cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circulating protein biomarkers of pharmacodynamic activity of sunitinib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: modulation of VEGF and VEGF-related proteins

Background Sunitinib malate (SUTENT®) is an oral, multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, approved multinationally for the treatment of advanced RCC and of imatinib-resistant or – intolerant GIST. The purpose of this study was to explore potential biomarkers of sunitinib pharmacological activity via serial assessment of plasma levels of four soluble proteins from patients in a phase II study of advanced RCC: VEGF, soluble VEGFR-2 (sVEGFR-2), placenta growth factor (PlGF), and a novel soluble variant of VEGFR-3 (sVEGFR-3).
Afferent projections to the oral motor nuclei in the rat

Projections to the trigeminal, facial, ambiguus, and hypoglossal motor nuclei were determined by using horseradish peroxidase histochemistry. Most of the afferent projections to these motor nuclei were from the brainstem reticular formation, frequently in areas adjacent to other synergetic motor nuclei. The reticular formation lateral to the hypoglossal nucleus and reticular structures surrounding the trigeminal motor nucleus projected to each of these other brainstem motor nuclei involved in oral-facial function. Afferent projections to these motor nuclei also were organized along the rostrocaudal axis. Within the reticular formation most of the afferent projections to the trigeminal motor nucleus originated rostral to the majority of neurons projecting to the hypoglossal and ambiguus nuclei, which in turn were rostral to the primary source of reticular afferents to the facial nucleus. In comparison, projections from the sensory trigeminal nuclei and nucleus of the solitary tract were sparse. The interneuron pools that project to the orofacial motoneurons provide one further link in understanding the brainstem substrates for integrating oral and ingestive behaviors.
Impact of September 11, 2001 (911) in the Emerging Market's stock volatility

The study employs the GARCH model to investigate the time varying risk premium, volatility, and persistence of shocks to volatility for the Emerging Markets (EM) taking in consideration the event of September 11, 2001 (911). The results highlight several findings: (a) the variance of EM returns appears to be decreasing over time; (b) the correlation appears to have increased among EM's following the event of 911; (c) the correlation between EM, Europe and BRIC seems to be increasing; (d) holding short-term asset in the emerging regional market do not provide the investors with the reward they usually seek, but holding long-term assets provides the risk premiums normally expected by investors.
Highly programmable switched-capacitor filters using biquads with nonuniform internal clocks

Programmable switched-capacitor filters based on a cascade of programmable biquadratic sections (BQs) that use nonuniform internal clocking are described. Each section uses switched capacitors clocked a programmable number of times each sampling period without producing undesired spectral components. The clocking scheme uses a uniform input-sampling clock and provides a constant output from each BQ for half of each sampling period, simplifying the design of cascaded BQs. Measured results are presented for a programmable fourth-order low-pass filter and a programmable phone-line equalizer.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AIR POLLUTION CONTROL IN GERMAN INDUSTRY

In recent years an increasing number of studies has been published analyzing the process of formulation and/or implementation of government policies (Mayntz, 1980). The reason for this growing interest in the result of political programs can be attributed to the limited success of political reforms developed during the 1960s in many industrialized countries. The case of Germany’s environmental policy — which as an explicit policy dates back to the declaration of the federal government in 1969 (Federal Government, 1969) — is a good example of this. In the first Report on the Environment of the Council of Advisors on the Environment, the term “enforcement deficit” was used for the first time to describe the unsatisfactory effect of environmental policies (Rat von Sachverstaendigen, 1974: p. 180). In the second report published in 1978 the findings of a project initiated by the Council were summarized which described and explained the obstacles encountered in the implementation of environmental regulations from the enforcement agencies’ viewpoint (Rat von Sachverstaendigen, 1978: p. 472.; Mayntz et al., 1978).
Designing a Hybrid Domestic Violence Prosecution Clinic: Making Bedfellows of Academics, Activists and Prosecutors to Teach Students According to Clinical Theory and Best Practices

This article explores the educational, community and personal needs that led to the development and design of a hybrid prosecution project. It evaluates goals for a hybrid prosecution project and some alternative educational models, assessing their ability to be replicated at other law schools. Based on an evaluation of the experience of ALS, this article also offers some recommendations and suggestions for others and the future.
The Host Shapes the Gut Microbiota via Fecal MicroRNA

The host gut microbiota varies across species and individuals but is relatively stable over time within an individual. How the host selectively shapes the microbiota is largely unclear. Here, we show that fecal microRNA (miRNA)-mediated inter-species gene regulation facilitates host control of the gut microbiota. miRNAs are abundant in mouse and human fecal samples and present within extracellular vesicles. Cell-specific loss of the miRNA-processing enzyme, Dicer, identified intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) and Hopx-positive cells as predominant fecal miRNA sources. These miRNAs can enter bacteria, such as F. nucleatum and E. coli, specifically regulate bacterial gene transcripts, and affect bacterial growth. IEC-miRNA-deficient (Dicer1(ΔIEC)) mice exhibit uncontrolled gut microbiota and exacerbated colitis, and WT fecal miRNA transplantation restores fecal microbes and ameliorates colitis. These findings identify both a physiologic role by which fecal miRNA shapes the gut microbiota and a potential strategy for manipulating the microbiome.
Complexity of Internet Interconnections: Technology, Incentives and Implications for Policy

End-to-End (E2E) packet delivery in the Internet is achieved through a system of interconnections between heterogeneous entities called Autonomous Systems (ASes). As of March 2007, there were over 26,000 in use. Most ASes are ISPs, but they also include enterprises, governmental or educational institutions, and increasingly large content providers with mostly outbound traffic such as Google, Yahoo, and YouTube as well as overlay content distribution networks such as Akamai and Limelight. Each AS controls or administers its own domain of addresses but ASes must physically interconnect to provide end-to-end connectivity across the Internet. Interconnection is not only important from a reachability perspective but also quality and performance perspective, because how ASes interconnect, both physically and contractually, determines how packets are routed and impacts the quality and choice of services that may be supported. The initial pattern of AS interconnection in the Internet was relatively simple, involving mainly ISPs with a balanced mixture of inbound and outbound traffic. One goal of this paper is to demonstrate how changing market conditions and industrial organization of Internet have jointly forced interconnections and associated contracts to become significantly more diverse and complex than is commonly understood. The diversity of interconnection contracts is significant because efficient allocation of costs and revenues across the Internet value chain impacts the profitability of the industry. However, current models of interconnection fail to reflect such emerging diversity of possible interconnections. We currently lack good data and models on these developments. In particular, most models of AS interconnection describe two sorts of arrangements: transit (a “vertical” relationship where small networks pay larger network for access to the rest of the Internet) and peering (a “horizontal” relationship where similar sized networks engage in revenue-neutral interconnection). We will highlight the now obvious distinction between networks that specialize in content distribution and broadband residential networks that specialize in consumer access to the Internet. The introduction of such ASes increases the heterogeneity of players in the interconnection market. Furthermore, their highly asymmetric pattern of traffic flow (from content to “eyeballs”) has resulted in increased complexity of the incentives to interconnect, and the diversity of the resulting negotiation. Not surprisingly, the challenges of recovering the fixed and usage-sensitive costs of network transport have given rise to more complex settlements mechanisms than the simple bifurcated (transit and peering) model. In the following, we provide an insight to recent operational developments, explaining why interconnection in the Internet has become more complex, the nature of interconnection bargaining process, the implications for cost/revenue allocation and hence interconnections incentives, and what this means for public policy.
Auras in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and mesial temporal sclerosis

We investigated auras in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). We also investigated the clinical differences between patients with MTS and abdominal auras and those with MTS and non-mesial temporal auras. All patients with drug-resistant TLE and unilateral MTS who underwent epilepsy surgery at Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center from 1986 through 2014 were evaluated. Patients with good postoperative seizure outcome were investigated. One hundred forty-nine patients (71 males and 78 females) were studied. Thirty-one patients (20.8%) reported no auras, while 29 patients (19.5%) reported abdominal aura, and 30 patients (20.1%) reported non-mesial temporal auras; 16 patients (10.7%) had sensory auras, 11 patients (7.4%) had auditory auras, and five patients (3.4%) reported visual auras. A history of preoperative tonic-clonic seizures was strongly associated with non-mesial temporal auras (odds ratio 3.8; 95% CI: 1.15-12.98; p=0.02). About one-fifth of patients who had MTS in their MRI and responded well to surgery reported auras that are historically associated with non-mesial temporal structures. However, the presence of presumed non-mesial temporal auras in a patient with MTS may herald a more widespread epileptogenic zone.
The Unusual Role of the Kidney During Intoxication of Monkeys by Intravenous Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B

Of the several toxic products formed by Staphylococcus aureus, one, enterotoxin type B, has been highly purified (Schantz et al, 1965). Given orally to rhesus monkeys, it produces vomiting and diarrhea (Schantz et al, 1965). Given intravenously in sufficient dosage to the same species, it causes shock and death (Hayama and Sugiyama, 1964; Crawley et al, 1966a, b). Crawley et al (1966b) employed type B staphylococcal enterotoxin labeled with I131 to determine its localization in
In Situ Observation of Divergent Phase Transformations in Individual Sulfide Nanocrystals

Inorganic nanocrystals have attracted widespread attention both for their size-dependent properties and for their potential use as building blocks in an array of applications. A complete understanding of chemical transformations in nanocrystals is important for controlling structure, composition, and electronic properties. Here, we utilize in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy to study structural and morphological transformations in individual sulfide nanocrystals (copper sulfide, iron sulfide, and cobalt sulfide) as they react with lithium. The experiments reveal the influence of structure and composition on the transformation pathway (conversion versus displacement reactions), and they provide a high-resolution view of the unique displacement reaction mechanism in copper sulfide in which copper metal is extruded from the crystal. The structural similarity between the initial and final phases, as well as the mobility of ions within the crystal, are seen to exert a controlling influence...
A Discontinuous Galerkin Method for the Navier-Stokes Equations on Deforming Domains using Unstructured Moving Space-Time Meshes

We describe a high-order accurate space-time discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for solving compressible flow problems on two-dimensional moving domains with large deformations. The DG discretization and space-time numerical fluxes are formulated on a three-dimensional space-time domain. The scheme is implicit, and we solve the resulting non-linear systems using a parallel Newton-Krylov solver. Instead of remeshing when the mesh elements are deformed, we use local mesh operations such as node movement and edge flips to improve the mesh at each time step. We then produce a globally conforming space-time mesh using an efficient algorithm based on element extrusions between two consecutive spatial meshes. In this way, no additional nodes are inserted for each spacetime mesh slab except for those on the spatial meshes. We show various numerical examples with complex domain deformations to illustrate both the accuracy and the capabilities of our method.
Sex and gender differences in cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases

the fifth american physiological society conference entitled, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases: Physiology and Gender Conference , is taking place in Annapolis, MD, on November 17-20, 2015. The timing of this conference is especially opportune since the number of papers published on sex
Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Cesarean Scar Pregnancy:9 Cases Report

Objective To discuss the early diagnostic methods and treatment strategies of cesarean scar pregnancy(CSP).Methods The clinical data of 9 CSP cases were analyzed retrospectively.All cases were found menelipsis and Human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG) increasing in urine.Among them,colporrhagia was present in 4 cases,hypogastralgia in 2,and no rational symptom in 3.The total of 9 patients got final diagnosis of CSP by pelvic Doppler color ultrasonography.Results The treatment strategies were as follows:Uterine arterial embolization(UAE) and curettage was performed in 2 cases;UAE,medication of MTX and mifepristone and curettage in 3 cases,and out of them,1 case received cesarean scar excision of uterus because of last vaginal bleeding and no decreasing of blood HCG;only medication of MTX and mifepristone in 3 cases;cesarean scar excision in 1 case.All patients cured and discharged from hospital.No complication was found during the 7 to 12 months follow-up.Conclusions CSP is uncommon,and so it can be misdiagnosed easily;Color ultrasonography can play an important role in its early diagnosis.Followed by curettage,UAE or combined with medication of MTX and mifepristone is an effective treatment for CSP.
Analysis of HFRS Surveillance in Fuyang city from 2001 to 2005

Objective To grasp epidemic characters and morbidity tendency about HFRS in Fuyang city and provide the basis for preventing and controlling HFRS.Methods Surveillance data on HFRS from 2001 to 2005 were analyzed.Results All counties of the city had HFRS cases from 2001 to 2005.The highest incidence rate was 1.35 per hundred thousands in Ying Zhou district,the lowest incidence rate was 0.54 per hundred thousands in Ying Shang county.The average incidence rate in the five years was 0.93 per hundred thousands.The incidence rate in 2001 was the highest,1.48 per hundred thousands.The incidence rate in 2005 was lowest,0.67 per hundred thousands.The incidence peak was in winter,the peak month moved from December to November.Number of the cases in November accounted for 17.33% of the total cases.The cases occurred in various age groups.The maximum age was 76 years old.The smallest age was 3 years old.Cases in the age group from 26 to 60 accounted for 69.80%.Most cases were farmers.The incidence showed a trend of decreasing.Male cases were more than female cases.The ratio was 2.66:1.The average mouse density indoor was 4.70%.M.musculus was the predominant species,accounted for 63.13%;The outdoor mouse density was 3.96%,A.agrarius was the predominant species,accounted for 72.86%;The average carrier rate of the virus in indoor and outdoor mouse was 2.33% and 5.81% respectively.The carrier rate in 2005 was 7.41% and 7.41% respectively.Conclusions The HFRS incidence in Fuyang has been decreasing year by year.The average carrier rate of the virus in 2005 increased obviously.We must strengthen surveillance on epidemic situation from the human groups and the mouse groups.
Pharmacists' views on health care reform.

This study explored pharmacists' opinions on a reformed health care system. Questionnaires were mailed to 523 pharmacists about the structure, funding, cost control mechanisms, benefits, and features to be covered by a national health plan; 57.2% responded. The pharmacists showed no consensus regarding the basic structure of a national health plan. They favored increased taxes on alcohol and cigarettes to fund the plan and adamantly opposed increased individual income or employer payroll taxes. Pharmacists were not convinced that plan costs could be controlled. They strongly supported benefits for preventive services; however, they ranked coverage of outpatient prescription drugs relatively low. Pharmacists' opinions on health care reform differed according to position (e.g., owner or staff) and age.
Characterizing the epigenetic signatures of the human regulatory elements: A pilot study

Background: Chromatin modifications have provided promising clues on how cells that share the same copy of the genome can perform distinct functions. It is believed that enhancers and promoters are marked by a single chromatin mark each, H3K4me1 and H3K4me3, respectively. However, other studies have indicated that enhancers and promoters share multiple chromatin marks, including H3K4me1/2/3 and H3K27ac. Therefore, we asked whether the epigenetic signatures of these regulatory elements consist of a single mark or multiple marks. Repetitive regions, repeats, are usually ignored. However, we found, in public data, that repeats include about 25% of active enhancers. Thus, we asked how the epigenetic signatures of repetitive and non-repetitive enhancers differ. We studied the four marks in IRM90 (human lung fibroblast) and H1 (human embryonic stem cell). Results: Our results show that enhancers and promoters are enriched significantly with the four marks, which form pyramidal signatures. However, the relative lengths of the marks are different. The promoter signature is directional; H3K4me2/3 and H3K27ac tend to be present downstream of the transcription start site; H3K4me1 tends to be present upstream. H1-specific enhancers have a similar signature to IRM90-specific enhancers; however, it is not the case for active promoters of the two cell types. Interestingly, inactive enhancers show a residual signature that resembles the signature of active enhancers. Finally, the epigenetic signature of enhancers found in repeats is identical to that of enhancers found in non-repetitive regions. Conclusions: In this study, we characterized the epigenetic signatures of active and inactive enhancers (pyramidal) as well as active promoters (directional-pyramidal) in two cell types. These signatures consist of four chromatin marks that have been reported to be associated with enhancers and promoters. Interestingly, about one quarter of active enhancers are found in repeats. Active enhancers within repeats and those outside repeats have the same epigenetic signature. These results have great potential to change the way Molecular Biologists think of repeats, and to expand our understanding of gene regulation.
Healthcare-associated infections in the elderly: what's new.

Purpose of reviewThe high-risk population and current lack of knowledge regarding appropriate infection prevention in the long-term care (LTC) setting has contributed to substantial rates of resistance and healthcare-associated infections in this arena. More evidence-based research on LTC is necessa
Fluid inclusion examination of the transition from magmatic to hydrothermal conditions in pegmatites from San Diego County, California

Thermometric properties and compositions of fluid inclusions in quartz are used to constrain the roles that fluid-soluble elements, principally Li, B, Cl, and F, have in controlling the transition from magmatic to hydrothermal mineral paragenesis in pegmatites and to ultimately understand why some pegmatites in the San Diego County pegmatite district contain abundant, gem-quality, Li-bearing minerals in pockets, whereas others do not. In this district, lithium-cesium-tantalum type pegmatites occur in the Mesozoic Peninsular Ranges Batholith. Emplacement of the dikes occurred at low pressures (200–300 MPa) that resulted in the formation of large miarolitic cavities (pockets), some of which contain gem-quality, Li-bearing minerals. Two pegmatite suites were studied: the gem-bearing Himalaya and the more barren La Posta. The inclusions measured in this study further underscore highly undercooled crystallization of pegmatites. Pressure-corrected homogenization temperatures ( T h) of ~400 to 515 and ~70 to 425 °C were obtained for primary inclusions in the intermediate zone and the core, respectively, of a La Posta dike. Primary inclusions in the intermediate zone and the massive quartz core of the Himalaya pegmatite have T h ranges of ~350 to 420 and ~150 to 300 °C, respectively. The high portion of the latter temperature range is interpreted to represent the conditions that existed during the initial crystallization of minerals that line pegmatite pockets. The most important cations in fluid inclusions in both pegmatites are Na+, B3+, and Li+. Lithium concentrations are much higher in inclusions in the Himalaya pegmatite, up to 51 at% of all cations within the massive quartz in the core zone. In the La Posta pegmatite, few primary inclusions contain appreciable Li. The B content of inclusions in both pegmatites is high, up to 65 at% of cations. The dominant anions in the inclusions are Cl−, F−, and ![Formula][1] . The data suggest that hydrothermal fluids that collected in pockets were acidic and promoted the growth of tourmaline and other minerals that are stable in acidic solutions. In both pegmatites, Na and B dominate secondary inclusions. These inclusions reveal fluids stripped of Li and K by crystallization of lepidolite within fractures of primary minerals throughout the pegmatites, and sometimes as an alteration product in pockets. The lowering of alkali/H+ ratios in the fluid-stabilized clays, including kaolinite, that line the walls of pockets. Coeval crystallization of terminated quartz crystals with clays is consistent with its precipitation from the fluids. [1]: /embed/mml-math-1.gif
Wonder and Romantic Ecology

Economides builds a case for wonder’s central importance within romanticism, arguing that its political ethos reflects values associated with the beautiful rather than the sublime in aesthetic theory of the period. Moreover, she takes issue with Philip Fisher’s assertion that wonder is unavoidably elegiac in romantic literature by contrasting the status of this aesthetic in William Wordsworth’s and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s writing. Although Wordsworth typically associates wonder with lost childhood innocence, Coleridge’s association of wonder with an open-ended quest for knowledge leads him to emphasize its enduring importance within adult perspectives on art and politics.
Complex Network Approach for Power Grids Vulnerability and Large Area Blackout

In a power grid, a device protection trip could cause a number of consequent or cascading trips. These consequent trips could be transferred and redistributed and cause a large area blackout. The development of complex network theory provides a new approach for power system study especially on vulnerability and large blackout prevention. By mapping the power grid to a graph, analyze the degree and link properties, and utilizing the small-world power grid to study the behavior of blackout.
Nutrition and Social Behavior

In this chapter, I shall discuss the problem of undernutrition and its effects on children’s behavior. From a variety of sources both clinical and experimental, I shall adduce evidence showing that a history of undernutrition is associated with behavioral impairments that affect social development. Then I shall attempt to show that these behavior problems form a cohesive cluster, one which provides a framework for thinking about adaptive, prosocial behavior in the child. I shall discuss the mediating and moderating variables in the relationship between nutrition and social development and finally present an integrative framework for reconciling seemingly diverse findings on malnutrition and behavior.
Simulating Passenger Transportation Scenarios through SIM-MADARP

The problem of demand-responsive passenger transportation is a subject covered from different perspectives (such as planning, user interfaces, optimization problem, etc). This work is focused on the simulation of events occurring in real time. That is, as requests are generated by vehicle users and the planning moves forward in time events may occur that affect them so that there should be a re-planning procedure. Among the diverse considered events can be considered: user delays and cancellations of requests, failure of vehicles in operation, among others. Under these premises is given a software architecture based on agents that is capable of supporting such events and hence perform the replanning. This is a description of the architecture, design and implementation by using intelligent agents under the PASSI methodology.
Review: In adults with diabetes, aspirin does not prevent CV events compared with placebo

Source Citation Kunutsor SK, Seidu S, Khunti K. Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events in diabetes: updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. D...
Conclusion: Implications for Theory and Practice

The conclusion summarizes the key findings from the book and then proceeds to discuss the policy implications of the work for dealing with spoilers. The policy implications are four-pronged, centering on the accurate prediction of where spoilers will emerge, a strategy of targeted inclusion in peace negotiations, continued negotiation with actors during the implementation phase, and coercion as a last resort for particular types of spoilers. The chapter concludes with thoughts on future research to continue to improve our understanding of spoiling.
“It’s Like Some Kinds of Skills Like Swim[ming]. You Know It But You Don’t Use It”: (Dis)connections between University Teaching Reforms and the Lives of Recent Graduates

In the spring of 2007, I traveled around southern China visiting many former students who had graduated from CSU and had begun jobs and careers in a variety of industries and cities including in Hong Kong and Macau. My main interest was to interview my former students about their experiences in ELC classes and programs during their time at CSU, but we often discussed how much English they were or, more commonly, were not using in their daily jobs. Many of the students were worried about losing their English proficiency because their colleagues rarely spoke English with them, and many had supervisors or bosses who did not speak English at all. Depending on their position, they noted that they primarily used English in emails. Many noted that their companies required that they were fluent in English in order to be hired, but English, in particular speaking skills, was not needed in their daily activities. I was immediately intrigued and wondered if the content and lessons that I and other ELC teachers had spent so much time preparing were useful in our students’ professional lives. In short, I wondered, do university graduates who stay and build careers in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau continue to study and use English in their professional and personal lives?
Stratum, a Homolog of the Human GEF Mss4, Partnered with Rab8, Controls the Basal Restriction of Basement Membrane Proteins in Epithelial Cells

The basement membrane (BM), a sheet of extracellular matrix lining the basal side of epithelia, is essential for epithelial cell function and integrity, yet the mechanisms that control the basal restriction of BM proteins are poorly understood. In epithelial cells, a specialized pathway is dedicated to restrict the deposition of BM proteins basally. Here, we report the identification of a factor in this pathway, a homolog of the mammalian guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Mss4, which we have named Stratum. The loss of Stratum leads to the missecretion of BM proteins at the apical side of the cells, forming aberrant layers in close contact with the plasma membrane. We found that Rab8GTPase acts downstream of Stratum in this process. Altogether, our results uncover the importance of this GEF/Rab complex in specifically coordinating the basal restriction of BM proteins, a critical process for the establishment and maintenance of epithelial cell polarity.
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program redemptions at California farmers’ markets: making the program work for farmers and participants

Many states including California allow fruit and vegetable checks (FVCs) issued by the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program to be redeemed at farmers’ markets. Despite the potential of the FVC program to increase the revenue of participating farmers and to provide fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC participants, analysis of data for California shows that redemptions of FVCs at farmers’ markets have to date been miniscule. We study the barriers to use of FVCs at farmers’ markets and consider strategies for expanding both farmer and WIC client participation in the farmers’ market program. Our methodology involved design, implementation and analysis of surveys of both farmers’ market managers and farmer vendors who participate in the program and analysis of the behavior of WIC participants through California WIC program redemption data. One major factor limiting redemptions in California is that relatively few farmers’ markets currently accept FVCs and both market managers and farmers report that the authorization process is onerous. WIC participants who shopped at authorized markets more fully utilized the fixed-dollar value of their voucher, compared with participants who shopped at other authorized WIC vendors. Nevertheless, participants who visited a farmers’ market are unlikely to return. The study concludes with suggested pathways to increase WIC participant utilization of farmers’ markets.
The Bone Marrow Microenvironment in Health and Myeloid Malignancy

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) interact dynamically with an intricate network of cells in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment or niche. These interactions provide instructive cues that influence the production and lineage determination of different types of blood cells and maintenance of HSC quiescence. They also contribute to hematopoietic deregulation and hematological myeloid malignancies. Alterations in the BM niche are commonly observed in myeloid malignancies and contribute to the aberrant function of myelodysplastic and leukemia-initiating stem cells. In this work, we review how different components of the BM niche affect normal hematopoiesis, the molecular signals that govern this interaction, and how genetic changes in stromal cells or alterations in remodeled malignant BM niches contribute to myeloid malignancies. Understanding the intricacies between normal and malignant niches and their modulation may provide insights into developing novel therapeutics for blood disorders.
Abstract 20034: Fate of the Native Pulmonary Valve in Patients With Carcinoid Heart Disease After Tricuspid Valve Replacement

Background: Carcinoid heart disease most frequently affects the right sided valves. In carcinoid patients undergoing tricuspid valve replacement, uncertainty exists regarding the surgical managemen...
Understanding PhD Latinx Career Outcomes: A Case Study:

This study explored the career outcomes for Latinx doctoral students and the contextual factors of their educational experience influencing these outcomes. A case-study approach is taken to examine...
A microfluidic platform for lifelong high-resolution and high throughput imaging of subtle aging phenotypes in C. elegans

Aging produces a number of changes in the neuronal structure and function throughout a variety of organisms. These aging-induced changes encompass a wide range of phenotypes, from loss of locomotion ability to defective production of synaptic vesicles. C. elegans is one of the primary systems used to elucidate phenotypes associated with aging processes. Conventional aging studies in C. elegans are typically labor-intensive, low-throughput, and incorporate fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) as a sterilizing agent to keep the population age-synchronized throughout the assay. However, FUdR exposure induces lifespan extension, and can potentially mask the phenotypes associated with the natural aging process. In addition, studying cellular or subcellular structures requires anesthetics or adhesives to immobilize nematodes while acquiring high-resolution images. In this platform, we are able to maintain a population (∼1000 worms) age-synchronized throughout its lifespan and perform a series of high-resolution microscopy studies in a drug-free environment. The device is composed of two main interconnected sections, one with the purpose of filtering progeny while keeping the parent population intact, and one for trapping nematodes in individual compartments for microscopy. Immobilization is carried out by decreasing the temperature of the device where nematodes are trapped by placing a heat sink on top of the chip. We were able to perform periodic high-resolution microscopy of fluorescently tagged synapses located at the dorsal side of the nematode's tail throughout the worms' lifespan. To characterize the subtle phenotypes that emerge as nematodes age, computer vision was implemented to perform automated unbiased detection of synapses and quantitative analysis of aging-induced synaptic changes.
‘The bot predicted rain, grab an umbrella’: few perceived differences in communication quality of a weather Twitterbot versus professional and amateur meteorologists

ABSTRACTExtending previous research on the human-to-human interaction script, the MAIN model, and the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) paradigm, this study examines the influence of weather-related communication sources with varying levels of expertise and agency cues (i.e. human versus bot) on impressions of communication quality. Specifically, an experimental design was used to measure people’s impressions of source credibility, task and social attraction, computer-mediated communication competence, and intent to interact in the future for three information sources: a professional meteorologist, an amateur meteorologist, and a weather Twitterbot. Results demonstrated similar perceptions of communication quality for the three Twitter agents. However, the Twitterbot was rated as significantly less socially attractive than the professional meteorologist and as significantly more task attractive than the amateur meteorologist delivering the same messages. Agency-related cues appear to trigger heuristics t...
Henryognathus thomasi, a new genus and new species of Arctostaphylos-feeding plant bug from western North America (Miridae, Phylinae, Phylini)

Henryognathus, new genus, with the single included new species H.thomasi, is described from western North America. The taxon is recorded as feeding on species of Arctostaphylos (Ericaceae) in California and Arizona. Coloration and many morphological attributes are similar to species of Plagiognathus Fieber, but the structure of the male genitalia is distinctive.
Reducing Sample Size Needed for Cox-proportional Hazards Model Analysis Using More Efficient Sampling Method

In general, survival data are time-to-event data, such as time to death, time to appearance of a tumor, or time to recurrence of a disease. Models for survival data have frequently been based on th...
Amapat - Innovation, Ownership and Accounting for European Firms: Presentation

AmaPat is a unique comprehensive dataset combining detailed information on ownership structure, corporate innovation, and financial reports.
GPCR-independent activation of G proteins promotes apical cell constriction in vivo.

Heterotrimeric G proteins are signaling switches that control organismal morphogenesis across metazoans. In invertebrates, specific GPCRs instruct G proteins to promote collective apical cell constriction in the context of epithelial tissue morphogenesis. In contrast, tissue-specific factors that instruct G proteins during analogous processes in vertebrates are largely unknown. Here, we show that DAPLE, a non-GPCR protein linked to human neurodevelopmental disorders, is expressed specifically in the neural plate of Xenopus laevis embryos to trigger a G protein signaling pathway that promotes apical cell constriction during neurulation. DAPLE localizes to apical cell–cell junctions in the neuroepithelium, where it activates G protein signaling to drive actomyosin-dependent apical constriction and subsequent bending of the neural plate. This function is mediated by a Gα-binding-and-activating (GBA) motif that was acquired by DAPLE in vertebrates during evolution. These findings reveal that regulation of tissue remodeling during vertebrate development can be driven by an unconventional mechanism of heterotrimeric G protein activation that operates in lieu of GPCRs.
American Diabetes Association 2019 Conference Podcast With the Editor-in-Chief: What Are the Outcomes from ADA This Year and What Are the Future Developments in Diabetes?

Podcast recording of Fernando Ovalle live from the ADA 2019 conference in San Francisco (MP4 177883 kb).
Categorization and Analysis of Nasal Base Shapes Using a Parametric Model

ImportanceNasal base view is important for rhinoplasty analysis. Although some descriptors of nasal base shape exist, they are largely subjective and qualitative. ObjectiveTo evaluate a parametric ...
Ignition of A Plasma Discharge Inside An Electrodeless Chamber: Methods and Characteristics

In this paper the generation and diagnostics of a reduced pressure (300 mTorr to 3 Torr) plasma generated inside an electrodeless containment vessel/chamber are presented. The plasma is ignited by a guided ionization wave emitted by a low temperature pulsed plasma jet. The diagnostics techniques include Intensified Charge Coupled Device (ICCD) imaging, emission spectroscopy, and Langmuir probe. The reduced-pressure discharge parameters measured are the magnitude of the electric field, the plasma electron number density and temperature, and discharge expansion speed.
The Relationship of Sport Involvement and Gender to Physical Fitness, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Concept in Middle School Students

Sport involvement may offer physical and psychological benefits to early adolescents beyond those accrued through physical activity (PA). Those benefits, though, may be moderated by gender. The purpose of this study was to examine these potential benefits in a middle school population. The sample consisted of 629 sixth graders enrolled in a physical education (PE) course. Students completed self-report measures on sport involvement, PA self-efficacy, and physical self-concept. During PE, students completed FitnessGram testing, which provided measurements of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular strength and flexibility, and body composition. MANCOVA analyses were used to examine the interaction between sport involvement and gender in relation to the psychological and physical outcomes. Multivariate analyses demonstrated no Sport × Gender interactions for any outcome; sport involvement, however, was related significantly to improvements in CRF, muscular strength, PA self-efficacy, and physical self-concept (aerobic endurance and muscular strength). The findings suggest that sport involvement, above what may be attained through standardized, school-based PE experiences, uniquely provides physical and psychological benefits for early adolescents.Subscribe to TPE
Estimating what US residential customers are willing to pay for resilience to large electricity outages of long duration

Climate-induced extreme weather events, as well as other natural and human-caused disasters, have the potential to increase the duration and frequency of large power outages. Resilience, in the form of supplying a small amount of power to homes and communities, can mitigate outage consequences by sustaining critical electricity-dependent services. Public decisions about investing in resilience depend, in part, on how much residential customers value those critical services. Here we develop a method to estimate residential willingness-to-pay for back-up electricity services in the event of a large 10-day blackout during very cold winter weather, and then survey a sample of 483 residential customers across northeast USA using that method. Respondents were willing to pay US$1.7–2.3 kWh–1 to sustain private demands and US$19–29 day–1 to support their communities. Previous experience with long-duration outages and the framing of the cause of the outage (natural or human-caused) did not affect willingness-to-pay. Future resilience planning for large-area long-duration electricity outages requires, in part, estimates of what electricity consumers are willing to pay for preparedness. Baik et al. arrive at those estimates using a representative survey and find some willingness to invest in community resilience.
A Case of Diffuse Metastatic Melanoma With Massive Spontaneous Hemoperitoneum.

The incidence rate for melanoma continues to rise in the USA. The majority of melanoma cases are detected at an early stage and are amenable to surgical excision. Advanced melanoma with diffuse intraabdominal metastasis is rare. We present a case of a 50-year-old female with no known primary or history of melanoma who presented with massive intraabdominal bleeding secondary to diffuse metastatic melanoma with peritoneal implants. Diagnosing metastatic melanoma could be challenging. Clinicians should be aware of hemoperitoneum or peritoneal carcinomatosis as potential manifestations of malignant melanoma to expedite appropriate management.
Disease association with frequented regions of genotype graphs

Complex diseases, with many associated genetic and environmental factors, are a challenging target for genomic risk assessment. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) associate disease status with, and compute risk from, individual common variants, which can be problematic for diseases with many interacting or rare variants. In addition, GWAS typically employ a reference genome which is not built from the subjects of the study, whose genetic background may differ from the reference and whose genetic characterization may be limited. We present a complementary method based on disease association with collections of genotypes, called frequented regions, on a pangenomic graph built from subjects' genomes. We introduce the pangenomic genotype graph, which is better suited than sequence graphs to human disease studies. Our method draws out collections of features, across multiple genomic segments, which are associated with disease status. We show that the frequented regions method consistently improves machine-learning classification of disease status over GWAS classification, allowing incorporation of rare or interacting variants. Notably, genomic segments that have few or no variants of genome-wide significance (p<5x10-8) provide much-improved classification with frequented regions, encouraging their application across the entire genome. Frequented regions may also be utilized for purposes such as choice of treatment in addition to prediction of disease risk.
Rehmannia Radix Extract Relieves Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice via Transforming Growth Factor β1 (TGF-β1).

BACKGROUND Infants and young children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have acute progressive hypoxic respiratory failure caused by a variety of extrapulmonary pathogenic factors and cardiogenic factors. Diffuse alveolar injury and pulmonary fibrosis both are pathological features of ARDS. This study investigated the effect of Rehmannia Radix extract (RRE) on pulmonary fibrosis of infants with ARDS. MATERIAL AND METHODS The human lung fibroblasts cell line HFL1 was treated with various concentrations of Rehmannia Radix extract in different groups for different times. Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were performed to detect cell apoptosis, and CCK8 assay was utilized to analyze cell proliferation. TGF-s1 expression was detected by real-time quantitative PCR, and protein-level expressions of Caspase3, TGF-s1, Bcl-2, and Smad3 were measured by western blot and immunohistochemical staining in cells or tissues. TGF-s1 was overexpressed by recombinant human TGF-s1 (2 ng/mL) and the treated cells and culture supernatant were harvested for analysis in each step. Bleomycin was used to induce a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis and was confirmed by HE pathological sections. RESULTS Flow cytometry and TUNEL results showed that RRE promoted the apoptosis of HFL1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, and it inhibited the proliferation of HFL1 cells. Upregulation of TGF-s1 reversed the effects of RRE in HFL1 cells. RRE alleviated pulmonary fibrosis in mice through downregulating Bcl-2, TGF-s1, and Smad3 expression. CONCLUSIONS RRE promoted apoptosis and inhibited proliferation of HFL1, and then arrested the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. RRE had a significant inhibitory effect on TGF-s1 and Smad3. These results suggest that RRE directly prevents the development of pulmonary fibrosis by affecting the expression of TGF-s1 and Smad3.
Breast Carcinoma Presentation as Acute Small Intestinal Obstruction: Carcinoma of Unknown Primary

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a relatively common clinical entity accounting for 4 to 5% of cancers (Scoggins et al., The American Surgeon 65(1):1, 1999). Adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated carcinomas account for 75% of CUPs. The diagnosis of CUP is mainly done by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Some of the important biomarkers used for the differentiation of the tumor lineage in CUP for breast primary are GATA3, ERM GCDFP-15, TFF1, and MGB (Thomas et al., Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 37(3):635–644, 2010 Mar). We highlight the importance of mammaglobin (MGB) as a diagnostic marker in metastatic breast carcinoma. We present a 55-year-old lady who had presented with acute small bowel obstruction. Computer tomography (CECT) had revealed a stricture involving the mid ileum. Laparotomy with resection and anastomosis was done. The histology was a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Six months later, she had presented with a lump in the right breast and trucut histology had shown an invasive lobular carcinoma. IHC was positive for estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and mammaglobin receptor. With a high index of suspicion, the previously reported poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the small bowel was reviewed and IHC for mammaglobin was positive. This was consistent with a metastatic carcinoma of the small bowel with the primary being breast. She is on tamoxifen and doing well on short follow-up.