Parade of the wooden soldiers

https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/sheetmusic/1111/thumbnail.jp

Differential negative reinforcement of other behavior to increase compliance with wearing an anti-strip suit

Using a changing-criterion design, we replicated and extended a study (Cook, Rapp, & Schulze, 2015) on differential negative reinforcement of other behavior (DNRO). More specifically, educational assistants implemented DNRO to teach a 12-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder to comply with wearing an anti-strip suit to prevent inappropriate fecal behavior in a school setting. The duration for which the participant wore the suit systematically increased from 2 s at the start of treatment to the entire duration of the school day at the termination of the study. Moreover, these effects were generalized to a new school with novel staff and persisted for more than a year. These findings replicate prior research on DNRO and further support the use of the intervention to increase compliance with wearing protective items, or medical devices, in practical settings

A living thick nanofibrous implant bifunctionalized with active growth factor and stem cells for bone regeneration

New-generation implants focus on robust, durable, and rapid tissue regeneration to shorten recovery times and decrease risks of postoperative complications for patients. Herein, we describe a new-generation thick nanofibrous implant functionalized with active containers of growth factors and stem cells for regenerative nanomedicine. A thick electrospun poly(e- caprolactone) nanofibrous implant (from 700 µm to 1 cm thick) was functionalized with chitosan and bone morphogenetic protein BMP-7 as growth factor using layer-by-layer technology, producing fish scale-like chitosan/BMP-7 nanoreservoirs. This extracellular matrix-mimicking scaffold enabled in vitro colonization and bone regeneration by human primary osteoblasts, as shown by expression of osteocalcin, osteopontin, and bone sialoprotein (BSPII), 21 days after seeding. In vivo implantation in mouse calvaria defects showed significantly more newly mineralized extracellular matrix in the functionalized implant compared to a bare scaffold after 30 days’ implantation, as shown by histological scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray microscopy study and calcein injection. We have as well bifunctionalized our BMP-7 therapeutic implant by adding human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The activity of this BMP-7-functionalized implant was again further enhanced by the addition of hMSCs to the implant (living materials), in vivo, as demonstrated by the analysis of new bone formation and calcification after 30 days’ implantation in mice with calvaria defects. Therefore, implants functionalized with BMP-7 nanocontainers associated with hMSCs can act as an accelerator of in vivo bone mineralization and regeneration

Synthesis of a novel electrospun polycaprolactone scaffold functionalized with ibuprofen for periodontal regeneration: An in vitro and in vivo study

Ibuprofen (IBU) has been shown to improve periodontal treatment outcomes. The aimof this study was to develop a new anti-inflammatory scaffold by functionalizing an electrospun nanofibrous poly-e-caprolactone membrane with IBU (IBU-PCL) and to evaluate its impact on periodontal inflammation, wound healing and regeneration in vitro and in vivo. IBU-PCL was synthesized through electrospinning. The effects of IBU-PCL on the proliferation and migration of epithelial cells (EC) and fibroblasts (FB) exposed to Porphyromonas gingivlais lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) were evaluated through the AlamarBlue test and scratch assay, respectively. Anti-inflammatory and remodeling properties were investigated through Real time qPCR. Finally, the in vivo efficacy of the IBU-PCL membrane was assessed in an experimental periodontitis mouse model through histomorphometric analysis. The results showed that the anti-inflammatory effects of IBU on gingival cells were effectively amplified using the functionalizedmembrane. IBU-PCL reduced the proliferation and migration of cells challenged by Pg-LPS, as well as the expression of fibronectin-1, collagen-IV, integrin a3ß1 and laminin-5. In vivo, the membranes significantly improved the clinical attachment and IBU-PCL also reduced inflammation-induced bone destruction. These data showed that the IBU-PCL membrane could efficiently and differentially control inflammatory and migratory gingival cell responses and potentially promote periodontal regeneration

Rendering and interactive virtual prototyping

Application of virtual reality techniques to architectural design allows to decrease the conception cost by virtual prototyping . In order to make the prototype usable for the decision process, an accurate lighting simulation must be done . The important need of interactivity in the manipulation of the prototype, for virtual walk-through or for modifying the prototype, implies a time efficient lighting simulation in the virtual world . Generaly, lighting simulation used in this type of application used empirical models whose only advantage is the real-time simulation . Texture mapping is a technique widely used to increase the quality of the simulation but without reaching the needed accuracy for architectural design . The radiosity model, based on the radiative transfers theory, allows to determine the lighting of a scene in a view-independent way. This model's limitation is its complexity. Also, its use in a virtual prototyping application needs the definition of adapted evaluation method . In this paper we propose a software environment, organised around two simulation kernels - Visualisation-interaction and Lighting simulation - that allows the use of the radiosity model during the design of an architectural environment. We present more precisely the design and the implementation of the lighting simulation module, called Eclairagiste, which objective is to ensure the maximum lighting accuracy at each instant . The Eclairagiste module, defined as an entity of the virtual reality programming environment VIPER, uses a multi-resolution representation of the radiosity function and relie on resolution method derived from hierarchical radiosity.L'application des techniques de réalité virtuelle à l'architecture permet de diminuer les coûts de conception du projet par prototypage virtuel. Afin de rendre le prototype développé exploitable pour la prise de décision, une simulation convenable de l'éclairage doit être effectuée. Le besoin important d'interactivité dans la manipulation du prototype, soit pour des déplacements de l'utilisateur dans le monde virtuel, soit pour des modifications géométriques apportées à ce monde, nécessite un éclairage très rapide de la scène. Actuellement, les modèles d'éclairage utilisés, dans ce type d'application, sont des approximations empiriques des modèles physiques dont le seul avantage est la rapidité d'évaluation. Les textures sont largement utilisées pour augmenter le réalisme des scènes virtuelles mais le niveau de simulation de l'éclairage reste grossier. Le modèle de radiosité, modèle physique fondé sur l'évaluation des transferts radiatifs dans une scène, permet de déterminer, de façon indépendante du point de vue, la valeur du signal lumineux en tout point de la scène, en tenant compte de toute la scène (illumination globale). Le principal inconvénient de ce modèle étant le temps de calcul nécessaire à sa résolution, son utilisation dans une application de prototypage passe par la définition de techniques de résolution adaptées. Nous proposons dans cet article une plate-forme logicielle, organisée autour de deux noyaux de simulation - Visualisation-Interaction et Simulation de l'éclairage -, permettant d'utiliser le modèle de radiosité lors de la conception par prototypage virtuel d'environnements architecturaux. Nous présentons plus particulièrement la conception et l'implantation d'un module de simulation de l'éclairage, appelé éclairagiste, dont l'objectif est d'assurer le réalisme maximum à chaque instant. Le module éclairagiste, définit comme une entité de l'environnement de programmation d'applications de réalité virtuelle VIPER, utilise une modélisation multi-échelle de la radiosité et repose sur une méthode de résolution dérivée de la radiosité hiérarchique

Bile microbiome signatures associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma compared to benign disease: a UK pilot study

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a very poor survival. The intra-tumoural microbiome can influence pancreatic tumourigenesis and chemoresistance and, therefore, patient survival. The role played by bile microbiota in PDAC is unknown. We aimed to define bile microbiome signatures that can effectively distinguish malignant from benign tumours in patients presenting with obstructive jaundice caused by benign and malignant pancreaticobiliary disease. Prospective bile samples were obtained from 31 patients who underwent either Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram (PTC). Variable regions (V3-V4) of the 16S rRNA genes of microorganisms present in the samples were amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The cohort consisted of 12 PDAC, 10 choledocholithiasis, seven gallstone pancreatitis and two primary sclerosing cholangitis patients. Using the 16S rRNA method, we identified a total of 135 genera from 29 individuals (12 PDAC and 17 benign). The bile microbial beta diversity significantly differed between patients with PDAC vs. benign disease (Permanova p = 0.0173). The separation of PDAC from benign samples is clearly seen through unsupervised clustering of Aitchison distance. We found three genera to be of significantly lower abundance among PDAC samples vs. benign, adjusting for false discovery rate (FDR). These were Escherichia (FDR = 0.002) and two unclassified genera, one from Proteobacteria (FDR = 0.002) and one from Enterobacteriaceae (FDR = 0.011). In the same samples, the genus Streptococcus (FDR = 0.033) was found to be of increased abundance in the PDAC group. We show that patients with obstructive jaundice caused by PDAC have an altered microbiome composition in the bile compared to those with benign disease. These bile-based microbes could be developed into potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for PDAC and warrant further investigation

Leukocyte Count and Intracerebral Hemorrhage Expansion

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute leukocytosis is a well-established response to intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Leukocytes, because of their interaction with platelets and coagulation factors, may in turn play a role in hemostasis. We investigated whether admission leukocytosis was associated with reduced bleeding following acute ICH. METHODS: Consecutive patients with primary ICH were prospectively collected from 1994 to 2015 and retrospectively analyzed. We included subjects with a follow-up CT scan available and automated complete white blood cell (WBC) count performed within 48 h from onset. Baseline and follow-up hematoma volumes were calculated with semi-automated software and hematoma expansion was defined as volume increase > 30% or 6 mL. The association between WBC count and ICH expansion was investigated with multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: 1302 subjects met eligibility criteria (median age 75 years, 55.8 % males), of whom 207 (15.9 %) experienced hematoma expansion. Higher leukocyte count on admission was associated with reduced risk of hematoma expansion (Odds Ratio for 1000 cells increase [OR] 0.91, 95 % Confidence Interval [CI] 0.86–0.96, p=0.001). The risk of hematoma expansion was inversely associated with neutrophil count (OR 0.90, 95 % CI 0.85–0.96, p=0.001) and directly associated with monocyte count (OR 2.71, 95 % CI 1.08–6.83, p=0.034). There was no association between lymphocyte count and ICH expansion (OR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.79–1.17, p=0.718). CONCLUSIONS: Higher admission WBC count is associated with lower risk of hematoma expansion. This highlights a potential role of the inflammatory response in modulating the coagulation cascade following acute ICH