cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adult-acquired Flatfoot Deformity

Originally known as posterior tibial tendon dysfunction or insufficiency, adult-acquired flatfoot deformity encompasses a wide range of deformities. These deformities vary in location, severity, and rate of progression. Establishing a diagnosis as early as possible is one of the most important factors in treatment. Prompt early, aggressive nonsurgical management is important. A patient in whom such treatment fails should strongly consider surgical correction to avoid worsening of the deformity. In all four stages of deformity, the goal of surgery is to achieve proper alignment and maintain as much flexibility as possible in the foot and ankle complex. However, controversy remains as to how to manage flexible deformities, especially those that are severe.
Overexpression of IAP-2 attenuates apoptosis and protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in transgenic mice.

Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are key intrinsic regulators of caspases-3 and -7. During ischemia, IAP-2 is upregulated dramatically, while the other IAPs show little or no change. To test whether IAP-2 prevents cardiac apoptosis and injury following ischemia/reperfusion, we generated a line of transgenic mice that carried a mouse IAP-2 transgene. High levels of mouse IAP-2 transcripts and 70 KDa IAP-2 were expressed in the hearts of transgenic mice, whereas IAP-1 and XIAP levels remained the same. Immunohistochemical studies revealed more intense staining of IAP-2 in the myocytes of transgenic mouse hearts. To assess the role of IAP-2 in I/R injury, the transgenic mice were subjected to ligation of the left descending anterior coronary artery ligation followed by reperfusion. The infarct sizes, expressed as the percentage of the area at risk, were significantly smaller in the transgenic mice than in the non-transgenic mice (30 ± 2% vs. 44 ± 2%, respectively, P<0.05). This protection was accompanied by a decrease of the serum level of troponin I in the transgenic mice. IAP-2 transgenic hearts had significantly fewer TUNEL-positive cardiac cells, which indicated an attenuation of apoptosis. Our results demonstrate that overexpression of IAP-2 renders the heart more resistant to apoptosis and I/R injury.
Non-invasive, quantitative monitoring of hyperthermia-induced EGFR activation in xenograft tumours

Purpose: To examine the molecular mechanism of cellular EGFR activation during hyperthermia treatment.Materials and methods: EGR activities in tumour cells were quantified through the use of a recently developed split-luciferase-based EGFR reporter system which allowed us to monitor EGFR activation in vitro as well as in vivo in a non-invasive manner.Results: We found that hyperthermia treatment of MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells resulted in a strong induction of EGFR activity in tissue culture as well as in xenograft tumours. Furthermore, we found that this induction is mediated by the heat shock protein Hsp90. Administration of the specific Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin as well as RNAi directed against HSP90 effectively inhibited EGFR activation, suggesting an essential role for Hsp90 in hyperthermia-induced EGFR activation. In addition, cells treated with geldanamycin were sensitised to heat treatment, suggesting that adding Hsp90 inhibitors to hyperthermia regimens might have a beneficial effect for canc...
Electorally Threatening Women? Understanding Gender Quotas in the French Socialist Party

ABSTRACT Almost three decades ago, the French Socialist Party (PS) adopted a quota for women in the party leadership and for female candidates, and in the ensuing 25 years, the quota was increased and implemented at various times. The history of the PS' s gender-based quota raises the following questions: Why do party leaders adopt gender quotas at one time, increase quotas at another, and implement them in some elections, but not in others? In other words, how can we account for the decisions of political actors? This work seeks to answer these questions by examining the demands and actions of PS feminists. It shows that party women demanded gender quotas and frequently backed up their demands with ideational and electoral arguments that often appealed to male party officials. However, the success of these proposals did not depend on the ability of Socialist women to make convincing arguments; rather it depended on the presence of male party officials who had electoral incentives to support them. This wo...
Structural and biological characteristics of connective tissue activating peptide (CTAP-III), a major human platelet-derived growth factor.

Abstract Connective tissue activating peptides (CTAPs) extracted from leukocytes and platelets stimulate glycolysis and synthesis of glycosaminoglycan and DNA in cultured human connective tissue cells. CTAP-III, isolated from fresh or outdated human platelets, is a low molecular weight single-chain protein with an isoelectric point of 8.5 that markedly stimulates DNA synthesis and multiple aspects of glycosaminoglycan and proteoglycan metabolism. This report presents a definitive comparison of CTAP-III prepared by two methods [one designated (A), alternative] with similar platelet proteins described by others, beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) and low-affinity platelet factor 4 (LA-PF-4). CTAP-III, CTAP-III(A), LA-PF-4, and beta-TG have common antigenic determinants documented by immunoprecipitation and radioimmunoassay. CTAP-III, CTAP-III(A), and LA-PF-4 are biologically active in that they stimulate DNA and glycosaminoglycan synthesis by human synovial cells; beta-TG is inactive. Carboxyl-terminal digestion gave identical terminal sequences for CTAP-III, CTAP-III(A), and beta-TG. Amino-terminal sequence data indicate that CTAP-III and CTAP-III(A) (also LA-PF-4) are identical and differ from beta-TG only by an additional amino-terminal tetrapeptide (Asn-Leu-Ala-Lys-). The biologically active molecule, CTAP-III, may be proteolytically converted to its inactive degradation product (beta-TG) in the course of platelet aging, platelet storage, release from the platelets, or initiation of biological activity.
Quantitative high-resolution sensing of DNA hybridization using magnetic tweezers with evanescent illumination

We applied the combined approach of evanescent nanometry and force spectroscopy using magnetic tweezers to quantify the degree of hybridization of a single synthetic single-stranded DNA oligomer to a resolution approaching a single-base. In this setup, the 200 nucleotide long DNA was covalently attached to the surface of an optically transparent solid support at one end and to the surface of a superparamagnetic fluorescent microsphere (force probe) at the other end. The force was applied to the probes using an electromagnet. The end-to-end molecular distance (i.e. out-of-image-plane position of the force probe) was determined from the intensity of the probe fluorescence image observed with total-internal reflectance microscopy. An equation of state for single stranded DNA molecules under tension (extensible freely jointed chain) was used to derive the penetration depth of the evanescent field and to calibrate the magnetic properties of the force probes. The parameters of the magnetic response of the force probes obtained from the equation of state remained constant when changing the penetration depth, indicating a robust calibration procedure. The results of such a calibration were also confirmed using independently measured probe-surface distances for probes mounted onto cantilevers of an atomic force microscope. Upon hybridization of the complementary 50 nucleotide-long oligomer to the surface-bound 200-mer, the changes in the force–distance curves were consistent with the quantitative conversion of 25% of the original single-stranded DNA to its double-stranded form, which was modeled as an elastic rod. The method presented here for quantifying the hybridization state of the single DNA molecules has potential for determining the degree of hybridization of individual molecules in a single molecule array with high accuracy.
Automated lesion detection on MRI scans using combined unsupervised and supervised methods.

Accurate and precise detection of brain lesions on MR images (MRI) is paramount for accurately relating lesion location to impaired behavior. In this paper, we present a novel method to automatically detect brain lesions from a T1-weighted 3D MRI. The proposed method combines the advantages of both unsupervised and supervised methods. First, unsupervised methods perform a unified segmentation normalization to warp images from the native space into a standard space and to generate probability maps for different tissue types, e.g., gray matter, white matter and fluid. This allows us to construct an initial lesion probability map by comparing the normalized MRI to healthy control subjects. Then, we perform non-rigid and reversible atlas-based registration to refine the probability maps of gray matter, white matter, external CSF, ventricle, and lesions. These probability maps are combined with the normalized MRI to construct three types of features, with which we use supervised methods to train three support vector machine (SVM) classifiers for a combined classifier. Finally, the combined classifier is used to accomplish lesion detection. We tested this method using T1-weighted MRIs from 60 in-house stroke patients. Using leave-one-out cross validation, the proposed method can achieve an average Dice coefficient of 73.1 % when compared to lesion maps hand-delineated by trained neurologists. Furthermore, we tested the proposed method on the T1-weighted MRIs in the MICCAI BRATS 2012 dataset. The proposed method can achieve an average Dice coefficient of 66.5 % in comparison to the expert annotated tumor maps provided in MICCAI BRATS 2012 dataset. In addition, on these two test datasets, the proposed method shows competitive performance to three state-of-the-art methods, including Stamatakis et al., Seghier et al., and Sanjuan et al. In this paper, we introduced a novel automated procedure for lesion detection from T1-weighted MRIs by combining both an unsupervised and a supervised component. In the unsupervised component, we proposed a method to identify lesioned hemisphere to help normalize the patient MRI with lesions and initialize/refine a lesion probability map. In the supervised component, we extracted three different-order statistical features from both the tissue/lesion probability maps obtained from the unsupervised component and the original MRI intensity. Three support vector machine classifiers are then trained for the three features respectively and combined for final voxel-based lesion classification.
Molecular basis of the interphase dielectric properties of microelectronic and optoelectronic packaging materials

High frequency microelectronic and optoelectronic device packaging requires the use of substrate and encapsulation materials having a low dielectric constant, low dielectric loss and high volume resistivity. Most packaging materials are polymer-ceramic composites. A clear understanding of the broadband dielectric properties of composite materials is thus of great current importance for the effective development of high frequency packaging materials and optimized package design. Toward this goal, a general framework for understanding the dielectric properties of packaging materials was recently developed in which the dielectric constant of polymer-ceramic composite materials is characterized by the electrical properties of the polymer phase, the filler phase and an interphase region within the composite system. However, for this framework to be a viable tool for tailoring the dielectric properties of packaging materials, one must understand the dielectric properties of the polymer-filler interphase region, which represents a region of polymer surrounding and bonded to the surface of each filler particle having unique dielectric and physical characteristics. This work presents a model to explain and predict the dielectric properties of the composite interphase region based on dipole polarization theory.
Stable Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbenes as Rigid or Flexible, Bulky, Electron-Rich Ligands for Transition-Metal Catalysts: A Quaternary Carbon Atom Makes the Difference

The availability of catalysts to perform specific transformations is critical for both industry and academia. Over the years, the success of homogeneous catalysis can be attributed largely to the development of a diverse range of ligand frameworks that have been used to tune the behavior of a variety of metal-containing systems. Advances in ligand design have allowed not only for improvements of known processes in terms of scope, mildness, and catalyst loadings, but also for the discovery of new selective reactions. A good illustration is given by palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions, which are applied to a wide area of endeavors ranging from synthetic organic chemistry to materials science.[1] For these catalytic processes, which represent some of the most powerful and versatile tools available for synthetic chemists, major advances have recently been reported thanks to the use of bulky, electron-rich, phosphines A and cyclic diaminocarbenes (N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs)) B (Figure 1).[2] These ligands stabilize the active catalytic species, and accelerate the important catalytic steps, namely oxidative addition, transmetallation, and reductive elimination. On the other hand, excessive steric hindrance can present some drawbacks for the coupling of bulky reactants.[3] To overcome this problem Glorius and co-workers have successfully developed ligands with “flexible steric bulk” using the conformational flexibility of cyclohexane.[4]
Lung hypoplasia and neonatal death in Fgf9-null mice identify this gene as an essential regulator of lung mesenchyme

Mammalian lung develops as an evagination of ventral gut endoderm into the underlying mesenchyme. Iterative epithelial branching, regulated by the surrounding mesenchyme, generates an elaborate network of airways from the initial lung bud. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) often mediate epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and mesenchymal Fgf10 is essential for epithelial branching in the developing lung. However, no FGF has been shown to regulate lung mesenchyme. In embryonic lung, Fgf9 is detected in airway epithelium and visceral pleura at E10.5, but is restricted to the pleura by E12.5. We report that mice homozygous for a targeted disruption of Fgf9 exhibit lung hypoplasia and early postnatal death. Fgf9(-/-) lungs exhibit reduced mesenchyme and decreased branching of airways, but show significant distal airspace formation and pneumocyte differentiation. Our results suggest that Fgf9 affects lung size by stimulating mesenchymal proliferation. The reduction in the amount of mesenchyme in Fgf9(-/-) lungs limits expression of mesenchymal Fgf10. We suggest a model whereby FGF9 signaling from the epithelium and reciprocal FGF10 signaling from the mesenchyme coordinately regulate epithelial airway branching and organ size during lung embryogenesis.
A “Renin-Like” Enzymatic Action of Cathepsin D and the Similarity in Subcellular Distributions of “Renin-Like” Activity and Cathepsin D in the Midbrain of Dogs

The proposal that brain “rerun-like” activity may be due not to renin but to an action of brain cathepsin D on angiotensinogen during assay at low pH (ca. 5) was tested using pure bovine cathepsin D with dog and human angiotensinogen from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and nephrectomized plasma. Cathepsin D generated angiotensin I from CSF and plasma at a rate directly proportional to the concentration of enzyme added. The rate of hydrolysis of angiotensin I from angiotensinogen was estimated as 0.028%·min-1·g cathepsin D-1 for dog CSF, 0.001 for human CSF, 0.00035 for nephrectomized dog plasma, and 0.00001 for nephrectomized human plasma. Thus, cathepsin D hydrolyzes dog angiotensinogen about 30 times faster than it hydrolyzes human angiotensinogen. The rate of reaction in plasma is about l/100th that in CSF. The subcellular distribution of renin-like activity in the midbrain of dogs was compared with that of cathepsin D and acid phosphatase, both lysosomal enzymes, by differential and isopycnic gradient cent...
Low-noise, high-bandwidth amplification of prebreakdown current pulses in liquid dielectrics

Results of prebreakdown current measurements made with a low-noise, high-bandwidth preamplifier (0.4- mu A minimum detectable current and 58-MHz bandwidth) are summarized. These waveforms demonstrate that low-noise, high-bandwidth preamplifiers are needed in order to observe the shape of prebreakdown current pulses, including the earliest pulses which are extremely small and fast. These and other factors influencing the design of an improved preamplifier are considered. Data collected indicate that at least a 50-MHz bandwidth is desirable to see the higher frequency components of the current pulses and that the noise level should be as low as possible so very small currents will be detectable. A major constraint on the design is the need to protect the preamplifier from a complete breakdown of the test sample while still maintaining bandwidth and noise performance. Another important consideration is the tradeoff between bandwidth and noise level. In general an increased bandwidth implies higher noise levels and, hence, higher minimum detectable currents. In light of these considerations, the relative merits of current-sensitive (transimpedance) preamplifiers and voltage-sensitive preamplifiers (where current develops a voltage across the input impedance) are examined, and the possibility of greater current sensitivity is considered. >
Why Do Baroclinic Waves Tilt Poleward with Height

Theoretical and modeling studies of nongeostrophic effects in baroclinic waves predict that baroclinic waves should tilt poleward with height, with a larger tilt in total meridional wind than in geostrophic quantities. Regression analysis of NCEP‐NCAR reanalysis 6-hourly data demonstrates that observed baroclinic waves do indeed tilt poleward with height, although the observed tilt is smaller than predicted by previous studies. The meridional ageostrophic wind enhances the poleward tilt of meridional wind perturbations, despite being smaller in amplitude than the meridional geostrophic wind by a factor of 5. An improved estimate of the structure of the meridional ageostrophic wind in baroclinic waves is calculated assuming force balance. Several important terms in this estimate have been left out of previous estimates of the meridional ageostrophic wind. Three terms in the improved estimate produce nearly all of the poleward tilt of the meridional wind: 1) the advection of geostrophic zonal wind perturbations by the mean zonal wind, 2) the convergence of the eddy momentum flux, and 3) the effect of friction. The poleward tilt with height of baroclinic waves explains why upper-level storm tracks tend to occur poleward of near-surface baroclinic regions, and may play a role in the midwinter suppression of the Pacific storm track.
Symbolic computing in computer-aided control system analysis and design

A review of research on the applications of symbolic computing in the manipulation of control system models and equations is presented. The review is focused on two areas: the simplification of signal-flow-graph and block-diagram models and the manipulation of state variable models and equations. A number of applications based on software, including MACSYMA, LISP and PROLOG, are examined and compared to some of the more conventional approaches used in computer-aided control system design (CACSD) software. The author's work, which is aimed at the development of a graphic-symbolic preprocessor of control system models that can be integrated with existing CACSD software packages, is described. The benefits of coupling symbolic and numerical processing in the context of CACSD are discussed and some research topics that may develop as a result of such coupling are suggested. >
Poultry in Mexico's Expanding Agriculture

(1958). Poultry in Mexico's Expanding Agriculture. World's Poultry Science Journal: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 4-5.
Effects of mild hearing loss on auditory processing

The impact on language learning of mild hearing loss due to otitis media with effusion has forced a new look at the dynamics of central auditory processing. A model of auditory deprivation that would produce the test results that define CAP deficits would be a mild conductive hearing loss. It is relevant to reexamine CAP theory in terms of such hearing loss.
Immigrants as victims: Examining the function of assimilation

ABSTRACTResearch on victimization suggests that low self-control substantially increases the risk of victimization. Previous research has investigated the effect of low-self-control among a variety of samples. Seldom examined is the immigrant population. Because immigrants have become an important component of the U.S. population and are fast increasing in number, it is important to study their victimization experience. Immigrants possess different backgrounds and cultures, and they may have different levels of self-control and victimization experiences. In addition, immigrants undergo an assimilation process that may influence the association between self-control and victimization. Our results show that the association between low self-control and victimization is robust and valid among immigrants. Assimilation has an independent effect on victimization but does not influence this association.
The Confidence Criterion in Big Neuroscience Authorship

Big Neuroscience initiatives such as the European Union's Human Brain Project and the United States' “Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative” bring togethe...
Mania secondary to focal brain lesions: implications for understanding the functional neuroanatomy of bipolar disorder.

Objectives Approximately 3.5 million Americans will experience a manic episode during their lifetimes. The most common causes are psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar I disorder and schizoaffective disorder, but mania can also occur secondary to neurological illnesses, brain injury, or neurosurgical procedures. Methods For this narrative review, we searched Medline for articles on the association of mania with stroke, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders, epilepsy, and neurosurgical interventions. We discuss the epidemiology, features, and treatment of these cases. We also review the anatomy of the lesions, in light of what is known about the neurobiology of bipolar disorder. Results The prevalence of mania in patients with brain lesions varies widely by condition, from <2% in stroke to 31% in basal ganglia calcification. Mania occurs most commonly with lesions affecting frontal, temporal, and subcortical limbic brain areas. Right-sided lesions causing hypo-functionality or disconnection (e.g., stroke; neoplasms) and left-sided excitatory lesions (e.g., epileptogenic foci) are frequently observed. Conclusions Secondary mania should be suspected in patients with neurological deficits, histories atypical for classic bipolar disorder, and first manic episodes after the age of 40 years. Treatment with antimanic medications, along with specific treatment for the underlying neurologic condition, is typically required. Typical lesion locations fit with current models of bipolar disorder, which implicate hyperactivity of left-hemisphere reward-processing brain areas and hypoactivity of bilateral prefrontal emotion-modulating regions. Lesion studies complement these models by suggesting that right-hemisphere limbic-brain hypoactivity, or a left/right imbalance, may be relevant to the pathophysiology of mania.
Expressions of Survivin, microvessel density in non-small cell lung cancer and their correlation with prognosis

Objective: To study the expressions of survivin, MVD in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their correlation with prognosis. Methods: Expressions of survivin, MVD and their correlation with prognosis were detected by streptavidin-peroxidase (S-P) method in NSCLC, adjacent tumor tissues and benign lesions. Results: The expression rate of survivin, in NSCLC, adjacent tumor tissues and benign lesions was 69.7%(63/96), 16.1%(5/31) and 0(0/20)(P0.05);the expression value of MVD was 24.44±7.79, 19.37±5.26 and 11.83±6.52 respectively(P0.05). The survival of NSCLC was associated with expressions of survivin and MVD (P=0.042, P=0.039). Conclusion: Survivin, MVD are overexpressed in NSCLC and their expressions are related with prognosis.
Developmental Acclimation of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and Its Effect on Diapause and Winter Stress Tolerance.

We investigated the influence of developmental conditions on adult morphology, reproductive arrest, and winter stress tolerance of the invasive pest of small fruit, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Cooler rearing temperatures (15 °C) resulted in larger, darker "winter morph" (WM) adults than "summer morph" flies reared at optimal temperatures (25 °C). Abdominal pigmentation scores and body size measurements of laboratory-reared WMs were similar to those of D. suzukii females captured in late autumn in Geneva, NY. We evaluated reproductive diapause and cold hardiness in live-captured D. suzukii WMs as well as WMs reared in the laboratory from egg to adult under four developmental conditions: static cool temperatures (SWM; 15 °C, 12:12 h L:D), fluctuating temperatures (FWM; 20 °C L: 10 °C D, 12:12 h L:D), and static cool temperatures (15 °C, 12:12 h L:D) followed by posteclosion chilling (CWM; 10 °C) under short-day (SD; 12:12 h L:D) or long-day photoperiods (LD; 16:8 h L:D). Live-captured D. suzukii WMs and CWMs had longer preoviposition times than newly eclosed summer morph adults, indicating a reproductive diapause that was not observed in SWMs or FWMs. Additionally, recovery after acute freeze stress was not different between CWM-SD females and live captured WM females. More 7-d-old CWMs survived 0, -1, or - 3 °C freeze stress than summer morph adults, and more CWM-SD adults survived -3 °C freeze stress than CWM-LD adults. Survival after -3 °C freeze stress was significantly higher in diapausing, CWMs than nondiapausing SWMs and FWMs.
Laser-cooled Rb clocks

Summary form only given. We have constructed a prototype of an /sup 87/Rb fountain clock. We collect 10/sup 10/ /sup 87/Rb atoms in a vapor cell magneto-optic trap (MOT). The laser system for trapping and cooling is entirely solid state--a grating stabilized laser injects a separate slave laser for each of the six beams of the MOT. We launch the atoms by frequency shifting the three downward propagating laser beams and then increasing the detuning and gradually reducing the intensity of the slave lasers to adiabatically cool the atoms to low temperatures in the fountain.
The Case Studies: Fieldwork, Methodological Issues, and New Clues

The quantitative analysis from the previous chapters demonstrated that a non-trivial set of participating parents experienced spillover effects. That analysis, however, lacked baseline data or control groups. In addition, the survey data could not address questions about the relationship between civil society and the quality of democracy. We still want to know, for instance, how community leaders engage with leaders in other communities and how autonomous rural civil society is from the state. This chapter and chapters 7 and 8 rely on fieldwork to fill in the gaps left by the survey data.
Restless mouth syndrome

A 60-year-old man was referred to our headache clinic for evaluation of atypical facial pain. He reported a 1-year history of oral discomfort that began 2 to 3 months after a fall with trauma to the posterior neck. He described an uncomfortable but nonpainful sensation of swelling and numbness at the roof of the mouth that gradually spread to the tongue, bilateral buccal surfaces, and eventually the whole mouth. This was particularly prominent when his mouth was in a relaxed open position and was associated with a strong urge to move his jaw. Movement of the jaw and tongue provided temporary relief. He chewed gum for hours at a time to alleviate the symptoms, although the relief was sometimes only partial or intermittent. Keeping the jaw completely closed or clenching the teeth also provided improvement in his symptoms. Thus, he used a headband, pillow, or hand to keep the jaw closed. His symptoms began midmorning and persisted throughout the day, but were worse in the evening. The symptoms did not interfere with sleep as long as he was able to keep his jaw closed with a pillow. He denied xerostomia or xerophthalmia. He had a history of basal cell carcinoma of the left cheek status post resection 2 to 3 years ago without residual numbness. He had no personal or family history of trigeminal neuralgia, headaches, neuropathy, or restless legs syndrome (RLS). He had no history of having been on neuroleptics, antiemetics, or other dopamine antagonists. Before seeing us, he tried abstaining from caffeine and spicy food, and tried cinnamon, increased hydration, and vitamin B12 without benefit. Trials of gabapentin 200 to 300 mg 3 times a day and pregabalin 200 mg twice a day also had not provided improvement. Oxcarbazepine, at an unknown dose, was ineffective and associated with anxiety and nervousness.
The novel tool of cell reprogramming for applications in molecular medicine.

Recent discoveries in the field of stem cell biology have enabled scientists to “reprogram” cells from one type to another. For example, it is now possible to place adult skin or blood cells in a dish and convert them into neurons, liver, or heart cells. It is also possible to literally “rejuvenate” adult cells by reprogramming them into embryonic-like stem cells, which in turn can be differentiated into every tissue and cell type of the human body. Our ability to reprogram cell types has four main implications for medicine: (1) scientists can now take skin or blood cells from patients and convert them to other cells to study disease processes. This disease modeling approach has the advantage over animal models because it is directly based on human patient cells. (2) Reprogramming could also be used as a “clinical trial in a dish” to evaluate the general efficacy and safety of newly developed drugs on human patient cells before they would be tested in animal models or people. (3) In addition, many drugs have deleterious side effects like heart arrhythmias in only a small and unpredictable subpopulation of patients. Reprogramming could facilitate precision medicine by testing the safety of already approved drugs first on reprogrammed patient cells in a personalized manner prior to administration. For example, drugs known to sometimes cause arrhythmias could be first tested on reprogrammed heart cells from individual patients. (4) Finally, reprogramming allows the generation of new tissues that could be grafted therapeutically to regenerate lost or damaged cells.
Intrinsic Plasma Cell Differentiation Defects in B Cell Expansion with NF-κB and T Cell Anergy Patient B Cells

BENTA (B cell Expansion with NF-κB and T cell Anergy) disease is a novel B cell lymphoproliferative disorder caused by germline, gain-of-function mutations in the lymphocyte scaffolding protein CARD11, which drives constitutive NF-κB signaling. Despite dramatic polyclonal expansion of naive and immature B cells, BENTA patients also present with signs of primary immunodeficiency, including markedly reduced percentages of class-switched/memory B cells and poor humoral responses to certain vaccines. Using purified naive B cells from our BENTA patient cohort, here we show that BENTA B cells exhibit intrinsic defects in B cell differentiation. Despite a profound in vitro survival advantage relative to normal donor B cells, BENTA patient B cells were severely impaired in their ability to differentiate into short-lived IgDloCD38hi plasmablasts or CD138+ long-lived plasma cells in response to various stimuli. These defects corresponded with diminished IgG antibody production and correlated with poor induction of specific genes required for plasma cell commitment. These findings provide important mechanistic clues that help explain both B cell lymphocytosis and humoral immunodeficiency in BENTA disease.
Changes in Consumer Attitudes toward Broad-Based and Environment-Specific Sodium Policies—SummerStyles 2012 and 2015

We examined temporal changes in consumer attitudes toward broad-based actions and environment-specific policies to limit sodium in restaurants, manufactured foods, and school and workplace cafeterias from the 2012 and 2015 SummerStyle surveys. We used two online, national research panel surveys to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of 7845 U.S. adults. Measures included self-reported agreement with broad-based actions and environment-specific policies to limit sodium in restaurants, manufactured foods, school cafeterias, workplace cafeterias, and quick-serve restaurants. Wald Chi-square tests were used to examine the difference between the two survey years and multivariate logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios. Agreement with broad-based actions to limit sodium in restaurants (45.9% agreed in 2015) and manufactured foods (56.5% agreed in 2015) did not change between 2012 and 2015. From 2012 to 2015, there was a significant increase in respondents that supported environment-specific policies to lower sodium in school cafeterias (80.0% to 84.9%; p < 0.0001), workplace cafeterias (71.2% to 76.6%; p < 0.0001), and quick-serve restaurants (70.8% to 76.7%; p < 0.0001). Results suggest substantial agreement and support for actions to limit sodium in commercially-processed and prepared foods since 2012, with most consumers ready for actions to lower sodium in foods served in schools, workplaces, and quick-serve restaurants.
Canthal cutdown for emergent treatment of orbital compartment syndrome.

ABSTRACTThis article evaluates the use of a “canthal cutdown” technique in orbital compartment syndrome in a cadaveric model. Twelve cadaver orbits were used to simulate orbital compartment syndrome using a blood analog solution. Two pressure probes, in different orbital locations, were used to monitor orbital pressure. Pressure was monitored during successive procedures: canthotomy, cantholysis, and canthal cutdown. Orbits were then re-injected with solution, simulating an active orbital hemorrhage, and pressure measurements were recorded over a 10-minute duration. No statistically significant difference was found between the two orbital pressure monitoring devices at each measurement point (p = 0.99). Significant pressure reductions, for both probes, were observed after canthal cutdown compared to initial measurement after injection of 20 mL blood analog (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005). When comparing the orbital pressure following canthotomy and inferior cantholysis versus canthal cutdown, the cutdown proced...
Interactivity, Presence, and Targeted Patient Care: Mapping e-Health Intervention Effects Over Time for Cancer Patients with Depression

This study examined the interplay of depression and different types of e-health interventions on breast cancer patients' perceived healthcare competence, emotional processing, and social well-being over time. The three e-health interventions--Internet Only as a control condition, CHESS (Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System) Only, and CHESS with a Human Mentor, a cancer information specialist--provided varying degrees of interactivity and presence. A total of 328 women with breast cancer participated in one of the three interventions for a 6-month period. Women were further split into two groups based on reported levels of depression. For perceived healthcare competence and social well-being, results revealed significant interaction effects for intervention type by depression over time, such that breast cancer patients with higher levels of depression benefited most from the CHESS with Mentor intervention over the 6-month study period. For emotional processing, depressed cancer patients benefited more from the CHESS with Mentor than the other two interventions, regardless of time. These findings have (a) theoretical implications on how mental health factors can intersect with interactivity and presence to influence psychosocial outcomes, (b) conceptual implications for the role of human interaction within e-health systems, and (c) practical implications for the development of e-health interventions for cancer patients with depression.
Studying the Causes and Effects of Population Change

A few years ago Professor John Caldwell, the eminent Australian social demographer, startled his audience by asserting that the worldwide community of social scientists specializing in population “literally talked down the birthrate” in the developing world.1 By this he meant that social scientists—demographers, sociologists, economists, and anthropologists—trained at population studies centers at a few universities in the United States and abroad played a crucial role in convincing Third World governments to deal with excessive population growth. He based his claim on systematic interviews he and his wife, Pat, conducted throughout Asia and the Middle East in the late 1960s with key individuals who pioneered national population policy and programs in that part of the world. They found that: Action was usually taken and continued on the advice of individuals. These individuals had surprisingly frequently taken degrees in the main population programs, or had taken some courses with these programs, or had taken economics degrees where they were lectured by faculty with part-time connections with the population programs.2
Food consumption increases cell proliferation in the python brain.

ABSTRACT Pythons are model organisms for investigating physiological responses to food intake. While systemic growth in response to food consumption is well documented, what occurs in the brain is currently unexplored. In this study, male ball pythons ( Python regius ) were used to test the hypothesis that food consumption stimulates cell proliferation in the brain. We used 5-bromo-12′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) as a cell-birth marker to quantify and compare cell proliferation in the brain of fasted snakes and those at 2 and 6 days after a meal. Throughout the telencephalon, cell proliferation was significantly increased in the 6 day group, with no difference between the 2 day group and controls. Systemic postprandial plasticity occurs quickly after a meal is ingested, during the period of active digestion; however, the brain displays a surge of cell proliferation after most digestion and absorption is complete.
Tobacco smoking, E-cigarettes, and nicotine harm.

Tobacco smoking has caused more than 20 million premature American deaths in the 50 y after the first US Surgeon General Report of Smoking and Health (1). The recognition of this major health hazard has led to efforts to both prevent the initiation of smoking and aid smokers in quitting, and most recently to an announced strategy of lowering nicotine in cigarettes and pushing those addicted to nicotine toward harm-reduction products. Nicotine is the addictive component in the >7,000 compounds and more than 70 identified chemical carcinogens in tobacco smoke. Nicotine alone has not been shown to be carcinogenic in animal bioassays, but can be metabolized to form carcinogenic tobacco-specific N -nitrosamines, including N -nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and a nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK) (2). One could argue that without the addictive properties of nicotine, tobacco smoking would neither be popular nor a health problem, and lung cancer would not be the major lethal cancer worldwide (3). The delivery of nicotine in skin patches and chewing gum are considered as less-harmful alternatives to tobacco smoking and can aid tobacco smokers to quit (4). E-cigarettes are gaining in popularity not only as a purported smoking cessation strategy, but are also being promoted as being a “cool” habit in … [↵][1]1Email: curtis_harris{at}nih.gov. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Patterns of care and treatment outcomes of patients with astroblastoma: a National Cancer Database analysis.

Aim To evaluate the use of chemotherapy and radiation, and their outcomes for patients with astroblastoma. Patients & methods This is a retrospective review of patients extracted from the National Cancer Database. We investigated overall survival (OS) using Kaplan-Meier curves. Cox proportional hazards models were used to correlate OS with risk variables and treatments. Results OS at 5 years was 79.5%. Patients with high-grade tumors were more likely to receive chemotherapy and radiation. Patients with high-grade astroblastoma who did not receive adjuvant radiation had poor survival. Conclusion Patients with astroblastoma should be treated with curative intent. Radiation is likely beneficial in high-grade astroblastoma. The exact role of radiation and chemotherapy following surgical resection warrant further investigation.
Changes in Pediatric Heart Transplant Hospitalization Costs Over Time.

BACKGROUND Despite significant changes in the past decade for children undergoing heart transplantation, including the evolution of mechanical circulatory support and increasing patient complexity, costs and resource utilization have not been reassessed. We sought to use a novel linkage of clinical-registry and administrative data to examine changes in hospitalization costs over time in this population. METHODS We identified all pediatric heart transplant recipients in a unique linked Pediatric Health Information System/Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data set (2002-2016). Hospital costs were estimated from charges using cost-to-charge ratios, inflated to 2016 dollars. Severity-adjusted costs were calculated using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Costs were compared across 3 eras (era 1, 2002-2006; era 2, 2007-2011; and era 3, 2012-2016). RESULTS A total of 2896 pediatric heart transplant recipients were included: era 1, 649 (22.4%); era 2, 1028 (35.5%); and era 3, 1219 (42.1%). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support at transplant decreased over time, concurrent with an increase in ventricular assist device-supported patients. Between era 1 and era 2, there was an increase in pretransplant hospitalization costs (US $343 692 vs US $435 554; P < 0.001). However, between era 2 and era 3, there was a decline in total (US $906 454 vs US $767 221; P < 0.001), pretransplant (US $435 554 vs US $353 364; P < 0.001), and posttransplant (US $586 133 vs US $508 719; P = 0.002) hospitalization costs. CONCLUSIONS Concurrent with the increase in utilization of ventricular assist device support, there has been an increase in pretransplant costs associated with pediatric heart transplantation. However, in the most recent era, costs have declined. These findings suggest the evolution of more cost-effective management strategies, which may be related to shifts in the approach to pediatric mechanical circulatory support.
The Emergence of Language From Embodiment

The basic function of language is communication. When the listener succeeds in decoding the message intended by the speaker, the communication has been a success. But exactly how does the speaker package information to make sure that the listener will succeed? What does the listener have to do to build up a mental representation that echoes the original representation in the speaker’s mind?
Community network 2.0: visions, participation, and engagement in new information infrastructures

Through the past seven years, our research group has engaged in a participatory action research collaboration with a variety of community partners to explore understandings, possibilities, and commitments for a new community networking infrastructure in State College, Pennsylvania. This paper describes a case study of multifaceted information technology infrastructures, and of collaborating with the plethora of actors and institutions that are stakeholders in such infrastructures. Information technology projects increasingly depend upon the commitment and energies of a great diversity of stakeholders. Understanding better how broad projects move forward is critical to society.
Potential role of apoE in structural plasticity in the nervous system; implications for disorders of the central nervous system.

Abstract Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a well characterized 299 amino acid protein that participates in the regulation of plasma cholesterol and lipid metabolism. In humans, apoE has three major protein isoforms: E2 (cys 112 , cys 158 ); E3 (cys 112 , arg 158 ); and E4 (arg 112 , arg 158 ) that are encoded for by a single gene on chromosome 19. Genetic studies have shown that apoE4 is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as for poor outcome following certain injuries to the central nervous system (CNS). These genetic data, as well as other data reviewed herein, suggest that apoE may play an important role in the nervous system under certain conditions. This review focuses on studies demonstrating that apoE can modulate neuronal structure and the potential implication of these findings for its role following CNS injury, in AD, and in other neurodegenerative diseases.
Prioritizing future resources for epidemiologic research on old and newly emerging occupational hazards.

BACKGROUND Inevitably, occupational epidemiologists must decide when and how to shift research attention and resources from investigations of old, established health hazards to a focus on newly emerging potential risk factors. As yet unknown occupational health consequences of burgeoning worldwide technologies, such as the microelectronics industry, and increasing recognition of the importance of common, yet non-traditional occupationally-related health effects, such as musculoskeletal disorders in office workers, give strong impetus for embarking in new directions. However, there remains much to be learned from continued investigation of well-established occupational hazards, such as asbestos, benzene, and lead. OBJECTIVES A rational strategy for planning future research will need to consider optimizing resources. CONCLUSIONS The following suggestions are offered. 1) First and foremost, occupational risk factors are most directly, and arguably most validly, identified by studying workers in well-defined cohorts, ideally when exposures are adequately characterized. To this end, industry-based cohort studies should be given priority, at least for older hazards, over population-based case-control and surveillance designs. 2) Defined cohorts with extensive exposure and health outcome data should continue to be followed, as resources permit; 3) Launching cohort studies for potential new hazards should incorporate extensive exposure assessments at the outset, and should preferentially select inception cohorts of newly hired workers. Valid biomarkers of pre-clinical disease will be especially valuable in this regard. 4) Capitalizing on new technological advances in exposure assessment, clinical medicine, molecular genetics should be encouraged