cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IKs blockade reduces dispersion of repolarization in heart failure

Background The slow and rapid (I Kr ) components of I K are major determinants of ventricular repolarization. Unlike I Kr , which is homogeneously expressed across the transmural wall, I Ks expression is reduced in midmyocardial cells and presumably contributes significantly to transmural dispersion of repolarization. Increased dispersion of repolarization during pharmacologic blockade of I Kr is proarrhythmic, primarily due to relatively selective prolongation of midmyocardial cell action potential duration (APD). The mechanisms underlying proarrhythmia in heart disease associated with impaired repolarization, such as heart failure, are unknown. We hypothesize that, in contrast to I Kr blockade, I Ks blockade will have little effect on midmyocardial cells and hence decrease dispersion of repolarization in heart failure. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of blockade of the slow component of the delayed rectifier current (I Ks ) on arrhythmogenic dispersion of repolarization and proarrhythmia in heart failure. Methods Optical action potentials were simultaneously recorded from 256 sites spanning the transmural wall of the arterially perfused canine wedge preparation. Hearts from dogs with heart failure induced by rapid pacing (n = 6) were compared with normals (n = 6). Results Baseline dispersion of repolarization, as measured from the range of transmural APD during stimulation at a cycle length of 2,000 ms, was significantly higher in heart failure (75 ± 24 ms) compared with controls (39 ± 21 ms, P Ks blockade with 30 μM chromanol decreased dispersion of repolarization by 40% ( P P Ks blockade, and no proarrhythmia was observed. Conclusion I Ks blockade significantly reduced heart failure-induced dispersion of repolarization to values seen in nonfailing hearts. By prolonging repolarization without increasing dispersion of repolarization, I Ks blockade may have antiarrhythmic effects without creating proarrhythmia.
Bronchoscopy‐guided transtracheal and transbronchial fine‐needle aspiration biopsy: A 5‐year institutional review of 111 cases

We reviewed 111 bronchoscopy-guided transtracheal and transbronchial fine-needle aspiration (TT/TBNA) specimens from 97 patients to determine the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing neoplasia compared to surgical biopsy and clinical follow-up and to determine the optimal number of passes. Fifty were positive for neoplasia, seven were suspicious, one was atypical, 51 were negative, and two were unsatisfactory. Of 57 positive/suspicious cases, 56 were confirmed neoplastic, with one patient lost to follow-up (specificity with follow-up: 100%). A positive diagnosis was rendered on the first pass in 29 cases (58%), second in six (12%), third in five (10%), fourth in three (6%), fifth in four (8%), and sixth, ninth, and eleventh passes in one case each (2% each). Twenty-seven negative cases had confirmed malignancies after their index FNA (sensitivity for neoplasia: 67%). We conclude that TT/TBNA is a highly specific but not always successful diagnostic technique. It appears to be limited by mechanical difficulties that prevent tumor access and cellular uptake in some masses. Little information is gained by procuring more than six samples. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2002;27:276–281. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Facilitators and barriers to weight loss and weight loss maintenance: A qualitative exploration

Background The present study aimed to explore facilitators and barriers to weight loss (WL) and weight loss maintenance (WLM) in women who participated in a primary, 18-week comparative trial that promoted WL with an energy-restricted diet. Methods Twenty-three women participated in seven focus groups conducted by a moderator and co-facilitator using open-ended questions and probes. Focus groups were held in a private room and audio tape-recorded. Tapes were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was used to evaluate transcripts for common themes. Results Accountability to others, social support, planning ahead, awareness and mindfulness of food choices, basic nutrition education, portion control, exercise, and self-motivation were perceived as key facilitators for WL and WLM by women. Identified barriers included life transitions, health status changes, internal factors, environmental pressures, lack of accountability and an absence of social support. Conclusions Future interventions should address these salient facilitators and barriers to promote sustainable changes in women across their WL and WLM journeys.
Current trends in photogeology and in the use of other remote sensing methods in geological interpretation

Abstract In its early years photogeology primarily entailed the mapping of dips, strikes, fold axes, faults, and stratigraphic contacts on stereoscopically-viewed black-and-white photos. The role played by the science of geomorphology has increased appreciably since that time. Fracture analysis, the mapping and analysis of photo-detected linear fractures, has received considerable attention. And color photography, so long awaited, has arrived, though its use is still limited by its higher cost. Remote sensing, in the non-visual as well as the visual parts of the spectrum, has in recent years has been the objects of a virtual avalanche of research activity. P infrared in remote sensing of geologic features and relations. The future in photogeology is certain to be far more varied and productive than the past, but is is essential that one not assumes that the future is already arrived. Into the near future the great bulk of the work to be done will still have to be done by time-tested techniques and time-tested instruments.
BDD-based reliability analysis of phased-mission systems with multimode failures

This paper proposes a new algorithm (DEP-BDD) based on binary decision diagram (BDD) for reliability analysis of phased-mission systems (PMS) with multimode failures. DEP-BDD is a BDD-based combinatorial model which can be used to deal with more than one kind of dependences by applying dependence algebra, which is a generalization of phase algebra that handles more complex dependences. The nature of the BDD contributes the efficiency and low computational complexity of this algorithm. Two examples are analysed to illustrate the applications and advantages of our approach.
When Disney Meets the Research Park: Metaphors and Models for Engineering an Online Learning Community of Tomorrow.

Abstract It is suggested that educators look to an environment in which qualitative research can be learned in more flexible and creative ways—an online learning community known as the Research Park Online (RPO). This model, based upon Walt Disney's 1966 plan for his “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” (EPCOT) and university cooperative research centers, proposes universities, through qualitative engineering, develop online learning communities dedicated to faculty and students' explorations. The RPO resources would be constructed from “Contextualized Learning Objects for Constructing Knowledge” (CLOCKs) through which park goers can generate new knowledge and technology, blaze personal pathways to knowledge, engage park guides to traverse well-worn trails, and design experiences to meet lifelong learning needs. In the RPO, attractions, such as Methods Commons, University Communities, and CLOCKWorks, would be engineered so that students and faculty could learn and research at their own rates and according to their own needs.
Composition Dependence of TiO2:(Nb,N)-x Compounds on the Rate of Photocatalytic Methylene Blue Dye Degradation

Visible-light-absorbing compounds that generate active oxygen species in water are needed to maximize the rate of organic dye degradation under incident solar radiation. In this study, a series of ...
Evaluation of the IGR Larvadex as a feed-through treatment for the control of pestiferous flies on poultry ranches.

Larvadex, or CGA-72662 ( N -cyclopropyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine), having insect growth-inhibiting properties, was evaluated for the control of manure-breeding flies on poultry ranches. A 0.3% premix formulation of this compound was incorporated into chicken ration and fed for various periods to egg-laying hens housed in suspended wire cages. When fed for 33 days at the rate of 1.5 ppm in the feed, no reduction of larval populations of Musca Domestica (L.) and Fannia femoralis (Stein) was evident. However, adult emergence of M. domestica was markedly and significantly lowered on day 12 of feeding and remained suppressed during the remaining feeding period and up to 14 days posttreatment. There was no suppression of emergence of adult F. femoralis at this rate. At the rate of 5 ppm in the ration, Larvadex yielded almost complete inhibition of development of larvae of M. domestica for the entire period of feeding, as well as for an additional 14 days post feeding. Adult emergence from pupae resulting from surviving larvae was almost completely inhibited during the feeding period as well as for 21 days post-feeding. Larval populations of F. femoralis were suppressed starting on day 13 of feeding and remained suppressed for up to 15 days after cessation of the treated feed. Adult emergence was also markedly and significantly reduced on day 13 of feeding and continued to remain low for about 15 days after cessation of treated feed. Larval development and adult emergence of Muscina stabulans (Fallen) was almost completely inhibited during feeding and up to 15 days post-feeding.
Discussion on the measure of total arsenic( As) by atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry

The paper discusses some important factors influencing the measure of total arsenic( As) in samples by atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry( AFS). It analyzes and summarizes the key factors,which are important but easily negligible,in the measure of total arsenic( As). Besides,by presenting the amount of seveal acids and digestion temperature,it provides reference for sample pretreatment,. which makes the measure of total arsenic( As) by atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry and the pretrement more manipulable.
Emerging Patterns of Hispanic Residential Segregation: Lessons from Rural and Small‐Town America

The past two decades have ushered in a period of widespread spatial diffusion of Hispanics well beyond traditional metropolitan gateways. This article examines emerging patterns of racial and ethnic residential segregation in new Hispanic destinations over the 1990–2010 period, linking county, place, and block data from the 1990, 2000, and 2010 decennial censuses. Our multiscalar analyses of segregation are framed by classical models of immigrant assimilation and alternative models of place stratification. We ask whether Hispanics are integrating spatially with the native population and whether recent demographic and economic processes have eroded or perpetuated racial boundaries in nonmetropolitan areas. We show that Hispanic residential segregation from whites is often exceptionally high and declining slowly in rural counties and communities. New Hispanic destinations, on average, have higher Hispanic segregation levels than established gateway communities. The results also highlight microscale segregation patterns within rural places and in the open countryside (i.e., outside places), a result that is consistent with emerging patterns of “white flight.” Observed estimates of Hispanic-white segregation across fast-growing nonmetropolitan counties often hide substantial heterogeneity in residential segregation. Divergent patterns of rural segregation reflect local-area differences in population dynamics, economic inequality, and the county employment base (using Economic Research Service functional specialization codes). Illustrative maps of Hispanic boom counties highlight spatially uneven patterns of racial diversity. They also provide an empirical basis for our multivariate analyses, which show that divergent patterns of local-area segregation often reflect spatial variation in employment across different industrial sectors.
Neoadjuvant Hormonal Therapy Plus Surgery for Prostate Cancer: The MSKCC Experience

This article reviews the current status of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT) in the treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer. Although significant increases in the organ confined rate and similar marked decreases in the positive margin rate are found in patients receiving NHT, to date no difference in disease free survival rate, as determined by PSA values, can be shown. However, there is a suggestion (P = 10 ng/ml when treated with NHT compared with controls. Given the prolonged natural history of prostate cancer, longer follow-up will be required before the value of NHT can be established.
Imaging for Deep Venous Thrombosis

Summary The diagnosis of DVT is a perplexing clinical challenge for the emergency physician. The algorithm depicted in Figure 9 from Hobson et al7a represents a logical strategy for the application of noninvasive studies. Positive studies in the proper setting that are reliably interpreted can dictate anticoagulant therapy, but equivocal or uninterpretable tests must be followed by invasive testing to exclude clot. Negative tests require close follow-up and serial evaluation to detect potentially silent early clot formation.
Review of O Mundo dos Sentidos em Português. Polissemia, Semântica e Cognição , 2006. Coimbra: Almedina.

Polysemy is the phenomenon of co-existence of multiple senses within one single linguistic expression. It is also the core issue of Augusto Soares da Silva’s anthology of essays on “the world of meanings in Portuguese”, which sums up more than 15 years of research on polysemy, semantics and cognition. As the subtitle suggests, the author’s approach to the phenomenon of related meanings is a cognitive one. This means that beyond the description of linguistic meanings and the way they are inventoried in single linguistic expressions, the author is concerned with the underlying cognitive operations that establish and stabilize the relations between meanings and that allow for these different meanings to be expressed by the same linguistic form. In other words, the fact that different meanings are conveyed by one single expression reveals an underlying schematic relatedness which sustains the often apparent arbitrariness in the linguistic reference.
A Constrained Transport Method for the Shallow Water MHD Equations

We present in this paper a finite volume method for solving the shallow water magnetohydrodynamic equations. This method uses a constrained transport approach in order to guarantee that the magnetic field satisfies a discrete divergencefree constraint. We briefly review three versions of the constrained transport method that appear in the literature and discuss some of their shortcomings. In order to overcome these difficulties, a new constrained transport method based on advecting the magnetic potential is introduced. Using a common base scheme, these four methods are then applied to a two-dimensional test problem.
Method Development for Separating Organic Carbonates by Ion-moderated high-performance liquid chromatography

An ion-moderated partition high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the separation and identification of common organic carbonates. The separation of organic carbonates was achieved on an ion exclusion column with an exchangeable hydrogen ion. An isocratic, aqueous mobile phase was used for elution and detection was performed with a refractive index detector. The developed method was validated for specificity, linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision and accuracy. All calibration curves showed excellent linear regression (R2 > 0.9990) within the testing range. The limits of detection were 3.8-30.8 ppm for the analyzed carbonates. Improvements in the peak resolution of the chromatograms were achieved by decreasing the column temperature. Addition of the organic modifier, acetonitrile, to the eluent was found to have insignificant effects on the peak resolution. The developed method was demonstrated for analyzing organic carbonate components in the electrolyte system of a commercial lithium ion battery.
War over framing: base politics in South Korea

ABSTRACTWhen do anti-base movements manage to influence policy, and when do they fail to do so? Base scholars have largely overlooked what I argue is a significant factor that can shape public and government response to anti-base movements: political opportunities associate with framing efforts by key actors involved. Based on two cases of anti-base movements in South Korea, I show how framing battles between activists and media shape political opportunities afforded to anti-base movements and can ultimately influence movement success.
Outcomes of male breast cancer in the United States: A SEER database analysis from 1973 to 2008.

1586 Background: Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare compared to female breast cancer (FBC). There has been no systemic study to examine the epidemiology of MBC in USA in the past decade. Methods: We ...
Abstract 471: Triglyceride-rich Lipoprotein Lipolysis Products Induce Adipose Differentiation Related Protein Expression and Proatherogenic Cytokine Secretion in Monocytes

Elevated blood triglyceride levels are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Blood triglycerides are contained within very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and chylomicrons, which are referred to as triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TGRL). The enzyme lipoprotein lipase is responsible for the hydrolysis of these triglycerides, primarily into free fatty acids and glycerol. Our lab has shown that these lipolysis products induce lipid droplet formation in monocytes and can induce a proinflammatory state in multiple cell types. Other investigators have linked adipose differentiation related protein (ADRP, also known as perilipin 2 or adipophilin) to lipid droplet formation in monocyte-derived macrophage foam cells. The objectives of this study are to further understand the effects of TGRL lipolysis products on the formation of lipid droplets in monocytes and monocyte activation. We hypothesize that TGRL lipolysis products increase the expression of ADRP and the secretion of proatherogenic cytokines in THP-1 monocytes. In this study, we analyzed the global gene expression in THP-1 monocytes exposed to TGRL lipolysis products. ADRP was identified as a principal response lipid droplet associated gene induced by exposure to TGRL lipolysis products when compared to the control treatment. Induction of protein expression was analyzed by western blot. The TGRL lipolysis product treatment was also found to induce genes associated with atherosclerosis and monocyte adherence to endothelium including growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) when compared to the control treatment. We measured the secretion of GDF15 and IL-8 by ELISA. Our results indicate that mRNA and protein expression of ADRP and secretion of proatherogenic cytokines (GDF15 and IL-8) were increased in monocytes after exposure to TGRL lipolysis products. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that TGRL lipolysis products induce the expression of ADRP and the secretion of proatherogenic cytokines in monocytes. These results may indicate a role for TGRL lipolysis products in the increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease for individuals with elevated blood triglyceride levels.
Preliminary Study on Policy Mix Effects on Economic Viability of Carbon Capture and Storage Project in Japanese Steel Industry

Abstract This paper explores policy mix effects on economic viability of CCS project in Japanese integrated steel plant. We conducted a Monte Carlo simulation under uncertainties of firm's capacity factor (pre-tax profit) and carbon price. The results indicate that tax credit (35 US$/tCO 2 ) improve economic viability of CCS in the case of favorable business conditions. Subsidies for CCS costs improve economic viability of CCS even in the case of recessions; however, the subsidy effect is sensitive to carbon price. Tax credit could be one of key policy measures as a part of policy mix both for Japanese economy and CO 2 mitigation.
Geographic Disparities in Access to Nursing Home Services: Assessing Fiscal Stress and Quality of Care.

Objective We test whether nursing homes serving predominately low-income and racial minority residents (compositional explanation) or located in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of low-income and racial minority residents (contextual explanation) have worse financial outcomes and care quality. Data sources Healthcare Cost Report Information System, Nursing Home Compare, Online Survey Certification and Reporting Certification, and American Community Survey. Study design A cross-sectional study design of nursing homes within U.S. metropolitan areas. Data collection/extraction methods Data were obtained from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and U.S. Census Bureau. Principal findings Medicaid-dependent nursing homes have a 3.5 percentage point lower operating ratio. Those serving primarily racial minorities have a 2.64-point lower quality rating. A 1 percent increase in the neighborhood population living in poverty is associated with a 1.20-point lower quality rating, on a scale from 10 to 50, and a 1 percent increase in the portion of neighborhood black residents is associated with a 0.8 percentage point lower operating ratio and a 0.37 lower quality rating. Conclusions Medicaid dependency (compositional effect) and concentration of racial minority residents in neighborhoods (contextual effect) are associated with higher fiscal stress and lower quality of care, indicating that nursing homes' geographic location may exacerbate long-term care inequalities.
Evaluating the Impact of an Exotic Plant Invasion on Rodent Community Richness and Abundance

Abstract. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Russian thistle (Salsola kali), and tall tumblemustard (Sisymbrium altissimum) are nonnative plants widely distributed throughout the desert and shrubsteppe communities of the western United States. The impact of these invaders on plant community structure, form, and function has been well documented, but investigations determining the impacts of this cumulative invasion on terrestrial vertebrates have not been undertaken. Our objective was to assess community-level rodent responses to changes in plant community features, with an emphasis on dominance of invasive plant species. We sampled rodent and plant communities in the Great Basin Desert (Utah) over 4 years. Using estimates of rodent species richness and average nightly captures (relative abundance) as our response variables, we developed generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to determine the effects of invasive species cover. We found that rodent richness decreased with increasing abundance of invasive plant...
Improving Maternal Health Status in Indigenous Communities of Panama: Community-Based Participatory Research and Interventions Among the Ngäbe-Buglé People of Panama

This chapter describes participatory processes among an indigenous group in Panama, the Ngabe-Bugle people, to develop appropriate health education and promotion interventions and increase the acceptability and positive impact of educational interventions. We illustrate how the application of formative research—focus groups, community visits, and meetings with institutional stakeholders and community key leaders—provides necessary information to develop a health education intervention responding to the Ngabe-Bugle health-related learning needs, including prenatal care, working with lay midwives, and detection of high-risk pregnancies. Community participants identified the main health priorities—hygiene, nutrition, healthy environments, prenatal care, the role of the lay midwife in the community, and domestic violence. Most of these are relevant to reduce disease burden and mortality rates, mainly pregnancy issues in poor rural settings. Responding to the Ngabe-Bugle needs, the material included community pictures with local residents and trained 78 health promoters at a centralized location in the Comarca. During the active phase of the project, community health promoters reached over 8000 people at their remote communities, ten times higher than anticipated! Community involvement and participation resulted in community empowerment and adoption of the project. The Ngabe-Bugle community has continued to implement the intervention, and 6 months after its conclusion, they reported reaching over 11,000 people in their communities. We conclude that inclusion of community members, community participation to develop appropriate educational material, and reinforcement of empowerment is an effective manner to reach indigenous communities with health-related messages, including pregnancy, prenatal care, and the role of the midwife.
Application performance optimization using application-aware networking

The traditional IP network has its inherent limitations that could cause application runs in a non-optimized manner. The common methods to improve applications' performance requires a great effort from both network administrators and application designers. In this work, we propose a Software- Defined Network (SDN) approach in an Application-Aware Network (AAN) platform. We first present an architecture for our approach and then show how this architecture can be applied to two real-world applications: Hadoop MapReduce (M/R) framework and MPEG-DASH. Our approach provides both underlying network functions and application-level forwarding logic for MapReduce and video streaming. Based on our experiments, we observed that our AAN platform for Hadoop MapReduce job optimization offers a significant improvement compared to a static, traditional IP network environment by reducing job run time by 16% to 300% for various MapReduce benchmark jobs. As for MPEG-DASH based video streaming, we can increase user perceived video bitrate by 100%.
Modification of audiogenic and pentylenetetrazol seizures with gamma-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine and serotonin

Intracranial injections of gamma-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine were found to protect DBA/2J, C57BL/6J and F1 hybrid mice against pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures. Similar treatments were also found to protect DBA/2J mice against audiogenic seizures. These results are in agreement with those reported in pharmacological experiments which indicate that increasing levels of the biogenic amines and of gamma-aminobutyric acid decreases seizure risk.
Proton Beam Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer

The goal of multimodality therapy for head and neck cancer is to improve the therapeutic ratio by increasing the tumor control probability and decreasing treatment-related toxicity. Due to the close spatial relationship of head and neck cancers to numerous normal anatomical structures, conventional photon radiation therapy can be associated with significant acute and long-term treatment-related toxicities. The superior dose-localization properties of proton radiation therapy allow smaller volumes of normal tissues to be irradiated than is feasible with any photon technique. Initial clinical experience with proton radiation therapy in the treatment of head and neck cancers is promising. As the number of proton facilities increases worldwide, prospective clinical trials are underway to define the role of proton radiation in the treatment of head and neck cancers.
Serotonergic Regulation of Renin and Vasopressin Secretion

This chapter reviews the evidence that a serotonergic (5-HT containing) pathway (dorsal raphe to the hypothalamus) stimulates renin secretion by activation of 5-HT2 receptors. Serotonergic nerve terminals in the hypothalamus stimulate the secretion of a renin releasing factor (RRF) into the blood stream, which then stimulates renin secretion from the kidneys. Denervation of serotonergic neurons with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) produces up-regulation of the 5-HT2 receptors, resulting in a left-ward shift in the dose-response effect of the 5-HT agonist RU 24969 on renin secretion. The evidence for serotonergic stimulation of vasopressin (AVP) secretion is less abundant, but suggests that 5-HT nerve terminals in the hypothalamus stimulate AVP secretion by activating 5-HT2 receptors. Serotonergic neurons mediate the hyperosmotic stimulation of AVP secretion.
Multimodal Biomedical Imaging Systems

Optical imaging technologies can provide real-time images of tissues in vivo and have the potential to reveal biochemical and/or molecular information; therefore, they can significantly improve identification of malignancy at early stages. The ability to obtain tissue architectural morphology and molecular information in vivo, without the need for tissue excision, offers advancement in disease diagnostics and therapy. Multimodal imaging systems combining multiple imaging modalities for complementary tissue information offer a number of advantages compared with a single imaging modality and improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases using distinct imaging techniques.
AMPK in regulation of apical junctions and barrier function of intestinal epithelium

Gut epithelium covers the inner layer of the gastrointestinal tract and provides a physical barrier to separate the host from its external environment, and its barrier function is critical for maintaining host health. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) as a master regulator of energy metabolism plays a critical role in epithelial barrier function. AMPK activation promotes epithelial differentiation and facilitates cell polarity establishment, both of which strengthen epithelial barrier. In addition, AMPK promotes the assembly of tight junctions and adherens junctions by direct phosphorylation of proteins composing apical junctions, junctional anchors, and cytoskeletons. Pharmacological and nutraceutical compounds, as well as physiological states triggering AMPK activation strengthen epithelial barrier function. This review summarized recent progress in delineating the regulatory roles of AMPK in apical junction formation and barrier function of intestinal epithelium.
Backbone 1 H, 13 C, and 15 N resonance assignments of deubiquitinase A in non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms

Ubiquitination is one of the most prevalent forms of post-translational modifications that are important for regulating many cellular processes in eukaryotes. Deubiquitinases are proteases that hydrolyze the isopeptide or peptide bonds formed between ubiquitin and the target proteins or within a polyubiquitin chain. Deubiquitinase A (DUBA) is a deubiquitinase known to be a negative regulator of innate immune responses in humans by suppressing production of type I interferons (INF-I). Excess INF-I production has been associated with autoimmune diseases. Phosphorylation of a single serine residue at position 177 is essential for the protease activity of DUBA. The structural and mechanistic basis of DUBA activation by phosphorylation and substrate specificity is not well understood. Here, we report the backbone resonance assignments of the isoform 2 of DUBA in both non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms. The reported assignments form the basis for future NMR studies on the structural and dynamical properties of both active and inactive forms of DUBA.
Divine Roominess: Spatial and Music Analogies in Hans Urs von Balthasar and Robert Jenson:

Hans Urs von Balthasar and Robert Jenson both spatialize God by depicting the triune life as “roomy”. Theologians have employed spatial analogies readily since the inception of the “trinitarian rev...
A New Dual Catalytic System for Asymmetric Morita—Baylis—Hillman Reaction.

The combination of a chiral guanidine catalyst and triphenylphosphine as promotor produces functionalized alcohols with up to 88% e.e.
An apparently novel protein of human leukocytes, reactive with an antibody to protein kinase C-gamma, is rapidly modified upon cell activation: initial characterization in neutrophils and their cytoplasts.

On immunoblots of human neutrophil cytoplasts (U-CYT), a previously undescribed 97kDa protein was revealed by intense and selective reaction with an antibody that was initially raised to recognize PKC-γ. Denoted “γ-rp” for gamma-related protein, this acidic cytosolic protein somewhat resembled the classic forms of PKC in several biochemical respects. Appearing as a doublet on low-percentage SDS-PAGE gels, both its mobility and staining pattern were rapidly altered by treatment of U-CYT with either phorbol ester or chemotactic peptide. Whole neutrophil γ-rp was detectable only after TCA precipitation of intact cells. It was also detectable in human platelets, lymphocytes, and neutrophil-like differentiated HL60 cells, but not in fibroblasts, erythrocytes, monocytes, or monocyte-like differentiated HL60 cells. Our data suggest that γ-rp merits further study as a potential participant in cellular activation, and as a possible structural or functional relative of PKC.
Successful use of eculizumab to treat atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is a rare group of disorders that have in common underlying complement amplifying conditions. These conditions can accelerate complement activation that results in a positive feedback cycle. The known triggers for complement activation can be diverse and include, infection, autoimmune disease, and malignancy. Recent reports suggest that certain autoimmune and rheumatological triggers of complement activation may result in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome that does not resolve despite treating the underlying disorder. Specifically, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and microangiopathic hemolysis may not respond to treatment of their underlying rheumatological trigger but responded to complement blockade. We report two patients with inflammatory bowel disease complicated by development of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. In both cases, patients were on treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, that was not well controlled/flaring at the time. The first patient is a male who developed Crohn’s disease and microangiopathic hemolysis at age 5 and was treated with eculizumab successfully. Discontinuation of the medication led to multiple relapses, and the patient currently is being treated with eculizumab and has normal hematological and stable renal parameters. The second patient is a 49-year-old female with Ulcerative Colitis treated with 6-Mercaptopurine. She developed acute kidney injury and microangiopathic hemolysis. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with eculizumab resulted in the recovery of kidney injury along with a complete hematological response. These two cases are the fifth and sixth patients to be published in the literature with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease treated with complement blockade. This confirms that C5 complement blockade is effective in treating complement mediated thrombotic microangiopathy/atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome when it is triggered in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Convergent evolution of sex-specific leg ornaments in Drosophilidae - from cells to structures

Abstract Sexually dimorphic morphological traits are among the fastest evolving animal features. Similar sex-specific structures have sometimes evolved independently in multiple lineages, presumably as targets of parallel sexual selection. In such cases, comparing the cellular mechanisms that generate these structures in different species can elucidate the interplay between selection and developmental constraint in evolution. In Drosophilidae, male-specific tarsal brushes on the front legs are found in at least four separate lineages. In this study, we combine phylogenetic reconstruction with developmental analyses and behavioral observations to investigate the evolutionary origin of these structures. We show that the sex brush has evolved independently at least three times from sexually monomorphic ancestral morphology. However, all sex brushes have very similar fine structure and develop through indistinguishable cellular processes, providing a striking example of developmental convergence. In all examined species, males use their sex brushes to grasp the female abdomen prior to copulation. We discuss potential reasons why convergent evolution of novel structures is rare even in the face of similar functional demands.
Dermatologic Device Clearance Within the Food and Drug Administration's 510(k) Pathway.

Background and objectives Device innovation in dermatology is increasing. Medical devices identified as "substantially equivalent" to predicate ones by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may be exempt from premarket approval through the 510(k) pathway. The 510(k) pathway has been criticized for having less stringent clinical data requirements, and implications of dermatologic device clearance via this pathway are incompletely described. The objective of this study is to characterize dermatologic device clearance via the 510(k) pathway. Study design/materials and methods We performed a retrospective review of the FDA's 510(k) database between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2018. Dermatologic devices were included based on product code and classified by the application. Approval pathways and decision characteristics were compared among dermatologic device categories. Results Of the 76,607 records screened, 4,637 met inclusion criteria. Laser/thermal devices comprised the largest category (64.2%), followed by wound (24.0%) and light-based devices (5.8%). The majority of 510(k) pathway submissions were traditional (89.2%) compared with alternative (10.8%) submission types (P = 0.003). Devices that were deemed substantially equivalent without limitations (98.5%) were the most common among all device categories. Rates of device clearance over the study period increased for all categories except laser/thermal devices. Conclusions Dermatologic devices are increasingly cleared via the FDA's 510(k) pathway through "substantial equivalence" with minimal requirements for premarket clinical data. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Extractability, stability, and accumulation of nepetoidins in Ocimum basilicum L. leaves and cell cultures

Antioxidant polyphenols nepetoidin A and B are widely spread in Lamiaceae family yet often remain undetected due to their purported instability and poor extractability with polar solvents typically used for phenolics extraction. Coextraction of nepetoidins may confer additional, or enhance existing, bioactivities of polyphenol extracts. This study includes a detailed analysis of nepetoidin extractability from sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) leaves, and a survey of their occurrence in basil tissue cultures and peltate trichomes. Coextraction of nepetoidins with the major polyphenol rosmarinic acid was possible with solvent mixtures, yet substantially less efficient than that with the respective preferred solvents. Nepetoidin, but not rosmarinic acid levels in extracts from dried leaves were dramatically reduced. However, this was not due to degradation suggested by earlier reports, but to reduced extractability, which could be restored by wetting the tissue with water prior to addition of nonpolar solvent. Nepetoidins were found to accumulate at high levels in basil callus and suspension cultures. Correlation analysis revealed three novel compounds that are coextracted with nepetoidins and are proposed to represent nepetoidin dimers. Candidate signals for nepetoidin and rosmarinic acid glycosides were also detected in dedifferentiated basil cells. By contrast, nepetoidins were not enriched in basil peltate trichomes. This study establishes optimized recovery procedure for nepetoidins, reports their production by dedifferentiated basil cells, and illustrates how sample preparation methodology affects the phytochemical findings. This study reports an improved method for the recovery of polyphenolic nepetoidins from fresh and dry plant tissue and demonstrates their high abundance in dedifferentiated Ocimum basilicum cells.
Quantifying Intratumor Heterogeneity by Key Genes Selected Using Concrete Autoencoder

The tumor cell population in a cancer tissue has distinct molecular characteristics and exhibits different phenotypes, thus, resulting in different subpopulations. This phenomenon is known as Intratumor Heterogeneity (ITH), which is a major contributor in drug resistance, poor prognosis, etc. Therefore, quantifying the levels of ITH in cancer patients is essential and there are many algorithms which do so in different ways, using different types of omics data. DEPTH (Deviating gene Expression Profiling Tumor Heterogeneity) is the latest algorithm that uses transcriptomic data to evaluate the ITH score. It shows promising performance, has strong similarity with six other algorithms, and has advantage over two algorithms that uses same type of data (tITH, sITH). However, it has a major drawback that it uses expression values of all the genes ([~]20K genes) in quantifying ITH levels. We hypothesize that a subset of key genes is sufficient to quantify the ITH level for a tumor. To prove our hypothesis, we developed a deep learning-based computational framework using unsupervised Concrete Autoencoder (CAE) to select a set of cancer-specific key genes that can be used to evaluate the ITH score. For experiment, we used gene expression profile data of tumor cohorts of breast, kidney and lung cancer from TCGA repository. We selected three sets of key genes, each set related to breast, kidney, and lung tumor cohorts, using multi-run CAE. For the three cancers stated and three molecular subtypes of lung cancer, we calculated ITH level using all genes and key genes selected by CAE and performed a side-by-side comparison. It was found that similar conclusions can be reached for survival and prognostic outcomes based on ITH scores derived from all genes and the sets of key genes. Additionally, for subtypes of lung cancer, the comparative distribution of ITH scores derived from all genes and key genes remains similar. Based on these observations, it can be stated that, a subset of key genes, instead of all genes, is sufficient for ITH quantification. Our results also showed that many of the key genes are prognostically significant, which can be used as possible therapeutic targets.
Where We're Hot, They're Not

Homologous recombination is the exchange of material between chromosome pairs during meiosis. As [Jorde][1] discusses in his Perspective, new work ([ Winckler et al .][2]) reveals a surprising finding about the recombination hotspots of the human and chimp genomes. Despite about 99% identity between the DNA sequences of these two species, there is virtually no overlap in the locations of recombination hotspots. Jorde discusses the possible reasons for this unexpected finding. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/308/5718/60 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/308/5718/107
Whole Learning: Student Affairs' Challenge to College Curriculums

Discussions and understandings of college curriculums are focused almost exclusively on the academic experience. Such framing of discourses on college curriculums began in the 17 th century and continue through today’s increasing focus on strict academic disciplines and linear, hierarchical structuring of the university experience. The development of student affairs departments on American college campuses occurred as a challenge to rigidifying conceptions of curriculum and learning experiences in the college environment. Throughout the field’s history, student affairs has existed for the purposes of challenging colleges to think more expansively about the college curriculum, pedagogical practices, and student learning – beyond the academic or vocational to a “whole” education. This challenge has developed in the philosophical and guiding statements of the student affairs profession, as well as in the programs and initiatives that raise discussions or offer education not being examined in the traditional academic college curriculum.
Spontaneous and dietary-induced cardiovascular lesions in DBA mice.

In DBA mice, 12–16 months of age, receiving an adequate commercial diet the incidence of ventricular myocardial necrosis and calcification was 48% and that of pericardial calcification was 12%. Atrial thrombosis did not occur. Young adult mice of the same strain were fed a high-fat (28% lard), low-protein (8% casein) diet, with and without lipotropic supplement of betaine, for 48 weeks. The incidence of ventricular myocardial necrosis and calcification increased significantly over the spontaneous level with the greatest frequency (95%) occurring in the betaine-supplemented group. Pericardial calcification also increased with the highest incidence (100%) in the non-supplemented animals. Dietary induced atrial thrombosis reached lethal dimensions (80%) for most animals in the betaine-supplemented group within 12 weeks. The non-supplemented animals had less atrial thrombosis (50%) and greater longevity. Frequency and types of lesions observed were similar to those which occur in other strains of mice fed the same diet. The genetic susceptibility to spontaneous cardiac lesions did not appear to predispose the DBA mice to a greater sensitivity to dietary induced lesions, but may have contributed to the calcification which characterized the lesions. Dietary betaine seemed to influence significantly the production of a higher incidence of cardiac damage.
Glutamate transporter mRNA expression in proliferative zones of the developing and adult murine CNS

Neuronal migration, differentiation, and synapse formation are developmental processes within the CNS significantly influenced by ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptor activity. Extracellular glutamate concentrations mediating this activity are regulated by transport proteins localized in neuronal and glial cell membranes. We have used in situ hybridization analysis with subtype-specific antisense-oligonucleotides to study the distribution of glia-specific excitatory amino acid transporter (mEAAT1 and mEAAT2) mRNAs during the later stages of embryogenesis and postnatal CNS development. Distinct but overlapping embryonic and postnatal patterns of localization were observed for the two transporter transcripts. Both mEAAT1 and mEAAT2 mRNAs were found during the peak period of gliogenesis (E15-E19) in the telencephalic and mesencephalic CNS proliferative zones. The overall expression of mEAAT1 mRNA diminished after the completion of cell migration, whereas mEAAT2 mRNA expression increased significantly during postnatal development. Interestingly, mEAAT2 transcript expression continued in the subventricular zone postnatally and persisted in this proliferative zone in the adult brain. From PO onward, mEAAT1 mRNA was present predominantly in the cerebellar Purkinje cell layer and at a much lower abundance in the cortex, hippocampus, basal nuclei, and septum, whereas from P7 onward, mEAAT2 mRNA expression increased throughout most of the neuraxis. Postnatally, transcripts for mEAAT1 and mEAAT2 were found in cell bodies, processes, and commissural white matter tracts of the CNS. The divergent temporal and spatial expression of EAAT subtypes and their persistence in mature fiber tracts and radial glia layers reveal that specific EAATs are likely to play multiple distinct roles in the developing and adult CNS, including the regulation of cell proliferation, axon-glia interactions, and neuronal survival.