cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An undergraduate study of two transcription factors that promote lateral root formation

We present a lab that enables students to test the role of genes involved in the regulation of lateral roots growth in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, students design an experiment that follows the effects of the hormone auxin on the stimulation of genes involved in the formation of lateral root initials. These genes, known as lateral organ boundary domain containing protein (LBD) genes, are upregulated in the presence of auxin as part of a multistep molecular and biochemically controlled pathway. Depending on which LBD gene is tested, and the stage of root development, expression patterns are localized in a discrete and punctate fashion at the site of lateral root initials (LBD33), or reveal a broader localization pattern (LBD16). Students view expression using the reporter gene GUS (beta-glucuronidase). Before GUS staining, students view root growth in a “pseudo-aseptic” agar-based environment that allows complete visualization of whole root development to determine the proper stage to test molecular expression. © 2014 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(3):XXXXX–XXXXX, 2014.
Corruption of Pulsed Electric Thruster Voltage Fluctuation Measurements by Transmission Line Resonances

C = ladder network stage capacitance E = difference operator L = ladder network stage inductance ‘ = number of ladder network stages m = voltage measurement node n = ladder network node identifier, 0 n ‘ Rt = termination resistance s = Laplace variable V t = transmission line driving signal ~ Vn = Laplace transform of the voltage at any node n x = length of transmission line min = smallest wavelength present in V t ! = oscillation frequency
Response of soil microbial communities and the production of plant-available nitrogen to a two-year rainfall manipulation in the New Jersey Pinelands.

Abstract Projected changes in precipitation patterns in the northeastern U.S. may alter soil moisture dynamics and cause a shift in the structure and function of soil microbial communities. We studied the potential for such changes by manipulating annual precipitation amount in an oak–pine forest of the New Jersey Pinelands. During a two-year field study we tested the effects of a complete rain exclusion, as well as a doubling of rainfall, on soil microbial biomass, community composition (phospholipid fatty acid analysis) and the production of plant-available nitrogen (nitrogen mineralization + amino-acid production). We found that neither microbial biomass nor community composition was affected by the experimental manipulations. Despite having studied the organic horizon, the relatively high sand content appeared to influence this response by limiting the extent to which soil moisture increased in response to elevated rainfall. Furthermore, a strong correlation between soil moisture and the physiological status of Gram-negative bacteria suggested that soil microbes in the New Jersey Pinelands are well adapted to soil drying. We observed a sustained accumulation of ammonium in drought plots that was more than four times the value of all other treatments after one year. The relationship between soil moisture and nitrogen mineralization changed with season, suggesting that the effect of changing rainfall patterns on nitrogen cycling will depend upon microbial physiological demand and substrate diffusion. Based on available estimates of foliar N concentration in the New Jersey Pinelands, we conclude that neither the accumulation of ammonium in drought plots, nor the changes in nitrogen mineralization rates in response to high and low soil moisture will affect plant nitrogen demand. However, if the ammonium pool in dry soil had been mobilized by precipitation, a shift towards a higher bacteria:fungi ratio – and therefore higher nitrogen mineralization rates – may have occurred.
Advances in solid-phase extraction disks for environmental chemistry

Abstract The development of solid-phase extraction (SPE) for environmental chemistry has progressed significantly over the last decade to include a number of new sorbents and new approaches to SPE. One SPE approach in particular, the SPE disk, has greatly reduced or eliminated the use of chlorinated solvents for the analysis of trace organic compounds. This article discusses the use and applicability of various SPE disks, including micro-sized disks, prior to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the analysis of trace organic compounds in water.
Heme Oxygenase-1 Attenuates Glucose-Mediated Cell Growth Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Microvessel Endothelial Cells

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress protein that has been suggested to participate in defense mechanisms against agents that may induce oxidative injury, such as heme and inflammatory molecules. Incubation of endothelial cells in a high-glucose (33 mmol/L) medium for 7 days resulted in a decrease of HO activity by 34% and a decrease in HO-1 and HO-2 proteins compared with cells exposed to low glucose (5 mmol/L) (P<0.05) or cells exposed to mannitol (33 mmol/L). Overexpression of HO-1 was coupled with an increase in HO activity and carbon monoxide synthesis, decreased cellular heme, and acceleration in all phases of the cell cycle (P<0.001). The rate of cell cycle or cell birth rate was increased by 29% (P<0.05) in cells overexpressing HO-1 but decreased by 23% (P<0.05) in cells underexpressing HO-1 compared with control cells. Exposure to high glucose significantly decreased cell-cycle progression in control cells and in cells underexpressing HO-1 but did not decrease cell-cycle progression in cells overexpressing HO-1. High glucose induced p21 and p27 in control cells but not in cells overexpressing HO-1. The addition of tin-mesoporphyrin (SnMP), an inhibitor of HO activity, reversed the HO-1-mediated decrease of p21 and p27 in cells overexpressing HO-1. These findings identify a novel effect of HO-1 on endothelial cell growth and indicate that heme metabolism and HO-1 expression regulate signaling systems in cells exposed to high glucose, which controls cell-cycle progression.
Two Kinds of Definites Cross-linguistically

Definite descriptions constitute a core device for managing reference in natural language, and their semantics has been explored in great detail within formal approaches. There also is a rich descriptive literature on cross-linguistic phenomena concerning definites, but the theoretical literature has only recently begun to incorporate a wider range of languages and phenomena in this realm. The present paper provides an illustrative overview of one class of recently discussed cross-linguistic phenomena, focusing on languages that differentiate between different kinds of definites (namely German, Fering, Akan, Mauritian Creole, Lakhota, Hausa, and Haitian Creole) and the theoretical views that seem to capture the two types most straightforwardly: one type of definite, involving ‘weak articles’, is based on uniqueness, whereas ‘strong article’ definites crucially involve an anaphoric link. The contrast extends to so-called bridging uses in interesting ways, and the fact that there is a striking resemblance in the contrast across typologically unrelated languages points to a fundamental distinction that natural languages can utilize in organizing their referential system. The paper closes with an outlook on directions for future research.
Subject, Body, Place

dward Casey's essay stands in a long and distinguished line of phenomenological analyses of human spatiality. Other contributors include Husserl (1970, 1997), Heidegger ([1952] 1971, [1927] 1978), Diirckheim (1932), Lassen (1939), Merleau-Ponty ([1945] 1962), Bollnow (1963), Golz (1970), Kruse (1974), Waldenfels (1985), Casey himself (1993) and, from just outside phenomenology proper, Strauss (1930), Binswanger (1933), Bachelard ([1958] 1964), and Buttimer (1976). Linking most of these analyses are a cluster of theses, most notably: that self and place are interrelated; that the living-lived body is the central mediating phenomenon between them, and that place and the living-lived body are distinct from space and the physical body. The idea that self and place are mutually constituting is also not foreign to most of these thinkers. In the present essay, Casey extends the phenomenological legacy, first, by harnessing Bourdieu's ([1980] 1990) notion of habitus to theorize the body as mediator and, second, by connecting the phenomenological conception of horizon to the geographical notion of landscape. These are valuable additaments that enrich the overall phenomenological approach. The following comments address three aspects of Casey's presentation: the conditions that something must fulfill in order to mediate self and place; the issues that arise when "the body" is cited as the vehicle of mediation; and contemporary transformations in the character of place. I emphasize that my comments are keyed to the present essay alone and do not attempt to engage his other (1987, 1993, 1997) considerable and admirable discussions of these topics.
Using Defect Reports to Build Requirements Knowledge in Product Lines

In a recent study of a product line, we found that the defect reports both (1) captured new requirements information and (2) implicated undocumented, tacit requirements information in the occurrence of the defects. We report four types of requirements knowledge revealed by software defect reports from integration and system testing for two products in this highdependability product line. We argue that storeandretrievebased requirements management is insufficient to avoid recurrence of these types of defects on upcoming members of the product line. We then propose the use of two mechanisms not traditionally associated with requirements management, one formal and one informal, to improve communication of these types of requirements knowledge to developers of future products in the product line. We show how the two proposed mechanisms, namely feature models extended with assumption specifications (formal) and structured anecdotes of paradigmatic productline defects (informal), can together improve propagation of the requirements knowledge exposed by these defects to future products in the product line.
A comparison of lignin and stable carbon isotope compositions in quaternary marine sediments

Organic matter in four Quaternary sediment cores from the Gulf of Mexico and one core from the Washington State coast have been analyzed for lignin and stable carbon isotope compositions. Holocene sequences of all five cores contain organic matter with high relative abundances of 13C (δ13C = −19.0 to −22.5% versus PDB) and low lignin concentrations, both of which are consistent with a marine origin. Distinctly lower 13C concentrations (δ13C = −24.0 to −25.5%) occur in underlying glacial-age sequences from four of the five cores, including the core from the Washington coast where such trends are previously unreported. Although the carbon isotopic compositions of these Pleistocene sediments are typical of predominantly land-derived organic matter, they contain only about 5% of the lignin found in modern sediments of similar δ13C from adjacent continental shelves. The lignin-poor organic matter in the glacial-age deposits appears to be either marine-derived or terrigenous material that likely was depleted in vascular plant debris at the time of deposition.
A Framework for Service-Learning in Dental Education

Service-learning has become an important component of higher education. Integrating service-learning into dental and dental hygiene curricula will foster graduates who are better prepared to work effectively among diverse populations and to function dynamically in the health policy arena. Although the phrase is familiar to dental educators, there is not a consistent understanding of what comprises this pedagogy. This article offers a framework for service-learning in dental education and describes ten components that characterize true service-learning. This framework can provide a common understanding of this form of experiential education that brings community engagement and educational objectives together. More effective programs can be built around a shared understanding of the characteristics and goals of service-learning in dental education.
The inner small satellites of Saturn: A variety of worlds

More than a dozen small (<150 km mean radius) satellites occupy distinct dynamical positions extending from within Saturn’s classical rings to the orbit of Dione. The Cassini mission has gradually accumulated image and spectral coverage of these objects to the point where some generalizations on surface morphology may be made. Objects in different dynamical niches have different surface morphologies. Satellites within the main rings display equatorial ridges. The F-ring shepherding satellites show structural forms and heavily cratered surfaces. The co-orbitals Janus and Epimetheus are the most lunar-like of the small satellites. Satellites occupying libration zones (Trojan satellites) have deep covering of debris subject to downslope transport. Small satellites embedded in ring arcs are distinctively smooth ellipsoids that are unique among small, well-observed Solar System bodies and are probably relaxed, effectively fluid equilibrium shapes indicative of mean densities of about 300 kg m � 3
Selected Compliance Issues Under Code Section 415

Code Section 415 imposes limitations on both defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans. Understanding the finer points of complying with these limitations is crucial for properly administering plans.
Teaching Marketing Ethics in the 21st Century

Concerns are constantly raised about marketing's negative effects on cultural values. Society demands that businesses and marketers, in particular, be more ethically responsible. What have marketin...
Annual summary of vital statistics--1974.

Data for this article, as in previous reports, are drawn principally from the Monthly Vital Statistics Report, published by the National Center for Health Statistics. The international data come from the Demographic Yearbook and the quarterly Population and Vital Statitics, both published by the Statistical Office of the United Nations, and the World Health Statistics Report, published by the World Health Organization. All the United States data for 1974 are estimates based upon a 10% sample of material received in state offices between two dates, one month apart regardless of when the event occurred. Experience has shown that for the country as a whole the estimate is very close to the subsequent final figures.
Donor-Dependent Kinetics of Interfacial Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer.

The effect of the proton donor on the kinetics of interfacial concerted proton–electron transfer (CPET) to polycrystalline Au was probed indirectly by studying the rate of hydrogen evolution from trialkylammonium donors with different steric profiles, but the same pKa. Detailed kinetic studies point to a mechanism for HER catalysis that involves rate-limiting CPET from the proton donor to the electrode surface, allowing this catalytic reaction to serve as a proxy for the rate of interfacial CPET. In acetonitrile electrolyte, triethylammonium (TEAH+) displays up to 20-fold faster CPET kinetics than diisopropylethylammonium (DIPEAH+) at all measured potentials. In aqueous electrolyte, this steric constraint is largely lifted, suggesting a key role for water in mediating interfacial CPET. In acetonitrile, TEAH+ also displays a much larger transfer coefficient (β = 0.7) than DIPEAH+ (β = 0.4), and TEAH+ displays a potential-dependent H/D kinetic isotope effect that is not observed for DIPEAH+. These results d...
Osmotic control of vasopressin in male and female rats.

To examine the osmotic control of vasopressin release, hypertonic saline was infused in conscious unrestrained male rats and female rats in each phase of the estrous cycle. The progressive increase...
RNase H2 catalytic core Aicardi-Goutières syndrome–related mutant invokes cGAS–STING innate immune-sensing pathway in mice

The neuroinflammatory autoimmune disease Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS) develops from mutations in genes encoding several nucleotide-processing proteins, including RNase H2. Defective RNase H2 may induce accumulation of self-nucleic acid species that trigger chronic type I interferon and inflammatory responses, leading to AGS pathology. We created a knock-in mouse model with an RNase H2 AGS mutation in a highly conserved residue of the catalytic subunit, Rnaseh2a(G37S/G37S) (G37S), to understand disease pathology. G37S homozygotes are perinatal lethal, in contrast to the early embryonic lethality previously reported for Rnaseh2b- or Rnaseh2c-null mice. Importantly, we found that the G37S mutation led to increased expression of interferon-stimulated genes dependent on the cGAS-STING signaling pathway. Ablation of STING in the G37S mice results in partial rescue of the perinatal lethality, with viable mice exhibiting white spotting on their ventral surface. We believe that the G37S knock-in mouse provides an excellent animal model for studying RNASEH2-associated autoimmune diseases.
Early hyperactivity and precocious maturation of corticostriatal circuits in Shank3B-/- mice

Some autistic individuals exhibit abnormal development of the caudate nucleus and associative cortical areas, suggesting potential dysfunction of cortico-basal ganglia (BG) circuits. Using optogenetic and electrophysiological approaches in mice, we identified a narrow postnatal period that is characterized by extensive glutamatergic synaptogenesis in striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) and a concomitant increase in corticostriatal circuit activity. SPNs during early development have high intrinsic excitability and respond strongly to cortical afferents despite sparse excitatory inputs. As a result, striatum and corticostriatal connectivity are highly sensitive to acute and chronic changes in cortical activity, suggesting that early imbalances in cortical function alter BG development. Indeed, a mouse model of autism with deletions in Shank3 (Shank3B(-/-)) shows early cortical hyperactivity, which triggers increased SPN excitatory synapse and corticostriatal hyperconnectivity. These results indicate that there is a tight functional coupling between cortex and striatum during early postnatal development and suggest a potential common circuit dysfunction that is caused by cortical hyperactivity.
Hydrogen in diopside: Diffusion profiles

The kinetics of diffusion for hydrogen in diopside single crystals from Jaipur, India, were determined by performing room pressure dehydration experiments at temperatures from 700–850 °C and an oxygen fugacity of 10 −14 bar. The hydrogen diffusivities were determined for the [100], [010], and [001]* directions either from concentration profiles for hydroxyl in samples after annealing or from bulk hydroxyl concentrations as a function of anneal time for sequential dehydration experiments. The rate of diffusion is anisotropic, with fastest transport along the [100] and [001]* axes and slowest along the [010] axis. Fits of the data to an Arrhenius law yield activation energies and pre-exponential terms of 181 ± 38 kJ/mol and 10 −2.1±1.9 m 2 /s for diffusion parallel to [100], and 153 ± 32 kJ/mol and 10 −3.4±1.6 m 2 /s for diffusion parallel to [001]*. For diffusion parallel to [010], the data were measured over an insufficient temperature range to calculate the activation energy for diffusion. However, these diffusivities were approximately an order of magnitude slower than those for diffusion parallel to [100] or [001]*. The measured rates and anisotropy for self-diffusion of hydrogen in diopside are consistent with those determined from hydrogen-deuterium exchange in Russian diopside (Hercule and Ingrin 1999). The hydrogen diffusivities are also similar in magnitude to those for olivine (Mackwell and Kohlstedt 1990) and are large enough that the hydrogen content of millimeter-size diopside grains with compositions near Jaipur diopside will adjust to changing environmental conditions in time scales of hours at temperatures as low as 800 °C. As xenoliths ascending from the mantle remain at high temperatures (i.e., >1000 °C) but experience a rapid decrease in pressure, diopside grains may dehydrate during ascent. Thus, low water contents for diopside crystals from xenoliths cannot be taken as indicative of low water contents in the mantle.
The Johnson Years, Volume Two: Vietnam, the Environment and Science.

Robert A. Divine is the George W. Littlefield Professor Emeritus in American History at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a past president of the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations, and his publications include Blowing on the Wind: The Nuclear Test Ban Debate, 1954–1960 and Eisenhower and the Cold War.
Design and Implementation of Low Cost Movement Detection System Based on FPGA

The technical of movement detection based on Gauss mixture model is researched,which is used in intelligent monitor widely.A low cost system which combines both characteristic of FPGA and DDR is designed to solve the key nodus of real-time.The novel design is validated on system of Cyclone III series FPGA.The implementation results show that the system can meet the requirements of real-time monitoring system.
A Pilot Study Assessing the Effects of Pallidal Deep Brain Stimulation on Sleep Quality and Polysomnography in Parkinson's Patients.

Objective Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an established adjunctive surgical intervention to treat poorly controlled motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Both surgical targets (the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus) have proven equally efficacious in treating motor symptoms but unique differences may exist in effects on nonmotor symptoms. Sleep dysfunction, a common disabling symptom in PD, has only been examined directly in the subthalamic target, demonstrating some beneficial changes in sleep quality. We aimed to explore sleep changes after pallidal stimulation; hypothesizing similar benefits would be seen. Methods We performed a prospective nonblinded clinical trial evaluating sleep in five PD patients already slated for pallidal DBS pre and six months postimplantation using validated sleep surveys and polysomnograms (PSGs). Surveys included the Epworth sleepiness scale, PD sleep scale, Insomnia severity index (ISI), and RLS severity scale. Results Most patients had notable improvements in sleep quality as measured by PSG metrics such as sleep efficiency and latency to sleep but they did not reach statistical significance. Most surveys reflected an improvement as well with the ISI scale showing the most promising trend post pallidal DBS (14.4 ± 7.02 vs. 9.0 ± 2.55; p = 0.07). Conclusion In this small pilot trial, pallidal DBS failed to demonstrate statistically significant improvements in sleep metrics postimplantation but did reveal improving trends in several PSG measures including sleep efficiency and latency to sleep onset as well as sleep survey scores. A larger, blinded clinical trial is needed to more definitively determine whether pallidal DBS may benefit sleep.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 Augments Bacterial Clearance in a Juvenile Sepsis Model.

Genetic ablation or pharmacologic inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP8) improves survival in an adult murine sepsis model. Because developmental age influences the host inflammatory response, we hypothesized that developmental age influences the role of MMP8 in sepsis. First, we compared sepsis survival between wild-type (WT, C57BL/6) and MMP8 null juvenile-aged mice (12–14 d) after intraperitoneal injection of a standardized cecal slurry. Second, peritoneal lavages collected 6 h and 18 h after cecal slurry injection were analyzed for bacterial burden, leukocyte subsets and inflammatory cytokines. Third, juvenile WT mice were pretreated with an MMP8 inhibitor prior to cecal slurry injection; analysis of their bacterial burden was compared with vehicle-injected animals. Fourth, the phagocytic capacity of WT and MMP8 null peritoneal macrophages was compared. Finally, peritoneal neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were compared using immunofluorescent imaging and quantitative image analysis. We found that juvenile MMP8 null mice had greater mortality and higher bacterial burden than WT mice. Leukocyte counts and cytokine concentrations in the peritoneal fluid were increased in the MMP8 null mice relative to the wild-type mice. Peritoneal macrophages from MMP8 null mice had reduced phagocytic capacity compared to WT macrophages. There was no quantitative difference in NET formation, but fewer bacteria were adherent to NETs from MMP8 null animals. In conclusion, in contrast to septic adult mice, genetic ablation of MMP8 increased mortality following bacterial peritonitis in juvenile mice. This increase in mortality was associated with reduced bacterial clearance and reduced NET efficiency. We conclude that developmental age influences the role of MMP8 in sepsis.
Development of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workshop for Diabetes

This case describes the development of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop for people with diabetes, designed to help meet the acute need for quality psychological care for patients. There were multiple considerations in developing the quality improvement program: 1. The group nature of the program. Group environments enhance social modeling and provide support not possible in individual therapy. 2. Efficiency and resource management. This workshop does not duplicate resources already offered. 3. Time commitment of participants. The group consisted of four 90-minute sessions, which we believed would be an adequate amount of time to teach the desired ACT intervention based on previous work (1). 4. Reduction of stigmatization and increase in participation. We wanted to avoid the words “therapy,” “intervention,” and “group.” The intervention was titled “Living a Vital Life with Diabetes” and was referred to as “A 4-Part Workshop Series.” The program curriculum was adapted from a multitude of ACT sources (2–5). The ACT model has six core components that work together flexibly such that each core component is connected to the others. The six core components are 1 ) contact with the present moment, 2 ) values, 3 ) committed action, 4 ) self as context, 5 ) cognitive defusion, and 6 ) acceptance. The “acceptance” and “committed action” portions of ACT are often presented as follows: acceptance of the …
An Empirical Prior Improves Accuracy for Bayesian Estimation of Transcription Factor Binding Site Frequencies within Gene Promoters

A Bayesian method for sampling from the distribution of matches to a precompiled transcription factor binding site (TFBS) sequence pattern (conditioned on an observed nucleotide sequence and the sequence pattern) is described. The method takes a position frequency matrix as input for a set of representative binding sites for a transcription factor and two sets of noncoding, 5′ regulatory sequences for gene sets that are to be compared. An empirical prior on the frequency A (per base pair of gene-vicinal, noncoding DNA) of TFBSs is developed using data from the ENCODE project and incorporated into the method. In addition, a probabilistic model for binding site occurrences conditioned on λ is developed analytically, taking into account the finite-width effects of binding sites. The count of TFBS β (conditioned on the observed sequence) is sampled using Metropolis–Hastings with an information entropy-based move generator. The derivation of the method is presented in a step-by-step fashion, starting from specific conditional independence assumptions. Empirical results show that the newly proposed prior on β improves accuracy for estimating the number of TFBS within a set of promoter sequences.
Gradual Increases in Scheduled and Actual Early Follow-Up After Heart Failure Hospitalization: Two Steps Forward or One Step Forward?

Since roll out of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program in 2012, which penalizes hospitals ≤3% of their total Medicare payments if 30-day readmission rates for selected chronic conditions are in excess of the national average, heart failure (HF) readmission reduction has been center stage for hospital administrators, clinicians, and health-policy researchers.1 Although the goal of improving care around the time of hospitalization is laudable, specific actions for reducing excess HF readmissions are not offered by the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program. Furthermore, the majority of high-quality randomized trials of varied HF transitional care interventions have failed to reduce readmission rates. Instead, hospitals have needed to rely on locally implemented solutions often using care processes with face validity.2 See Article by DeVore et al A logical and commonly championed HF transitional care intervention is early ambulatory care follow-up after hospital discharge. In 2009, Hernandez et al3 reported an association between hospital-level early follow-up and decreased rates of 30-day readmissions. Despite limitations of this retrospective observational study design and significant potential for residual confounding, these results were widely cited, reported in the lay press, and disseminated at scientific meetings. Early ambulatory follow-up after an HF hospital discharge was rapidly incorporated into hospital quality improvement policies, transitional care initiatives, and professional society guidelines.2,4 In this issue of Circulation: Heart Failure , DeVore et al5 examine temporal trends in scheduled early follow-up (defined as follow-up with any provider within 7 days of discharge) over the 3 years since the original article by Hernandez et al3 was published. Using the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry, they examined rates of early follow-up from 2009 to 2012. Scheduled follow-up at the time of hospital discharge increased from 51% to 65%, and patients at higher risk for …
Plasma Levels of Human Neutrophil Peptides and Complement Activation Markers in Patients with Acquired Autoimmune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a potentially fatal syndrome, resulting from autoantibodies against the metalloprotease ADAMTS13. Autoantibodies bind and inhibit plasma ADAMTS13 activity, leading to exaggerated platelet agglutination and thrombus formation in small arteries and capillaries. However, plasma ADAMTS13 deficiency or the presence of anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies is not sufficient to cause the disease. Infection or inflammation often precedes the acute onset of TTP. We hypothesize that neutrophil activation or complement activation vial alternative pathway may be the trigger for TTP. In this study, plasma samples were collected prior to plasma exchange from 58 adult patients with acute TTP between 2006 and 2015 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center. All patients were diagnosed having TTP on the basis of severe thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and severe deficiency of plasma ADAMTS13 activity (less than 10%) and the presence of ADAMTS13 inhibitors. All patients were treated by plasma exchange. Thirty plasma samples from healthy individuals were collected for controls. Plasma levels of human neutrophil peptides (HNP-1, -2, and -3) released from activated neutrophils and alternative pathway complement activation markers (iC3b, C4d, C5b-9, and Bb) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). We showed that plasma levels of HNP-1, -2, and -3 in TTP patients were elevated on average by 10-fold when compared with those in the healthy controls (44.12 ± 39.53 ng/ml vs. 3.54 ± 2.97 ng/ml, means ± SD) (p 0.05). To differentiate HNP-1 from HNP-2 or HNP-3, we developed a LC/MS mass spectrometric assay and showed that all subtypes of HNPs in TTP patients were significantly elevated when compared with those in the healthy controls (p Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Hospitalization Rates Among People With HIV/AIDS in New York City, 2013.

Background Hospitalizations are an important indicator of healthcare quality and access for people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This study assesses hospitalization rates among people with HIV/AIDS in New York City. Methods We performed a deterministic match between people in the New York City HIV surveillance registry alive as of 1 January 2013 and diagnosed with HIV as of 31 December 2013 and patient-level inpatient hospitalization records during 2013. Event-level data were analyzed to determine characteristics of and reasons for hospitalizations. Primary diagnoses were classified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. We estimated hospitalization rates as the number of hospitalizations per 100 person-years for all causes, AIDS-defining illnesses, and non-AIDS-defining infections. Results Nearly one-fifth of hospitalizations were attributed to non-AIDS-defining infections, whereas AIDS-defining illness diagnoses were infrequent (3.6% of hospitalizations). Other common causes were cardiovascular (10.9%) and substance use (9.8%). The estimated all-cause hospitalization rate was 36.7 per 100 person-years. Higher all-cause hospitalization rates were observed among females (46.8 per 100 person-years), Black and Latino/Hispanic people (41.8 and 39.5 per 100 person-years, respectively), people living in high-poverty neighborhoods (47.4 per 100 person-years), and people with a history of injection drug use (74.9 per 100 person-years). The estimated AIDS-defining illness and non-AIDS-defining infection hospitalization rates were 1.3 and 7.2 per 100 person-years, respectively. Conclusions People with HIV in New York City were frequently hospitalized. While AIDS-defining illnesses were relatively rare, non-AIDS-defining infection hospitalizations were more common. Disparities in hospitalization rates indicate a need for targeted improved primary care and comorbid disease management.
Health Literacy and Associated Factors Among Hmong American Immigrants: Addressing the Health Disparities

Hmong Americans face a disproportionate health burden ranging from the high prevalence of diabetes to depressive disorders. Little research attention has been paid toward exploring contributing factors to this disparity. As such, the present study seeks to fill the gap in the literature by examining the health literacy levels in Hmong Americans and its associated factors. The present study employed Andersen’s behavioral model of health service as the theoretical framework. A cross-sectional survey research design was used and information was gathered from 168 Hmong American immigrants. Participants were recruited using a purposive sampling strategy. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors linked to health literacy. Approximately half of the participants had low health literacy and reported that they did not understand health information well. Health literacy levels were found to differ significantly based on the number of years participants have lived in the U.S., their social or religious group attendance, health status, and whether they had difficulties with activities of daily living. Our exploratory findings could be used prompt more research to help inform the development of interventions aiming to improve health literacy levels and address the health disparities in Hmong American Population.
The Mechanism Behind Top-Down UVPD Experiments: Making Sense of Apparent Contradictions

Top-down ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) allows greater sequence coverage than any other currently available method, often fracturing the vast majority of peptide bonds in whole proteins. At the same time, UVPD can be used to dissociate noncovalent complexes assembled from multiple proteins without breaking any covalent bonds. Although the utility of these experiments is unquestioned, the mechanism underlying these seemingly contradictory results has been the subject of many discussions. Herein, some fundamental considerations of photochemistry are briefly summarized within the context of a proposed mechanism that rationalizes the experimental results obtained by UVPD. Considerations for future instrument design, in terms of wavelength choice and power, are briefly discussed.
Current Sensing Principles with Biasing Scheme

State-of-the-art electronic circuits heavily utilize the information related to the amount of current being delivered to the load. In safety-critical automotive applications like the airbag squib drivers, it is critical to utilize this information in order to regulate the current that is delivered to the squib. To know about the current that is delivered, a current sensing technique is needed. A sense resistor is typically used to sense the amount of current being delivered to the load, or a senseFET is used in order to sense the amount of current being delivered to the load. In this chapter, the fundamentals of current sensing and how this sensing concept is used to limit the current are being reviewed.
Preoperative KOOS and SF-36 Scores Are Associated With the Development of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis at 7 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are associated with the development of knee osteoarthritis despite ACL reconstruction surgery. However, little evidence is available to determine w...
A Contemporary Interpersonal Model of Borderline Personality Development

Interpersonal theory focuses on interpersonal situations as the primary lens through which to understand personality processes, personality pathology, and psychotherapy. In this chapter we apply this theoretical perspective to the issue of borderline personality development. We begin by reviewing research on the interpersonal context and correlates of borderline personality development and expression. We next outline the major principles and constructs of contemporary interpersonal theory. We conclude by presenting an interpersonal formulation of a borderline patient, with an emphasis on developmental dynamics.
Optimal duration of postoperative helmet therapy following endoscopic strip craniectomy for sagittal craniosynostosis

OBJECTIVEMany infants with sagittal craniosynostosis undergo effective surgical correction with endoscopic strip craniectomy (ESC) and postoperative helmet therapy (PHT). While PHT is essential to achieving optimal cosmesis following ESC, there has been little comprehensive analysis of the ideal PHT duration needed to attain this goal.METHODSThe authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of infants undergoing ESC and PHT for sagittal synostosis at our institution between 2008 and 2015. Data collected included age at surgery, follow-up duration, and PHT duration. Cephalic index (CI) was evaluated preoperatively (CIpre), at its peak level (CImax), at termination of helmet therapy (CIoff), and at last follow-up (CIfinal). A multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine factors influencing CIfinal.RESULTSThirty-one patients (27 male, 4 female) were treated in the studied time period. The median age at surgery was 2.7 months (range 1.6 to 3.2) and the median duration of PHT was 10.4 months (range 8.4 to 14.4). The mean CImax was 0.83 (SD 0.01), which was attained an average of 8.4 months (SD 1.2) following PHT initiation. At last follow-up, there was an average retraction of CIfinal among all patients to 0.78 (SD 0.01). Longer helmet duration after achieving CImax did not correlate with higher CIfinal values. While CImax was a significant predictor of CIfinal, neither age at surgery nor CIpre were found to be predictive of final outcome.CONCLUSIONSPatients undergoing ESC and PHT for sagittal synostosis reach a peak CI around 7 to 9 months after surgery. PHT beyond CImax does not improve final anthropometric outcomes. CIfinal is significantly dependent on CImax, but not on age, nor CIpre. These results imply that helmet removal at CImax may be appropriate for ESC patients, while helmeting beyond the peak does not change final outcome.
Pitching the AO Philosophy to Hostile Audiences

As indicated in the last chapter, there had been several instances where the AO leadership was challenged to lay out its philosophy to an audience of hostile Swiss surgeons. Initially, the arguments could be made only on the basis of the founding members’ clinical experience; it took more time to assemble the supporting evidence to win their arguments.
History and geology of the Cope’s Nipple Quarries in Garden Park, Colorado—type locality of giant sauropods in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation

The discovery in 1877 of what proved to be an extensive multi-taxa bonebed from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation helped kick-start the first Jurassic “Dinosaur Rush.” Located north of Canon City, Colorado, the site, known today as Cope’s Nipple within the Garden Park National Natural Landmark, was worked by Oramel and Ira Lucas from 1877 to 1884, again by the Carnegie Museum in 1901, and sporadically by the Denver Museum of Natural History from 1991 to 1996. The history of this work is presented in depth for the first time using extensive archival records. The quarries occur in a single horizon around the base of Cope’s Nipple and represents a widespread bonebed in distal overbank silty mudstone that was subsequently modified by pedogenesis. Limited taphonomic data indicate the bonebed was a mix of allochthonous and autochthonous bone.
A Survey on Energy Efficiency Techniques for Secure Computing Systems

Countermeasures against diverse security threats typically incur noticeable hardware cost and power overhead, which may become the obstacle for those countermeasures to be applicable in energy-efficient computing systems. This work presents a summary of energy-efficiency techniques that have been applied in security primitives or mechanisms to ensure computing systems’ resilience against various security threats on hardware. This work also uses examples to discuss practical methods for securing the hardware for computing systems to achieve energy efficiency.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Quality of Care: Strategies for Continued Improvement

Abstract Pediatric emergency care is conducted primarily outside of academic medical centers. This care is variable among and between pediatric based providers and general emergency medicine physicians. As studies have noted these variations, there has been focus on ways to broadly improve this care and decrease variation in the non-academic community hospital setting. Initial successes have been realized in pediatric emergency preparedness, learning collaboratives and telemedicine. Although these initiatives show promise in building improvements of care for the community pediatric population, the focus towards maintaining and increasing quality in this population requires additional attention. We review current successes and offer perspective for possible future directions.
Policy cohesion and post-recession economic imaginaries: manufacturing discourse in the Chicago metropolitan region

This paper examines the proliferation of the Chicago metropolitan region’s post-recession regional economic development initiatives, and a consequent shift towards manufacturing-centric development...
Re-envisioning Air/Ground Communications for Aviation

As wireless and internet technologies mature, commercial communications are becoming more viable and beneficial to aviation stakeholders. Airline operators and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) are pressing the aviation industry to advance aviation air/ground communication technology and reduce the total cost of ownership of communication services. In this paper, we first introduce an enabling technology – performance-based multilink – that uses multiple commercial wireless technologies simultaneously to achieve higher performance, and therefore could potentially open the aviation air/ground communications market and enable use of commercial communications technologies in safety-critical applications. Then, we address potential transition strategies from the current state using dedicated assets with aviation-specific technologies to a target state using shared commercial assets with advanced communication technologies. We performed analysis to determine the air traffic service viability of commercial-based solutions in terms of performance, safety, security, aircraft equipage, and associated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground architecture implications. Through the technical feasibility and strategic transition analysis, we envision that the future aviation air/ground communications may be more efficient, faster, safer, more secure, and more affordable by leveraging commercial wireless and internet technologies.
“Autoinflammatory psoriasis”—genetics and biology of pustular psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that has a fairly wide range of clinical presentations. Plaque psoriasis, which is the most common manifestation of psoriasis, is located on one end of the spectrum, dominated by adaptive immune responses, whereas the rarer pustular psoriasis lies on the opposite end, dominated by innate and autoinflammatory immune responses. In recent years, genetic studies have identified six genetic variants that predispose to pustular psoriasis, and these have highlighted the role of IL-36 cytokines as central to pustular psoriasis pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the presentation and clinical subtypes of pustular psoriasis, contribution of genetic predisposing variants, critical role of the IL-36 family of cytokines in disease pathophysiology, and treatment perspectives for pustular psoriasis. We further outline the application of appropriate mouse models for the study of pustular psoriasis and address the outstanding questions and issues related to our understanding of the mechanisms involved in pustular psoriasis.
New fluid mechanics on the nanoscale from optical measurements of nanoparticle vibrations

At the nanoscale, simple liquids are expected to exhibit complex fluid-mechanical behavior, including viscoelasticity and violation of the no-slip boundary condition. We have observed these phenomena experimentally by optically exciting and probing the vibrations of metal nanoparticles in liquids.
Quod vitae sectabor iter? Salamanca between city paths and humanity in the path

This paper aims to analyze the facade and staircase of the historic building of the University of Salamanca as an expression of the relationship between philosophy, theology and art in the Spanish Siglo de Oro , and will try to provide a new perspective on the sculptural elements present in both spaces of the university. There are few interpretations on this subject, but they all converge on understanding sculptures as an expression of the myth of the Spanish monarchy. This essay, instead, will show how those same elements can be read in relation to the moral and anthropological needs of 16 th century humanity and, thus, that the relationship between university spaces and the people who frequent them is even closer. To enter a space, according to such an interpretation, does not simply mean to use it, but to frequent it and understand in it and from it reflections for everyday life.
Management of Type 2 Diabetes

A foundational understanding of the management of type 2 diabetes is critical for all medical students and residents. This chalk talk emphasizes the importance and key considerations for individualized HbA1c targets and patient-centered treatment, highlighting the mechanism and efficacy of newer pharmacologic options.