Search

Number-recognition tasks, such as the how-many task, involve set-to-word mapping, and number-creation tasks, such as the give-n task, entail word-to-set mapping. The present study involved comparing sixty 3-year-olds' performance on the two tasks with collections of one to three items over three time points about 3 weeks apart. Inconsistent with the sparse evidence indicating equivalent task performance, an omnibus test indicated that success differed significantly by task (and set size but not by time). A follow-up analysis indicated that the hypothesis that success emerges first on the how-many task was, in general, significantly superior to the hypothesis of simultaneous development. It further indicated the how-many-first hypothesis was superior to a give-n-first hypothesis for sets of three. A theoretical implication is that set-to-word mapping appears to develop before word-to-set mapping, especially in the case of three. A methodological implication is that the give-n task may underestimate a key aspect of children's cardinal understanding of small numbers. Another is that the traditional give-n task, which requires checking an initial response by one-to-one counting, confounds pre-counting and counting competencies.

To mediate critical host-microbe interactions in the human small intestine, Paneth cells constitutively produce abundant levels of α-defensins and other antimicrobials. We report that the expression profile of these antimicrobials is dramatically askew in human small intestinal organoids (enteroids) as compared to that in paired tissue from which they are derived, with a reduction of α-defensins to nearly undetectable levels. Murine enteroids, however, recapitulate the expression profile of Paneth cell α-defensins seen in tissue. WNT/TCF signaling has been found to be instrumental in the regulation of α-defensins, yet in human enteroids exogenous stimulation of WNT signaling appears insufficient to rescue α-defensin expression. By stark contrast, forkhead box O (FOXO) inhibitor AS1842856 induced the expression of α-defensin mRNA in enteroids by >100,000-fold, restoring DEFA5 and DEFA6 to levels comparable to those found in primary human tissue. These results newly identify FOXO signaling as a pathway of biological and potentially therapeutic relevance for the regulation of human Paneth cell α-defensins in health and disease.

Abstract Purpose To report a case series of patients with uveitic glaucoma who were treated with micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (mpCPC). Methods This retrospective case series consists of patients from the University of Colorado Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center from 2015 to 2020 who were diagnosed with uveitic glaucoma. Information collected includes demographic data, type of uveitis, glaucoma severity, and prior glaucoma surgeries. Pre- and postoperative best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma medications, degree of inflammation, and uveitis therapies were included up to 36 months postoperatively. Surgical success was defined as an IOP reduction of 30% with achievement of IOP goal using the same number of glaucoma medications or less at 6 months or 1 year. Uveitis success was defined as the absence of persistent anterior uveitis at 3 months. Results Six patients and seven eyes with uveitic glaucoma underwent mpCPC. Types of uveitis included idiopathic anterior uveitis, HLA-B27-associated anterior uveitis, varicella zoster virus anterior uveitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated chronic anterior uveitis, lichen planus-associated intermediate uveitis, and sarcoidosis-associated panuveitis. Two of six eyes (33.3%) at 6 months and three of five eyes (60%) at 1 year achieved surgical success. Around 6 months postoperatively, two out of seven eyes (28.6%) required Ahmed glaucoma valve placement (n = 1) or repeat mpCPC (n = 1). One eye (14.3%) required phacoemulsification with goniotomy followed by an Ahmed glaucoma valve 18 months after mpCPC. There were no cases of persistent anterior uveitis, hypotony, or phthisis after mpCPC in this cohort. Conclusions Micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation may safely reduce intraocular pressure in some patients with uveitic glaucoma without exacerbation of intraocular inflammation. Multiple treatments may be required to achieve longer-term success.

Abstract Background Regulations put in place to protect the privacy of individuals receiving substance use disorder (SUD) treatment have resulted in an unintended consequence of siloed SUD treatment and referral information outside of the integrated electronic health record (EHR). Recent revisions to these regulations have opened the door to data integration, which creates opportunities for enhanced patient care and more efficient workflows. We report on the experience of one safety-net hospital system integrating SUD treatment data into the EHR. Methods SUD treatment and referral information was integrated from siloed systems into the EHR through the implementation of a referral order, treatment episode definition, and referral and episode-related tools for addiction therapists and other clinicians. Integration was evaluated by monitoring SUD treatment episode characteristics, patient characteristics, referral linkage, and treatment episode retention before and after integration. Satisfaction of end-users with the new tools was evaluated through a survey of addiction therapists. Results After integration, three more SUD treatment programs were represented in the EHR. This increased the number of patients that could be tracked as initiating SUD treatment by 250%, from 562 before to 1,411 after integration. After integration, overall referral linkage declined (74% vs. 48%) and treatment episode retention at 90-days was higher (45% vs. 74%). Addiction therapists appreciated the efficiency of having all SUD treatment information in the EHR but did not find that the tools provided a large time savings shortly after integration. Conclusions Integration of SUD treatment program data into the EHR facilitated both care coordination in patient treatment and quality improvement initiatives for treatment programs. Referral linkage and retention rates were likely modified by a broader capture of patients and changed outcome definition criteria. Greater preparatory workflow analysis may decrease initial end-user burden. Integration of siloed data, made possible given revised regulations, is essential to an efficient hub-and-spoke model of care, which must standardize and coordinate patient care across multiple clinics and departments.

Abstract The abrupt cessation of ovarian hormone release is associated with declines in muscle contractile function, yet the impact of gradual ovarian failure on muscle contractility across peri‐, early‐ and late‐stage menopause remains unclear. In this study, a 4‐vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD)‐induced ovarian failure mouse model was used to examine time course changes in muscle mechanical function. Plantar flexors of female mice (VCD: n = 10; CON: n = 8) were assessed at 40 (early perimenopause), 80 (late perimenopause), 120 (menopause onset) and 176 (late menopause) days post‐initial VCD injection. A torque–frequency relationship was established across a range of frequencies (10–200 Hz). Isotonic dynamic contractions were elicited against relative loads (10–80% maximal isometric torque) to determine the torque–velocity–power relationship. Mice then performed a fatigue task using intermittent 100 Hz isometric contractions until torque dropped by 60%. Recovery of twitch, 10 Hz and 100 Hz torque were tracked for 10 min post‐task failure. Additionally, intact muscle fibres from the flexor digitorum brevis underwent a fatigue task (50 repetitions at 70 Hz), and 10 and 100 Hz tetanic [Ca2+] were monitored for 10 min afterward. VCD mice exhibited 16% lower twitch torque than controls across all time points. Apart from twitch torque, 10 Hz torque and 10 Hz tetanic [Ca2+], where VCD showed greater values relative to pre‐fatigue during recovery, no significant differences were observed between control and VCD mice during recovery. These results indicate that gradual ovarian failure has minimal detriments to in vivo muscle mechanical function, with minor alterations observed primarily for low‐frequency stimulation during recovery from fatigue.

ImportanceTherapy for advanced melanoma has transformed during the past decade, but early detection and prognostic assessment of cutaneous melanoma (CM) remain paramount goals. Best practices for screening and use of pigmented lesion evaluation tools and gene expression profile (GEP) testing in CM remain to be defined.ObjectiveTo provide consensus recommendations on optimal screening practices and prebiopsy diagnostic, postbiopsy diagnostic, and prognostic assessment of CM.Evidence reviewCase scenarios were interrogated using a modified Delphi consensus method. Melanoma panelists (n = 60) were invited to vote on hypothetical scenarios via an emailed survey (n = 42), which was followed by a consensus conference (n = 51) that reviewed the literature and the rationale for survey answers. Panelists participated in a follow-up survey for final recommendations on the scenarios (n = 45).FindingsThe panelists reached consensus (≥70% agreement) in supporting a risk-stratified approach to melanoma screening in clinical settings and public screening events, screening personnel recommendations (self/partner, primary care provider, general dermatologist, and pigmented lesion expert), screening intervals, and acceptable appointment wait times. Participants also reached consensus that visual and dermoscopic examination are sufficient for evaluation and follow-up of melanocytic skin lesions deemed innocuous. The panelists reached consensus on interpreting reflectance confocal microscopy and some but not all results from epidermal tape stripping, but they did not reach consensus on use of certain pigmented lesion evaluation tools, such as electrical impedance spectroscopy. Regarding GEP scores, the panelists reached consensus that a low-risk prognostic GEP score should not outweigh concerning histologic features when selecting patients to undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy but did not reach consensus on imaging recommendations in the setting of a high-risk prognostic GEP score and low-risk histology and/or negative nodal status.Conclusions and relevanceFor this consensus statement, panelists reached consensus on aspects of a risk-stratified approach to melanoma screening and follow-up as well as use of visual examination and dermoscopy. These findings support a practical approach to diagnosing and evaluating CM. Panelists did not reach consensus on a clearly defined role for GEP testing in clinical decision-making, citing the need for additional studies to establish the clinical use of existing GEP assays.

Although reformers have embraced learning trajectories (LT, also called learning progressions) as an important tool for improving mathematics education, the efficacy and assumptions of LT-based instruction are largely unproven. The aim of a recently completed research project was to fill this void. Fulfilling this aim was more challenging than many supporters of LT-based instruction might imagine. A total of 10 experiments were untaken, of which 5 demonstrated that LT-based instruction was significantly more efficacious than a counterfactual involving either a Teach-to-Target/Skip-Level approach (Assumption 1) or the same unordered activities (Assumption 2). The results of the remaining studies were non-significant either for theoretical (2) or methodological (3) reasons. In the five indicating LTs' efficacy, we found that some LTs consists of levels that are facilitative conditions for the next higher level and, thus, may be helpful but perhaps not necessary for the subsequent level.

Abstract Introduction The annulus fibrosus (AF) of the Intervertebral disc (IVD) is composed of concentric lamellae of helically wound collagen fibers. Understanding the spatial variation of collagen fiber orientations in these lamellae, and the resulting material anisotropy, is crucial to predicting the mechanical behavior of the complete IVD. Methods This study builds on a prior model predicated on path‐independent displacement of fiber endpoints during vertebral body growth to predict a complete, three‐dimensional annulus fibrosus fiber network from a small number of subject‐independent input parameters and vertebral endplate topographies obtained from clinical imaging. To evaluate the model, it was first fit to mid‐plane fiber orientations obtained using polarized light microscopy in a population of bovine caudal discs for which computed tomography images vertebral endplates were also available. Additionally, the model was used to predict the trajectories based on human lumbar disc geometries and results were compared to previously reported data. Finally, the model was employed to investigate potential disc‐related variations in fiber angle distributions. Results The model was able to accurately predict experimentally measured fiber distributions in both bovine and human discs using only endplate topography and three input parameters. Critically, the model recapitulated previously observed asymmetry between the inclinations of right‐ and left‐handed fibers in the posterolateral aspect of the human AF. Level to level variation of disc height and aspect ratio in the human lumbar spine was predicted to affect absolute values of fiber inclination, but not this asymmetry. Conclusion Taken together these results suggest that patient‐specific distributions of AF fiber orientation may be readily incorporated into computational models of the spine using only disc geometry and a small number of subject‐independent parameters.

IntroductionAs an essential part of plant cell walls, lignin provides mechanical support for plant growth, enhances water transport, and helps to defend against pathogens. As the most abundant natural aromatic-based renewable resource on earth, its biosynthesis has always been a research focus, and it is still currently under study.MethodsIn this study, the p-coumaryl alcohol analog (HALK) and the coniferyl alcohol analog (GALK) containing an alkyne group at the ortho position were synthesized and applied to lignification in vivo and in vitro. The incorporation of these novel lignin monomers was observed via fluorescence imaging.Results and DiscussionIt was found that the two monolignol analogs could be incorporated in dehydrogenated polymers (DHPs) in vitro and in flax cell walls in vivo. The results showed that as the cultivation time and precursor concentration varied, the deposition of H and G-type lignin exhibited differences in deposition mode. At the subcellular scale, the deposited lignin first appears in the cell corner and the middle lamella, and then gradually appears on the cell walls. Furthermore, lignin was also found in bast fiber. It was demonstrated that these new molecules could provide high-resolution localization of lignin during polymerization.

The increased use of plastics and the associated environmental impact has catalyzed research on the development of bio-derived polymers. Bio-based polyesters have gained increased attention due to the abundance of their starting materials and ease of processing. Lignin is naturally occurring in biomass with rich carbon content, whose functionality and rigidity make it an ideal bio-derived candidate for bio-based polyesters. Herein, a lignin-based polyester with good thermal stability and self-repairability was synthesized from carboxylated lignin and epoxidized soybean oil. The synthesized lignin/epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) vitrimer was brittle such that its mechanical performance could not be recorded. However, when polyethylene glycol (PEG) was incorporated as a plasticizer, polymer samples exhibited acceptable ductility. From thermomechanical analysis of the synthesized polyesters, the plasticizer did not impair thermal stability of polymers, but greatly enhanced mechanical properties. Notably, all samples exhibited stability at high temperatures, and good glass transition temperatures (51.0 ± 0.9–78.0 ± 1.2 °C). The highest tensile strength (3.983 ± 0.1 MPa) and storage modulus (1463.67 ± 12.6 MPa) were recorded for the polyester containing 6 % w/w PEG. Moreover, the polymer samples exhibited self-healing capability at 180 °C. This work expands on valorization of lignin through the synthesis of bio-derived materials.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased long-term risk of cardiovascular disease but the cardiovascular structural and functional changes that contribute to risk are not well understood. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether GDM is associated with adverse cardiac remodeling and endothelial dysfunction a decade after delivery, independent of type 2 diabetes. Methods: Women with deliveries between 2008 and 2009 were initially selected from a prospective clinical cohort. Pregnancy history was chart abstracted and a follow-up study visit was conducted at 8 to 10 years postpartum. Cardiac structure and function were assessed with echocardiography. Endothelial function was measured with peripheral arterial tonometry and glycocalyx analysis. Results: Among 254 women assessed at an average age of 38 years, 53 (21%) had prior GDM. At follow-up, women with GDM had more incident prediabetes or diabetes (58% vs 20% without GDM), more impairment in peripheral arterial tonometry (reactive hyperemia 1.58 vs 1.95; P = 0.01) and reduced perfusion, a marker of glycocalyx assessment (red blood cell filling 0.70 ± 0.04 vs 0.72 ± 0.05; P