cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MITOCHONDRIAL STIMULATION OF FATTY ACID BIOSYNTHESIS.

The original observation of Brady and Gurin (1) and Dituri and Gurin (2) that citrate stimulated fatty acid biosynthesis has been confirmed and extended by many other workers (3-8). Brady, Mamoon, and Stadtman (4) showed that the stimulation of fatty acid synthesis by citrate was due in part to the generation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) by cis-aconitase and isocitrate dehydrogenase present in the enzyme preparation. They could partially replace the citrate effect by adding NADPH or other NADPH-generating systems. The replacement did not enhance biosynthesis as much as citrate, indicating that citrate probably played still another role in this biosynthetic process. In 1962, Martin and Vagelos (9, 10) showed that citrate specifically stimulated the acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase reaction in rat adipose tissue preparations. This reaction had been reported to be the rate-limiting step for fabty acid synthesis in a number of tissues (11, 12). Similar results were obtained by Waite and Wakil (13), who showed that isocitrate stimulated the catalytic activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase from chicken liver. It would seem likely, therefore, that in addition to acting as a source of NADI’H, part of the stimulatory effect of citrate observed with soluble crude enzyme systems was due to the activating effect of citrate on the carbosylating enzyme. It should be noted, however, that the concentration of citrate needed for maximal fatty acid synthesis and for maximal carbosyla,tion activation is very high, about 10 pmoles per ml. We have reported a third role of citrate in fatty acid biosynthesis, that of a carbon source via the citrate cleavage enzyme (8). Recently Wakil et al. (14, 15) reported the elongation of fatty acids in a mitochondrial system by the successive addition of acetyl-Cog to intermediate chain length fatty acyl-CoAs (Cl0 to C,,). Similar results were reported by Stumpf and Barber (16) in mitochondria derived from avocado mesocarp. In addition to these chain elongation observations, Htilsmann (17, 18) has reported on the biosynthesis of fatty acids in rat or rabbit heart sarcosomes. The amount of fatty acid synthesis de nova in mitochondria, in all cases, is significantly lower than that observed with soluble enzyme systems. Moreover, even the combined rate of chain elongation, desaturation, and synthesis de novo is considerably lower than the rate of synthesis obtained with soluble enzyme systems.
Simulation Modeling of Lakes in Undergraduate and Graduate Classrooms Increases Comprehension of Climate Change Concepts and Experience with Computational Tools

Ecosystem modeling is a critically important tool for environmental scientists, yet is rarely taught in undergraduate and graduate classrooms. To address this gap, we developed a teaching module that exposes students to a suite of modeling skills and tools (including computer programming, numerical simulation modeling, and distributed computing) that students apply to study how lakes around the globe are experiencing the effects of climate change. In the module, students develop hypotheses about the effects of different climate scenarios on lakes and then test their hypotheses using hundreds of model simulations. We taught the module in a 4-hour workshop and found that participation in the module significantly increased both undergraduate and graduate students’ understanding about climate change effects on lakes. Moreover, participation in the module also significantly increased students’ perceived experience level in using different software, technologies, and modeling tools. By embedding modeling in an environmental science context, non-computer science students were able to successfully use and master technologies that they had previously never been exposed to. Overall, our findings suggest that modeling is a powerful tool for catalyzing student learning on the effects of climate change.
“It’s Like Cubans Could Only Be White,” Divided Arrival: Origins of a Racially Bifurcated Migration

This chapter briefly retells the 1960s’ Cuban exilic arrival and reception experience in South Florida via the lenses of race, using the Rosemond family’s adjustment experiences as illustrative. While vastly fewer in number (and many leaving the region entirely), some Afro-Cubans did settle in South Florida during the early stages of the Cuban Revolution. I apply a mixed methodology, comparing US Census data (5 % PUMS sample) on “white” and “black” Cuban arrivals in Miami-Dade County over time, and ground these dichotomous outcomes in the historical literature on racism in Cuba. Here, I present the historical antecedents, grounded in anti-black racism in Cuba, as background for the presently bifurcated streams of arrival.
Effects of turf and cleat footwear on plantar load distribution

Metatarsal fractures and midfoot sprains are common injuries in American football (Carreira & Sandilands, 2013; Osbahr et al., 2014). In addition to significant time lost from sport, both injuries ...
Effects of Statin Therapy in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a significant risk of cardiovascular mortality. The use of statins for lipid modulation and the prevention of cardiovascular disease in this population also may impart pleiotropic anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Our aim was to identify studies that compared the use of statins and placebo or no statin therapy in patients with SLE. METHODS A meta-analysis was conducted on the follow-up measures of serum lipid levels, inflammatory markers, and disease activity, which was measured using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score. The mean difference (MD) was calculated by the inverse variance method under a fixed or random-effects model, as appropriate. RESULTS A total of eight studies met our inclusion criteria, including five randomized controlled trials. The total number of patients was 814 (statins 446, placebo/no statins 368), and follow-up ranged from 1 month to 7 years. The total cholesterol (MD -23.48 mg/dL, 95% confidence interval [CI] -34.57 to -12.39, P < 0.0001), low-density lipoprotein (MD -20.7 mg/dL, 95% CI -30.51 to -10.89, P < 0.0001), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (MD -0.40 mg/dL, 95% CI -0.64 to -0.16, P = 0.001) levels were significantly reduced by statin therapy. There was no change with statin use in serum levels of high-density lipoprotein and conventional C-reactive protein, and there was no difference in the SLEDAI score. CONCLUSIONS The use of statins in SLE reduced the serum lipid and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, which suggests a role for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Statins did not affect the SLEDAI score, and therefore their use for modifying SLE disease activity levels is not presently supported.
Compressed Sensing Approaches to Low-Radiation CT Reconstruction

1283 Objectives The aim of this educational exhibit is to review novel Compressed Sensing (CS) high-resolution CT reconstruction techniques, which can be applied to reduce radiation doses. Methods It has recently been proven that knowledge about a signal9s sparsity can be used to reconstruct the image perfectly with fewer samples than the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem requires. This new theorem is the basis of CS, which has led to a technological revolution in image processing and acquisition and has been applied to high-resolution CT imaging reconstruction at lower radiation doses. This educational exhibit will review established algebraic iterative reconstruction techniques to facilitate understanding of novel CS approaches to CT reconstruction. Results First portion of the exhibit will review algebraic and simultaneous iterative reconstruction techniques such as the Kaczmarz and Cimmino methods, the principle of semi-convergence, stopping rules and strategies for choosing the relaxation parameters. The second portion of the exhibit will examine principles of CS, including sparsifying transforms, L1 minimization, total variation (TV) regularization and angle sampling schemes. Conclusions Compressed Sensing techniques are based on the knowledge about the signal9s sparsity and allow for dose reduction in high-resolution CT reconstruction.
On repetition: writing, performance & art

The Danish philosopher Kierkegaard was most prescient when he claimed at the outset of his 1843 novella Repetition: ‘Say what you will, the question of repetition will play a very important role in...
Widespread Mitotic Bookmarking by Histone Marks and Transcription Factors in Pluripotent Stem Cells

During mitosis, transcription is halted and many chromatin features are lost, posing a challenge for the continuity of cell identity, particularly in fast cycling stem cells, which constantly balance self-renewal with differentiation. Here we show that, in pluripotent stem cells, certain histone marks and stem cell regulators remain associated with specific genomic regions of mitotic chromatin, a phenomenon known as mitotic bookmarking. Enhancers of stem cell-related genes are bookmarked by both H3K27ac and the master regulators OCT4, SOX2, and KLF4, while promoters of housekeeping genes retain high levels of mitotic H3K27ac in a cell-type invariant manner. Temporal degradation of OCT4 during mitotic exit compromises its ability both to maintain and induce pluripotency, suggesting that its regulatory function partly depends on its bookmarking activity. Together, our data document a widespread yet specific bookmarking by histone modifications and transcription factors promoting faithful and efficient propagation of stemness after cell division.
A Polyclonal Antibody to NKX3.1 Identifies Fungal Organisms From the Esophagus

NKX3.1 is a transcription factor used to identify prostatic adenocarcinomas. We describe novel functionality for NKX3.1 compared with Grocott and periodic acid-Schiff-diastase (PASD) on esophageal biopsies. We identified esophageal biopsies on the basis of the search term "candida" from March 28, 2012 to December 27, 2013. Of 85 cases for which 3 stains were available and at least 1 stain was positive for fungus consistent with Candida, 83 cases stained as positive with NKX3.1, compared with 79 with PASD and 75 with Grocott. NKX3.1 was significantly superior to Grocott but not to PASD (P<0.05). NKX3.1 was significantly more efficacious in leading to a positive diagnosis of esophageal candidiasis compared with Grocott, resulting in a significantly higher number of positive fragments per slide as well as the number of organisms per fragment, but not PASD. NKX3.1 will be useful to add to the stain armamentarium for Candida and possibly other fungal organisms.
Endonuclease II of Escherichia coli.

Endonuclease II has been purified from Escherichia coli and characterized. The enzyme degrades both alkylated and depurinated DNA, as well as γ-irradiated DNA. It also has been shown to attack DNA containing O 6-methylguanine following treatment of the DNA with the carcinogen methylnitrosurea.
Basic Principles of Risk Communication in Air Pollution

Risk communication is crucial in response to any hazard to human health. Sharing information can help triggering necessary actions that can eventually lead to the solution of a problem or to a reduction of its negative effects, improving the outcome. Some basic rules must be followed, though, in order to create an effective communication, avoiding those mistakes that undermine the trust that people rely on risk assessors and decision-makers.
Paradoxical Correlation Pattern Mining

Given a large transactional database, correlation computing/association analysis aims at efficiently finding strongly correlated items. For traditional association analysis, relationships among variables are usually measured at a global level. In this study, we investigate confounding factors that can help to capture abnormal correlation behaviors at a local level. Indeed, many real-world phenomena are localized to specific markets or subpopulations. Such local relationships may not be visible or may be miscalculated when collectively analyzing the entire data. In particular, confounding effects that change the direction of correlation are a most severe problem because the global correlations alone leads to errant conclusions. To this end, we propose CONFOUND, an efficient algorithm to identify paradoxical correlation patterns (i.e., where controlling for a third item changes the direction of association for strongly correlated pairs) using effective pruning strategies. Moreover, we also provide an enhanced version of this algorithm, called CONFOUND+, which substantially speeds up the confounder search step. Finally, experimental results showed that our proposed CONFOUND and CONFOUND+ algorithms can effectively identify confounders and the computational performance is orders of magnitude faster than benchmark methods.
Ammonia emissions from an in-ground finisher hog manure tank

Abstract A large fraction of emitted and ultimately deposited ammonia (NH3) originates from swine waste storage. Understanding the factors that influence these emissions is important in determining how to mitigate NH3 loading of the atmosphere. Hog manure is stored in slurry pits, tanks, or lagoons. Ammonia emissions from a ground-level mid-western hog finisher manure tank collecting manure from a mean of 3508 animals was measured for 8–20 d each quarter of the year for two years. Forty of the 164 measurement days had sufficient measurements to represent entire days. These daily emissions averaged 0.44 g NH3 m−2h−1 (53.1 g d−1 AU−1, 7.2 g d−1 hd−1: AU = 500 kg animal mass, hd = 1 animal) with maximum emissions of 1.62 g NH3 m−2h−1 (194.2 g d−1 AU−1, 26.4 g d−1 hd−1). Emissions from the tank were greater on an area basis but comparable on an animal basis relative to emissions from much larger anaerobic lagoons. Emissions were correlated with air temperature and manure composition, but not wind speed or friction velocity- probably due to the turbulence created by the tank structure under all winds. Crusting of the manure surface in the tank corresponded with a non-significant 10% increase in NH3 emissions. A model of the tank emissions, based on nominal nitrogen loading rates from the literature and taking into account the configuration of the circular tank, had a mean bias error of 0.01 g NH3 m−2h−1 (0.9 g d−1 AU−1, 0.1 g d−1 hd−1) and a root mean square error of 0.26 g NH3m−2h−1 (31.6 d−1 AU−1, 4.3 g d−1 hd−1). Additional emissions measurements from such ground-level manure storage tanks with greater documentation of the manure liquid composition are needed to verify the modeling approach.
Plastic Flow, Instability and Modes of Failure in the Uniaxial Compression of Porous Cylinders

Gurson’s mixed hardening plasticity model, with strain- and stress-controlled nucleations, was used in a large deformation finite element program to study the plastic flow and damage in the uniaxial compression of cylinders under sticking friction. Modes of deformations, failure and fracture criteria were studied in detail.
New structures of thin air cathodes for zinc–air batteries

Thin composite cathodes for air reduction were manufactured using microfibre-based papermaking technology. The electrodes have a thin structural design, less than 0.15 mm in thickness. Composite cathode materials for oxygen reduction applications were fabricated by entrapping carbon particles in a sinter-locked network of 2–8 μm diameter metal fibres. The thin structure not only results in electrodes that are 30–75% thinner than those commercially available, but also offers an opportunity for custom-built air cathodes optimized for high-rate pulse applications. Using a thin composite structure for the air cathode in a zinc–air battery that is part of a zinc–air/capacitor hybrid is likely to increase the pulse capability of the hybrid power system. The thin cathode structure provides a better, more efficient three-phase reaction zone. In a half-cell test, the ultrathin air cathode generated more than 1.0 V vs Zn/ZnO for a current of 200 mA cm−2. Half-cell, full-cell and pulse-power tests revealed that thin composite cathodes have a better rate and pulse performance than the air cathodes commonly used.
Immobilization of Lipases on Clay, Celite 545, Diethylaminoethyl-, and Carboxymethyl-Sephadex and their Interesterification Activity

Lipases AK, PS (both from Pseudomonas sp), and AY (from Candida rugosa) were immobilized on clay, Celite 545, DEAE-Sephadex, or CM-Sephadex and used to synthesize structured lipids from tricaprylin and trilinolein. Lipases AK and AY immobilized on Celite 545 had the highest interesterification activity (0.11 and 0.35 units, respectively) while lipase PS had the highest activity (0.18 units) when immobilized on CM-Sephadex. During 72 h reaction, the highest product yields were obtained in Celite AK (224 µmol), and CM PS (290 µmol) after 48 h and Celite AY (501 µmol) after 24 h. Lipase AK immobilized on DEAE-Sephadex was the most stable for repeated (5 times) operation.
Cryopreservation of Human Oocytes and Embryos

With the advent of assisted reproductive technology, controled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) is usually carried out to stimulate the growth of multiple follicles and produce multiple oocytes. Accordingly, multiple embryos are transferred to the uterus to increase the chances of success. However, multiple embryos can also increase the likelihood of multiple pregnancies, which are accompanied by a whole series of complications affecting both mother and child. There has been a trend toward transferring fewer embryos during the last decade. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average number of embryos transferred to women under 35 has dropped from 4.0 in 1995 to 2.8 in 2001 in the United States (N Engl J Med 350:1639-1645, 2004). In Europe, IVF centers in many countries have reduced the number of replaced embryos to two or even one (Ann N Y Acad Sci 1034:110-116, 2004). It is, therefore, very important to have a reliable technique to effectively cryopreserve the supernumerary embryos after transfer. The first pregnancy following the transfer of a frozen-thawed human embryo was reported by Trounson et al. in 1983 (Nature 305:707-709, 1983). Since then, embryo cryopreservation has become a very important part of the clinical use of in vitro fertilization. To date, human embryos have been successfully cryopreserved at the pronuclear, cleavage, and blastocyst stages of development. Moreover, recent advances in cryopreservation techniques have expanded the female fertility preservation from embryo to oocyte and ovarian tissue.
Circular-to-rectangular transition ducts for high-aspect ratio nonaxisymmetric nozzles

The next generation fighter aircraft will be equipped with nonaxisymmetric multifunction jet engine exhaust systems. The circular-to-rectangular transition duct employed in these systems has been made longer with the objective to maintain uniform flow. The weight of the exhaust system increases with increasing nozzle aspect ratio. The new design is to provide enhanced maneuvering and STOL performance. It is attempted to reduce the increase in weight as much as possible by new design strategies. The present paper has the objective to show through experimental data that the current design guidelines for transition ducts can be expanded so that shorter transitions are possible thereby reducing the nonaxisymmetric exhaust system weight penalty.
Journalism meets games : Newsgames as a new digital genre. Theory, boundaries, utilisation.

Newsgames are a young genre of digital journalism. This article analyses the genre on the basis of cases from various countries, puts it into context, critically examines the theoretical foundation and presents a study of utilization. A scientific definition takes the perspective of ‘boundary work’: It distinguishes Newsgames from other digital games (such as interestdriven, entertaining or educating games) and draws a boundary between Newsgames and other digital journalistic genres (such as multimedia reports, web documentaries or types of data journalism). The drawing of Newsgames boundaries highlights the general problems of drawing boundaries of journalism in digital media. To date, no study on the utilization of Newsgames exists. Our explorative and qualitative interviews and observations are situated within the framework of uses and gratifications research. Main categories are the level of awareness, information performance and success factors of Newsgames. The results show that the new genre possesses a wide range of possibilities that cannot be uniformly assessed. Ethical doubts as to whether serious topics should be played in games are offset against the benefit of creating interest and empathy. Users want to experience success when playing – an aspect that emphasizes the competitive character and distinguishes Newsgames from other genres.
Range and Endurance Characterization of a Quadcopter subject to Steady Wind

The range map of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) working in a nominal condition in an outdoor environment is affected by the available power and the environmental factors like the magnitude and direction of the wind. In the case of propulsion failure, it is important to determine the range and ground impact location of the UAS which might be useful in quantifying the risk involved in flying over certain urban, suburban areas. This paper focuses on mathematical modeling of the quadcopter along with its propulsion system and electric power consumption model to determine the effect of speed and direction of the wind on the range map. The same simulation environment can be used to determine the range and ground impact locations of an UAS in case of various failure scenarios.
Short-Term Liabilities and Working Capital

Current liabilities refer to liabilities that are expected to liquidate within a year or normal operating cycle, whichever is longer. Whereas working capital, sometimes called net working capital represents the excess of current assets over current liabilities and identifies the relatively liquid portion of total enterprise capital which constitutes a margin or buffers for meeting obligations within the ordinary operating cycle of the business.
Objective and Subjective Measures of Socioeconomic Status Are Associated with Metabolic Syndrome Severity Among African American Adults in the Jackson Heart Study (P18-006-19)

Objectives In this study, data from the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) were used to assess the independent associations between objective socioeconomic status (OSS) and subjective social status (SSS) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity and MetS indicators in African American (AA) adults at baseline and eight years later.
Reimagining Student Success: Equity-Oriented Responses to Traditional Notions of Success

This study examined how 20 faculty and staff members used a one-time funding initiative to (re)conceptualize and design student success interventions. We found that they selectively adopted traditional notions of student success but also elevated themes of social justice, civic engagement, and overall student well-being as valuable dimensions of student success. This more expansive conception of student success informed how project leads designed interventions, including peer-tutoring supports and programs to support a sense of belonging. We argue that participatory approaches to student success framing and programming might advance more relevant and responsive conceptions of student success and facilitate organizational processes for achieving these more expansive aims.
Habitat-dependent responses of terrestrial salamanders to wildfire in the short-term

Abstract Wildfire is an important natural disturbance event that promotes landscape heterogeneity and regulates many wildlife communities. The compounding effects of fire suppression and climate change have increased the frequency and severity of wildfire, but the responses of many organisms to wildfire is unknown. Landscape heterogeneity, specifically microhabitats, may mediate and buffer the effects of wildfire, and evaluating variable responses to wildfire given habitat is key to developing a more cohesive understanding of population responses. Terrestrial plethodontid salamanders are likely disproportionality affected by wildfire events because of their lungless anatomy and reliance on cool and moist habitats. Our knowledge of salamander responses to wildfire in the short-term is limited due to the inherent challenge of opportunistically studying post-wildfire events. We capitalized on a wildfire event in western North Carolina, USA to determine the short-term (6–18-month post-fire) habitat-mediated responses of salamanders to wildfire using body size measurement and repeated count surveys. We observed precipitous declines of the red-legged salamander, Plethodon shermani, in exposed upland forests, but no apparent negative effects in riparian forests 18-months post-fire relative to unburned sites. We also observed a loss of juvenile size classes in the upland burned forest with only the largest adult individuals remaining 18-months post-fire. There were no size class differences in the riparian forests. Our results suggest riparian forests may be buffered from the effects of wildfire because canopy cover, vegetation, and soil duff layer are retained following a wildfire event. Salamander populations inhabiting riparian forests may be at less risk of declining than those in exposed habitats. Our results underscore the need to assess wildfire effects in all habitat types to fully determine the effects of disturbance to populations.
Resting-State Functional Network Organization Is Stable Across Adolescent Development for Typical and Psychosis Spectrum Youth.

Background Resting-state functional neuroimaging captures large-scale network organization; whether this organization is intact or disrupted during adolescent development across the psychosis spectrum is unresolved. We investigated the integrity of network organization in psychosis spectrum youth and those with first episode psychosis (FEP) from late childhood through adulthood. Methods We analyzed data from Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC; typically developing = 450, psychosis spectrum = 273, 8-22 years), a longitudinal cohort of typically developing youth (LUNA; N = 208, 1-3 visits, 10-25 years), and a sample of FEP (N = 39) and matched controls (N = 34). We extracted individual time series and calculated correlations from brain regions and averaged them for 4 age groups: late childhood, early adolescence, late adolescence, adulthood. Using multiple analytic approaches, we assessed network stability across 4 age groups, compared stability between controls and psychosis spectrum youth, and compared group-level network organization of FEP to controls. We explored whether variability in cognition or clinical symptomatology was related to network organization. Results Network organization was stable across the 4 age groups in the PNC and LUNA typically developing youth and PNC psychosis spectrum youth. Psychosis spectrum and typically developing youth had similar functional network organization during all age ranges. Network organization was intact in PNC youth who met full criteria for psychosis and in FEP. Variability in cognitive functioning or clinical symptomatology was not related to network organization in psychosis spectrum youth or FEP. Discussion These findings provide rigorous evidence supporting intact functional network organization in psychosis risk and psychosis from late childhood through adulthood.
Monitoring Treatment Effectiveness in Intracranial Arteriovenous Shunt Lesions: Emerging Role of Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Venography for Intracranial Arteriovenous Shunts.

Background Quantitative magnetic resonance angiography (qMRA) using noninvasive optimal vessel analysis (NOVA) is a novel noninvasive imaging technique that is being increasingly used to measure blood flow in extracranial and intracranial arteries. By providing important quantitative flow data, NOVA qMRA can facilitate the management of cerebrovascular disease. While the same technology can also be applied to measure flow in intracranial and extracranial veins, NOVA quantitative MRV (qMRV) is only rarely used in neurovascular practice. Case Description We report interesting qMRV data in 2 patients with symptomatic intracranial arteriovenous shunts: a 61-year-old man with a left transverse-sigmoid dural arteriovenous fistula and a 40-year-old woman with a left parietal arteriovenous malformation. In each patient, NOVA qMRV demonstrated significant reduction of intracranial venous outflow after therapeutic obliteration of the shunt lesion, heralding marked clinical improvement. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of successful clinical application of NOVA qMRV in adult patients with intracranial arteriovenous malformations or dural arteriovenous fistulas. We propose that NOVA qMRV is a promising technique for noninvasive measurement of intracranial and extracranial venous blood flow and for monitoring treatment effectiveness in patients with intracranial arteriovenous shunt lesions.
Mesenchymal COX2-Derived PGD2 Activates an ILC2-Treg Axis to Promote Proliferation of Normal and Malignant HSPCs

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-dependent production of prostaglandins (PGs) is known to play important roles in tumorigenesis. PGD2 has recently emerged as a key regulator of tumor- and inflammation-associated functions. We previously reported that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) overexpressed COX-2 and secreted high levels of PGs including PGD2. Since little is known about the role of PGD2 in normal and malignant hematopoiesis, we prioritized this mesenchymal source of PG for further investigation. We observed that AML MSCs or normal MSCs overexpressing COX-2 promotes proliferation of co-cultured hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), which can be prevented by treatment with COX-2 knockdown or TM30089, a specific antagonist of the PGD2 receptor CRTH2. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that PGD2-CRTH2 signaling acts directly on type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), potentiating their expansion and driving them to produce Interleukin-5 (IL-5) and IL-13. We further show that IL-5 but not IL-13 expands CD25+Foxp3+ IL5Ra+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) and promotes HSCP proliferation. Disruption of the PGD2-activated ILC2-Treg axis by specifically blocking the PGD2 receptor CRTH2 or IL-5 impedes proliferation of normal and malignant HSPCs. Conversely, co-transfer of Lin-CD127+CRTH2+ ILC2s and CD4+CD25+IL5Ra+ Tregs promotes malignant HSCP proliferation and accelerates leukemia development in xenotransplanted mice. Collectively, these results indicate that the mesenchymal source of PGD2 promotes proliferation of normal and malignant HSPCs through activation of the ILC2-Treg axis. These findings also suggest that this PGD2-activated ILC2-Treg axis may be a valuable therapeutic target for cancer and inflammation-associated diseases. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Exploring Health Benefits through Senior Center Engagement: A Qualitative Investigation of Older Korean Immigrants

Senior centers serve as an avenue where older adults gain various health, social and psychological resources and information. This study attempted to illuminate the benefits that older Korean immig...
Serious infection risk in children with psoriasis on systemic treatment: a propensity score matched population-based study

Background Psoriasis is increasingly treated with systemic medications, yet their safety is not well characterized in children. Objective We sought to estimate the 6-month risk of serious infections in children with psoriasis treated with biologics, systemic nonbiologics, and phototherapy. Methods Using insurance claims data, we identified children aged Results Among 57,323 children with psoriasis, the 6-month risk of infection was 4.2 per 1000 patient-years in 722 biologic initiators, 5.1 in 988 systemic nonbiologic initiators, and 1.1 in 2657 phototherapy initiators. The relative risk (95% confidence interval) of infection in biologics vs nonbiologics was 0.67 (0.11-3.98), in biologics vs phototherapy was 1.50 (0.25-8.95), and in nonbiologics vs phototherapy was 5.00 (0.59-42.71). The background risk of infection in children with psoriasis was 1 per 1000, almost double the risk compared with children without psoriasis (relative risk, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-1.97). Conclusions We found no meaningful difference in infection risk between biologics vs nonbiologics and no robust difference between systemic users vs phototherapy. Independent of treatment, children with psoriasis had a higher risk of infection than those without psoriasis.
Urea-Catalyzed Vinyl Carbocation Formation Enables Mild Functionalization of Unactivated C–H Bonds

Herein we report the 3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl urea-catalyzed functionalization of unactivated C-H bonds. In this system, the urea catalyst mediates the formation of high-energy vinyl carbocations that undergo facile C-H insertion and Friedel-Crafts reactions. We introduce a new paradigm for these privileged scaffolds where the combination of hydrogen-bonding motifs and strong bases affords highly active Lewis acid catalysts capable of ionizing strong C-O bonds. Despite the highly Lewis-acidic nature of these catalysts that enables triflate abstraction from sp2 carbons, these newly found reaction conditions allow for the formation of heterocycles and tolerate highly Lewis-basic heteroaromatic substrates. This strategy showcases the potential utility of dicoordinated vinyl carbocations in organic synthesis.
The thermal analysis and experimental research of HL-2M vacuum vessel thermal insulation layer

Abstract The vacuum vessel(VV)is one of the core components in HL-2M Tokamak experimental device. Before the plasma operation, the VV can be baked up to 300℃ with a baking speed of ∼4℃/h using nitrogen gas to obtain a ultrahigh vacuum of ∼10−6Pa. During the baking operation, the VV must be assembled a thermal insulation layer (TIL) to raise the efficiency of baking out-gassing, also to reduce the high temperature influence on other components such as PF coils. In this paper, the finite element model including two sector of VV and its corresponding components have been built, and also the experimental research with a 1:2 scale heat performance test device has been carried on to compare with the FE method and the theoretical analysis. Firstly, the simplified model and boundary conditions have been established, and the main heat transfer equations during this transfer process can be identified. It can be inferred that the convective heat transfer coefficient of insulation layer cold surface is about3 W / m 2 ⋅ K . And then the results of simulation and prototype TIL heat transfer experimental research show that only when the thermal conductivity of the TIL is under0.038 W / m ⋅ K at 300℃, and the natural convection heat transfer coefficient of the TIL cold surface is more than 3 W / m 2 ⋅ K , the temperature of PF1-4 coils epoxy resin can be controlled less than 70℃, also the total heat loss of VV will not exceed 20kW. Those finite element simulations and the experimental results can help us to choose the suitable thermal insulation layer material and assemble method of the vacuum vessel thermal insulation layer.
Laser cavitation rheology for measurement of elastic moduli and failure strain within hydrogels.

We introduce laser cavitation rheology (LCR) as a minimally-invasive optical method to characterize mechanical properties within the interior of biological and synthetic aqueous soft materials at high strain-rates. We utilized time-resolved photography to measure cavitation bubble dynamics generated by the delivery of focused 500 ps duration laser radiation at λ = 532 nm within fibrin hydrogels at pulse energies of Ep = 12, 18 µJ and within polyethylene glycol (600) diacrylate (PEG (600) DA) hydrogels at Ep = 2, 5, 12 µJ. Elastic moduli and failure strains of fibrin and PEG (600) DA hydrogels were calculated from these measurements by determining parameter values which provide the best fit of the measured data to a theoretical model of cavitation bubble dynamics in a Neo-Hookean viscoelastic medium subject to material failure. We demonstrate the use of this method to retrieve the local, interior elastic modulus of these hydrogels and both the radial and circumferential failure strains.
Understanding and Modeling Urban Mobility Dynamics via Disentangled Representation Learning

Understanding the underlying patterns of the urban mobility dynamics is essential for both the traffic state estimation and management of urban facilities and services. Due to the coupling relationship of generative factors in spatial-temporal domain, it is challenging to model the citywide traffic dynamics under a structural pattern of critical features such as hours of days, days of weeks and weather conditions. To address this challenge, this article develops a disentangled representation learning framework to learn an interpretable factorized representation of the independent data generative factors. In order to make full use of the knowledge on generative factors, this article proposes spatial-temporal generative adversarial network (ST-GAN) to assign the generative factors of traffic flow to the feature vector in latent space and reconstructs the high-dimensional citywide traffic flow from the given factors. With the help of the disentangled representations, the decomposed feature vector in latent space discloses the relationship between underlying patterns and citywide traffic dynamics. Several comprehensively experiments show that ST-GAN not only effectively improves the prediction accuracy but also promisingly characterize structural properties of the traffic evolution process.
Serial echocardiography for valve dysfunction and aortic dilation in bicuspid aortic valves

Background and aims Complications of bicuspid aortic valve commonly include aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, and ascending aortic dilation. The progression of these lesions is not well described. Materials and methods We reviewed 249 bicuspid aortic valve patients with at least two echocardiograms from 2006 to 2016. Valve morphology (right-left or right-noncoronary cusp fusion) was confirmed by visual inspection, and aortic stenosis and regurgitation were quantified according to current guidelines; the ascending aorta was measured at end-systole 2-3 cm above the sinotubular junction. Annualized progression of stenosis, regurgitation, and aortic dilation from first to most recent echocardiogram were compared between right-left and right-nonfused valves using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for baseline differences in groups. Results Among 249 bicuspid aortic valve patients (mean age 47.6 ± 13.5 years, 66.3% male), 75.9% had right-left cusp fusion. At baseline, aortic stenosis was absent or mild in 80.3%; aortic regurgitation was absent or mild in 80.7%; and aortic diameters were 35.0 ± 5.7 mm (sinuses of Valsalva) and 37.4 ± 6.2 mm (ascending). Mean annualized decrease in aortic valve area was 0.07 cm2 /year, with 30% of bicuspid aortic valve patients progressing ≥0.1 cm2 /year. Aortic regurgitation progressed ≥1 grade in 37 patients. Mean annualized increase in ascending aorta diameter was 0.36 mm/year in right-left and 0.65 mm/year in right-nonbicuspid valves. Conclusions In this serial echocardiographic study of bicuspid aortic valve patients, cusp orientation was not associated with progression of valve dysfunction. Right-noncoronary cusp fusion was associated with ascending aortic diameter progression.
Are lighter-skinned Tanisha and Jamal worth more pay? White people’s gendered colorism toward Black job applicants with racialized names

Though race is complex in lived experience, studies of anti-Black prejudice and discrimination in the United States often elide this complexity by operationalizing “Black” using one racial marker. ...
Resuscitation à la Carte: Ethical Concerns About the Practice and Theory of Partial Codes

We describe a request for CPR without chest compressions from a patient's daughter. Requests for partial codes raise numerous clinical concerns, including lack of evidence-based effectiveness, risk of medical error, and difficulty in communication. These in turn lead to ethical concerns, including a misapplication of respect for patient autonomy, violating the foundational principle of "first do no harm," and inconsistency with the tenets of shared decision-making. Many requests for partial codes are also based on a conflation of cardiopulmonary arrest and pre-arrest emergencies. We argue physicians have no ethical obligation to honor a request for a partial code and that doing so does not violate respect for patient autonomy. Requests for partial codes should be seen as a request for information about CPR and an invitation to conversation. We also report here the move our health system made to only offer evidence-based code status options and reject those with negligible likelihood for therapeutic benefit. This work included limiting options for code status to "Full Code" or "Do Not Attempt Resuscitation," creating an order set for non-arrest emergencies, and sample language to guide physicians in responding to requests for partial codes. To assist other hospitals or health systems considering this move, we provide the content of the order set for non-arrest emergencies and the sample language guide.
Sodium azide poisoning: a narrative review.

Sodium azide is a highly toxic chemical. Its production has increased dramatically over the last 30 years due to its widespread use in vehicular airbags, and it is available for purchase online. Th...
Contested multilateralism

“Contested multilateralism” describes the situation that results from the pursuit of strategies by states, multilateral organizations, and non-state actors to use multilateral institutions, existing or newly created, to challenge the rules, practices, or missions of existing multilateral institutions. It occurs when coalitions dissatisfied with existing institutions combine threats of exit, voice, and the creation of alternative institutions to pursue policies and practices different from those of existing institutions. Contested multilateralism takes two principal forms: regime shifting and competitive regime creation. It can be observed across issue areas. It shapes patterns of international cooperation and discord on key security concerns such as combating terrorist financing, halting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and banning certain conventional weapons. It is also evident on economic issues involving intellectual property, on environmental and energy issues, and in the realm of global public health. The sources of dissatisfaction are primarily exogenous, and the institutions used to challenge the status quo range from traditional treaties or intergovernmental organizations to informal networks, some of which include non-state actors. Some institutions are winners from the process of contested multilateralism; others may lose authority or status. Although we do not propose an explanatory theory of contested multilateralism, we do suggest that this concept provides a useful framework for understanding changes in regime complexes and the strategies that generate such changes.
Common-Sense Policy Reforms for California Housing

California housing has become unaffordable. As of February 2021, the median California home price was nearly $700,000 and the median condominium price was $515,000. The median rent for the same month was $1,733. Based on industry mortgage financing and renting standards, this means that both homebuyers and renters require household incomes of nearly $100,000 to qualify for housing.
neural networks and fuzzy systems a dynamical systems approach to machine intelligence

This work combines neural networks and fuzzy systems, presenting neural networks as trainable dynamical systems and developing mechanisms and principles of adaption, self-organization, convergence and global stability. It includes the new geometric theory of fuzzy sets, systems and associated memories, and shows how to apply fuzzy set theory to adaptive control and how to generate structured fuzzy systems with unsupervised neural techniques.
Mercy Mission and Transformative Change: Evaluation of a Revised Governance Structure

The University of St. Joseph, a Mercy institution, was founded during the Great Depression to provide women a gateway to higher education for careers in fields that would serve the well-being of society. Recently, the institution has undergone changes to modernize its organizational structure. Consistent with its commitment to educate people of all kinds who will make significant contributions to society, the university opened a School of Pharmacy in 2007. This positioned it to move from its structure of divisions to a school model. A School Evaluation Committee was charged with studying the change and determining its assistance in strengthening the mission. This article describes the research process implemented by the institution using Catholic social justice principles of participation, the common good, and stewardship to guide its work.
Space technology applicable to hybrid vehicle batteries

Investigation of techniques to improve performance and service life of nickel-zinc electric batteries for application to low pollutant propulsion systems
Automatic translation of process modeling formalisms

This paper demonstrates that the enaction of a software process can be separated from the formalism in which the process is modeled. To show this, we built a compiler capable of automatically translating a process model specified using Statemate into a MARVEL environment that supports the enaction of the process.
Differences between General and Talented Students' Perceptions of Their Career and Technical Education Experiences Compared to Their Traditional High School Experiences.

Career and technical education represents an important and understudied educational option for high school students. This qualitative study utilized data from one exemplary career and technical edu...
Principal's Leader Power, Teacher Empowerment, Teacher Compliance and Conflict

This paper reports on a study which investigated the relationship among the principal's bases of leader power, teacher empowerment, teacher compliance, and the amount of conflict within self, with ...
Doppler echocardiographic observations during percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty

Abstract To evaluate the hemodynamic changes occurring with percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty for aortic stenosis, Doppler echocardiography was performed during the procedure in 16 patients. During balloon inflation, peak velocity and ejection time of the aortic valve systolic signals increased (26 and 30%, respectively; p Changes that occur during balloon inflation in the aortic valve include progressive left ventricular outflow obstruction, equalization of diastolic aortic and left ventricular pressures and changes in diastolic compliance.
The effect of small amounts of B and Sn on the sintering of silicon

The sinterability of a Si powder, which undergoes limited densification at 1350° C, was remarkably influenced by small additions of B and/or Sn. Boron was shown to be a sintering aid and permitted the development of a fine-grain/fine-pore microstructure. Tin was shown to be sintering retardant and resulted in the formation of a highly-coarsened microstructure. The data presented supports the concept that B and Sn most likely affect the grain-boundary diffusion coefficient of Si.