cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced white matter MRI transverse relaxation rate in cognitively normal H63D-HFE human carriers and H67D-HFE mice

Mutations within the HFE protein gene sequence have been associated with increased risk of developing a number of neurodegenerative disorders. To this effect, an animal model has been created which incorporates the mouse homologue to the human H63D-HFE mutation: the H67D-HFE knock-in mouse. These mice exhibit alterations in iron management proteins, have increased neuronal oxidative stress, and a disruption in cholesterol regulation. However, it remains undetermined how these differences translate to human H63D carriers in regards to white matter (WM) integrity. To this endeavor, MRI transverse relaxation rate (R2) parametrics were employed to test the hypothesis that WM alterations are present in H63D human carriers and are recapitulated in the H67D mice. H63D carriers exhibit widespread reductions in brain R2 compared to non-carriers within white matter association fibers in the brain. Similar R2 decreases within white matter tracts were observed in the H67D mouse brain. Additionally, an exacerbation of age-related R2 decrease is found in the H67D animal model in white matter regions of interest. The decrease in R2 within white matter tracts of both species is speculated to be multifaceted. The R2 changes are hypothesized to be due to alterations in axonal biochemical tissue composition. The R2 changes observed in both the human-H63D and mouse-H67D data suggest that modified white matter myelination is occurring in subjects with HFE mutations, potentially increasing vulnerability to neurodegenerative disorders.
Behavioral Management in Long‐Term Care

Behavioral and psychological symptoms are common in long-term care residents, but did not receive extensive research attention until the 1990s. The causes for these symptoms are multifactorial, and include unmet needs, staff reinforcement, progressively lowered threshold to stress, vulnerability to environmental influences, sensory deficits, idleness, and boredom. Effective management for these symptoms needs to be individualized for each resident and capitalize on the resident's abilities. The initial approach should be nonpharmacological therapy delivered by trained long-term care staff and including behavioral, environmental, sensory, and social therapies, structured activities, medical/nursing interventions, or a combination of these treatments. Pharmacological treatments such as atypical, second-generation antipsychotic agents should be considered if nonpharmacological interventions are ineffective and started after a drug exit plan is established. Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia; behavioral management; behavioral symptoms; dementia; long-term care; nursing homes; psychological symptoms
Dietary and taxonomic controls on incorporation of microbial carbon and phosphorus by detritivorous caddisflies

Heterotrophic microbes on detritus play critical roles in the nutrition of detritivorous animals, yet few studies have examined factors controlling the acquisition of microbial nutrients toward detritivore growth, which is termed “incorporation". Here, we assessed effects of detrital substrate identity (leaf type), background nutrients, and detritivore species identity on detritivore incorporation of microbial carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) in leaf litter diets. We fed oak and maple litter conditioned under two nutrient concentrations (50 or 500 µg P L(-1)) to the detritivorous caddisfly larvae Ironoquia spp., Lepidostoma spp., and Pycnopsyche lepida and used the radioisotopes 14C as glucose and 33P as phosphate to dually trace incorporation of microbial C and P by caddisflies. Incorporation efficiencies of microbial C (mean ± SE = 12.3 ± 1.3%) were one order of magnitude higher than gross growth efficiencies for bulk detrital C from recent studies (1.05 ± 0.08%). Litter type did not affect incorporation of microbial nutrients; however, caddisflies incorporated microbial P 11 % less efficiently when fed litter from the higher P concentration. Two lower body C:P species (Pycnopsyche and Ironoquia) exhibited 9.9 and 7.1% greater microbial C and 19.0 and 17.7% greater microbial P incorporation efficiencies, respectively, than the higher body C:P species (Lepidostoma). Our findings support ecological stoichiometry theory on post-ingestive regulation that animals fed lower C:P diets should reduce P incorporation efficiency due to excess diet P or alleviation of P-limited growth, and that lower C:P species must incorporate dietary C and P more efficiently to support fast growth of P-rich tissues.
m2-toxin: A selective ligand for M2 muscarinic receptors.

Selective ligands are needed for distinguishing the functional roles of M2 receptors in tissues containing several muscarinic receptor subtypes. Because the venom of the green mamba Dendroaspis angusticeps contains the most specific antagonists known for M1 and M4 receptors (m1-toxin and m4-toxin), it was screened for toxins that inhibit the binding of [3H] N -methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) to cloned M2 receptors. Desalted venom had as much anti-M2 as anti-M4 activity. The most active anti-M2 toxin in the venom was isolated by gel filtration, cation-exchange chromatography, and reversed-phase HPLC, and called m2-toxin. Spectrometry yielded a mass of 7095 Da, and N-terminal sequencing of 53 amino acids showed RICHSQMSSQPPTTTFCRVNSCYRRTLRDPHDPRGT-IIVRGCGCPRMKPGTKL. This sequence is more homologous to antinicotinic than antimuscarinic toxins, but it lacks three almost invariant residues of antinicotinic toxins required for their activity. m2-Toxin fully blocked the binding of [3H]NMS and [3H]oxotremorine-M to M2 receptors with Hill coefficients near 1, and blocked 77% of the binding sites for 0.1 nM [3H]NMS in the rat brainstem ( K i = 11 nM). Concentrations that fully blocked cloned M2 receptors had no effect on M4 receptors, but slightly increased [3H]NMS binding to M1 receptors, an allosteric effect. In accord with these results, light microscopic autoradiography of the rat brain showed that m2-toxin decreased [3H]NMS binding in regions rich in M2 receptors and increased binding in regions rich in M1 receptors. Thus m2-toxin is a novel M2-selective, short-chain neurotoxin that may prove useful for binding and functional studies.
Finite element analysis of surface subsidence displacement in recovery blocks

Excessive recovery of groundwater and oil gas are causing earth's surface subsidence on the RQ blocks, it causes casing pipes to move up, its displacement is up to 1.15 m. In the paper, research objective is selected in this block, the earth's surface area is 2 220 m by 1 560 m, the depth is 3 300 m. Computation model of dimensional ground stress and ground displacement is established considering 12 oil wells, 3 water layers, 1 oil layer and 2 interlayers. Through finite element analysis computation of uniform layer in the 3 cases, we derived each layer's deformation and surface subsidence displacement under different pore fluid pressures after exploitation Results show that surface subsidence displacement caused by first floor water is the biggest, covering 42.9% of total displacement. Meanwhile according to the casing pipe displacement's survey value of 12 wells, we use the anti-parsing technique to study effect of surface subsidence uneven displacement caused by uneven pore pressure in RQ block, among wells the casing pipe displacement of which is fairly bigger, its pore pressure is fairly lower. It will provide basis for further calculating and controlling surface subsidence displacement in RQ block.
Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy with H1N1 Influenza a Virus Infection

A case of acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) associated with the novel H1N1 influenza A virus is reported in a 2-year-old European girl treated at the Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
North Central Sociological Association 2016 Teaching Address: The John F. Schnabel Lecture “Teaching, Life, and the Search for Meaning”

ABSTRACTWhen instructors and administrators examine teaching and learning, their focus tends to be on student success and satisfaction, which often translates into assessment, retention, and recruitment. What remains elusive, if not altogether forgotten, is the search for meaning in our teaching, learning, and lives.
A rapid total reflection X-ray fluorescence protocol for micro analyses of ion profiles in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract The ion homeostasis of macro and micronutrients in plant cells and tissues is a fundamental requirement for vital biochemical pathways including photosynthesis. In nature, ion homeostasis is affected mainly by three processes: 1. Environmental stress factors, 2. Developmental effects, and 3. Loss or gain-of-function mutations in the plant genome. Here we present a rapid total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) protocol that allows for simultaneous quantification of several elements such as potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), manganese (Mn) and strontium (Sr) in Arabidopsis thaliana leaf specimens. Our procedure is cost-efficient and enables precise, robust and highly reproducible measurements on tissue samples as small as 0.3 mg dry weight. As shown here, we apply the TXRF procedure to detect accurately the early replacement of K by Na ions in leaves of plants exposed to soil salinity, a globally increasing abiotic stress factor. Furthermore, we were able to prove the existence of a leaf development-dependent ion gradient for K, Ca, and other divalent ions in A. thaliana; i.e. old leaves contain significantly lower K but higher Ca than young leaves. Lastly, we show that our procedure can be readily applied to reveal subtle differences in tissue-specific ion contents of plant mutants. We employed independent A. thaliana kea1kea2 loss-of-function mutants that lack KEA1 and KEA2, two highly active chloroplast K exchange proteins. We found significantly increased K levels specifically in kea1kea2 mutants, i.e. 55 mg ∗ g− 1 dry weight, compared to 40 mg ∗ g− 1 dry weight in wild type plants. The TXRF procedure can be supplemented with Flame atomic absorption (FAAS) and emission spectrometry (FAES) to expand the detection range to sodium (Na) and magnesium (Mg). Because of the small sample amounts required, this method is especially suited to probe individual leaves in single plants or even specific leaf areas. Therefore, TXRF represents a powerful method to gain detailed quantitative insights into I) the effect of environmental stress on plant ion homeostasis, II) ion gradients between plant tissues, and III) ion levels in plant mutants with compromised growth or heterogeneous phenotypes.
Physiological Effects of Androgens in Women

Androgens are important sex steroid hormones for women as well as men. Previously, the focus of androgen research in women was almost exclusively on issues of excess. Only recently have we become aware that androgens play an important role in many aspects of the health and well-being of women. From sexual orientation to brain development to bone health, androgens are closely intertwined with estrogens, and only by understanding the former can we have a full understanding of women’ health and their medical care issues. This chapter focuses on the normal physiology of androgens in women—what we know and what we have yet to learn.
Zymomonas mobilis for the Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Fuels and Chemicals

Zymomonas mobilis is a promising organism for the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass as it natively produces ethanol at high yields and at rates far greater than other microorganisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This makes Z. mobilis attractive not only for ethanol production but potentially other products as well. One limitation of Z. mobilis is that it cannot natively ferment the pentose sugars, xylose and arabinose, present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Over the past few decades, a number of strains have been engineered that produce ethanol from lignocellulosic sugars. While many advances have been made, many challenges still remain. This chapter reviews the basic physiology of Z. mobilis and the numerous efforts devoted to engineering strains capable of producing ethanol and other chemicals from lignocellulosic sugars.
Sino-U.S. partnerships in research, education, and patient care: The experience of the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC

In 2011, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM) and Tsinghua University formed a partnership to further the education of Tsinghua medical students. These students come to UPSOM as visiting research scholars for two years of their eight-year MD curriculum. During this time, the students, who have completed four years at Tsinghua, work full-time in medical school laboratories and research programs of their choice, essentially functioning as graduate students. In their first two months in Pittsburgh, the scholars have a one-week orientation to biomedical research, followed by two-week rotations in four labs selected on the basis of the scholars' scientific interests, after which they choose one of these labs for the remainder of the two years. Selected labs may be in basic science departments, basic science divisions of clinical departments, or specialized centers that focus on approaches like simulation and modeling. The Tsinghua students also have a brief exposure to clinical medicine. UPSOM has also formed a similar partnership with Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine in Changsha, Hunan Province. The Xiangya students come to UPSOM for two years of research training after their sixth year and, thus, unlike the Tsinghua students, have already completed their clinical rotations. UPSOM faculty members have also paved the way for UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), UPSOM's clinical partner, to engage with clinical centers in China. Major relationships involving advisory, training, managerial, and/or equity roles exist with Xiangya International Medical Center, KingMED Diagnostics, First Chengmei Medical Industry Group, and Macare Women's Hospital. Both UPSOM and UPMC are actively exploring other clinical and academic opportunities in China.
The Evolving Role of FDG-PET/CT in the Diagnosis, Staging, and Treatment of Breast Cancer

The applications of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) in the management of patients with breast cancer have been extensively studied. According to these studies, PET/CT is not routinely performed for the diagnosis of primary breast cancer, although PET/CT in specific subtypes of breast cancer correlates with histopathologic features of the primary tumor. PET/CT can detect metastases to mediastinal, axial, and internal mammary nodes, but it cannot replace the sentinel node biopsy. In detection of distant metastases, this imaging tool may have a better accuracy in detecting lytic bone metastases compared to bone scintigraphy. Thus, PET/CT is recommended when advanced-stage disease is suspected, and conventional modalities are inconclusive. Also, PET/CT has a high sensitivity and specificity to detect loco-regional recurrence and is recommended in asymptomatic patients with rising tumor markers. Numerous studies support the future role of PET/CT in prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). PET/CT has a higher diagnostic value for prognostic risk stratification in comparison with conventional modalities. With the continuing research on the treatment planning and evaluation of patients with breast cancer, the role of PET/CT can be further extended.
A Critique of Bayesian Approaches within Quality Improvement

Bayesian approaches are increasingly popular within the statistics community. However, they currently do not seem to find wide application within the industrial statistics/quality improvement community. This chapter examines some of the basic reasons why. It begins by reviewing Box’s perspective on the scientific method and discovery. It then examines Deming’s concepts of analytic versus enumerative studies. Together, these concepts provide a framework for evaluating when Bayesian approaches make good sense, where they make little sense, and where they fall somewhere in between. This chapter touches on statistical sampling plans, statistical process monitoring, and the design and analysis of experiments.
The Salton Sea: Critical Migratory Stopover Habitat for Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) in the North American Pacific Flyway

For migratory waterbirds, the availability and quality of suitable stopover habitat can affect body condition and demographic parameters throughout the annual cycle. This study investigates the importance of the Salton Sea, a large saline lake located in the southwestern United States near the USA-Mexico border, for migrating Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) fitted with long-duration satellite telemetry tags in the northwest contiguous USA. During fall migration, 100% (n = 25) in 2014 and 98% (n = 63) in 2015 of all tagged individuals were tracked to the Salton Sea, with median durations of stay lasting 36 and 25 days, respectively. Use of the Salton Sea during subsequent spring migrations was less consistent than in fall, but still substantial, with 91% (n = 23) and 68% (n = 53) of all birds conducting brief stops there during 2015 and 2016, respectively. The future of the Salton Sea as suitable habitat for fish and piscivorous birds is uncertain due to rising salinity levels caused by reduced input flows. It is also uncertain if other wetlands in the region can serve as replacement habitat for Caspian Terns and other migratory piscivorous species should the Salton Sea cease to provide fish prey.
Prospective evaluation of vancomycin pharmacokinetics in a heterogeneous critically ill population.

Abstract Rich pharmacokinetic data on vancomycin in critically ill patients are lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of vancomycin in this population using rich pharmacokinetic sampling. Nineteen critically ill patients received individualized vancomycin doses by intermittent infusion to achieve target trough concentrations (15–20 mg/L). Blood samples were collected following the third or later dose of vancomycin. Serial blood samples were collected at 30 min following initiation of the vancomycin infusion; at the end of the infusion; serially at 60, 120, 300, and 480 min after the infusion finished; and immediately prior to the next dose. Vancomycin concentration–time profiles at steady state were fit to a noncompartmental model to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters. Vancomycin trough concentration was correlated to AUC0–24 (r = 0.83, P Vancomycin trough concentration may not be an adequate surrogate of AUC0–24. Additional research is needed to determine dosing strategies to optimize AUC0–24 while limiting toxicity.
Gentrification and Well-Being

This article examines the relationship between neighbourhoods undergoing gentrification and the well-being of poor and working-class residents of these same neighbourhoods. The article begins by considering the theoretical perspectives that inform thought on how gentrification is related to well-being and follows this with a review of the empirical evidence. The overall conclusion is that while there is reason to suspect gentrification being harmful and helpful, the likely impact depends on the context.
Cytochrome p450 Part 3: Drug Interactions : Essential Concepts and Considerations

The most important considerations related to understanding cytochrome p450 enzymes is the appreciation that all drug effects vary among individuals and, although there are multiple causes of these variations, drug effects are strongly influenced by genes. Nurses who administer and monitor, or prescribe, these medications can only be safe if there is understanding of these processes. The same enzyme may display a variety of functions and alterations, which can range from ultrarapid activity to no activity. Foods given with medications also can affect the metabolism of the medication. Each cytochrome p450 subfamily is instrumental in the metabolism of numerous drugs.
DiSTiL: a transformation library for data structures

DiSTiL is a software generator that implements a declarative domain-specific language (DSL) for container data structures. DiSTiL is a representative of a new approach to domain-specific language implementation. Instead of being the usual one-of-a-kind stand-alone compiler, DiSTiL is an extension library for the Intentional Programming (IP) transformation system (currently under development by Microsoft Research). DiSTiL relies on several reusable, general-purpose infrastructure tools offered by IP that substantially simplify DSL implementation.
Mental Incompetence: Adjusting to Modern Forms of Civility

In 2004, the Louisiana Legislature amended its Code of Criminal Procedure to alleviate its violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Due Process Clause. In compliance with the requirements of the Due Process Clause, the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure prohibits the state from trying a mentally incompetent defendant for a criminal offense. However, prior to the Legislature’s amending its Code of Criminal Procedure, criminal defendants whose competence would not be restored in the foreseeable future, and who were not a danger to themselves or others could be placed on supervised probation, despite the absence of a conviction, due to their incompetence. The effect of this law allowed the criminal punishment of defendants who had never been convicted of any crime. The Legislature acted in response to the Louisiana Supreme Court’s finding that this law was an unconstitutional violation of Due Process, and subsequently repealed the law altogether.Consequently, the Legislature’s solution to this problem, in repealing the law, has left an uncertainty in the law as to what will happen to these defendants once they are released due to their condition. This article traces the history of treatment of mentally incompetent defendants in the criminal justice system and the development of the law regarding mental incompetence. This change in the law will impair the efficiency of the criminal justice system, especially in the wake of the new national drug crisis concerning the use of bath salts and other synthetic drugs that have an effect on mental health. The use of these drugs will likely increase the number of defendants who are permanently incompetent and who may not present a danger to themselves or others under the current standard. This article poses a solution to the issue and suggests a revision of the current standard under which incompetent defendants are evaluated or in the alternative, turning to the option of civil involuntary outpatient commitment. Without a solution, there is no way to deter these incompetent defendants from committing criminal acts nor to provide justice for their acts.
Measurement of Visceral Adipose Tissue in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury by Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry: Generation and Application of a Predictive Equation

Abstract Purpose: Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) permits quantification of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). However, DXA has not been validated against MRI in persons with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). A predictive equation was generated from the measurement of VAT by MRI, a “gold” standard to quantitate VAT, compared to that of DXA, a method with several practical advantages. Method: DXA and MRI scans were performed in 27 participants with SCI. MRI multiaxial images were captured for VAT analysis. DXA-VAT was quantified at the android region (DXA-VATANDROID-VOL) using enCore software. Android regions of DXA and MRI were matched using android height. Volumes of multiaxial MRI-VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were quantified for the android region (MRI-VATANDROID-VOL, MRI-SATANDROID-VOL) and total trunk (MRI-VATANDROID-VOL). Linear regression analysis was used to establish the proposed predication equations. The prediction equations were then applied to an independent sample that consisted of 98 participants with SCI. Bland-Altman analysis was used to determine the limits of agreement. Results: DXA-VATANDROID-VOL predicted 92% of the variance in MRI-VATANDROID-VOL (SEE = 252.5, p
Hypertension and Cognitive Decline: Implications of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Hypertension and dementia are highly prevalent in the general population. Hypertension has been shown to be a risk factor for Alzheimer's dementia and vascular dementia. Sleep apnea, another common disorder, is strongly associated with hypertension and recent evidence suggests that it may also be linked with cognitive decline and dementia. It is possible that sleep apnea is the final common pathway linking hypertension to the development of dementia. This hypothesis merits further exploration as sleep apnea is readily treatable and such therapy could foreseeably delay or prevent the onset of dementia. At present, there is a paucity of therapeutic modalities that can prevent or arrest cognitive decline. In this review, we describe the associations between hypertension, dementia and sleep apnea, the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying these associations, and the literature examining the impact of treatment of hypertension and sleep apnea on cognition. Potential areas of future investigation that may help advance our understanding of the magnitude and direction of the interaction between these conditions and the effects of treatment of high blood pressure and sleep apnea on cognition are highlighted.
Reports From the 2019 Library Technology Conference Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, March 20–21, 2019

In recent years, the Annual Library Technology Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota invited Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble and Dr. Sarah T. Roberts as keynote speakers who explained how human biases affect th...
Workshop to Increase Women’s Enrollment in Technology Discipline at the Community College

The enrollment of women in our Engineering Technology program at Queensborough Community College (QCC) is as low as 3 %. The challenge is that while technological change is rapidly expanding opportunities in every discipline today, the number of women entering technical studies remains low. The gender gap in academic technology could be due to the lack of opportunities for female students to be exposed to technology. Accordingly, female students rarely chose technology disciplines as their first choice in academic fields. The opportunity we are suggesting is that we can evoke and boost the women’s interest in technology disciplines thru exposure to cutting-edge technologies including 3D printing and cloud computing. A workshop can be offered where students design a variety of products in CAD software and 3D print them. The workshop also includes exposure to cloud computing and machine learning. Students develop and host a website to chronicle their workshop experiences using HTML, CSS & JavaScript. The workshop exposes students to Design Thinking and leading-edge technologies while building their interest, involvement and personal confidence in technical domains. During the summer of 2018, we offered this practical, technical, project driven workshop and successfully provided technology-learning opportunities to 35 female QCC students.
Effects of Anthropomorphic Phishing Detection Aids, Transparency Information, and Feedback on User Trust, Performance, and Aid Retention:

Phishing email attacks are a prevalent threat to internet users. Users often ignore or otherwise disregard automated aids, even when the aids’ reliability is high. The current study sought to fill ...
Considerations for the Usability and Implementation of Augmented Reality in Production Environments

Implementation of augmented reality (AR) devices in production floors is becoming increasingly popular for its creative potential in facilitating training and development. From a human factors pers...
Springing an evolutionary trap on cancer.

Cancer cells have the extraordinary evolutionary potential to adapt and acquire resistance to most conventional and targeted therapies. In a new study, Lin et al., develop a systematic approach to identify combination therapies that produce cancer traps, in which evading the first drug makes the cancer vulnerable to the second.
United Airlines crisis from the stakeholder perspective: Exploring customers’ ethical judgment, trust and distrust, and behavioral intentions

Abstract In the context of the United Airlines crisis, this study investigated the relationships among customers’ ethical judgment, trust and distrust toward United Airlines, and post-crisis behavioral intentions. Results from an online survey (N = 579) demonstrated that customers’ negative ethical judgment was positively associated with the level of trust and negatively predicted their distrust toward the corporation. Distrust had a bigger impact on stakeholders’ behavioral intentions such as information seeking, mobilizing, and consulting than trust. Findings indicated the important role of customers in corporate crisis management. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
Abstract 12731: Acute Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Inhibition Augments Cardiomyocyte Contractility and Improves β-Adrenergic Regulation in Experimental Hypertension of Transgenic Rats Expressing Human Angiotensinogen Gene

Background: Previously we showed that rats expressing the human angiotensinogen (AGT) gene (hAogen) exhibit sustained hypertension and cardiac dysfunction, associated with increased cardiac angiote...
Independent-Increment and Lévy Processes

Infinitely divisible distributions, independent-increment processes, Levy processes and subordinators, orthogonality and independence, stable Levy processes, first-passage times, coupling of Levy processes, approximation of random walks, arcsine laws, time change of stable integrals, tangential existence and comparison.
MicroRNA Signatures Associated with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Severity in Tracheal Aspirates of Preterm Infants

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a form of chronic lung disease that develops in neonates as a consequence of preterm birth, arrested fetal lung development, and inflammation. The incidence of BPD remains on the rise as a result of increasing survival of extremely preterm infants. Severe BPD contributes to significant health care costs and is associated with prolonged hospitalizations, respiratory infections, and neurodevelopmental deficits. In this study, we aimed to detect novel biomarkers of BPD severity. We collected tracheal aspirates (TAs) from preterm babies with mild/moderate (n = 8) and severe (n = 17) BPD, and we profiled the expression of 1048 miRNAs using a PCR array. Associations with biological pathways were determined with the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software. We found 31 miRNAs differentially expressed between the two disease groups (2-fold change, false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05). Of these, 4 miRNAs displayed significantly higher expression levels, and 27 miRNAs had significantly lower expression levels in the severe BPD group when compared to the mild/moderate BPD group. IPA identified cell signaling and inflammation pathways associated with miRNA signatures. We conclude that TAs of extremely premature infants contain miRNA signatures associated with severe BPD. These may serve as potential biomarkers of disease severity in infants with BPD.
Screening for Hearing Loss in Older Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement

Importance Age-related sensorineural hearing loss is a common health problem among adults. Nearly 16% of US adults 18 years or older report difficulty hearing. The prevalence of perceived hearing loss increases with age. Hearing loss can adversely affect an individual’s quality of life and ability to function independently and has been associated with increased risk of falls, hospitalizations, social isolation, and cognitive decline. Objective To update its 2012 recommendation, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a systematic review on screening for hearing loss in adults 50 years or older. Population Asymptomatic adults 50 years or older with age-related hearing loss. Evidence Assessment Because of a lack of evidence, the USPSTF concludes that the benefits and harms of screening for hearing loss in asymptomatic older adults are uncertain and that the balance of benefits and harms cannot be determined. More research is needed. Recommendation The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for hearing loss in older adults. (I statement)
56371 The Signaling Axis of Tumor Suppressor LKB1 in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT IMPACT: Identifying an important pathway in treatment resistant TNBC will allow for the future development of clinical therapeutics specific for this disease. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer characterized by negative expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2/neu amplification. It resists therapies and has a high recurrence rate after resection. The goal of my research is to identify & characterize a TNBC pathway for future development of therapies. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The project uses a combination of cell lines, patient derived xenograft (PDX) models, as well as patient databases. Standard cellular and molecular biology techniques will be used including: Cell culture, qPCR, western blotting, and flow cytometry. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: LKB1 is a master kinase that activates 14 possible downstream kinases. The signaling pathway has been demonstrated to play a role in energy homeostasis and metabolism. Mutation of LKB1 signaling results in Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome and is associated with neoplasias of the lung, pancreas, and breast. Based on preliminary analysis, overexpression of LKB1 by shRNA in TNBC cell lines results in suppression of EMT and reduction of the cancer stem cell population. Additional studies show that LKB1 overexpression has no effect on growth rate in 2D culture while significant reduction in 3D mammosphere formations can be seen. Downstream studies using commercially available SIK1 inhibitor HG-9-91-01 is able to induce a larger fraction of CSC from reduced LKB1 overexpression as well as from baseline levels. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Overall, our results suggest that LKB1 acts through SIK1 to suppress EMT and the generation of cancer stem cells. This results in reduced cancer functionality, as evidenced by inhibition of mammosphere formation. These results establishes a foundation for future mechanistic studies on the LKB1 axis and its mechanisms in TNBC.
Asset-Based Welfare or Public Rental? Local Agency in Affordable Housing

This chapter applies the theoretical framework to affordable housing. In comparison to healthcare, the top-down pressure is much less evident in this area due to failed central attempts to pass a separate national housing law or integrate housing into the social insurance law. The chapter begins with an introduction of three highly decentralized policy instruments: the contributory social insurance program of housing provident fund, the asset-based welfare programs that primarily benefit local residents, and the means-tested or category-based public rental programs that target the “new urban poor.” Although the central government has mandated the expansion of coverage in recent years throughout these programs, the highly decentralized nature of policy implementation has resulted in significant local disparities. Local governments often choose to prioritize instruments that are mostly compatible with local growth models.
Comparing the Expressions of Vitamin D Receptor, Cell Proliferation, and Apoptosis in Gastric Mucosa With Gastritis, Intestinal Metaplasia, or Adenocarcinoma Change

Background: This study aimed to compare the expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR), cell proliferation, and apoptosis in the gastric mucosa of patients with gastritis, intestinal metaplasia (IM), and adenocarcinoma using artificial intelligence. Material and methods: This study retrospectively enrolled patients at the Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from November of 2016 to June, 2017, who were diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma. The inclusion criteria were patients’ pathologic reports that revealed all compartments of Helicobacter pylori infection, gastritis, IM, and adenocarcinoma simultaneously in the same gastric sample. Tissue slides after immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were transformed into digital images using a scanner and counted using computer software (QuPath and ImageJ). IHC staining included PA1-711 antibody for VDR, Ki67 antigen for proliferation, and M30 antibody CK18 for apoptosis. Results: Twenty-nine patients were included in the IHC staining quantitative analysis. The mean age was 69.1 ± 11.3 y/o. Most (25/29, 86.2%) patients had poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The mean expression of Ki67 and CK18 increased progressively from gastritis and IM to adenocarcinoma, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). VDR expression did not correlate with Ki67 or CK18 expression. Ki67 expression was positively correlated with CK18 expression in gastric mucosa. Survival time was only correlated with tumor stage (correlation coefficient=-0.423, P value<0.05), but was not correlated with the expression of VDR, Ki67, and CK18. Conclusion: Ki67 expression and CK18 expression progressively increased in the areas of gastritis, IM, and adenocarcinoma. Ki67 expression was positively correlated with CK18 expression in gastric mucosa. No correlation between VDR expression and Ki67 or CK18 expression was found in this study.
Treatment-Induced Breast Cancer Dormancy and Relapse

ix Introduction 1 Materials and Methods 21 Results: Dose-dependent inhibition of tumor cell proliferation by RT 30 RT induces and expedites completion of autophagy in a dose-dependent manner 30 High dose RT induces apoptosis in tumor cells which is partially inhibited by the blockade of autophagy 35 RT induces G2/M and/or Sub-G1 arrest in a dose dependent manner 38 RT induces immunogenic tumor cell killing in a dose-dependent manner 41 RT induces tumor cell dormancy in a dose dependent manner 43 ADR, IFN-γ, or combined ADR+IFN-γ chemo-immunotherapy induces different levels of autophagy in tumor cells 46 Dose-dependent inhibition of tumor cell proliferation by ADR, IFN-γ, or combined ADR+IFN-γ chemo-immunotherapy 50
Failed modern girls in early-twentieth-century China

Both Zhang Henshui, the king of social romantic fiction of Republican China, and Wang Dulu, produced fascinating stories about lower-class young urban women who are embroiled in the city?s modernization/Westernization. Although in their telling, these girls? upward movement to the middle-class Modern Girl status often ends in frustration and defeat, this chapter contends that it makes less sense to dismiss them as old-style women or as remnants of the old society than to see them as what they are: failed Modern Girls. The story of the failed Modern Girl is significant for the anxieties about new class formations that may have been articulated for many an ordinary reader of the early twentieth century. The failed Modern Girl?s failure is attributable at least in part to the self-adjusting modalities of patriarchy. They intimate that the Modern Girl is constantly an unfinished and/or undone project in a world of evolving gender subordination. Keywords: early twentieth century China; failed Modern Girls; gender subordination; Westernization
Identification of Novel Genetic Models of Glaucoma Using the “EMERGENT” Genetic Programming-Based Artificial Intelligence System

The genetic basis for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is not yet understood but is likely the result of many interacting genetic variants that influence risk in the context of our local ecology. The complexity of the genotype to phenotype mapping relationship for common diseases like POAG necessitates analytical approaches that move beyond parametric statistical methods such as logistic regression that assume a particular mathematical model. This is particularly important in the era of big data where it is routine to collect and analyze data sets with hundreds of thousands of measured genetic variants in thousands of human subjects. We introduce here the Exploratory Modeling for Extracting Relationships using Genetic and Evolutionary Navigation Techniques (EMERGENT) algorithm as an artificial intelligence approach to the genetic analysis of common human diseases. EMERGENT builds models of genetic variation from lists of mathematical functions using a form of genetic programming called computational evolution. A key feature of the system is the ability to utilize pre-processed expert knowledge giving it the ability to explore model space much as a human would. We describe this system in detail and then apply it to the genetic analysis of POAG in the Glaucoma Gene Environment Initiative (GLAUGEN) study that included approximately 1,272 subjects with the disease and 1057 healthy controls. A total of 657,366 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from across the human genome were measured in these subjects and available for analysis. Analysis using the EMERGENT framework revealed a best model consisting of six SNPs that map to at least six different genes. Two of these genes have previously been associated with POAG in several studies. The others represent new hypotheses about the genetic basis of POAG. All of the SNPs are involved in non-additive gene-gene interactions. Further, the six genes are all directly or indirectly related through biological interactions to the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene that is an actively investigated drug target for POAG. This study demonstrates the routine application of an artificial intelligence-based system for the genetic analysis of complex human diseases.
Products of the reaction of cytosolic and mitochondrial aconitases with nitric oxide

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with reactions of nitric oxide (NO) with aconitases, which are enzymes that catalyze the stereospecific isomerization of citrate to isocitrate in the tricarboxylic cycle. They are iron—sulfur proteins that contain [4Fe—4S] clusters. In most Fe—S proteins, the cluster is involved in electron transfer without itself undergoing significant structural changes; however, aconitases are unique in that their Fe—S cluster directly interacts with its substrate. Two different aconitases are encoded by mammalian tissues: mitochondrial, m-acon and cytosolic, c-acon. Interest in aconitases greatly increased after it was recognized that these enzymes play an important role in apoptosis and in addition, that nitric oxide (NO) plays a critical role in the interconversion of c-acon and iron-regulatory protein-1 (IRP1). There are contradictory reports in the existing literature concerning the reaction of NO with the enzyme aconitase. A combined study on the sensitivity of aconitase toward NO showed that the active forms of both m-acon and c-acon readily form dinitrosyl-iron complexes (DNICs) containing protein cysteinyl ligands and are thus inactivated. The finding that under some conditions m-acon can also form an analogous dinitrosyl-iron-histidyl complex with NO was unexpected.
Polychotomous classification with pairwise classifiers: a new voting principle

A new principle for performing polychotomous classification with pairwise classifiers is introduced: if pairwise classifier Nij, trained to discriminate between classes i and j, responds "i" for an input x from an unknown class (not necessarily i or j), one can at best conclude that x ∉ j. Thus, the output of pairwise classifier Nij can be interpreted as a vote against the losing class j, and not, as existing methods propose, as a vote for the winning class i. Both a discrete and a continuous classification model derived from this principle are introduced.
Crisis communication during beef recalls due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination

This study aims to evaluate the quantity and quality of crisis communication efforts during one specific type of public health emergency, beef recalls due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. A content analysis of 452 US newspaper reports within 30 days of a beef recall was conducted to determine the sources cited and the messages communicated to the public. The analysis involved a total of 36 recalls issued from 2003 to 2008. The study found the sources cited by reporters include two of the major stakeholders involved in the crisis – government agencies and meat companies who processed or sold the contaminated product. Messages regarding information the public needs to know about the threat were found at a high frequency in the coverage. Self-efficacy messages related to how to control or manage the threat were less common. Messages communicating measures to safeguard against future threat and those that indicate the recall has ended were scant, suggesting areas for improvement in crisis communication. Over the six year time span, there was only a moderate to slight degree of message consistency. This study concludes that the type of media coverage, the sources used, and the messages communicated led to the attenuation of risks associated with beef recalls. Over all, the findings indicate the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship between the food industry and the media, especially during instances that threaten public health and well-being.
Antigenic studies of Candida. III. Comparative pathogenicity of Candida albicans group A, group B, and Candida stellatoidea.

Hasenclever, H. F. (U. S. Public Health Service, Bethesda, Md.), and William O. Mitchell. Antigenic studies of Candida. III. Comparative pathogenicity of Candida albicans group A, group B, and Candida stellatoidea . J. Bacteriol. 82: 578–581. 1961.—Since the antigenic differences between Candida albicans group A and C. albicans group B had been established, the problem of a difference in pathogenicity for laboratory animals was studied. Candida stellatoidea was also included in this investigation. Similar experiments with Candida tropicalis have been reported. The virulence of 24 strains of C. albicans group A, 23 strains of C. albicans group B, and 11 strains of C. stellatoidea for mice was determined. Five C. albicans group B and four C. stellatoidea strains were tested for lethality in rabbits. C. albicans group A and C. albicans group B displayed about the same degree of virulence for mice. Although C. stellatoidea in general showed less virulence for mice than C. albicans , some of its strains were more virulent than the least virulent C. albicans strains. All five C. albicans group B strains tested in rabbits demonstrated considerably more virulence for this laboratory animal than any of the four C. stellatoidea strains tested. C. albicans group B was isolated from more diverse clinical specimens than C. albicans group A, but only a small number of specimens were studied.
A New Intermediate in the Biosynthesis of Squalene

A new intermediate in the biosynthesis of squalene has been isolated and partially characterized. This intermediate, which is the product of the condensation of 2 molecules of farnesyl pyrophosphate, is the pyrophosphate ester of a 30-carbon alcohol whose carbon skeleton is believed to differ from that of squalene by the presence of a cyclopropane ring. It is postulated that squalene is formed directly by the reduction and rearrangement of this compound.