cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poverty, Structural Barriers, and Health: A Santali Narrative of Health Communication

Recent years have witnessed a surge in scholarship that problematizes the linear, Eurocentric approach to international health communication and suggests the pressing need for a culture-centered approach. This author takes a culture-centered approach to exploring the Santali meanings of health in rural Bengal. The open-ended interviews conducted with the Santals bring to surface key issues and meaningful theories of health. Central to the Santali experience of health is food; for the Santal, it is his or her hunger that is the greatest cause of disease and illness. Poverty and the presence of structural barriers that cripple Santali existence emerge as the critical themes of Santali health meanings. The study also illuminates the complex process of meaning making engaged in by participants of marginalized sectors. The author draws policy-based implications from the findings of this research.
The fitting of the human joint through micro implanted sensors

The objective of this research is to integrate sensors to develop a fitting device capable of correcting the placement of artificial joints in humans. Improper fitting or balancing of a joint can lead to increased shear forces across the bone prosthesis interface, resulting varus-valgus instability, increased wear to the prosthetic components, and eventual premature failure of the prosthesis. In this study, an array of pressure sensors were placed between the articulating surfaces of a total knee that was surgically placed inside a cadaver knee. A jig was designed that simulates physiologic loads while flexing the knee through its normal range of motion. A distribution of contact pressure was recorded as a function of angle. A 3D PEM model of the knee Joint was built and a stress analysis was performed. The objective is three fold: (1) To understand the human joints and the effects of dynamic loading on the joint as a function of the contact pressure, (2) To correlate the FEM model with the experiment, (3) to predict failure mechanisms due to cyclic loading and improper load distribution.
Manganese Transport and the Role of Manganese in Virulence

Two areas of research have recently converged to highlight important roles for Mn 2+ in pathogenesis: the recognition that both bacterial Nramp homologs and members of LraI family of proteins are Mn 2+ transporters. Their mutation is associated with decreased virulence of various bacterial species. Thus, Mn 2+ appears to be essential for bacterial virulence. This review describes what is currently known about Mn 2+ transport in prokaryotes and how prokaryotic Mn 2+ transport is regulated. Some of the phenotypes that arise when microorganisms lack Mn 2+ are then discussed, with an emphasis on those phenotypes involving pathogenesis. The concluding section describes possible enzymatic roles for Mn 2+ that might help explain
Role of delayed hypersensitivity in blastomycosis of mice.

C57BL/6J mice rendered hypersensitive to Blastomyces dermatitidis were protected from the lethal effects of a blastomyces infection. This protection was observed following a lethal intraperitoneal challenge with viable cells 15 days after subcutaneous inoculation with 3.9 × 104 viable cells. Delayed hypersensitivity was induced in C57 mice by two injections of Merthiolate-killed cells in adjuvant or by a single injection of viable cells. Development of hypersensitivity was determined at appropriate intervals by footpad injection with killed yeast cells.
Predicting protein residue–residue contacts using deep networks and boosting

Motivation: Protein residue–residue contacts continue to play a larger and larger role in protein tertiary structure modeling and evaluation. Yet, while the importance of contact information increases, the performance of sequence-based contact predictors has improved slowly. New approaches and methods are needed to spur further development and progress in the field. Results: Here we present DNCON, a new sequence-based residue–residue contact predictor using deep networks and boosting techniques. Making use of graphical processing units and CUDA parallel computing technology, we are able to train large boosted ensembles of residue–residue contact predictors achieving state-of-the-art performance. Availability: The web server of the prediction method (DNCON) is available at http://iris.rnet.missouri.edu/dncon/. Contact: chengji@missouri.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Modeled performance of monolithic, 3-terminal InP/Ga/sub 0.47/In/sub 0.5/As concentrator solar cells as a function of temperature and concentration ratio

Using measured device parameters from a monolithic three-terminal InP/GaInAs (0.75 eV) tandem concentrator solar cell, a numerical model has been constructed that calculates efficiency as a function of temperature and concentration ratio. The device measurements indicate that the series resistance in the InP top cell severely limits the maximum efficiency at high concentration ratios. Results from the model in which a single-junction InP concentrator solar cell that has a lower resistance by a factor of six was substituted for the top cell show that peak 20 degrees C air mass zero (AM0) efficiencies should approach 30% at concentration ratios greater than 100. At 80 degrees C, this tandem cell should exceed 24% AM0 efficiency. >
Situational determinants of leadership structure

Leadership has long been a topic of considerable interest in the social sciences. Nearly every aspect of leadership has been the subject of some degree of study. The present paper is concerned with some of the situational factors which determine the form of leadership which will arise and be accepted in a group. Two basic questions will be considered: 1. Under what conditions will there be pressure toward centralized authoritarian leadership? 2. Under what conditions is a more participative democratic form of leadership likely to arise? While this is certainly not a new topic, this paper attempts to develop a somewhat more systematic approach than has ordinarily been undertaken toward this subject. I feel that the "model" developed in this paper provides a framework or structure for further experimentation and theoretical development that has perhaps previously been lacking. My initial interest in making such a study was stimulated by observations made last summer in Indonesia and Burma of a strong desire, particularly among certain high government officials, for centralized control. I observed this same trend beginning to develop in Malaya. Recent releases from Ghana suggest that this situation is not confined to Asia. Particularly in Indonesia, which is the situation most familiar to me, there was an eadership has long been a topic of conoriginal attempt at developing a free society and a free enterprise economy. In each of the countries mentioned there was no revo-
Different Roles for Fibronectin in the Generation of Fore and Hind Limb Precartilage Condensations

Fibronectin expression and spatiotemporal distribution were examined in relation to the distinctive patterns of mesenchymal condensation and chondrogenesis seen in high-density serum-free cultures of chicken wing and leg bud precartilage cells. More fibronectin protein was produced on a per cell basis by leg than by wing mesenchyme, both in freshly isolated tissue and during the prechondrogenic condensation period in culture, where the difference was twofold. The quantitative difference in fibronectin expression in freshly isolated wing and leg mesenchyme was also seen at the level of total and poly (A)+ RNA. During the condensation phase, fibronectin was distributed in the wing and leg mesenchymal cultures in a way that prefigured the eventual distribution of cartilage in these cultures: in wing cultures condensations were broad and flat, and rich in diffusely organized fibronectin; in leg cultures, condensations were compact and spheroidal, and contained abundant deposits of fibronectin. In addition, the leg condensations were connected by long fibronectin-rich fibers. Transient treatment with TGF-beta early during the culture period led to increase in fibronectin production and expansion of condensations in both wing and leg cultures. Leg mesenchyme was more responsive to transforming growth factor-beta than wing mesenchyme with respect to fibronectin production, and this was reflected in a greater enhancement of cartilage formation in later cultures. Treatment of cultures with monoclonal antibody 304 directed against the amino-terminal heparin-binding domain of fibronectin inhibited condensation formation and reduced chondrogenesis in wing mesenchyme, but left these two processes unchanged in leg mesenchyme, despite disruption by the antibody of the leg-specific fibronectin fibers. These studies indicate that for both wing and leg mesenchyme the morphology, extent, and spatiotemporal regulation of precartilage condensation and subsequent chondrogenesis closely parallels the deposition of fibronectin. But whereas the interaction between cells and fibronectin in wing bud mesenchyme is mediated in part by the protein's amino-terminal domain, this domain does not appear to be involved in analogous interactions in leg bud mesenchyme.
Genomics for Fungi

Since 1995, the genomes of dozens of bacteria and several model eukaryotes have been completely sequenced and these data have been deposited in public databases. With the exception of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fungal genomes were not among these early genomics accomplishments. Nevertheless, despite a slow start, fungal genomics is now poised to reveal a comprehensive picture of fungal gene structure and function, to resolve questions about evolutionary relationships among mycelial fungi, and to decipher the biochemical and cellular relationships between fungi and other eukaryotic life forms. Genomics databases and their accompanying bioinformatics tools are among the most powerful scientific resources available to contemporary fungal cell biologists.
Tetanizing prepulse: A novel strategy to mitigate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shock-related pain

Background Skeletal muscle activation has been implicated as the source of pain associated with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks. We hypothesized that the skeletal muscle response to defibrillatory shocks could be attenuated with a tetanizing prepulse immediately before biphasic shock delivery. Objective The purpose of this study was to test the ability of tetanizing prepulses to reduce the skeletal muscle activation associated with defibrillation. Methods Seven adult pigs were studied. A left ventricular coil and subcutaneous dummy can in the right thorax were used to deliver either pure biphasic waveforms or test waveforms consisting of a tetanizing pulse of high-frequency alternating current (HFAC) ramped to an amplitude of 5–100 V over 0.25–1 second, immediately followed by a biphasic shock of approximately 9 J (ramped HFAC and biphasic [rHFAC+B]). We used limb acceleration and rate of force development as surrogate measures of pain. Test and control waveforms were delivered in sinus rhythm and induced ventricular fibrillation to test defibrillation efficacy. Results Defibrillation threshold energy was indistinguishable between rHFAC+B and pure biphasic shocks. Peak acceleration and rate of force development were reduced by 72% ± 7% and 71% ± 22%, respectively, with a 25-V, 1-second rHFAC+B waveform compared with pure biphasic shocks. Notably, rHFAC+B with a 9-J biphasic shock produced significantly less skeletal muscle activation than a 0.1-J pure biphasic shock. Conclusion A putative source of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shock-related pain can be mitigated using a tetanizing prepulse followed by biphasic shock. Human studies will be required to assess true pain reduction with this approach.
E-Lance Enabled Network Exchanges within Supply Chains: The Influence of Network Governance and Social Control Mechanisms on Network Success

E-business based e-lance networks can impact the coordination and completion of work within organizations and improve efficiencies in global supply chains. This may be particularly true for organizations mitigating sudden demand spikes, or lacking internal expertise and bandwidth. However, little is known about what governance and social control mechanisms impact network success. Utilizing data from 14,644 projects, this research tests a theory of network governance specific to this new emerging e-lance economy by integrating transaction cost economics with the concepts of social controls. For transaction costs, findings indicate that higher average project values lead to more projects and more money being exchanged, but more bids leads to less monetary exchange. For social controls, restricting access by sealing bids and not disclosing budget amounts leads to less bidding, but not disclosing budgets is associated with more projects being posted. The authors further find that the best predictor of e-lance success across all measures is the number of projects posted in the prior time period.
Occupational Safety and Health: A View of Current Practices in Agricultural Education

Providing safe and secure teaching and learning environments within schools is an ongoing process which requires a significant amount of attention. Therefore, this study sought to: 1) explore safety and health practices within secondary Agricultural Mechanics Education; and 2) identify the perceived obstacles which appear to hinder implementation of safety and health programs. While it might appear logical to assume that Agricultural Mechanics Education consistently reflect acceptable safety standards to promote enhanced learning and skill development, the results suggested there is room for improvement within schools. Findings may be useful to agricultural educators; school administration, teacher educators and safety compliance personnel interested in promoting enhanced occupational safety and health practices.
Abstract B45: Vertical inhibition of the PI3K pathway potently sensitizes diffuse large B cell lymphoma to BCL-2 antagonism

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis is one of the most commonly mutated pathways in cancer, where aberrant activation promotes cell growth, proliferation, and survival. However, selective inhibitors targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR have been hindered by their inability to effectively induce cell death in certain cancers. With the introduction of inhibitors that directly inhibit key pro-survival factors such as BCL-2 and BCL-XL (ABT-263 and ABT-199), the potential to achieve cancer cell death using combinations of targeted inhibitors has become a realizable goal. Here we show that selective inhibition of key components in the PI3K pathway (PI3K, AKT, or mTOR) potently sensitized a panel of DLBCL cell lines to ABT-263-induced apoptosis. While the degree of sensitization varied according to which PI3K pathway component was targeted, dual inhibition of both PI3K and mTOR consistently elicited the most potent sensitization across several cell lines. Previous work in other cancer types has linked the potency of this combination to the capacity of PI3K pathway inhibitors to reduce MCL-1 in an mTORC1-dependent manner. However, we found that this was not the case for DLBCL. For example, ABT-263 resistance induced by over-expression of MCL-1 was overcome when cells were co-treated with a dual-PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 despite maintained expression of MCL-1. Instead, inhibition of the PI3K pathway led to a general increase in mitochondrial priming as measured by BH3 profiling. This occurred through distinct effects from both AKT and mTORC1 on the abundance of multiple BCL-2 family proteins at the mitochondria including reductions in the pro-survival proteins BCL-2, MCL-1, and BCL-XL as well as increases in Bim and Bad. In addition to these direct effects on BCL-2 family proteins, we found that inhibition of the PI3K pathway reduced expression of cancer-relevant proteins c-Myc and eIF4G as determined by reverse phase protein array. Thus, this project highlights the broad effects of dual-PI3K/mTOR inhibitors that sensitize DLBCL to apoptosis, and suggests that inhibition of the PI3K pathway has distinct effects on cell survival signaling among different cancer cell types. Citation Format: Jong-Hoon Scott Lee, Sarah Tang, Veronica Ortiz, David A. Fruman. Vertical inhibition of the PI3K pathway potently sensitizes diffuse large B cell lymphoma to BCL-2 antagonism. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Targeting the PI3K-mTOR Network in Cancer; Sep 14-17, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(7 Suppl):Abstract nr B45.
Detoxication of Benzoic Acid by Glucuronic Acid in Humans. Rate of Detoxication

Summary(1) Contrary to Brakefield, and in agreement with Quick, we find that in humans an appreciable quantity of benzoic acid is excreted as the glucuronide. The ingestion of 5, 6, and 7 g of benzoic acid leads to an excretion of some 5% in the form of its glucuronide. The ingestion of 8 g gives a higher figure (7.7%). (2) The maximum excretion occurs in the first 3 hours. Detoxication by glucuronic acid is complete in 9 to 15 hours, depending on the amount of benzoic acid ingested.
Caring for Men Who Have Sex with Men

Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for about 3.6 % of adult men in the United States (US) (2.2 % gay men and 1.4 % bisexual men for an estimated total of about four million men). Social and medical stigmatization of this sexual minority leads to stress, high-risk health behaviors, and avoidance of medical care and preventive services; these combined factors result in a higher prevalence of several health problems for gay and bisexual men compared to heterosexual men. To overcome these issues, clinicians should become culturally competent and knowledgeable of minority sexual health problems and develop communication skills and clinical environments that welcome and identify MSM. Clinicians should also be familiar with the “coming-out” process and assess the level of support provided by family and friends. Specific MSM health disparities compared to heterosexual men include tobacco use, dietary habits (e.g., eating/body image disorders and weight), alcohol/drug use, mental health (e.g., depression, suicide, and anxiety), injuries/violence, sexually transmitted infections (e.g., gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, viral hepatitis, human papillomavirus, and herpes simplex), human immunodeficiency virus, anal cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Clinicians should also be cognizant of legal inequalities that affect the health of MSM and the health concerns of special MSM populations (youth, families and children, older MSM, bisexual men, racial/ethnic minorities, and transgender men).
Cytomegalovirus Infection after CD34+-Selected Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Abstract The effectiveness of preemptive treatment (PET) for cytomegalovirus (CMV) in recipients of ex vivo T cell–depleted (TCD) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) by CD34+ selection is not well defined. We analyzed 213 adults who received TCD-HCT at our institution from June 2010 through May 2014. Patients were monitored by a CMV quantitative PCR assay if recipient (R) or donor (D) were CMV seropositive. CMV viremia occurred early (median, 27 days after HCT) in 91 of 213 (42.7%) patients for a 180-day cumulative incidence of 84.5%, 61.8%, and 0 for R+/D+, R+/D−, and R−/D+ patients, respectively. CMV disease occurred in 5% of patients. In Cox regression analysis, R+/D+ status was associated with increased risk for CMV viremia compared with R+/D− (hazard ratio [HR], 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 to 2.76, P = .01), whereas matched unrelated donor allograft was associated with decreased risk (HR, .62; 95% CI, .39 to .97, P = .04). Of 91 patients with CMV viremia, 52 (57%) had persistent viremia (>28 days duration). Time lag from detection of CMV viremia to PET was associated with incremental risk for persistent viremia (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.18; P = .03). Overall, 166 of 213 (77.9%) patients were alive 1 year after HCT, with no difference between patients with and without CMV viremia or among the different CMV serostatus pairs (P = not significant). CMV viremia occurred in 70% of R + TCD-HCT. Delay in PET initiation was associated with persistent viremia. With PET, CMV R/D serostatus did not adversely impact survival in TCD-HCT on 1-year survival in the present cohort.
Inhibition of subunit dissociation and release of the stimulatory G-protein, Gs, by beta gamma-subunits and somatostatin in S49 lymphoma cell membranes.

We examined the interaction between the stimulatory guanine-nucleotide-binding protein, Gs, and the inhibitory guanine-nucleotide-binding protein, Gi, in cell membranes of S49 lymphoma cells. In these cells, beta-adrenergic receptors stimulate the activity of adenylate cyclase via Gs, whereas inhibition via somatostatin receptors is transduced by an inhibitory G-protein, Gi. Using an antibody that selectively recognizes alpha s, the monomeric, but not the heterotrimeric, alpha-subunit of Gs, we quantified the extent of dissociation of Gs in a competitive e.l.i.s.a. Incubation of S49-cell plasma membranes with 0.1 microM-isoprenaline, 100 microM free Mg2+ and 100 microM-GTP produced substantial subunit dissociation of Gs, which was reversible by addition of purified beta gamma-subunit dimer or somatostatin. Somatostatin produced an immediate (without a lag) time- and concentration-dependent decrease in the concentration of dissociated Gs (kinhib. for somatostatin = 51 +/- 12 nM) and in the activity of adenylate cyclase (kinhib. = 121 +/- 20 nM). By contrast, after addition of a 10-fold molar excess of beta gamma-dimer relative to alpha s, there was a 2-3 min lag, after which the beta gamma-dimer re-associated Gs. Isoprenaline-induced dissociation of Gs was accompanied by a release of alpha s from the incubated membranes to a post-100,000 g supernatant, and somatostatin could reverse this release. Immunoblot analysis with both a C-terminal anti-peptide antibody and an antibody directed against a sequence near the N-terminal also showed release of alpha s by the beta-agonist and reversal by somatostatin. Membrane release of Gs by isoprenaline that could be blocked by somatostatin was also confirmed in reconstitution studies of supernatant fraction into cyc- S49-cell membranes. We conclude that in native cell membranes somatostatin-induced activation of Gi dissociates Gi and interferes with the Gs activation cycle by providing beta gamma-dimer, which acts to prevent or reverse formation of monomeric alpha s. Because alpha s can be released from the cell membrane, regulation of the local concentration of GTP-liganded dissociated alpha s is likely to be an important factor in modulating the activity of adenylate cyclase.
Power Lines: Phoenix and the Making of the Modern Southwest . By Andrew Needham.

Power Lines: Phoenix and the Making of the Modern Southwest . Politics and Society in Twentieth-Century America Series. By Andrew Needham. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014. xi + 321 pp. Illustrations, map, notes, index. $35.00, £24.95.) Phoenix’s sprawl may seem a world apart from the seeming serenity of the Navajo Nation. Andrew Needham’s Power Lines reveals how a common history of energy development came to forge ever more intense material and political connections between these two landscapes after World War II. Needham’s compelling and remarkably original book traces the little-known and often elaborate eclipse of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s hydroelectric dams by massive open-pit coal mines and power plants on and around the Navajo Reservation. Power Lines makes a signal … Thomas.Andrews{at}colorado.edu
Power management of the third generation intel core micro architecture formerly codenamed ivy bridge

This article consists of a collection of slides from the author's conference presentation on Ivy Bridge, power management applications of the third generation core Intel micro architecture. Some of the specific topics discussed include: an overview of the Ivy Bridge architecture and supported applications; power scaling and management facilities; core product features; power efficiency; voltage control and optimization technqiues; power sharing capabilities; and system architecture.
Teacher agents: the current state, future trends, and many roles of intelligent agents in education

Since their development in the 1980's, Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) have experienced a widespread success in such varying areas of education as military training, personal tutoring, and vocational instruction[9], [12], [19], [36]. ITSs are not without limitations, however, and have often proven to be costly and inflexible. Combining these systems with Intelligent Agents (IA), first proposed in the 1990s, is intended to address some of the shortcomings of ITSs; notably the cost of building new learning objects. While IA provide a mechanism for generating dynamic content tailored to a specific learner, a lack of standardization in IA ontologies and a narrow focus on pedagogy provides rich veins for reseach. In this paper we broadly survey the development of IAs in education with an eye towards further exploration of their possibilities.
Performance analysis of stochastic signal detection with compressive measurements

Compressed sensing (CS) enables the recovery of sparse or compressible signals from relatively a small number of randomized measurements compared to Nyquist-rate samples. Although most of the CS literature has focused on sparse signal recovery, exact recovery is not actually necessary in many signal processing applications. Solving inference problems with compressive measurements has been addressed by recent CS literature. This paper takes some further steps to investigate the potential of CS in signal detection problems. We provide theoretical performance limits verified by simulations for detection performance in arbitrary random signal detection with compressive measurements.
American Soviet Cultural Diplomacy: The Bolshoi Ballet’s American Premiere

Cadra Peterson McDaniel, in American Soviet Cultural Diplomacy: The Bolshoi Ballet’s American Premiere, tackles the impact of cultural diplomacy during the early days of the Cold War. Identifying t...
Effect of Oxygen on Development of Off-Flavors in Ultrahigh-Temperature Milk1

The role of dissolved oxygen as a contributor to flavor deterioration in sterile milk during storage was investigated. Before processing, a concentrated aqueous solution of Tenox-2 was added to half of a batch of pasteurized-homogenized milk to give a final concentration of 400 ppm BHA on a fat basis in the milk. The other half was untreated. Half of each of those batches was treated to reduce oxygen concentrations by a combination of nitrogen sweep and sonication. The remaining two samples (Tenox-2 added and no-Tenox-2) did not receive the deoxygenation treatment. Oxygen levels in the preprocessed deoxygenated milk were lower (4.6 ppm) than those in the untreated milk (6.9 ppm). All four lots were UHT-sterilized at 135°C for 5 s in an indirect UHT system constructed at Kansas State University. Sterilized milk was collected aseptically in a glove box in 250-ml amber glass bottles, which were closed with either Teflon-lined caps or sterile cotton plugs. Samples from each treatment were stored at 7° and 32°C for 4 months. Samples in capped bottles maintained relatively low (<4 ppm) dissolved oxygen concentrations, whereas those in cotton-plugged bottles had relatively high (7-7.5 ppm) dissolved oxygen concentrations. Dissolved oxygen affected the rate of stale flavor development. Sterile milk in bottles with cotton plugs, which had relatively high concentrations of dissolved oxygen during storage, developed a stale flavor sooner and with greater intensity than milks with lower levels of oxygen. However, acetaldehyde, propanal, n-pentanal, and n-hexanal, which are most likely products of lipid oxidation, did not appear to be principal contributors to staling in sterile milk during storage in this study. Furthermore, the stale flavor development did not parallel changes in thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values. Although antioxidant (40 ppm BHA on fat basis from Tenox-2) did retard oxidation slightly, it did not control staling. A decrease in the concentration of several volatile materials throughout the storage period probably was caused by dissipation of the volatile material through the cotton plug or by their interaction with other compounds in the milk. Acid degree values increased in sterile milk at 32°C during prolonged storage, but changes in ADVs did not parallel development of the stale flavor.
Increased Unfolded Protein Response in Hematopoietic Cells from Cyclic Hematopoietic Dogs.

Canine cyclic hematopoiesis, a model of human cyclic neutropenia/congenital neutropenia (CN), is caused by a mutation in the AP3b1 gene. Human CN is caused by mutations in the Ela2 gene. The exact mechanism(s) whereby mutations in the Ela2 and AP3b1 cause CN or CH is not well understood. Elastase is directed to the primary granules by AP3 in myeloid progenitor cells, suggesting abnormal trafficking of elastase as a cause for CN/CH. Discontinuous percoll gradients on PMN cells from normal and CH dogs were performed. Fractions corresponding to the cytosol, plasma membrane, nuclei, primary, secondary and tertiary granules were collected and assayed for elastase and myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme activity and protein levels by Western blot using canine specific antibodies. Percoll density gradient fractionation results indicated that MPO, a primary granule protein that is not an AP3 cargo protein, is present in the primary granules in approximately equivalent amounts in both normal and CH dog PMN’s. Elastase was also localized in the primary granule fraction from both normal and CH dog PMN, but with a lower amount in CH dogs. Elastase was not present in the plasma membrane fraction in either CH or normal dog PMN’s. Quantitatively the CH dog primary granules had 10–20% of normal dog primary granule elastase. These results suggest PMN’s from CH dogs correctly sort elastase to the primary granules but at a lower level compared to PMNs from dogs without AP3b1 defect. Glucose-regulated protein (GRP78/BiP) is an indicator of ER stress. ER stress leads to activition of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and is cytoprotective. However, prolonged UPR leads to apoptosis. Analysis of GRP78 expression in PMN’s and bone marrow cell cultures from normal and CH dogs stimulated with SCF and G-CSF demonstrated 3–4 fold increase of GRP78 in CH cells compared to normal dog cells. These results indicate mistrafficking or accumulation of misfolded elastase induces the UPR in myeloid precursor cells and disrupts normal PMN production in CH dogs. These results are consistent with in vitro studies in which over-expression of mutant but not normal human elastase induces the UPR in myeloid cells and cell death. These results suggest that induction of the UPR is a common event, in myeloid progenitor cells from patients and animal models with either Ela2 or AP3b1 mutations, which ultimately results in congenital and/or cyclic neutropenia.
Pacing Induced Ventricular Dysfunction in a Child: Improvement with Reduction in Paced Rate.

Right ventricular (RV) pacing can be associated with impairment of left ventricular (LV) function due to electrical dyssynchrony and myocardial remodeling (Janousek et al. in J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 15:470–474, 2004). RV-pacing induced ventricular dysfunction is reversible by techniques such as biventricular pacing and LV apical or LV free wall pacing or turning the pacemaker off which have all been shown to restore synchrony and improve left ventricular function (Janousek et al. in J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 15:470–474, 2004; Geldorp et al. in Heart Fail Rev 16:305–314, 2011). We describe an infant with RV-pacing induced cardiomyopathy who improved when the pacing rate was reduced thus demonstrating the relationship between pacing rate and development of LV dysfunction.
Exploring Two Design Processes: Slow and Fast

Responding to changes in industry that are driven by improving processes that cause the product development cycle to be compressed, design educators integrate new technology tools and techniques of product development to ensure that students will keep pace with professional practice. Two approaches for Slow and Fast product innovation projects and the student and faculty takeaways are discussed here - ‘Kickstand’ based on crowdfunding and self-manufacturing concepts in a fourth year industrial design studio (14 weeks), and ‘Design Sprint’ in a business/engineering studio (4 weeks).
"RISE IT for Social Good": An Experimental Investigation of Context to Improve Programming Skills

Despite increases in female labor force participation, Information Technology (IT) remains heavily male-dominated field. Given the rapid growth in IT career opportunities, it is important find ways to increase the IT female talent pipeline. As a solution that might help mitigate the problem, we proposed the "RISE IT for Social Good" project to examine possible pedagogical interventions to improve the experience female students have in programming. Specifically, this paper uses experimental method to examine whether context plays a role on enhancing female students' performance in IT related tasks.
Real Native Genius: How an Ex-Slave and a White Mormon Became Famous Indians

In her most recent book, Angela Pulley Hudson unites frequently isolated topics in antebellum United States history – including race, Mormonism, popular culture, transportation, sectionalism, and m...
The effect of gelatin inclusion in high protein extruded pet food on kibble physical properties

Abstract Pet food is a $23 billion industry that continues to grow. Owners continue to humanize their pets and their dietary needs, thus the pet food industry tends to mirror human dietary trends. Currently, pet food is trending towards higher levels of protein, thus lower levels of starch. Decreasing starch, one of the main structure forming ingredients in extruded foods, creates issues of lower rates of expansion and decreased kibble durability. Consumers tend to dislike ingredients that do not serve a nutritional purpose; therefore, gelatin may be a plausible binding ingredient for high protein pet foods. Gelatin is a pure protein derived from collagen and is sold as a dry, odorless, tasteless powder. High-bloom gelatins find numerous uses in human food as a stabilizer, foaming agent, and capsule base among other uses. Low-bloom gelatin may find a value-added opportunity as a nutritional binder in pet food. Four extrusion experiments were performed to test this hypothesis. Experiment 1 compared gelatin at 0, 50, 100, and 150 g/kg inclusion and 150 g/kg gelatin at 3 different extruder screw speeds. Results showed a decrease in expansion but an increase in hardness and pellet durability index (PDI); however, there may have been inadequate preconditioning. It was unclear whether the decrease in expansion or presence of gelatin improved product durability. Experiment 2 analyzed two levels of gelatin, 0 and 100 g/kg, under two extruder screw speeds, 300 rpm and 500 rpm, and two hydration ratios, 170 and 280 g/kg. In this experiment, there were no differences in density, expansion, hardness, or PDI. This indicated preconditioning was more ideal and may indicate gelatin does not decrease product expansion. Experiment 3 analyzed two levels of gelatin, 0 and 100 g/kg, at two target densities, low and high. Results indicated that gelatin created a more expanded product when processed under similar conditions as a control formula. Experiment 4 analyzed different strengths of gelatin to determine if the low-bloom gelatin experiments were repeatable with more conventional strength gelatins. Treatments were a control with no gelatin, and a 100, 175, and 250 bloom gelatins. Results showed increased gelatin strength increased product expansion, likely through a foaming effect. However, durability declined with mid- and high-bloom gelatins; thus, low-bloom gelatin may be the most promising to improve product characteristics and preserve durability. Based on these experiments, low-bloom gelatin may find use as a nutritional binder in high protein pet foods.
A Molecular Method to Detect Wound Cells in Bloodstains Resultant of Sharp Force Injuries for Crime Scene Reconstruction

Previous research by the authors on an animal model showed that bloodstains can contain additional information about their somatic origin in the form of wound cells. Bloodstains produced by a gunshot wound to the head were distinguished from bloodstains produced by a gunshot wound to the chest by testing the stains for a brain microRNA marker. In this study, the effectiveness of the technique was examined on blood drops shed externally from a stab wound to the liver of rat carcasses. Specifically, investigations were conducted on the liver microRNA marker, rno-mir-122-3p, with the QIAGEN miScript System, and PCR analysis. Between the two stabbing methods used, 67% of the scalpel blades and 57% of the blood drops tested positive for rno-mir-122-3p; however, other samples tested negative giving inconclusive results as to the wound-of-origin. The amount of the liver cells in the bloodstains appeared to be related to the extent of trauma.
Pupil Diameter and Performance in a Supervisory Control Task: A Measure of Effort or Individual Differences?:

The relationship between increased pupil diameter and effort has been well established within the Psychology literature since the 1960s. The ability to detect an individuals’ effort is important, particularly in tasks where there are extended periods of monitoring, and limited ways to directly measure performance. The current study sought to investigate whether pupil diameter could be used to detect periods of high and low workload during an unmanned vehicle supervisory control task. Participants were Navy and Marine Corps student pilots, and the experimenters had access to their aviation selection test scores. The study found increased pupil diameters when the task load increased. In addition, pupil diameter during the high task load condition was significantly correlated with the individual’s performance on the supervisory control task. This paper discusses two possible explanations for this finding: 1) that those individuals who performed better on the task were trying harder or, 2) that pupil diameter...
The Cosmopolitan Frame of Olaudah Equiano’s Interesting Narrative

In this final chapter, Cillerai shows how the emergence of cosmopolitanism in the ex-slave Olaudah Equiano’s writings reveals cosmopolitanism’s function a tool of empowerment and a tool to counteract the same forces that allow for its existence. The chapter shows that looking at the Interesting Narrative from this perspective does not simply reveal Equiano’s cosmopolitanism, it reveals a cosmopolitanism in the context of slavery and the colonial world. It reveals the power the language of cosmopolitanism offered figures like Equiano. Cillerai’s analysis of the opening chapters of the Narrative shows that Equiano rewrites the notion of captivity and roots it in cosmopolitanism rather than nationalism, thus freeing the enslaved subject from the social and cultural limitations slavery imposed on him.
A single-center intervention to discontinue postoperative antibiotics after spinal fusion.

AbstractIntroduction: Postoperative antibiotics (PA) are often administered to patients after instrumented spinal surgery until all drains are removed to prevent surgical site infections (SSI). This practice is discouraged by numerous medical society guidelines, so our institutional Neurosurgery Quality Improvement Committee decided to discontinue use of PA for this population.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data for patients who had instrumented spinal surgery at our institution for seven months before and after this policy change and compared the frequency of SSI and development of antibiotic related complications in patients who received PA to those who did not (non-PA).Results: We identified 188 PA patients and 158 non-PA patients. Discontinuation of PA did not result in an increase in frequency of SSI (2% of PA patients vs. 0.6% of non-PA patients, p = .4). Growth of resistant bacteria was not significantly reduced in the non-PA period in comparison to the PA period (2% in the PA period and 1% i...
The role of duration in the perception of vowel merger

Speakers with vowel categories that are considered merged by traditional measures (e.g., F1 and F2 measurements at a single time point) may contrast vowel classes in dimensions beyond vowel quality, such as duration. Durational differences among vowel classes have been observed to persist even in cases of spectral overlap (e.g., Fridland et al., 2014; Labov & Baranowski, 2006), suggesting that duration may serve as a contrastive cue among spectrally-merged or near-merged vowel classes. This paper examines the role of duration in perception in two communities: Youngstown, OH, which exhibits multiple patterns of merger and distinction among POOL-, PULL-, and POLE-CLASS words, and Burlington, VT, whose residents are largely unmerged. This paper presents the results of a forced-choice identification task consisting of lexical stimuli with synthetically manipulated vowel-liquid durations, analyzed in light of participants’ production data. Results indicate that duration influences vowel categorization and is utilized more extensively when spectral cues are diminished or unavailable.
An Early Model for Value and Sustainability in Health Information Exchanges: Qualitative Study

Background: The primary value relative to health information exchange has been seen in terms of cost savings relative to laboratory and radiology testing, emergency department expenditures, and admissions. However, models are needed to statistically quantify value and sustainability and better understand the dependent and mediating factors that contribute to value and sustainability. Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide a basis for early model development for health information exchange value and sustainability. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with 21 interviews of eHealth Exchange participants across 10 organizations. Using a grounded theory approach and 3.0 as a relative frequency threshold, 5 main categories and 16 subcategories emerged. Results: This study identifies 3 core current perceived value factors and 5 potential perceived value factors—how interviewees predict health information exchanges may evolve as there are more participants. These value factors were used as the foundation for early model development for sustainability of health information exchange. Conclusions: Using the value factors from the interviews, the study provides the basis for early model development for health information exchange value and sustainability. This basis includes factors from the research: fostering consumer engagement; establishing a provider directory; quantifying use, cost, and clinical outcomes; ensuring data integrity through patient matching; and increasing awareness, usefulness, interoperability, and sustainability of eHealth Exchange.
Exosome markers associated with immune activation and oxidative stress in HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy

Exosomes are nanovesicles released from most cell types including immune cells. Prior studies suggest exosomes play a role in HIV pathogenesis, but little is known about exosome cargo in relation to immune responses and oxidative stress. Here, we characterize plasma exosomes in HIV patients and their relationship to immunological and oxidative stress markers. Plasma exosome fractions were isolated from HIV-positive subjects on ART with suppressed viral load and HIV-negative controls. Exosomes were characterized by electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking, immunoblotting, and LC-MS/MS proteomics. Plasma exosomes were increased in HIV-positive subjects compared to controls, and correlated with increased oxidative stress markers (cystine, oxidized cys-gly) and decreased PUFA (DHA, EPA, DPA). Untargeted proteomics detected markers of exosomes (CD9, CD63, CD81), immune activation (CD14, CRP, HLA-A, HLA-B), oxidative stress (CAT, PRDX1, PRDX2, TXN), and Notch4 in plasma exosomes. Exosomal Notch4 was increased in HIV-positive subjects versus controls and correlated with immune activation markers. Treatment of THP-1 monocytic cells with patient-derived exosomes induced expression of genes related to interferon responses and immune activation. These results suggest that exosomes in ART-treated HIV patients carry proteins related to immune activation and oxidative stress, have immunomodulatory effects on myeloid cells, and may have pro-inflammatory and redox effects during pathogenesis.
Against rigidity for natural kind terms

Rigid expressionism is the view that all natural kind terms and many other kind terms are rigid designators. Rigid expressionists embrace the ‘overgeneralization’ of rigidity, since they hold that not just natural kind terms but all unstructured kind terms are rigid designators. Unfortunately overgeneralization remains a defeating problem for rigid expressionism. It runs together natural kind terms and nominal kind terms in a way that enforces a false semantic uniformity. The Kripke/Putnam view of natural kind terms minus the claim of rigidity is correct, but a traditional descriptivist theory is appropriate for nominal kind terms. None of them should be thought of as either rigid or non-rigid, however.
2-port Theory

In the previous parts of this book we have developed tools which are useful in the modeling and analysis of transducers, and we have discussed various mechanisms through which electrical signals can be generated from mechanical signals and vice versa. In this section of the book we abandon our detailed concentration on transduction mechanisms, in favor of a discussion of general transducer characteristics. We begin this discussion with a presentation of the classical view of transducers as 2-port elements. Using 2-port models, we will develop reciprocity relations and discuss arrays of transducers which are connected. Following this development, the next chapter will discuss transducer measurement specifications, concentrating on the precise definitions (when they exist) for the various measures of performance.
Are demographic Variables Associated with Performance on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)

AbstractThe Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is a universal requirement for psychology licensure in the United States and much of Canada. However, in the 53 years of its use, many fundamental questions about this “high stakes” exam remain. Specifically, the EPPP relies exclusively upon content validity evidence, and it is unknown if scores are associated with relevant performance criteria. Limited evidence suggests that failure rates vary according to applicant demographics. To further assess the latter, a Freedom of Information Act request was submitted to a populous US state (N of applicants = 4892). Significant differences in first-time failure rates were found according to ethnicity (i.e., Blacks = 38.50%; Hispanics = 35.60%; Asians = 24.00%; Whites = 14.07%). Men (18.85%) failed more often than women (15.82%) and PsyDs (20.07%) failed more often than PhDs (15.02%), but the magnitude of difference in these two analyses was relatively small. Meaningful interactions between eth...
Agyeman, Matthews, and Sobel (Eds.): Food Trucks, Cultural Identity, and Social Justice: From Loncheras to Lobsta Love

As a student of international development and urban design, I was exposed early to writings on the importance of street food vending for women’s economic empowerment in the Global South (Tinker, 19...