cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mimicking Fire for Successful Chaparral Restoration

Following disturbance, seed pre-treatment is essential for re-establishing many species with low germination rates. However, some seeds, such as those from chaparral plants, do not respond to common horticultural treatments. Instead, methods that mimic chaparral's natural succession cues (e.g., fire) should be used to improve seed germination and restoration success. Fire effects, such as heat, charate, leachate, smoke, and/or liquid smoke, are effective in breaking long-term seed dormancy in many chaparral plants. The challenge is to break seed dormancy in a cost- and time-efficient manner that can be used in large-scale restoration projects. Results of our study show that short-term exposure (10 minutes to one hour) to liquid smoke and/or heat enhances seed germination of Adenostoma fasciculatum Hook. & Arn. (chamise), Ceanothus cuneatus (Hook.) Nutt. (buckbrush), and Salvia mellifera Greene (black sage). Chamise seeds treated with liquid smoke have the greatest percent increase of seed germination odds: 394%, from the control (P < 0.000). Buckbrush seeds treated with liquid smoke and heat have the greatest percent increase of seed germination odds: 953%, from the control (P < 0.000). Black sage seeds treated with heat have the greatest percent increase of seed germination odds: 354%, from the control (P < 0.000). Implementing these procedures in restoration may reduce the seed costs of certain species by nearly 90%.
Post-seismic and interseismic fault creep; II, Transient creep and interseismic stress shadows on megathrusts

We use idealized subduction megathrust models to examine aseismic, frictional fault creep throughout the interseismic period. We consider rate-dependent and rate- and state-dependent friction. When there is significant post-seismic creep surrounding locations of coseismic slip, the creep rates surrounding an asperity may be lower than the plate convergence rate late in the seismic cycle. This lowering of the creep rates is due to stress shadows forming around the interseismically locked asperities. The size of the stress shadows increases as there is more transient post-seismic creep. Larger asperities produce larger interseismic stress shadows, and multiple asperities can act together to produce a stress shadow larger than the sum of the effects of the individual asperities. For rate-state frictional megathrusts, there is a wide range of transient post-seismic creep that occurs: from pulses of post-seismic creep with decreasing creep rates through time, to delayed post-seismic creep. Delayed post-seismic creep may occur well into the interseismic period, with transient creep lasting over a significant portion of the seismic cycle. Delayed post-seismic creep is generally favoured in velocity strengthening regions with either a larger magnitude of the frictional direct effect or a larger effective normal stress. In addition, regions of the fault undergoing delayed post-seismic creep must be above steady state following coseismic slip.
Novel phosphotyrosine targets of FGFR2IIIb signaling

Abstract In partnership exclusively with the epithelial FGFR2IIIb isotype and a structurally-specific heparan sulfate motif, stromal-derived FGF7 delivers both growth-promoting and growth-limiting differentiation signals to epithelial cells that promote cellular homeostasis between stromal and epithelial compartments. Intercompartmental homeostasis supported by FGF7/FGFR2IIIb is subverted in many solid epithelial tumors. The normally mesenchymal-derived homologue FGFR1 drives proliferation and a progressive tumor-associated phenotype when it appears ectopically in epithelial cells. In order to understand the mechanism underlying the unique biological effects of FGFR2IIIb, we developed an inducible FGFR2IIIb expression system that is specifically dependent on FGF7 for activation in an initially unresponsive cell line to avoid selection for only the growth-promoting aspects of FGFR2IIIb signaling. We then determined FGF7/FGFR2IIIb signaling-specific tyrosine phosphorylated proteins within 5 min after FGF7 stimulation by phosphopeptide immunoaffinity purification and nano-LC-MS/MS. The FGF7/FGFR2 pair caused tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple proteins that have been implicated in the growth stimulating activities of FGFR1 that included multi-substrate organizers FRS2α and IRS4, ERK2 and phosphatases SHP2 and SHIP2. It uniquely phosphorylated CDK2 and phosphatase PTPN18 on sites involved in the attenuation of cell proliferation, and several factors that maintain nuclear-cytosolic relationships (emerin and LAP2), protein structure and other cellular fine structures as well as some proteins of unknown functions. Several of the FGF7/FGFR2IIIb-specific targets have been associated with maintenance of function and tumor suppression and disruption in tumors. In contrast, a number of pTyr substrates associated with FGF2/FGFR1 that are generally associated with intracellular Ca 2+ -phospholipid signaling, membrane and cytoskeletal plasticity, cell adhesion, migration and the tumorigenic phenotype were not observed with FGF7/FGFR2IIIb. Our findings provide specific downstream targets for dissection of causal relationships underlying the distinct role of FGF7/FGFR2IIIb signaling in epithelial cell homeostasis.
Abundance and mineralogical association of arsenic in the Suwannee Limestone (Florida): Implications for arsenic release during water-rock interaction

Arsenic (As) is being released from the Suwannee Limestone, Upper Floridan aquifer, during aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) cycle testing with concentrations of up to 130 μg/L in the recovered water. To determine the abundance and mineralogical association of As in the Suwannee Limestone matrix we have conducted a detailed mineralogical and geochemical study of 306 core samples. In addition to random sampling of core material, we also collected “targeted” samples of core material that contained organic material, hydrous ferric oxide, pyrite, phosphate minerals and clays. Bulk As concentrations were determined by acid digestion followed by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS). Specific mineral phases were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron-probe microanalyses (EPMA). The average As concentration for all 306 samples is 3.5 ppm, but only 1.7 ppm after exclusion of the “targeted” samples. The average for the “targeted” samples is 9.5 ppm. The detailed lithologic, mineralogical, and geochemical study of As in the Upper Floridan aquifer, Suwannee Limestone shows that: (1) Arsenic is present in the Suwannee Limestone in low concentrations, but is concentrated in minor mineral phases, particularly pseudo-framboidal pyrite. (2) Pyrite is generally As-rich and can contain concentrations between 100 and 11,200 ppm As (average 2300 ppm, n=25). (3) Compared to pyrite, other trace minerals contain much less As. (4) Pyrite is ubiquitous throughout the Suwannee Limestone, but is most abundant in high porosity zones. (5) Previously suggested hydrous ferric oxide, clay minerals and apatite are not an important source of As. This study also provided some insight into the question whether the interaction (reaction) of water with an aquifer matrix that contains only a few part per million As is capable of producing high-As concentrations in groundwater. Our findings indicate that it can be relatively easy to generate a high-As groundwater despite a low bulk As concentration in the aquifer matrix. A change in physico-chemical conditions that selectively affects the stability of As-bearing minerals is sufficient to increase As concentrations by several orders of magnitude.
Effect of Metabolic Imbalance on Expression of Type III Secretion Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The type III secretion system is a dedicated machinery used by many pathogens to deliver toxins directly into the cytoplasm of a target cell. Expression and secretion of the type III effectors are triggered by cell contact. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Yersinia spp., expression can be triggered in vitro by removing calcium from the medium. The mechanism underlying either mode of regulation is unclear. Here we characterize a transposon insertion mutant of P. aeruginosa PAO1 that displays a marked defect in cytotoxicity. The insertion is located upstream of several genes involved in histidine utilization and impedes the ability of PAO1 to intoxicate eukaryotic cells effectively in a type III-dependent fashion. This inhibition depends on the presence of histidine in the medium and appears to depend on the excessive uptake and catabolism of histidine. The defect in cytotoxicity is mirrored by a decrease in exoS expression. Other parameters such as growth or piliation are unaffected. The cytotoxicity defect is partially complemented by an insertion mutation in cbrA that also causes overexpression of cbrB. The cbrAB two-component system has been implicated in sensing and responding to a carbon-nitrogen imbalance. Taken together, these results suggest that the metabolic state of the cell influences expression of the type III regulon.
Bi-level reconfigurations of fault tolerant arrays

Two types of algorithms are considered, namely, local algorithms and global algorithms. In a local algorithm, no processors need to know the status of all other processors in the system. The recovery process is distributed among the processors with each processor using extremely local knowledge. With these properties, the reconfiguration algorithm may achieve fast recovery and real time response but many sacrifice the optimal use of redundancy. In contrast, the goal of a global algorithm is to optimize the use of redundancy with respect to some fault tolerance criteria. This, however, requires global knowledge about other processors in the system and often necessitates extensive changes in the configuration of the system. For unmaintained, long-life systems, local fault tolerance algorithms have the advantages of fast recovery, while global fault tolerance algorithms provide better reliability and longer life expectancy. Fortunately, under certain conditions, it is possible to combine the advantages of the two types of algorithms. These conditions are described. >
Optical coherence tomography of living and fabricated microfluidic systems

Optical coherence tomography provides high-resolution, real-time data acquisition of both microstructure and function in living and fabricated microfluidic systems. As fabricated microfluidic devices become more complex 3D systems with active and passive components, OCT has the potential to non-invasively assess performance, thus enabling improved design. In this post-genomic period of research, OCT has the potential to aid in the identification of not only morphological mutations, but also functional mutations in developmental biology.
ECG Signal Compression Based on Burrows-Wheeler Transformation and Inversion Ranks of Linear Prediction

Many transform-based compression techniques, such as Fourier, Walsh, Karhunen-Loeve (KL), wavelet, and discrete cosine transform (DCT), have been investigated and devised for electrocardiogram (ECG) signal compression. However, the recently introduced Burrows-Wheeler Transformation has not been completely investigated. In this paper, we investigate the lossless compression of ECG signals. We show that when compressing ECG signals, utilization of linear prediction, Burrows-Wheeler Transformation, and inversion ranks yield better compression gain in terms of weighted average bit per sample than recently proposed ECG-specific coders. Not only does our proposed technique yield better compression than ECG-specific compressors, it also has a major advantage: with a small modification, the proposed technique may be used as a universal coder
Access Means Inequality

It seems a contradiction that access would bring inequality to higher education, but that trend is the usual case. Students, and institutions, while catering to mass access, provide vastly different quality, facilities, and focus than do elite institutions at the top, and this gulf has widened as access has expanded worldwide.
Overexpression of bcl-xL protects astrocytes from glucose deprivation and is associated with higher glutathione, ferritin, and iron levels

BackgroundThe possibility of altering outcome from ischemia-like injury by overexpressing the anti-cell death genebcl-xL was studied. Cells are known to die by different pathways including apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and necrosis. Thebcl-xL gene is a member of a family of apoptosis regulati
Non-profit entrepreneurship: extending the concept of profit opportunities

Entrepreneurship theory helps explain the market process and the means by which economic development occurs. The non-profit sector is an increasingly important component of economic development, yet the entrepreneurial process within this sector is largely unexplained. By expanding the economic literature on entrepreneurship, this paper establishes a conceptual framework for understanding the decision-making process of the non-profit entrepreneur. Extending the market notion of profit opportunities, the non-profit entrepreneur creatively acts in a non-market context by establishing an organisation that helps to coordinate individual plans and purposes.
Potential Role of Kringle-Integrin Interaction in Plasmin and uPA Actions (A Hypothesis)

We previously showed that the kringle domains of plasmin and angiostatin, the N-terminal four kringles (K1-4) of plasminogen, directly bind to integrins. Angiostatin blocks tumor-mediated angiogenesis and has great therapeutic potential. Angiostatin binding to integrins may be related to the antiinflammatory action of angiostatin. We reported that plasmin induces signals through protease-activated receptor (PAR-1), and plasmin-integrin interaction may be required for enhancing plasmin concentration on the cell surface, and enhances its signaling function. Angiostatin binding to integrin does not seem to induce proliferative signals. One possible mechanism of angiostatin's inhibitory action is that angiostatin suppresses plasmin-induced PAR-1 activation by competing with plasmin for binding to integrins. Interestingly, plasminogen did not interact with αvβ3, suggesting that the αvβ3-binding sites in the kringle domains of plasminogen are cryptic. The kringle domain of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) also binds to integrins. The uPA-integrin interaction enhances uPA concentrations on the cell surface and enhances plasminogen activation on the cell surface. It is likely that integrins bind to the kringle domain, and uPAR binds to the growth factor-like domain (GFD) of uPA simultaneously, making the uPAR-uPA-integrin ternary complex. We present a docking model of the ternary complex.
Update in Melanoma in Organ Transplant Patients

There are three major categories of transplant melanoma: pretransplant, posttransplant, and donor-derived melanoma. Dermatologists are involved in screening transplant candidates to help identify a history of pretransplant melanoma or other high-risk factors for posttransplant melanoma. For those with a history of pretransplant melanoma, AJCC melanoma staging should help guide wait times prior to transplantation to ensure ethical allocation of a scarce resource. The incidence of posttransplant malignant melanoma is estimated to be three to five times higher than the general public and is associated with a worse prognosis. While donor-derived melanoma is rare in transplant patients, it has been reported as the most commonly transmitted tumor-causing distant metastasis and is associated with a poor overall survival.
Reconsidering Restitution in Copyright

The Copyright Act authorizes courts to compel copyright infringers to destroy all infringing goods and to disgorge any profits attributable to their unlawful appropriation of a copyrighted work. Restitutionary in nature, these gain-based remedies purportedly exist to prevent the unjust enrichment of infringers. However, these remedies are not only practically and conceptually problematic in action, but they also lack a sound theoretical footing in either the law of restitution or the law of copyright. This Article reconsiders restitution in copyright. After surveying the role of restitutionary remedies in copyright's remedial scheme, it traces the problems associated with these remedies to fundamental misunderstandings of both restitution law and copyright law. Concluding that copyright's restitutionary remedies should be rectified, this Article proposes a number of alternatives for judicial or legislative reform.
Kinetic and Theoretical Insights into the Mechanism of Alkanol Dehydration on Solid Brønsted Acid Catalysts

Elementary steps that mediate ethanol dehydration to alkenes and ethers are determined here from rate and selectivity data on solid acids of diverse acid strength and known structure and free energies derived from density functional theory (DFT). Measured ethene and ether formation rates that differed from those expected from accepted monomolecular and bimolecular routes led to our systematic enumeration of plausible dehydration routes and to a rigorous assessment of their contributions to the products formed. H-bonded monomers, protonated alkanol dimers, and alkoxides are the prevalent bound intermediates at conditions relevant to the practice of dehydration catalysis. We conclude that direct and sequential (alkoxide-mediated) routes contribute to ether formation via SN2-type reactions; alkenes form preferentially from sequential routes via monomolecular and bimolecular syn-E2-type eliminations; and alkoxides form via bimolecular SN2-type substitutions. The prevalence of these elementary steps and their ...
Alpha S measurements of thermal control coatings on Navstar global positioning system spacecraft

Six Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) spacecraft were launched into highly inclined (63 deg) 20,182 km orbits between February 1978 and April 1980. Solar absorptances (<*s) have been deduced from the spacecraft temperature data and are presented in this paper. The coatings evaluated are silvered Teflon, fused silica mirrors, silvered Teflon with an electrically conductive overcoat, and S13G LO white paint. The <xs values for all of the coatings have increased significantly since launch. Possible causes for the high degradation rates are discussed.
Optimal Two-Stage Quality/Cost Dynamics

This paper considers how quality improvement efforts should be committed over the life span of a new product and how the resulting quality will change over time based on quality cost considerations. The quality initiatives are divided into two types of sequential efforts: prevention and appraisal. In the development stage of the new product, prevention is applied to definitize its quality characteristics while appraisal is used later on in the mass production stage to maintain an equilibrium level of outgoing quality. The tradeoff between lengthening the development stage to secure a better design and the reduced revenue as a result of delay to market will determine an optimal stopping point for applying the prevention effort. In addition, right before the mass production stage begins, a trial production period may arise endogenously to stabilize the quality aspect of the production process. An optimal control regime is used to solve the two-stage problem.
Fabrication and characterization of MEMS-based structures from a bio-inspired, chemo-responsive polymer nanocomposite

This paper reports the development of micromachining processes, as well as electrical and mechanical evaluation of a stimuli-responsive, mechanically-dynamic polymer nanocomposite for biomedical microsystems. The nanocomposite, which consists of a cellulose nanofiber network embedded in a poly(vinyl acetate) matrix, was shown to display a switchable stiffness comparable to bulk samples, with a Young’s modulus of 3570 MPa in the dry state, which reduced to ~25 MPa in the wet state, with a stiff-to-flexible transition-time dependent on exposed surface area. Upon immersion in phosphate buffered saline, the ac resistance through the PVAc-TW thickness was found to reduce from 8.04 MΩ to ~17 kΩ. Electrochemical impedance of an Au electrode on PVAc-TW was found to be ~178 kΩ at 1 kHz, and this was found to be stable as the probe shank was flexed to compress the metal, but increased with increasing flex angle when the metal was flexed into a tensile state.
The Effects of Exposure to Violence on Inmate Maladjustment

Offenders are exposed to violence at higher rates than the general population. Yet little is known about whether exposure to violence affects offenders’ adjustment to incarceration. Using a nationa...
THREE DIMENSIONAL MORPHOLOGY IN A NARROW WAVE TANK: MEASUREMENTS AND THEORY

Results are described from movable and fixed bed wave tank tests to examine the characteristics and causes of three dimensional beach profiles occurring in a narrow wave tank. The movable bed tests demonstrated a strongly repeatable sequence in which both the hydrodynamics and sediment transport patterns were two-dimensional over the initial stages of testing; however, after approximately 200 to 240 minutes, a horizontal circulation appeared and strengthened and resulted in a narrow channel incised adjacent to one of the tank walls. This circulation was reminiscent of a rip current system and resulted in a net landward transport of sediment. During the later stages of profile evolution, an equilibrium was reached in which the profile was steeper and the channel adjacent to the wall persisted. The fixed bed tests were conducted to examine, under controlled conditions, the mechanisms and causes of the horizontal circulation. Tests were carried out specifically to examine generation and maintenance mechanisms for rip currents and edge waves. One set of the fixed bed tests induced a jet into the surf zone and examined its interaction with incident waves. The interaction was found to exert a torque which was counter to that of the induced jet and thus would reduce its circulation. Edge wave mechanisms were examined in the second set of fixed bed tests by generating incident waves with the wave period corresponding to the edge wave length equal to twice the width of the tank for various edge wave modes. No indication of edge waves were found in the experiments. It is concluded that the sequence of profile evolution documented in the movable bed model tests is most likely caused by a long term instability and is reminiscent of and may be representative of the beach recovery stages from a storm profile.
Developing and Implementing a Customer–Focused Strategy in Banks: Customer Satisfaction Strategy Maps

This note describes how a Customer-Satisfaction-Strategy Map (CSSM) can be used to derive and implement a customer-focused strategy in banks. The CSSM links strategic areas to overall customer satisfaction, which in turn is linked to outcomes spanning intentions, behaviors, and financial results. Using three case studies, we describe the various components of a CSSM, its use for strategic planning and implementation, as well as for managing key outcomes for customers, employees, and investors. The cases illustrate the versatility of a data-rich, measurement methodology — survey measures, multivariate statistical analysis, outcomes analysis — to create and implement the CSSM approach. The approach should benefit community, regional, and national banks.
Overview of improving tolerance of long-term mechanical ventilation.

An examination of the categories of patients requiring long-term ventilation, the various types of ventilation, and the systematic treatment of psychological, medical, physiologic disorders to improve patient outcome and maximize functional capacity is provided in this article.
Anatomic considerations of the peripheral nerve in compressive neuropathies of the upper extremity.

A concise review of the internal anatomy of the peripheral nerve and the inter-nervous planes is presented to help a practicing upper extremity surgeon better understand and operate on the nerves of the upper extremity.
Influence of dietary zinc or cadmium on hair and tissue mineral concentrations in rats and goats.

Three experiments were conducted to determine whether concentrations of minerals in hair and other tissues of rats and goats are affected by level of dietary Zn or Cd. In the first experiment, rats were fed diets that contained 10.3, 20.5, 33.7, 41.3 or 52.9 micrograms Zn/g for 57 d. Rats fed the diet that contained 10.3 micrograms Zn/g suffered from mild Zn deficiency, as indicated by depressed feed intakes and slower growth rates than rats fed diets containing higher amounts of Zn. Zinc concentrations in hair (P less than .01), liver (P less than .01) and kidney (P less than .01) increased as dietary Zn increased. Confidence intervals for dietary Zn concentration predicted from Zn analysis of hair were large. In the second experiment, rats were fed diets that contained .1, 4.0, 7.6, 10.1 or 15.9 micrograms Cd/g for 57 d. Total growth, feed intake, feed efficiency and liver, kidney and testes weights were not affected (P greater than .05) by dietary Cd concentration. Cadmium increased linearly in liver (P less than .01) and kidney (P less than .01) and quadratically in testes (P less than .01) as Cd intake increased, but Cd in hair was not affected by dietary level of Cd. High correlations between Cd concentrations in liver (R2 = .88) and kidney (R2 = .90) and dietary Cd concentration indicate that Cd intakes of rats may be accurately predicted from Cd analyses of these tissues. In the third experiment, goats were fed diets containing 0, 10.4, 18.0 or 28.5 micrograms Cd/g for 125 d. Growth, feed intake, feed efficiency and liver and kidney weights were not affected by dietary Cd intake. Cadmium in hair samples was not affected by level of dietary Cd; however, cadmium in liver (P less than .01), kidney (P less than .01) and proximal duodenum (P less than .01) increased as dietary Cd increased. Cadmium in liver, kidney, lungs and proximal duodenum was highly correlated (R2 = .67, .89, .57, .49, respectively) with dietary Cd concentration.
The Holoacardius: A Correlative Computerized Tomographic, Radiologic, and Ultrasonographic Investigation of a New Case with Review of Literature

A holoacardius from a monozygotic, monochorionic twin pregnancy of 36 weeks is described. Trisomy-18 was diagnosed in the viable female cotwin. Computerized tomographic, radiologic, and ultrasonographic procedures were applied to the acardiac. Its three-vessel umbilical cord was velamentously attached to the single placenta. Grossly malformed and poorly developed craniofacial structures, absence of neck and upper extremities, sirenomelic lower extremity, absence of heart, and development of only a few skeletal elements were prominent features. A review of selected world literature emphasizes the limits of the estimates dealing with the total number of reported cases and the incidence of acardii.
The dark side of T memory stem cells.

In this issue of Blood , [Nagai et al][1] provide evidence that adult T-cell leukemia is hierarchically organized and sustained by a small population of transformed T memory stem cells.[1][2] ![Figure][3] A model of HTLV-1–induced leukemogenesis. Longitudinal accumulation of genetic and
SU-F-T-275: A Correlation Study On 3D Fluence-Based QA and 2D Dose Measurement-Based QA

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to demonstrate the feasibility and creditability of computing and verifying 3D fluencies to assure IMRT and VMAT treatment deliveries, by correlating the passing rates of the 3D fluence-based QA (P(ά)) to the passing rates of 2D dose measurementbased QA (P(Dm)). Methods: 3D volumetric primary fluencies are calculated by forward-projecting the beam apertures and modulated by beam MU values at all gantry angles. We first introduce simulated machine parameter errors (MU, MLC positions, jaw, gantry and collimator) to the plan. Using passing rates of voxel intensity differences (P(Ir)) and 3D gamma analysis (P(γ)), calculated 3D fluencies, calculated 3D delivered dose, and measured 2D planar dose in phantom from the original plan are then compared with those from corresponding plans with errors, respectively. The correlations of these three groups of resultant passing rates, i.e. 3D fluence-based QA (P(ά,Ir) and P(ά,γ)), calculated 3D dose (P(Dc,Ir) and P(Dc,γ)), and 2D dose measurement-based QA (P(Dm,Ir) and P(Dm,γ)), will be investigated. Results: 20 treatment plans with 5 different types of errors were tested. Spearman's correlations were found between P(ά,Ir) and P(Dc,Ir), and also between P(ά,γ) and P(Dc,γ), with averaged p-value 0.037, 0.065, and averaged correlation coefficient ρ-value 0.942, 0.871 respectively. Using Matrixx QA for IMRT plans, Spearman's correlations were also obtained between P(ά,Ir) and P(Dm,Ir) and also between P(ά,γ) and P(Dm,γ), with p-value being 0.048, 0.071 and ρ-value being 0.897, 0.779 respectively. Conclusion: The demonstrated correlations improve the creditability of using 3D fluence-based QA for assuring treatment deliveries for IMRT/VMAT plans. Together with advantages of high detection sensitivity and better visualization of machine parameter errors, this study further demonstrates the accuracy and feasibility of 3D fluence based-QA in pre-treatment QA and daily QA. Research reported in this study is supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) under award 1R01HS0222888. The senior author received research grants from ViewRay Inc. and Varian Medical System
Decellularized extracellular matrix repair of volumetric muscle loss injury impairs adjacent bone healing in a rat model of complex musculoskeletal trauma.

BACKGROUND Traumatic muscle loss (i.e., volumetric muscle loss [VML] injury) impairs adjacent fracture healing but is often left untreated. A promising therapy for this application is a decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) because of their capacity to regenerate a vascularized tissue bed. This study tested the hypothesis that repair of VML concomitant to fracture with a small intestine submucosa (SIS)-ECM improves musculoskeletal healing. METHODS In male Lewis rats (~375 g), a 3-mm segmental bone defect (SBD) was created in concomitance with a 6-mm, full-thickness VML injury to the adjacent tibialis anterior (TA) muscle. For all rats (n = 10), the SBD was treated with internal plate fixation and delivery of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (1 μg) on a collagen sponge. The VML either had no repair or SIS-ECM repair (n = 5/group). Bone regeneration within the SBD (BV/TV [bone volume as a fraction of total volume]) was assessed via in vivo micro-computed tomography at 2, 4, and 6 weeks and histology at 6 weeks after injury. Tibialis anterior muscle in vivo strength and histologic assessments were performed at 6 weeks after injury. RESULTS Compared with no repair, SIS-ECM presented -21% (p = 0.09) and -27% (p = 0.004) BV/TV at 4 and 6 weeks after injury, respectively. At 6 weeks, the SBD gap length was shorter for the no repair than that for the SIS-ECM (2.64 ± 0.30 and 3.67 ± 0.41 mm, respectively; p = 0.09), whereas the distances from the end of each cortical segment to the center of the first stabilization screw were longer (1.86 ± 0.25 and 0.85 ± 0.30 mm, respectively; p = 0.035), indicating enhanced resorption in the SIS-ECM group. Both groups presented similar magnitude TA muscle strength deficits compared with their contralateral limbs (10-150 Hz: no repair, -58% to 67%; SIS-ECM, -51% to 74%). The TA muscle of the SIS-ECM group was remarkable for its presentation of fibrosis, edema, and immune cell presence. CONCLUSIONS Small intestine submucosa-ECM VML repair impaired open fracture healing and failed to improve skeletal muscle strength.
FEA modeling and fluid flow simulation of human rectum with inserted bowel catheters

In this project, fluid flow and fluid-structure interaction are studied for the human lower gastrointestinal (GI) region. The study consists of two steps. First, we apply meshing methods to discretize both the human lower GI model and the catheter model at sufficient resolution suitable for importing into a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tool. For model discretization, 3D models of the colon reconstructed from human MRI slices are used to obtain the valid inlet and outlet boundary surfaces. To resolve the viscous boundary layer in flow studies, a special structure of the near-wall volumetric mesh is built by triangular prisms that construct quasi-structured, multiple near-boundary sub-layers. Second, we study the computational fluid dynamics. Transient numerical calculation of flow profiles are conducted for velocity profiles, flow rate division, pressure gradient variation, and flow cosmetics. The analysis of biofluid interactions with medical catheters is conducted to help understand how the biofluid behaves in various conditions to address design related concerns such as leakage problems.
Optimal quantum measure for polarization of light with indefinite number of photons

In quantum information processing, one of the most common methods to represent a qubit is by means of the polarization degree of freedom of a photon. Efficient methods to determine the photon polarization state are hence the fundamental tools in the studies of qubit systems. In fact, both theoretically optimal and practical polarization measurement schemes have been investigated extensively in the past two decades. These studies nevertheless focus on the situation when a definite number of photons are given and the results demonstrate the polarization estimation performance in terms of the mean fidelity [1, 2].
Management of Dyspnea and Central Airway Obstruction in Patients With Malignancy

Dyspnea is a subjective sensation of breathlessness which can be exacerbated by psychological distress. Dyspnea arises from complex multisystem processes, making it challenging to diagnose and control effectively. However, immediate evaluation and maintenance of airway is required in order to allow for more time to identify potentially reversible causes. When central airway obstruction (CAO) is identified, interventional procedures to manage CAO are palliative, but these interventions can significantly reduce dyspnea, improve functional status, reduce postobstructive infections, enhance quality of life, and enable better radiographic evaluation for staging. Because interventions are palliative, one should carefully assess the risk of any procedure with the potential for palliative benefit.
Strategies for enhancing research in aging health disparities by mentoring diverse investigators

Author(s): Harawa, Nina T; Manson, Spero M; Mangione, Carol M; Penner, Louis A; Norris, Keith C; DeCarli, Charles; Scarinci, Isabel C; Zissimopoulos, Julie; Buchwald, Dedra S; Hinton, Ladson; Perez-Stable, Eliseo J | Abstract: IntroductionThe Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) program was launched in 1997. Its goal is to build infrastructure to improve the well-being of older racial/ethnic minorities by identifying mechanisms to reduce health disparities.MethodsIts primary objectives are to mentor faculty in research addressing the health of minority elders and to enhance the diversity of the workforce that conducts elder health research by prioritizing the mentorship of underrepresented diverse scholars.ResultsThrough 2015, 12 centers received RCMAR awards and provided pilot research funding and mentorship to 361 scholars, 70% of whom were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. A large majority (85%) of RCMAR scholars from longstanding centers continue in academic research. Another 5% address aging and other health disparities through nonacademic research and leadership roles in public health agencies.ConclusionsLongitudinal, team-based mentoring, cross-center scholar engagement, and community involvement in scholar development are important contributors to RCMAR's success.
Mitochondria and Kidney Disease

The kidney maintains body homeostasis by regulating the excretion and/or conservation of nutrients such as glucose and amino acids, of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, and of xenobiotics such as drugs or toxic compounds. Reabsorption and secretion of these compounds utilize transport pathways that rely on the energy produced by mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, which generates ATP. Because of the high demand for ATP, renal tubule cells contain a large number of mitochondria, particularly the proximal tubule cells, where most of the transporter pathways are located. Damage to the kidney is generally classified as either chronic kidney disease (CKD) or acute kidney injury (AKI), where CKD is a slow loss of kidney function over an extended period of time, while AKI is a sudden loss of kidney function in hours to days. Both CKD and AKI are associated with damage to tubular cells, which is likely to result from a loss of mitochondrial function. Some drugs and toxic compounds, such as cisplatin, gentamycin, tenofovir, heavy metals and contrast media, are well known to induce mitochondrial damage leading to cell death and eventually to AKI. This chapter will however focus on two less known compounds, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol that both induce AKI and can result in complete loss of kidney function. Neither compound itself is nephrotoxic, rather they are metabolized to oxalic acid and diglycolic acid, respectively, which in turn damage proximal tubule cells. Both oxalate, in its crystalline form calcium oxalate monohydrate, and diglycolate produce mitochondrial dysfunction, either by direct inhibition of mitochondrial respiration or by increasing reactive oxygen species production.
Spontaneous respiratory plasticity following unilateral high cervical spinal cord injury in behaving rats.

Abstract Unilateral cervical C2 hemisection (C2Hx) is a classic model of spinal cord injury (SCI) for studying respiratory dysfunction and plasticity. However, most previous studies were performed under anesthesia, which significantly alters respiratory network. Therefore, the goal of this work was to assess spontaneous diaphragm recovery post-C2Hx in awake, freely behaving animals. Adult rats were chronically implanted with diaphragm EMG electrodes and recorded during 8 weeks post-C2Hx. Our results reveal that ipsilateral diaphragm activity partially recovers within days post-injury and reaches pre-injury amplitude in a few weeks. However, the full extent of spontaneous ipsilateral recovery is significantly attenuated by anesthesia (ketamine/xylazine, isoflurane, and urethane). This suggests that the observed recovery may be attributed in part to activation of NMDA receptors which are suppressed by anesthesia. Despite spontaneous recovery in awake animals, ipsilateral hemidiaphragm dysfunction still persists: i) Inspiratory bursts during basal (slow) breathing exhibit an altered pattern, ii) the amplitude of sighs – or augmented breaths – is significantly decreased, and iii) the injured hemidiaphragm exhibits spontaneous events of hyperexcitation. The results from this study offer an under-appreciated insight into spontaneous diaphragm activity and recovery following high cervical spinal cord injury in awake animals.
Anti-TNF therapy-induced lupus erythematosus-like syndrome in a patient treated with adalimumab for cutaneous psoriasis

A 44-year-old woman with cutaneous psoriasis and no history of joint involvement recently treated with adalimumab was admitted to the inpatient Internal Medicine service for uncontrolled, severe joint pain so debilitating that it limited her activities of daily living and prevented her from working as a medical technologist. She had stopped taking adalimumab 3 weeks prior to presentation after receiving approximately 2.5 months of therapy for cutaneous psoriasis unresponsive to trials of topical steroids and methotrexate. Antinuclear antibody and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies were positive at high titres. She received a course of oral corticosteroids with improvement in her symptoms.
Is c-Src tyrosine kinase a new target for antiarrhythmic drug therapy?

c-Src is the cellular homologue of the transforming gene of Rous sarcoma virus ([1][1]). Discovery of this first human proto-oncogene won Bishop and Varmus the Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine in 1989. c-Src encodes plasma membrane-associated tyrosine kinase, which participates in cell growth
The Experimental Evidence for Gamow-Teller Quenching

The question of whether there is Gamow-Teller (GT) quenching relates in a fundamental way to our understanding of the nucleus and, thus, has been a subject of discussion for more than a decade.1–6 The question has acquired considerable new interest following the publication of new (p,n) data which allow us to get a view of “complete” GT strength functions7,8—complete in the sense of covering the excitation energy range containing all states with GT strength on the basis of conventional shell model calculations. Although, strictly speaking, GT quenching simply means that less spin-isospin transition strength is observed than is calculated on the basis of some model, the special significance of GT quenching is that it deals with intrinsic nucleon degrees of freedom, and the strength discrepancy violates the very essence of the model rather than fine details of the model.
Abstract NG02: NFS1 undergoes positive selection in lung tumors and protects cells from ferroptosis

Environmental nutrient levels impact cancer cell metabolism, resulting in context-dependent gene essentiality. Here, using RNAi-based loss of function screening, we identify environmental oxygen level as a major driver of differential essentiality between in vitro model systems and in vivo tumours. Above the 3-8% oxygen concentration typical of most tissues, we find that cancer cells depend on high levels of the iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) biosynthetic enzyme NFS1. Accordingly, mammary or subcutaneous tumours grow despite NFS1 suppression, while metastatic or primary lung tumours do not. Consistent with a role in surviving the high oxygen environment of incipient lung tumours, NFS1 lies in a region of genomic amplification present in lung adenocarcinoma and is most highly expressed in well-differentiated adenocarcinomas. NFS1 activity is particularly important for maintaining the ISC cofactors present in multiple cell-essential proteins upon exposure to O 2 compared to other forms of oxidative damage. Additionally, insufficient ISC maintenance robustly activates the iron-starvation response and, in combination with glutathione biosynthesis inhibition, triggers ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic form of cell death. Suppression of NFS1 cooperates with inhibition of cysteine transport to trigger ferroptosis in vitro and slow tumour growth. Therefore, lung adenocarcinomas select for expression of a pathway that confers resistance to high oxygen tension and protects cells from undergoing ferroptosis in response to oxidative damage. These observations lead to the tantalizing hypothesis that one can trick cancer cells into taking up large quantities of iron and releasing intracellular iron stores via modulation of NFS1 or downstream effectors, such as IRPs, leaving them at increased risk for ROS-mediated cell death mechanisms such as ferroptosis. Citation Format: Samantha W. Alvarez, Vladislav O. Sviderskiy, Erdem M. Terzi, Thales Papagiannakopoulos, Andre L. Moreira, Sylvia Adams, David M. Sabatini, Kivanc Birsoy, Richard L. Possemato. NFS1 undergoes positive selection in lung tumors and protects cells from ferroptosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr NG02.
Risk Factors for Failure of Total Ankle Arthroplasty With a Minimum Five Years of Follow-up:

Background:As the popularity of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) increases and indications expand, surgeons require a better understanding of which patient factors are associated with implant failure...
Constructing and Deconstructing Cancers using Human Pluripotent Stem Cells and Organoids

Cell lines and animal models have provided the foundation of cancer research for many years. However, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and organoids are increasingly enabling insights into tumor development, progression, and treatment. Here, we review recent studies using hPSCs to elucidate the reciprocal roles played by genetic alterations and cell identity in cancer formation. We also review studies using human organoids as models that recapitulate both intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity to gain new insights into tumorigenesis and treatment responses. Finally, we highlight potential opportunities for cancer research using hPSC-derived organoids and genome editing in the future.
Weight Loss for Children and Adults with Obesity and Asthma. A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Asthma and obesity are major public health problems, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Obesity is associated with increased asthma risk and severity, and lower asthma-related quality of life. Objective: In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate whether weight loss in subjects with obesity and asthma leads to improvement in asthma-related outcomes. Data Sources and Extraction: We searched PubMed and Google Scholar for all studies in English published January 2000-December 2018. Studies were included if they were randomized, controlled clinical trials (RCTs) for overweight/obese children or adults with asthma, with sufficient data to assess outcomes and study quality. Non-randomized and non-controlled studies were excluded, as well as those in subjects without overweight/obesity, or with non-asthmatic controls. Synthesis: We identified four RCTs involving children (total n = 246) and six involving adults (n = 502). All interventions were designed for weight loss and varied from dietary restrictions to multifactorial interventions with exercise training and cognitive behavioral therapy; the duration of intervention ranged from 8 weeks to 18 months. All RCTs reported successful improvements in weight or body mass index (-0.14 standard deviation scores to -15.9% BMI reduction in children, 1.8%-14.5% weight loss in adults). RCTs generally reported improvements in asthma-related quality of life and, to some degree, asthma control. RCTs involving adults also reported improvements in lung function (FEV1, FVC, TLC), while RCTs in children showed less consistent results. Conclusions: These findings suggest that weight loss in subjects with obesity and asthma may improve asthma outcomes. However, there was wide variability in populations studied, baseline and post-intervention assessments, follow-up length, outcome definition and reporting, and statistical approaches, which hindered the ability to compare studies, perform a pooled analysis, or assess generalizability. Primary Source of Funding: U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
p‐tert‐Butylcalix[6]arene

p-tert-Butylcalix[6]arene reactant: p-tert-Butylphenol from Aldrich Chemical Company, Inc. product: p-tert-Butylcalix[6]arene Keywords: annulation, carbocyclic-[>6]; cyclization, condensation