Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease featuring skin barrier dysfunction and immune dysregulation. Previously, we reported that the retinoid-related orphan nuclear receptor ...RORα was highly expressed in the epidermis of normal skin. We also found that it positively regulated the expression of differentiation markers and skin barrier-related genes in human keratinocytes. In contrast, epidermal RORα expression was downregulated in the skin lesions of several inflammatory skin diseases, including AD. In this study, we generated mouse strains with epidermis-specific
ablation to understand the roles of epidermal RORα in regulating AD pathogenesis. Although
deficiency did not cause overt macroscopic skin abnormalities at the steady state, it greatly amplified MC903-elicited AD-like symptoms by intensifying skin scaliness, increasing epidermal hyperproliferation and barrier impairment, and elevating dermal immune infiltrates, proinflammatory cytokines, and chemokines. Despite the normal appearance at the steady state,
-deficient skin showed microscopic abnormalities, including mild epidermal hyperplasia, increased TEWL, and elevated mRNA expression of
,
, and
genes, indicating subclinical impairment of epidermal barrier functions. Our results substantiate the importance of epidermal RORα in partially suppressing AD development by maintaining normal keratinocyte differentiation and skin barrier function.
Purpose
This study aims to investigate patterns in adolescent gun access and household gun storage in 2021 and 2022.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from two cross-sectional surveys ...of Pennsylvania parents with a teenage child at home.
Findings
The results indicated that about 20% of gun owners in each survey stored their guns loaded; a similar percentage stored their guns unlocked. Very few gun owners reported that their children could access their guns without adult supervision. This study found no change in gun storage practices between 2021 and 2022, but higher rates of gun ownership in 2022. The factors associated with gun storage behaviors did change between the two time points. COVID-related uncertainties and transitions in the household were linked to gun ownership and less safe storage practices in 2021, but not in 2022.
Originality/value
This study identified factors associated with teen gun access at distinct points during the pandemic. This study found little evidence of any association between child mental health and household firearm storage.
Purpose
This study aims to examine parent perceptions of school active shooter preparedness and prevention efforts, as well as parent perceptions of the risk of an active shooter event.
...Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained in 2019 through an online survey of 182 Pennsylvania residents who were the parents or step-parents of children enrolled in pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten-12th or college/ university. Respondents were a subset of a state-representative sample of 668 individuals.
Findings
Actions taken by schools were largely unrelated to parent perceptions. Parents who reported that their child’s school had provided information about active shooters to students had better attitudes toward preventive efforts overall. Parents who reported that their child’s school had changed firearms policy perceived a higher level of risk. Parents were also asked to share what they felt their child’s school could do that would help them feel more prepared for an active shooter event. The most common response was for schools to install metal detectors or perform random metal detector checks.
Originality/value
While there is extensive research on the views of students about school safety and security and, to a lesser degree, the views of school administrators and teachers, parents have largely been neglected in school safety research.
Abstract This study examines Americans' preferences regarding smart guns. The study builds on prior research by including previously unexamined factors, specifically victimization and comfort sharing ...gun ownership status with a doctor. Further, this study examines differences in preference patterns among gun owners and non-owners. Data were obtained from a nationwide online survey with 524 respondents in February 2016. The study finds that, among non-owners, older respondents and those with pro-gun attitudes are less likely to prefer smart guns to traditional firearms. Among gun owners, those with moderate political views, those with a history of victimization, and those residing in the Northeast are all more likely to prefer smart guns. Males and those with pro-gun attitudes are less likely to prefer smart guns. Education, income, race, marital status, presence of children in the home, and comfort discussing gun ownership with a doctor had no significant association with smart gun preference. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.
The effect of variations in microbubble shell composition on microbubble resonance frequency is revealed through experiment. These variations are achieved by altering the mole fraction and molecular ...weight of functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the microbubble phospholipid monolayer shell and measuring the microbubble resonance frequency. The resonance frequency is measured via a chirp pulse and identified as the frequency at which the pressure amplitude loss of the ultrasound wave is the greatest as a result of passing through a population of microbubbles. For the shell compositions used herein, we find that PEG molecular weight has little to no influence on resonance frequency at an overall PEG mole fraction (0.01) corresponding to a mushroom regime and influences the resonance frequency markedly at overall PEG mole fractions (0.050-0.100) corresponding to a brush regime. Specifically, the measured resonance frequency was found to be 8.4, 4.9, 3.3 and 1.4 MHz at PEG molecular weights of 1000, 2000, 3000 and 5000 g/mol, respectively, at an overall PEG mole fraction of 0.075. At an overall PEG mole fraction of just 0.01, on the other hand, resonance frequency exhibited no systematic variation, with values ranging from 5.7 to 4.9 MHz. Experimental results were analyzed using the Sarkar bubble dynamics model. With the dilatational viscosity held constant (10(-8) N·s/m) and the elastic modulus used as a fitting parameter, model fits to the pressure amplitude loss data resulted in elastic modulus values of 2.2, 2.4, 1.6 and 1.8 N/m for PEG molecular weights of 1000, 2000, 3000 and 5000 g/mol, respectively, at an overall PEG mole fraction of 0.010 and 4.2, 1.4, 0.5 and 0.0 N/m, respectively, at an overall PEG mole fraction of 0.075. These results are consistent with theory, which predicts that the elastic modulus is constant in the mushroom regime and decreases with PEG molecular weight to the inverse 3/5 power in the brush regime. Additionally, these results are consistent with inertial cavitation studies, which revealed that increasing PEG molecular weight has little to no effect on inethe rtial cavitation threshold in the mushroom regime, but that increasing PEG molecular weight decreases inertial cavitation markedly in the brush regime. We conclude that the design and synthesis of microbubbles with a prescribed resonance frequency is attainable by tuning PEG composition and molecular weight.
In the midst of a bustling city-where tall buildings dominate, highways bisect communities, and greenspaces are difficult to access-developing an interdisciplinary STEAM (science, technology, ...engineering, arts, and mathematics) curriculum centered on local natural resources can seem like a significant stretch. Since its inception in 2005, the Bronx Children's Museum has set out to serve as a hub to connect Bronx children, families, and educators to the wealth of local cultural and natural resources that can be easily overlooked in the under-resourced urban landscape. Throughout, we show how involving the full "STEAM circle" of participants-the museum, families, educators and schools, and informal learning organizations, such as Trout in the Classroom and the Department of Environmental Protection, among others-can form a learning ecosystem that powerfully "reflects local cultures, environments and stakeholders" (Olson & Labov 2014, 6). ...children have fewer opportunities to explore and learn directly from and with nature. Partnering with 25 Bronx public schools annually and serving children from pre-K through third grade, the Bronx Children's Museum offers three long-term STEAM programs, fondly called the Little Friends programs.
Container choice can influence particle generation within protein formulations. Incompatibility between proteins and containers can manifest as increased particle concentrations, shifts in particle ...size distributions and changes in particle morphology distributions. In this study, flow imaging microscopy (FIM) combined with machine learning-based goodness-of-fit hypothesis testing algorithms were used in accelerated stability studies to investigate the impact of containers on particle formation. Containers in four major container categories subdivided into eleven container types were filled with monoclonal antibody formulations and agitated with and without headspace, producing subvisible particles. Digital images of the particles were recorded using flow imaging microscopy and analyzed with machine learning algorithms. Particle morphology distributions depended on container category and type, revealing differences that would not have been obvious by analysis of particle concentrations or container surface characteristics alone. Additionally, the algorithm was used to compare morphologies of particles generated in containers against those generated using isolated stresses at air-liquid and container-air-liquid interfaces. These comparisons showed that the morphology distributions of particles formed during agitation most closely resemble distributions that result from exposure of proteins to moving triple interface lines at points where container-air-liquid interfaces intersect. The approach described here can be used to identify dominant causes of particle generation due to protein-container interactions.
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