cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Krüppel-like factor 4 is a transcriptional regulator of M1/M2 macrophage polarization in alcoholic liver disease

Macrophages play an important role in inflammation and liver injury. In ALD, activated macrophages, including M1 (proinflammatory) and M2 (anti-inflammatory) macrophages, are present in the liver. As KLF4 has been described as a regulator of macrophage polarization, we investigated its role in ALD. Chronic alcohol feeding in C57Bl/6 mice led to increased expression of M1 (TNF-α, MCP1, and IL-1β) and M2 (Arg1, Mrc1, and IL-10) genes and the frequency of CD206+CD163+ M2 macrophages in the liver. KLF4 mRNA and protein levels were increased in the livers of EtFed compared with PF mice. In macrophages, in vivo and in vitro, EtOH increased KLF4 levels, transcriptional activity, and expression of M1 and M2 genes. KLF4 knockdown and overexpression experiments demonstrated alcohol-dependent and -independent functions of KLF4 in regulating M1 and M2 markers. KLF4 siRNA treatment, alone and in synergy with alcohol, increased the levels of M1 markers. In contrast, KLF4 overexpression increased the levels of M2 and decreased M1 markers, and this was enhanced further by alcohol. KLF4 was regulated by alcohol and its metabolites. KLF4 mRNA and activity were increased in the presence of 4-MP, an inhibitor of ADH, and CYP2E1. However, inhibition of acetaldehyde breakdown attenuated KLF4 induction and promoted M1 polarization. We conclude that KLF4 regulates M1 and M2 markers in ALD. EtOH promotes KLF4 and M2 phenotype, whereas acetaldehyde attenuates KLF4 and promotes M1 macrophage, which may explain the increased presence of M1 and M2 macrophage populations in ALD.
Rapamycin Protects Mice from Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B-Induced Toxic Shock and Blocks Cytokine Release In Vitro and In Vivo

Staphylococcal enterotoxins are potent activators for human T cells and cause lethal toxic shock. Rapamycin, an immunosuppressant, was tested for its ability to inhibit staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)-induced activation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro and toxin-mediated shock in mice. Stimulation of PMBC by SEB was effectively blocked by rapamycin as evidenced by the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-2, gamma interferon (IFN-γ), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α), MIP-1β, and T-cell proliferation. In vivo, rapamycin protected 100% of mice from lethal shock, even when administered 24 h after intranasal SEB challenge. The serum levels of MCP-1 and IL-6, after intranasal exposure to SEB, were significantly reduced in mice given rapamycin versus controls. Additionally, rapamycin diminished the weight loss and temperature fluctuations elicited by SEB.
History of Technology

Technological change is a key issue for the philosophy of history, because technology is itself a complex social process, involving the influence of many social factors (economic, scientific, political, organizational, educational). So arriving at a history of a particular technology—e.g., electric power, inertial navigation, or medieval ship construction—is itself a challenging and important task for historians.
The Marital Helping Relationship Following Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death

Few studies have examined the therapeutic helping relationship within married couples, and those that have done so have considered stressor events that affect one spouse more than the other. This qualitative study of couples who experienced pregnancy loss and infant death explores the emotional support that spouses give to their partner. A minority of couples did not provide support to each other. In most couples, however, the support was described by both partners as mutual. Among all couples who provided mutual support, most of these perceived a fairly even exchange; some saw the husband as providing more support than he received, and one couple felt that the wife had been the primary helper. Couples who provided very little support to each other were helped by attending a peer support group.
Does Spirituality Represent the Sixth Factor of Personality? Spiritual Transcendence and the Five-Factor Model

This study reports on the development of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale, a measure designed to capture aspects of the individual that are independent of the qualities contained in the Five-Factor Model of Personality (FFM). Using two separate samples of undergraduate students including both self-report (Ns = 379 and 356) and observer data (N = 279), it was shown that Spiritual Transcendence: (a) was independent of measures of the FFM; (b) evidenced good cross-observer convergence; and (c) predicted a wide range of psychologically salient outcomes, even after controlling for the predictive effects of personality. Given the long theoretical pedigree of Transcendence in the psychological literature, it was argued that Spiritual Transcendence represents a broad-based motivational domain of comparable breadth to those constructs contained in the FFM and ought to be considered a potential sixth major dimension of personality.
The Use of Media in Media Psychology

Media psychologists have theoretical interests in both people and media, yet research investments considerably favor subjects over stimuli. An analysis of 306 studies, taken from the journal Media Psychology over the last 10 years, and from the most cited media experiments in other journals, shows that studies invested in tens of thousands of human subjects but the studies used small samples of media material that were often narrow and unrepresentative. The vast majority of experiments (65%) used single examples of media messages per condition yet they discussed large categories of real world media experiences. Analysis of specific selections showed that media represented in research are less variant, nuanced, and idiosyncratic than media found in the real world. Two categories of solutions are discussed. First, new statistical solutions promote more attention to media repetitions analyzed as random factors. Second, we review the advantages of uncommon research designs that emphasize stimulus investments,...
Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment: A Clearer View

The newly-emerging area of hostile environment sexual harassment, which had been around since the late 1970s, but was not given much thought until the Hill-Thomas hearings, was a wake-up call for employers who were only vaguely aware of potential Title VII liability. In the wake of the hearings, court cases have more clearly defined what constitutes this violation.
Functional Anatomy of Gerstmann Syndrome

Structural and functional neuroimaging was used to examine a common denominator for the clinical triad of Gerstmann syndrome (a selective association of acalculia, finger agnosia, left-right disorientation, and agraphia) in a study at centers in Gif-sur-Yvette and Orsay, France; and University College, London, UK.
Sleep and Stroke

Evidence increasingly suggests sleep disorders are associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke. Strong data correlate untreated sleep apnea with poorer stroke outcomes and more recent evidence implicates sleep disruption as a possible etiology for increased cerebrovascular events. Also, sleep duration may affect incidence of cardiovascular events. In addition, sleep-disordered breathing, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and parasomnias can occur as a result of cerebrovascular events. Treatment of sleep disorders improve sleep-related symptoms and may also improve stroke recovery and risk of future events.
Heliothis spp.: Disruption of Pheromonal Communication with (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol Formate

In small field plots, (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-o1 formate (Z-9-tdf) alone was highly disruptive of pheromonal communication between male and female corn earworms, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and male and female tobacco budworms, H. virescens (F.). Z-9-tdf was not disruptive of pheromonal communication between males and females of several species of looper moths including Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), and T. oxygramma (Geyer). In contrast, (Z)-7-dodecen-1-o1 acetate (Z-7-dda) was an effective disruptant of pheromonal communication of the looper moths, but did not affect male H. zea or H. virescens . However, when Z-9-tdf was mixed with Z-7-dda in equal quantities and evaporated into the air simultaneously in the same plot, the pheromonal communication of all 5 species was disrupted. These compounds are stable, relatively inexpensive, and commercially available. They appear to offer promise for control of mating in these important species, and they have potential as multichemical disruptants in broad spectrum control via atmospheric permeation.
Effects of the alkali-metal cation size on molecular and extended structures: formation of coordination polymers and hybrid materials in the homologous series [(4-Et-C6H4OM)·(diox)n], M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs.

The complete series of group 1 metal 4-ethylphenoxide (4-Et-C6H4O–) networks have been synthesized using 1,4-dioxane (diox) as a neutral linker. [{(4-Et-C6H4OLi)4·(diox)2.5}·diox]∞ (1) and [{(4-Et-C6H4ONa)6·(diox)3}∞] (2) form 2D and 3D networks, respectively, composed of discrete aggregates linked by diox. Compound 1 forms a hexagonal layered structure with Li4O4 cubanes acting as nodes, whereas compound 2 forms a primitive cubic network (pcu) with Na6O6 hexameric nodes. [{(4-Et-C6H4OK)3·diox}∞] (3), [{(4-Et-C6H4ORb)2·(diox)0.5}∞] (4), and [{(4-Et-C6H4OCs)2·(diox)0.5}∞] (5) are composed of isostructural 1D inorganic rods that are linked through diox to form pcu-type networks. Compound 5 is the first example of a network built from cesium inorganic rods.
Research on Optimum Site of Underground Gas Storage of Depleted Oil-gas Reservoir

The paper adopts the synthetic evaluation method of fuzzy mathematics to evaluate the site of underground natural gas storage on the basis of optimum principles and ascertains eight factors of evaluation. They are salvage value o f oil and gas reservoir, developmental condition of reservoir, depth of reserv oir, thickness of reservoir, property and thickness of cap rock, porosity of reservoir, permeability of reservoir and capacity of gas storage. Through an ex ample, the feasibility of using synthetic evaluation method to select the site of depleted oil-gas reservoir of underground gas storage is demonstrated.
TH‐AB‐207A‐04: Assessment of Patients’ Cumulative Effective Dose From CT Examinations

Purpose: The Joint Commission requires institutions to consider patient's age and recent imaging exams when deciding on the most appropriate type of imaging exam. Additionally, knowing patient's imaging history can help prevent duplicate scans. Radiation dose management software affords new opportunities to identify and utilize patients with high cumulative doses as one proxy for subsequent review of imaging history and opportunities in avoiding redundant exams. Methods: Using dose management software (Radimetrics, Bayer Healthcare) a total of 72073 CT examinations performed from Jan 2015 to Jan 2016 were examined to categorize patients with a cumulative effective dose of 100 mSv and above. This threshold was selected based on epidemiological studies on populations exposed to radiation, which demonstrate a statistical increase of cancer risk at doses above 100 mSv. Histories of patients with highest cumulative dose and highest number of exams were further investigated by a Radiologist for appropriateness of recurrent studies and potential opportunities for reduction. Results: Out of 34762 patients, 927 (2.7%) were identified with a cumulative dose of 100 mSv and above. The highest cumulative dose (842 mSv) belonged to an oncology patient who underwent 2 diagnostic exams and 9 interventional ablative CT guided procedures. The patient with highest number of exams (56 counts) and cumulative dose of 170 mSv was a 17 year old trauma patient. An imaging history review of these two patients did not suggest any superfluous scans. Conclusion: Our limited pilot study suggests that recurrent CT exams for patients with oncologic or severe trauma history may be warranted and appropriate. As a result, for future studies we will be focusing on high dose patient cohorts not associated with oncology or severe trauma. Additionally, the review process itself has suggested areas for potential improvement in patient care, including improved documentation and Radiologist involvement in patient management. Dr. McNitt-Gray's disclosures: Institutional research agreement, Siemens Healthcare; Past recipient, research grant support, Siemens Healthcare; Consultant, Toshiba America Medical Systems; Consultant, Samsung Electronics.
Case 49-1973

Presentation of Case A 27-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of mediastinal widening. He was well until nine months previously, when he began to experience fatigue, edema, anorexia a...
The Type I/Type II Model for Involutional Osteoporosis: Update and Modification Based on New Observations

Publisher Summary It is proposed that involutional osteoporosis could be subdivided into two distinct syndromes—type I osteoporosis and type II osteoporosis—that differed with respect to changes in regional bone mineral density (BMD), pattern of fractures, hormonal changes, and causal mechanisms. This chapter reviews this model, and updates and modifies it based on new observations, especially the findings that estrogen deficiency is a major cause of bone loss in elderly women and, perhaps also, in aging men. The type I/type II model of involutional osteoporosis is supported by four different types of data: differences in fracture patterns as assessed by epidemiologic studies, patterns of bone loss as assessed by bone densitometry, differences in parathyroid function, and differences in hormonal mechanisms of bone loss. That these data are largely independent of each other and yet lead to the same conclusion is strongly supportive of the central hypothesis. For any hypothesis to be useful, it should lead to predictions that can be tested experimentally. The limited number of tests that have been made thus far have all supported the hypothesis and are reviewed in this discussion.
Electronic health (e-Health): emerging role in asthma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Asthma is the most prevalent chronic respiratory disease and represents a relevant socioeconomic burden. e-Health has the potential to improve disease control and adherence to treatment in asthmatic patients. Available data are, however, scarce and inconsistent limiting the use of e-health in clinical practice. This article aims to provide a systematic review of the literature published in the last year regarding the real place and impact of e-health in the management of asthma. RECENT FINDINGS Despite few conflicting results, collected findings support a beneficial effect of e-health on asthma management and control, as well as positive patients' acceptance and satisfaction. Included studies mainly assessed m-health, telemedicine, electronic health record and digital app interventions, in both adults and children. Existing evidence appears however to be only of moderate quality and high heterogeneity was found in the study endpoints and designs. SUMMARY There is the need to establish widely adopted standards for conducting trials and reporting results in e-health. These should include minimal clinical difference assessment and prevent potential pitfalls such as patient privacy protection, data fishing and lack of compliance of interventions with evidence-based medicine, guideline recommendations and regulatory board statements.
Identification of the Core Set of Carbon-Associated Genes in a Bioenergy Grassland Soil.

Despite the central role of soil microbial communities in global carbon (C) cycling, little is known about soil microbial community structure and even less about their metabolic pathways. Efforts to characterize soil communities often focus on identifying differences in gene content across environmental gradients, but an alternative question is what genes are similar in soils. These genes may indicate critical species or potential functions that are required in all soils. Here we identified the “core” set of C cycling sequences widely present in multiple soil metagenomes from a fertilized prairie (FP). Of 226,887 sequences associated with known enzymes involved in the synthesis, metabolism, and transport of carbohydrates, 843 were identified to be consistently prevalent across four replicate soil metagenomes. This core metagenome was functionally and taxonomically diverse, representing five enzyme classes and 99 enzyme families within the CAZy database. Though it only comprised 0.4% of all CAZy-associated genes identified in FP metagenomes, the core was found to be comprised of functions similar to those within cumulative soils. The FP CAZy-associated core sequences were present in multiple publicly available soil metagenomes and most similar to soils sharing geographic proximity. In soil ecosystems, where high diversity remains a key challenge for metagenomic investigations, these core genes represent a subset of critical functions necessary for carbohydrate metabolism, which can be targeted to evaluate important C fluxes in these and other similar soils.
Politics and Religion in the Twentieth Century: Bob Jones University, the IRS, and the First Amendment

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states in part "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." In an 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists of Connecticut, Thomas Jefferson reiterated the intention of the First Amendment's Establishment and Free-Exercise clauses – that the religious freedoms sought in the American experience required "a high wall of separation between church and state." 2 Only by extricating religion from government, and government from religion, could American citizens truly enjoy both their faith and democracy. Not until the twentieth century, though, were the Establishment and Free-Exercise clauses seriously tested. Religion, the Supreme Court, and American politics collided in the second half of the twentieth century. Beginning in the 1940's, the Court began to address previously unquestioned traditions of prayer in the public schools and modern concerns regarding religious faiths and the workplace. The real challenge for the Court, though, resulted from the confrontation of religious liberties and civil rights, specifically those granted to redress long standing racial prejudices in American history. It was this juxtaposition that had the most serious ramifications for modern politics and debates regarding Constitutional religious rights.
Work-in-Progress: Wireless Network Reconfiguration for Control Systems

Control systems using sensors and wireless networks are becoming more prevalent, due to its ease of deployment: no wires and longer battery life. However, network delays and packet losses can degrade control system performance, which leads us to find the optimal network configuration to minimize that impact. Another main difficulty of having wireless networks for control systems is caused by interference and noise that produce time-varying fault patterns, which motivates us to do network reconfiguration at run time. To solve these two issues, we propose a network reconfiguration framework with offline and online components that considers time-correlated link failures. We are conducting a case study to wirelessly control a nonlinear primary heat exchanger system in a small modular nuclear reactor of a nuclear power plant.
Neighborhood Effects on Social Participation of Children With and Without Disabilities

Few studies have examined how neighborhood characteristics affect the social participation of children with and without disabilities. Analysis of survey data from 20 low-income U.S. neighborhoods confirmed that neighborhood safety and stability influence social participation. Furthermore, children with disabilities have lower odds of social participation, though disparities vary by location.
Independent Association of Plasma Hydroxysphingomyelins With Physical Function in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background Plasma metabolites such as phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins (SMs) are associated with an age-related cognitive decline. However, their relations to age-related physical function decline remain largely unknown. Methods We examined the cross-sectional relations of 12 plasma metabolites (including four phosphatidylcholines and four SMs) with physical function in 383 older adults in the At herosclerosis Risk in Communities Study at the fifth exam (2011-2013, mean age [standard deviation (SD)]: 78.0 [5.5], 54.4% women, 28.3% African Americans). Physical function was assessed using grip strength, Short Physical Performance Battery, and 4-m walking speed. Individual metabolites were log-transformed and standardized. Multivariable linear regression was performed to account for demographics, APOE genotype, cardiovascular risk factors, comorbidities, use of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering medications, depressive symptoms, and cognition. Results Lower concentrations of asymmetric dimethylarginine and higher concentrations of SM (OH) C22:1, SM (OH) C22:2, and SM (OH) C24:1 were associated with physical function measures. In particular, SM (OH) C22:1 and SM (OH) C24:1 were associated with all three measures of physical function: β-coefficients (95% confidence interval) with grip strength were 0.89 kg (0.00, 1.78) and 0.86 kg (0.10, 1.61) per 1 SD higher concentration, respectively; with Short Physical Performance Battery score, were 0.61 (0.34, 0.88) and 0.41 (0.19, 0.63) per 1 SD difference, respectively; with 4-m walking speed were 0.035 m/s (0.013, 0.056) and 0.035 m/s (0.028, 0.047), respectively. Conclusions Plasma SM (OH)s may be independently associated with physical function in older adults.
Smart routing in smart grids

Electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be a major component of the smart grid. The rapid proliferation of EVs will introduce an unprecedented load on the existing electric grid due to the charging/discharging behavior of the EVs, thus motivating the need for novel approaches for routing EVs across the grid. In this paper, a novel game-theoretic framework for smart routing of EVs within the smart grid is proposed. The goal of this framework is to balance the electricity load across the grid while taking into account the traffic congestion and the waiting time at charging stations. The EV routing problem is formulated as a repeated noncooperative game. For this game, it is shown that selfish behavior of EVs will result in a pure-strategy Nash equilibrium with the price of anarchy upper bounded by the “variance” of the ground load induced by the residential, industrial, or commercial users. Moreover, the results are extended to capture the stochastic nature of induced ground load as well as the subjective behavior of the owners of EVs as captured by using notions from the behavioral framework of prospect theory. Simulation results provide new insights on more efficient energy pricing at charging stations and under more realistic grid conditions.
Motion-based communications: A statistical control modulation perspective

Motion modulating communications provide a number of potential benefits in low cost, size, weight and power as well as offering stealthy modes for secure communications. This paper describes a motion modulation design for achieving symbol distinguishability and energy efficiency, which is further subject to technical risk management due to performance uncertainties and distributions. The basic concepts underlying the approach to optimal motion modulating communication design include: (i) a vector modulation control for use in analog communication systems; (ii) incorporation of a linear dynamical system whose noisy output is the actual modulating motion; and (iii) the Kalman-Bucy filter for motion demodulation.
First measurements of ClO in the Venus atmosphere – Altitude dependence and temporal variation

Abstract The 352.88 GHz submm absorption spectrum of 35ClO in the Venus atmosphere was observed on Oct 23 and Nov 11, 2010, using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Mauna Kea, HI. This is the first detection of Venus ClO, which is found to exhibit much larger abundances in the upper (85–100 km) versus lower (70–85 km) mesosphere, based upon retrieval of the altitude distribution from the shape of the pressure broadened absorption. The 2-day average of all collected data indicates 2.6 ±0.5 ppb above 85 ±2 km, and undetectable below. Temporal variation is evident between the Oct 23 and Nov 11 observations, which indicate upper mesospheric mixing ratios of 3.7 ±0.9 and 1.5 ±0.5 ppb, respectively. At these abundances catalytic destruction of ozone by highly reactive chlorine compounds (ClOx) must occur, reinforcing the (Montmessin et al., 2011) conclusion that their measured ozone profiles were consistent with chlorine-catalyzed ozone destruction above 90 km. Detection of ClO in the nightside atmosphere reveals that ClOx abundances exceed those of highly reactive nitrogen (NOx). Recent observations of HCl in both the night- and day-side atmosphere (Sandor and Clancy, 2012; 2017) demonstrate that upper mesospheric HCl represents less than half the total chlorine budget. This required a non-HCl reservoir consisting of highly reactive gas-phase chlorine compounds (ClOx), HCl aerosol particles, or both. The measured 1.5–3.7 ppb ClO directly indicates hundreds of ppb of Cl, demonstrating that ClOx (rather than aerosol) is a primary upper mesospheric chlorine reservoir. Finally, this first detection of ClO constitutes the first empirical corroboration that the (Yung and DeMore, 1982) chlorine-catalysis mechanism is responsible for stabilizing the Venus atmosphere as 97% CO2, 3% N2 (rather than comparable (within a factor of 2) CO, O2 and CO2 abundances).
In Situ Measurements of Water Content for Sub-Surface Planetary Applications Using Near-Infrared Internal Reflection Spectroscopy (IRS) with a Multimode Optical Fiber:

Results and analysis of internal reflection spectral absorbance experiments are reported for near-infrared (NIR) spectra obtained using an optical fiber sensor system. We present a preliminary stud...
IS–LM AS A DYNAMIC FRAMEWORK

Publisher Summary This chapter presents IS-LM as a dynamic framework. The IS-LM schedules of Hicks have enjoyed unprecedented rule as the framework of modern macro-theory. At present, almost four decades after their introduction, they remain surprisingly useful tools of comparative-static analysis. However, a basic limitation of the schedules is their inability to describe the process or path connecting different points of equilibrium. IS-LM completely suppresses the fundamental financial force propelling the macroeconomic system from one position to another, and it precludes the possibility of disequilibrium in the output market by failing to distinguish between aggregate supply and demand. The chapter discusses the merging of the stock–existing–and flow securities markets when they are not in full equilibrium, and the market and natural rates differ. The process by which the two interest rates are brought together and income is changed is the basic adjustment mechanism. As the IS-LM schedules are highly aggregative market-equilibrium curves, they are not very useful in the analysis of the adjustment. The chapter also describes the events occurring in the money market. The IS-LM schedules cannot provide a framework for dynamic analysis because they implicitly assume that total income supplied and demanded are always equal.
Theoretical and Applied External Ear Acoustics

The external ear (pinna and earcanal) plays a major role in transforming acoustic signals from free field to the tympanic membrane in humans . It acts as a filter to reduce low frequencies, a resonator to enhance mid frequencies (2.0 to 7.0 kHz), and a direction-dependent filter at high frequencies to augment spatial perception. The external ear transfer function is altered by variations in the physical dimension of the external ear either due to individual differences or due to mechanical obstructions such as blockages, hearing aid placement, perforation of the tympanic membrane, and use of insert earphones . It is significant that any change in the characteristics of the acoustic signal can produce considerable disparity in within- and between-individual responses. The present paper examines published studies on sound pressure transfer function provided by the external ear in humans .
Examples of Patterns in Igneous Rocks

The Stillwater Complex is a layered igneous intrusion situated in south-central Montana. Locally, the sequence of layered rocks show many features analogous to Liesegang phenomenon. Similarities with pattern formation in crystallizing salt solutions suggests that some types of igneous layering may be the result of an orderly aging (or Ostwald ripening) of the crystal assemblage.
Congenital Methemoglobinemia: The Result of Age-dependent Decay of Methemoglobin Reductase

Methemoglobin reductase activity (MHR), measured by the Hegesh assay, decreases as normal red cells age. This probably accounts for the slighlty increased concentration of methemoglobin in older red cells. Exaggeration of normal MHR age lability was demonstrated in several individuals with various molecular abnormalities of NADH-diaphorase and was associated with more striking accumulation of methemoglobin in the older red cells of those patients. Diaphorase activity, measured by the Scott assay, does not exhibit age lability in normal red cells or the cells of affected patients. While diaphorase uses either NADH or NADPH as a cofactor, methemoglobin reductase requires NADH. Methemoglobin reductase is found in hemolysates but not in membrane preparations, while approximately 1% of total red cell NADH-diaphorase activity is membrane-associated. The specific activity of NADH-diaphorase is approximately 60 times greater than that of methemoglobin reductase. Whether the two activities represent distinct enzyme proteins or differing substrate affinities of the same enzyme awaits adaptation of the Hegesh assay to enzyme electrophoresis.
Contemporary Management of the Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer Patient with Metastatic Disease at Presentation.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the standard-of-care (SOC) for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) since the middle of the twentieth century. Recently, several practice-changing trials have added new therapy options for these patients. Here we review these studies and discuss guidelines on treatment decision-making. A trio of studies (GETUG-AFU15, STAMPEDE, CHAARTED) combining docetaxel chemotherapy with ADT all showed clinical benefit of the addition. More recently, the LATITUDE and STAMPEDE-Abiraterone studies established yet another new option for up-front treatment of newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer, showing significantly prolonged overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to ADT alone in men with high-risk mHSPC. With the recent demonstration that adding either docetaxel or abiraterone plus prednisone to ADT significantly improves survival in mHSPC, physicians are confronted by a growing body of clinical data and treatment regimens. Men with high-volume and/or high-risk metastatic disease should not be treated with ADT alone without strong consideration of docetaxel or abiraterone. The choice of a first-line therapy should be made based on risk stratification, patients’ comorbidities, toxicities, quality-of-life (QOL) considerations, and cost.
Chitin Facilitated Mineralization in the Eastern Oyster

Chitin is often reported in molluscan shell, where it likely contributes to the mechanical strength of the biomineral. However, the role of this polysaccharide in relation to the process of shell formation is not well understood. We investigated the deposition of chitin during shell repair in the Eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, by inserting stainless steel and glass implants in a region of shell damage. This work documents the time course of deposition of both chitin fibrils and calcium carbonate layers. Chitin is detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) using a chitin-specific fluorescent probe that was produced from clones of a chitin-binding domain. The presence of fibrils was confirmed using electron microscopy of implants. The fibrils’ dimensions were reduced after treatment with both acid and bleach, suggesting that chitin interacts with inorganic minerals and other organic components such as proteins and lipid as early as in 5 hours after shell damage. With CLSM, it was shown that chitin co-localized with membrane, suggesting the importance of cells located on the implants in the process of fibril formation. Using observations from this study as well as those from the literature on chitin synthase production in molluscs and fungi, we propose a cellular mechanism of chitin deposition related to shell formation.
GNNExplainer: Generating Explanations for Graph Neural Networks

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) are a powerful tool for machine learning on graphs. GNNs combine node feature information with the graph structure by recursively passing neural messages along edges of the input graph. However, incorporating both graph structure and feature information leads to complex models and explaining predictions made by GNNs remains unsolved. Here we propose GnnExplainer, the first general, model-agnostic approach for providing interpretable explanations for predictions of any GNN-based model on any graph-based machine learning task. Given an instance, GnnExplainer identifies a compact subgraph structure and a small subset of node features that have a crucial role in GNN's prediction. Further, GnnExplainer can generate consistent and concise explanations for an entire class of instances. We formulate GnnExplainer as an optimization task that maximizes the mutual information between a GNN's prediction and distribution of possible subgraph structures. Experiments on synthetic and real-world graphs show that our approach can identify important graph structures as well as node features, and outperforms alternative baseline approaches by up to 43.0% in explanation accuracy. GnnExplainer provides a variety of benefits, from the ability to visualize semantically relevant structures to interpretability, to giving insights into errors of faulty GNNs.
Histone H3K36I mutation in a metastatic histiocytic tumor of the skull and response to sarcoma chemotherapy

Recurrent somatic missense mutations in histone H3 genes have been identified in subsets of pediatric cancers. H3K36 histone mutations have recently been recognized as oncogenic drivers in rare subsets of malignant soft tissue sarcomas but have not been reported in histiocytic neoplasms. Currently, the histological and molecular spectrum, as well as the clinical behavior of H3K36-mutant soft tissue malignancies, is largely unknown. We describe a pediatric patient with a HIST1H3B K36I-mutant histiocytic tumor arising in the skull. After the failure of upfront therapy for histiocytosis and development of widely disseminated metastatic disease, the patient had an exceptional response to empiric chemotherapy and remains in complete disease remission for more than 5 years. Our report expands the histological spectrum of H3K36M/I-mutant soft tissue malignancies to histiocytic neoplasms and indicates that multiagent sarcoma-like chemotherapy can be highly effective even in the setting of widely disseminated metastatic disease.
Solution-Processable Porous Nanoparticles of a Conjugated Ladder Polymer Network

Conjugated ladder polymers possess multiple-stranded bonds which impart rigidity into their backbones. This rigidity can promote π-orbital delocalization for improved electronic and optical propert...
Smooth Nonlinear Hysteresis Model for Coupled Biaxial Soil-Pipe Interaction in Sandy Soils

AbstractPipelines as infrastructure components are very vulnerable to geohazard-induced ground deformation and failure. Soil–pipe interaction (SPI) thus is very important for the assessment and des...
Photosensitivity in Lupus Erythematosus and Dermatomyositis

Photosensitivity is a common symptom in the autoimmune diseases lupus erythematosus (LE) and dermatomyositis (DM). This review provides a framework for dermatologists, rheumatologists, and general practitioners to aid in recognizing and understanding photosensitivity reactions within the scope of these conditions. Photosensitivity reactions encompass not only cutaneous symptoms but also include systemic manifestations. Prevalence of photosensitivity is high in both LE and DM and tends to vary based on race and geographical location. Pathophysiology implicates the various effects of ultraviolet (UV) light on immunoreactants in the skin. Photoprotection remains the leading method of prevention of photosensitive response. Photosensitivity heavily impacts quality of life (QoL) in patients with LE and DM. By accurately recognizing these reactions, physicians can better treat these autoimmune conditions.
The location of the D-alanyl ester in the ribitol teichoic acid of Staphylococcusaureus

Abstract Periodate oxidation of the ribitol teichoic acid in cell walls of Staphylococcus aureus 52A2, a bacteriophage-resistant mutant which lacks N-acetyl-glucosamine on the teichoic acid, demonstrated that D-alanine is esterified to the 2-hydroxyl groups of D-ribitol 5-phosphate residues.
Multicolor sparse viral labeling and 3D digital tracing of enteric plexus in mouse proximal colon using a novel adeno-associated virus capsid.

Background. Intravenous administration of adeno‐associated virus (AAV) can be used as a noninvasive approach to trace neuronal morphology and links. AAV‐PHP.S is a variant of AAV9 that effectively transduces the peripheral nervous system. The objective was to label randomly and sparsely enteric plexus in the mouse colon using AAV‐PHP.S with a tunable two‐component multicolor vector system and digitally trace individual neurons and nerve fibers within microcircuits in three dimensions (3D). Methods. A vector system including a tetracycline inducer with a tet‐responsive element driving three separate fluorophores was packaged in the AAV‐PHP.S capsid. The vectors were injected retro‐orbitally in mice, and the colon was harvested 3 weeks after. Confocal microscopic images of enteric plexus were digitally segmented and traced in 3D using Neurolucida 360, neuTube, or Imaris software. Key Results. The transduction of multicolor AAV vectors induced random sparse spectral labeling of soma and neurites primarily in the myenteric plexus of the proximal colon, while neurons in the submucosal plexus were occasionally transduced. Digital tracing in 3D showed various types of wiring, including multiple conjunctions of one neuron with other neurons, neurites en route, and endings; clusters of neurons in close apposition between each other; axon–axon parallel conjunctions; and intraganglionic nerve endings consisting of multiple nerve endings and passing fibers. Most of digitally traced neuronal somas were of small or medium in size. Conclusions & Inferences. The multicolor AAV‐PHP.S‐packaged vectors enabled random sparse spectral labeling and revealed complexities of enteric microcircuit in the mouse proximal colon. The techniques can facilitate digital modeling of enteric micro‐circuitry.
Relationship between Dispositional Mindfulness, Psychological Health, and Diet Quality among Healthy Midlife Adults.

Mindfulness, a practice of non-judgmental awareness of present experience, has been associated with reduced eating psychopathology and emotion-driven eating. However, it remains unclear whether mindfulness relates to diet quality. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether dispositional mindfulness is associated with diet quality and to explore psychological factors relating dispositional mindfulness to diet quality. Community-dwelling adults (N = 406; Mage = 43.19, SD = 7.26; Mbody mass index [BMI] = 27.08, SD = 5.28; 52% female) completed ratings of dispositional mindfulness, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA). Dietary intake was assessed using the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire, from which the 2015 Healthy Eating Index was derived. Analyses were conducted using the "lavaan" package in R with bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence intervals (BootCI). Age, sex, race, education, and BMI were entered as covariates in all models. Higher dispositional mindfulness was associated with higher diet quality (β = 0.11, p = 0.03), and this effect was mediated through lower depressive symptoms (indirect effect β = 0.06, p = 0.02, BootCI = 0.104-1.42, p = 0.03). Dispositional mindfulness was negatively correlated with perceived stress (β = -0.31, p < 0.01) and NA (β = -0.43, p < 0.01), as well as positively correlated with PA (β = -0.26, p < 0.01). However, these factors were unrelated to diet quality. These cross-sectional data provide initial evidence that dispositional mindfulness relates to diet quality among midlife adults, an effect that may be explained in part by less depressive symptomatology. Given that lifestyle behaviors in midlife are leading determinants of risk for cardiovascular disease and neurocognitive impairment in late life, interventions to enhance mindfulness in midlife may mitigate disease risk. Additional research assessing the impact of mindfulness interventions on diet quality are warranted.
Orbital Chemistry That Leads to High Valley Degeneracy in PbTe

PbTe is one of the highest-performing known thermoelectric materials. Much of its promising thermoelectric performance can be attributed to high valley degeneracy due to having a valence band minim...
Sprayer Type and Water Volume Influence Spatial Patterns of Pesticide Deposition and Control of Diseases and Insect Pests of Highbush Blueberries

In highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum L., three sprayers and two water spray volumes were compared for spray coverage and control of key insect pests and diseases. For evaluation of coverag...
Structure of 3-mercaptopropionic acid dioxygenase with a substrate analog reveals bidentate substrate binding at the iron center

Thiol dioxygenases are a subset of nonheme iron oxygenases that catalyze the formation of sulfinic acids from sulfhydryl-containing substrates and dioxygen. Among this class, cysteine dioxygenases (CDOs) and 3-mercaptopropionic acid dioxygenases (3MDOs) are the best characterized, and the mode of substrate binding for CDOs is well understood. However, the manner in which 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3MPA) coordinates to the nonheme iron site in 3MDO remains a matter of debate. A model for bidentate 3MPA coordination at the 3MDO Fe-site has been proposed on the basis of computational docking, whereas steady-state kinetics and EPR spectroscopic measurements suggest a thiolate-only coordination of the substrate. To address this gap in knowledge, we determined the structure of Azobacter vinelandii 3MDO (Av3MDO) in complex with the substrate analog and competitive inhibitor, 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HPA). The structure together with DFT computational modeling demonstrates that 3HPA and 3MPA associate with iron as chelate complexes with the substrate-carboxylate group forming an additional interaction with Arg168 and the thiol bound at the same position as in CDO. A chloride ligand was bound to iron in the coordination site assigned as the O2-binding site. Supporting HYSCORE spectroscopic experiments were performed on the (3MPA/NO)-bound Av3MDO iron nitrosyl (S = 3/2) site. In combination with spectroscopic simulations and optimized DFT models, this work provides an experimentally verified model of the Av3MDO enzyme-substrate complex, effectively resolving a debate in the literature regarding the preferred substrate-binding denticity. These results elegantly explain the observed 3MDO substrate specificity, but leave unanswered questions regarding the mechanism of substrate-gated reactivity with dioxygen.
Adolescent Vaping and COVID-19: When an Epidemic Meets a Pandemic

National epidemiological studies indicate that vaping or e-cigarette use has increased in alarming proportions among American adolescents. In vaping, a battery-powered device heats up a liquid into an aerosol which is inhaled by the user. The aerosol, commonly referred to as vapor, usually contains nicotine, flavoring, marijuana along with other chemicals and substances. This article highlights serious yet avoidable health risks from vaping amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Vaping may mediate transmission, infections, disease progression and risk of succumbing to COVID-19. An overview of possible solutions and resources for South Dakota physicians is also discussed.
Compact Incoherent Spatial Frequency Filtering Enabled by Metasurface Engineering

A single-lens implementation of optoelectronic spatial frequency filtering for incoherent illumination is demonstrated utilizing metasurface engineering. By inverse-designing the phase on the metasurface, arbitrarily structured 2D filters are realized for depth-invariant, broadband operation.
DEVELOPING A SCALE FOR SOCIAL CAPITAL IN RURAL COMMUNITIES IN FAYOUM GOVERNORATE

The recent study aims to develop a quantitative scale to measure theSocial Capital in Rural Communities The scale was applied on a randomsample 377) Heads of households for rural people were selected from inalgharaq, munsha'atan eabd almajid, algharaq qabli and danial villages in Etsadistrict, Fayoum governorate.The findings showed that the final shape of the scale consists of 34statements where demonstrated a high degree of validity and reliability.
Dual genetic selection of the theophylline riboswitch with altered aptamer specificity for caffeine.

Abstract The aptamer domain of the theophylline riboswitch was randomized to generate a library containing millions of different variants. Dual genetic selection utilizing the cat-upp fusion gene was performed for the library, which successfully led to the identification of a caffeine-specific synthetic riboswitch. When a chloramphenicol-resistance gene was expressed under control of this riboswitch, E. coli cells showed chloramphenicol resistance only in the presence of caffeine. When inserted upstream of the gfpuv or lacZ gene, the caffeine riboswitch induced the expression of green fluorescent protein or β-galactosidase in the presence of caffeine, respectively. When tested with various concentrations of caffeine, the β-galactosidase activity was proportional to the amount of caffeine, clearly indicating the caffeine-dependent gene regulation by the caffeine riboswitch.
Trajectories of Prescription Opioid Utilization During Pregnancy Among Pre-Pregnancy Chronic Users and Risk of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome.

Little is known about the impact of dose, duration and timing of prenatal prescription opioid exposure on the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Using a cohort of 18,869 pre-pregnancy chronic opioid users nested in the 2000-2014 Medicaid Analytic eXtract, we assessed average opioid dosage within bi-weekly gestational age intervals, created group-based trajectory models and evaluated the association between trajectory groups and NOWS risk. Women were grouped into 6 distinct trajectories which, based on observed patterns, were categorized as (1) continuous very low dose use, (2) continuous low use, (3) initial moderate use with gradual decrease to very low/no use, (4) initial high use with gradual decrease to very low use, (5) continuous moderate use, and (6) continuous high use. Absolute risk of NOWS per 1,000 livebirths was 7.7 for group 1 (=reference group); 28.8 for group 2 (relative risk [RR]: 3.7, 95% CI 2.8-5.0), 16.5 for group 3 (RR=2.2, 1.5-3.1), 64.9 for group 4 (RR=8.4, 5.6-12.6), 77.3 for group 5 (RR=10.0, 7.5-13.5), and 172.4 for group 6 (RR=22.4, 16.1-31.2). Trajectory models - which capture dose, duration and timing of exposure - are useful to gain insight into clinically relevant groupings to evaluate the risk of prenatal opioid exposure.