cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Giant cell tumor of bone presenting in the lumbar spine of a 35-year-old female: cytodiagnosis and other diagnostic considerations.

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is commonly used in the evaluation of both primary and metastatic bone lesions. Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is one of the primary bone neoplasms that can be diagnosed with good success on FNA as its cytologic features are relatively reproducible. However, this entity classically involves the ends (or epiphyses) of the longs bones making an FNA diagnosis of a GCT of bone in other anatomic locations is challenging and requires the consideration of a differential diagnosis. By invoking clinico-radiographical correlation and maximizing our specimen, we were able to diagnose a GCT of bone involving the L1 vertebral body in a 35-year-old female. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:624–627. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CCND1 rearrangements and cyclin D1 overexpression in renal oncocytomas: frequency, clinicopathologic features, and utility in differentiation from chromophobe renal cell carcinoma.

Summary Renal oncocytoma is a benign tumor occurring singly or as multiple synchronous lesions. The histologic features of renal oncocytoma may overlap with those of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. Chromosomal translocations involving the CCND1 locus at 11q13 and overexpression of cyclin D1 occur in a subset of renal oncocytomas. We evaluated a series of 63 renal oncocytomas and 36 chromophobe renal cell carcinomas and assessed the clinical features, cyclin D1 overexpression by immunohistochemistry, and alterations of the CCND1 gene by fluorescence in situ hybridization. All 36 chromophobe renal cell carcinomas were negative for cyclin D1 overexpression and alterations of CCND1 . Of the 63 renal oncocytomas, 21 (33%) showed cyclin D1 overexpression. Of 21 renal oncocytomas with cyclin D1 overexpression, a CCND1 rearrangement was detected in 12 (57%). A CCND1 rearrangement was also identified in 1 (2%) of the 42 renal oncocytomas without cyclin D1 overexpression. Of 42 renal oncocytomas without cyclin D1 overexpression, 16 (38%) were from patients with multiple renal oncocytomas at nephrectomy. Of 21 renal oncocytomas with cyclin D1 overexpression, only 1 (5%) patient had multiple renal oncocytomas ( P = .006). Of the 25 patients whose original tumor showed no cyclin D1 overexpression, 8 (32%) developed a subsequent renal oncocytoma. None of 15 patients whose original tumor showed cyclin D1 overexpression had a subsequent renal oncocytoma ( P = .016). The findings of this study suggest that renal oncocytomas lacking cyclin D1 overexpression may be associated with the development of multiple renal oncocytomas and that these patients are more likely to develop subsequent renal oncocytomas suggesting the need for more frequent clinical for these patients and little need for follow-up in patients with renal oncocytomas overexpressing cyclin D1. The data also show that cyclin D1 overexpression and CCND1 rearrangements by fluorescence in situ hybridization are absent in chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, suggesting that these are useful when differentiating between renal oncocytoma and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma.
MUC1 IS INVOLVED IN TROPHOBLAST TRANSENDOTHELIAL MIGRATION

The factors that regulate trophoblast invasion of the uterine vasculature are incompletely understood. In this paper we show that macaque trophoblasts express the mucin, MUC1, and that it is involved in trophoblast-endothelial interaction. Immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and RT-PCR analyses confirmed that MUC1 was expressed by isolated early gestation macaque trophoblasts. MUC1 was also detected in endovascular trophoblasts in sections of placental-decidual tissue during early gestation. A blocking antibody against MUC1 reduced trophoblast adhesion to uterine endothelial cells and also blocked trophoblast transendothelial migration. MUC1 is known to bind to Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in other systems. Incubation in the presence of a blocking antibody against Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) or recombinant ICAM-1 modestly, but significantly, reduced transendothelial trophoblast migration. These results are consistent with the idea that MUC1 is involved in trophoblast adhesion to uterine endothelial cells and in trophoblast transendothelial migration.
Factors influencing children's judgments of overweight peers.

AbstractObjective. This study assessed children's perceptions of an overweight or non-overweight target of name-calling. Methods. Participants were 4th and 5th grade students. Children selected a line drawing of an overweight or a non-overweight child as a target. After this, they viewed each line drawing again and rated each child's social attraction, niceness, experience of negative emotions, size, and popularity (whether others would like the child). Finally, children provided ideas for improving acceptance of the line-drawing they selected as a target of name-calling. Results. Findings from regression analyses indicated that children who reported higher levels of victimization and selected the overweight child as a target reported higher social attraction for this target. Children's weight status and their victimization interacted to influence ratings of niceness and negative emotions. Children reported that peers would like the overweight line drawing less than the non-overweight one. Conclusions. Ch...
In Vivo and Electron Microscopic Observations of the Hepatic Micro vasculature in the Rat Following Portacaval Anastomosis

The livers of rats subjected to end-to-side portacaval anastomoses were studied 3 to 5 months postoperatively by in vivo and electron microscopy. Compared with sham-operated controls, the livers of portacaval anastomoses animals contained dilated, tortuous networks of sinusoids. The velocity of blood flow in these vessels tended to be slower and more variable than controls, but always progressed toward the hepatic venules. Blood entered the sinusoids from portal venules and from arteriosinus twigs which terminated in the initial segments of some of the sinusoids at the periphery of the lobule. Together, the arteriosinus twigs and the short, initial segments of these sinusoids formed functional arterioportal anastomoses. These, in combination with the lack of portal venous inflow, resulted in retrograde blood flow in portal venules. Nevertheless, blood still flowed from these portal venules into the sinusoids unless the sinusoid was fed by an arteriosinus twig. In addition to these microcireulatory alterations, the number of Kupffer cells that phagocytized latex particles was less in the animals with portacaval anastomoses, as was the number of particles ingested by these cells. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the paucity of Kupffer cells. Those seen appeared inactive since they were flattened, exhibited few microplicae and filopodia and contained few latex particles. The endothelial cells of the sinusoid lining were perforated by increased numbers of large fenestrae which may be a reflection of elevated intrasi-nusoid pressures generated by the expanded arterialization of the sinusoid bed. The observed dilated sinusoid network interspersed by narrowed plates of hepatocytes is also consistent with this hypothesis. Finally, scattered nodular foci were observed which contained enlarged hepatocytes, narrow sinusoids, active Kupffer cells, and more normal rates of blood flow. Such sites may represent attempts by the liver to regenerate its normal architecture.
Mirror Design for Use in Gyrotron Quasi-Optical Mode Converters

An iterative planar- and cylindrical-based mirror design procedure is discussed for use in a gyrotron quasi-optical mode converter. The planar-based mirrors were designed using the iterative Katsenelenbaum-Semenov phase corrector procedure with an input beam obtained from a planar phase reconstruction. Many improvements were made to the design procedure including the use of an advanced phase unwrapping technique. The more robust design procedure resulted in smooth mirror surfaces. It was found that the fraction of power coupled between the target beam and the output of the planar-based mirrors measured in a cold test setup was 0.982. A similar design process was used for a cylindrical-based mirror pair. This design was performed using a simulated output of the launcher. It was found that the fraction of power coupled between the target beam and the theoretical output of the system was 0.990. The fraction of power coupled between the target beam and the phase-reconstructed beam at the output of the second mirror was 0.961. By using a cylindrical phase reconstruction, it was found that the reason for the slightly degraded performance of the cylindrical-based mirrors tested in the low power test setup was due to inaccuracies in modeling the field radiated from the launcher. These inaccuracies are presumed to come from impurities in the mode generator. The techniques discussed in this article can be used to improve the efficiency of quasi-optical mode converters and thus improve the operation of gyrotrons.
320 Gbps DPSK transmitter and self-tracked receiver based on four-wave mixing

A novel RZ differential phase-shift keyed transmitter and self-tracked receiver based on cavity-less pulse generation and four-wave mixing for data rate of 320 Gb/s. The performance was quantified with error-free operation at an OSNR of 31.2dB.
Increasing and Worsening Late Effects in Childhood Cancer Survivors during Follow-up

Recent advances in childhood cancer treatment have increased survival rates to 80%. Two out of three survivors experience late effects (LEs). From a group of 241 survivors previously described, 193 were followed at the long-term follow-up clinic (LTFC) of Severance Hospital in Korea; the presence of LEs was confirmed by oncologists. We reported the change in LEs during 3 yr of follow-up. The median follow-up from diagnosis was 10.4 yr (5.1-26.2 yr). Among 193 survivors, the percentage of patients with at least one LE increased from 63.2% at the initial visit to 75.1% at the most recent visit (P = 0.011). The proportion of patients having multiple LEs and grade 2 or higher LEs increased from the initial visit (P = 0.001 respectively). Forty-eight non-responders to the LTFC were older and had less frequent and severe LEs than responders at initial visit (all P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, younger age at diagnosis, older age at initial visit, a diagnosis of a brain tumor or lymphoma, and use of radiotherapy were significant risk factors for LEs (all P < 0.05). Adverse changes in LEs were seen among the survivors, regardless of most clinical risk factors. They need to receive comprehensive, long-term follow up.
Prospective Trial of Supranormal Values of Survivors as Therapeutic Goals in High-Risk Surgical Patients

Survivors of high-risk surgical operations were previously observed to have significantly higher mean CI, O2, and O2 than nonsurvivors. The hypothesis was proposed that increased CI and O2 are circulatory compensations for increased postoperative metabolism. We tested this hypothesis in two series. In series 1, prospectively allocated by services, mortality and morbidity of the control group were significantly greater than those of the protocol group. In series 2, patients who fulfilled previously defined high-risk criteria were preoperatively randomized to one of three monitoring/treatment groups: CVP-control group, PA-control group and PA-protocol group. Postoperative mortalities in the CVP-control and PA-control groups were not statistically significantly different, but PA-protocol group mortality was significantly reduced compared with its control group. The PA-protocol group had reduced complications, duration of hospitalization, duration in ICU, and mechanical ventilation, and reduced costs when the PA catheter was placed preoperatively and used to augment circulatory responses. (Chest 1988; 94:1176-86)
On the complexity of virtual topology design for multicasting in WDM trees with tap-and-continue and multicast-capable switches

This paper investigates the problem of finding optimal multicast virtual topologies, with respect to minimizing the maximum hop distance, in wavelength-division multiplexing multicast trees. Although the problem of finding optimal multicast trees is itself known to be NP-complete under many optimization metrics, high-quality approximation algorithms are known for this problem. We investigate the case that a multicast tree has been selected and seek to embed an optimal virtual topology in this multicast tree. We show that the problem can be solved in polynomial time when tap-and-continue switches are employed, which allow a lightpath to be tapped by some number of intermediate nodes. However, the problem becomes NP-complete when fully multicast-capable switches are employed. Our results suggest that tap-and-continue switches can be used to obtain high-quality multicast virtual topologies, while heuristics will be required to find good solutions in fully multicast-capable networks.
Retrieval of asymmetric temperature and concentration profiles from a limited number of absorption measurements

Abstract —Established methods for obtaining the inverse of the Radon transform, the underlying reconstruction problem in the determination of asymmetric temperature and species concentration profiles from absorption measurements, are not well-suited for limited data problems. A new method that minimizes the number of measurements required by making use of a priori information such as the smoothness of the absorption coefficient profiles and constraints on its domain and range, has been applied to this inversion problem, Some free parameters, such as the choice of absorption frequencies and the use of shifting functions. that can be optimized to achieve improved reconstructions have been studied. Test results obtained by using simulated absorption measurements generated from phantom temperature and NO concentration distributions are presented. Comparison with the results obtained using the convolution backprojection method, a widely used method for solving the discrete data inverse Radon transform problem....
Mild adrenocortical deficiency, chronic allergies, autoimmune disorders and the chronic fatigue syndrome : a continuation of the cortisone story

The possibility that patients with disorders that improve with administration of large, pharmacologic dosages of glucocorticoids, such as chronic allergies and autoimmune disorders, might have mild deficiency of cortisol production or utilization has received little attention. Yet evidence that patients with rheumatoid arthritis improved with small, physiologic dosages of cortisol or cortisone acetate was reported over 25 years ago, and that patients with chronic allergic disorders or unexplained chronic fatigue also improved with administration of such small dosages was reported over 15 years ago, suggesting that these disorders might be associated with mild adrenocortical deficiency. The apparent reasons for the failure of these reports to be confirmed or mentioned in medical textbooks and the facts needed to restore perspective are reviewed, and the need for further studies of the possible relationship of a mild deficiency of the production or utilization of cortisol and possibly other normal adrenocortical hormones to the development of these disorders is discussed.
Investigation of dielectric breakdown of polyvinylidene fluoride using AC and DC methods

The dielectric breakdown strength of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) has been investigated using both AC and DC methods. The DC breakdown strength of PVDF was in the range of 720 to 770 MV/m, which was as good as or better than that of capacitor grade polypropylene film. The AC breakdown strength of PVDF was 220 to 233 MV/m. The AC-to-DC ratio of breakdown strengths for PVDF was significantly lower than that for other polymers. This observation is discussed in terms of the specific dielectric properties of PVDF, namely, its ferroelectricity. >
Design development for the 50mm Superconducting Super Collider dipole cryostat

The cryostat of a Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) dipole magnet consists of all magnet components except the magnet assembly itself. It serves to support the magnet accurately and reliably within the vacuum vessel, provide all required cryogenic piping, and to insulate the cold mass from heat radiated and conducted from the environment. It must function reliably during storage, shipping and handling, normal magnet operation, quenches, and seismic excitations, and must be manufacturable at low cost.
Investigation of a tripropylene-glycol monomethyl ether and diesel blend for soot-free combustion in an optical direct-injection diesel engine

Abstract Natural luminosity and chemiluminescence imaging diagnostics were employed to investigate if a 50/50 blend by volume of tripropylene-glycol monomethyl ether (TPGME) and ultra-low sulfur #2 diesel certification fuel (CF) could enable leaner-lifted flame combustion (LLFC), a non-sooting mode of mixing-controlled combustion associated with equivalence ratios below approximately 2. The experiments were performed in a single-cylinder heavy-duty optical compression–ignition engine at three injection pressures and three dilution levels. Results indicate that TPGME addition effectively eliminated engine-out smoke emissions by curtailing soot production and/or increasing soot oxidation during and after the end of fuel injection. TPGME greatly reduced soot luminosity when compared with neat CF, but did not enable LLFC because the equivalence ratios at the lift-off length, ϕ(H), never reached the non-sooting limit and incandescence from hot soot within the combustion chambered remained visible. Concerning other engine-out emissions, injection pressure influenced the effects of TPGME addition on NOx emissions. HC and CO emissions were higher compared to the baseline fuel, likely due to the lower net heat of combustion of TPGME and the need to limit fuel-injection duration for valid optical measurements.
Biotechnology Approaches to Improving Maize Nitrogen Use Efficiency

Nitrogen (N) is an essential and often limiting nutrient to plant growth. Maize grain yields are highly responsive to supplemental N, leading to annual application of an estimated 10 million metric tons of N fertilizer to the maize crop worldwide (FAO 2004). Nearly all cultivated maize in developed countries receives some form of N fertilizer and N use is increasing in developing countries, where its impacts on raising grain yields from nutrient-poor soils are greatest. The extensive use of N fertilizer not only increases crop input costs, but also can negatively impact soil, water and air quality at both local and ecosystem scales (Tilman et al. 2002). The manufacture of N fertilizer is an energy-intensive process that is becoming increasingly costly, due to the use of natural gas as both a reactant and heat source for the conversion of atmospheric N2 to anhydrous ammonia (NH3). For these reasons, reducing the amount of supplemental N used in maize production will have significant positive economic and environmental benefits to world agriculture. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) can be defined in a variety of ways that emphasize different components of the soil and plant system (reviewed in Good et al. 2004) or economic returns to fertilizer use. In cereal crops like maize, agronomic NUE is most simply expressed as the ratio of grain yield to N fertilizer supplied. Comparisons of maize grain yields and N fertilizer usage on a global basis lead to estimates of maize NUE ranging from 25–50% (Raun and Johnson 1999; Tilman et al. 2002),
Sequential SPFDs

SPFDs are a mechanism to express flexibility in Boolean networks. Introduced by Yamashita et al. in the context of FPGA synthesis [4], they were extended later to general combinational networks [2]. We introduce the concept of sequential SPFDs and provide an algorithm to compute them based on a partition of the state bits. The SPFDs of each component in the partition are used to generate equivalence classes of states. We provide a formal relation between the resulting state classification and the equivalence classes produced by classical state minimization of completely specified machines [6]. The SPFDs associated with the state bits can be applied for re-encoding the state space. For this, we give an algorithm to re-synthesize the sequential circuit using sequential SPFDs and the new state re-encoding.
Issues with the Specificity of Immunological Reagents for Murine IDO1.

In a recent report in Cell Metabolism, Metghalchi et al. presented evidence suggesting a negative regulatory link between the tryptophan-degrading enzyme IDO1 and IL-10 that was proposed to influence the outcomes of atherosclerosis and colitis (Metghalchi et al., 2015). IDO1 activity was linked to suppression of IL-10 production from activated myeloid cells. Importantly, Metghalchi et al. showed IDO1 expression was localized to macrophages and smooth muscle cells in their model of atherosclerosis (Metghalchi et al., 2015).
10 Year (1988–1997) Review of the Publishing Trends in the Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

Over the last ten years there has been a large growth in the amount of research conducted addressing human factors (HF) issues. Much of this research has been published based on lectures, poster presentations, and symposiums held at the annual meeting of the HFES. The research presented at this meeting has several advantages over research published in journals. The research presented tends to be recently conducted when compared to research in journal articles. The meeting also supplies a venue for personal interaction between scientists to discuss research interests in HF. The first purpose of this paper is to supply a descriptive summary of the research published in the proceedings over the last ten years. The second purpose is to supply a resource for HF students from which specific information regarding academic programs and their areas of focus, which companies are performing HF research, and where potential funding may be found.
Toward the Astronomical Detection of the Proton-bound Complex NN-HCO+: Implications for the Spectra of Protoplanetary Disks

Proton-bound complexes have been hypothesized as further means of detecting the nitrogen molecule in the interstellar medium. The study of such complexes has largely been hindered by the necessary experimental setups utilized or by their difficulty in producing and/or analyzing computed potential energy surfaces. Here the NN–HCO+ proton-bound complex is analyzed via quartic force fields (QFFs). While QFFs have produced meaningful results for other proton-bound complexes, they have been hindered by double-well potentials or flat potential surfaces. NN–HCO+ is not affected by these constraints. This strongly dipolar (3.63 D) molecule can be observed rotationally unlike the more heavily analyzed OCHCO+ and NNHNN+ proton-bound complexes. Additionally, the large absorption feature corresponding to the proton motion, a hallmark of proton-bound complexes, is much higher in frequency at 2547.1 cm−1, changing the range of experimental observation for the bright frequency. NN–HCO+ is hypothesized to be present in protoplanetary disks where N2H+ and CO are known. As such, it may help to influence the nitrogen budget of planet-forming astronomical regions.
Psychometric properties of the system for coding couples' interactions in therapy--alcohol.

Few systems are available for coding in-session behaviors for couples in therapy. Alcohol Behavior Couples Therapy (ABCT) is an empirically supported treatment, but little is known about its mechanisms of behavior change. In the current study, an adapted version of the Motivational Interviewing for Significant Others coding system was developed into the System for Coding Couples’ Interactions in Therapy – Alcohol (SCCIT-A), which was used to code couples’ interactions and behaviors during ABCT. Results showed good inter-rater reliability of the SCCIT-A and provided evidence that the SCCIT-A may be a promising measure for understanding couples in therapy. A three factor model of the SCCIT-A was examined (Positive, Negative, and Change Talk/Counter-Change Talk) using a confirmatory factor analysis, but model fit was poor. Due to poor model fit, ratios were computed for Positive/Negative ratings and for Change Talk/Counter-Change Talk codes based on previous research in the couples and Motivational Interviewing literature. Post-hoc analyses examined correlations between specific SCCIT-A codes and baseline characteristics and indicated some concurrent validity. Correlations were run between ratios and baseline characteristics; ratios may be an alternative to using the factors from the SCCIT-A. Reliability and validity analyses suggest that the SCCIT-A has the potential to be a useful measure for coding in-session behaviors of both partners in couples therapy and could be used to identify mechanisms of behavior change for ABCT. Additional research is needed to improve the reliability of some codes and to further develop the SCCIT-A and other measures of couples’ interactions in therapy.
Treatment of EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancers After Progression in Patients Receiving First-Line EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors : A Review

Importance Patients with EGFR -mutant lung cancer benefit from treatment with EGFR inhibitors such as erlotinib, gefitinib, and afatinib, but outcomes are limited by the eventual development of resistance to these agents. Over half of patients acquire a secondary T790M mutation in EGFR at the time of progression and a substantial minority develops resistance through other mechanisms. Multiple treatment strategies are now available to patients whose disease has progressed on their initial EGFR inhibitor, including therapies targeting both T790M, and non–T790M-mediated resistance. Observations This review summarizes information about and current treatment strategies for patients with EGFR -mutant lung cancer whose disease progresses on their initial EGFR inhibitor, including those with T790M and other types of acquired resistance. Postprogression therapy should be tailored based on identified resistance mechanisms, sites, and pace of disease progression, and patient preference. Biopsy and genotyping of resistant tissue or plasma are essential to identifying resistance mechanisms and selecting the most appropriate treatment when patients’ disease progresses during treatment with an initial EGFR inhibitor. Third-generation EGFR inhibitors are generally preferred for patients with T790M-positive resistance, whereas standard chemotherapy and clinical trials are preferred for those without T790M. For select patients, treatment can be continued beyond progression and local ablative therapies can be used to target sites of oligoprogression. Conclusions and Relevance Treatment for patients who progress on their initial EGFR inhibitor should be tailored to identified resistance mechanisms and sites of progression. Emerging reports about resistance to third-generation EGFR inhibitors will lay the groundwork for overcoming the next generation of resistance, and further research is needed to develop more effective therapies.
Trust, Freedom and Mother Love

The transcendent teacher learner relationship is characterized by the trust the teacher has for the learner. Trust is a central, foundational component of the transcendent relationship as can be seen, for example, in the relationships between Jean and Frances.
High pressure X-ray emission spectroscopy at the advanced photon source

ABSTRACTThe structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of materials under high pressure are of fundamental interest in physics, chemistry, materials science, and earth sciences. Among several hard X-ray-based techniques, X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) provides a powerful tool to probe element-specific information for understanding the electronic and magnetic properties of materials under high pressure. Here, we discuss on the particular requirements and instrumentation used in high pressure XES experiments. We then present several examples to illustrate the recent progress in high pressure XES studies at the Advanced Photon Source, followed by an outlook toward future development in high pressure XES.
A Non-Linear Stochastic Model for Adsorption in Batch Reactors

A non-linear stochastic model utilizing the Langmuir adsorption isotherm is developed to represent adsorption kinetics in batch adsorbers. The Markov process model equations that result are simpler to solve than deterministic model equations. Model parameters are developed for trichloroethylene adsorption from aqueous solutions on activated carbon for various adsorbent size and loading conditions. Model predictions are in good agreement with experimental data.
Isomorphism elimination to enhanced design centering of analog circuits using GA and the regionalization method

A two-stage analog circuit design centering technique, using Genetic Algorithms (GA) and the Regionalization method, has previously been described. Circuits are produced that satisfy specified frequency response specifications whose elements are chosen from a set of preferred values incorporating associated parasitic effects. In the first stage, approximate feasible regions are obtained using relaxed specification of the desired response. During the second stage, the search concentrates in these approximate regions. In this paper an enhancement to the technique is introduced, in which the problem of isomorphism among genetic populations of solutions is tackled. This has proven to be a major problem as the solution space becomes more limited in stage two of the search. A simple and efficient technique is used to determine isomorphic solutions, resulting in a faster convergence and producing a broader window into the solution space of the required circuit design.
Organic Responses to Cosmic Rays and Their Secondaries

The invasion into the earth’s atmosphere and disintegration of cosmic protons is followed successively by the birth of π-mesons, μ-mesons, electrons, neutrinos, gamma photons, negatron-positron pairs, and ionization. Shower electrons are produced by cosmic-ray particles that penetrate into heavy matter.
Alcohol-dose-dependent DNA methylation and expression in the nucleus accumbens identifies coordinated regulation of synaptic genes

Alterations in DNA methylation have been associated with alcohol exposure and proposed to contribute to continued alcohol use; however, the molecular mechanisms involved remain obscure. We investigated the escalating effects of alcohol use on DNA methylation, gene expression and predicted neural effects in the nucleus accumbens of rhesus macaques that self-administered 4% alcohol for over 12 months. Using an exploratory approach to identify CpG-rich regions, followed by bisulfite sequencing, the methylation levels of 2.7 million CpGs were compared between seven low-binge drinkers and nine heavy–very heavy drinking subjects. We identified 17 significant differential methylation regions (DMRs), including 14 with methylation levels that were correlated with average daily alcohol consumption. The size of the DMRs ranged from 29 to 158 bp (mean=63.7), included 4–19 CpGs per DMR (mean=8.06) and spanned a range of average methylation values from 5 to 34%. Eight of the DMRs mapped to genes implicated in modulating synaptic plasticity. Six of the synaptic genes have not previously been linked to alcohol use. Validation studies of these eight DMRs using bisulfite amplicon sequencing and an expanded set of 30 subjects confirmed the significant alcohol-dose-associated methylation of the DMRs. Expression analysis of three of the DMR-associated genes, LRP5, GPR39 and JAKMIP1, revealed significant correlations between DMR methylation and whole-gene or alternative transcript expression, supporting a functional role in regulating gene expression. Together, these studies suggest that alcohol-associated synaptic remodeling may be regulated and coordinated at the level of DNA methylation.
Desalting high salinity shale flowback water via high-flux nanofluidic evaporation-condensation

A proof-of-concept nanofluidic device for desalting high salinity waters arising from shale oil/gas extraction was demonstrated. The nanofluidic device uses forward osmosis (FO) to drive an isothermal evaporation-condensation process over tunable sections of functionalized hydrophobicity inside a nanochannel. Desalting high salinity waters was demonstrated for various electrolytes but most prominently, we show direct desalting of Utica shale flowback water (equivalent salt at 3 M or > 180,000 ppm salinity). The tunable hydrophobic regions (l h ) generate vapor-traps inside nanochannels as liquid water cannot cross over the hydrophobic region. An average water flux of 47.3 Lm−2h−1 was measured compared to 10 Lm−2h−1 for state-of-art FO membranes [1] at an osmotic pressure of 48 bar with > 99% salt rejection.
Biopsychosocial influence on shoulder pain: Rationale and protocol for a pre-clinical trial

Abstract Background Chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions are a prevalent and disabling problem. Preventing chronic musculoskeletal pain requires multifactorial treatment approaches that address its complex etiology. Prior cohort studies identified a high risk subgroup comprised of variation in COMT genotype and pain catastrophizing. This subgroup had increased chance of heightened pain responses (in a pre-clinical model) and higher 12 month post-operatives pain intensity ratings (in a clinical model). This pre-clinical trial will test mechanisms and efficacy of personalized pain interventions matched to the genetic and psychological characteristics of the high-risk subgroup. Methods Potential participants will be screened for high risk subgroup membership, appropriateness for exercise-induced muscle injury protocol, and appropriateness for propranolol administration. Eligible participants that consent to the study will then be randomized into one of four treatment groups; 1) personalized pharmaceutical and psychological education; 2) personalized pharmaceutical and general education; 3) placebo pharmaceutical and psychological education; 4) placebo pharmaceutical and psychological education. Over the 5-day study period participants will complete an exercise-induced muscle injury protocol and receive study interventions. Pain and disability assessments will be completed daily, with primary outcomes being duration of shoulder pain (number of days until recovery), peak shoulder pain intensity, and peak shoulder disability. Secondary outcomes include inflammatory markers, psychological mediators, and measures of pain sensitivity regulation. Conclusion This pre-clinical trial builds on prior cohort studies and its completion will provide foundational data supporting efficacy and mechanisms of personalized interventions for individuals that may be at increased risk for developing chronic shoulder pain. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov registry, NCT02620579 (Registered on November 13, 2015).
Magnons in Cu/Ni superlattices

Abstract Magnons in Cu Ni Superlattices have been investigated using Brillouin scattering. Although the results indicate that the magnon is in the range between that expected for an alloy and a superlattice with sharp interfaces, the very broad measured line widths make a quantitative conclusion impossible.
RNA-binding proteins, the guardians of the marginal zone

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) take control of binary cell-fate 'decisions' and cellular identity in lymphoid organs, as the RBP ZFP36L1 is shown to negatively regulate the stability of the transcription factors KLF2 and IRF8 to control the maintenance, survival and localization of marginal zone B cells.
Dancing, Drawing, and Dramatic Robots: Integrating Robotics and the Arts to Teach Foundational STEAM Concepts to Young Children

In recent years, there has been an increasing national focus on the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education for young children beginning in kindergarten. This chapter explores the newest acronym, “STEAM,” which integrates the Arts with STEM education. While many assume the “A” in STEAM refers only to the fine arts, the full potential of STEAM goes beyond aesthetics to include language arts, culture, history, and the humanities . The emerging domain of robotics offers playful strategies for engaging young children with the technology and engineering components of STEM. Additionally, when implemented thoughtfully, robotics is a creative medium with the power to engage young children in the arts and humanities. KIBO is a newly developed robotics construction set specifically designed for children ages 4–7 years to learn foundational engineering and programming content in a hands-on, open-ended way—no screen-time required! This chapter presents vignettes of three interdisciplinary robotics curricular units that utilize the KIBO Robotics Kit: (1) Dances from Around the World, (2) Art-Making Robots, and (3) Superhero Bots. It highlights strategies for taking a child-focused approach to robotics education by drawing on student interest in music, visual arts, and literature when exploring foundational technological ideas.
Deciphering the Action Mechanism of DDX3: An RNA Helicase Implicated in Cancer Propagation and Pathogenic Viral Infection

DDX3 is a human DEAD-box RNA helicase implicated in crucial cellular processes including translation initiation, ribosome assembly, RNA transport, and microRNA processing. Consequently, DDX3 is implicated in many viral infections and cancer cell metabolism. Our goal is to obtain a detailed understanding of DDX3's mechanism of action and employ this understanding to discover DDX3 inhibitors that would serve as lead compounds for drugs that halt viral infections and cancer cell metabolism. While DDX3 is required for many viral infections and cancer cell propagations, it is not essential for healthy cell metabolism, making DDX3 an ideal anticancer and antiviral drug target. Like all the members of the DEAD-box family of enzymes, DDX3 uses ATP binding and hydrolysis to unwind short double-stranded RNA helices. Our data show that different from many members of DEAD-box family of enzymes, monomeric DDX3 is unable to perform RNA unwinding, and a multimeric DDX3 complex is required to support DDX3's helicase activity. Furthermore, our data suggests that the single-stranded-double-stranded RNA junction promotes the formation of the DDX3 multimer. We are in the process of performing mutagenesis studies combined with cross-linking and mass spectrometry to determine the DDX3 amino acids implicated in mulitmer formation and the amino acids that come in direct contact with RNA during the DDX3 catalytic cycle. These experiments would produce information both on DDX3's mechanism of action, and elucidate why some DEAD-box proteins have evolved to act as mulitmers. Lastly, we have found four natural compounds that are specific inhibitors of DDX3 ATPase activity. These compounds will be used as probes to decipher DDX3's action mechanism and could have translational potential as drugs that stop various viral infections and cancer progression.
BEYOND STRATEGY, TIMING AND LIABILITY OF FOREIGNNESS—AN ANALYTICAL EXTENSION OF BUSINESS INTERNATIONALIZATION ANALYSIS: THE CASE OF CHINA

In an age defined by consequential shifts in the global distribution of wealth and power, there exists a real (and growing) possibility of international investment and expansion ambitions of emerging market multinationals being subjected to heightened levels of scrutiny. As a result, the prospects for successful business internationalization are increasingly dependent on the complex mix of political, economic, social and security perceptions and dynamics prevailing in host countries. Anecdotal evidence notwithstanding, macro-environmental assessments of the situational dynamics that shape and influence the international investment and business context in host countries have not yet been systematically incorporated into conceptual frameworks and theories of business internationalization. It will be argued that (1) the limits and constraints of conventional theoretical propositions to explain underlying drivers of business internationalization, (2) the dynamic correlation between the overarching situational context and bureaucratic politics dynamics in host countries, and (3) the prevailing (mis)perceptions and analytical perspectives about foreign multinationals’ investment/expansion motivations compel the need for an analytical angle that goes beyond prevailing theoretical and methodological constraints and aims for a more refined contextual clarity provided by rigorous attention to and incorporation of political, economic, security and social realities in host and home countries. The resulting enhanced conceptual and methodological framework will significantly extend the analytical power of prevailing business internationalization models and frameworks. This will be demonstrated with an initial evaluation of the prospects and challenges encountered by Chinese multinationals’ rapidly expanding investment and expansion forays in advanced industrial, developing, and underdeveloped countries.
The MIMIC Code Repository: enabling reproducibility in critical care research.

Objective Lack of reproducibility in medical studies is a barrier to the generation of a robust knowledge base to support clinical decision-making. In this paper we outline the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC) Code Repository, a centralized code base for generating reproducible studies on an openly available critical care dataset. Materials and methods Code is provided to load the data into a relational structure, create extractions of the data, and reproduce entire analysis plans including research studies. Results Concepts extracted include severity of illness scores, comorbid status, administrative definitions of sepsis, physiologic criteria for sepsis, organ failure scores, treatment administration, and more. Executable documents are used for tutorials and reproduce published studies end-to-end, providing a template for future researchers to replicate. The repository's issue tracker enables community discussion about the data and concepts, allowing users to collaboratively improve the resource. Discussion The centralized repository provides a platform for users of the data to interact directly with the data generators, facilitating greater understanding of the data. It also provides a location for the community to collaborate on necessary concepts for research progress and share them with a larger audience. Consistent application of the same code for underlying concepts is a key step in ensuring that research studies on the MIMIC database are comparable and reproducible. Conclusion By providing open source code alongside the freely accessible MIMIC-III database, we enable end-to-end reproducible analysis of electronic health records.
Intermediate-Term Risk of Stroke Following Cardiac Procedures in a Nationally Representative Data Set.

Background Studies on stroke risk following cardiac procedures addressed only perioperative and long‐term risk following limited higher‐risk procedures, were poorly generalizable, and often failed to stratify by stroke type. We calculated stroke risk in the intermediate risk period following cardiac procedures compared with common noncardiac surgeries and medical admissions. Methods and Results The Nationwide Readmissions Database contains readmission data for 49% of US admissions in 2013. We compared age‐adjusted stroke readmission rates up to 90 days postdischarge. We used Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios, up to 1 year, of stroke risk comparing transcatheter aortic valve replacement versus surgical aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass graft versus percutaneous coronary intervention. Procedures and diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. After cardiac procedures, 90‐day ischemic stroke readmission rate was highest after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (2.05%); 90‐day hemorrhagic stroke rate was highest after left ventricular assist device placement (0.09%). The hazard ratio for ischemic stroke after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, compared with surgical aortic valve replacement, in fully adjusted Cox models was 1.86 (95% confidence interval, 1.12–3.08; P =0.016) and 6.17 (95% confidence interval, 1.97–19.33; P =0.0018) for hemorrhagic stroke. There was no difference between coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary intervention. Conclusions We demonstrated elevated readmission rates for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in the intermediate 30‐, 60‐, and 90‐day risk periods following common cardiac procedures. Furthermore, we found an elevated risk of stroke after transcatheter aortic valve replacement compared with surgical aortic valve replacement up to 1 year.
Association Between Treatment at High-Volume Facilities and Improved Overall Survival in Soft Tissue Sarcomas.

Purpose Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare malignancies that require complex multidisciplinary management. Therefore, facilities with high sarcoma case volume may demonstrate superior outcomes. We hypothesized that STS treatment at high-volume (HV) facilities would be associated with improved overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials Patients aged ≥18 years with nonmetastatic STS treated with surgery and radiation therapy at a single facility from 2004 through 2013 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Facilities were dichotomized into HV and low-volume (LV) cohorts based on total case volume over the study period. OS was assessed using multivariable Cox regression with propensity score-matching. Patterns of care were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results Of 9025 total patients, 1578 (17%) and 7447 (83%) were treated at HV and LV facilities, respectively. On multivariable analysis, high educational attainment, larger tumor size, higher grade, and negative surgical margins were statistically significantly associated with treatment at HV facilities; conversely, black race and non-metropolitan residence were negative predictors of treatment at HV facilities. On propensity score–matched multivariable analysis, treatment at HV facilities versus LV facilities was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio, 0.87, 95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.95; P = .001). Older age, lack of insurance, greater comorbidity, larger tumor size, higher tumor grade, and positive surgical margins were associated with statistically significantly worse OS. Conclusions In this observational cohort study using the National Cancer Database, receipt of surgery and radiation therapy at HV facilities was associated with improved OS in patients with STS. Potential sociodemographic disparities limit access to care at HV facilities for certain populations. Our findings highlight the importance of receipt of care at HV facilities for patients with STS and warrant further study into improving access to care at HV facilities.