cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The reinforcing value of secret information

Information was found to effectively reinforce an opinion response, and this result could be unambiguously attributed to reinforcement rather than to some other facilitating effect of information. Secret information and freely communicable information did not differ in their reinforcing effectiveness (N = 90).
The Impact of Other-Focused Loyalty Program on Hedonic Consumption and Emotional Branding: Implications for Cross-Cultural Study

This research attempts to examine the impact of loyalty program on hedonic consumption and emotional branding among U.S. Hispanics. I attempt to compare how consumer behavior can vary across cultures. Especially, this paper illustrates how other-focused loyalty program can affect customer behaviors with regard to emotional branding and hedonic consumption in the context of two different cultures. Furthermore, this study compares Hispanic and non-Hispanic consumer behaviors in the U.S.
Radical treatment for axillary osmidrosis with suction-assisted endoscopic cartilage shaver

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of suction-assisted endoscopic cartilage shaver on cases of axillary osmidrosis.Methods From July 2006 to March 2012,683 consecutive patients with axillary osmidrosis were treated with suction-assisted endoscopic cartilage shaver apocrine glands excision technique on an outpatient basis,including 129 males and 554 females,ranged in age from 9 to 46 years.The incision was designed and marked within axilla crease,length about 5 mm.Under local tumescent anesthesia,the cavity was performed using scissors on superficial fascia plane.An endoscopic cartilage shaver pipe was inserted through the small incision,and,subcutaneous tissue and glands were excised as the shaver was drawn from the axillary edge to the incision with suction assist.A partial full-thickness skin was performed,checked by endoscope.Then,the incision was sutured with 6-0 Nylon,and tie-over bolster dressing was used to anchor the skin to the axillary fascia.Results Average surgical time was about 45 minutes.All of the patients were followed-up and surveyed for satisfaction with surgery by completing a questionnaire,ranged from three months to two years.The effective results of both completely hair removal and satisfactory malodour elimination in axillary fossa were achieved.No wound infection was occurred,and no skin necrosis was observed in these cases.The average convalescent time was 6 days.Moreover,the resulting scar was small and essentially invisible.Conclusion The suction-assisted endoscopic cartilage shaver technique proved a promising treatment for the removal of axillary sweat glands and hair with advantages of a saving of time and labor,inconspicuous scar,low complication rate,and a rapid recovery.
Order in the Warez Scene: Explaining an Underground Virtual Community with the CPR Framework

The paper analyzes the warez scene, an illegal underground subculture on the Internet, which specializes in removing copy protection from software and releasing the cracked software for free. Despite the lack of economic incentives and the absence of external laws regulating it, the warez scene has been able to self-govern and self-organize for more than three decades. Through a directed content analysis of the subculture's digital traces, the paper argues that the ludic competition within the warez scene is an institution of collective action, and can, therefore, be approached as a common-pool resource (CPR). Subsequently, the paper uses Ostrom's framework of long-enduring common-pool resource institutions to understand the warez scene's longevity and ability to govern itself. Theoretical and design implications of these findings are then discussed.
Glucose-Induced Oxidative Stress Reduces Proliferation in Embryonic Stem Cells via FOXO3A/β-Catenin-Dependent Transcription of p21(cip1).

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are derived from a peri-implantation embryo, are routinely cultured in medium containing diabetic glucose (Glc) concentrations. While pregnancy in women with pre-existing diabetes may result in small embryos, whether such high Glc levels affect ESC growth remains uncovered. We show here that long-term exposure of ESCs to diabetic Glc inhibits their proliferation, thereby mimicking in vivo findings. Molecularly, Glc exposure increased oxidative stress and activated Forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a), promoting increased expression and activity of the ROS-removal enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase and the cell-cycle inhibitors p21(cip1) and p27(kip1). Diabetic Glc also promoted β-catenin nuclear localization and the formation of a complex with FOXO3a that localized to the promoters of Sod2, p21(cip1), and potentially p27(kip1). Our results demonstrate an adaptive response to increases in oxidative stress induced by diabetic Glc conditions that promote ROS removal, but also result in a decrease in proliferation.
No One Size Fits All: Scoring Risk of In-Hospital Death After Myocardial Infarction.

In this issue of the Journal , McNamara et al. [(1)][1] presented results from the ACTION (Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network) Registry concerning in-hospital mortality following myocardial infarction (MI). The investigators analyzed data from >240,000 patients hospitalized
Regenerative Breaking: Recovering Stored Energy from Inactive Voltage Domains for Energy-efficient Systems-on-Chip

Modern Systems-on-Chip(SoCs) frequently power-off individual voltage domains to save leakage power across a variety of applications, from large-scale heterogeneous computing to ultra-low power systems in IoT applications. However, the considerable energy stored within the capacitance of the powered-off domain is lost through leakage. In this paper, we present an approach to leverage existing voltage regulators to recover this energy from the disabled voltage-domain back into the supply using a low-overhead all-digital runtime control system. Simulation experiments conducted in an industrial 65nm CMOS process indicate that over 90% of the stored energy can be recovered across a range of operating system voltages from 0.4V--1V.
Performing property cycles

ABSTRACTEconomists characterize fluctuations in property markets as ‘cyclical’ in that characteristics repeat and recur instead of being temporally isolated or random. I argue that cycle metaphors naturalize change and distract us from the social and institutional relations underpinning transformation in local property markets. I emphasize the performative nature of cycles by focusing on the networks of actors – brokers, appraisers, investors, and planners – that move capital through the built environment, articulating arguments for its free passage, identifying inflexion points, and temporarily stabilizing the meanings associated with individual buildings, submarkets, and periods. Drawing from a case study of an office development cycle in downtown Chicago (1998–2009), I argue that cycles can be treated not only as metaphors that describe economic processes, but also as socially effective constructions in their own right. Specifically, I consider three ways in which actors perform cycles, including (1) p...
Percutaneous Biliary Stone Extraction (Hepatolithotomy and Choledocolithotomy)

This section provides a comprehensive procedural report for percutaneous biliary stone extraction (hepatolithotomy and choledocolithotomy) procedure with up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications and contraindications and potential complications in an organized and practical format.
Abstract A25: Role of ABCB5 in progression and therapeutic resistance of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the most lethal human cancers, is the most common and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor. Poor prognosis and high lethality result from tumor recurrence and extreme resistance to chemotherapeutic treatment. Compelling evidence suggests that GBM is a heterogeneous tumor composed of bulk tumor cells as well as of subpopulations of slow-proliferating cancer stem cells with tumor-initiating potential, which evade cell killing and are responsible for tumor recurrence. Current therapeutic strategies are thus aimed at eliminating these refractory tumor subpopulations to alleviate chemoresistance and recurrence of GBM. ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5) has been identified as a molecular marker for distinct subsets of chemoresistant tumor-initiating cell populations in diverse human malignancies, including malignant melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer. Moreover, ABCB5 has been shown to functionally contribute to tumor progression and therapeutic resistance of human cancers. In the current study, we examined the potential role of ABCB5 in malignant growth and chemoresistance of GBM. We found ABCB5 to be co-expressed with GBM stem cell marker CD133 in all of three human GBM cell lines tested thus far, i.e. U87 MG, LN18 and LN229. Functional blockade of ABCB5 using an anti-ABCB5 monoclonal antibody (mAb) (clone 3C2-1D12) inhibited proliferation and survival of human GBM cells, and sensitized GBM cultures to Temozolomide (TMZ)-induced cell killing and apoptosis. Likewise, in vivo systemic administration of anti-ABCB5 mAb to immunodeficient (NSG) mice bearing human GBM xenografts resulted in significant reduction of tumor growth and sensitization of GBM tumors to TMZ therapy, underscoring the potential of ABCB5-targeting strategies for reversal of GBM chemotherapeutic resistance. Mechanistically, we found that ABCB5 blockade significantly altered molecules involved in cell cycle regulatory checkpoints to revoke TMZ-induced G2/M arrest, explaining how treatment with ABCB5 mAb is augmenting drug-mediated apoptosis. Overall, our data reveal a novel role of ABCB5 as a marker of GBM chemoresistance and show that functional ABCB5 blockade inhibits GBM tumor growth in vivo. These findings underline the potential clinical relevance and therapeutic importance of ABCB5 targeting as a novel therapeutic approach to GBM eradication. Citation Format: Pallavi Banerjee, Gretchen Berg, Brian J. Wilson, Qin Guo, Markus H. Frank, Natasha Y. Frank. Role of ABCB5 in progression and therapeutic resistance of glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Developmental Biology and Cancer; Nov 30-Dec 3, 2015; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(4_Suppl):Abstract nr A25.
Focal Laser Ablation of Prostate Cancer

Herein, we describe a case of a 63-year-old male who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided biopsy of a suspicious lesion in the prostate followed by focal laser ablation. Radical prostatectomy was performed 15 months following focal laser ablation for persistent cancer adjacent to the treatment zone. We provide images from the initial MRI, postablation MRI, and the whole-mount radical prostatectomy specimen. The present case demonstrates the confined, localized effect of focal laser ablation, and also illustrates the advantage of expanded treatment margins.
Split ring resonator based THz emitter and photo-imprinted THz diffraction gratings

Terahertz (THz) spectral band, from about 0.1 to 15 THz, is one of the least explored yet most technologically transformative spectral regions. A large number of interesting scientific phenomena are only accessible by THz photons and THz radiation also finds a lot of practical applications. However, for a long time, THz scientific research and technological development is greatly limited due to the technical difficulties in making efficient and compact THz emitters and detectors, and controlling THz waves has been proven to be more difficult. On the other hand, artificially subwavelength structured materials called metamaterials, have been actively pursued and developed, which enables people to tailor their optical responses or nonlinearities in THz region, setting them among the most promising candidates for the next generation optoelectronic devices to generate and manipulate THz waves. Here we present our design and study of (1) a novel split ring resonator (SRR) based high efficiency THz emitter and (2) all-optical photo-imprinted reconfigurable THz diffraction gratings. Firstly, the THz emitter is composed of a single layer of 40nm thick gold film with SRR lattice constant 382nm on a 1mm thick suprasil substrate. THz waves are generated by pumping the SRR magnetic dipole resonance at 1500 nm. The demonstrated second-order sheet nonlinear susceptibility is three orders of magnitude higher than those of conventional crystals and thin films. The emitter can be tailored to pump at any wavelength and can potentially generate THz spectrum covering the entire THz band. Secondly, the THz diffraction gratings are realized by projecting an optical image from a photo mask onto a GaAs substrate using femtosecond laser pulses. The resulting high contrast pattern of photoexcited carriers can therefore create diffractive elements to manipulate THz waves with reconfigurable functionalities.
Influence of intraoperative radiation therapy on locally advanced and recurrent colorectal tumors: A 16-year experience.

Abstract Background Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) has been proposed as a tool to improve local control in patients with locally advanced primary or recurrent colorectal cancer. Methods A retrospective review (1999–2015) of all patients undergoing IORT for locally advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer at a single academic center was performed. Patient demographics, oncologic staging, short-term and long-term outcomes were reviewed. Results There were 77 patients (mean age 63 ± 11 years) identified, of whom 19 had colon cancer, 57 had rectal cancer, and 2 had appendiceal cancers. R0 resection was performed in 53 patients (69%), R1 in 19 (25%) and R2 in 5 (6%). Ten (13%) patients had a local recurrence at 18 ± 14 months and 34 (44%) had a distant recurrence at 18 ± 18 months. Mean survival was 47 ± 41 months. Conclusion IORT resulted in low local failure rates and should be considered for patients with locally advanced or recurrent colorectal cancers.
On the Initial Rate of Fluid–Solid Reactions

It is argued in this paper that the initial rate should not be used for the measurement or analysis the kinetics of a fluid–solid reaction, especially for a reaction in which the effect of pore diffusion starts appearing even moderately as the reaction proceeds. Even in the absence of external mass transfer effects, it is shown in this work by rigorous mathematical analysis that the range of conditions where the initial rate represents the intrinsic kinetics is very narrow. For an initially non-porous solid in the absence of external mass transfer effects, the very initial rate should mathematically be the intrinsic rate even when pore diffusion becomes important as the reaction proceeds. However, even in this case, the range of conditions for this statement is very limited. For the reaction of an initially porous solid, the rate at time zero is already affected by pore diffusion unless its effect is negligible over the entire range of conversion. Furthermore, the initial reaction rates of porous solids reacting under large values of k/De ratio (chemical reactivity is much greater than the capacity for pore diffusion) have an apparent rate constant of \( \sqrt {k \cdot D_{\text{e}} } \) and thus pore diffusion alone does not control the initial rate no matter how large the effect of pore diffusion is overall.
Neutron Fission Cross Sections of 239Pu and 240Pu Relative to 235U

The ratios of the neutron fission cross sections σf(240Pu)/σf(239Pu), σf(240Pu)/σf(235U), and σf(239Pu)/σf(235U) have been measured simultaneously with a multiplate ionization fission chamber using...
SMA-like syndrome with variant mesenteric venous anatomy

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome refers to the constellation of symptoms that are associated with intermittent obstruction of the duodenum due to vascular compression. We present a case of SMA-like syndrome related to variant mesenteric venous drainage in the setting of normal aortomesenteric angle (AMA) and borderline reduced aortomesenteric distance (AMD).
Methylation markers differentiate thyroid cancer from benign nodules.

The incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) is increasing. Cytology by itself cannot distinguish TC from some benign nodules especially in certain subtypes of TC. Our immediate goal is to identify DNA methylation markers for early detection of TC and to molecularly differentiate TC subtypes from benign nodules. Promoter methylation status of 21 candidate genes was examined on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) utilizing quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (QMSP) in a retrospective cohort of 329 patients (56% white, 29% African American, 61% female) comprising 71 normal thyroid, 83 benign nodules [follicular adenomas (FA)], 90 follicular TC (FTC) and 85 papillary TC (PTC). All genes were analyzed individually (Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon rank sum tests) and in combination (logistic regression models) to identify genes whose methylation levels might best separate groups. Combination gene panels TPO and UCHL1 (ROC = 0.607, sensitivity 78%) discriminated FTC from FA, and RASSF1 and TPO (ROC = 0.881, sensitivity 78%) discriminated FTC from normal. Methylation of TSHR distinguished PTC from FTC (ROC = 0.701, sensitivity 84%) and PTC from FA (ROC = 0.685, sensitivity 70%). The six gene panel of TIMP3, RARB2, SERPINB5, RASSF1, TPO and TSHR, which differentiates PTC from normal thyroid, had the best combination sensitivity (91%) and specificity (81%) of the panels addressing discrimination of cancer tissue. Aberrant gene methylation used in combination panels may be useful clinically in differentiating FTC and PTC from benign nodules. If confirmed in additional studies, these findings could help reduce the over diagnosis of thyroid cancer and surgeries related to over diagnosis.
Elevated TIMP-1 expression is associated with a prometastatic phenotype, disease relapse, and poor survival in neuroblastoma.

// Pritha Paul 1, 4, * , Eric J. Rellinger 1, 4, * , Jingbo Qiao 1, 4 , Sora Lee 1, 4 , Natasha Volny 1, 4 , Chandrasekhar Padmanabhan 1 , Carmelle V. Romain 1, 4 , Bret Mobley 3 , Hernan Correa 3 and Dai H. Chung 1, 2, 4 1 Section of Surgical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA 2 Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA 3 Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA 4 Department of Pediatric Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Dai H. Chung, email: dai.chung@vanderbilt.edu Keywords: TIMP-1, neuroblastoma, metastasis, liver, LM2 Abbreviations: TIMP, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases Received: August 16, 2016 Accepted: May 04, 2017 Published: July 28, 2017 ABSTRACT Approximately two-thirds of patients with neuroblastoma are found to have metastatic disease at time of diagnosis with frequent skeletal, lymph node, central nervous system, and liver involvement. Using a serial in vivo splenic injection model, we have isolated an aggressive subclone (BE(2)-C/LM2) from MYCN -amplified neuroblastomas that demonstrate an enhanced propensity to develop metastatic liver lesions. BE(2)-C/LM2 subclone cells demonstrate increased adherent, soft agar colony and tumorsphere growth in vitro . Components of the tumor microenvironment regulate cancer progression, via networks of cytokines and growth factors. Cytokine array analysis identified increased TIMP-1 in the plasma of mice injected with BE(2)-C/LM2 subclone cells, leading us to hypothesize that TIMP-1 may play a role in our observed prometastatic phenotype. Immunoblotting and ELISA demonstrated enhanced endogenous TIMP-1 expression in our isolated neuroblastoma subclone. Silencing endogenous TIMP-1 successfully blocked in vitro proliferation, soft agar colony formation and tumorsphere formation by BE(2)-C/LM2 cells. Stable RNA interference of endogenous TIMP-1 failed to reverse the prometastatic phenotype of our BE(2)-C/LM2 subclone in our liver metastasis model, suggesting that endogenous TIMP-1 levels may not be an essential component of this in vivo behavior. Notably, tissue microarray analysis and Kaplan-Meier by gene expression demonstrates that elevated TIMP-1 expression is correlated with increased disease relapse and mortality in patients with neuroblastoma. Taken together, our study identifies TIMP-1 as a novel soluble factor that is associated with a prometastatic phenotype in our in vivo model and adverse outcomes in patients with neuroblastoma.
The introspective may achieve more: Enhancing existing Geoscientific models with native-language emulated structural reflection

Abstract Geoscientific models manage myriad and increasingly complex data structures as trans -disciplinary models are integrated. They often incur significant redundancy with cross-cutting tasks. Reflection, the ability of a program to inspect and modify its structure and behavior at runtime, is known as a powerful tool to improve code reusability, abstraction, and separation of concerns. Reflection is rarely adopted in high-performance Geoscientific models, especially with Fortran, where it was previously deemed implausible. Practical constraints of language and legacy often limit us to feather-weight, native-language solutions. We demonstrate the usefulness of a structural-reflection-emulating, dynamically-linked metaObjects, gd . We show real-world examples including data structure self-assembly, effortless input/output (IO) and upgrade to parallel I/O, recursive actions and batch operations. We share gd and a derived module that reproduces MATLAB-like structure in Fortran and C++. We suggest that both a gd representation and a Fortran-native representation are maintained to access the data, each for separate purposes. Embracing emulated reflection allows generically-written codes that are highly re-usable across projects.
Avaliação da Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho: Estudo de Caso em duas Escolas Particulares no Cariri Cearense

A qualidade de vida no trabalho (QVT) vem ganhando espaco como valor essencial das praticas que visam o bem-estar organizacional. Neste contexto, e preciso desenvolver estrategias e habilidades que visem uma maior produtividade, visando um posicionamento mais competitivo no mercado. O presente estudo buscou analisar a qualidade de vida no trabalho, em duas escolas na regiao do cariri cearense. Optou-se pelo estudo de caso nestas instituicoes, de forma a observar a percepcao dos professores quanto a sua qualidade de vida no trabalho.
The Politics of Food Collection in South Central Africa

This chapter introduces the volume’s first case study. Archaeological and linguistic evidence for the history of hunting, fishing, and other forms of bushcraft illuminates the contingent values and articulations of food collection and food production in Iron Age central Zambia. Bushcraft emerged out of, rather than prior to, the transition to cereal agriculture, leading to a series of changes in subsistence and social organization. Produce collected from the bush was mobilized to sustain decentralized configurations of social influence as well as novel institutions of social organization, including bond friendships and matriclans. Technologies of bushcraft changed with such social transformations: large-scale chila hunts incorporated greater numbers of participants from the early second millennium at the same time that social networks of clans and bond friendships scaled up social ties. Finally, practitioners began to emphasize parallels in the geographies of spearcraft and metallurgy and in the social influence available to those who undertook such work.
Pituitary Function in Systemic Disorders

Publisher Summary The pituitary gland may be affected by a wide variety of systemic disorders. In some instances, the pituitary is directly involved by the same processes that also afflict other organs, while in other disorders, the primary disease process has indirect, distant effects on pituitary function. Patients with excessive tissue iron deposits, either from idiopathic hemochromatosis, multiple transfusions, or prolonged use of pharmaceutic iron supplements, often develop hypogonadism. Female patients appear to suffer from this complication less frequently than males, perhaps because of the protective effects of monthly menstrual blood loss. Tuberculosis has a predilection for involvement of the basilar meninges and may therefore occasionally involve tissues in the sellar region, sometimes producing anterior or posterior pituitary insufficiency. In polyglandular autoimmune states, clinical involvement of the pituitary is rare. Lymphocytic hypophysitis, an uncommon disorder of pregnant and postpartum women, is associated in some cases with other evidence of endocrine autoimmunity. Antibodies to pituitary tissue have been found in some patients with lymphocytic hypophysitis and in a variety of other endocrine autoimmune disorders, as well as in some patients with the primary empty sella syndrome and Sheehan's syndrome, but, to date, the functional significance of these antibodies remains unclear. Illness, injury and stress, if sufficiently severe, produce a constellation of endocrine changes that are, in general, independent of the specific type of illness.
Effects of oak wilt (Bretziella fagacearum) on post harvest Quercus regeneration

Abstract Oak wilt is a serious disease affecting oaks, especially those in the red oak group. Despite concern around a lack of oak regeneration and increasing mortality from oak wilt, there has been little effort to connect the two in relation to common forest management practices to regenerate oak. Oak management commonly includes clearcut harvesting, particularly within lower quality sites where sprouting is a viable regeneration method, but also where oak wilt is most problematic. We found that clearcut harvesting that encompassed pockets of oak wilt infected trees did not facilitate expansion or long-term perpetuation of oak wilt, but rather could serve as a containment mechanism for oak wilt. We found that stumps around 30 cm produced the greatest number of sprouts and that relatively minor differences in stump size determined if a stump was initially viable or never produced sprouts. Strong effects of stump size, and sprouting ability, remained significant drivers of survival (and mortality) over an extended 10-year period. Forest practices for oak on poor sites, such as those we studied, tend to be managed on short rotations which is likely well suited to capturing the maximum sprouting ability and long-term survival of oaks to regenerate stands.
“Depression” After Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury

There are numerous focal neurological conditions that share symptoms with, or can mimic the appearance of, depression but are a result of discrete and identifiable neuropathology. In these cases, identification of symptomatology that would be atypical in idiopathic major depressive disorder is crucial for differentiation of these conditions. In some instances, recognition of atypical signs and symptoms prompt neurological and medical evaluation which may result in very different directions in symptom and disease management. Similarly, treatment options may differ between these syndromes and idiopathic depression. In the case of known brain injury, attention to affective changes without subjective reports of depressed mood or anhedonia may suggest damage to frontal-subcortical circuits which can result in abulia and alexithymia which should be differentiated from depression. In some instances, depression may also be comorbid with these symptoms. This is the case of a young man who suffered bilateral globus pallidus damage in the setting of anoxic brain injury due to drug overdose. Globus pallidus, part of the basal ganglia, is part of the cortico-striato-thalamocortical loops which are crucial in motor, emotional, and neurocognitive function. This case typifies the multidisciplinary and complex diagnostic attention and treatment involved in management of neurological syndromes which can overlap with depressive illness.
An Introduction of Artificial Intelligence: Extensions of the Game Othello

This chapter improves the game Othello with new ideas. The new ideas include replacing the pieces with images, making pixels of images transparency, applying the frame-based animation for flipping the image pieces, adding sound effects, and more. Further, the two players game is constructed as single player against a computer player in order to introduce the artificial intelligence concepts and practices. The new developed artificial intelligence algorithms include “first”, “random”, “best”, and “edge”.
Migration-related torture: One of the greatest tragedies of our time

Without any doubt, the torture and abuse suffered by millions of migrants in all parts of the world is one of the greatest tragedies of our time. The undeniable links between irregular migration and torture are manifold and deeply troubling. Not only is the risk of torture and violence one of the most important “push-factors” causing countless people to flee their country of origin, it is also a frightening and pervasive reality of most irregular migration routes and, most shockingly, even of the treatment they receive by the very countries to which they turn for protection. My mandate as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture is to seek, receive, examine and act upon information regarding torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. My sources of information are governments, international and civil society organizations, but also journalists, individual victims and their lawyers, doctors, relatives, and friends.
Glucocorticoid receptor antagonism prevents microglia-mediated neuronal remodeling and behavioral despair following chronic unpredictable stress.

Abstract Synaptic deficits and neuronal dystrophy in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are linked to behavioral and cognitive symptoms in depressed individuals. Preclinical studies indicate that chronic stress causes synaptic deficits on pyramidal neurons in the PFC that contribute to behavioral and cognitive impairments. Our recent work shows that chronic stress provokes microglia-mediated neuronal remodeling via neuronal colony stimulating factor (CSF)-1 signaling, leading to synaptic deficits and depressive-like behaviors. Other reports indicate that elevated corticosterone causes pyramidal neuron atrophy and microglia activation in the medial PFC, implicating glucocorticoid signaling in microglia-mediated neuronal remodeling following chronic stress. In this study, male mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) and received daily administration of glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486 (25 mg/kg, i.p.). As expected, CUS exposure caused adrenal hypertrophy and elevated plasma corticosterone levels. Glucocorticoid receptor blockade prevented behavioral despair and cognitive impairments following CUS. Moreover, RU486 administration diminished CUS-induced CSF1 signaling in the PFC and reduced markers of phagocytosis on purified microglia. Confocal imaging in Thy1-GFP(M) mice showed that CUS increased microglia-mediated neuronal remodeling, and RU486 administration attenuated microglial engulfment of neuronal elements and prevented dendritic spine density deficits on pyramidal neurons following CUS. These results demonstrate that chronic stress-induced glucocorticoid signaling promotes CSF1 signaling and microglia-mediated neuronal remodeling in the medial PFC, which contributes to development of behavioral despair and cognitive impairments. This study presents primary evidence that neuroendocrine responses engage neuron-microglia interactions in the PFC; further implicating microglia in stress-induced neuronal remodeling, PFC dysfunction, and associated behavioral consequences.
Impact of Background Parenchymal Enhancement on Diagnostic Performance in Screening Breast MRI.

Rationale and Objectives To evaluate the impact of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on diagnostic performance in screening breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods Consecutive screening breast MRIs performed at our institution from 2011 to 2014 were reviewed in a HIPAA-compliant manner with institutional review board approval. BPE was extracted from radiology reports and examinations grouped into minimal/mild (lower) or moderate/marked (higher) BPE. Performance measures were compared between the two groups with Pearson's χ2 test and with logistic regression to adjust for possible confounders of age, screening indication, mammographic density, available prior MRI, and examination year, using lower BPE as the reference group. Results For 4686 screening MRIs performed in 2446 women, BPE was reported as minimal or mild for 3975 (85%) examinations and moderate or marked for 711(15%). Following logistic regression to adjust for multiple confounders, abnormal interpretation rate (AIR) significantly differed between the two BPE groups. AIR was 13% (89/711) in the higher BPE group versus 7% (295/3975) in the lower BPE group with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.37 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.82). After adjustment, all other performance metrics, including cancer detection rate, positive predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity did not significantly differ between the two BPE groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion Higher BPE on screening MRI is associated with higher abnormal interpretation rate, with no impact on cancer detection rate, sensitivity, or specificity.
Ready for Equity? A Cross-Cultural Organizational Framework to Scale Access to Learning-Ready Classrooms That Support Student Success

Abstract: There is a national urgency in higher-education to close the achievement gap and increase graduation rates for first generation, low-income and underrepresented minorities, and classroom environments are integral to student learning experience. The authors propose shifting learning space discussions away from building an historically small number of active learning spaces, towards a larger number of what they term “learning-ready classrooms,” which apply universal design principles to support the multiple teaching identities and philosophies of faculty and the physiological, cultural, and cognitive needs of all students. Equitable access to learning-ready classrooms means they must be built at scale, so it is imperative to earn campus-wide commitment to this goal by honoring the multiple perspectives and priorities of members of all six cultures of the academy, as identified by Berquist (1992) and Berquist and Pawlak (2008). This article proposes a cross-cultural organizational framework, embodied in the example of a Classroom Readiness Committee (CRC) charter, that unites and aligns the different organizational perspectives of its members through clearly articulated mission, vision, functions and belief statements. Preliminary findings suggest that institutions can engage and mobilize multiple stakeholders towards the common goal of providing equitable access to learning-ready classrooms as long as the goal aligns with the core values and priorities of the institution, is clearly articulated and communicated, and honors the perspectives of the six cultures of the academy.
Mario Bosincu. Autorschaft als Widerstand gegen die Moderne. Über die Wende Ernst Jüngers. Königshausen & Neumann, 2013. 326 pp.

Dass es zwischen den ersten Auflagen der Stahlgewitter (1920) und der Fertigstellung von Auf den Marmorklippen (1939) in der (Werk-)Biographie Ernst Jungers zu einer bedeutenden Verschiebung der Pe...
Childhood wayfinding experience explains sex and individual differences in adult wayfinding strategy and anxiety

Anyone who has ever found themselves lost while driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood or forgotten where they parked their car can appreciate the importance of being able to navigate their environment. Navigation, or wayfinding, is a large-scale spatial ability that involves keeping track of the relative positions of objects and features in space, which allows for determining the path to a goal location. Early experiences shape spatial skill development, and research finds sex differences in spatial behaviors from preschool through adulthood, with males consistently outperforming females. The basis for sex differences in spatial aptitude is still debated, but explanations include differences in childhood spatial experience, the use of strategies for solving large-scale spatial problems, and spatial anxiety. The current study seeks to understand childhood wayfinding factors that may influence sex and individual differences in wayfinding strategies and wayfinding anxiety in adulthood. One hundred fifty-nine undergraduate psychology students reported their childhood wayfinding experience (i.e., time spent outside, distance traveled), current use of wayfinding strategies (i.e., route strategy, orientation strategy), and current wayfinding anxiety and general anxiety levels. Independent samples t tests revealed that, compared with females, males reported spending more time outside and traveling farther distances as children, having less current wayfinding anxiety and route strategy use, and having more current orientation strategy use. Mediation analyses found that distance traveled, but not time spent outdoors, during childhood mediated sex differences in route strategy use and wayfinding anxiety in adults, even when controlling for general anxiety. Furthermore, when controlling for participant sex and general anxiety, current wayfinding anxiety mediated the relationship between distance traveled during childhood and route strategy use in adults. The current findings provide potential environmental explanations for sex and individual differences in large-scale spatial behaviors, including wayfinding. Specifically, sex differences in early wayfinding experience may explain why males and females develop different strategies for navigating and different levels of wayfinding anxiety. Furthermore, regardless of sex, allowing children to explore and navigate their outdoor environments away from home may help lessen their fears about navigating and, in turn, improve the strategies they choose to traverse unfamiliar territories.
Quantum Phase Transitions in Random Magnets

This article presents a summary of recent studies of quantum phase transitions in random magnets using Monte Carlo methods. The quantum Ising model with random interactions in the presence of a transverse magnetic field is used as a primary example of a quantum phase transition driven by the strength of the applied field. After a brief discussion of experimental results and analytical results in one-dimension, results of numerical Monte Carlo simulations on the quantum critical behavior of the nearest neighbor Ising spin glass in two and three dimensions, as well as the random Ising ferromagnet in two dimensions are described in detail. Rare fluctuations of the quenched random bond distribution are found to have an important effect on the response of the system in the vicinity of the quantum phase transition, and are found to lead to divergent response in the paramagnetic phase itself. Such nonuniversal behavior is exhibited by many quantum models with quenched randomness; their effect on the description of the quantum phase transition is briefly discussed.
The Legal Envelope Theorem

Non-tax legal rules regulating the workplace, the financial sector, real property, and many other areas affect the ability of governments to collect revenues and provide public goods. Yet tax-collection considerations rarely enter into economic analyses of non-tax legal rules. Usually, tax-collection concerns are shunted aside to separate studies (and separate law-school courses) rather than being integrated into debates in non-tax spheres. This separation between non-tax legal rules and tax-collection considerations bears significant negative consequences for the ability of law and economics to generate descriptively accurate and normatively attractive accounts of important non-tax legal questions. This Article takes a step toward remedying that oversight. We present an analytic framework for understanding the interaction between non-tax legal rules and tax collection. This framework—which we call the Legal Envelope Theorem—demonstrates that legal rules should systematically deviate from simple notions of efficiency to take stock of tax effects. We then provide a series of examples applying the Legal Envelope Theorem, illustrating how the non-tax legal system ought to be (and, on occasion, actually is) designed with tax effects in mind. These examples range from parental-leave mandates to bank capital requirements to centuries-old property and contract rules regularly taught in introductory law-school courses. We illustrate how a framework that is attentive to tax-collection considerations can enhance the government’s capacity to redistribute resources and address wealth inequality.
A Proposed Approach for Conducting Studies That Use Data From Social Media Platforms

Abstract The prominence of social media in contemporary society has extended significantly into the health care arena, where both patients and health care providers have used social media platforms to gather, communicate, learn, and share medical content and personal experience in real time. The medical literature has also seen an exponential increase in the number of studies that use data derived from social media coverage of various medical issues and topics. In this guide, we present a step-by-step framework for health care professionals and researchers to conduct studies that use data from social media platforms. We present 6 overarching steps: focus on framing a question that is appropriate for social media evaluation, identification of social media outlet and selection criteria of content, systematic data extraction, assessment of quality of content and sources of bias, analysis of data, and interpretation of study findings. Each step is illustrated with published examples.
Non-conserved metabolic regulation by LKB1 distinguishes human and mouse lung adenocarcinoma

KRAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene in human lung adenocarcinomas (hLUAD) and activating mutations in KRAS frequently co-occur with loss-of-function mutations in the tumor suppressor genes, TP53 or STK11/LKB1. However, mutation of all three genes is rarely observed in hLUAD, even though engineered mutations of all three genes produces a highly aggressive lung adenocarcinoma in mice (mLUAD). Here we provide an explanation of this difference between hLUAD and mLUAD by uncovering an evolutionary divergence in regulation of the glycolytic enzyme triosephosphate isomerase (TPI1). Using KRAS/TP53 mutant hLUAD cell lines, we show that TPI1 enzymatic activity can be altered via phosphorylation at Ser21 by the Salt Inducible Kinases (SIKs) in an LKB1-dependent manner; this allows modulation of glycolytic flux between completion of glycolysis and production of glycerol lipids. This metabolic flexibility appears to be critical in rapidly growing cells with KRAS and TP53 mutations, explaining why loss of LKB1 creates a metabolic liability in these tumors. In mice, the amino acid at position 21 of TPI1 is a Cys residue which can be oxidized to alter TPI1 activity, allowing regulation of glycolytic flux balance without a need for SIK kinases or LKB1. Our findings reveal an unexpected role for TPI1 in metabolic reprogramming and suggest that LKB1 and SIK family kinases are potential targets for treating KRAS/TP53 mutant hLUAD. Our data also provide a cautionary example of the limits of genetically engineered murine models as tools to study human diseases such as cancers.
An Effective Approach to the Repeated Cross-Sectional Design

Repeated cross-sectional (RCS) designs are distinguishable from true panels and pooled cross-sectional time series (PCSTS) since cross-sectional units (e.g., individual survey respondents) appear but once in the data. This poses two serious challenges. First, as with PCSTS, autocorrelation threatens inferences. However, common solutions like differencing and using a lagged dependent variable are not possible with RCS since lags for i cannot be used. Second, although RCS designs contain information that allows both aggregate- and individual-level analyses, available methods�from pooled ordinary least squares to PCSTS to time series�force researchers to choose one level of analysis. The PCSTS tool kit does not provide an appropriate solution, and we offer one here: double filtering with ARFIMA methods to account for autocorrelation in longer RCS followed by the use of multilevel modeling to estimate both aggregate- and individual-level parameters simultaneously. We use Monte Carlo experiments and three applied examples to explore the advantages of our framework.
Performance of the delayed- and prompt-gamma neutron activation systems at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is one of the major facilities pioneering the development of in vivo neutron activation (IVNA) techniques for body composition studies. The IVNA facility at BNL includes a delayed- and prompt-gamma neutron activation system (DGNA and PGNA), as well as an inelastic neutron scattering facility (INS). The BNL DGNA system was first fully established in the 1960’s by Cohn et al. (1969). It is composed of a total-body neutron activation facility (TBNAF) and a whole body counter (WBC), and is used to measure total body sodium, phosphorus, chlorine, and calcium. Body potassium is measured by counting endogenous 40K with the whole body counter. The PGNA system to measure total body nitrogen (TBN) was developed by Vartsky et al. (1979), and the INS system to measure total body carbon (TBC) was instituted by Kehaiyas et al. (1987). The DGNA and PGNA facilities have been upgraded and modified since they were first built.
COVFILS-2: Neutron Data and Covariances for Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis

We have prepared a new, fusion-oriented library of multigroup neutron cross sections, scattering matrices, and covariances (uncertainties and correlations) using modules of the NJOY nuclear data pr...
In vivo evidence for the role of the epsilon subunit as an inhibitor of the proton-translocating ATPase of Escherichia coli.

Abstract The function of the epsilon subunit of the Escherichia coli proton-translocating ATPase has been examined by using a mutant defective in the uncC gene. Strains with a defective uncC gene show a reduction in both growth yield and growth rate that is more severe than for other unc mutants; this deleterious effect is shown to be a result of the ATPase activity of the F1 complex which is missing the epsilon subunit. In addition, the epsilon-deficient F1 is bound less tightly to the membrane. These data suggest that, in vivo, the epsilon subunit is capable of inhibiting the ATPase activity of F1 and also functions in the binding of F1 to F0.
Grocery Store Genetics: A PCR-Based Genetics Lab that Links Genotype to Phenotype.

Instructors often present Mendelian genetics and molecular biology separately. As a result, students often fail to connect the two topics in a tangible manner. We have adopted a simple experiment to help link these two important topics in a basic biology course, using red and white onions bought from a local grocery store. A lack of red coloration in white onions is a result of one or more mutations in the color production pathway. This mutation can be seen by the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by gel electrophoresis. An absence of an amplified PCR product for one of the genes necessary for color production is associated with a lack of color production – an obvious trait in white onion. The students are able to “see” the difference at the DNA level between the red and white onion.