141 research outputs found
Relationships Developed Abroad: Impacts on Learning During a Short-term Field Study in Italy
This study examines graduate student’s experiences with personal relationships developed during a short-term international field study in Italy and how these relationships enhanced their learning abroad
Group Size and Adult International Field Study Programs: A Literature Review
Traveling in a group impacts the learning process abroad. This literature review examines established research about the effects of group sizes on learning when studying abroad as an adult
Pump Pulse Bandwidth-Activated Nonlinear Phononic Coupling in CdWO
To control structure-function relationships in solids with light, we must
harness the shape of the potential energy surface, as expressed in anharmonic
coupling coefficients. We use two-dimensional terahertz (THz) spectroscopy to
identify trilinear coupling between sets of vibrational modes in CdWO. It
is generally understood that efficient trilinear coupling occurs when the
frequencies of two coupled modes add or subtract to the frequency of the third
mode. Interestingly, we observe that this condition is not necessary: the THz
driving-pulse itself can activate the coupling by contributing broad frequency
content to the initial motion of the excited modes. Understanding that the
bandwidth of the driving force can activate energy-flow pathways has broad
implications for coherent control of collective modes using intense THz light
pulses.Comment: 27 Pages, 15 Figure
United States of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Charles Williams Jr., Defendant-Appellant: Brief of Appellant
Susceptibility Provision Enhances Effective De-escalation (SPEED): utilizing rapid phenotypic susceptibility testing in Gram-negative bloodstream infections and its potential clinical impact
Abstract
Objectives
We evaluated the performance and time to result for pathogen identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of the Accelerate Phenoâ„¢ system (AXDX) compared with standard of care (SOC) methods. We also assessed the hypothetical improvement in antibiotic utilization if AXDX had been implemented.
Methods
Clinical samples from patients with monomicrobial Gram-negative bacteraemia were tested and compared between AXDX and the SOC methods of the VERIGENE® and Bruker MALDI Biotyper® systems for ID and the VITEK® 2 system for AST. Additionally, charts were reviewed to calculate theoretical times to antibiotic de-escalation, escalation and active and optimal therapy
Results
ID mean time was 21 h for MALDI-TOF MS, 4.4 h for VERIGENE® and 3.7 h for AXDX. AST mean time was 35 h for VITEK® 2 and 9.0 h for AXDX. For ID, positive percentage agreement was 95.9% and negative percentage agreement was 99.9%. For AST, essential agreement was 94.5% and categorical agreement was 93.5%. If AXDX results had been available to inform patient care, 25% of patients could have been put on active therapy sooner, while 78% of patients who had therapy optimized during hospitalization could have had therapy optimized sooner. Additionally, AXDX could have reduced time to de-escalation (16 versus 31 h) and escalation (19 versus 31 h) compared with SOC.
Conclusions
By providing fast and reliable ID and AST results, AXDX has the potential to improve antimicrobial utilization and enhance antimicrobial stewardship
United States of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Charles Williams Jr., Defendant-Appellant: Reply Brief of Appellant
Design, assessment, and in vivo evaluation of a computational model illustrating the role of CAV1 in CD4+ T-lymphocytes
Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is a vital scaffold protein heterogeneously expressed in both healthy and malignant tissue. We focus on the role of CAV1 when overexpressed in T-cell leukemia. Previously, we have shown that CAV1 is involved in cell-to-cell communication, cellular proliferation, and immune synapse formation; however, the molecular mechanisms have not been elucidated. We hypothesize that the role of CAV1 in immune synapse formation contributes to immune regulation during leukemic progression, thereby warranting studies of the role of CAV1 in CD4+ T-cells in relation to antigen-presenting cells. To address this need, we developed a computational model of a CD4+ immune effector T-cell to mimic cellular dynamics and molecular signaling under healthy and immunocompromised conditions (i.e., leukemic conditions). Using the Cell Collective computational modeling software, the CD4+ T-cell model was constructed and simulated under CAV1+/+, CAV1+/−, and CAV1−/− conditions to produce a hypothetical immune response. This model allowed us to predict and examine the heterogeneous effects and mechanisms of CAV1 in silico. Experimental results indicate a signature of molecules involved in cellular proliferation, cell survival, and cytoskeletal rearrangement that were highly affected by CAV1 knock out. With this comprehensive model of a CD4+ T-cell, we then validated in vivo protein expression levels. Based on this study, we modeled a CD4+ T-cell, manipulated gene expression in immunocompromised versus competent settings, validated these manipulations in an in vivo murine model, and corroborated acute T-cell leukemia gene expression profiles in human beings. Moreover, we can model an immunocompetent versus an immunocompromised microenvironment to better understand how signaling is regulated in patients with leukemia
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