPDs. McLaughlin's Simplified Measure of Gobbledygoop was used to calculate reading grade level, and prominent text point size was measured throughout the instructions. Total number and dimensions of illustrations were tallied. We also assessed layout features derived from the User-Friendliness Tool (UFT), including layout features, graphic characteristics, presence of a clear message and presentation of manageable information. Results Overall reading level of OTC OPD instructions ranged from 8th to 12th grade (mean +/- SD = 10.2 +/- 1.3). Mean page length was 29.0 +/- 12.8 cm, while average page width was 30.7 +/- 14.7 cm. Average text point size was 8.2 +/- 1.5 (range, 6-10). Illustrations were used throughout instructional materials (range, 5-10). None of the instructions scored high in all criteria on the UFT. Conclusion Most OTC OPD instructions are written above the recommended sixth grade level and lower, printed in a font size smaller than suggested and illustrated inadequately to foster successful patient education.
Volumetric voxelwise apparent diffusion coefficient histogram analysis for differentiation of the fourth ventricular tumors.

Author(s): Payabvash, Seyedmehdi; Tihan, Tarik; Cha, Soonmee | Abstract: PurposeWe applied voxelwise apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram analysis in addition to structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and patients' age for differentiation of intraaxial posterior fossa tumors involving the fourth ventricle.Participants and methodsPretreatment MRIs of 74 patients with intraaxial brain neoplasm involving the fourth ventricle, from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2015, were reviewed. The tumor solid components were segmented and voxelwise ADC histogram variables were determined. Histogram-driven variables, structural MRI findings, and patient age were combined to devise a differential diagnosis algorithm.ResultsThe most common neoplasms were ependymomas ( n = 21), medulloblastoma ( n = 17), and pilocytic astrocytomas ( n = 13). Medulloblastomas followed by atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors had the lowest ADC histogram percentile values; whereas pilocytic astrocytomas and choroid plexus papillomas had the highest ADC histogram percentile values. In a multivariable multinominal regression analysis, the ADC 10th percentile value from voxelwise histogram was the only independent predictor of tumor type ( p l 0.001). In separate binary logistic regression analyses, the 10th percentile ADC value, tumor morphology, enhancement pattern, extension into Luschka/Magendie foramina, and patient age were predictors of different tumor types. Combining these variables, we devised a stepwise diagnostic model yielding 71% to 82% sensitivity, 91% to 95% specificity, 75% to 78% positive predictive value, and 89% to 95% negative predictive value for differentiation of ependymoma, medulloblastoma, and pilocytic astrocytoma.ConclusionWe have shown how the addition of quantitative voxelwise ADC histogram analysis of the tumor solid component to structural findings and patient age can help with accurate differentiation of intraaxial posterior fossa neoplasms involving the fourth ventricle based on pretreatment MRI.
Serving the Public: Motivation and Commitment in Education.

This study sought to expand Greenleaf's (1970) “feeling that one wants to serve” to examine public service motivation and professional commitment in an education context. The participants of this s...
In vitro and in vivo biocompatibility assessment of free radical scavenging nanocomposite scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.

Bone is the second most transplanted tissue in the world, resulting in increased demand for bone grafts leading to the fabrication of synthetic scaffold grafting alternatives. Fracture sites are under increased oxidative stress after injuries, affecting osteoblast function and hindering fracture healing and remodeling. To counter oxidative stress, free radical scavenging agents, such as cerium oxide nanoparticles, have gained traction in tissue engineering. Toward the goal of developing a functional synthetic system for bone tissue engineering, we characterized the biocompatibility of a porous, bioactive, free radical scavenging nanocomposite scaffold composed of poly(1,8 octanediol-co-citrate), beta-tricalcium phosphate, and cerium oxide nanoparticles. We studied cellular and tissue compatibility utilizing in vitro and in vivo models to assess nanocomposite interactions with both human osteoblast cells and rat subcutaneous tissue. We found the scaffolds were biocompatible in both models and supported cell attachment, proliferation, mineralization, and infiltration. Using hydrogen peroxide, we simulated oxidative stress to study the protective properties of the nanocomposite scaffolds via a reduction in cytotoxicity and recovered mineralization of osteoblast cells in vitro. We also found after implantation in vivo the scaffolds exhibited biocompatible properties essential for successful scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Cells were able to infiltrate through the scaffolds, the surrounding tissues elicited a minimal immune response, and there were signs of scaffold degradation after 30 days of implantation. After the array of biological characterization, we had confirmed the development of a nanocomposite scaffold system capable of supporting bone-remodeling processes while providing a protective free radical scavenging effect.
Effect of comprehensive schistosomiasis control in Changzhou City from 2004 to 2014

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of comprehensive schistosomiasis control in Changzhou City in recent 10 years, so as to provide the evidences for formulating the future prevention and control strategy. METHODS The work reports and the data of the schistosomiasis comprehensive control projects in Changzhou City from 2004 to 2014 were collected, the infection status of residents and livestock as well the Oncomelania hupensis snail situation were analyzed, and the implementation effect of the comprehensive control projects was evaluated. RESULTS From 2004 to 2014, totally 215 368 person-times were examined, and the positive rate of the blood examinations of the population was 0.24% (478/198 356), and there were no positive cases detected out by using the miracidium hatching method. Totally 11 935 domestic animals were detected and no positives were found. From 2004 to 2014, the total area with snails was 92.27 hm2, and marshland, inland and mountain environments accounted for 34.75%, 34.82% and 30.43%, respectively. The newly discovered area with snails was 34.40 hm2, and marshland, inland and mountain environments accounted for 2.62%, 71.22% and 26.16%, respectively. Totally 8 511 snails were dissected and no schistosome infected snails were found. From 2004 to 2014, a total of 242 600 harmless toilets were built, 2 704 700 domestic animals were reared in pens, 5.82 km-long rivers were dredged, 2 250.11 hm2 of protective forests were constructed, a total area of 625.79 hm2 were controlled with molluscicides, and an area of 149.58 hm2 were environmentally transformed. Totally 5.4 million people received health education. The awareness rate of knowledge on schistosomiasis control of residents was 96.00% in 2014. CONCLUSIONS There exists the risks of snails import and diffusion and schistosomiasis resurrection in Changzhou City, but under the condition of continuous implementation of comprehensive control measures, the endemic situation of schistosomiasis is stable and the control achievement is consolidated in this city.
Toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons involves NOX2 activation

Abstract Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants. The present study compares the toxic effects of BaP alone and a mixture of PAHs on human breast cancer cells. We hypothesize that PAH mixture is more toxic than BaP alone, and an increased NOX2 activation is related to PAH-induced oxidative stress. Initially, we exposed cultured human breast cancer cells to BaP alone (125 ng/mL and 500 ng/mL) and a mixture of PAHs (125 ng/mL and 500 ng/mL). After 24 h of exposure, the PAH mixture demonstrated a significant (P
Organization and Transcription of Maize Chloroplast Genes

The Zea mays chloroplast chromosome is an 91,100,000 dalton calculated to be compromised of about 135 kilobase pairs (KBP) (Kolodner and Tewari, 1975; Bedbrook and Bogorad, 1976). All the recognition sites for the restriction endonuclease Sal I as well as some recognition sites for Eco RI and Bam HI have been mapped on it (Bedbrook and Bogorad, 1976) and the locations and arrangements of two sets of genes for 16S, 23S and 5S chloroplast rRNAs of maize were established by Bedbrook, Kolodner and Bogorad (1977). In addition, structural genes for two proteins have been identified and assigned to mapped and cloned restriction fragments (Coen et al.; 1977; Bedbrook McIntosh, Link and Bogorad, 1979).
Implementation and effects of pediatric nurses' ability level system based on post competency model

Objective To implement pediatric nurses' ability level system based on the construction of pediatric nurses' ability level model and competency index databases and set up nurses' core competency requirements and advanced conditions so as to provide evidences for pediatric nurses′ ability level management. Methods Nurses' core competency requirements and advanced conditions were set up. N1 and N2 certificated of nurses' ability level were implemented in the whole hospital. Satisfaction of nurses and family members of children before and after the implementation were compared. Results A total of 354 nurses applied for N1 and N2 ability level in the whole hospital. A number of 289 out of 354 applications passed the audit and 237 out of 289 applications have been certificated. For N1 level, 148 out of 180 (82.22%) applications were certificated. For N2 level, 90 out of 174 applications (51.72%) were certificated. Satisfaction rates of nurses increased from (83.88±11.886) to (89.84±10.740) after the implementation, with a statistically significant difference (t=-5.180, P<0.01) . Satisfaction rates of family members developed from 84.27% to 93.01% after the implementation. The difference was statistically significant (χ2=9.766, P<0.05) . Conclusions The implementation of nurses' ability level system improves nurses' work enthusiasm and increases nurses' work satisfaction and family members' satisfaction. Key words: Hospital, pediatric; Nurses; Ability level system; Post competency model
A comparison of amplification methods to detect Avian Influenza viruses in California wetlands targeted via remote sensing of waterfowl.

Migratory waterfowl, including geese and ducks, are indicated as the primary reservoir of avian influenza viruses (AIv) which can be subsequently spread to commercial poultry. The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) surveillance efforts of waterfowl for AIv have been largely discontinued in the contiguous United States. Consequently, the use of technologies to identify areas of high waterfowl density and detect the presence of AIv in habitat such as wetlands has become imperative. Here we identified two high waterfowl density areas in California using processed NEXt generation RADar (NEXRAD) and collected water samples to test the efficacy of two tangential flow ultrafiltration methods and two nucleic acid based AIv detection assays. Whole-segment amplification and long-read sequencing yielded more positive samples than standard M-segment qPCR methods (57.6% versus 3.0%, p < .0001). We determined that this difference in positivity was due to mismatches in published primers to our samples and that these mismatches would result in failing to detect in the vast majority of currently sequenced AIv genomes in public databases. The whole segment sequences were subsequently used to provide subtype and potential host information of the AIv environmental reservoir. There was no statistically significant difference in sequencing reads recovered from the RexeedTM filtration compared to the unfiltered surface water. This overall approach combining remote sensing, filtration and sequencing provides a novel and potentially more effective, surveillance approach for AIv.
A Strategy for Sustained Outreach in the Molecular Biosciences

One goal of the NIH SEPA (Science Education Partnership Awards) program is to create partnerships between biomedical researchers and teachers and schools. The MSOE Center for BioMolecular Modeling (CBM) has leveraged the support of a series of SEPA awards to create a multifaceted outreach program that connects biomolecular researchers and their stories of active research with high school teachers and the foundational concepts of chemistry and biology they teach in their classrooms. The enabling technology that supports this outreach program is 3D printing. The CBM has pioneered the use of 3D printing to create physical models of proteins that allow researchers to tell the story of their research project while at the same time engaging teachers and their students as active participants in this process of science.
Conditional simulation of categorical spatial variables using Gibbs sampling of a truncated multivariate normal distribution subject to linear inequality constraints

This paper introduces a method to generate conditional categorical simulations, given an ensemble of partially conditioned (or unconditional) categorical simulations derived from any simulation process. The proposed conditioning method relies on implicit functions (signed distance functions) for representing the categorical spatial variable of interest. Thus, the conditioning problem is reformulated in terms of signed distance functions. The proposed approach combines aspects of principal component analysis and Gibbs sampling to achieve the conditioning of the unconditional categorical realizations to the data. It is applied to synthetic and real-world datasets and compared to the traditional sequential indicator simulation. It appears that the proposed simulation technique is an effective method to generate conditional categorical simulations from a set of unconditional categorical simulations.
Routing-free crosstalk prediction

Interconnect spacing is getting increasingly smaller in advanced technology nodes, which adversely increases the capacitive coupling of adjacent interconnect wires. It makes crosstalk a significant contributor to signal integrity and timing, and it is now imperative to prevent crosstalk-induced noise and delay issues in the earlier stages of VLSI design flow. Nonetheless, since the crosstalk effect depends primarily on the switching of neighboring nets, accurate crosstalk evaluation is only viable at the late stages of design flow with routing information available, e.g., after detailed routing. There have also been previous efforts in early-stage crosstalk prediction, but they mostly rely on time-expensive trial routing. In this work, we propose a machine learning-based routing-free crosstalk prediction framework. Given a placement, we identify routing and net topology-related features, along with electrical and logical features, which affect crosstalk-induced noise and delay. We then employ machine learning techniques to train the crosstalk prediction models, which can be used to identify crosstalk-critical nets in placement stages. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can instantly classify more than 70% of crosstalk-critical nets after placement with a false-positive rate of less than 2%.
Local nucleosome dynamics and eviction following a double-strand break are reversible by NHEJ-mediated repair in the absence of DNA replication.

We interrogated at nucleotide resolution the spatiotemporal order of chromatin changes that occur immediately following a site-specific double-strand break (DSB) upstream of the PHO5 locus and its subsequent repair by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). We observed the immediate eviction of a nucleosome flanking the break and the repositioning of adjacent nucleosomes away from the break. These early chromatin events were independent of the end-processing Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex and preceded the MRX-dependent broad eviction of histones and DNA end-resectioning that extends up to ~8 kb away from the break. We also examined the temporal dynamics of NHEJ-mediated repair in a G1-arrested population. Concomitant with DSB repair by NHEJ, we observed the redeposition and precise repositioning of nucleosomes at their originally occupied positions. This re-establishment of the prelesion chromatin landscape suggests that a DNA replication-independent mechanism exists to preserve epigenome organization following DSB repair.
Research on Improving Transient Stability of Power System with Distributed BESS and its Coordinated Control Method

The feasibility of battery energy storage system (BESS) in ameliorating power system transient stability has been proved. However, the required BESS capacity is large, which leads to high price. Meanwhile, the improving effect is significantly affected by fault location and BESS location. To address the problem, a distributed configuration of BESS, with a coordinated control method, is proposed in this paper. Firstly, an independent double-closed loop decoupling controller is designed for each BESS, so that the BESS unit can realize decentralized control according to its local correlation information. Secondly, particle swarm optimization is applied to optimize the control parameters of the distributed controllers to achieve coordinated control. Simulation results show that the distributed BESS controllers optimized by particle swarm optimization can better coordinate with each other, and the transient stability of the system is significantly improved.
Income inequality and the imprint of globalization on U.S. metropolitan areas

Abstract Inequality in metropolitan areas is at least partly framed by a paradoxical triangle of competing constituency motives over resources allocation. Chief among these motives is the penchant for urban economic development, leaving ecological sustainability and socioeconomic equity as “subordinate” considerations. For global cities in particular, understanding inequality in such a context highlights the extraordinary intensity of economic development motives in sustaining their worldwide centrality, connectivity and command over the forces of globalization. As a comparative empirical study of 53 large U.S. metropolitan areas, this paper examines economic development within a global city that plausibly explains its propensity for heightened income inequality. It applies an empirical-based path analysis in tracing essential workings of the paradoxical triangle in a global city's ongoing struggle to maintain global eminence. As an exploratory inquiry, it examines heightened income inequality as a function of (a) the global city's assemblage of strategic “cornerstone” resources to sustain global advantage, and (b) the concomitant polarizing effect of such assemblage on metropolitan employment structure.
Neuromuscular Respiratory Failure

A number of acute and chronic disorders, congenital and acquired, can affect muscular function, control of breathing, and the mechanics of respiration. Consequently, the leading cause of death among children afflicted with a neuromuscular disorder (NMD) is respiratory insufficiency. Even with excellent chronic management, the lives of these children may be punctuated by episodes of acute respiratory failure necessitating management in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). As long term survivorship with these disorders is increasing, there is an expectation of recovery to baseline functional status following acute crises. This requires the critical care specialist to have a broad understanding of the implications of neuromuscular disease and its management, that are unique and characteristic to this group. This chapter comprehensively details the anatomic and physiological disturbances particular to neuromuscular respiratory failure. Interactions between respiratory muscles, the chest wall, and the lung are highlighted. The management approach for this group of patients is then presented with a basis in the available evidence and the underlying pathophysiology. This includes secretion clearance, feeding and nutrition, non-invasive and invasive ventilation, extubation strategies, decision making regarding tracheostomy and palliative care. The significant defining features and treatment options for the major neuromuscular disorders that the critical care specialist encounters are also presented.
Rural poverty in Ecuador : a qualitative assessment

A complement to recent in-depth quantitative analyses of rural poverty in Ecuador, this is a report on the results of the Rural Qualitative Assessment in living conditions in rural communities in all three Ecuador's diverse regions. Using a variety of qualitative techniques, the research aimed to assess what poverty means to marginalized rural families, what kind of survival strategies families use in times of hardship, and what these families believe is needed to alleviate poverty. Several key messages emerge: 1) rural communities with the same characteristics (such as area, soil quality, and ethnic background) are actually very heterogeneous in their command of land resources, definition of well-being, range of economic activities, and recommendations for what is needed to overcome poverty; 2) in times of hardship, families have complemented income for traditional sources with earnings from new activities. In addition to migration, which plays a pivotal role in all communities, piecework and weaving are important to income generation in the Sierra, small businesses are important in the Costa, and increased production of cash crops is important in the Oriente. Families have also reduced expenditures on clothing, fiestas, and food. Spending less on food is alarming as malnutrition rates in rural Ecuador are already very high; and 3) poor rural families express very practical solutions to overcoming poverty. They don't demand sweeping changes. Overwhelmingly, they suggest measures that will make available land and human resources more productive. Almost half the suggestions from poor rural families have to do with infrastructure. Many families also want training courses (both agricultural and nonagricultural).
The CONTINUE Server (or, How I Administered PADL 2002 and 2003)

Conference paper submission and reviewing is an increasingly electronic activity. Paper authors and program committee members expect to be able to use software, especially with Web interfaces, to simplify and even automate many activities. Building interactive Web sites is a prime target of opportunity for sophisticated declarative programming languages. This paper describes the plt Scheme application Continue, which automates many conference paper management tasks.
Mini-incision Fixation of Proximal Humeral Four-Part Fracturess

Proximal humerus fractures are notoriously difficult to treat. The surrounding rotator cuff musculature makes intraoperative assessment of the reduction of fractures, especially those involving the articular surface, difficult to assess. Even fractures fixed with open reduction and internal fixation often require intraoperative fluoroscopic guidance to ensure appropriate anatomic reduction. The anatomic relationship between the articular surface and the surrounding rotator cuff has a critical influence on the final result. Furthermore, fixation is a challenge to maintain as the rotator cuff exerts strong deforming forces on the tuberosities, which are often of poor bone quality and do not hold hardware well. In spite of this, many unstable proximal humerus fractures are treated successfully with established methods of open reduction and internal fixation.
Open Surgical Management of Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease

Open surgical revascularization for isolated aortoiliac disease is a safe, effective, and durable intervention. Patients with critical limb ischemia, TASC C or D lesions, as well as those that have failed previous percutaneous interventions are among those that best served with open surgical intervention. Multiple direct, in-line anatomic, and extra-anatomic approaches exist for revascularization and the operation must be tailored to account for patient-specific anatomy and overall operative risk. Direct in-line reconstruction has a higher rate of patency, approaching 85 % at 10 years, than extra-anatomic bypass; however, the latter may be more appropriate for patients who have either failed or cannot undergo anatomic revascularization due to extreme operative risk.
Paradox and promise: Research on the role of recent advances in paleodemography and paleoepidemiology to the study of “health” in Precolumbian societies

Bioarcheology has made tremendous strides since the subdiscipline's inception, subsequent syntheses, the standardization of data collection methods, and analytical advances ranging from molecular analyses through age-estimation and biodistance. Concurrently, health and the adaptive success of past populations have remained primary concerns. However, questions are routinely raised about lesions and whether or not changing frequencies are synonymous with increases or decreases in stress, morbidity, and overall health. These include how and why healed lesions can simultaneously represent stress and survival, demanding that researchers understand how population dynamics influence skeletal sample formation. In this study, methods to analyze age- and sex-specific mortality patterns prior to, and in conjunction with, the analysis of linear enamel hypoplasias are demonstrated. Paleodemographic and paleoepidemiological models are presented for late Pre-Columbian skeletal samples from the Eastern Woodlands. Results of hazard modeling demonstrate that elevated mortality rates were commonplace during the latter half of the Mississippian period (AD 1200–1450) with reproductive-age females experiencing high age-specific risk of death attributed to the development of fortified villages and novel environments for increased pathogen loads. Corollary results are presented for the age-specificity of linear enamel hypoplasias in the central Illinois River valley. The epidemiological models demonstrate that the relationship between adult mortality and early childhood stress varied through space, culture, and time. These findings highlight the need to effectively operationalize measurements related to health and stress in past populations and support the adoption of selective mortality and heterogeneity in frailty as key concepts in bioarcheological research. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:268–280, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Imparting Knowledge, Skill, and Confidence to Rural Nurses

Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program The labor and delivery (L&D) nurse manager of a small community hospital contacted our academic medical center and requested assistance to train two medical/surgical nurses who float to the hospital's L&D unit for the occasional birth. Located in a remote area of Northern California with a low volume of births, the hospital setting is not conducive to providing adequate L&D experience for the nurses. A partnership was proposed to better prepare these nurses to care for L&D patients. Proposed Change Information provided by the community hospital indicated an extreme lack of resources for nurses who needed training in specialty areas. As a facility with less than 100 births per year located hours from the nearest city or major medical center, the hospital was not equipped to keep nurses current in L&D skills, knowledge, and practice. We were requested to provide a training opportunity incorporating 240 hours of didactic and practical instruction. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation A contract was secured, and a training outline was developed and submitted for approval. Per UC Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) requirements, a day of hospital orientation preceded the nurses' L&D training. This included mandatory safety training and the signing of a confidentiality agreement. When the nurses arrived on L&D, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses' (AWHONN) Perinatal Orientation and Education Program (POEP) testing was utilized as a baseline assessment of knowledge. Each nurse was assigned a master's‐prepared preceptor. The nurses received reference binders containing publications on fetal monitoring, labor and birth, postpartum care, newborn assessment, high‐risk obstetrics, obstetric emergencies, and operating room procedures, as well as journal articles. They attended lectures given by the perinatal nurse educator incorporating the POEP material. An AWHONN's Intermediate Fetal Monitoring Course (IFMC) was scheduled and conducted. Upon completion of the program, the nurses expressed tremendous gratitude to the staff and reported feeling much better prepared to care for perinatal patients. Scores on the POEP posttests increased by 32% and 44%, respectively, with an overall average score of 98.5% at the conclusion of the training. Implications for Nursing Practice The collaboration of hospitals from two very different milieus resulted in an unprecedented training opportunity for nurses caring infrequently for perinatal patients. The nurses reported an overwhelmingly positive experience. Other academic medical centers may consider developing similar programs to assist smaller hospitals in isolated areas with a lack of resources for nurse specialty training.
Prolonged White Matter Inflammation After Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Circulatory Arrest in a Juvenile Porcine Model

Background White matter (WM) injury is common after neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We have demonstrated that the inflammatory response to CPB is an important mechanism of WM injury. Microglia are brain-specific immune cells that respond to inflammation and can exacerbate injury. We hypothesized that microglia activation contributes to WM injury caused by CPB. Methods Juvenile piglets were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 CPB-induced brain insults (1, no-CPB; 2, full-flow CPB; 3, CPB and circulatory arrest). Neurobehavioral tests were performed. Animals were sacrificed 3 days or 4 weeks postoperatively. Microglia and proliferating cells were immunohistologically identified. Seven analyzed WM regions were further categorized into 3 fiber connections (1, commissural; 2, projection; 3, association fibers). Results Microglia numbers significantly increased on day 3 after CPB and circulatory arrest, but not after full-flow CPB. Fiber categories did not affect these changes. On post-CPB week 4, proliferating cell number, blood leukocyte number, interleukin (IL)-6 levels, and neurologic scores had normalized. However, both full-flow CPB and CPB and circulatory arrest displayed significant increases in the microglia number compared with control. Thus brain-specific inflammation after CPB persists despite no changes in systemic biomarkers. Microglia number was significantly different among fiber categories, being highest in association and lowest in commissural connections. Thus there was a WM fiber-dependent microglia reaction to CPB. Conclusions This study demonstrates prolonged microglia activation in WM after CPB. This brain-specific inflammatory response is systemically silent. It is connection fiber-dependent which may impact specific connectivity deficits observed after CPB. Controlling microglia activation after CPB is a potential therapeutic intervention to limit neurologic deficits after CPB.
Service Learning Pitfalls: Problems You Didnt See Coming

This study examines a semester-long service learning course. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that were responsible for the successes and failures of the projects. There is a profusion of literature that underscores the positive aspects of service learning. However, literature is scarce on why service learning may not always be the best option and how even the most thought out plans can go awry. The goal of this study is to use the unsuccessful aspects of the service learning course as a learning tool. By diagnosing the problems that occurred during the semester, the author seeks to contribute to solving them in the future, making the next service learning course a successful one. The information in this study will help make other instructors more aware of the issues that can arise while teaching a service learning course. This will enable instructors to plan accordingly and conduct a successful service learning course.
A low-loss 20 GHz micromachined bandpass filter

We report on the results of a state-of-the-art planar interdigitated bandpass filter at K-band by using micromachining techniques. In this design, a microwave model was first built at 850 MHz to simulate the K-band filter, and the 20 GHz micromachined filter was fabricated based on the 850 MHz microwave model. Excellent agreement has been achieved between the microwave model and the 20 GHz filter. The micromachined filter exhibits a return loss better than -15 dB within the passband and a 1.7 dB port-to-port insertion loss at 20.3 GHz. A grounded coplanar waveguide with a micromachined mouse-hole shielding structure has also been carefully examined. The grounded coplanar waveguide structure is used in the micromachined filter as the input/output feeding line and exhibits a return loss better than -20 dB up to 32 GHz. >
Myeloid expression of the AP‐1 transcription factor JUNB modulates outcomes of type 1 and type 2 parasitic infections

Summary Activation of macrophages is a key step in the initiation of immune responses, but the transcriptional mechanisms governing macrophage activation during infection are not fully understood. It was recently shown that the AP-1 family transcription factor JUNB positively regulates macrophage activation in response to Toll-like receptor agonists that promote classical or M1 polarization, as well as to the cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4), which elicits an alternatively activated or M2 phenotype. However, a role for JUNB in macrophage activation has never been demonstrated in vivo. Here, to dissect the role of JUNB in macrophage activation in a physiological setting, mice lacking JUNB specifically in myeloid cells were tested in two infection models: experimental cerebral malaria, which elicits a pathological type 1 immune response, and helminth infection, in which type 2 responses are protective. Myeloid-restricted deletion of Junb reduced type 1 immune activation, which was associated with reduced cerebral pathology and improved survival during infection with Plasmodium berghei. Myeloid JUNB deficiency also compromised type 2 activation during infection with the hookworm Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, leading to diminished cytokine production and eosinophil recruitment and increased parasite burden. These results demonstrate that JUNB in myeloid cells shapes host responses and outcomes during type 1 and type 2 infections.
Task versus Subtask Surgical Skill Evaluation of Robotic Minimally Invasive Surgery

Evaluating surgical skill is a time consuming, subjective, and difficult process. This paper compares two methods of identifying the skill level of a subject given motion data from a benchtop surgical task. In the first method, we build discrete Hidden Markov Models at the task level , and test against these models. In the second method, we build discrete Hidden Markov Models of surgical gestures, called surgemes , and evaluate skill at this level. We apply these techniques to 57 data sets collected from the da Vinci surgical system. Our current techniques have achieved accuracy levels of 100% using task level models and known gesture segmentation, 95% with task level models and unknown gesture segmentation, and 100% with the surgeme level models in correctly identifying the skill level. We observe that, although less accurate, the second method requires less prior label information. Also, the surgeme level classification provided more insights into what subjects did well, and what they did poorly.
Modeling and Simulation of Dynamic Characteristics of the Linear Rolling Guide in Turn-Milling Centre

In order to analyze accurately the dynamic characteristics of Linear Rolling Guide during the design stage, the Linear Rolling Guide that springs and damping units imitate joints is simulated by finite element methods in this paper. The proposed method can predict the regular pattern which joint stiffness and joint span affect natural frequency and harmonic response. The research demonstrates that the method predicts well the dynamic characteristics of the Linear Rolling Guide; therefore, it can be a reference for dynamic optimization design of Linear Rolling Guide in turn-milling center.