Endothelial Dysfunction Criteria in Critically Ill Children: The PODIUM Consensus Conference

OBJECTIVES To review, analyze, and synthesize the literature on endothelial dysfunction in critically ill children with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and to develop a consensus biomarker-based definition and diagnostic criteria. DATA SOURCES Electronic searches of PubMed and Embase were conducted from January 1992 to January 2020, using a combination of medical subject heading terms and key words to define concepts of endothelial dysfunction, pediatric critical illness, and outcomes. STUDY SELECTION Studies were included if they evaluated critically ill children with endothelial dysfunction, evaluated performance characteristics of assessment/scoring tools to screen for endothelial dysfunction, and assessed outcomes related to mortality, functional status, organ-specific outcomes, or other patient-centered outcomes. Studies of adults or premature infants (≤36 weeks gestational age), animal studies, reviews or commentaries, case series with sample size ≤10, and non-English language studies with the inability to determine eligibility criteria were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION Data were abstracted from each eligible study into a standard data extraction form along with risk of bias assessment. DATA SYNTHESIS We identified 62 studies involving 84 assessments of endothelial derived biomarkers indirectly linked to endothelial functions including leukocyte recruitment, inflammation, coagulation, and permeability. Nearly all biomarkers studied lacked specificity for vascular segment and organ systems. Quality assessment scores for the collected literature were low. CONCLUSIONS The Endothelial Subgroup concludes that there exists no single or combination of biomarkers to diagnose endothelial dysfunction in pediatric multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Future research should focus on biomarkers more directly linked to endothelial functions and with specificity for vascular segment and organ systems

Singlet-Doublet Dark Matter

In light of recent data from direct detection experiments and the Large Hadron Collider, we explore models of dark matter in which an SU(2) doublet is mixed with a Standard Model singlet. We impose a thermal history. If the new particles are fermions, this model is already constrained due to null results from XENON100. We comment on remaining regions of parameter space and assess prospects for future discovery. We do the same for the model where the new particles are scalars, which at present is less constrained. Much of the remaining parameter space for both models will be probed by the next generation of direct detection experiments. For the fermion model, DeepCore may also play an important role.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures; v2 minor changes, references adde

Emergence of collective intonation in the musical performance of crowds

To be published in EPLTo be published in EP

Managing oaks for acorn production to benefit wildlife in Missouri (2013)

Many landowners are interested in managing their woodlands and forests not only for potential income from sales of wood products but also for enhanced wildlife habitat. This publication provides information on techniques that can be used to help make informed decisions on the management of oaks on a property for increased mast production and other wildlife benefits.New 8/13/Web

Eledone cirrhosa and SPICT or why it is not easy to assess a short lived cephalopod species

Poster.-- Iberian Symposium on Modeling and Assessment of Fishery Resources, 19-22 October, Vigo, SpainAlthough some cephalopods have had always commercial value and others started to increase in value in recent years, unlike European Atlantic stocks of many commercially important finfish and crustaceans, they are not routinely assessed and no specific management measures are applied to fleets catching cephalopods, with the exception of some regional harvest control rules for artisanal fleets. Among the species that has been gaining importance in landings is the horned octopus Eledone cirrhosa. This octopus represents an important bycatch for several North Spanish otter trawl fisheries, appearing in landings but also in discards. Like other cephalopods, E. cirrhosa is a short-lived and fast growing species, and previous studies showed that its abundance varies in relation to physical and environmental conditions. As a first step towards its possible future inclusion in the ICES annual assessment system, a simple assessment model has been tested in the ICES Working Group on Cephalopod Fisheries and Life History (WGCEPH). The chosen model was SPICT (Surplus Production model in Continuous Time). Using landings and two abundance indices (from a commercial fleet and a scientific bottom trawl survey), preliminary results have been obtained. Overall, although the model converged and all the diagnostics were acceptable, the estimated parameters obtained very wide confidence intervals, suggesting that improvements in the model are needed. Further work, including testing other assessment models or selecting other tuning indices, will help in the assessment process for this speciesN

Clinical monitoring of tooth wear progression in patients over a period of one year using CAD/CAM

Purpose: The aim of this study was to clinically monitor the progression of tooth wear over a period of 1 year in a cohort of referred tooth wear patients through the use of a computer-aided design/ computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) scanner and a standardized scanning/assessment methodology. Materials and Methods: Polyether impressions were made of 11 participants (130 teeth) at baseline and at 1 year. Impressions were poured in type IV dental stone and the anterior teeth were 3D scanned. A surface-matching software was used to compare 1-year and baseline scans and identify any dimensional differences. Results: Parafunctional habits were reported by all patients. All participants exhibited tooth wear ≥ 140 μm in depth and extending to ≥ 280 μm in at least one tooth. Maxillary central incisors were the most commonly and severely affected teeth. Conclusion: The ability of the developed CAD/CAM scanning methodology in clinical monitoring of tooth wear was demonstrated. Further research is needed to assess its practicality in large-scale epidemiologic tooth wear studies

Two-temperature LATE-PCR endpoint genotyping

BACKGROUND: In conventional PCR, total amplicon yield becomes independent of starting template number as amplification reaches plateau and varies significantly among replicate reactions. This paper describes a strategy for reconfiguring PCR so that the signal intensity of a single fluorescent detection probe after PCR thermal cycling reflects genomic composition. The resulting method corrects for product yield variations among replicate amplification reactions, permits resolution of homozygous and heterozygous genotypes based on endpoint fluorescence signal intensities, and readily identifies imbalanced allele ratios equivalent to those arising from gene/chromosomal duplications. Furthermore, the use of only a single colored probe for genotyping enhances the multiplex detection capacity of the assay. RESULTS: Two-Temperature LATE-PCR endpoint genotyping combines Linear-After-The-Exponential (LATE)-PCR (an advanced form of asymmetric PCR that efficiently generates single-stranded DNA) and mismatch-tolerant probes capable of detecting allele-specific targets at high temperature and total single-stranded amplicons at a lower temperature in the same reaction. The method is demonstrated here for genotyping single-nucleotide alleles of the human HEXA gene responsible for Tay-Sachs disease and for genotyping SNP alleles near the human p53 tumor suppressor gene. In each case, the final probe signals were normalized against total single-stranded DNA generated in the same reaction. Normalization reduces the coefficient of variation among replicates from 17.22% to as little as 2.78% and permits endpoint genotyping with >99.7% accuracy. These assays are robust because they are consistent over a wide range of input DNA concentrations and give the same results regardless of how many cycles of linear amplification have elapsed. The method is also sufficiently powerful to distinguish between samples with a 1:1 ratio of two alleles from samples comprised of 2:1 and 1:2 ratios of the same alleles. CONCLUSION: SNP genotyping via Two-Temperature LATE-PCR takes place in a homogeneous closed-tube format and uses a single hybridization probe per SNP site. These assays are convenient, rely on endpoint analysis, improve the options for construction of multiplex assays, and are suitable for SNP genotyping, mutation scanning, and detection of DNA duplication or deletions

VCU... Making Richmond A Great Place to Work and Live

VCU, established in 1968, is a young, vibrant and rapidly growing institution. Whereas components of VCU are well established, venerable, and well-recognized institutions, VCU suffers from a lack of name recognition and reputation in comparison with our peer institutions. Similarly, there is a general lack of appreciation for the strength of VCU programs at the regional, local and even institutional level. This project is designed to showcase, at the local and institutional level, the special contributions and triumphs of VCU and its staff, including both the cutting edge research and academic accomplishments and the powerful and compelling human interest stories that contribute to the richness and vitality of our institution. Our venue will be the offering of vignettes highlighting these stories on local radio, television or other media outlets. Our vision for the project is to provide a vehicle by which we promote a sense of pride in our campus communities, as well as promote the success of VCU in the Greater Richmond Area and throughout the Commonwealth. Appreciation of the strengths and successes of the institution will enhance morale of faculty and staff, positively affect students, staff and faculty recruitment and retention, and help to maintain VCU as a Research Extensive academic institution