cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear vibrational imaging of tissues

Recent developments in optical imaging have revolutionized the way in which cells and tissue can be examined in vivo. The number of modern optical imaging techniques is continuously expanding, each offering a unique contrast mechanism and sensitivity to important bio-compounds in the system under study. In particular, the development of nonlinear methods such as two photon excited fluorescence (TPEF), second harmonic generation (SHG) and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy has given the biomedical researcher additional tools for selectively visualizing endogenous compounds without the need of labeling. The multimodal nonlinear microscopy (MNM) approach integrates these complementary imaging techniques to better assess the biological specimen. In this contribution, we will review and discuss several recent applications of the multimodal nonlinear imaging approach in cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and skin health.
The Three Goals of Taxation

The current debate on whether the US tax base should be income or consumption has been waged in terms of the traditional criteria for evaluating tax policy - efficiency, equity and administrability. Proponents of the consumption tax have argued that it is superior to the income tax on all three grounds. If that argument is correct, it is difficult to understand why most countries have both income and consumption taxes, and why countries like the United States adopted the income tax as a substitute for consumption taxes. This paper argues that the debate omits consideration of the goals of taxation in the modern era, which are (1) to raise revenue for government activities, (2) to mitigate unequal distributions of wealth in society, and (3) to regulate private economic activity. When these goals are taken into consideration, it is clear that both income and consumption taxes have a role in modern tax policy, and that the US should follow the path of other developed countries and employ both at the federal level.
A technique for production of nanocrystalline cellulose with a narrow size distribution

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose. A differential centrifugation technique was studied to obtain NCC whiskers with a narrow size distribution. It was shown that the volume of NCC in different fractions had an inverse relationship with relative centrifugal force (RCF). The length of NCC whiskers was also fractionized by differential RCF. The aspect ratio of NCC in different fractions had a relatively narrow range. This technique provides an easy way of producing NCC whiskers with a narrow size distribution.
The impact of network structure on breaking ties in online social networks: unfollowing on twitter

We investigate the breaking of ties between individuals in the online social network of Twitter, a hugely popular social media service. Building on sociology concepts such as strength of ties, embeddedness, and status, we explore how network structure alone influences tie breaks - the common phenomena of an individual ceasing to "follow" another in Twitter's directed social network. We examine these relationships using a dataset of 245,586 Twitter "follow" edges, and the persistence of these edges after nine months. We show that structural properties of individuals and dyads at Time 1 have a significant effect on the existence of edges at Time 2, and connect these findings to the social theories that motivated the study.
How Do People Interpret Their Family Histories of Diabetes, Coronary Disease, or Cancer?

In this issue, Fiona Walter at University of Cambridge and her colleagues Emery, Braithwaite, and Marteau share a systematic review of the personal meaning of family medical history.[1][1] This meta-synthesis of qualitative research is particularly important because rather than emphasizing rare
Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing in Men Aged 40–64 Years: Impact of Publication of Clinical Trials

We assessed the impact of the publication of trials and changes in recommendations on the rates of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in men aged 40 to 64 years by analyzing monthly medical claims for PSA testing in a commercial insurance database from 2001 to 2011, covering more than 1.5 million men in each year. The testing rates for men aged 40 to 49 years, 50 to 59 years, and 60 to 64 years were 12.1%, 32.7%, and 42.7%, respectively, in 2001 vs 15.7%, 34.2%, and 42.0%, respectively, in 2011. Men aged 40 to 49 years experienced a gradual increase in testing rate from 2001 through 2008 (annual change in PSA testing per 10 000 men [AC] = 4.37; P < .001), which became flat from mid-2009 through 2011(AC = −0.06; P =.98). The slope of PSA testing rates did not change in men aged 50 to 59 years or 60 to 64 years with the publication of the results of the large trials in 2009 or with the subsequent changes in recommendations on PSA testing.
The use of technetium tc 99m annexin V for in vivo imaging of apoptosis during cardiac allograft rejection

Abstract Objective: Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, has been suggested as a mechanism of immunologic injury during cardiac allograft rejection. We tested the hypothesis that technetium Tc 99m annexin V, a novel radiopharmaceutical used to detect apoptosis, can be used to detect cardiac allograft rejection by nuclear imaging. Methods: Untreated ACI rats served as recipients of allogeneic PVG rat (n = 66) or syngeneic ACI rat (n = 30) cardiac grafts. Untreated recipient animals underwent 99m Tc-annexin V imaging daily for 7 days. Region of interest analysis was used to quantify the uptake of 99m Tc-annexin V. Immediately after imaging grafts were procured for histopathologic analysis and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate–biotin nick-end labeling of apoptotic nuclei. One group was treated with 10 mg/kg/d cyclosporine (INN: ciclosporin) commencing on day 4 after transplantation (n = 6). Results: Untreated allografts showed histologic signs of rejection 4 days after transplantation. Apoptotic nuclei could be demonstrated in myocytes, endothelial cells, and graft-infiltrating cells of all rejecting allografts. Nuclear imaging revealed a significantly greater uptake of 99m Tc-annexin V in rejecting allogeneic grafts than in syngeneic grafts on day 4 ( P = .05), day 5 ( P P P = .013) after transplantation. A correlation between the histologic grade of acute rejection and uptake of 99m Tc-annexin V was observed ( r 2 = 0.87). After treatment of rejection with cyclosporine, no apoptotic nuclei could be identified in allografts and uptake of 99m Tc-annexin V decreased to baseline. Conclusions: Apoptosis occurs during acute cardiac allograft rejection and disappears after treatment of rejection. 99m Tc-annexin V can be used to detect and monitor cardiac allograft rejection. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998;116:844-53)
GRIK4 polymorphism and its association with antidepressant response in depressed patients: a meta-analysis.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between a human GRIK4 gene polymorphism (rs1954787) and responsiveness to antidepressant treatment in depressed patients. Methods: A meta-analysis was carried out on five studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs), 95% CIs and a χ2 test measuring heterogeneity were calculated. A test of publication bias was also conducted. Results: Alleles and genotypes from a total of 2169 depressed patients were analyzed. The results showed that the C allele appeared more frequently than the T allele in responders to treatment (OR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.035–1.445; z = 2.36; p = 0.018). Similarly, CC homozygotes were more likely than TT homozygotes to respond to treatment (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.107–1.913; z = 2.69; p = 0.007). No evidence of publication bias was detected. Conclusion: Subjects possessing the C allele or CC genotype of the GRIK4 polymorphism rs1954787 are more likely to respond to antidepressant treatment relative to subjects harboring the T allele and TT genotype. Additio...
Thoracic aortic endograft explant: a single-center experience

Objectives: We report our experience following thoracic aortic endovascular repair (TEVAR) explant. Methods: A total of 500 TEVARs were performed from 1999 to 2009, with 4 requiring explant. Chart review was performed to identify the indications of explant, operative technique, and perioperative morbidity and mortality. Results: Indications of graft removal included device maldeployment, type I endoleak, aortoenteric fistula, and retrograde type A dissection necessitating aortic root replacement. Reconstruction was achieved with aortic homograft, Dacron, or explant of the proximal component with incorporation of the distal stent into the suture line. Mean follow-up was 13 months (0-50 months). Paraplegia and perioperative death occurred in 1 patient who underwent intraoperative conversion to open repair. There were no other major complications, and graft removal was achieved in all patients. Conclusions: Although rare, familiarity with TEVAR explant is imperative as it is increasingly performed for broade...
Patient-specific Modeling of the Heart: Estimation of Ventricular Fiber Orientations

Patient-specific simulations of heart (dys)function aimed at personalizing cardiac therapy are hampered by the absence of in vivo imaging technology for clinically acquiring myocardial fiber orientations. The objective of this project was to develop a methodology to estimate cardiac fiber orientations from in vivo images of patient heart geometries. An accurate representation of ventricular geometry and fiber orientations was reconstructed, respectively, from high-resolution ex vivo structural magnetic resonance (MR) and diffusion tensor (DT) MR images of a normal human heart, referred to as the atlas. Ventricular geometry of a patient heart was extracted, via semiautomatic segmentation, from an in vivo computed tomography (CT) image. Using image transformation algorithms, the atlas ventricular geometry was deformed to match that of the patient. Finally, the deformation field was applied to the atlas fiber orientations to obtain an estimate of patient fiber orientations. The accuracy of the fiber estimates was assessed using six normal and three failing canine hearts. The mean absolute difference between inclination angles of acquired and estimated fiber orientations was 15.4 °. Computational simulations of ventricular activation maps and pseudo-ECGs in sinus rhythm and ventricular tachycardia indicated that there are no significant differences between estimated and acquired fiber orientations at a clinically observable level.The new insights obtained from the project will pave the way for the development of patient-specific models of the heart that can aid physicians in personalized diagnosis and decisions regarding electrophysiological interventions.
Molecular mimicry between S peplomer proteins of coronaviruses (MHV, BCV, TGEV and IBV) and Fc receptor.

In previous studies we have demonstrated molecular mimicry between the S peplomer protein of Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV) and Fcγ Receptor (FcγR) of IgG. Rabbit IgG, but not its F(ab’)2 fragments, monoclonal rat and mouse IgG and the rat 2.4G2 anti-mouse FcγR monoclonal antibody (mab) immunoprecipitated natural and recombinant MHV S protein. On the basis of a number of criteria, MHV S peplomer protein exhibits Fc IgG binding ability. We report here a molecular mimicry between the S peplomer protein of Bovine Coronavirus (BCV) and FcγR. BCV S peplomer protein which belongs to the same antigenic subgroup as MHV also binds Fc portion of rabbit IgG and is immunoprecipitated by the 2.4G2 anti-FcγR mab. In contrast, Transmissible Gastroenteritis Coronavirus (TGEV) and Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) S peplomer proteins which represent two distinct antigenic subgroups of Coronaviridae do not bind rabbit IgG and do not react with anti-FcγR mab. However, homologous swine IgG, but not its F(ab’)2 fragments, immunoprecipitated from TGEV-infected cells a polypeptide chain with molecular mass of 195 kDa, identical to that immunoprecipitated by the T36 mab anti-TGEV S peplomer protein.
Impacts of warm water on Antarctic ice shelf stability through basal channel formation

The Antarctic Ice Sheet is buttressed by floating ice shelves. Remote sensing data show extensive basal channels, particularly in West Antarctica, which grow quickly in response to warm water intrusion. Antarctica’s ice shelves provide resistance to the flow of grounded ice towards the ocean. If this resistance is decreased as a result of ice shelf thinning or disintegration1, acceleration of grounded ice can occur, increasing rates of sea-level rise. Loss of ice shelf mass is accelerating, especially in West Antarctica, where warm seawater is reaching ocean cavities beneath ice shelves2. Here we use satellite imagery, airborne ice-penetrating radar and satellite laser altimetry spanning the period from 2002 to 2014 to map extensive basal channels in the ice shelves surrounding Antarctica. The highest density of basal channels is found in West Antarctic ice shelves. Within the channels, warm water flows northwards, eroding the ice shelf base and driving channel evolution on annual to decadal timescales. Our observations show that basal channels are associated with the development of new zones of crevassing, suggesting that these channels may cause ice fracture. We conclude that basal channels can form and grow quickly as a result of warm ocean water intrusion, and that they can structurally weaken ice shelves, potentially leading to rapid ice shelf loss in some areas.
XL. More about the Vocabulary of Psychology

In the English language there ate several synonyms that have come into use for the way people feel as a result of activity or even on the contemplation of activity. They are, for example, fatigue, tiredness, weariness, exhaustion, jadedness, droopiness, and the state of being fagged or flagged. In all of these words a state is being referred to. And, of course, there are the adverbial and adjectival and verbal forms of these words when process is being expressed. When processes are referred to, they generally pertain to processes of restricted parts of the body so that we can say they are subpersonalistic. Customarily, the word psychological is the term used to describe behavior of the organism-as-a-whole. Here again, by some, reference is only to what is experienced and according to custom is also called mental. It would seem that in cases where the term psycl-rological is customarily used, a preferable term would be personalistic. This would include both the "mental" and the overr. This usage would provide a less biased taxonomy (or classification) of matters to be dealt wich. Body process as such would be srrbpersonalistic. If appropriate vocabularies were set up for the various items of concern, then no one need be confused regarding the class under discussion-the context is certain and one knows which is genus and which is species. This policy has never been consistently carried out, and it is undeniable that confusion or inconsistency reigns. The purpose of the present introductory remarks is two-fold: (a) to introduce the subject of fatigue and (b) in so doing avoid perpetuating the deficiencies just pointed out. For some reason, our of all these words, the noun, fatigue has come to be the most generic, including even the nonbiological systems and substances outside the body. Since the word fatigue was first used to describe the human condition, it would seem reasonable that psychology, the discipline which defines itself as the science of the behavior of humans, would restrict the term fatigue to describing the state of the human organism as a person, rather than to describing the function or condition of parts of it as such. Unfortunately, this policy has not been followed. All this means that a great deal of variance exists in what is actually meant when the word fatigue is used. Some workers in the area have called for a clarification, supposing that some agreement in terminology on a rational basis could eventuate. Surely it is nor too much to expect this, because the optimal progress of human understanding in general and in science in particular is dependent upon the adoption of clear means of verbal communication. A revision and sharpening of vocabulary would not restrict research nor build science in some partisan way. Bartley and Chute (1947) have suggested that the term fatigue be used to label the class of phenomena that we call human feelings and self-evaluations.
Estimation of soil moisture from remote sensing data and cokriging

Areas of high soil moisture associated with high pore pressure can decrease the shear strength of the material making a slope susceptible to fail. In a humid environment, the distribution of soil moisture is typically determined based on topography. However, in a semi-arid environment, little research has been conducted to assess the relationship between soil moisture and topography index, such as Topography Wetness Index (TWI) due to excessive costs, time restrictions and/or poor accessibility. This paper examines the relationship between the two variables (soil moisture and TWI) in the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed using remote sensing techniques. Soil moisture has been measured at few sample sites in the watershed. Images from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) were used to create digital elevation models to obtain the Topography Wetness Index. A continuous soil moisture map was then created using geostatistical interpolation, incorporating the relationship between the two variables. The cross-validation method has been used to check the accuracy of the interpolation.
Evaluating Repellency of Chemosterilants to House Flies

A method was developed that required a minimum of time and manpower to determine whether an effective chemosterilant for Musca domestica L. also repelled them. Of 33 chemosterilants evaluated, 10 were highly repellent.
Study on Antagonistic Effect of Flavonoids of Astragalus Complanatus(ACF)and Vitamin C on DNA Damage in V79 Cells Induced by Hydroquinone

Objective To explore the antagonistic effect of flavonoids of Astragalus complanatus(ACF)and vitamin C on DNA damage induced by hydroquinone and approach the mechanism of genotoxicity of hydroquinone.Methods Various concentrations of ACF and vitamin C were separately added to V79 cells and cultured with HQ.SCGE was used to detect the DNA damage of V79 cells after 2 hours.Results As shown by SCGE,cells with 200 and 20 mmol/L vitamin C,and 100 mg/L ACF added showed protective effects on 0.135 mmol/L and 0.405 mmol/L HQ demonstrating lower comet cells ratio,TM and shorter tail-length than those cultured only with HQ solution.The differences were significant(P0.05).However,2000 mmol/L vitamin C aggravated the DNA damage induced by HQ.Conclusions Vitamin C of medium and low concentrations and ACF of medium concentration could antagonize the DNA damage on V79 cells caused by HQ in vitro.
Negative body talk as an outcome of friends’ fitness posts on social networking sites: body surveillance and social comparison as potential moderators

ABSTRACTA sample of 488 male and female young adults completed an online survey in effort to explore whether social networking sites (SNSs) are a way in which sociocultural influences regarding body image are propagated. Negative body talk was predicted as an outcome to frequent exposure to friends’ fitness posts (e.g. pictures and status updates about working out, fitness inspiration quotations/images, etc.); we also explored whether this relationship was moderated by body surveillance and social comparison. Results revealed that friends’ fitness posts were positively associated with negative body talk, and this relationship was strongest for individuals who reported a higher tendency to compare themselves to others – even after controlling for body satisfaction, healthy eating and exercise behaviors, and frequency of SNS use.
Towards an Architecture-Centric Approach to Security Analysis

Recently there has been increased attention to the consequences of architecture design decisions and their impact on security. Architectural design decisions have been identified as being critical for achieving high levels of software system security. However the majority of this research has been anecdotal and there are few tools or methods for understanding the architectural relations among files, and their impact on security. In this paper we employ a DRSpace-based analysis approach to identify architectural design flaws and we show, via an empirical study of 10 open source projects, that areas of a software architecture that suffer from greater numbers of design flaws are highly correlated with security bugs, and high levels of churn associated with those security bugs. Finally, we show that a specific type of design flaw -- unstable interface -- is correlated with the greatest increase in software security bugs.
Need for a New Lyme Disease Vaccine

Despite the development of two vaccines against Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, there is no such vaccine currently on the market. But the problem of Lyme disease is large and growing. Fortunately, the future seems reasonably bright for new vaccines.
Cognitive behavior and sensory function were significantly influenced by restoration of active ovarian function in postreproductive mice

Abstract In mammals, the relationship between reproductive function and health has been particularly difficult to define. Previously, in old, postreproductive-aged mice, replacement of senescent ovaries with new ovaries from young, actively cycling mice increased life span. We hypothesized that the same factors that increased life span would also influence health span. In the current experiments, we tested two of the seven domains of function/health, sensory function and cognition to determine if exposure of postreproductive female mice to young transplanted ovaries influenced health span. We evaluated control female CBA/J mice at six, 13 and 16 months of age. Additional mice received new (60d) ovaries at 12 or 17 months of age and were subsequently evaluated at 16 or 25 months of age, respectively. Evaluation of sensory function included two measures of olfactory perception; olfactory identification (buried pellet test) and olfactory discrimination (novel recognition block test). We found a significant age-related decline in olfactory identification in 16-month old mice. This decline was avoided by ovarian transplantation at 12 months of age. The olfactory discrimination block test revealed an age-associated increase in time spent on both the novel and familiar blocks. This trend was reversed in 16-month old new-ovary recipients. We evaluated cognitive behavior with a burrowing behavior test. We detected a significant age-related decrease in burrowing behavior at 16 months of age. This age-related decrease in burrowing behavior was prevented by ovarian transplantation at 12 months of age. In summary, we have shown that cognitive behavior and sensory function, which are negatively influenced by aging, can be positively influenced or restored by re-establishment of active ovarian function in aged female mice. These findings provide strong incentive for further investigation of the positive influence of young ovaries on restoration of health in postreproductive females.
Book Review: Teaching Digital Technologies & STEM: Computational Thinking, coding and robotics in the classroom

Computational Thinking (CT) has gained increased visibility in curriculum initiatives and discussions in Educational Technology over the past decade. Despite the increased momentum and inclusion of CT in several significant areas of curriculum internationally, little has been published for educators who wish to incorporate these increasingly important computer science related skills, knowledge and attitudes in their classroom practices. Teaching Digital Technologies & STEM: Computational Thinking, coding and robotics in the classroom provides practical strategies and a variety of teaching tools for developing Computational Thinking skills in K-12 students. DOI: 10.2458/azu_itet_v4i2_kolodziej
Childhood trauma, social networks, and the mental health of adult survivors

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of childhood trauma to the quality of social networks and health outcomes later in adulthood. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 254 adults seen in one of 10 primary care clinics in the state of Texas. Standardized measures of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), stressful and supportive social relationships, medical conditions, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life were administered. Using latent class analysis, subjects were assigned to one of four ACE classes: (a) minimal childhood abuse (56%), (b) physical/verbal abuse of both child and mother with household alcohol abuse (13%), (c) verbal and physical abuse of child with household mental illness (12%), and (d) verbal abuse only (19%). Statistically significant differences across the four ACE classes were found for mental health outcomes in adulthood. Although respondents who were physically and verbally abused as children reported compromised mental health, this was particularly true for those who witnessed physical abuse of their mother. A similar relationship between ACE class and physical health was not found. The quality of adult social networks partly accounted for the relationship between ACE classes and mental health outcomes. Respondents exposed to ACEs with more supportive social networks as adults had diminished odds of reporting poor mental health. Conversely, increasing numbers of stressful social relationships contributed to adverse mental health outcomes. Although efforts to prevent childhood trauma remain a critical priority, the treatment of adult survivors needs to expand its focus on both strengthening social networks and decreasing the negative effects of stressful ones.
Review: Meta-analysis shows that cholecystectomy is associated with a small increased risk for colorectal cancer of the proximal colon

Source Citation Giovannucci E, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ. A meta-analysis of cholecystectomy and risk of colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology. 1993 Jul;105:130-41.
Efficient Rent Seeking, Diseconomies of Scale, Public Goods, and Morality

To most economists, the immediate solution to the problem with which this general section deals would be the possibility of either diseconomies of scale or public goods. I have deferred their discussion up to this point because neither one of them would explain the inefficiency of the means normally used to transfer resources. Also, if used by themselves, rather remarkable parameters have to be assumed. Nevertheless, they can be used to supplement the explanations in the previous two chapters.
ADAMTS13 Retards Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy by Inhibiting Intrarenal Thrombosis in Mice.

Objective— ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I repeats-13) prevents microvascular thrombosis by cleaving prothrombogenic ultralarge von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimers. Clinical studies have found association between reduced ADAMTS13-specific activity, ultralarge VWF multimers, and thrombotic angiopathy in patients with diabetic nephropathy. It remains unknown, however, whether ADAMTS13 deficiency or ultralarge VWF multimers have a causative effect in diabetic nephropathy. Approach and Results— The extent of renal injury was evaluated in wild-type (WT), Adamts 13 −/− and Adamts 13 −/− Vwf −/− mice after 26 weeks of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy. We found that WT diabetic mice exhibited low plasma ADAMTS13-specific activity and increased VWF levels ( P Adamts 13 −/− diabetic mice exhibited deterioration of kidney function (increased albuminuria, plasma creatinine, and urea; P Adamts 13 −/− diabetic mice was concomitant with aggravated intrarenal thrombosis (assessed by plasminogen activator inhibitor, VWF, fibrin(ogen), and CD41-positive microthrombi), increased mesangial cell expansion, and extracellular matrix deposition ( P Adamts 13 −/− diabetic mice improved kidney function, inhibited intrarenal thrombosis, and alleviated histological changes in glomeruli, suggesting that exacerbation of diabetic nephropathy in the setting of ADAMTS13 deficiency is VWF dependent. Conclusions— ADAMTS13 retards progression of diabetic nephropathy, most likely by inhibiting VWF-dependent intrarenal thrombosis. Alteration in ADAMTS13–VWF balance may be one of the key pathophysiological mechanisms of thrombotic angiopathy in diabetes mellitus.
Producing GST-Cbx7 Fusion Proteins from Escherichia coli

This protocol describes the production of GST-Cbx7 fusion proteins from E. coli, originally developed in the recent publication (Zhen et al., 2016). The pGEX-6P-1-GST plasmids encoding the Cbx7 variants were transformed into BL21 competent cells. The fusion protein production was induced by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside and they were purified by Glutathione Sepharose 4B. This protocol can be adapted for the purification of other proteins.
Cholesterol-Metabolizing Enzyme Cytochrome P450 46A1 as a Pharmacologic Target for Alzheimer’s Disease

Cytochrome P450 46A1 (CYP46A1 or cholesterol 24-hydroxylase) controls cholesterol elimination from the brain and plays a role in higher order brain functions. Genetically enhanced CYP46A1 expression in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease mitigates the manifestations of this disease. We enhanced CYP46A1 activity pharmacologically by treating 5XFAD mice, a model of rapid amyloidogenesis, with a low dose of the anti-HIV medication efavirenz. Efavirenz was administered from 1 to 9 months of age, and mice were evaluated at specific time points. At one month of age, cholesterol homeostasis was already disturbed in the brain of 5XFAD mice. Nevertheless, efavirenz activated CYP46A1 and mouse cerebral cholesterol turnover during the first four months of administration. This treatment time also reduced amyloid burden and microglia activation in the cortex and subiculum of 5XFAD mice as well as protein levels of amyloid precursor protein and the expression of several genes involved in inflammatory response. However, mouse short-term memory and long-term spatial memory were impaired, whereas learning in the context-dependent fear test was improved. Additional four months of drug administration (a total of eight months of treatment) improved long-term spatial memory in the treated as compared to the untreated mice, further decreased amyloid-β content in 5XFAD brain, and also decreased the mortality rate among male mice. We propose a mechanistic model unifying the observed efavirenz effects. We suggest that CYP46A1 activation by efavirenz could be a new anti-Alzheimer's disease treatment and a tool to study and identify normal and pathological brain processes affected by cholesterol maintenance.
B Cell Anomalies in Autoimmune Retinopathy (AIR).

Purpose Autoimmune retinopathy (AIR) is a retinopathy associated with unexplained vision loss presumably linked to circulating antiretinal antibodies; currently, however, there are no standardized criteria regarding the diagnosis, treatment strategy, or pathogenesis of this disease. The importance of B-lymphocyte immunophenotyping in the classification of AIR is unknown. Methods We utilized 15-color multiparametric flow cytometry to identify aberrations in B cell subsets that may contribute to the pathophysiology of AIR. Luminex cytokine analysis was also performed on plasma samples from AIR patients. Results Significant differences in AIR patients compared to individuals with other inflammatory conditions or healthy donors were found in the B cell memory compartment, including an increase in naive B cells and a decrease in switched and unswitched memory B cells, which correlated with alterations in immunoglobulin secretion. Conclusions These findings suggest that the maturation process of B cells may be impaired and that B cell immunophenotyping may help in understanding disease process in AIR.
Impact of Macroconsumers on Leaf Breakdown and Detritivores in Wetlands on a Southeastern US Coastal Plain Floodplain during Drought

Interactions between macroconsumers (predators and large omnivores) and detritus breakdown on river floodplains are poorly understood, yet important to ecosystem function. We evaluated the impact of macroconsumers on leaf breakdown, macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass, and fungal biomass on a river floodplain using exclosures in 6 wetlands during a severe drought during which the floodplain was disconnected from the river. Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) leaves were held in both mesh bags and in leaf packs within each exclosure. After 301 days, breakdown rates (k) were slow and did not significantly differ between treatments. Fungal biomass and total macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass also did not significantly differ between treatments. Collector-gatherers were significantly more abundant in treatments open to macroconsumers in mesh bags. Shredders had significantly higher biomass in packs held in exclosures closed to macroconsumers, but were rare. A subsequent exclosure experiment in one flooded wetland mimicked stream-floodplain connectivity despite drought. Pre-conditioned leaves in mesh bags open to macroconsumers had significantly faster breakdown than those closed to macroconsumers. Abundance of total macroinvertebrates, scrapers and predators were higher in treatments open to macroconsumers. These results indicate that the role of macroconsumers on floodplains varies depending on river connectivity and water availability.
Accurate and simple method to predict and monitor performance of coherent optical transceiver

BER versus OSNR curve at different receiver optical power (ROP) can be accurately predicted from simple BER versus ROP measurement. Furthermore, OSNR is estimated from pre-FEC BER at different ROP level.
A simple rheological method for the in vitro assessment of mucin-polymer bioadhesive bond strength.

A simple viscometric method was used to quantify mucin-polymer bioadhesive bond strength. Viscosities of 15% (w/v) porcine gastric mucin dispersions in 0.1 N HC1 (pH 1) or 0.1 N acetate buffer (pH 5.5) were measured with a Brookfield viscometer in the absence (ηm) or presence (ηt) of selected neutral, anionic, and cationic polymers (0.1–2.5%, w/v). Viscosity components of bioadhesion (1%) were calculated from the equation, ηt = ηm + ηp + ηb, where ηp is the viscosity of corresponding pure polymer solution as measured by an Ostwald viscometer. The forces of bioadhesion (F) were calculated from the equation, F = ηbσ, where σ is the rate of shear/sec. ηb's and F's for polyelectrolytes, e.g., polyacrylic acid, cationic gelatin, and chitosan were always higher in acetate buffer than in HC1. Validity of the technique and the effect of ionic charge, polymer conformation, and rate of shear on ηb and F are discussed, as is a comparison of this method to other methods for evaluating bioadhesive materials.
Thirdhand Smoke at Philip Morris.

Introduction Thirdhand cigarette smoke is the fraction of cigarette smoke that remains in the environment long after a cigarette is extinguished. Methods The Truth Tobacco Industry Documents collection at the University of California San Francisco was searched for information on thirdhand smoke. Results In 1991, scientists at Philip Morris Inc conducted some of the first studies on thirdhand cigarette smoke. For 110 days, 8 hours a day, they ran sidestream cigarette smoke through a 30 m3 room that contained carpet, curtain, and textured wallpaper. The room was ventilated with clean air every night. By comparing the chemicals in the air during the 8-hour smoking period and during the clean air ventilation period, they showed that some smoke chemicals persist in the air 12 hours after smoking. By extracting the nicotine and nitrosamines from samples of the carpet, curtain, and wallpaper, they found that high concentrations of nicotine and the carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) persisted in the room for more than 50 days; that surface chemistry affected nitrosamine concentrations; and that the concentration of NNK in the room, 110 days after the last cigarette was extinguished, could exceed the mass of NNK that entered the room as smoke. Conclusions These data, from a controlled environment where the total number of cigarettes smoked is known, provide further evidence that cigarette smoke chemicals remain in the environment for months after smoking, that they reemit back into the air, and that they react to form new toxins and carcinogens. Smoke-free policies are the best method to reduce exposure to thirdhand smoke. Implications This unpublished, original research from Philip Morris Inc demonstrates that majority of the nicotine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines in the secondhand smoke from each cigarette smoked indoors remains on indoor surfaces for months after the cigarette is extinguished. It also demonstrates that elevated concentrations of nicotine, ammonia, formaldehyde, and the gas-phase nitrosamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, can be found in the air for more than 12 hours after smoking; that surface chemistry affects nitrosamine formation and persistence; and that the amount of the carcinogenic nitrosamine NNK that persists months after smoking ends can exceed the amount that actually came out of the cigarettes.
Religious Involvement, Moral Community and Social Ecology: New Considerations in the Study of Religion and Reentry.

To examine the link between an individual’s religious involvement in prison and recidivism and assess how macro-level conditions in the counties to which individuals return shape this relationship. Using data from 1362 previously incarcerated people, a series of hierarchical generalized linear models are used to examine the extent to which an individual’s religious involvement in prison relates to recidivism post-release. We also examine how county-level religious adherence, economic disadvantage, and potential social service assistance directly affect recidivism, and how each shape the relationship between religious involvement and recidivism. Findings show that county-level religious adherence was directly associated with lower recidivism, but individual-level religious involvement was not when assessing recidivism over longer periods of time post-release. Cross-level interactions revealed that county-level resource deprivation conditions the effect of individual religious involvement. Findings have theoretical implications for the study of religion and reentry. Methodologically, failing to account for the religious context of counties, in addition to micro–macro linkages, harms individual level research on religion and reentry.
No (Privacy) News is Good News: An Analysis of New York Times and Guardian Privacy News from 2010–2016

Privacy news influences end-user attitudes and behaviors as well as product and policy development, and so is an important data source for understanding privacy perceptions. We provide a largescale text mining of privacy news, focusing on patterns in sentiment and keywords. This is a challenging task given the lack of a privacy news repository and a ground truth for sentiment. Using high-precision data sets from two popular news sources in the U. S. and U. K., the New York Times and the Guardian, we find negative privacy news is far more common than positive. In addition, in the NYT, privacy news is more prominently reported than many world events involving significant human suffering. Our analysis provides a rich snapshot of this driver of privacy perceptions and demonstrates that news facilitates the systematization of privacy knowledge.
Molecular Modeling of Surfactant Micellization Using Solvent-Accessible Surface Area.

We report a new implicit solvent simulation model for studying the self-assembly of surfactants, where the hydrophobic interactions were captured by calculating the relative changes of the solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) of the hydrophobic domains. Using histogram-reweighting grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that this approach allows us to match both the experimental critical micelle concentrations (cmc) and micellar aggregation numbers simultaneously with a single phenomenological surface tension γSASA for the poly(oxyethylene) monoalkyl ether (CmEn) surfactants in aqueous solutions. Excellent transferability is observed: the same model can accurately predict the experimental cmc and aggregation numbers for the CmEn surfactants with the alkyl lengths m between 6 and 12 and the poly(oxyethylene) lengths n between 1 and 9. The SASA-based implicit solvent model put forward in this work is general and may be applied to study more complex amphiphilic systems such as surfactants w...
Meat quality of pork loins from Hereford×Berkshire female and intact male pigs reared in an alternative production system

Objective The objective of the present study was to investigate pork quality from Hereford×Berkshire (HB) female and intact male pigs reared outdoors in an alternative production system. Methods Berkshire purebred sows were artificially inseminated, once in the fall and again in the spring of the following year, with semen from Hereford boars and managed free of antibiotics in an outdoor hoop structure until the last month of pregnancy, after which they were moved to a pasture-based unit of 0.8 hectares with individual lots with a farrowing hut, shade, and water ad libitum. Piglets were weaned at 4 weeks of age and housed in a deep-bedded hoop structure, grouped by sex. Animals were harvested at market weight of 125 kg, approximately 200 days of age. Hot carcass weight was collected at the time of the harvest. After 24 hours of refrigeration, carcass characteristics were measured. Longissimus dorsi samples collected from the right side loin. Loins were cut into 2.54-cm thick chops and were used to measure marbling score, color score, drip loss, and ultimate pH. Sensory panel tests were conducted as well at North Carolina State University. For pork characteristics and sensory panel data, trial and sex were included in the statistical model as fixed effects. Hot carcass weight was included in the model as a covariate for backfat thickness. Results Neither the subjective nor the objective color scores displayed any differences between the boars and the gilts. No difference was found for pH and marbling score between trials or sexes. Gilts had a thicker backfat measurement at the last lumbar and a narrower longissimus muscle area measurement when compared to the boars. The only difference in the sensory characteristics was found between the trials for texture and moisture scores. Conclusion Consumers were not able to detect boar taint under the condition of this study, which is that the intact males were reared outdoors. Additional trials would be necessary; however, based on the results of the present study, outdoor rearing can be suggested as a solution to the issue of boar taint.
Thrombin Activation of Protease-Activated Receptor-2 on Neutrophils Primes the Respiratory Burst.

Abstract Abstract 1119 Thrombin is a multifunctional serine protease involved in hemostasis, fibrinolysis, and pro-inflammatory activation of innate immunity through stimulation of protease-activated receptors (PARs). Thrombin is considered the prototypical protease to activate PARs through cleavage of the N-terminal exodomain of the receptor, thereby unmasking a tethered ligand which activates it. Neutrophils (PMNs) are reported to express PAR-2; however, little is known about the changes in PMN physiology following protease activation of PAR-2. In addition, proteomic analyses (two dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF)) of injured patients (blunt trauma) who developed acute lung injury (ALI) and multiple organ failure (MOF) have identified a number of serine proteases which accumulate post-injury. Moreover, these identical proteases were also found via proteomics in stored, but not fresh, packed red blood cells, which are used to resuscitate these injured patients. We hypothesize that thrombin primes PMNs through activation of PAR-2. Methods: PMNs were isolated from whole blood drawn from healthy human donors using dextran sedimentation, ficoll-hypaque gradient centrifugation and hypotonic lysis of red blood cells. The proteins from whole cell lysates were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose and immunoblotted with a monoclonal antibody to PAR-2. The PMNs were also incubated for 3–30 minutes at 37°C with thrombin [1-10 U/ml] followed by fMLP [1 μM] activation of the NADPH oxidase. Oxidase activity was measured by the superoxide dismutase-inhibitable reduction of cytochrome c at 550 nm. Results: PMNs express PAR-2 as detected by western blotting of whole cell lysates. Thrombin [1 U/ml] for 30 min, significantly primed the fMLP-activated respiratory burst: buffer control: 1.6 +/− 0.5 vs. 1 U/ml thrombin: 2.2 +/− 0.3* (*p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Th17 Lymphocytes Drive Vascular and Neuronal Deficits in a Mouse Model of Postinfectious Autoimmune Encephalitis

Antibodies against neuronal receptors and synaptic proteins are associated with a group of ill-defined central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune diseases termed autoimmune encephalitides (AE), which are characterized by abrupt onset of seizures and/or movement and psychiatric symptoms. Basal ganglia encephalitis (BGE), representing a subset of AE syndromes, is triggered in children by repeated group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections that lead to neuropsychiatric symptoms. We have previously shown that multiple GAS infections of mice induce migration of Th17 lymphocytes from the nose into the brain, causing blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, extravasation of autoantibodies into the CNS, and loss of excitatory synapses within the olfactory bulb (OB). Whether these pathologies induce functional olfactory deficits, and the mechanistic role of Th17 lymphocytes, is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that, whereas loss of excitatory synapses in the OB is transient after multiple GAS infections, functional deficits in odor processing persist. Moreover, mice lacking Th17 lymphocytes have reduced BBB leakage, microglial activation, and antibody infiltration into the CNS, and have their olfactory function partially restored. Th17 lymphocytes are therefore critical for selective CNS entry of autoantibodies, microglial activation, and neural circuit impairment during postinfectious BGE.