cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Continued Decline of Formal Urological Education of Medical Students in the United States: Does it Matter?

Purpose: Survey analyses of 50 years document a substantial decline in the formal urological education of United States medical students, resulting in repeated calls by urologists to reverse this trend. Has this trend continued during the last decade? If so, should we be concerned? We performed a national survey to provide an updated assessment of urological education at United States medical schools.Materials and Methods: All 321 applicants to the 2003 to 2004 United States urology residency match and 527 applicants to a Boston area emergency medicine residency program in 2003 to 2004 from accredited United States medical schools were invited to participate in the study. On a validated, anonymous online survey, these students were asked 1) did their school offer a required and/or elective clinical rotation in urology, and 2) if so, what was its duration and in which year was it usually completed.Results: Curricular data were obtained on 110 of 125 (88%) accredited United States medical schools. Of United...
Fracture coalescence in rock-type materials under uniaxial and biaxial compression

Abstract Fracture coalescence, which plays an important role in the behavior of brittle materials, is investigated by loading pre-fractured specimens of gypsum, used as a rock model material, in uniaxial and biaxial compression. Several new phenomena and their dependence on geometry and other conditions are observed. The specimens have two pre-existing fractures or flaws that are arranged in different geometries, and that can be either open or closed. Two different test series are performed with these flaw geometries, one under uniaxial loading and one with biaxial loading in which confining stresses of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 MPa are applied. As the vertical (axial) load is increased, new cracks emanate from the flaws and eventually coalesce. Flaw slippage, wing crack initiation, secondary crack initiation, crack coalescence, and failure are observed. Two types of cracks occur: wing cracks, which are tensile cracks, and secondary cracks which initiate as shear cracks in a plane roughly co-planar with the flaw. The secondary cracks usually propagate as shear cracks in the same plane but, depending on the geometry, they also propagate out of plane as either tensile or shear cracks. The wing cracks initiate at the flaw tips for uniaxial or low confinement biaxial conditions but move to the middle of the flaw and disappear completely for higher confining stresses. Three types of coalescence, which depend on the geometry of the flaws and to some extent on stress conditions, occur; they can be distinguished by different combinations of wing cracks and secondary cracks. For closed flaw specimens, at least partial debonding and slippage of the flaws is required prior to initiation of a crack. In uniaxial compression coalescence and failure occur simultaneously, while failure in biaxial compression occurs after coalescence.
External Cavity Mid-Infrared Semiconductor Lasers

Sb mid-IR laser can be used in external configuration to achieve wide wavelength tuning range. At low temperature, gain media with band-edge wavelengths between 3.3 to 4 pm have been demonstrated with wavelength tuning up to ∼9% of the center wavelength. Power output from few tens of mW to 0.2-W peak, 20-mW average was achieved. Type-II Sb laser promises the possibility of such performance at higher temperature, e. g. 200 K. However, significant trade-off must be considered between tuning range and power and efficiency. Optimization requires consideration of both basic wafer design and cavity geometry.
Gene Transfer into Human Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells: A Review of Current Clinical Protocols

Recent reviews by Clay Smith (1992) in this journal and by W. French Anderson (1990) and A. Dusty Miller (1992) have described the technologies used for gene transfer, the potential applications of the approach, and the safety issues that require consideration. This review will have a narrower focus. It will deal specifically with current and forthcoming clinical protocols for gene transfer into hemopoietic progenitor cells, because a major goal of gene therapy for malignant and nonmalignant disease is to transfer and express genes on a long-term basis in these cells or their progeny.
Assessing Risk for Recidivism in Individuals Convicted of Stalking Offenses: Predictive Validity of the Guidelines for Stalking Assessment and Management

This study examined the internal validity and predictive accuracy of the Guidelines for Stalking Assessment and Management (SAM), a structured professional judgment risk assessment tool for stalking. Interviewers rated 89 stalking offenders on the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) and SAM Nature (N) and Perpetrator (P) subscales. Researchers obtained stalking and violence outcomes prospectively from several sources, for an average follow-up period of 2.5 years. Cox Proportional Hazard analyses including SAM and PCL:SV scores demonstrated a significant positive relationship between SAM total and subscale scores in predicting stalking recidivism, whereas PCL:SV scores were negatively associated with recidivism. However, the SAM clinical risk ratings did not significantly predict stalking reoffending. There were also no significant associations between SAM scores and violent outcomes. These findings provide mixed support for the use of the SAM as a risk assessment tool for stalking offenders.
Asthma in the managed care setting

The quality improvement techniques of managed care are dramatically upgrading the delivery of asthma education and therapy, yielding cost-effective outcomes through a variety of approaches. Guidelines have been available in national and international references, but successful implementation outside of managed care has been poor. The complex components known to produce success in asthma care have not been properly reimbursed in the fee-for-service tradition. Even within managed care settings, attention to cost-effectiveness varies widely, and creative new approaches promise better returns than early asthma programs. Tools that managed care can offer for improved asthma outcomes and cost-effective options are presented.
The Diaries of Asa Fitch, M.D.

It is of Asa Fitch, 1809–1879, that C. V. Riley (1880) wrote, “While his earlier writings were contemporaneous with those of Harris, and his later ones with those of Walsh, he will, judged by the work he did, rank first among the fathers of applied entomology in America.”
STUDY ABOUT THE CROSS-FLOW SPEED CALCULATION FOR TRICONE BIT IN BOTTOM

The cross flow speed in bottom is the main factor to dispose of rock fragment and clean well-bore bottom. This paper established the well - bore bottom plane source - source superposition physical model for cross-flow field of triclinic combination jet flow of tricone bit. Based on hydromechanical basic principles, point - source scattering physical model in well - bore bottom plane with vertical single nozzle jet, and source - convergence superposition physical model in well - bore bottom plane incline single nozzle jet, mathematical model was drawn . It includes almost all design about tricone bit having truck with cross flow field in well bore bottom plane. The calculated results of the cross flow speed and distribution in well - bore bottom plane coincide with field and experiment results, the paper also provides a theoretical support for design of the tricone bit and the hydraulic parameters.
Masquerading Africa in the Carnival of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil 1895–1905

ABSTRACTThis article examines the ways in which black carnival clubs in Salvador, Bahia strategically used African themes and representations to negotiate social, political, and cultural space just after abolition in Brazil, which also coincided with the first years of the Republic. Contemporary newspaper accounts reveal a distinctly Bahian perspective on emerging black cosmopolitanism and pan-Africanism that deepens our understanding of this era in African diaspora history. The pioneer clubs Embaixada Africana (African Embassy) and the Pândegos da Africa (African Merrymakers) referenced high African civilization, royalty, and divinity in their themes at a time when Africans were being stereotyped as backwards and antithetical to national progress. In so doing, their carnival masquerades became a form of political speech and cultural contestation that was formally banned in 1905, but which laid the foundation for Afro-Bahian carnival expressions for the rest of the twentieth century.
Imitation or Innovation? Exploring the Determinants of Crowdfunding Success

What is the relationship between imitation, innovation, and new field legitimation? This paper sets out to explore the returns to imitating other organizations in field during the formation and leg...
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher-Like Disease

A family with X-linked inheritance and Pelizaeus-Merzbacher-like disease (PMLD), PMD without the proteolipid protein (PLP) mutation, studied at the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medicial School, New Brunswick, NJ, had a new locus on Xq chromosome, more than 10 cM away from PLP.
COCATS 4, the 2015 CCEP Advanced Training Statement, and the Transition From 12 to 24 Required Months of Electrophysiology Training: Rationale, Status, and Implications for the Future∗

Electrophysiology (EP) is an increasingly complicated field. Recognition of the complexity and scope of EP training has resulted in a consensus that it requires more than 12 months to become competent in the vast array of required decision-making and procedural skills. We aim to provide an update on
Regulatory Properties of Bovine Brain Calmodulin-Dependent Phosphatase

Phosphorylation is an important cellular regulatory mechanism, controlling and coordinating various enzymic activities. The relative concentration of phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated forms of the appropriate substrates must be properly maintained if they are to function in a regulatory capacity. The level of phosphorylation of a substrate is thus dependent upon a balance between the activities of kinases and those of phosphatases. Although considerable emphasis has been placed on the regulation of protein kinases, it is now evident that protein phosphatases are also subject to an intricate system of control.
Operative Learning Curve After Transition to Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery.

Background No clear consensus yet defines the endpoints for operative learning curves in the transition to minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. This retrospective review of our first 202 patients who underwent endoscopic pituitary resection examines the statistical learning curve related to operative times—a measure of our surgical team's efficiency and complication rate, a reflection of surgical skill and maturity. Methods Retrospective chart review included patient demographic data, tumor type, operative time, complications, and follow-up. During the 5-year study period, surgeries were performed by an otolaryngology-neurosurgery team. Statistical analysis by Pearson's correlation delineated a learning curve for operative time and complications. Results Our learning curve showed comparable plateaus: 120 cases (48% males, 52% females) for operative time (mean, 134 minutes; range, 62–307 minutes) and 100 cases for incidence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. The risk of CSF leak declined significantly with the surgeon's increasing experience. Complication rates were as follows: temporary nasal obstruction, 9.9%; CSF leak, 8.4%; postoperative epistaxis, 7%; sinusitis, 4.5%; septal osteomyelitis, 2.4%; postoperative sellar hematoma, 1.5%; anosmia, 0.5%; and septal perforation, 0.5%. The overall CSF leak rate included 5.5% intraoperative and 2.9% postoperative; most cases resolved with a lumbar drain. Four patients (2%) underwent postoperative surgical repair and lumbar drainage. Conclusion Our learning curve–defined endpoints for 2 measures, operative time and complication rates, support improved outcomes for reduced CSF leaks, the most common complication, with increasing operative experience. We will continue to examine the implications related to safety, efficacy, and the need for subspecialization in this minimally invasive surgery.
Ampoule and nozzle development for needle-free injections

A rigid, compact, multi-piece ampoule has been designed and fabricated as a platform to conveniently house different nozzle inserts one at a time to offer increased jet consistency and functional flexibility. Three different nozzle geometries that respectively produce a single axial jet, radial jets, and intersecting jets are designed and fabricated. Through high-speed imaging and injection into tissue analog and ex vivo porcine tissue, these nozzles are demonstrated to have potential for a range of injection applications including intradermal, intratympanic, and traditional uses. The presented ampoule is more successful than a commercial jet injection ampoule in adhering to desired position and velocity trajectories and the energy efficiencies of jet ejections are compared.
Diode Laser Resection of Prostate (980 nm)

Abstract Diode lasers are a class of lasers that generate laser radiation through a semiconductor. Diode lasers vary in wavelength, power, and fiber type and are clinically utilized in two types of prostatectomy procedures: Diode laser vaporization of the prostate (DiVAP) and diode laser enucleation of the prostate (DiLEP). DiVAP and DiLEP have been proven to be highly safe intraoperative techniques, characterized by the hemostasis and coagulative properties of diode lasers. However, DiLEP has a safer profile than DiVAP due to the high reoperation rates reported in some DiVAP research. Studies have proven that both techniques significantly improve voiding parameters and micturition symptoms. More randomized trials with a greater volume of participants and long-term outcome measurements are needed to confidently determine the safety and efficacy of DiVAP and DiLEP.
Beating market expectations and the pricing of firms’ probability of default

Abstract This study explores the impact of beating analysts' forecasts on investors' perceptions about firms' default probability. The information contained in analysts’ forecasts, both earnings and revenues, provides additional information to investors in pricing CDSs. While previous research has focused on the impact of beating analysts’ earnings forecasts, this study shows that firms that beat analysts' revenue forecasts also experience, on average, a decrease in the CDS premium around the earnings announcement date. This study also documents that the effect is stronger when firms beat/miss both earnings and revenue forecasts. When firms beat (miss) earnings and miss (beat) revenues, the effect of earnings is the dominant signal. These effects are stronger for firms with high levels of default risk.
Ethnic and racial difference in Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with immune thrombocytopenia treated at a major urban medical center

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder with a complex immunopathology and pathogenesis characterized by thrombocytopenia and bleeding manifestations. The disorder is separated into...
Self-referrals versus physician referrals: What new patient visit yields an actual surgical case?

OBJECTIVESpine surgeons in the United States continue to be overwhelmed by an aging population, and patients are waiting weeks to months for appointments. With a finite number of clinic visits per surgeon, analysis of referral sources needs to be explored. In this study, the authors evaluated patient referrals and their yield for surgical volume at a tertiary care center.METHODSThis is a retrospective study of new patient visits by the spine surgery group at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Spine Health from 2011 to 2016. Data on all new or consultation visits for 5 identified spinal surgeons at the Center for Spine Health were collected. Patients with an identifiable referral source and who were at least 18 years of age at initial visit were included in this study. Univariate analysis was used to identify demographic differences among referral groups, and then multivariate analysis was used to evaluate those referral groups as significant predictors of surgical yield.RESULTSAfter adjusting for demographic...
Scattering by Groups of Particles

The interactions between light and groups of particles in paint films are highly complex. While we can accurately calculate the scattering of an individual photon by a single particle in a resin matrix, these results are difficult to scale-up to scattering by groups of particles in a paint film. This is due to a number of complicating factors, the most important of which is that particles that are separated by short distances interfere with one another’s ability to scatter light. This phenomenon, termed “dependent scattering,” occurs when the pigment particles are so concentrated that close contacts are unavoidable (crowding), or when liquid dispersions of particles, such as a paint, are unstable and form flocculates or agglomerates (nonideal spacing). In this chapter, we review the dependent scattering phenomenon and describe ways of minimizing close pigment particle contacts and maximizing light scattering from paint films.
Smarter, stronger, longer

In Superhuman , Rowan Hooper sets out to explore the extremes of human ability, traveling the world and meeting a colorful cast of superlative subjects along the way. An editor for New Scientist , Hooper trained as an evolutionary biologist and is an open-minded and able guide, lucidly explaining the genetic and environmental factors that allow rare individuals to run for days on end, or sleep 3 hours a night long-term, or learn dozens of languages fluently.
Analyzing factors associated with decisional stage of adopting breast cancer screening among Korean American women using precaution adoption process model.

Background: Korean American (KA) women have experienced higher prevalence and lower survival rates of breast cancer (BC) than other ethnic groups in the United States. However, BC screening rates f...
Comparison of Campsite Impact Monitoring Methodologies for the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area in New York State

Ranking methodologies for estimating campsite impacts have traditionally been used in addition to (and sometimes in place of) actual measures of impacts. Ranking systems are easier to implement; however, there is concern that these methods may not accurately assess actual (quantitative) measures of impact. In the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area in New York State’s Adirondack Park, three ranking methodologies of campsite impact monitoring (i.e., Frissell Condition Class, Forest Service Minimum Protocol, and Multiple Parameter Categorical Ratings) were compared among each other and with a quantitative method (i.e., Research Level Survey) to evaluate campsite conditions. Although the three ranking methodologies classified campsite impacts with no significant difference in implementation time, the Multiple Parameter Categorical Ratings protocol provided a higher level of detail in the data than the other two methods. Measures of campsite condition from the three ranking methodologies significantly correlated with many of the quantitative measures collected through the Research Level Survey (e.g., soil density, seedling density, percent root exposure), but took much less time to implement than the Research Level Survey. However, implementing a modified Research Level Survey may be the better choice for monitoring campsites in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area. Specifically, concerns over data consistency for several variables (i.e., water infiltration, seedling density, and 1- and 10-hour fuels) indicate that a Research Level Survey modified to exclude these variables may in fact provide ratio-level data that are more precise in the long term and that do not significantly increase implementation time over the Multiple Parameter Categorical Ratings protocol. Subscribe to JPRA
Tracking and maintenance of goal-relevant location information in narratives

Two experiments were conducted to examine whether readers maintain location in a highly-accessible state in memory during narrative comprehension while reading narratives with goals closely tied to locations that story protagonists needed to reach. College undergraduates (n = 185, n = 100) read short, experiment-generated narratives manipulated in three ways. First, protagonist location was manipulated such that the goal was either completed or not, making subsequent critical sentences consistent or inconsistent, respectively, with the last-described location. Second, text distance between the manipulation of location and the later target sentence was varied such that the critical sentences were close to or distant from the last mention of location. Third, location words that explicitly mentioned the protagonist's location were either present or not in the critical sentences. Readers took longer to read critical sentences when the protagonist had not been described as reaching the goal location, suggesting that readers were maintaining location information in highly-accessible state. This effect emerged with or without explicit location words in the critical sentences and with near or distant backgrounding. These results are discussed in the context of scenario-based and memory-based theories of comprehension.
Volcanic glass as a proxy for Cenozoic elevation and climate in the Cascade Mountains, Oregon, USA

Abstract After deposition, volcanic glass hydrates with ambient water, recording the average hydrogen isotope ratio (δD or δ2H) of local meteoric water during the hydration period. Previous researchers have used ancient glass δD values to reconstruct paleotopography and paleoclimate, while others have questioned the long-term reliability of the proxy as a recorder of ancient meteoric water. In this study, we sampled volcanic glasses ranging in age ~33 Ma to 1 Ma) and local meteoric water (converted to glass δD values) throughout the study area. We propose a paleoenvironmental interpretation of volcanic glass results that resolves previously published isotopic data and agrees well with the petrologic, structural, and stratigraphic record. Namely, the Oregon Cascades have been a significant topographic barrier since at least the mid-Miocene, and likely as far back as the Oligocene. Since reaching a topographic maximum during the eruption of Columbia River flood basalts in the mid-Miocene, surface elevations in Oregon have decreased, while the northern Cascades in Washington continue to rise.
“I wonder why they don’t do the two-way”: Disrupting the one-way/two-way dichotomy, re-envisioning the possibilities of dual language bilingual education

This article describes the implementation process of a top-down dual-language bilingual education (DLBE) program in a large urban district, specifically examining the development of one-way (OW) an...
Biological activities of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor: in vivo and in vitro analysis.

Within the family of hematopoietic growth factors, murine G-CSF was first recognised as acting predominantly upon mature neutrophils and neutrophil progenitors, stimulating murine neutrophil colonies characterized by small size, maturity, and relative in-frequency [1, 2]. G-CSF is synthesized in many murine tissues and organs, possibly by common populations of macrophages or endothelial cells [3], and the factor has been purified from the lung tissue of endotoxin-treated mice as a 24000–25000 M r glycoprotein [4]. In contrast to GM-CSF and interleukin-3 (IL-3), G-CSF exerts a potent differentiation-inducing action on myeloid leukemic cells such as the WEHI-3 myelomonocytic leukemic cell line [4–6] and the M1 myeloblastic leukemic line [7].
Association of Race and Socioeconomic Status With Colorectal Cancer Screening, Colorectal Cancer Risk, and Mortality in Southern US Adults.

Importance Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is rarely studied in populations who may face additional barriers to participate in cancer screening, such as African American individuals and individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES). Objective To examine the associations of CRC screening and modalities with CRC incidence and mortality by race and SES. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study used data from the Southern Community Cohort Study, which enrolled more than 85 000 participants from community health centers or stratified random sampling of the general population in 12 states in the southeastern United States. The present study included data from cohort members who were eligible for CRC screening as recommended by expert organizations based on age and family history. Participants completed questionnaires from 2002 to 2009 and were contacted again from 2008 to 2012. Linkages to state cancer registries and the National Death Index as of December 31, 2016, identified incident CRC and vital status. Data analysis was performed from January 1, 2018, to October 30, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Incident CRC (n = 632) and mortality (n = 10 003). Cox proportional hazards regression models evaluated associations between screening modalities and CRC risk and mortality. Information on fecal occult blood test use was only obtained on the follow-up questionnaire. Self-identified race was measured as African American/black, white, or other, and SES was defined by household income. Results This study included 47 596 participants (median baseline age, 54 years [interquartile range, 10 years]; 32 185 [67.6%] African American; 28 884 [60.7%] female; and 26 075 [54.8%] with household income Conclusions and Relevance In this study, CRC test rates were low among African American individuals and those with low SES. The findings suggest that screening, particularly with colonoscopy, is significantly associated with reduced risk of CRC and mortality. The CRC disparities experienced by individuals with low SES and African American individuals may be lessened by improving access to and uptake of CRC screening.
The Syntax of Assertion and Presupposition

This paper addresses the question of how assertion and presupposition are reflected in the grammar. Since Kiparsky & Kiparsky (1970) and Hooper & Thompson (1973), it's often been suggested that these notions provide the semantic-pragmatic underpinning for a range of complementation patterns, including the licensing of so-called Main Clause Phenomena [MCP]. This paper presents a new large-scale experimental study, investigating the lexical and semantic-pragmatic licensing conditions of four types of MCP (Verb Second [V2], topicalization, speech act adverbs, and scene setting adverbs) in English, Swedish, and German. The central contribution of this paper is demonstrating what precise dimensions of assertion and presupposition are reflected in the grammar: for embedded V2, what matters is the discourse status of the embedded proposition as new vs. Given (in the sense of Schwarzschild 1999); a dimension which cross-cuts both factive and non-factive verbs. The other MCP investigated show no sensitivity to either of the lexical or pragmatic factors investigated. We further show that Givenness is not reflected in a (null) DP-layer, contrary to previous claims.
Racial Differences in Pain Management for Patients Receiving Hospice Care.

Objectives To investigate racial differences in implementation of 11 evidence-based cancer pain management strategies in a matched sample of patients in hospice. Sample & setting 32 African American and 32 Caucasian American older adults (aged 65 years or older) with cancer pain receiving hospice care in the midwestern United States. Methods & variables Matched cohort secondary data analysis of postintervention data in a cluster randomized controlled trial was used. Main outcomes are the summative and individual Cancer Pain Practice Index scores. Results There were few statistically significant or clinically meaningful differences in implementation of individual best practices for pain management by race. Assessment of primary pain characteristics and management of opioid-induced constipation with a bowel regimen was significantly lower in African Americans than in Caucasian Americans. Implications for nursing African American older adults receiving hospice care at the end of life received pain management that was, overall, comparable to matched Caucasian American older adults. Hospice and oncology nurses play a critical role in effective pain management and should continue to implement evidence-based guidelines for pain management into daily practice. Diffusing the hospice model and principles of pain and symptom management into other settings and specialty care areas may reduce widespread pain disparities.
Introduction: An Earth-Based Sensual Spirituality of Art, Ritual and Trance

This chapter begins to explore methods of inquiry and learning to engage a rematriation that includes grieving for and with the Earth our m/other. New old ways of reclaiming and regenerating human arational abilities are introduced through teaching and practicing art, ritual and trance as inquiry processes (not requiring drugs and/or paranormal or psychic abilities) are introduced. The chapter closes with an invitation into a ritual practice of creating sacred space for inquiry and learning.
Basement membrane proteins modulate cell migration on bovine pericardium extracellular matrix scaffold.

Native bovine pericardium (BP) exhibits anisotropy of its surface ECM niches, with the serous surface (i.e., parietal pericardium) containing basement membrane components (e.g., Laminin, Col IV) and the fibrous surface (i.e., mediastinal side) being composed primarily of type I collagen (Col I). Native BP surface ECM niche anisotropy is preserved in antigen removed BP (AR-BP) extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds. By exploiting sideness (serous or fibrous surface) of AR-BP scaffolds, this study aims to determine the mechanism by which ECM niche influences human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) migration. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) seeding on serous surface promoted more rapid cell migration than fibrous surface seeding. Gene analysis revealed that expression of integrin α3 and α11 were increased in cells cultured on serous surface compared to those on the fibrous side. Monoclonal antibody blockade of α3β1 (i.e., laminin binding) inhibited early (i.e. ≤ 6 h) hMSC migration following serous seeding, while having no effect on migration of cells on the fibrous side. Blockade of α3β1 resulted in decreased expression of integrin α3 by cells on serous surface. Monoclonal antibody blockade of α11β1 (i.e., Col IV binding) inhibited serous side migration at later time points (i.e., 6–24 h). These results confirmed the role of integrin α3β1 binding to laminin in mediating early rapid hMSCs migration and α11β1 binding to Col IV in mediating later hMSCs migration on the serous side of AR-BP, which has critical implications for rate of cellular monolayer formation and use of AR-BP as blood contacting material for clinical applications.
Premature Growth Plate Closure Caused by a Hedgehog Cancer Drug Is Preventable by Co-Administration of a Retinoid Antagonist in Mice.

The growth plates are key engines of skeletal development and growth and contain a top reserve zone followed by maturation zones of proliferating, prehypertrophic, and hypertrophic/mineralizing chondrocytes. Trauma or drug treatment of certain disorders can derange the growth plates and cause accelerated maturation and premature closure, one example being anti-hedgehog drugs such as LDE225 (Sonidegib) used against pediatric brain malignancies. Here we tested whether such acceleration and closure in LDE225-treated mice could be prevented by co-administration of a selective retinoid antagonist, based on previous studies showing that retinoid antagonists can slow down chondrocyte maturation rates. Treatment of juvenile mice with an experimental dose of LDE225 for 2 days (100 mg/kg by gavage) initially caused a significant shortening of long bone growth plates, with concomitant decreases in chondrocyte proliferation; expression of Indian hedgehog, Sox9, and other key genes; and surprisingly, the number of reserve progenitors. Growth plate involution followed with time, leading to impaired long bone lengthening. Mechanistically, LDE225 treatment markedly decreased the expression of retinoid catabolic enzyme Cyp26b1 within growth plate, whereas it increased and broadened the expression of retinoid synthesizing enzyme Raldh3, thus subverting normal homeostatic retinoid circuitries and in turn accelerating maturation and closure. All such severe skeletal and molecular changes were prevented when LDE-treated mice were co-administered the selective retinoid antagonist CD2665 (1.5 mg/kg/d), a drug targeting retinoid acid receptor γ, which is most abundantly expressed in growth plate. When given alone, CD2665 elicited the expected maturation delay and growth plate expansion. In vitro data showed that LDE225 acted directly to dampen chondrogenic phenotypic expression, a response fully reversed by CD2665 co-treatment. In sum, our proof-of-principle data indicate that drug-induced premature growth plate closures can be prevented or delayed by targeting a separate phenotypic regulatory mechanism in chondrocytes. The translation applicability of the findings remains to be studied. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
High Efficacy and Low Risk of Phytotoxicity of Sulfur in the Suppression of Strawberry Powdery Mildew

Sulfur is a multisite inhibitor of strawberry powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) recommended for fungicide resistance management, yet growers may refrain from its use due to purported phytotoxici...
Indiscrete: How Typical College Student Sexual Behavior Troubles Affirmative Consent’s Demand for Clear Communication

Advocates of affirmative consent argue that such policies can change sexual mores rooted in entitled masculinity while shifting the burden of preventing sexual assault from women to men. Yet there is little research to date on the implementation of affirmative consent or analysis of whether the policy’s demands are feasible in contemporary college sexual culture. We compare undergraduate students’ descriptions of sexual norms and behaviors on one college campus to the norms and logics implicit in the school’s affirmative consent sexual assault policy. Thirty-three undergraduate students from a mid-sized public university participated in one of eight same or mixed-gender, semi-structured focus groups in 2018. Affirmative consent assumes that sexual situations are a clearly definable category of activity, whereas student accounts suggest that sexual and non-sexual situations bleed into one another, making it difficult for students to establish consent via clear communication before sexual encounters begin. Students convey sexual interest through an accumulation of gestures exchanged over time, leading us to propose a cumulative model of consent. Students also report deliberately using ambiguous communication in sexual situations because it confers several social benefits, despite the risk of miscommunication. Student sexual behavior and affirmative consent policies are at odds because they are logically incompatible, and because student sexual culture is influenced by factors other than rape avoidance. Policies intended to curb sexual assault on campus should be written with normative student sexual behavior in mind and should offer clear guidelines for implementation in the real world.
The forkhead box transcription factor FoxP4 regulates thermogenic programs in adipocytes.

Forkhead box transcription factors have been shown to be involved in various developmental and differentiation processes. In particular, members of the FoxP family have been previously characterized in depth for their participation in the regulation of lung and neuronal cell differentiation and T-cell development and function; however, their role in adipocyte functionality has not yet been investigated. Here, we report for the first time that Forkhead box P4 (FoxP4) is expressed at high levels in subcutaneous fat depots and mature thermogenic adipocytes. Through molecular and gene expression analyses, we revealed that FoxP4 is induced in response to thermogenic stimuli, both in vivo and in isolated cells, and is regulated directly by the heat shock factor protein 1 through a heat shock response element identified in the proximal promoter region of FoxP4. Further detailed analysis involving chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays demonstrated that FoxP4 directly controls the levels of uncoupling protein 1, a key regulator of thermogenesis that uncouples fatty acid oxidation from ATP production. In addition, through our gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies, we showed that FoxP4 regulates the expression of a number of classic brown and beige fat genes and affects oxygen consumption in isolated adipocytes. Overall, our data demonstrate for the first time the novel role of FoxP4 in the regulation of thermogenic adipocyte functionality.
Exploring Primary Grades Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Students’ Mathematics Self-Efficacy and How They Differentiate Instruction

The purpose of this basic, exploratory study is to examine primary grades (K-2) teachers’ perceptions of the self-efficacy of their students in mathematics, whether or not there is a difference in the self-efficacy between students based on their performance, and to gather information about how teachers are differentiating instruction. Forty teachers completed an online open-ended survey. Data from responses was analyzed through a constant comparative process in order to answer the research questions. Teachers indicated that advanced students generally have a higher mathematical self-efficacy than their peers, therefore possibly influencing advanced students’ potential for higher academic achievement in mathematics. Additionally, many teachers reported using small groups and manipulatives as vehicles to differentiate instruction. However, the convenience sample and data collected warrants further studies to more closely examine the interaction between students’ self-efficacy, teachers’ differentiation, and student achievement.
Surface reconstruction with a fractional hole: (5×5)R26.6° LaAlO3 (001)

The structure of the $(\sqrt{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{5})R26.6\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ reconstruction of ${\mathrm{LaAlO}}_{3}$ (001) has been determined using transmission electron diffraction combined with direct methods. It has a lanthanum oxide termination with one lanthanum vacancy per surface unit cell. Density functional calculations indicate that charge compensation occurs by a fractional number of highly delocalized holes, and that the surface contains no oxygen vacancies and the holes are not filled with hydrogen. The reconstruction can be understood in terms of expulsion of the more electropositive cation from the surface and increased covalency.
The pathogen biology, identification and management of Rhizoctonia species with emphasis on isolates infecting turfgrasses

Rhizoctonia solani is an economically important soilborne basidiomycetous pathogen of worldwide distribution and it is known to attack at least 188 species of higher plants, including crops, vegetables, ornamentals, forest trees and turfgrasses. The pathogenic isolates may belong to multiple genera and species (i.e., Thanatephorus spp., Waitea spp., Ceratobasidium spp., etc.) and are variously responsible for pre- or post-emergence damping off of seedlings, crown necrosis and root rots, aerial blights and wilts, fruit rots and post-harvest losses, accounting for 5-10% loss in yield and product quality. Many non-pathogenic isolates of R. solani are decomposers of soil organic matter, contributors of soil ecology, symbiotic on plants and may serve as biocontrol agents. Isolates of R. solani are morphologically grouped based on the number of nuclei per cell and by hyphal anastomosis reactions, which are often unreliable methods for precise pathogen detection. Recent approaches utilizing molecular markers, genome finger printing, and ITS sequencing have increased the speed, precision, and practicality of accurately identifying or grouping R. solani isolates. Current investigations on endogenous double-stranded RNAs in relation to virulence and hypovirulence of R. solani and investigations at the ‘omics’ levels have opened up exciting possibilities for understanding its dynamic biological and pathogenic processes and interactions with environmental factors. This review will discuss modern approaches along with their potentials and limitations for investigating this challenging group of plant pathogens, with special reference to isolates pathogenic to turfgrasses.
Real time image analysis for infomobility

In our society, the increasing number of information sources is still to be fully exploited for a global improvement in urban living. Among these, a big role is played by images and multimedia data (i.e. coming from CCTV and surveillance videos, traffic cameras, etc.). This along with the wide availability of embedded sensor platforms and low-cost cameras makes it now possible the conception of pervasive intelligent systems based on vision. Such systems may be understood as distributed and collaborative sensor networks, able to produce, aggregate and process images in order to understand the observed scene and communicate the relevant information found about it. In this paper, we investigate the characteristics of image processing algorithms coupled to visual sensor networks. In particular the aim is to define strategies to accomplish the tasks of image processing and analysis over these systems which have rather strong constraints in computational power and data transmission. Thus, such embedded platform cannot use advanced computer vision and pattern recognition methods, which are power consuming, on the other hand, the platform may be able to exploit a multi-node strategy that allows to perform a hierarchical processing, in order to decompose a complex task into simpler problems. In order to apply and test the described methods, a solution to a visual sensor network for infomobility is proposed. The experimental setting considered is two-fold: acquisition and integration of different views of parking lots, and acquisition and processing of traffic-flow images, in order to provide a complete description of a parking scenario and its surrounding area.
In Search Of True Things Worth Knowing: Considerations For A New Article Prototype

Within social and personality psychology, the existing “old prototype” of a publishable article is at odds with new expectations for transparent reporting. If researchers anticipate having to report everything while continuing to aim for a research product that includes multiple studies, examining a novel effect, with only statistically significant results, this will have negative implications for initial decisions about what research to conduct. First, researchers will be discouraged from collecting additional data because this could potentially mar existing findings. Second, they will be discouraged from pursuing questions for which the answers are unknown, as this would be a waste if the results do not fit old-prototype expectations. These practices undermine what seem to be two universal values within personality and social psychology: truth and interestingness. Suggestions for a “new prototype” that de-emphasizes p-value cutoffs, multiple studies, and novelty will be discussed with an eye toward encouraging research decisions that foster true and interesting findings.
Policy Alternatives in Adaptive Communities: Simulating the Environmental Justice Consequences of Hazardous Site Remediation Strategies

Many governments have implemented environmental justice mandates requiring agencies to consider the implications of cleanup decisions for poor and/or minority populations. To the extent that this mandate alters decisions, it usually does so by considering the composition of a community in the present without adjusting for potential demographic changes that may occur over time. However, communities change and these changes are likely to affect how well an agency meets its environmental justice mandate over the long term. In this research, an agent-based model is introduced to simulate how alternative environmental remediation scenarios may affect environmental justice outcomes in a dynamic residential environment with two demographic classes with preferences for living in proximity to neighbors similar to themselves. Under these circumstances, there is unlikely to be one best strategy to achieve both environmental improvement and environmental equity, and a focus on valuable land is the least effective over the long run.
A method for the determination of 5,6-EET using the lactone as an intermediate in the formation of the diol

Abstract The 5,6 epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (5,6-EET) exhibits a range of biological activities but the functional significance of this labile eicosanoid is unknown due, in part, to difficulties of quantitation in biological samples. We have developed a sensitive and specific method to measure 5,6-EET utilizing its selective capacity to form a lactone. The initial conversion of 5,6-EET and 5,6-dihydr oxyeicosatrienoic acid (5,6-DHT) to 5,6-δ-lactone is followed by selective purification using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), reconversion to 5,6-DHT and quantitation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). In oxygenated Krebs' buffer, 5,6-EET degrades to 5,6-δ-lactone and 5,6-DHT with a t1/2 ≈ 8 min. In the presence of camphorsulfonic acid, 5,6-EET and 5,6-DHT convert to a single HPLC peak (λ = 205) comigrating with 5,6-δ-lactone. Incubation of 5,6-δ-lactone with triethylamine resulted in a single HPLC peak with the retention time of 5,6-DHT. In the perfusate from the isolated kidney, release of 5,6-EET (20 ± 5 pg/ml), measured indirectly via conversion to 5,6-DHT, was approx. 6-fold less than that reported for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and 20-HETE. The coronary perfusate concentration of 5,6 EET was 9 ± 2 pg/ml. 5,6-EET recovered from renal and coronary perfusates was increased 2-fold to 45.5 ± 5.5 pg/ml and 21.6 ± 6.3 pg/ml, respectively, by arachidonic acid.—Fulton, D., J. R. Falck, J. C. McGiff, M. A. Carroll, and J. Quilley. A method for the determination of 5,6-EET using the lactone as an intermediate in the formation of the diol.
Managing Pain in the Older Adult, Edited by Michaelene Jansen

Managing Pain in the Older Adult Edited by Michaelene Jansen. Older adults comprise a rapidly growing segment of both society and consumers of health care. This population has a very high prevalence of persistent pain. Their pain is often undertreated or untreated because of inadequate assessment, concerns related to the harmful effects of medications, or social and economic barriers. The undertreatment of pain is recognized as a threat to the overall health and well-being of older adults and can contribute to physical harm, mental despair, and social isolation. Although much remains to be learned, there is now a growing body of literature on the topic. The book Managing Pain in the Older Adult , edited by Michaelene Jansen [1], contributes to this literature as a reference for a wide range of clinicians caring for older adults. Although Dr. Jansen, a Gerontological Nurse-Practitioner, identifies the target audience as primary-care providers; nurses, therapists, and social workers would also find the content useful. The book …
Alternative Procedures for Assessing Intellectual Strengths of Young Children

Children's scores on the Metropolitan Readiness Test were correlated with their creativity indicators on the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, Figural Form B and performances on selected conserv...