cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bariatric Surgery to Reverse Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents

Adolescent obesity is a public health crisis with serious immediate and long-term health consequences. Currently, prevention is the best solution, but this may prove difficult in a world with a growing epidemic of childhood obesity. Bariatric surgery is the only proven intervention that provides sustained weight loss as well as improvement and resolution of obesity-related comorbidities. Prior to any surgical intervention, patients must go through a comprehensive evaluation phase. Available procedures are either restrictive or malabsorptive, with the most common being the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. With the advent of laparoscopy, hospital stays have become short, but postoperative complications can still occur. The risks and benefits of operating on these obese adolescents with multiple comorbid conditions must be weighed and thoroughly discussed with patients and their families. According to published studies, there is a proven benefit to obese adolescents, even though most patients do not reach their ideal body weight. Almost all experience an improvement or resolution of comorbid conditions such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and sleep apnea. These results could have significant, long-lasting benefits on the adolescent patient. Given the young age of these patients, there should be an emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach in their treatment in order to improve compliance. Bariatric surgery appears to be the most effective means of achieving sustained weight loss with improvement or resolution of obesity-related comorbidities in the adolescent population.
Analysis of rDNA Regions of Five Freshwater Unionid Mussel Species in Presque Isle Bay, Southeastern Lake Erie

Population structure and fecundity of freshwater mussels can be difficult to assess due to the benthic habitat and complex life cycles of these organisms. However, rapid and reliable classification of unionids can be accomplished with polymerase chain reaction if species-specific DNA primers are established. In this report we describe the sequence analysis of the ITS1 and ITS2 regions from five mussel species (Amblema plicata, Fusconia flava, Lampsilis siliquoidea, Ligumia nasuta, and Pyganodon grandis) isolated from a refuge in Lake Erie. Sequence comparison revealed strong similarities between A. plicata and F. flava and between L. siliquoidea and L.nasuta. P. grandis contained regions of additional DNA not present within the other species. Our study confirmed the placement of Ligumia nasuta within the Lampsilinae. The analysis also revealed DNA sequences within the ITS1 and ITS2 regions that are species-specific. Thus, the development of species-specific PCR primers can be utilized for analysis of adult populations and for glochidia on host fish.
Rapid Characterization of Microorganisms by Curie-Point Pyrolysis in Combination with Short-Column Capillary Gas Chromatography and Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

Most conventional methods for identification of microorganisms involve characterizing intact, viable organisms under physiological conditions. Physicochemical characterization methods such as gas chromatography (GC), mass spectrometry (MS), or combined GC/MS necessarily involve a more artificial set of experimental parameters. Because of the chemical complexity of most physiological media, microorganisms usually need to be separated from the growth matrix. The separated organisms are then generally submitted to extraction and derivatization methods which may take several hours, followed by GC or GC/MS analyses requiring between 30 and 60 minutes.
Walking on foot to explore a virtual environment with uneven terrain

Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) provide an opportunity for humans to learn and to experience a place, which because of time, distance, danger, or expense, would not otherwise be available. Since navigation is the most common way users interact with 3D environments, much research has examined how well people navigate and learn the spatial layouts of IVEs. Ideally, a user's experience of an IVE would mimic a real world experience. However, this does not happen in practice. Thus, much work, examines the differences in real world and similar virtual experiences. Additionally, the navigation mechanisms that are used to explore an IVE do not allow for the exact same interactions as the real world. For example, it is difficult to replicate the physical aspect of climbing stairs or walking over rough terrain in an IVE. More work needs to be completed to assess how well people interact and learn in different types of virtual worlds. For example, the ground plane of the virtual worlds that people explore will not necessarily be flat. Thus, the question becomes how well can a person maintain comparable spatial awareness in an environment with uneven terrain? In this work, we examine subjects' spatial orientation as they traverse over uneven terrain while they physically locomote on a flat surface. IVEs are best explored on foot. That is, spatial awareness of the IVEs is best when users physically explore a virtual environment on foot. Thus, in this work we examine what happens to spatial orientation when subjects traverse over hilly virtual environments on foot.
Margaret Fuller and Her Circles

The year 2010 was the bicentenary of Margaret Fuller's birth; the arrival of two new biographies (The Lives of Margaret Fuller by John Matteson and Margaret Fuller: A New American Life by Megan Mar...
Abstract 1969: The potential tumor-suppressive role of Krüppel-like factor 9 in colorectal cancer.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Recent attention has focused on several members of the Kruppel-like family (KLF) of transcription factors in pathogenesis of CRC. Published studies in mouse models have demonstrated that Kruppel-like Factors (KLF) 4 and 6 are important suppressors, while KLF5 is a promoter of CRC development and growth. Our and other laboratories have implicated KLF9 as another KLF with putative tumor-suppressive roles in colon and rectum. However, a causal role for KLF9 as a tumor suppressor has not been evaluated in vivo. In the present study, we generated C57BL/6J mice with two (wild-type, WT) and one (heterozygous, HET) Klf9 alleles within the ApcMin/+ model of intestinal cancer. At 16 weeks of age, male (by 2.5-fold, P=.0015) and female (by 1.5 fold, P=.002) Klf9 HET mice exhibited more colon tumors than WT (n=13-20 mice per gender/genotype). Further, HET females, but not males, showed increased (P=.011) colon tumor incidence compared to WT. Moreover, male HET exhibited greater numbers (P=.03) of large (>3mm diameter) colon tumors while corresponding female HET only showed a trend (P=.099), compared to WT. No significant difference was observed in the number of small intestine tumors in either males or females. Mean colon tumor size between genotypes of either sex was also comparable. Mice of both genotypes did not differ in body weights within specific female and male groups. Excised colon tumors and matched mucosa from male mice were embedded and subjected to immunohistochemistry. No significant differences in immunostaining intensity for β-Catenin were found in tumors nor in matched mucosa between the genotypes. A similar lack of differences in immunostaining for Lgr5, a surface marker for intestinal stem cells was noted in tumors or mucosa between the two genotypes. Since the ApcMin/+ model of intestinal cancer normally displays greater numbers of tumors in the small intestine than in the colon, results suggest a colon-specific contribution of KLF9 loss-of-expression to tumor development. Further, given that KLF9 is a unique thyroid hormone-inducible KLF family member, our results implicate the possible use of thyroid hormone or thyroid hormone receptor agonists in the prevention and/or treatment of CRC. Our collective findings provide early evidence for a tumor-suppressive role of KLF9 in the colon and rectum, the mechanism of which warrants further investigation. Supported by 1F31CA165665-01 and NIH RO1 CA136493. Citation Format: Adam R. Brown, Trang T. Van, Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Frank A. Simmen. The potential tumor-suppressive role of Kruppel-like factor 9 in colorectal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1969. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1969
Thiol antioxidants regulate angiotensin II AT1 and arginine vasopressin V1 receptor functions differently in vascular smooth muscle cells.

BACKGROUND We compared the effects of the sulfhydryl-containing (thiol) antioxidant dithiothreitol (DTT), which disrupts disulfide bonds, on cell signaling through angiotensin II (Angll)Type 1 receptors (AT1 Rs) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) V1 receptors (V1 Rs).The AT1 R contains two extracellular disulfides bonds but its ligand contains none, whereas the V1 R contains no extracellular disufides bonds but its ligand contains 1. METHODS We measured radioligand binding, intracellular calcium responses, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation in cultured rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells and alterations in urine osmolality in intact rats. RESULTS Preincubation of cells with DTT, a maneuver designed to target receptor disulfides, resulted in concentration-dependent decreases in specific 125 I-Angll binding to AT1 Rs and acute angiotensin-stimulated intracellular calcium mobilization but no decreases in specific 125 I-AVP binding to V1Rs or AVP-stimulated intracellular calcium mobilization. In contrast, preincubation of the ligands with DTT followed by acute exposure to the cells, a maneuver designed to target ligand disulfides, blunted calcium mobilization to AVP robustly but to Angll only minimally. In intact rats, the increase in urine osmolality caused by subcutaneous injection with the AVP analogue desmopressin was significantly diminished when the analogue was preincubated with an excess of DTT. CONCLUSION DTT inhibits cell signaling to Angll AT1 Rs and AVPV1 Rs, at least in part through disruption ofdisulfide linkages, but the pattern of response depends upon whether disulfides of ligand or receptor are targeted.
Can a Continuum Manipulator Fetch an Object in an Unknown Cluttered Space

Continuum manipulators are particularly suitable for performing tasks in cluttered environments with limited space for maneuvering. While there is progress on continuum grasping of an object in a cluttered space, if the environment is unknown where the target object is occluded and only partially visible, such as in a search and rescue scenario, an open problem is how to determine if it is possible to fetch the object. In this letter, we address this problem of online determining whether a partially occluded object nested in an unknown cluttered space can be fetched by a continuum manipulator based on sensing the surrounding obstacles progressively with a distance sensor attached to its tip, and if so, how to fetch the object autonomously. Our method formulates constraints that can be quickly checked from sensed information to decide if a solution exists for a multisection spatial continuum manipulator to access and grasp an object in a cluttered space. Examples using point clouds of unknown obstacles from RGB-D sensing illustrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Prostaglandin E1 activation of heart cAMP-dependent protein kinase: apparent dissociation of protein kinase activation from increases in phosphorylase activity and contractile force.

The effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on cAMP, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, glycogen phosphorylase, and contractile force have been investigated in the isolated perfused rat heart, and compared to the effects of epinephrine. In this heart preparation both PGE1 and epinephrine produced rapid, concentration-dependent increases in cAMP and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity ratio. When dosages were adjusted to give equal increases in the protein kinase activation ratio from a basal value of 0.15 to as high as 0.40, only epinephrine produced a significant increase in contractile force or phosphorylase activity. Neither the α-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine nor ionophore A-23187 altered the inability of PGE1 to augment phosphorylase activity or force. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine potentiated the effect of PGE1 on cAMP and protein kinase activity. When used at concentrations of 10 µM or less, PGE1 failed to increase phosphorylase kinase activity even though it did produce a 2-fold increase in the cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity ratio. If very high protein kinase activity ratios were generated by using very high PGE1 levels (100 µM) or PGE1 in combination with isobutylmethylxanthine, increases in phosphorylase kinase activity were observed. This activation was, however, less than that observed when epinephrine was used to produce a similar protein kinase activation state and was accompanied by a slight increase in phosphorylase activity. When used together, PGE1 and epinephrine produced partially additive effects on cAMP and protein kinase activity and approximately the same increase in phosphorylase activity as did epinephrine when used alone. If very high cAMP levels or protein kinase activity ratios were produced by infusion of epinephrine plus 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, PGE1 produced no further increase in either parameter.
Necessary conditions for optimal control problems with bounded states by a penalty method

Necessary conditions are derived for a general relaxed control problem with unilateral state constraint. The results are also valid for ordinary controls that are solutions of the relaxed problem.
Reconstruction of a cyathiform Eugonophyllum, Upper Pennsylvanian, Palo Pinto County, Texas

Species of Eugonophyllum (Codiaceae, Chlorophyta) have traditionally been characterized as phylloid or leaf-like. But a reconstruction of well preserved specimens of Eugonophyllum, probably E. johnsonii Konishi and Wray, from Upper Pennsylvanian limestone formations of Palo Pinto County, Texas, indicates it was cyathiform or cup-shaped. Reconstruction was based on the forms of membranes as seen in sections and on partial excavation of thalli. This Eugonophyllum shared with congeneric species of Eugonophyllum the characteristic two-layered cortex (outer and inner), and with other codiaceans the same general membrane structure consisting of bilateral cortices with palisades of utricles now filled with micrite, and a medulla of tubular coenocytes, an area now mostly filled with mosaic sparry calcite. A cyathiform thallus would have inner and outer cortices but no differences were found in the structure of the inner and outer cortical utricular casts. The thalli were apparently anchored with elongated, cylindrical holdfasts. Internal spherical structures, presumably developed from differentiated utricles, may have been zygotes or young embryos from an oogamous fertilization. These were apparently released to the environment through the membrane.
Isolation of human trophoblastic extracellular vesicles and characterization of their cargo and antiviral activity.

Introduction Primary human trophoblasts release a repertoire of extracellular vesicles (EVs). Among them are nano-sized exosomes, which we found to suppress the replication of a wide range of diverse viruses. These exosomes contain trophoblastic microRNAs (miRNAs) that are expressed from the chromosome 19 miRNA cluster and exhibit antiviral properties. Here, we report our investigation of the cargo of placental EVs, focusing on the composition and the antiviral properties of exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic blebs.
Dynamic responses and tail-dependence among commodities, the US real interest rate and the dollar

Theoretical models suggest monetary policy is transmitted to commodity prices. We quantify this channel using several empirical methods under daily data. In early 2009, the US real interest rate became negative, with sample mean varying from 1.75 % (in the mid-1997 to January 28, 2009, subsample) to $$-1.50\,\%$$ (in January 29, 2009, to mid-September 2013 subsample). Gold displays higher risk-adjusted returns earlier, while copper and oil have higher risk-adjusted returns more recently. Shocks to the exchange rate and the real interest rate in VARs explain almost 30 % for oil and 32 % for copper more recently when impulse responses are more significant. The time-varying correlation of oil with the real interest rate in the more recent period is $$-0.462$$ , and its correlation with the exchange rate is $$-0.460$$ , compared to $$-0.089$$ and $$-0.120$$ , respectively, in the earlier period. Vine copula methods identify a dependence pattern of C-vine copula with t-copula in almost every pair among commodity prices, the real value of the US dollar and the US real interest rate.
Pancreatic Cancer: Background and Clinical Evidence

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a very lethal disease that is associated with a poor 5-year survival rate of 7 %. Despite improvements in our understanding of PDA and advances in therapies, the incidence of PDA continues to rise as survival rates remain stable or minimally improved. Because the goal of therapy is to attempt curative surgical resection, neoadjuvant therapy has gained attention in recent years as oncologists continue to investigate the optimal treatment sequence for PDA patients. Regardless of the disease stage of a PDA patient, multidisciplinary care is highly recommended due to the challenging workup, significance of clinical trials, and consistently dynamic treatment recommendations for PDA. Promising clinical trials are currently underway and oncologists are hopeful that novel prognostic and predictive markers can be used to inform clinical decision making.
Virtual reality navigation simulation for users who are blind

Technology such as GPS equipped smart phones and voice commands have opened up navigation for users who are blind. However performing activities that others take for granted, such as crossing the street, is still an intense experience. Not all crosswalks are marked, drivers may not be paying attention, and noisy city environments may prevent any types of sonic feedback from being understood. This paper presents a pilot study investigating the use of haptic feedback and virtual reality to provide a non-visual navigation simulation. The system was installed in a public venue and users described their experience including one user who was blind.
When markets reset, will we regain? Planning lessons from across the Atlantic Ocean

Globalisation and economic integration has brought new territorial and governance challenges. The interconnectedness of the economy, the need to remain competitive and to plan cities and regions sustainably has created new risks, given the uncertainty and magnitude of economic crises. This paper analyses how metropolises in Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson), U.S., and Portugal (Lisbon and Porto) have developed recently and how their stakeholders have been dealing with processes of metropolitan transformation. Recent regional planning is examined with the intent to understand whether stages of maturity, compact urban development patterns, regulatory and administrative planning traditions, and socio-economic and cultural systems influence territorial coherence. Two key findings stand out: First, anticipatory regional planning has the capacity to adapt to changing conditions in order to maintain and develop more sustainable and resilient territories; second, public spending oversight and programmatic firewalls allow corrections to be made before problems escalate out-of-control.
Stall Recovery of a Morphing Wing via Extended Nonlinear Lifting-Line Theory

Aircraft morphing provides advantages to traditional flight including drag reduction and maneuverability. Previous research indicates that smooth spanwise transitions in trailing-edge camber, repre...
Understanding Social Media Use: How Far Will College Student Sampling Take Us?

Studies across disciplines study the dynamics underpinning social behaviors that occur on social media. Sociologists and psychologist analyze social media impact on social life and human relationsh...
Framing Makerspace Communities

Drawing from over 50 interviews with diverse individuals who identify as makers we explored ways that communities were shaped the physical or online structures they occupy and a shared understanding of behaviors within the community. We identified two key dimensions to maker communities --- fluid and structured, and --- regulated and unregulated. We looked at these dimensions and how they impacted collaboration and learning, and togetherness in various maker communities.
Opposing deer and caterpillar foraging preferences may prevent reductions in songbird prey biomass in historically overbrowsed forests

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources [WRCP-010376, WRCP-010383]; Division of Environmental Biology [DEB-1120579]; Indiana University of Pennsylvania School of Graduate Studies and Research
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is well tolerated and effective for ulcerative colitis patients hospitalized for moderate-severe flares: a phase 2A pilot multi-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) markedly increases tissue oxygen delivery. Case series suggest it may have a potential therapeutic benefit in ulcerative colitis (UC). We investigated the therapeutic potential of HBOT as an adjunct to steroids for UC flares requiring hospitalization. The study was terminated early due to poor recruitment with 18 of the planned 70 patients enrolled. UC patients hospitalized for moderate–severe flares (Mayo score ≥6, endoscopic sub-score ≥2) were block randomized to steroids + daily HBOT (n = 10) or steroids + daily sham hyperbaric air (n = 8). Patients were blinded to study assignment, and assessments were performed by a blinded gastroenterologist. Primary outcome was the clinical remission rate at study day 5 (partial Mayo score ≤2 with no sub-score >1). Key secondary outcomes were: clinical response (reduction in partial Mayo score ≥2, rectal bleeding sub-score of 0–1) and progression to second-line therapy (colectomy or biologic therapy) during the hospitalization. A significantly higher proportion of HBOT-treated patients achieved clinical remission at study day 5 and 10 (50 vs. 0%, p = 0.04). HBOT-treated patients less often required progression to second-line therapy during the hospitalization (10 vs. 63%, p = 0.04). The proportion requiring in-hospital colectomy specifically as second-line therapy for medically refractory UC was lower in the HBOT group compared to sham (0 vs. 38%, p = 0.07). There were no serious adverse events. In this small, proof-of-concept, phase 2A trial, the use of HBOT as an adjunctive therapy to steroids for UC patients hospitalized for moderate–severe flares resulted in higher rates of clinical remission, and a reduction in rates of progression to second-line therapy during the hospitalization. Larger well-powered trials are needed, however, to provided definitive evidence of therapeutic benefit.
Social computational thinking tools: reinventing computation education in public schools

For the last 15 years we have been exploring notions of design and social media as means to foster highly engaging as well as effective educational environments. We have created what we call social computational thinking tools with the goal to synthesize human abilities with computer affordances. This presentation will outline three social computational thinking tools and discuss how they have combined notions of design and social media to create unique learning experiences in the classroom:1) Mr. Vetro is a Collective Simulation teaching students about human physiology through technologically enhanced role play of interacting organs,2) Scalable Game Design teaches students computational thinking through game design. They learn about computational thinking patterns in the context of game design and later apply these patterns to scientific simulation building.3) CyberCollage is a Collective Programming environment enabling students to work on game and simulation projects collaboratively in real time.
Lipocalin-Like Prostaglandin D Synthase but Not Hemopoietic Prostaglandin D Synthase Deletion Causes Hypertension and Accelerates Thrombogenesis in Mice.

Prostaglandin (PG) D2 is formed by two distinct PGD synthases (PGDS): lipocalin-type PGDS (L-PGDS), which acts as a PGD2-producing enzyme and as extracellular lipophilic transporter, and hematopoietic PGDS (H-PGDS), a σ glutathione-S-transferase. PGD2 plays an important role in the maintenance of vascular function; however, the relative contribution of L-PGDS– and H-PGDS–dependent formation of PGD2 in this setting is unknown. To gain insight into the function played by these distinct PGDS, we assessed systemic blood pressure (BP) and thrombogenesis in L-Pgds and H-Pgds knockout (KO) mice. Deletion of L-Pgds depresses urinary PGD2 metabolite (PGDM) by ∼35%, whereas deletion of H-Pgds does so by ∼90%. Deletion of L-Pgds, but not H-Pgds, elevates BP and accelerates the thrombogenic occlusive response to a photochemical injury to the carotid artery. HQL-79, a H-PGDS inhibitor, further depresses PGDM in L-Pgds KO mice, but has no effect on BP or on the thrombogenic response. Gene expression profiling reveals that pathways relevant to vascular function are dysregulated in the aorta of L-Pgds KOs. These results indicate that the functional impact of L-Pgds deletion on vascular homeostasis may result from an autocrine effect of L-PGDS–dependent PGD2 on the vasculature and/or the L-PGDS function as lipophilic carrier protein.
Nuclear magnetic resonance measurement of methane diffusion in organic-rich shales

Abstract Organic-rich shales have pore size on nanometer scale and permeability on the order of nano-Darcy. These properties give rise to significant challenges in understanding and modeling flow processes during the hydrocarbon production from shale reservoirs. During production, light hydrocarbons move from nanopores in the rock matrix to fractures generated by hydraulic fracturing to the well. Diffusion becomes a key mechanism in controlling hydrocarbon transport within matrix and from matrix to fractures. However, reliable experimental data for hydrocarbon diffusion coefficients in organic-rich shales are still lacking in the literature. This study presents experimental measurements of in situ methane diffusion coefficients in shales using a pulse-field-gradient nuclear magnetic resonance method. This method measures the diffusion coefficient at equilibrium state and thus eliminates the possibility of fluid flow effects in laboratory measurement generated from pressure or concentration gradient. The measured methane diffusion coefficients in shales are two orders of magnitude smaller than those in the bulk state in the pressure range from 75 to 6000 psi. The measured data can be used to more accurately evaluate and model the production from shale reservoirs.
Totally Robotic Excision of Retroperitoneal Lymphangioma

Abstract Introduction: Lymphangiomas are benign congenital cystic tumors. They are rare and occur secondary to failure of lymphatic vessels to form normal connections within the lymphatic system du...
Father Knows Best? Small RNA Pathway Controls Endosperm Response to Paternal Genomic Dosage.

In flowering plants, seed viability is dependent upon the endosperm, a triploid tissue produced by fertilization of a diploid central cell by a haploid sperm. Most endosperm genes are expressed in a 2:1 maternal-to-paternal ratio reflecting the genomic DNA content. Consequently, balance between
From Here to There: Video Inbetweening Using Direct 3D Convolutions.

We consider the problem of generating plausible and diverse video sequences, when we are only given a start and an end frame. This task is also known as inbetweening, and it belongs to the broader area of stochastic video generation, which is generally approached by means of recurrent neural networks (RNN). In this paper, we propose instead a fully convolutional model to generate video sequences directly in the pixel domain. We first obtain a latent video representation using a stochastic fusion mechanism that learns how to incorporate information from the start and end frames. Our model learns to produce such latent representation by progressively increasing the temporal resolution, and then decode in the spatiotemporal domain using 3D convolutions. The model is trained end-to-end by minimizing an adversarial loss. Experiments on several widely-used benchmark datasets show that it is able to generate meaningful and diverse in-between video sequences, according to both quantitative and qualitative evaluations.
Liver depot gene therapy for Pompe disease

Gene therapy for Pompe disease has advanced to early phase clinical trials, based upon proof-of-concept data indicating that gene therapy could surpass the benefits of the current standard of care, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). ERT requires frequent infusions of large quantities of recombinant human acid α-glucosidase (GAA), whereas gene therapy involves a single infusion of a vector that stably transduces tissues to continuously produce GAA. Liver-specific expression of GAA with an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector established stable GAA secretion from the liver accompanied by receptor-mediated uptake of GAA, which corrected the deficiency of GAA and cleared the majority of accumulated glycogen in the heart and skeletal muscle. Liver depot gene therapy was equivalent to ERT at a dose of the AAV vector that could be administered in an early phase clinical trial. Furthermore, high-level expression of GAA has decreased glycogen stored in the brain. A unique advantage of liver-specific expression stems from the induction of immune tolerance to GAA following AAV vector administration, thereby suppressing anti-GAA antibodies that otherwise interfere with efficacy. A Phase I clinical trial of AAV vector-mediated liver depot gene therapy has been initiated based upon promising preclinical data (NCT03533673). Overall, gene therapy promises to address limits of currently available ERT, if clinical translation currently underway is successful.
Will there be blood? Explaining violence during coups d’état:

Although just under half of all coup d’etat attempts involve fatalities, there has been surprisingly little attention to the conditions under which coups turn violent. Existing research emphasizes ...
Cues to stress in English spelling

Abstract How do skilled readers of English decide which syllable of a word to stress? In four behavioral studies, we examined this issue using disyllabic nonwords that varied in number of initial and final consonants. The tasks included oral reading of sentences that contained the nonwords, pronunciation of isolated nonwords, and metalinguistic judgments about stress. Contrary to the influential view within linguistics that onsets are irrelevant to stress assignment, the rate of first-syllable stress increased with the number of consonants in the onset of the first syllable. Also influential were the number of consonants at the end of the nonword, the presence of letter strings that are potential prefixes, and the syntactic context of the nonword in a sentence. In our final study, which involved 3061 English words with the same general structure as the nonwords in the experiments, we found that stress could be predicted with a high degree of accuracy based on the same factors that influenced performance in the behavioral studies. The results are consistent with a statistical-learning view of reading according to which skilled readers have internalized cues to stress that exist in the language but less consistent with Rastle and Coltheart’s (2000) rule-based model of stress assignment in nonword reading.
An ensemble approach to analyse mobile sensor networks

Mobile sensor networks (MSNs) are characteristic of dynamically changing topology due to node mobility. The traditional least overhead routing approach (LORA) to simulate MSNs cannot be applied to quantitatively assess measures of complex network analysis (like assortativity): for example, the assortativity index of one network snapshot need not be the assortativity index of another network snapshot. In this paper, we propose an 'ensemble' approach to collect the underlying information (like the degrees of the end vertices of the links) of the network snapshots over a period of time, and assess the targeted analytical measure (like assortativity index) of the MSN on this ensemble data that will be a representative of the topological changes over the entire simulation time period. The ensemble approach abstracts the node and edge ids and uses only the actual node-level metric values as the basis to calculate the network-level metric of interest.
A pretargeting nanoplatform for imaging and enhancing anti-inflammatory drug delivery.

Abstract This work details a newly developed “sandwich” nanoplatform via neutravidin-biotin system for the detection and treatment of inflammation. First, biotinylated- and folate-conjugated optical imaging micelles targeted activated macrophages via folate/folate receptor interactions. Second, multivalent neutravidin proteins in an optimal concentration accumulated on the biotinylated macrophages. Finally, biotinylated anti-inflammatory drug-loaded micelles delivered drugs effectively at the inflammatory sites via a highly specific neutravidin-biotin affinity. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that the “sandwich” pretargeting platform was able to diagnose inflammation by targeting activated macrophages as well as improve the therapeutic efficacy by amplifying the drug delivery to the inflamed tissue. The overall results support that our new pretargeting platform has the potential for inflammatory disease diagnosis and treatment.
Indra Overland and Nina Poussenka. Russian oil companies in an evolving world: the challenge of change: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020

This book is a geopolitical examination of five Russian oil companies ability for change given social, political and environmental contexts. Specific attention is given to how these five companies have evolved over time, their transparency or lack thereof, and how they have handled the energy transitions of shale oil revolution, offshore oil and energy markets. On the surface this book appears to be an energy policy and business management book, but energy companies around the world are major drivers impacting climate, energy consumption as well as geopolitics (Considine and Paik 2018; Katusa 2014; Yergin 2009, 2012). This is particularly true for Russia (Gustafson 2017; Rossbach 2018) and the US (Katusa 2014).
Birth timing after the long feeding migration in elephant seals

Abstract Northern elephant seals migrate long distances from feeding grounds to raise pups during a brief period on breeding beaches. Since gestation sets a parturition date months in advance, timing of the arrival must be precise. We used satellite-tracked animals to examine this timing, establishing arrival and birth dates in 106 migrating females and estimating how far they traveled in the days just before birth. Females arrived a mean of 5.5 days prior to birth (range 1-11, sd=1.6), and females arriving later in the breeding season cut that pre-birth interval by 1.8 days relative to early arrivers. There was no correlation between female body condition, nor female age, and the pre-birth interval. The last 15 days prior to birth, animals traveled as far as 1465 km. Those furthest from the colony traveled > 100 km per day, three times faster than animals near the colony at the same time. Despite migrations covering several thousand kilometers while pregnant, female elephant seals were able to time their arrival within 6 days, swimming steadily at high speed if needed. This allows them to maintain a precise annual cycle for many years consecutively.
Photoperiodic Flowering Response of Essential Oil, Grain, and Fiber Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars

Cultivation of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in tropical and subtropical regions can be challenging if flowering behavior of a given cultivar is unknown, poorly understood, or not accurately selected for the photoperiod. Identifying cultivars adapted to local environmental conditions is key to optimizing hemp vegetative and flowering performance. We investigated the effects of varying light cycles in regulating extension growth and flowering response of 15 essential oil and 12 fiber/grain hemp cultivars both in indoors and outdoors. Plants were subjected to eleven photoperiods in the controlled rooms ranging from 12 h to 18 h, and natural day length in the field. The critical photoperiod threshold was identified for seven essential oil cultivars and two fiber/grain cultivars. Cherry Wine-CC, PUMA-3, and PUMA-4 had the shortest critical day length between 13 h 45 min and 14 h. The flowering of essential oil cultivars was generally delayed by 1 to 2 d when photoperiod exceeded 13 h compared to 12 h, and flowering was further delayed by 7 to 8 d when photoperiod exceed 14 h. In fiber/grain cultivars, flowering was generally delayed by 1 to 3 d when day length exceeded 14 h. Flowering for most essential oil cultivars was delayed by 5 to 13 d under 14 h photoperiod compared to 13 h 45 min, suggesting a photoperiod difference as little as 15 min can significantly influence the floral initiation of some essential oil cultivars. Cultivars represented by the same name but acquired from different sources can perform differently under the same environmental conditions, suggesting genetic variation among cultivars with the same name. Average days to flower of fiber/grain cultivars was correlated with reported cultivar origin with faster flowering occurring among northern cultivars when compared to southern cultivars. Plant height generally increased as the day length increased in essential oil cultivars but was not affected in fiber/grain cultivars. In addition, civil twilight of approximately 2 {micro}mol{middle dot}m-2{middle dot}s-1 was discovered to be biologically effective in regulating hemp flowering. Collectively, we conclude that most of the essential oil cultivars and some southern fiber/grain cultivars tested express suitable photoperiods for tropical and sub-tropical region cultivation.
Heart-centered positioning and tailored beam-shaping filtration for reduced radiation dose in coronary artery calcium imaging: a MESA study

ABSTRACT Purpose Cardiac CT has a clear clinical role in the evaluation of coronary artery disease and assessment of coronary artery calcium (CAC) but the use of ionizing radiation limits clinical use. Beam shaping “bow-tie” filters determine the radiation dose and the effective scan field-of-view diameter (SFOV) by delivering higher X-ray fluence to a region centered at the isocenter. A method for positioning the heart near the isocenter could enable reduced SFOV imaging and reduce dose in cardiac scans. However, a predictive approach to center the heart, the extent to which heart centering can reduce the SFOV, and the associated dose reductions have not been assessed. The purpose of this study is to build a heart-centered patient positioning model, to test whether it reduces the SFOV required for accurate CAC scoring, and to quantify the associated reduction in radiation dose. Methods The location of 38,184 calcium lesions (3,151 studies) in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) were utilized to build a predictive heart-centered positioning model and compare the impact of SFOV on CAC scoring accuracy in heart-centered and conventional body-centered scanning. Then, the positioning model was applied retrospectively to an independent, contemporary cohort of 118 individuals (81 with CAC>0) at our institution to validate the model’s ability to maintain CAC accuracy while reducing the SFOV. In these patients, the reduction in dose associated with a reduced SFOV beam-shaping filter was quantified. Results Heart centering reduced the SFOV diameter 25.7% relative to body centering while maintaining high CAC scoring accuracy (0.82% risk reclassification rate). In our validation cohort, imaging at this reduced SFOV with heart-centered positioning and tailored beam-shaping filtration led to a 26.9% median dose reduction (25-75th percentile: 21.6 to 29.8%) without any calcium risk reclassification. Conclusions Heart-centered patient positioning enables a significant radiation dose reduction while maintaining CAC accuracy.
Interfer(on)-ing with vascular repair after acute brain injury.

Type I interferon response to systemic infections after head trauma or stroke impairs angiogenesis in injured tissues and may contribute to secondary neurological injury.
Toward a sustainable model for maker education in public education: Teachers as co-designers in an implementation of educational makerspaces

The integration of maker resources and pedagogies into formal education can enrich school curriculum by promoting more meaningful, contextualized, and inclusive ways of learning, particularly in STEM fields. We describe an implementation model of makerspaces that supports science teachers in incorporating new practices based on partnerships with makerspace teachers. This work is part of a larger effort to improve science education in public schools in Brazil, through new standards, teacher professional development, and implementation of makerspaces. We present findings from the first phase of the project, in which we employed a design-based implementation research approach to co-design new science curricular units with teachers over three iterative cycles. Based on our data, we present organizational and professional development strategies that can be deployed to support makerspace teachers in their roles of integrating their spaces into their schools in a sustainable and effective way.
Seed dormancy in Pennsylvania smartweed and barnyardgrass

29 INTRODUCTION 30 MATERIALS AND METHODS 32 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 37 REFERENCES CITED 50 SECTION THREE. BARNYARDGRASS (ECHINOCHLOA CRUS-GALI (L.) BEAUV.) SEED DORMANCY AND GERMI­ NATION: THE EFFECT OF ULTRAFREEZING IN LIQUID NITROGEN TO -196 C 51 ABSTRACT 52 INTRODUCTION 53 MATERIALS AND METHODS 54 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 60 REFERENCES CITED 82 GENERAL DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Vitamin K-Dependent Formation of Bone Gla Protein (Osteocalcin) and Its Function

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the vitamin K–dependent formation of bone γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) protein (BGP, osteocalcin) and its function. The bone Gla protein (BGP, osteocalcin) is the best characterized noncollagenous bone protein. Characteristic chemical features are small size—typically 49 or 50 residues—and existence within the molecule of three residues of the vitamin K–dependent amino acid, Gla. BGP is among the most abundant noncollagenous bone proteins and appears to be a universal constituent of the skeleton and tooth dentin of all vertebrates. As its synthesis is regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , it is likely that BGP plays a role in the action of this hormone on bone. BGP has been detected in the calcified tissues of all vertebrates examined to date. The molecular weights of calf and chicken BGP have been determined by sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation and are 5800 and 6500, respectively. Both molecular weight values agree well with those computed from the corresponding covalent structures. In contrast, the apparent molecular weight of BGP determined by gel filtration and by SDS-gel electrophoresis is about 12,000.
Politics as a Peculiar Business: Political Economy as Social Agriculture

This is a preliminary draft of the last of the eight chapters in a book titled Politics as a Peculiar Business: Public Choice in a System of Entangled Political Economy. This chapter ventures modestly into hortatory territory, in contrast to the explanatory focus of the preceding chapters. It treats political economy as a form of societal agriculture that lies between science and moral philosophy. As science it recognizes that societies exhibit law-like qualities that are open to discovery and articulation, but are not open to repeal. As moral philosophy, it seeks to bring that science to bear on uncovering the various terms of the Faustian bargain that the use of political power injects into societies.
A DEMOCRACIA INACABADA: RELAÇÕES SOCIEDADE-ESTADUAIS NO CONTEXTO DA POLÍTICA PONTO DE CULTURA NO ESTADO DE ALAGOAS

Este artigo apresenta os resultados preliminares de um estudo qualitativo de Pontos de Cultura no estado de Alagoas, refletindo sobre como o programa pode alterar relacoes Estado-sociedade de maneiras que impulsionem processos de democratizacao. Em primeiro lugar, o programa facilita relacoes entre gestores estaduais e participantes, levando aprendizagem que ajuda eles a exercer seus direitos como cidadaos. Em segundo lugar, para alem dos servicos publicos diretamente entregues por Pontos, ele permite parcerias que contribuem a capacidade do governo local para fornecer bens publicos. Finalmente, ele aumenta a autonomia de participantes frente poderes locais, ajudando-os a realizar atividades culturais independentes da dinâmica politica. Exemplos apresentadas nao representam a totalidade do programa, mas sugerem o seu potencial.
Q/A on teaching credit classes for entrepreneurship research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the question and answer (Q/A) to provide an opportunity for two seasoned academic business librarians to share their experiences with courses in entrepreneurship in their universities. Design/methodology/approach – Question and answer. Findings – The evolving business school curricular landscape, and especially an increase in courses in entrepreneurship, presents unique opportunities for engagement, visibility and centrality for academic business librarians. Originality/value – Entrepreneurship is increasingly valued in today’s world. To be successful, entrepreneurs must successfully deal with and navigate a highly complex information landscape. Academic business librarians are positioned to help student, faculty and future entrepreneurs alike learn the skills to successfully traverse this landscape.
Feedback Facilitates the Acquisition and Retention of Numerical Fact Series by Elementary School Students with Mathematics Learning Disabilities

The effects of feedback to assist elementary school students classified as either normally achieving (NA) or with a mathematics learning disability (MLD) in acquiring the fact series of 0 to 9 for the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division were examined in Study 1. The acquisition of each fact series was facilitated by immediate, but not by delayed feedback, the latter of which was no more effective than control procedures. The students with math disabilities were tested with either delayed feedback or a Scantron form in Study 1, then participated in Study 2, in which they were provided with feedback from either an educator or the Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF AT). The beneficial effects of immediate feedback reported in Study 1 were replicated and extended during maintenance which continued for as many as 25 sessions. The effects of auditory feedback provided by an educator and visual feedback provided by the IF AT were compared with the effects of combined auditory and visual feedback provided by the Write-Say method in Study 3. The integrated presentation of auditory and visual feedback was no more effective than the use of either modality, separately. The comparable effectiveness of feedback by an educator and by the IF AT, and the nonsynergistic effects of combining auditory with visual feedback, suggests that a response medium such as the IF AT has considerable adjunctive potential to assist in the instruction of elementary school students with special learning needs