cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanism by which the nucleoid occlusion factor, SlmA, keeps cytokinesis in check.

In Escherichia coli, cytokinesis is orchestrated by FtsZ, which forms a Z-ring to drive septation. Spatial and temporal control of Z-ring formation is achieved by the Min and nucleoid occlusion (NO) systems. Unlike the well-studied Min system, less is known about the anti-DNA guillotining NO process. Here, we describe studies addressing the molecular mechanism of SlmA (synthetic lethal with a defective Min system)-mediated NO. SlmA contains a TetR-like DNA-binding fold, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses show that SlmA-binding sites are dispersed on the chromosome except the Ter region, which segregates immediately before septation. SlmA binds DNA and FtsZ simultaneously, and the SlmA–FtsZ structure reveals that two FtsZ molecules sandwich a SlmA dimer. In this complex, FtsZ can still bind GTP and form protofilaments, but the separated protofilaments are forced into an anti-parallel arrangement. This suggests that SlmA may alter FtsZ polymer assembly. Indeed, electron microscopy data, showing that SlmA–DNA disrupts the formation of normal FtsZ polymers and induces distinct spiral structures, supports this. Thus, the combined data reveal how SlmA derails Z-ring formation at the correct place and time to effect NO.
A Plasmodium falciparum Histone Deacetylase Regulates Antigenic Variation and Gametocyte Conversion

Summary The asexual forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum are adapted for chronic persistence in human red blood cells, continuously evading host immunity using epigenetically regulated antigenic variation of virulence-associated genes. Parasite survival on a population level also requires differentiation into sexual forms, an obligatory step for further human transmission. We reveal that the essential nuclear gene, P. falciparum histone deacetylase 2 (PfHda2), is a global silencer of virulence gene expression and controls the frequency of switching from the asexual cycle to sexual development. PfHda2 depletion leads to dysregulated expression of both virulence-associated var genes and PfAP2-g, a transcription factor controlling sexual conversion, and is accompanied by increases in gametocytogenesis. Mathematical modeling further indicates that PfHda2 has likely evolved to optimize the parasite's infectious period by achieving low frequencies of virulence gene expression switching and sexual conversion. This common regulation of cellular transcriptional programs mechanistically links parasite transmissibility and virulence.
Nuclease hypersensitive sites in chromatin

PERSPECTIVES AND SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 160 EXPERIME:�TAL DETECTION OF HYPERSENSITIVE SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 161 DNA Cleavage and Base Modification Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 161 Mapping the Positions of Hypersensitive Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 163 Mapping the Fine Structure of Hypersensitive Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 163 MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF HYPERSENSITIVE SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 166 BIOLOGY OF HYPERSENSITIVE SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Constitutive, Inducible, Developmental, and Tissue-Specific. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 FUNCTIONAL SEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERSENSITIVE SITES . . . . . . 169 Enhancers, Silencers, Upstream Activation Sequences, Promoters, Terminators, Replication Origins, Topoisomerase Sites, Recombination Loci, Centromeres, and Telomeres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 PROTEINS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERSENSITIVE SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Histones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Topoisomerases I and II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . , .. . . . 174 RNA Polymerase II 175 Transcription Factors and Other Proteins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 MECHANISMS OF ESTABLISHMENT OF HYPERSENSITIVE SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 cis-Acting DNA Sequence Determinants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 trans-Acting Protein Factors .. . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 DNA Conformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 MAINTENANCE AND PROPAGATION OF HYPERSENSITIVE SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 ROLE OF DNA METHYLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 NUCLEOSOME POSITIONING AND HYPERSENSITIVE SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 CONCLUDING REMARKS AND PROSPECTS . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
The Emerging Neurobiology of Mindfulness and Emotion Processing

Mindfulness is associated with reduced negative affective states, increased positive affective states, and reduced clinical affective symptomatology (e.g., depression, anxiety) in previous studies. This chapter examines an emerging body of fMRI and EEG research exploring how mindfulness alters neurobiological emotion processing systems. We examine how dispositional (trait) mindfulness and how adopting a mindful attentional stance (after varying levels of mindfulness training) relate to changes in neural responses to affective stimuli. Evidence suggests mindfulness-related changes in a ventral affective processing network associated with core affect, a dorsal processing network associated with making attributions and appraisals of one’s affective experience, and regulatory networks involved in modulating affective processes. These neural effects may underlie the previously observed relationships between mindfulness and changes in reported emotion processing and reactivity. Findings are discussed in light of existing neurobiological models of emotion and we describe important questions for the field in the coming years.
Effect of Pile-Soil Interaction on Structural Dynamics of Large MW Scale Offshore Wind Turbines in Shallow-Water Western GOM

The effect of pile-soil interaction on structural dynamics is investigated for a large offshore wind turbine in the hurricane-prone Western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) shallow water. The offshore wind turbine has a rotor with three 100-meter blades and a mono-tower structure. Loads on the turbine rotor and the support structure subject to a 100-year return hurricane are determined. Several types of soil are considered and modeled with a distributed spring system. The results reveal that pile-soil interaction affects dynamics of the turbine support structure significantly, but not the wind rotor dynamics. Designed with proper pile lengths, natural frequencies of the turbine structure in different soils stay outside dominant frequencies of wave energy spectra in both normal operating and hurricane sea states, but stay between blade passing frequency intervals. Hence potential resonance of the turbine support structure is not of concern. A comprehensive Campbell diagram is constructed for safe operation of the offshore turbine in different soils.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Uncanny Valley: Implications for Facial Plastic Surgery

From briefly glancing at someone's face, the eyes rapidly glean a staggering amount of information. We quickly make an aesthetic judgment as well as categorize the face by gender, ethnicity, age, and familiarity. It is therefore not difficult to understand why most patients considering facial aesthetic surgery are so keen to avoid what is referred to as the “operated-on” look.1 This may refer to any number of things including unnatural changes of the face that may be the unwanted artifacts of surgery or, in some cases, the intended results.2 Casual observers tend to describe a vague eeriness when looking at an individual who looks radically different after cosmetic surgery. This …
The role of B cells in mouse hepatitis virus infection and pathology.

Murine hepatitis virus (MHV) strain A59 infects the central nervous system (CNS) and liver of mice, causing encephalitis and hepatitis. Virus is cleared from both organs by 16 days post-infection (dpi) (Lavi et al, 1986; data not shown). Infection of the CNS by this virus is associated with demyelination. Interestingly, demyelination peaks at around 30 dpi, after infectious virus is cleared and only viral RNA and small amounts of protein remain (Lavi et al, 1984a, 1984b; Sutherland et al, 1997; data not shown).
Suicide Bombing as a Strategic Weapon: An Empirical Investigation of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Using half-yearly data from 1991 to 2003, we analyze the incidents of suicide attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad within Israel and the Palestinian territories of West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Given the exploratory nature of the question, we have first estimated the relevant coefficients by using Quasi-maximum Likelihood Ratio and then checked their robustness by re-estimating the model with the help of a Seemingly Unrelated Regression as an interrelated system. The results indicate that the two groups deliberately use suicide bombings as strategic weapons within the larger Israeli/Palestinian political milieu. With the Western world locked in an armed struggle with the militant extremists of Islam based on millenarian ideologies, this study emphasizes the need to develop appropriate analytical capabilities to distinguish among terrorist groups, their motivations, ideologies, and tactics.
\The Impact of Baumol's Disease on Government Size and Taxation"

This paper investigates Baumol's cost disease in the presence of distortionary taxation. A model is presented in which one sector experiences low labor productivity growth relative to the rest of the economy and draws out the implications for public spending. Specifically, if the government takes over the provision of such goods, then the public sector will continue to grow and the tax rate will be pushed to the top of the Laffer curve over time. This paper also finds that the desire for redistribution will be crowded out by the impact of unbalanced growth and Baumol's cost disease.
Clearing lactate is clearly better…but how much?*.

In this month's edition of Critical Care Medicine, Zhang and Xu1 present a comprehensive and well conducted systematic review and meta-analysis of the prognostic potential of lactate clearance to predict survivors and non-survivors among patients with critical illness. The results confirm in aggregate what each of the smaller studies suggest, that failure of lactate to decrease or clear is associated with a worse prognosis and higher mortality rate. An examination of the Forest plot (Figure 2) clearly shows that all included studies, whether among patients with sepsis or non-sepsis and taking place in either the emergency department or intensive care unit, all have relative risk reduction and 95% confidence intervals that do not cross 1. This clearly demonstrates a better prognosis associated with lactate clearance. Thus the only real question is “how much” – how much of a risk reduction is there, how much lactate clearance is superior, and how much should we try to drive lactate clearance?
Weak states in 19 F(d,p) 20 F

The $^{19}\mathrm{F}(d,p)^{20}\mathrm{F}$ reaction has been reinvestigated with special emphasis on the weak states. The structure of all states below 4.2 MeV is reviewed and compared with ${(sd)}^{4}$ and open-core shell-model calculations.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{19}\mathrm{F}(d,p)$, $E=12.0$ MeV, measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\theta})$, DWBA analysis, comparison with shell model.
Hepatitis: risks for the surgeon.

Six different hepatitis viruses have now been characterized. Hepatitis B and C are the two hepatitis infections that are of greatest concern for surgeons. Hepatitis B and C share several features that have led to this concern. Both are blood-borne infections. Both are associated with chronic infection ultimately leading to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and both can be occupational infections for the surgeon after percutaneous injury associated with infected blood. Chronic hepatitis B infection is seen in 1.25 million people in the U.S. It is associated with a transmission rate to healthcare workers of 25 to 30 per cent following a hollow needle stick injury. Five per cent of acute infections result in chronic disease. It can be effectively prevented as an occupational infection by vaccination with the highly effective hepatitis B vaccine. Chronic hepatitis C infection is present in nearly 4 million people in the U.S. It has a lower rate of transmission than hepatitis B following needle stick injury, but it has a 50 to 80 per cent rate of chronic disease after acute infections. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, and only prevention of blood exposure will avoid the risks of this occupational infection. Other hepatitis viruses are likely to be identified. Prevention of blood exposure, by the better use of barriers in the operating room and modification of surgical techniques, is recommended to prevent occupational infection from both known and unknown blood-borne viruses from the surgical patient.
The spectrum of the scimitar syndrome.

The scimitar syndrome is a complex, variable congenital malformation of the right lung and its vascular connections. Two cases are reported which emphasize the great variation of this anomaly. The importance of full diagnostic evaluation is stressed before definitive therapy is undertaken.
Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor ameliorates zidovudine-induced neutropenia in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)/AIDS-related complex

IDOWDINE is currently the primary antiretroviral Z agent that has demonstrated effectiveness in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC).’ More than half of the patients who take zidovudine eventually discontinue the drug because of toxicity.’ Bone marrow suppression resulting in neutropenia and anemia is often the dose-limiting toxicity of zidovudine treatment.’ Severe anemia can be managed with red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, but the neutropenia cannot be managed in a similar fashion. In addition to the quantitative decreases in leukocytes due to
The use of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) for attracting honeybee swarms.

(1980). The use of Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) for Attracting Honeybee Swarms. Bee World: Vol. 61, No. 2, pp. 44-46.
Pushdown Stores, Lists and List Structures

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates pushdown stores, prefix, postfix, and infix formulas of data structure. A pushdown store is a set of storage locations, which are initially empty. As data are stored in the pushdown store, the store remembers the order in which they were stored. When a datum is to be fetched from a conventional store, a copy of the datum is actually moved. The datum remains in the store and can be fetched again and again. In the case of a pushdown store, a fetch instruction moves a datum right out of the store. Only one datum is accessible in a pushdown store at any one time, and in the case of a last in-first out (LIFO) store, this is the most recently stored item. LIFO stores are in fact very often called stacks. In the theory of automata, the concept of a stack calls for unlimited depth. Storage space is conserved if the stack is made extensible by changing from static to dynamic storage allocation. The order in which data go into the stack determines the order in which they will come out, The blocks of the background stack can be left in core storage or they can be transferred to disk or drum. For numerical computation, conventional static storage is normally more efficient. Symbolic computation, which involves extensive rearrangement of data, is often performed more effectively if the data are stored as lists. Changes that affect structure alone or symbols alone are somewhat easier to make when there is separation of symbols and structure than when the two are intermingled.
A tale of two effects: Using longitudinal data to compare within‐ and between‐firm effects

Research Summary We investigate the theoretical and empirical implications of longitudinal data in strategy research. Theoretically, longitudinal data allow strategy researchers to distinguish between relationships among constructs within versus between firms. Empirically, longitudinal data contain information about two types of relationships: within- and between-firm. We describe how the hybrid approach, a technique used in other disciplines, disentangles within- and between-firm relationships. We reexamine a study of research and development expenditures to illustrate the advantages of the hybrid approach. Based on our theory and reexamination, we offer a series of recommendations for researchers using longitudinal data to test theoretical perspectives. Managerial Summary Strategy research examines two important sources of variation over time: what is occurring within the firm (e.g., Do firms perform better over time when investing more in R&D?) and what is occurring between firms (e.g., Do firms investing more in R&D outperform firms investing less in R&D?). These two sources may be similar or different in both direction and magnitude, and when significant differences exist in either direction or magnitude researchers must carefully consider the implication of these differences to their theoretical rationale and statistical testing. Our paper highlights the benefits of theorizing and testing these two sources of variance, providing scholars the ability to broaden both the theoretical and empirical contribution of their research. It is important to understand this distinction when considering how research results might inform managerial decision making.
Drug particle size and lung deposition in COPD

Background: Drug particle size determines the lung deposition of aerosolised medicine in asthma, [1] but is unknown in COPD. Aerosol deposition and its lung distribution have implications for the clinical efficacy of therapeutic aerosols. Aim: We determined the lung deposition of 3 particle-sizes of inhaled salbutamol sulphate (SS) in COPD patients, and compared to healthy subjects (HS). Methods: COPD patients (n=12, FEV 1 = 70%pred) and HS (n=12, FEV 1 = 107%pred), inhaled 99m Tc-radiolabelled SS monodisperse particles sizes (1.5, 3 and 6-µm) at two different (fast >60L/min and slow 30L/min) inhalation flows. Lung deposition was visualised using gamma-scintigraphic imaging and penetration index (PI) assessed how far into the lungs each inhaled aerosol penetrated. Results: Smaller particles achieved significantly better lung penetration (1.5m >3µm >6µm; p<0.05) at both fast and slow inhalation. Diseased COPD lungs led to decreased aerosol penetration versus healthy airways Conclusions: This is first data to precisely assess aerosol behaviour in COPD patients and to compare diseased versus healthy lungs. Striking differences in the deposition behaviour of different sized drug particles exist within COPD airways. Small aerosol particles inhaled slowly are more able to penetrate to all parts of the lungs. The airways obstruction in COPD patients do not allow aerosol particles to penetrate as far as in HS. [1]Usmani et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005; 172:1497–1504. Funded: UK-National Institute for Health Research CDF-2011-04-053.
Unique Hot Carrier Distributions from Scattering-Mediated Absorption

Light-initiated generation of energetic carriers has attracted considerable attention as a paradigm for photocatalysis and solar energy conversion, and the use of noble metal nanoparticles that support localized surface plasmon resonances has been widely explored as a medium for realizing this paradigm. It was recently shown that composite nanostructures enabling the interplay between dielectric scattering resonances and broadband absorption in small metal nanostructures, a phenomenon termed scattering-mediated absorption, can be used to mediate energetic carrier transfer and selective photochemistry with low-intensity light while completely circumventing plasmon resonance. In this work, we develop a multiscale modeling approach for elucidating the hot carrier dynamics initiated by scattering-mediated absorption. Our calculations reveal that unique hot carrier distributions and dynamics arise from scattering-mediated absorption as compared to plasmon excitation and also suggest that in a variety of circum...
Abstract 266: Effects Of Carotid Body Tumor Resection On Blood Pressure

Introduction: Removal of carotid body (CB) improves rodent models of HTN and HF, presumably via withdrawal of chemoreflex-induced sympathetic activation. CB tumor (CBT) resection abolishes the chemoreflex in humans and is associated with opposing effects on sympathetic regulation by accompanying damage of the baroreflex. The net effect of CBT removal on BP in subjects with pre-existent HTN is unknown. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 134 patients with uni- or bilateral CBT resection between 1990-2012. Twenty subjects met HTN entry criteria (BP≥140/90 mmHg or use of antihypertensive drugs) but two were excluded from analyses because of inadequate data. BP changes were assessed by a) acute ΔSBP: the change from the average SBP for the 3 months preceding surgery to the first reading after 30 days from the procedure, and b) chronic: the slope of the regression of SBP on time over the entire follow up, expressed as ΔSBP/year. BP changes were adjusted with covariate analyses. Covariates for acute ΔSBP were: the interval between pre and post BP readings and the change in therapy during this interval (assessed by a score of medications based on equipotency). Covariates for chronic ΔSBP were: total duration of follow-up, number of SBP readings and change in therapy during the entire period of study. Results: Age and duration of HTN were 56±4 and 10±4 years, respectively. There was a significant relationship between acute ΔSBP and the chronic slopes (r=0.47, p Conclusions: This is the first study to show that CBT removal is associated with a sustained reduction of BP in a subset of patients with comorbid HTN. Also, concomitant baroreceptor damage by CBT removal most likely leads to underestimation of the depressor effect of chemoreflex disruption. Development of a targeted removal of CB chemoreflex may conceivably have a role in the therapy of human hypertension.
Anchoring More than Babies: Children's Rights after Obergefell v. Hodges

The Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding a constitutional right to same sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges was a huge advance not just for LGBT Americans, but also for children. Obergefell suggests children have a fundamental right to be raised by their parents without being demeaned or marginalized by the state. This has important implications for other vulnerable children, including U.S. citizen children with undocumented parents. This Article argues that deporting these children’s parents contravenes their fundamental right to be raised by a loving parent, to equal protection of the law, and to remain in the United States as U.S. citizens. It explains the important shift in perspective on children’s rights suggested by the Obergefell decision and its implications for children with undocumented parents. It describes the current situation confronting U.S. citizen children whose parents lack legal immigration status and the unconstitutional harm they suffer when their parents are deported. It notes that three important constitutional rights are implicated: children’s substantive due process right to be raised by their parents, their right to equal protection of the laws, and their right under the Privileges and Immunities Clause to live in the United States. Finally, the Article discusses procedures to protect the rights of U.S. citizen children with undocumented parents. It concludes that executive action to prevent the deportation of parents of U.S. citizen children is clearly warranted. Given the fundamental rights of children that are at stake, the Article contends that mechanisms to prevent the deportation of U.S. citizen children’s parents are not only lawful, but perhaps constitutionally required.
Interpreting Data from Passive Surveillance of Antimalarial Treatment Failures.

The recent article describing apparent artemether-lumefantrine (AL) treatment failure in four travelers returning to the United Kingdom ([1][1]) is well detailed. Passive surveillance for treatment failures, particularly in countries where malaria is not endemic and where greater attention and
Reduction of Mg from a MgO/MgAl2O4 support by atomic hydrogen permeation through thin-film Pd membranes

Abstract In this work, we discuss an observed reduction of magnesium from a MgO/MgAl 2 O 4 ceramic substrate by permeating hydrogen in thin-film Pd membranes. Membranes were fabricated via electroless plating of Pd on a porous MgO/MgAl 2 O 4 substrate and tested under pure hydrogen permeation conditions between 500 °C and 700 °C. It was observed that a rapid and severe hydrogen flux decline occurred at 700 °C, whereat up to 96% of the hydrogen flux was lost within 40 h of operation. Using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it was concluded that the flux loss occurred due to alloying and a subsequent surface segregation of Mg in the Pd film. In contrast, a control test in which the membrane was soaked in hydrogen at 700 °C without permeation resulted in only very slight or potentially no MgO reduction or alloying with the Pd. The significantly enhanced reduction of MgO/MgAl 2 O 4 during membrane operation is attributed to the chemical potential provided by atomic hydrogen permeating through the membrane.
An Analysis of Job and Wage Growth in the Telecom/Tech Sector

This paper examines job growth at leading tech/telecom firms. We compare them to leading industrial firms, both in the first half of the 20th century and in the post-war era, and show that they have similar employment trajectories. Then we consider wage and industrial structure trends. We find that real wages in the tech/telecom sector are higher and rising faster than in the physical sector. To correct for composition effects, we examine detailed occupational categories, and find that for middle-skill occupations such as sales and office support, the tech/telecom sector has significantly higher wages than the physical sector.
Addressing Challenges and Scalability in the Synthesis of Thin Uniform Metal Shells on Large Metal Nanoparticle Cores: Case Study of Ag–Pt Core–Shell Nanocubes

Bimetallic nanoparticles in which a metal is coated with an ultrathin (∼1 nm) layer of a second metal are often desired for their unique chemical and physical properties. Current synthesis methods for producing such core–shell nanostructures often require incremental addition of a shell metal precursor which is rapidly reduced onto metal cores. A major shortcoming of this approach is that it necessitates precise concentrations of chemical reagents, making it difficult to perform at large scales. To address this issue, we considered an approach whereby the reduction of the shell metal precursor was controlled through in situ chemical modification of the precursor. We used this approach to develop a highly scalable synthesis for coating atomic layers of Pt onto Ag nanocubes. We show that Ag–Pt core–shell nanostructures are synthesized in high yields and that these structures effectively combine the optical properties of the plasmonic Ag nanocube core with the surface properties of the thin Pt shell. Additio...
Male and Female Mice Exhibit Divergent Responses of the Cortical Vasculature to Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract We previously reported that traumatic brain injuries (TBI) alter the cerebrovasculature near the injury site in rats, followed by revascularization over a 2-week period. Here, we tested ou...
Molecular evolution of fibropapilloma-associated herpesviruses infecting juvenile green and loggerhead sea turtles

Abstract Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) has long been associated with fibropapillomatosis (FP) tumor disease in marine turtles. Presenting primarily in juvenile animals, FP results in fibromas of the skin, connective tissue, and internal organs, which may indirectly affect fitness by obstructing normal turtle processes. ChHV5 is near-universally present in tumorous tissues taken from affected animals, often at very high concentrations. However, there is also considerable asymptomatic carriage amongst healthy marine turtles, suggesting that asymptomatic hosts play an important role in disease ecology. Currently, there is a paucity of studies investigating variation in viral genetics between diseased and asymptomatic hosts, which could potentially explain why only some ChHV5 infections lead to tumor formation. Here, we generated a database containing DNA from over 400 tissue samples taken from green and loggerhead marine turtles, including multiple tissue types, a twenty year time span, and both diseased and asymptomatic animals. We used two molecular detection techniques, quantitative (q)PCR and nested PCR, to characterize the presence and genetic lineage of ChHV5 in each sample. We found that nested PCR across multiple loci out-performed qPCR and is a more powerful technique for determining infection status. Phylogenetic reconstruction of three viral loci from all ChHV5-positive samples indicated widespread panmixia of viral lineages, with samples taken across decades, species, disease states, and tissues all falling within the same evolutionary lineages. Haplotype networks produced similar results in that viral haplotypes were shared across species, tissue types and disease states with no evidence that viral lineages associated significantly with disease dynamics. Additionally, tests of selection on viral gene trees indicated signals of selection dividing major clades, though this selection did not divide sample categories. Based on these data, neither the presence of ChHV5 infection nor neutral genetic divergence between viral lineages infecting a juvenile marine turtle is sufficient to explain the development of FP within an individual.
Google Analytics Spatial Data Visualization: Thinking Outside of the Box

This paper showcases a methodology to assist website managers in determining the influence of their websites in regard to a particular location. This is achieved through enhancing Google Analytics by supplementing it with outside data sources. Though GIS software namely ArcGIS, the approach allows for more comprehendible geospatial analysis while also presenting maps overlays that are easier to grasp than the tools currently offered by Google Analytics. The Truman Presidential Library website serves as a case study to explore the potentiality of this approach.
Human Testicular Germ Cell Tumors In Vitro

Until recently, human testicular germ cell tumors were studied primarily by examination of surgical specimens, and many ideas about their biology are predicated on data from the mouse teratocarcinoma system, which has been developed and exploited widely through in vivo and in vitro research. For example, mouse teratocarcinomas contain a mixture of adult, embryonic, and extraembryonic tissues, in the form of pluripotent embryonal carcinoma (EC) stem cells and their differentiated derivatives, that depict stages in embryogenesis (reviewed by Graham, 1977; Jacob, 1977; Solter and Damjanov, 1979; Martin, 1980). Largely on the basis of these observations, it is believed that human EC cells also differentiate and thus produce the other types of nonseminomatous tumors that comprise embryonic (teratoma) and extraembryonic (choriocarcinoma and yolk sac) tissue. Not all pathologists agree with this thinking, however, and as a result, the classification of human germ cell tumors, on which management of the disease is based, is a controversial subject, as reflected in the number of classification systems proposed (see reviews by Nochomovitz et al., 1977; Mostofi, 1977). The system proposed by the World Health Organization and used in this chapter classifies human testicular germ cell tumors as seminoma, embryonal carcinoma (EC), mature and immature teratoma, teratocarcinoma (EC with teratoma), choriocarcinoma, and yolk sac tumor (Bar and Hedinger, 1976; Nochomovitz et al., 1977).
The Activation of Enzymes with Light

Photoresponses have been described for bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, plants, invertebrates, and higher animals. These responses include phototaxis, phototropism, photomorphogenesis, photoperiodism, vision, and photocontrol of biological rhythms. The molecular details for the translation of a light stimulus to the observed biological response remain largely unknown for most responses to light. One possibility for the primary process in the stimulation of biological responses is the enhancement by light of an enzyme reaction. This can involve direct absorption of photons by an immediate component of the enzyme system (e.g., substrate), or indirect effects of light on enzymes such as the enhancement of protein synthesis, and enzyme activation which requires an additional protein acting as a light activation factor. The light activation of enzymes represents a topic that is developing rapidly, with particular emphasis in the areas of vision, photochromic enzyme inhibitors, photoreactivation, and enzyme activation in photosynthetic organisms. A few years ago there were not many reports on the activation of enzymes by light, whereas the photomactivation of enzymes has received widespread attention for years. Light activates specific enzymes, whereas inactivation by exposure to far-UV* radiation or by photodynamic action is not enzyme specific. Some inactivations by visible or near-UV light are selective, but are usually not reversible.
IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CHEMICAL MOIETY OF LPS RESPONSIBLE FOR C3H/HeJ SPLEEN CELL MITOGENICITY

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the identification and the characterization of the chemical moiety of LPS responsible for C3H/HeJ spleen cell mitogenicity. Unlike phenol-extracted LPS (P-LPS), LPS prepared by aqueous butanol extraction (BLPS) has potent mitogenic activity toward C3H/HeJ and also the responder C3H/St spleen cells. Polymyxin B (PB) has been shown to block the mitogenic response of mouse spleen cells to LPS. In a study described in the chapter, gel filtration chromatography of the phenol extract in 8 M urea revealed the presence of two low molecular weight protein fractions of equivalent specific activity. The mitogenic response to B-LPS and isolated LAP is decreased by greater than 50% following short periods of mild alkaline hydrolysis suggesting that the mitogenic activity of LAP and B-LPS is not because of lipid A.
Lymphokine Stimulated Macrophages Inhibit Intracellular Chlamydia Psittaci Replication by Mechanisms Distinct from Intracellular Inhibition of Toxoplasma Gondii Replication

Chlamydia and Toxoplasma are obligate intracellular parasites that replicate within macrophages and other eucaryotic host cells. Although chlamydia are procaryotes and Toxoplasma are eucaryotes, these organisms have several features in common during their intracellular growth and development. Each of these parasites is taken into the host cell by an endocytic mechanism that resembles phagocytosis (1,7), and each subverts normal phagocytic function by inhibiting fusion of host cell lysosomes with parasite-containing vacuoles (3,5). The mechanisms involved in this inhibition are not known, although Eissenberg and Wyrick (2) have reported that inhibition of fusion in peritoneal macrophages challenged with C. psittaci and either Saccharomyces ceriviciae or Escherichia coli was restricted to chlamydiae-containing vesicles. Chlamydiae and Toxoplasma remain within membrane bound vesicles during their entire intracellular development. Toxoplasma replicate by a process called endodyogeny. Chlamydiae first differentiate from a metabolically inactive infective form called an elementary body to an intracellular reticulate body, then grow and divide by binary fission forming a microscopically visible inclusion.
The British Caribbean World: Barbados

Here the author engages the reader in a discussion about the “Myth of the Dutch” and the “Sephardic Moment” and the impact of the English Trade and Navigation Act of 1651 on trade and sugar production in Barbados. Historical accounts of the “Sugar Revolution” in Barbados in the mid-seventeenth century held that the Dutch played an important role. In Sweet Negotiations (2006), Menard disputes the long-held view and demonstrates that investment in land and slaves derived from English sources, not from Dutch investments. From a different point of view, Schreuder draws attention to the Amsterdam sugar market and the role of the Sephardic merchant network in the Atlantic sugar trade. Meanwhile, the navigation acts ensured that sugar was channeled through London rather then delivered directly to Amsterdam.
How the Science Gateways Community Institute Supports Those Who Are Creating Websites to Access Shared Resources

The Science Gateways Community Institute (SGCI) serves the gateway community with free, NSF-funded resources, services, experts, and ideas. Our community shares expertise, technologies, and best practices for creating and sustaining gateways. Gateways offer Web-based access to shared resources, including data, software, computing services, instruments, and educational materials. Gateways are also known by other names, including portals, virtual research environments or virtual labs, eScience, and research cyberinfrastructure.
Stereoencephalography Electrode Placement Accuracy and Utility Using a Frameless Insertion Platform Without a Rigid Cannula.

BACKGROUND Implantation of depth electrodes to localize epileptogenic foci in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy can be accomplished using traditional rigid frame-based, custom frameless, and robotic stereotactic systems. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accuracy of electrode implantation using the FHC microTargeting platform, a custom frameless platform, without a rigid insertion cannula. METHODS A total of 182 depth electrodes were implanted in 13 consecutive patients who underwent stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) for drug-resistant epilepsy using the microTargeting platform and depth electrodes without a rigid guide cannula. MATLAB was utilized to evaluate targeting accuracy. Three manual coordinate measurements with high inter-rater reliability were averaged. RESULTS Patients were predominantly male (77%) with average age 35.62 (SD 11.0, range 21-57) and average age of epilepsy onset at 13.4 (SD 7.2, range 3-26). A mean of 14 electrodes were implanted (range 10-18). Mean operative time was 144 min (range 104-176). Implantation of 3 out of 182 electrodes resulted in nonoperative hemorrhage (2 small subdural hematomas and one small subarachnoid hemorrhage). Putative location of onset was identified in all patients. We demonstrated a median lateral target point localization error (LTPLE) of 3.95 mm (IQR 2.18-6.23), a lateral entry point localization error (LEPLE) of 1.98 mm (IQR 1.2-2.85), a target depth error of 1.71 mm (IQR 1.03-2.33), and total target point localization error (TPLE) of 4.95 mm (IQR 2.98-6.85). CONCLUSION Utilization of the FHC microTargeting platform without the use of insertion cannulae is safe, effective, and accurate. Localization of seizure foci was accomplished in all patients and accuracy of depth electrode placement was satisfactory.
Malignancy and Treatment of Malignancies in Children

Although cancer is uncommon is children compared with adults, it is the second commonest cause of death in children. Children with cancer have multiple anesthetics and they report medical procedures or surgery cause the worst pain during their treatment. The issues arising vary during their treatment. Direct effects of tumor give way to systemic effects of treatment, particularly of chemotherapy that can result in potentially life-threatening complications. Pain is often present at the time of diagnosis, but its character may change as pain from procedures and mucositis become predominant. Anterior mediastinal masses, most commonly a lymphoma, compress the structures in the middle mediastinum including the trachea, superior vena cava (SVC) and pulmonary vessels. This group of patients are among the riskiest and most challenging for pediatric anesthetists. Warning signs include supine dyspnea, evidence of significant tracheal compression, and signs of SVC compression. If general anesthesia cannot be avoided, maintenance of chest muscle tone and functional residual capacity are important, and the anesthetic agents ketamine and dexmedetomidine facilitate this.
Free and open source GIS in South America: political inroads and local advocacy

Geographical information systems (GIS) practitioners worldwide enjoy a growing array of free and open source software (FOSS) options. This software has expanded the accessibility of GIS in economic...
Metal oxide catalyzed epitaxy (MOCATAXY) of β-Ga2O3 films in various orientations grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

In this work, the growth of (010), (001), and 2¯01 β-Ga2O3 by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy was investigated. The presence of an indium flux during growth markedly expands the growth regime for β-Ga2O3 across all orientations to higher growth temperatures and growth rates. This metal oxide catalyzed growth allows for similar growth rates of around 5 nm/min across all three orientations, more than twice that of conventional (010) growth and seven times that of (001) growth without indium. Smooth surface morphologies for (010) and (001) β-Ga2O3 were demonstrated, while 2¯01 was significantly rougher. Additionally, doping with Sn was achieved across all orientations and Hall measurements demonstrated higher electron mobility (55 cm2/Vs for a carrier concentration of 3.3 × 1018 cm−3) for (001) β-Ga2O3 grown via metal oxide catalyzed epitaxy than conventional growth.
Yttrium-90 Portal Vein Radioembolization in Sprague-Dawley Rats: Dose-Dependent Imaging and Pathological Changes in Normal Liver.

Portal vein embolization (PVE) is an established neoadjuvant method to induce future liver remnant hypertrophy prior to surgical resection of hepatic tumors. The purpose of our study was to examine the feasibility of PVE with glass 90Y microspheres (Y90 PVE) in Sprague–Dawley rats. We tested the hypothesis that increased doses of Y90 PVE would increase target lobe fibrosis and atrophy. Twenty-two rats were assigned to four groups for Y90 PVE to the right median lobe: very high- (273.8 MBq; n = 2), high- (99.9 MBq; n = 10), medium- (48.1 MBq; n = 5), and low-dose (14.8 MBq; n = 5). An untreated control group included seven rats. 90Y PET/CT of 90Y distributions confirmed lobar targeting. MRI volumes were measured at baseline, 2-, 4-, 8- and 12-weeks. Explanted hepatic lobes were weighed, sectioned, and stained for H&E and immunohistochemistry. Digitized slides allowed quantitative measurements of fibrosis (20 foci/slide). Ex vivo measurements confirmed 91–97% activity was localized to the target lobe (n = 4). The percent growth of the target lobe relative to baseline was − 5.0% (95% CI − 17.0–6.9%) for high-, medium dose rats compared to + 18.6% (95% CI + 7.6–29.7%) in the low-dose group at 12-weeks (p = 0.0043). Radiation fibrosis increased in a dose-dependent fashion. Fibrotic area/microsphere was 22,893.5, 14,946.2 ± 2253.3, 15,304.5 ± 4716.6, and 5268.8 ± 2297.2 μm2 for very high- (n = 1), high- (n = 4), medium- (n = 3), and low-dose groups (n = 5), respectively. Y90 PVE was feasible in the rat model, resulted in target lobe atrophy, and dose-dependent increases in hepatic fibrosis at 12 weeks. The onset of imaging-based volumetric changes was 8–12 weeks.
Endoscopic transnasal repair of 5 cases of bilateral congenital choanal atresia starting with resection of the posterior portion of the septum and vomer

目的： 探讨鼻中隔后端犁骨切除后鼻孔成形术治疗先天性后鼻孔闭锁的疗效。 方法： 回顾性分析深圳市儿童医院2017年3月至2019年6月收治的5例先天性后鼻孔闭锁患儿的资料，其中男2例，女3例；年龄33 d至2岁4个月；2例双侧先天性后鼻孔闭锁（CHARGE综合征），1例单侧后鼻孔闭锁和单侧后鼻孔狭窄（Crouzon综合征）；2例单侧先天性后鼻孔闭锁。所有病例在3.0 mm 0度耳内镜经鼻腔切除鼻中隔后端骨质、去除犁骨、闭锁板骨质并打磨患侧翼内板，连通双侧后鼻孔。术后不放置长期扩张支架。术后2周、1、3、6、12个月常规随访，最长随访超过2年。观察手术疗效。 结果： 5例患儿均恢复良好的鼻腔通气功能，随访期间未见后鼻孔造孔出现再次狭窄和闭锁。无其他异常并发症出现。 结论： 耳内镜下鼻中隔后端、犁骨、闭锁板切除术治疗后鼻孔闭锁可行，且术后可以不放置长期扩张支架，手术疗效确定，造孔无再次狭窄或闭锁。.
Perspective on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions in Embryos

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key process required for building the early body plan of metazoa. It involves coordinated and precisely timed changes in multiple cell processes such as de-adhesion, motility, invasion, and cell polarity. While much has been learned about how embryos deploy epithelial-mesenchymal transitions since Betty Hay named the process decades ago, a number of things are still not well understood. Here I will discuss some of the big questions that remain, including how is all of this controlled, how does each of the cell biological events work, and how are they so nicely coordinated with one another?
Introduction to radiomics and radiogenomics in neuro-oncology: implications and challenges

Neuro-oncology largely consists of malignancies of the brain and central nervous system including both primary as well as metastatic tumors. Currently, a significant clinical challenge in neuro-oncology is to tailor therapies for patients based on a priori knowledge of their survival outcome or treatment response to conventional or experimental therapies. Radiomics or the quantitative extraction of subvisual data from conventional radiographic imaging has recently emerged as a powerful data-driven approach to offer insights into clinically relevant questions related to diagnosis, prediction, prognosis, as well as assessing treatment response. Furthermore, radiogenomic approaches provide a mechanism to establish statistical correlations of radiomic features with point mutations and next-generation sequencing data to further leverage the potential of routine MRI scans to serve as "virtual biopsy" maps. In this review, we provide an introduction to radiomic and radiogenomic approaches in neuro-oncology, including a brief description of the workflow involving preprocessing, tumor segmentation, and extraction of "hand-crafted" features from the segmented region of interest, as well as identifying radiogenomic associations that could ultimately lead to the development of reliable prognostic and predictive models in neuro-oncology applications. Lastly, we discuss the promise of radiomics and radiogenomic approaches in personalizing treatment decisions in neuro-oncology, as well as the challenges with clinical adoption, which will rely heavily on their demonstrated resilience to nonstandardization in imaging protocols across sites and scanners, as well as in their ability to demonstrate reproducibility across large multi-institutional cohorts.
Abdominal ectopic pregnancy

Abdominal pregnancy is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy with high morbidity and mortality. There are a limited number of case reports of abdominal ectopic pregnancies. We present a case of a 29-year-old woman who presented to her obstetrician at 17 weeks' gestation with abdominal pain. A sonogram and confirmatory magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an abdominal ectopic pregnancy. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy with removal of the ectopic pregnancy. Our case presents an opportunity to discuss a rare form of ectopic pregnancy and the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality.