cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing Drifts in Spaceborne L-Band Radiometers Using Stable Reference Regions: Application to the Aquarius Mission

The global measurement of sea-surface salinity and more precise measurements of soil moisture from space has been enabled by L-band observations from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, the Aquarius mission, and the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. These measurements are key components of the global water cycle and the ability to resolve climate scale variations in these variables is extremely valuable for improved understanding of how the hydrologic cycle varies in a changing climate system. It is therefore imperative that the radiometer systems making these measurements be calibrated to remove any spurious instrument temporal drifts. In this paper, models are developed over Antarctica and rainforest regions to track the gain and offset drifts in spaceborne L-band radiometer brightness-temperature (TB) measurements. The Antarctica region is found to be best for tracking small variations (0.1 K over 10 days) for vertically polarized observations near the Brewster angle. The rainforest regions are found to be best for tracking longer term variations ( $ > $ 60 days) in all channels, due to larger uncertainty in the surface temperature knowledge, and excellent for tracking shorter term variations between channels ( $ 10 days). These reference regions were used to separate a long-term gain drift and a quasi-monthly offset variation in the Aquarius radiometer. These observations eventually led to the characterization of the root cause for the drift and are contributing to improved correction methods based on models for the hardware behavior.
Abstract 235: Oncogene addiction switch from NOTCH to PI3K/AKT requires simultaneous targeting of NOTCH and PI3K pathway inhibition in glioblastoma.

Notch signaling pathway regulates normal stem cells in the brain and glioma stem cells (GSCs) with high Notch activity. However, blocking the proteolytic activation of NOTCH with γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) fails to alter the growth of some GSCs as GSIs seem to be active in only a fraction of GSCs lines with constitutive NOTCH activity and limiting the efficacy of this strategy. Linking the molecular aberrations of cancer to drug responses could guide treatment choice and identification of new therapeutic applications. Here we report loss of PTEN as a critical event leading to resistance to NOTCH inhibition, which causes the transfer of “oncogene addiction” from the NOTCH to the phosphoinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway. This novel observation suggests the need to simultaneous inhibition of both pathways as a means to improve therapeutic efficacy in human GBMs. We investigated the effects of Notch pathway inhibition in GSC using GSI. Drug cytotoxicity test on 16 GSCs show differential growth response to GSI stratifying GSCs into two groups: responders (6 cell lines) vs non-responders (10 cell lines). Active Notch signaling seems to be important features for the GSC as Notch inhibition only affected GSCs defined as having increased endogenous Notch activity. However in the responder group GSCs with the PTEN mutation seems to be less sensitive to GSI treatment. Here we show that NOTCH regulates the expression of PTEN and the activity of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in GSCs since treatment with GSI attenuated Notch intracellular domain (NICD), Hes-1, Hes-3, and Hes-5 and increases PTEN expression. NOTCH regulates PTEN expression via Hes-1 as knockdown of either Notch or Hes1 led to increase expression of PTEN. In contrast, PTEN knockdown decreases the response of GSCs to GSI in PTEN wild type GSCs. Our data shows that PTEN is an important mediator of GSI induced attenuation of cell growth suggesting that there might be a regulatory circuit-linking Notch signaling with PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway, providing the basis for the design of new therapeutic strategies and suggests the need to simultaneously inhibit both pathways as a means to improve therapeutic efficacy in human GBMs. Our preliminary data reveal the synergistic attenuation of cell growth using combination of GSI and PI3K inhibitors in PTEN mutant GSCs. Our results warrant further studies to test the efficacy of combined PI3K/AKT- and NOTCH-directed therapies in human cancer. Citation Format: Norihiko Saito, Jun Fu, Shuzhen Wang, Erik P. Sulman, Frederick F. Lang, Wk Alfred Yung, Dimpy Koul. Oncogene addiction switch from NOTCH to PI3K/AKT requires simultaneous targeting of NOTCH and PI3K pathway inhibition in glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 235. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-235
Activation of Mg acceptors in GaN:Mg monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Hydrogen removal from Mg-doped GaN is necessary to activate p-type conductivity, but the exact chemical process is not yet clear. We have investigated this issue by monitoring the intensity of an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal attributed to Mg through a series of isochronal and isothermal anneals between 600 and 1000 °C. Measurements made on GaN:Mg epitaxial layers deposited on SiC and annealed between 700 and 850 °C indicate that the Mg-related EPR signal increases with temperature as expected for depassivation of a Mg complex by removal of hydrogen. However, data obtained outside this temperature range suggest that additional processes may occur. For example, as-deposited films contain a signal resembling the Mg acceptor that is quenched by a 650 °C N2 anneal. Also, for all samples, N2 annealing at T>850 °C irreversibly decreases the signal thought to be due to Mg. Although the presence of the signal in the as-grown films is not fully understood, the effects observed at T>850 °C may be attributed to preferential N-desorption from Mg-N-H complexes.
The Impact of the Louisiana Scholarship Program on Racial Segregation in Louisiana Schools

The question of how school choice programs affect the racial stratification of schools is highly salient in the field of education policy. We use a student-level panel data set to analyze the impacts of the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) on racial segregation in public and private schools. This targeted school voucher program provides funding for low-income, mostly minority students in the lowest-graded public schools to enroll in participating private schools. Our analysis indicates that the vast majority (82%) of LSP transfers have reduced racial segregation in the voucher students’ former public schools. LSP transfers have marginally increased segregation in the participating private schools, however, where just 45% of transfers reduce racial segregation. In those school districts under federal desegregation orders, voucher transfers result in a large reduction in traditional public schools’ racial segregation levels and have no discernible impact on private schools. The results of this analysis provide reliable empirical evidence that parental choice actually has aided desegregation efforts in Louisiana.
Thermal management in rack scale architecture system with shared power and shared cooling

In today's data center, in order to achieve higher density and better energy efficiency, the traditional server systems with dedicated fans and power supply units are evolving to the Rack Scale System with shared cooling and shared power supply at rack level, some examples are Open Compute Project and China Scorpio Rack. This evolution brings the challenges of how to efficiently control the rack cooling and effectively manage the rack power at coarse granularity level, e.g. at the whole rack or half rack level, while no increasing in system cost and management complexity. In this paper, the management architecture for the Rack Scale System is introduced, the cooling zone, power zone, and the parameters for thermal and power management are elaborated. Some new virtual sensors for thermal management are also introduced in this paper, the modeling method for the volumetric airflow virtual sensor is described, and the validation test results are presented. With the rack thermal and power management, the IT devices can be closely associated with the datacenter facilities, and thus be intelligently orchestrated and adapted to the workload for TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) saving and reliability improvement.
Massive Modeling of Geometric Objects Based on Surface Subdivision

An algorithm to implement surface subdivision based on texture feature curves and elevation data was put forward to build multi-resolution geometric objects.The elevation information and its feature curves in the surfaces of the geometric objects were mapped to the texture of a triangle mesh.The algorithm provided a method of triangle splitting depending on the intersection of the triangle sides and the texture feature curves to create the adaptive subdivided triangle mesh.Through designing the data structure of binary-tree about the adaptive subdivided triangle mesh and developing test program,the testing indicates that the algorithm has the traits of creating model fast and maintaining better geometric feature and can meet the requirements of massive modeling of geometric objects and its real-time rendering on PC.
Healthcare workers and the incidence of nosocomial infection : can treatment of one influence the other ? A brief review

Nasal carriage by health care workers represents an important hospital reservoir of Staphylococcus aureus. Approximately 25% of all hospital-based healthcare workers are stable nasal carriers. Several studies in the US and UK have shown that following treatment of this group with a single 5-day course of intranasal mupirocin, nasal carriage was usually eradicated within 24 hours, and after 12 weeks was only present in 25% of participants. Long-term follow-up in one institution after 52 weeks showed that there were significantly fewer carriers in the mupirocin group than in the group receiving identical placebo. In the same study, between 30% and 50% of those hospital workers who carried S. aureus in their nose, before the start of therapy, were also hand carriers. After treatment, a dramatic reduction in hand carriage of S. aureus was noted, in contrast to no change in the placebo group. After 6 months, the level of hand carriage was still statistically lower in the mupirocin group than in those given placebo. The association between nasal carriage and hand carriage makes it important that health care workers decontaminate their hands effectively between patients. Current evidence suggests, however, that compliance with such control measures is low. Other studies examining the role of S. aureus nasal carriage in the development of post-operative wound infection, have shown that almost half of those isolates recovered from the wound site were present in the nose of the patient pre-operatively. Due to its ability to eliminate nasal carriage of S. aureus, current studies are investigating whether intranasal mupirocin can prevent post-operative wound infections in patients undergoing surgery.
Endothelial cell dysfunction after ischemic arrest and reperfusion: a possible mechanism of myocardial injury during reflow.

To determine the mechanism(s) responsible for decreased coronary flow after global cardiac ischemia and reperfusion, we studied 40 isolated rabbit hearts before and after 30 minutes of normothermic ischemic arrest and reperfusion. In the control group (n = 10) we evaluated the time course of recovery of coronary flow, vascular reactivity, and myocardial function. In experimental groups A (n = 10) and B (n = 10), metabolic control of autoregulation was assessed by plots of myocardial oxygen consumption versus coronary flow generated by incremental increases in heart rate. The slope and intercept of these plots suggested that autoregulation of coronary flow was maintained after ischemia. In group B hearts (n = 10) hyperosmolar reperfusion with mannitol decreased myocardial water by 2% (p
The Ethics of Ambiguity Rethinking the Role and Importance of Uncertainty in Medical Education and Practice

Understanding and embracing uncertainty are critical for effective teacher-learner relationships as well as for shared decision-making in the physician-patient relationship. However, ambiguity has not been given serious consideration in either the undergraduate or graduate medical curricula or in the role it plays in patient-centered care. In this article, the author examines the ethics of ambiguity and argues for a pedagogy that includes education in the importance of, and tolerance of, ambiguity that is inherent in medical education and practice. Common threads running through the ethics of ambiguity are the virtue of respect, and the development of a culture of respect is required for the successful understanding and implementation of a pedagogy of ambiguity.
Reduced muscarinic receptor binding in tissues of rats tolerant to the insecticide disulfoton.

Tolerance to the toxic effects of exposure to the organophosphate acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, disulfoton, was induced by giving multiple, sublethal doses of the compound to male rats. Tolerance was judged to have been induced when toxic signs of exposure, including weight loss, were reversed or diminished. Binding of the specific muscarinic radioligand, [3H] quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H] QNB) to ileal muscle, forebrain, and hindbrain from treated animals was significantly less than the amount bound to tissue from the control animals. Binding of [3H] QNB to heart tissue from tolerant animals was not different from control values. After a typical tolerance-inducing regimen of 7 doses of 2 mg/kg/day disulfoton followed by 4 doses of 3 mg/kg/day, [3H] QNB binding to heart from treated animals was 104% of controls, while binding to ileal muscle, forebrain, and hindbrain was 67, 69, and 77% of control values (p less than .001, .001 and .01), respectively. [3H] QNB binding was not decreased due to competition for binding sites with excess acetylcholine. Neither were decreases due to displacement by disulfoton, as an acute dose of disulfoton (which caused marked inhibition of acetylcholinesterase) did not result in decreased binding. The maximal binding (Bmax) to forebrain of tolerant animals was 56% of control (1.06 vs 1.88 pmol [3H] QNB mg protein-1, p less than 0.01), but no statistically significant change could be seen in equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd, 0.35 vs 0.36 nM). No changes in [3H] QNB binding constants occurred in hearts form tolerant animals. Differences between tolerant and control groups could be seen in [3H] QNB binding to striatum, but no alterations occurred in this brain area in the binding of dopaminergic or gabaergic radiolabels. The data presented in consistent with the hypothesis that cholinergic receptors are involved in organophosphate tolerance.
Production of γ-Linolenic Acid by Transgenic Plants Expressing Cyanobacterial or Plant △ 6 -Desaturase Genes

△6-desaturase genes were isolated from cyanobacteria and Borago officinalis. Introduction of these genes into tobacco under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter resulted in γ-linolenic acid (GLA) production in leaf lipids. The use of seed specific promoters also resulted in significant levels of GLA in seed lipids.
Plutonium/Americium/Uranium hot Spot Remediation at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site

The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site is a government-owned contractor-operated facility that was part of the nationwide Nuclear Weapons Complex. An accelerated response action (ARA) to remove radionuclide-contaminated soils (i.e. Hot Spots) was taken from an area known as Operable Unit 01. The objective of this ARA was to significantly reduce potential risks to workers and the public posed by the radionuclides present in the hot spots. Drums of waste containing radionuclides, solvents, and oils were historically stored in the Operable Unit 01 area from 1968–1971. Six hot spots, defined as discrete surface soil areas, were identified from a detailed radiological survey (Table 1).
Optimal control of Goursat systems in irregular domains

We report a new type of Hamiltonian equations and maximum principle for the optimal control of a Goursat system when the underlying domain of 2-D "time" is not rectangular and has non-smooth boundary. The resulting Hamiltonian equations form a system of impulsive hyperbolic partial differential equations, with the impulses induced by the conditions on the costate at points of discontinuity on the boundary of the domain. This type of Hamiltonian equations has no counterpart in either control of ODEs or in control of hyperbolic problems in a rectangular domain or in a domain with smooth boundary.
Constrained local latent variable discovery

For many applications, the observed data may be incomplete and there often exist variables that are unobserved but play an important role in capturing the underlying relationships. In this work, we propose a method to identify local latent variables and to determine their structural relations with the observed variables. We formulate the local latent variable discovery as discovering the Markov Blanket (MB) of a target variable. To efficiently search the latent variable space, we exploit MB topology to divide the latent space into different subspaces. Within each subspace, we employ a constrained structure expectation-maximization algorithm to greedily learn the MB with latent variables. We evaluate the performance of our method on synthetic data to demonstrate its effectiveness in identifying the correct latent variables. We further apply our algorithm to feature discovery and selection problem, and show that the latent variables learned through the proposed method can improve the classification accuracy in benchmark feature selection and discovery datasets.
Monoclonal Antibodies as Therapeutic Agents

Monoclonal antibodies are effective targeted therapeutic agents. The high specificity of the antibodies makes them ideal to reach their intended target and thus is useful to treat a variety of disease states. This chapter begins with an explanation of methods which are used to propagate and isolate monoclonal antibodies. There is description of hybridoma technology, CDR grafting, and phage display technology. These techniques are used to develop various therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, including chimeric, humanized, and human monoclonal antibodies. This is followed by the description of specific monoclonal antibodies used as drugs to treat various diseases including autoimmune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis), immune system-mediated disorders (psoriasis), transplant rejection, thrombosis, cancer, allergic disease, as well as others. Immunoconjugates which are comprised of monoclonal antibody linked to a chemotherapeutic agent or source(s) of radiation are discussed to treat cancer. The treatment of cancer includes both hematologic malignancies as well as solid tumors. The target of each monoclonal antibody is identified along with its precise mechanism of action, clinical use, and adverse effects.
Academia Industry Partnerships in the Biomedical Engineering Domain

The current complex socio-economic environments due to fiscal constraints pose severe challenges worldwide for making technological advances working alone by academia or by industry. Effective academia-industry collaborations can be meaningful avenues for technological advancements, productivity and revenue generation as well as for promoting professional growth and educating future engineers globally. The above explanations apply to all engineering domains including biomedical engineering. The objective of the paper is to explore multifaceted academia-industry partnerships, their benefits and challenges, and to make suggestions for successful outcomes. The results based on several case histories support the formation of carefully planned academia industry partnerships to yield significant benefits to all the constituent members.
The Discrete Event Calculus Reasoner

We describe the Discrete Event Calculus Reasoner, which uses satisfiability (SAT) to solve event calculus problems. The program can be used to perform automated deduction, abduction, postdiction, and model finding. We discuss the architecture of the program and the encoding of SAT problems. We present some simple examples of how the program is used and then present a more complicated example. We discuss the language used to describe commonsense reasoning problems to the program.
Introduction to GIS

GIS has great value in our time as it is a comprehensive information system evolved and still developing parallel with the advancing technology. This era of the human kind is characterized as an information age, where the whole world is experiencing and interacting with a new revolution that change our traditional way to look at the things and do a business in completely different approach. The emphasis is on the technology and its use in every activity that range from agriculture, industry, business, social, research and education. The advancement in technology changed our world and our approaches to meet our need to rely completely on the technology and data. The value of information in our time becomes vital and important for development. GIS itself is an important module of the information system. The economy of all industrial countries and many other nations all over the globe, become more dependent on services. This means that the current economy rely more and more on computers, networking, accurate information and data. This shift required a mass of skilled labors that are capable to deal with the technology and data processing.
OSG-KINC: High-throughput gene co-expression network construction using the open science grid

Gene Co-expression Network (GCN) analysis is a method to characterize the complexity underlying biological systems. With an increasing availability of datasets available for mining complex gene expression patterns, novel algorithms and computational frameworks must be developed to take advantage of the wealth of information. OSG-KINC is a Pegasus workflow that enables highly parallel execution of KINC — Knowledge Independent Network Construction — using resources available on the Open Science Grid (OSG). A yeast GCN was constructed using the OSG-KINC workflow, providing an example GCN resource for biological hypothesis testing. Timing experiments demonstrate that the number of jobs submitted by the user significantly affects the performance of the workflow. An overview of workflow usage, bottlenecks, and efforts for improvement is provided. OSG-KINC is freely available at https://github.com/feltus/OSG-KINC under GNU General Public License version 3.
Hodgkin lymphoma-like post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (HL-PTLD): Characteristics, survival, and prognostication in a large U.S. cohort.

8572 Background: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder is a well described complication of solid organ transplant (SOT), however relatively little is known about HL-PTLD. Methods: We examine...
Freezing and Vitrification of Red Cells, Recollections and Predictions

The subject of red cell freezing has been reviewed repeatedly since the first report of glycerol cryoprotection by Audrey Smith in 1950 [1]. At least four books on the subject have been published [2-5] and the science, the technology and the applications have been so exhaustively documented that yet another review of red cell freezing seems largely redundant. What is still missing, however, are those obscure and statistically insignificant events that never found their way into print, often for good reason, and known only to a few of the rapidly diminishing ranks of octogenarians who were there at the creation. The goal of this review, therefore, is not only to summarize the topic as it is understood today but also to recall the human side of some of the milestones in the development of red cell freezing, many of them autobiographical.
Crack Tip Growth Measurement Using Digital Image Correlation

We present the results of sub-surface crack-length measurements in an aluminium sample that are inferred from surface strains calculated using digital image correlation (DIC). DIC is a photometric technique that uses a calibrated stereo camera system to calculate the 3D shape and motion of an imaged scene [1,2]. Image correlation has already proven itself to be useful for crack tip investigation due to the ability to obtain a relatively dense set of strain measurements in a region of interest. Traditionally, this has been accomplished using 2D-DIC techniques that require only a single camera [3], however, the more complex geometry of the current experiment required 3D information to correctly map the crack-tip strains onto the curved surface. This complex sample geometry was carefully constructed to maintain a stable strain field in order to produce crack growth at rates easily captured with high-resolution digital cameras operating with a 4-Hz frame rate (see Fig. 1). A preliminary experiment was conducted where the crack growth was halted and x-ray methods were used to find the sub-surface crack-tip location. The sub-surface crack location corresponded to a surface strain of 10%. This value was then used for tracking the crack extension as the specimen failed. The three samples tested showed excellent agreement. The crack length and applied load versus sample extension (measured with a linear variable differential transformer) for a single sample is shown in Fig. 2. Also shown are images of the strain field at assorted times during the test. The theoretical “peanut” shaped crack-tip strain predicted by the plane stress Tresca criterion is evident in the measured strain field.
Adolescent Injuries and Violence

Modern public health has all but eliminated many diseases, and reduced others, that once threatened the health of young people in the United States. Today, the major health threat facing youth is injury. Injury is responsible for three-quarters of the deaths to those ages 10–19, killing and crippling more teenagers and young adults than all diseases combined. The majority of injury deaths result from car crashes, residential fires, drowning, bicycle crashes, poisoning, violence (suicide and homicide), and pedestrian collisions. Alcohol is a contributing risk factor to many of these injuries. Injuries are not the results of ‘accidents’ or acts of fate—they are both predictable and preventable. Approaches to preventing injuries include changing youth risk behaviors, changing the environment, and making products safer. Implementing known and effective prevention strategies such as using seat belts and bicycle helmets, proper storage of firearms, installation of smoke alarms, reducing underage drinking, life skills training, and using safety equipment in sports and leisure, can reduce injuries to young people. The frequency, severity, potential for death and disability, and costs of these injuries, together with the effectiveness of prevention strategies, make injury prevention a key public health goal in the future.
Castor canadensis (Beaver)

These karyotypes are based on fibrous tissue and kidney cultures of three male and two female beavers trapped in central Vermont, USA. All gave similar results. The karyotypes shown are from fibrous tissue cultures.
Dior to disco: Second wave feminism and fashion

This research strives to identify ways in which second wave feminism triggered lasting change in fashionable dress, and to distinguish these instances of significant change from the natural ebb and flow of the fashion cycle. Second wave feminism was part of mainstream culture with widely known authors. This research uses these texts and analyses of these writings to better understand the social context of this time span and how the fashion system worked during it. Additionally, an assessment of fashionable dress between the years of 1950 and 1979 is created through a content analysis of Vogue magazines. Findings indicate that some silhouettes reflecting the era's messaging, such as lack of foundation garments, were part of a fashion cycle, which may have created different structures upon women. However, other garments, including pants did not grab hold in culture until feminism solidified a lasting path for women with contemporary functionality.
Evaluating grain sorghum hybrids for tolerance to iron chlorosis

Grain sorghum production in calcareous soils is frequently affected by iron (Fe) chlorosis. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to screen sorghum hybrids for their tolerance to iron deficiency ch...
Political Determinants of Business Formalization

A formalized economy is considered essential for economic stability and growth. Work has examined the economic determinants of business formalization, but the political incentives that drive the process are unclear. In this paper, I argue that political uncertainty can affect a firm’s decision to formalize. Local politicians, motivated by competing political incentives, choose between enforcing informal-sector laws or practicing forbearance. I argue that in situations where the local politician’s incentives are unclear, businesses face incentives to formalize. To test this relationship, I use a regression discontinuity design that takes challengers’ percentage vote share at the district level in Senegal as the forcing variable. I create a novel dataset of every formalized business in Dakar, assembled through scraping techniques on documents obtained from the Senegalese Chamber of Commerce, and from geolocating each business to its voting district. I find positive effects of political uncertainty on formalization, demonstrating the strong connection between the political and economic environments in contexts where the informal economy thrives. These results suggest that political factors are important in explaining formalization.
Pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis is associated with polymorphisms in Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Non-receptor type 2 and 22 (PTPN2/22) and susceptibility to Mycobacteria

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in T-cell regulator genes such as Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Non-receptor type 2 and 22 ( PTPN2/22 ) have been associated with many inflammatory autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Along with these SNPs and an environmental trigger of a mycobacterial infection from Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), we hypothesis that this will lead to chronic inflammation of the synovial joints of RA. We gathered 132 consented subjects blood samples, where genotyping was done for nine SNPs found in PTPN2/22 using TaqMan™ genotyping. Quantification of the effect of the SNPs on gene expression of PTPN2/22 and IFN-γ expression was determined through real time PCR. T-cell proliferation assays were done to examine the response of phytohematoagglutonin (PHA) and mycobacterial antigens in subject samples by the use of BrdU proliferation assays. Detection of MAP bacterial IS900 DNA was done by nested PCR. Out of the nine SNPs examined, PTPN2:rs478582/PTPN22:rs2476601 were found significant in RA compared to the healthy controls (p-values PTPN2/22 was downregulated in RA overall compared to healthy controls. IFN-γ expression was upregulated in samples with significant SNPs. T-cell proliferation increased when T-cells tested had significant SNPs (p-values IS900 MAP DNA was detected more significantly in RA than in healthy controls, where samples with either significant SNPs had higher presence of MAP (p-values PTPN2/22 dysregulates T-cell regulation and increases susceptibility to Mycobacteria , leading to increased proliferation of T-cells and higher amounts of IFN-γ expression in RA.
Pediatric NAFLD: an overview and recent developments in diagnostics and treatment.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in children and adults in industrialized countries. Besides liver-related morbidity, NAFLD is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and mortality at adult age. However, despite the high prevalence and serious complications, diagnosing and staging of disease remains complicated due to a lack of accurate screening tools and non-invasive methods to detect fibrosis. Areas covered: Recent insights in epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnostic evaluation and treatment options in pediatric NAFLD are being reviewed, with a particular focus on new developments in diagnostic tools. Expert opinion: Due to their long life span, children with NAFLD are particularly at risk of complications in their lifetime. Therefore, an effective screening strategy for children to identify those with NAFLD at risk of complications is urgently needed. This is further underscored by new pharmacological therapies that are expected to become available in the next 5 years. Momentarily no accurate non-invasive method for diagnosing pediatric NAFLD is available. New promising biomarkers and imaging tools could hopefully provide better screening tools and could contribute to the development of a successful management plan to identify children with NAFLD.
Spectroscopic characterization of metal ligation in trinuclear iron-μ3-oxo-based complexes and metal-organic frameworks.

The adsorption-based functionalities of porous metal-organic framework (MOF) materials that lead to applications such as catalysis and gas separation rely on specific host–guest interactions often involving the framework metal sites. These interactions are difficult to probe on the molecular level and consequently poorly understood. Conventional X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) methods can provide molecular-level insights but, as the sole method of characterization, often lack the ligand sensitivity required to probe the relevant local metal coordination changes associated with MOF adsorption processes. Here, we investigate a series of trinuclear iron μ3-oxo-based MOFs under different metal-coordinating guest environments (water, pyridine, propylene, and guest-free) using a multipronged spectroscopy approach, including valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy (vtc-XES) along with conventional XAS and vibrational spectroscopy, in an effort to characterize their local metal site coordination environments, including ligand identity. Closely related iron μ3-oxo reference complexes with known coordination are characterized as well for comparison to evaluate the ligand diagnostic nature of the combined spectroscopy approach. Density functional theory calculations aid the vtc-XES band assignments and provide insights into the molecular orbital parentage of the vtc transitions. This series of MOFs and complexes illustrates the advantages and limitations of using this combination of complementary techniques for distinguishing subtle differences in framework metal node coordination environments.
Genetic, morphometric, and molecular analyses of interspecies differences in head shape and hybrid developmental defects in the wasp genus Nasonia

Abstract Males in the parasitoid wasp genus Nasonia (N. vitripennis, N. giraulti, N. longicornis) have distinct, species specific, head shapes. Fertile hybrids among the species are readily produced in the lab allowing genetic analysis of the evolved differences. In addition, the obligate haploidy of males makes these wasps a uniquely powerful model for analyzing the role of complex gene interactions in development and evolution. Previous analyses have shown that complex gene interactions underpin different aspects of the shape differences, and developmental incompatibilities that are specific to the head in F2 haploid hybrid males are also governed by networks of gene interaction. Here we use the genetic tools available in Nasonia to extend our understanding of the gene interactions that affect development and morphogenesis in male heads. Using artificial diploid male hybrids, we show that alleles affecting head shape are codominant, leading to uniform, averaged hybrid F1 diploid male heads, while the alleles mediating developmental defects are recessive, and are not visible in the diploid hybrids. We also determine that divergence in time, rather than in morphological disparity is the primary driver of hybrid developmental defects. In addition, we show that doublesex is necessary for the male head shape differences, but is not the only important factor. Finally we demonstrate that we can dissect complex interspecies gene interaction networks using introgression in this system. These advances represent significant progress in the complex web of gene interactions that govern morphological development, and chart the connections between genomic and phenotypic variation.
Aberrant CpG island hypermethylation of multiple genes in human prostate cancer

1058 Transcriptional silencing associated with aberrant promoter methylation has been established as an alternative pathway for development and progression of several human malignancies including prostate cancer. Identification of genes having cancer-specific CpG methylation may be indicative of disease process and could be developed as tumor marker. In this study we analyzed promoter methylation of some novel genes in human prostate cancer cells. Using TransSignal Methylation Array (Panomics, Redwood City, CA), we probed for DNA methylation in the genomes of androgen-responsive 22Rv1 and LNCaP and in androgen-refractory PC3 and DU145 human prostate cancer cell lines, representing various stages of disease progression and compared with normal prostate epithelial (PrEC) cells. Additionally, cell lines were probed for chemical response to demethylating agent 5’-aza-2’deoxycytidine by MS-PCR. RT-PCR and Western blotting was also performed for gene expression. Of the 82 gene promoter sequences probed on the array, 14 genes exhibited varying degree of promoter hypermethylation in various prostate cancer cell lines. Normal prostate epithelial cells did not exhibit promoter methylation. These genes include i) tumor suppressor genes: caspase-8, maspin, NME2, trefoil factor 1 and von-Hippel Lindau, ii) endotoxin receptor: CD14, iii) immunomodulatory cytokine: interleukin-4, iv) inhibitor of apoptosis: survivin, v) antiviral transcription factor: interferon regulatory factor-7, vii) proto-oncogene: MYC L2, viii) hormone receptor: platelet derived growth factor-beta, ix) replication protein A2, and x) microfilament proteins: trophinin associated protein: tastin and nestin. A closer examination of the 5’-upstream region of these genes revealed the presence of multiple CpG islands although all of them may not necessarily correlate with gene silencing. To further confirm the correlation between gene silencing and CpG methylation, we designed primers specific for proximal promoter region of these genes and performed MS-PCR before and after treatment with the 5’-aza-2’deoxycytidine. Absence of gene expression at mRNA and protein levels correlated with CpG promoter hypermethylation and genes like CD14, nestin and IRF-7 were predominantly hypermethylated whereas the survivin, tastin and VHL genes had hemimethylated promoters observed in prostate cancer cells. Our study reports a new set of genes previously not known to be epigenetically silenced through promoter hypermethylation in prostate cancer.
A case for reduced energy utilization associated with spatial disorder of myosin in skeletal muscle

For decades, regulation of the force developed by striated muscles has been thought to principally or solely involve the delivery of Ca2+ to the myoplasm. Increases in free myoplasmic [Ca2+] result in activation of the thin filament due to Ca2+ binding to troponin-C in the thin filament regulatory
Disrupting female flight in the vector Aedes aegypti

Abstract Aedes aegypti is a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Current vector control strategies such as community engagement, source reduction, and insecticides have not been sufficient to prevent viral outbreaks. Thus, interest in novel strategies involving genetic engineering is growing. Female mosquitoes rely on flight to mate with males and obtain a bloodmeal from a host. We hypothesized that knockout of genes specifically expressed in female mosquitoes associated with the indirect flight muscles would result in a flightless female mosquito. With the CRISPR-Cas9 system, we performed embryonic microinjections of Cas9 protein and guide RNAs specific to genes hypothesized to control flight in mosquitoes, and have obtained genetic knockouts in several genes specifically expressed in the flight-muscle, including those specific to female flight muscle. Analysis of the phenotype of these female-specific gene knockout mutants resulted in flightless females and flying males. While further assessment is required, this work lays the groundwork for a mechanism of population control that is female-specific for the Ae. aegypti vector.
A unique indication for the senning procedure: Atrioventricular discordance with ventriculoarterial concordance

Objective We describe experience treating a patient with atrioventricular (AV) discordance with ventriculoarterial (VA) concordance, ventricular septal defect (VSD), and situs inversus. This is a rare congenital lesion in which closing the VSD would septate D-transposition physiology and performing an arterial switch and VSD closure would produce congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries physiology. As such, it is the only lesion for which an isolated atrial switch (and VSD closure) remains the preferred correction. Case A term baby girl born with AV discordance/VA concordance, a large VSD, and situs inversus totalis was palliated with atrial septostomy on day of life 3 to allow for optimal mixing and pulmonary artery banding during the 6th week of life to control symptoms of pulmonary overcirculation and protect the pulmonary vasculature. At 8 months of age, she underwent complete repair with a Senning atrial switch procedure, VSD closure, and pulmonary artery debanding with pulmonary arterioplasty. Results The patient underwent corrective surgery with patch closure of the VSD, and the Senning atrial switch procedure resulting in a total anatomic correction. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 6 and is clinically doing well 12 months later. Follow-up transthoracic echocardiogram shows no pulmonary venous baffle obstruction, mild systemic venous baffle obstruction, and moderate pulmonary stenosis/pulmonary insufficiency. Conclusion The isolated atrial switch is rarely employed as its outcomes are inferior to the arterial switch operation in the setting of the dextro-transposition of the great arteries. However, it remains the procedure of choice for AV discordance with VA concordance as it leads to physiologically corrected biventricular circulation.
A Policy History of Leadership Dilemmas In English Learner Education

This commentary situates the articles in this special issue in a historical perspective. It examines changes in civil rights law, bilingual education policy, and standards-based reform over time, a...
Pulsed characteristics for high current, large area GaN/Ain resonant tunneling diodes

Recently there has been renewed interest in resonant tunnel diodes (RTD) owing to the demonstration of repeatable room temperature negative differential resistance (RT-NDR) [1], [2] and high peak current densities [3] in GaN-based RTDs. While most of the successful demonstrations of RT-NDR have been from device structures grown on low dislocation-density, freestanding (FS) GaN substrates, there have been a few reports of repeatable RT-NDR from GaN-based RTDs grown on GaN templates on sapphire [4], [5], which have significantly higher densities of threading dislocations (TDs) than FS GaN substrates, but much lower cost. Furthermore, due to the large spontaneous and piezoelectric charge found at the heterointerfaces in III-nitrides, GaN-based RTDs, such as the one illustrated in Fig. 1(a), have highly unusual energy band diagrams, even at 0V bias [Fig. 1(b)]. However, observations of RT-NDR in GaN RTDs on GaN templated sapphire substrates have been restricted to devices of very small active area, typically less than $10\ \mu \mathrm{m}^{2}$ [4], [5].
Outcomes of Heart Transplantation Bridging Strategies: Durable VAD vs IABP vs Medical Therapy

Purpose Heart transplantation candidates are often bridged to transplantation with medical therapy (MT) or mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Recent changes were made in the UNOS adult heart allocation system, partly based on bridging strategy, and potential effects remain uncertain. We compared outcomes of patients bridged to OHT with durable VAD (dVAD), intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), and MT prior to the new allocation system. Methods A retrospective review was performed on 513 consecutive patients listed for OHT between April 2004 and December 2018. Patients were excluded if bridged with extracorporeal ventricular assist devices or multiple concomitant MCS devices. Pre-, intra-, and post-operative characteristics were compared between the BTT strategies. Continuous variables are expressed as mean ± standard deviation or median (Q1-Q3) while categorical variables are expressed as number (%). Results A total of 501 patients were included (age 54.5(42.5-62.0) years, 104(30%) female). Of these, 348(69.5%) were transplanted (dVAD 175(50.3%), IABP 69(19.8%), and 104(29.9%) MT). Overall, 30-day mortality was 4% and 2-year mortality was 11%. dVAD had longer CPB minutes (dVAD 155.9±42.9, IABP 145.3±65.7, MT 139.7±52.6, p=0.031), but donor ischemic minutes were similar (dVAD 179.9±44.4, IABP 188.2±49.1, MT 179.9±53.7, p=0.44). IABP patients had longer overall LOS (IABP 55.0(31.0-90.0) days, dVAD 16.0(11.0-26.0) days, MT 40.0(20.5-75.0) days, p Conclusion In this study, OHT outcomes were similar between the three bridging strategies, but overall LOS was higher in the IABP group. Further study is needed to determine the long-term effects of the new UNOS allocation system in regards to waiting-time, death on waiting list, transplant survival and cost-effectiveness of these bridging strategies.
Degree of Glomerulosclerosis in Procurement Kidney Biopsies from Marginal Donor Kidneys and Their Implications in Predicting Graft Outcomes

Background: This study aimed to assess the association between the percentage of glomerulosclerosis (GS) in procurement allograft biopsies from high-risk deceased donor and graft outcomes in kidney transplant recipients. Methods: The UNOS database was used to identify deceased-donor kidneys with a kidney donor profile index (KDPI) score > 85% from 2005 to 2014. Deceased donor kidneys were categorized based on the percentage of GS: 0–10%, 11–20%, >20% and no biopsy performed. The outcome included death-censored graft survival, patient survival, rate of delayed graft function, and 1-year acute rejection. Results: Of 22,006 kidneys, 91.2% were biopsied showing 0–10% GS (58.0%), 11–20% GS (13.5%), >20% GS (19.7%); 8.8% were not biopsied. The rate of kidney discard was 48.5%; 33.6% in 0–10% GS, 68.9% in 11–20% GS, and 77.4% in >20% GS. 49.8% of kidneys were discarded in those that were not biopsied. Death-censored graft survival at 5 years was 75.8% for 0–10% GS, 70.9% for >10% GS, and 74.8% for the no biopsy group. Among kidneys with >10% GS, there was no significant difference in death-censored graft survival between 11–20% GS and >20% GS. Recipients with >10% GS had an increased risk of graft failure (HR = 1.27, p 10% GS. Conclusion: In >85% KDPI kidneys, our study suggested that discard rates increased with higher percentages of GS, and GS >10% is an independent prognostic factor for graft failure. Due to organ shortage, future studies are needed to identify strategies to use these marginal kidneys safely and improve outcomes.