cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AIF-1 in the activated smooth muscle cell : spectator or participant?

In response to an environmental stimulus, a subset of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) within the vessel wall is induced to increase expression of multiple genes (SMC activation). Balloon injury, for example, initiates a cascade of repair mechanisms that result in migration and proliferation of SMCs, forming a neointima. SMC activation likely contributes to the vascular remodeling associated with hypertension, atherosclerosis, and restenosis after balloon angioplasty. Cytokines and growth factors are among the signals to activate induction of genes in otherwise-quiescent SMCs. Recent advances in vascular biology have identified the molecular signals that mediate these processes, the cytokine-responsive genes that characterize the activated SMCs, and the pathophysiological importance of their gene products. One of the first genes expressed in response to vascular injury is the immediate-early gene (egr-1), which activates expression of multiple transcription factor genes. This cascade may be responsible for induction of the response to injury, including SMC proliferation.1 The expression of a substantial number of genes has been proposed to differentiate intimal SMCs from medial SMCs.2 In addition to activation of transcription and translation factors, there is increased expression of genes for receptors,3 4 growth factors,4 5 6 cytokines,5 7 adhesion molecules,8 extracellular matrix,9 10 and proapoptotic mediators11 in the activated SMCs. In this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology , Autieri and colleagues12 report that SMC expression of allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) is also increased in response to vascular injury. AIF-1 was first identified by Utans et al13 as a novel myeloid factor in rats, selectively …
Role of microglia in postinjury repair and regeneration of the CNS

The functional roles of microglial cells and brain macrophages are currently under intense scientific scrutiny because these cells are known to be critical elements in the central nervous system's response to injury. Of particular interest are the interactions between microglia and injured neurons, since experimental data suggest that microglia and brain macrophages can have neurotrophic, as well as neurotoxic, effects. In this review, we summarize some of the key observations that have given rise to neurotrophic and neurotoxic theories on microglial cell function. At the same time, we also stress our own experiments involving microglial cell transplants into the injured spinal cord—which strongly support the idea that posttraumatic microgliosis and macrophage formation are critical for postinjury tissue repair, neuron regeneration, and associated neuritic outgrowth. MRDD Research Reviews 1998;4:187–192. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
CHEATING ON TAXES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF OPINION IN SIX LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES AND THE USA

This paper reports on the results of an empirical study that examined the opinions of a wide range of individuals in six Latin American countries and the USA. Data was taken from a wider study that gathered information on human beliefs and values in 85 countries. The present study had a sample size of 8,465. The question posed was whether the respondent would cheat on taxes if it were possible to do so. Responses were on a ten-point Likert scale. Results are reported overall and also by gender, age, education level and religious observance.
Feasibility Demonstration of a Thermal Switch for Dual Temperature IR Focal Plane Cooling

A conical-shaped hydrogen gas-gap thermal switch using a metal hydride sorption bed to control the hydrogen gas supply was designed to provide the thermal isolation link between two cooling systems operating at different temperatures. Test results of the thermal switch show a nominal 1 K/W thermal resistance in the on-state conduction mode for temperatures above 100 K and for heat flows to 8 W, and a temperature dependent 600–900 K/W thermal resistance in the off-state conduction mode. In particular, the off-state resistance of the switch for operation between 60 K and 140 K was 660 K/W, and with a 0.92 K/W on-state resistance at 140 K, the off-state/on-state switching ratio of 717 was achieved. The switching time to convert to the on-state or off-state mode was on the order of 5 minutes and 12 minutes, respectively.
Large maximal cliques enumeration in sparse graphs

Here we study a variant of maximal clique enumeration problem by incorporating a minimum size criterion. We describe preprocessing techniques to reduce the graph size. This is of practical interest since enumerating maximal cliques is a computationally hard problem and the execution time increases rapidly with the input size. We discuss basics of an algorithm for enumerating large maximal cliques which exploits the constraint on minimum size of the desired maximal cliques. Social networks are prime examples of large sparse graphs where enumerating large maximal cliques is of interest. We present experimental results on the social network formed by the call detail records of one of the world's largest telecom service providers. Our results show that the preprocessing methods achieve significant reduction in the graph size. We also characterize the execution behaviour of our large maximal clique enumeration algorithm.
Anticipated and encountered barriers to change in CME: Tools for planning and evaluation

The body of research on successful change as a result of participation in formal continuing medical education (CME) is growing, but there has been little research on instances of unsuccessful change. This study of 51 physicians who planned a total of 78 changes as a result of a CME program revealed three groups of physicians: 1) those who anticipated barriers and reported successfully making the planned change, 2) those who did not anticipate barriers, and did not make the planned change, and 3) those who anticipated barriers but did not make the planned change. Of those who anticipated barriers but did make the planned change, the anticipated barriers included time, habit, lack of appropriate patients, and patients and co-workers in the work setting who might function to oppose change in one way or another. Anticipated and encountered barriers were not related to a lack of clinical information, but involved skills and strategies needed to implement planned changes. Those responsible for planning and implementing CME may consider adjusting their programs to help physicians anticipate barriers and to manage the process of change in the office or other work setting.
The effects of curvature in wall-bounded turbulent flows

Low-Reynolds-number, mildly curved, turbulent channel flow has been simulated by direct numerical solution of the Navier – Stokes equations. Computed velocity fields were found to be in good agreement with experimental measurements. The resulting flow fields were used to study the effects of streamline curvature by comparing the concave and convex sides of the channel. Observed effects are consistent with experimental measurements for mild curvature. The most significant difference in the turbulence statistics is in the Reynolds shear stress. This is accompanied by significant differences in the terms of the equation for Reynolds-shear-stress budget. In addition, it was found that stationary Taylor – Gortler vortices were present and that they had a significant effect on the flow by contributing to the mean Reynolds shear stress, enhancing the asymmetry of the channel, and affecting the underlying turbulence.
Effect of Subminimal Inhibitory Concentrations of Mecillinam on the Synthesis of DNA, RNA, and Protein of Salmonella typhimurium: A Proposed Mechanism of Action

Salmonellae alter their rod-like morphology to become large ovals within 3-5 hr after being exposed to concentrations of mecillinam below the minimal inhibitory concentration. Before this overt morphologic change occurs, synthesis of DNA increases, with a concomitant decrease in total protein synthesis. Incorporation of [3H]leucine into cell wall protein is markedly inhibited by mecillinam, whereas incorporation of leucine into soluble intracellular proteins is enchanced by the drug. Electrophoretic separation of stained, soluble intracellular proteins of salmonellae exposed to mecillinam indicates that as many as 15-20 individual groups of protein occur at higher concentrations in mecillinam-exposed salmonellae than in unexposed control organisms. These results suggest that, at low concentrations, mecillinam binds selectively to cell wall components, thereby interfering with the assembly of the cell wall during growth. This interference causes a buildup of newly synthesized soluble proteins that are normally involved in cell wall assembly. The weakening of the cell wall, combined with this buildup, causes the cell to assume a three-dimensional oval structure that is the result of equal hydrostatic pressure exerted by the medium.
The substitution of labor, skills, and capital in U.S. manufacturing trade: Implications for employment and incomes

This paper considers the structure of internal input demand functions across a comprehensive set of U.S. manufacturing industries in 1958, 1964, 1970, and 1976. The inputs considered are unskilled labor, skilled labor, and gross physical capital. Input substitution is examined using the flexible translogarithmic cost function. The emphasis is on differences in substitution possibilities between importables and exportables, both nationally and on a regional basis. The importance of this emphasis is that various policy initiatives could result in different employment and income distribution effects, depending on differential input substitution in traded goods and across regions. The results suggest that such differences exist and should, therefore, be of concern to policy makers.
Plasmonic nanocomposites: polymer-guided strategies for assembling metal nanoparticles

Noble metal nanoparticles that support localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) have the unique ability to manipulate and confine light at subwavelength dimensions. Utilizing these capabilities in devices and coatings requires the controlled organization of metal nanoparticles into ordered or hierarchical structures. Polymer grafts can be used as assembly-regulating molecules that bind to the nanoparticle surface and guide nanoparticle organization in solution, at interfaces, and within condensed phases. Here, we present an overview of polymer-directed assembly of plasmonic nanoparticles. We discuss how polymer grafts can be used to control short-range nanoparticle interactions that dictate interparticle gap distance and orientation. We also discuss how condensed polymer grafts can be used to control long-range order within condensed nanoparticle-polymer blends. The assembly of shaped plasmonic nanoparticles that have potential applications in enhanced spectroscopy and optical metamaterials is highlighted. We end with a summary of promising new directions toward the fabrication of plasmonic nanocomposites that are responsive and possess three-dimensional order.
Esophagogastric Anastomotic Leaks: The Importance of Gastric Ischemia and Therapeutic Applications of Gastric Conditioning

The etiology of esophagogastric anastomotic leaks is often multifactorial. However, occult ischemia of the gastric fundus is an important cause. In gastric conditioning, preliminary partial gastric devascularization is done 2–3 weeks before construction of the esophagogastric anastomoses. Gastric vascularity improves over this time. In animal studies, gastric conditioning has reduced the incidence of anastomotic leaks. Clinically, the concept of gastric conditioning can be used in several ways. Esophagectomy can be done at one stage, and then a cervical esophagogastric anastomosis can be completed as a second-stage procedure. Preesophagectomy angiographic gastric artery embolization is another method of gastric conditioning. Finally, laparoscopic partial gastric devascularization can be done at the time of laparoscopic cancer staging. For gastric conditioning to be clinically useful, the benefit from reduction in leaks must be greater than the costs and morbidity of the conditioning procedure itself.
The Field Site as a Network: A Strategy for Locating Ethnographic Research

Through the work of constructing a field site, researchers define the objects and subjects of their research. This article explores a variety of strategies devised by researchers to map social research onto spatial terrain. Virtual networked field sites are among the recent approaches that are challenging conventional thinking about field-based research. The benefits and consequences of one particular configuration, the field site as a network that incorporates physical, virtual, and imagined spaces, will be explored in detail through a case study. The author focuses in particular on the logistical issues involved and practical steps to constructing such a field site. This article includes suggestions for ways of studying social phenomena that take place on a vast terrain from a stationary position.
Modeling fuzzy logic controllers having noisy inputs

Suggests a new approach for reasoning with fuzzy models that have noise in the inputs. It is inspired by a Dempster-Shafer belief structure interpretation of the probabilistic signal. We obtain result that are computationally effective and can be useful in the applications of fuzzy controllers in a noisy environment. >
Agroforestry for ecosystem services and environmental benefits: an overview

Agroforestry systems are believed to provide a number of ecosystem services; however, until recently evidence in the agroforestry literature supporting these perceived benefits has been lacking. This special issue brings together a series of papers from around the globe to address recent findings on the ecosystem services and environmental benefits provided by agroforestry. As prelude to the special issue, this paper examines four major ecosystem services and environmental benefits of agroforestry: (1) carbon sequestration, (2) biodiversity conservation, (3) soil enrichment and (4) air and water quality. Past and present evidence clearly indicates that agroforestry, as part of a multifunctional working landscape, can be a viable land-use option that, in addition to alleviating poverty, offers a number of ecosystem services and environmental benefits. This realization should help promote agroforestry and its role as an integral part of a multifunctional working landscape the world over.
Kryŝtufek, B., and V. Voharlík. 2009. Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus. Rodentia II: Cricetinae, Muridae, Spalacidae, Calomyscidae, Capromyidae, Hystricidae, Castoridae. Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, Koper, Slovenia. University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre Koper, Garibaldijeva 1,6000 Koper, Slovenia (e-mail: annales@zrs.upr.si), 371 pp. ISBN ISBN 978-961-6732-11-6, price (paper), €21.34

B. Kryŝtufek, V. Voharlik.2009. Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus. Rodentia II: Cricetinae, Muridae, Spalacidae, Calomyscidae, Capromyidae, Hystricidae, Castoridae. Zgodovinsko drustvo za južno Primorsko, Koper, Slovenia. University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre Koper, Garibaldijeva 1,6000 Koper, Slovenia (e-mail: annales@zrs.upr.si), 371 pp. ISBN ISBN 978-961-6732-11-6, price (paper), €21.34. After 4 years, the 3rd volume in the series of Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus has been published. The 1st volume (Kryŝtufek and Voharlik 2001) served as an introduction to the series and covered the former order Insectivora (hedgehogs, shrews, and moles). The 2nd volume (Kryŝtufek and Voharlik 2005) covered the first 31 species within the order Rodentia, and the recently published 3rd volume completes the treatment of this order and covers the remaining 32 extant, plus 1 extinct, species within the families and subfamilies indicated by the title. This book is not a field guide. The intent of the authors was to create a reference work that is comparable in scope and extent to The Mammals of North America by E. …
Long-Term Follow-Up of Dravet Syndrome to Adulthood

Researchers at Department of Child Neurology, Okayama University Hospital, Japan, have followed 31 patients with Dravet syndrome (DS) (14 typical and 17 borderline DS) from childhood to at least 18 years of age.
The stimulation of cathecholamine release from chromaffin granules by valinomycin.

Valinomycin stimulates the release of catecholamine from isolated guinea pig adrenal medullary chromaffin granules incubated in vitro . Valinomycin-stimulated catecholamine release is dependent on the ionophore concentration and on the concentration of K + in the incubation medium. In. 0.15 M KCl-5 mM Na·PO 4 , pH 7.0, valinomycin at 1 µM increases catecholamine release about 5-fold. The finding that catecholamine release is accompained by the release of adenine nucleotides and of dopamine β-hydroxylase from the chromaffin granules indicates that valinomycin induces the lysis of the granules. The effect of valinomycin on catecholamine release is also dependent upon the anions present in the incubation medium. The anions tested support valinomycin-stimulated catecholamine release in the order SCN - , I - , Br - > Cl - > acetate, F - , isethionate. These data suggest that, in the presence of a membrane-permeable anion, valinomycin-mediated transport of K + into chromaffin granules leads to the osmotic lysis of these granules.
Achalasia After Bariatric Surgery.

Abstract Background: Obesity is an epidemic on the rise. Increasing body mass index (BMI) has been associated with a number of comorbid diseases, including rarely reported motility disorders such as achalasia. Motility disorders are prevalent in obese patients, possibly more prevalent when compared to the nonobese population. Identification of motility disorders is important before bariatric surgery and may alter the planned type of procedure performed. Limited data exist regarding the development or existence of esophageal motility disorders after bariatric surgery. This study aims to characterize patients who have undergone bariatric surgery and subsequently developed or were diagnosed with achalasia. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of achalasia who previously underwent bariatric surgery were identified. Data collected included baseline demographics, perioperative parameters, and postoperative outcomes. Descriptive statistics were computed for all variables. Results: Ten patients met the inclusion cr...
Effects of perinatal chlordiazepoxide exposure on rat preweaning and postweaning behavior

The effects of perinatal chlordiazepoxide (CDZ) exposure were studied in 3 to 30 day old F344 rats. Pregnant primaparous rats were treated daily on days 1-21 of pregnancy with CDZ (1 mg/kg) or saline (IP). Lactating females were treated with CDZ or saline in order to expose pups on postnatal days 1-21. Behavioral measures on all litters included: cliff avoidance (postnatal days 4-10), swimming (postnatal days 6-10), open field activity (postnatal days 14 and 21) and active avoidance (beginning postnatal day 30). Neonates perinatally exposed to CDZ were significantly slower in cliff avoidance development as measured by latency to meet criterion. Swimming development was impaired by both prenatal and postnatal CDZ exposure. Open field activity was minimally affected on day 14 but only for males exposed postnatally to CDZ. Postnatal CDZ exposure significantly affected active avoidance performance as reflected in faster response latencies and an increased number of avoidance responses to reach criterion for extinction. Only the postnatally exposed male pups were significantly affected on the avoidance behavior. These results are consistent with the suggestion that CDZ is a potential behavioral teratogen.
Fate of Aflatoxin M1 in Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese.

Three batches each of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese were prepared, using milk which was naturally contaminated with aflatoxin M1. These cheeses were analyzed for aflatoxin M1 content at intervals while Parmesan was ripened for 43 weeks or mozzarella was stored for 17 weeks. There was a 5.8-fold enrichment of AFM1 in the Parmesan cheese over that in the milk from which the cheese was made. Apparent levels of aflatoxin M1 in Parmesan cheese started high, decreased until about the 22nd week of age and then slowly increased until the cheese was 43 weeks old, but the final concentration was less than that found initially. There was an 8.1-fold enrichment of AFM1 in mozzarella cheese over that in the milk from which it was made. Levels of aflatoxin M1 in mozzarella cheese varied slightly but remained near initial concentrations throughout the storage period.
If It Works for Pills, Can It Work for Skills? Direct-to-Consumer Social Marketing of Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments

The emergence of evidence-based psychological treatments (EVPTs) is a scientific success story, but unfortunately the application of these empirically supported procedures has been slow to gain ground in treatment-as-usual settings. This Open Forum commentary argues that direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing, which has worked well in communicating the advantages of various medicines, should perhaps be considered for use in social marketing of EVPTs. DTC marketing of pharmaceuticals is a long-standing advertising strategy in the United States. In fact, DTC marketing of psychotropic medicines is quite a success story. The authors recommend various strategies for using marketing science to devise DTC advertising of EVPTs, discuss previous research on DTC campaigns, and describe initiatives launched in the United Kingdom and Europe to promote EVPTs. Suggestions for evaluating and regulating DTC marketing of EVPTs are included. Finally, the potential for DTC marketing of EVPTs to increase mental health literacy a...
Inhibiting Histone Deacetylase as a Means to Reverse Resistance to Angiogenesis Inhibitors: Phase I Study of Abexinostat Plus Pazopanib in Advanced Solid Tumor Malignancies

PurposeThis phase I trial evaluated epigenetic modulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor by using a histone deacetylase abexinostat in combination with pazopanib to enhance response and reverse resistance.Patients and MethodsPazopanib was administered once a day on days 1 to 28 and abexinostat was administered orally twice a day on days 1 to 5, 8 to 12, and 15 to 19 (schedule A) or on days 1 to 4, 8 to 11, and 15 to 18 (schedule B). Dose escalation (3 + 3 design) in all solid tumors was followed by dose expansion in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).ResultsFifty-one patients with RCC (N = 22) were enrolled, including 30 (59%) with one or more lines of prior VEGF-targeting therapy. Five dose-limiting toxicities, including fatigue (n = 2), thrombocytopenia (n = 2), and elevated AST/ALT (n = 1), were observed with schedule A; one dose-limiting toxicity was observed (elevated AST/ALT) was observed with schedule B. Grade ≥ 3 related adverse events included fatigue (16%), thr...
Evidence of Tropospheric 90 Day Oscillations in the Thermosphere

In the last decade evidence demonstrated that terrestrial weather greatly impacts the dynamics and mean state of the thermosphere via small-scale gravity waves and global-scale solar tidal propagation and dissipation effects. While observations have shown significant intra-seasonal variability in the upper mesospheric mean winds, relatively little is known about this variability at satellite altitudes (c.a., 250-400 km). Using cross-track wind measurements from the CHAMP and GOCE satellites, winds from a MERRA/TIME-CGM simulation, and outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR) data, we demonstrate the existence of a prominent and global-scale 90-day oscillation in the thermospheric zonal mean winds and in the diurnal eastward-propagating tide with zonal wavenumber 3 (DE3) during 2009-2010 and present evidence of its connection to variability in tropospheric convective activity. This study suggests that strong coupling between the troposphere and the thermosphere occurs on intra-seasonal time scales.
Reliability assessment of a distribution network with a microgrid

Microgrid (p, g) is the present buzzword in the power industry with the new approach that it provides the grid operators to operate the grid. The unexpected weather events, increased electricity needs and potential threat to the cyber-security of the grid have raised several questions over the reliability of the grid with μ,gs turning out to be the pragmatic solution to improve reliability. In this work, we wish to understand mathematically the extent to which the reliability of the composite power system improves with the presence of a μg. To accomplish this task, we first describe the test system which in our case is the Roy Billinton Test System (RBTS). We then develop a performance assessment methodology for the RBTS, comprising of the assessment model. This methodology is then applied to assess reliability of the RBTS with and without the μg. We make use of the availability of the RBTS as our reliability metric and conduct a side-by-side comparison of the metric results to understand the extent to which the reliability improvements accrue with the deployment of a μg in the RBTS. Finally, we present the results on the improved reliability and also make important conclusions on the work presented. Our methodology for reliability assessment is simple and general enough and can be implemented on other distribution systems for the quantification of reliability under the implementation of a μg.
HISTORY COMES TO LIFE

“With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet.” So recalled Victor Frankenstein, reflecting on the creative act. By its end, however, Frankenstein has less to do with the scientist's creativity and more to do with his monster's. This is why Mary Shelley inverts this Promethean moment in the book's final scene, as the monster stands over the lifeless body of his creator. Frankenstein's last words mark the inversion: his “instruments of life,” he laments, had given rise to “an instrument of mischief,” a creature animated by a desire for human fulfillment. To live may mean behaving instrumentally, but some instruments get the better of you. Frankenstein learns this lesson the hard way; but does his monster? He echoes his creator's words—“Fear not that I shall be the instrument of future mischief”—and promises his own end, when he will “collect my funeral pile and consume to ashes this miserable frame.” One's frame is mere matter, but such an act is proof of the life that animates it. On the cusp of death, then, the monster lives. Frankenstein reminds us that the question “What is life?” can only be answered by experiment, from the medical horrors that gave the monster life to the fatal act with which he plans to abandon it. At life's end, as at its beginning, creator and creation combine; we become our instruments, or they surpass us.
Progress in adult ALL: incorporation of new agents to frontline treatment

Treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adults remains a challenge, as the delivery of intensive chemotherapeutic regimens in this population is less feasible than it is in the pediatric population. This has led to higher rates of treatment-related toxicity as well as lower overall survival in the adult population. Over the past several years, a host of novel therapies (eg, immunotherapy and targeted therapies) with better tolerability than traditional chemotherapy are now being introduced into the relapsed/refractory population with very encouraging results. Additionally, insights into how to choose effective therapies for patients while minimizing drug toxicity through pharmacogenomics and the use of minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring to escalate/de-escalate therapy have enhanced our ability to reduce treatment-related toxicity. This has led to the design of a number of clinical trials which incorporate both novel therapeutics as well as MRD-directed treatment pathways into the frontline setting. The use of increasingly personalized treatment strategies for specific disease subsets combined with standardized and rapid molecular diagnostic testing in the initial diagnosis and frontline treatment of ALL will hopefully lead to further improvements in survival for our adult patients.
Symptom Pattern and Recovery Outcome in Childhood Aphasia: A Methodological and Theoretical Critique

Two of the most distinguishing features attributed to the childhood aphasias are the symptom pattern and recovery course (Hecean, 1976; Satz & Bullard-Bates, 1981). With respect to symptom pattern, childhood aphasia, in contrast to adult aphasia, has long been characterized by its nonfluency. This position dates from the early reports of Bernhardt (1885) and Freud (1897/1968) who both noted the poverty of spontaneous speech and the telegraphic expression following left unilateral brain injury. They described the aphasia as primarily motor in type, with initial mutism followed by reduced initiative for speech, hesitations, dysarthria, and impoverishment of lexical stock. Ihese early reports also noted the absence or rarity of logorrhea, paraphasia, and auditory comprehension defects, which suggested a dissociation between output (expression) and input (comprehension). This position has largely prevailed throughout the twentieth century (Assal & Campiche, 1973; Basser, 1962; Benson, 1972; Branco-Lefere, 1950; Byers & McLean, 1962; Geschwind, 1973; Guttmann, 1942; Poetzl, 1926).
When Could Preoperative Radiotherapy Be Proposed for cT2 Presentations

In contrast to locally advanced (T3-T4 or N positive) rectal cancer, for which preoperative chemoradiation has become the standard of care [29], treatment of earlier-stage rectal cancer, such as clinically staged T2N0 disease, is less well established. The gold standard for a cT2N0 rectal tumor remains a radical resection with a total mesorectal excision to remove the rectum and draining mesorectal lymph nodes, but for low-lying tumors, this may entail an abdominoperineal resection and permanent colostomy, which can be associated with long-term effects on quality of life and poor body image [15, 17]. Even sphincter-preserving options, such as a low anterior resection with a coloanal anastomosis, may lead to impaired bowel function [17, 19]. Patient-reported quality-of-life data after treatment for rectal cancer have demonstrated permanent detrimental effects on patients’ bowel functioning, particularly in patients with stomas or low rectal anastomoses [5, 10, 35].
Synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoconjugate targets neuroblastoma stem cells, blocking migration and self-renewal.

Background Pathways critical for neuroblastoma cancer stem cell function are targeted by 4,19,27-triacetyl withalongolide A (WGA-TA). Because neuroblastoma cells and their cancer stem cells highly overexpress the scavenger receptor class B type 1 receptor that binds to synthetic high-density lipoprotein, we hypothesized that a novel mimetic synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoparticle would be an ideal carrier for the delivery of 4,19,27-triacetyl withalongolide to neuroblastoma and neuroblastoma cancer stem cells. Methods Expression of scavenger receptor class B type 1 in validated human neuroblastoma cells was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot. In vitro cellular uptake of synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles was observed with a fluorescence microscope. In vivo biodistribution of synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles was investigated with IVIS imaging. Self-renewal and migration/invasion were assessed by sphere formation and Boyden chamber assays, respectively. Viability was analyzed by CellTiter-Glo assay. Cancer stem cell markers were evaluated by flow cytometry. Results qPCR and Western blot analysis revealed a higher level of scavenger receptor class B type 1 expression and drug uptake in N-myc amplified neuroblastoma cells. In vitro uptake of synthetic high-density lipoprotein was almost completely blocked by excess synthetic high-density lipoprotein. The synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles mainly accumulated in the tumor and liver, but not in other organs. Synthetic HDL-4,19,27-triacetyl withalongolide showed a 1,000-fold higher potency than the carrier (synthetic high-density lipoprotein) alone (P Conclusion Synthetic high-density lipoprotein is a promising platform to improve the delivery of anticancer drug 4,19,27-triacetyl withalongolide A to neuroblastomas and neuroblastoma cancer stem cells through SR-B1 targeting in vitro and in vivo.
Chlorpropamide-induced pure white cell aplasia

We investigated the mechanism for isolated agranulocytosis and marrow pure white cell aplasia in an elderly man receiving 0.5 to 1.0 g per day of chlorpropamide (Chl) without other toxic drug exposure or overt systemic illness. Patient marrow revealed an absence of recognizable granulocytic precursors; megakaryocytes and erythroid precursors were normal. The WBC count was 1800/mm3 on admission with only 2% neutrophils; the absolute neutrophil count first exceeded 500/mm3 on the 17th day following cessation of Chl. A serum Chl level on admission was 100 micrograms/mL (acute phase, AP); no Chl was detected in serum (convalescent phase, CP) assessed on the 22nd hospital day. Antineutrophil antibodies were not detected, and T cell depletion failed to augment patient in vitro granulopoiesis. Patient AP serum produced potent complement-mediated inhibition (87% +/- 7%) of autologous granulocyte progenitors (CFU-GM) with minimal inhibition of erythroid (11% +/- 5%) or multipotent (5% +/- 4%) progenitor cells. Selective inhibition by patient AP serum of CFU-GM (74% +/- 11%) was also seen against two allogeneic marrows. Patient CP serum no longer inhibited (6% +/- 4%) autologous CFU-GM. Addition of Chl (5 to 120 micrograms/mL) to CP serum but not to control serum resulted in potent drug concentration-dependent complement-mediated inhibition of autologous and allogeneic CFU-GM. Inhibition of CFU-GM in the presence of Chl was no longer demonstrable following immunoabsorbent removal of IgG from patient serum. Patient serum in the presence of Chl had limited activity against morphologically recognizable marrow granulocytic precursors in a microimmunofluorescence assay. These results are most consistent with the development of Chl-dependent, selective antibody-mediated immune inhibition of granulopoiesis.
Relationship between Diet and Mental Health in a Young Adult Appalachian College Population

Young adults in Appalachia may face poor nutritional status due to low access to healthy food and high mental health symptoms attributed to high stress and the college environment. A cross-sectional design was used to investigate the relationship between diet intake and mental health status of this population via surveys. Participant responses (n = 1956) showed students’ mean number of depressed days over the past 30 days was 9.67 ± 8.80, and of anxious days, 14.1 ± 10.03. The mean fruit and vegetable intake was 1.80 ± 1.27 times per day and the mean added sugars intake was 1.79 ± 1.26 times per day. 36.7% of students were found to be food insecure. One-way ANOVA and Chi-Squared analyses were used to determine relationship between variables. Significant variables were placed into a full logistic regression model. Food insecurity and fruit and vegetable intake remained significant predictors of depression in males (odds ratio (OR) = 2.33 95% CI 1.47–3.71 and OR = 68 95% CI 50–89, respectively) and in females food insecurity remained a significant predictor of depression (OR = 2.26 95% CI 1.67–3.07). Food insecurity and added sugars intake were significant predictor of anxiety in males (OR = 2.33 95% CI 1.47–3.71 and OR = 1.09 95% CI 0.91–1.3, respectively) and for anxiety in females, added sugars intake and food insecurity were significant predictors (OR = 1.18 95% CI 1.05–1.32 and OR = 1.65 95% CI 1.27–2.16, respectively). Improving college student’s diet intake through increased access to healthy foods could improve the mental health and well-being of students.
Hybrid photomagnetic modulation of magnetite/gold-nanoparticle-deposited dextran-covered carbon nanotubes for hyperthermia applications

The hybrid photomagnetic (PMA) stimulation effect, which was found to be significantly stronger than stand-alone magnetic and photothermal responses, was characterized on magnetite/gold-nanoparticle-deposited dextran-covered carbon nanotube structures (DIGCNTs). The designed nanostructures demonstrated excellent biocompatibility on a neural cell model; however, the viability of tumor suppressor p53-deficient NE-4C cells was severely affected when activated by low-intensity PMA stimulation (50 Oe, 155 kHz; 400 mW/cm2, 530 nm laser) at a concentration as low as 50 µg/mL. The acute toxicity of this unique hybrid actuation-hybrid material combination, coupled with excellent innate biocompatibility, may be extremely relevant in the development of in vivo hyperthermia.
Telling Their Story with Data: What Academic Research Libraries Share on Their Websites

AbstractCommunicating library data with external stakeholders is a growing area of importance in the profession, and library websites provide an easy way of disseminating this information. Determining the types of data that will be most impactful in telling a library’s story is vital to an effective online data display. This research project reviewed the websites of 143 academic research libraries to determine if the libraries were publicly sharing general library data via a dashboard or other data display. For those libraries sharing data, information was recorded on the types of data shared, the types of data visualizations utilized, the age of the data presented, and whether multi-year trends were represented. The results showed that just under half of the academic research libraries in the study population had general library data displays on their websites. Most focused on traditional types of library data, such as collection size, reference and help desk interactions, instruction sessions, and circu...
Blue light induces neuronal-activity-regulated gene expression in the absence of optogenetic proteins

Optogenetics is widely used to control diverse cellular functions with light, requiring experimenters to expose cells to bright light. Because extended exposure to visible light can be toxic to cells, it is important to characterize the effects of light stimulation on cellular function in the absence of exogenous optogenetic proteins. Here we exposed cultured mouse cortical neurons that did not express optogenetic proteins to several hours of flashing blue, red, or green light. We found that exposing neurons to as short as one hour of blue, but not red or green, light results in the induction of neuronal-activity-regulated genes without inducing neuronal activity. Our findings suggest blue light stimulation is ill-suited to long-term optogenetic experiments, especially those that measure transcription. Significance Statement Optogenetics is widely used to control cellular functions using light. In neuroscience, channelrhodopsins, exogenous light-sensitive channels, are used to achieve light-dependent control of neuronal firing. This optogenetic control of neuronal firing requires exposing neurons to high-powered light. We ask how this light exposure, in the absence of channelrhodopsin, affects the expression of neuronal-activity-regulated genes, i.e., the genes that are transcribed in response to neuronal stimuli. Surprisingly, we find that neurons without channelrhodopsin express neuronal-activity-regulated genes in response to as short as an hour of blue, but not red or green, light exposure. These findings suggest that experimenters wishing to achieve longer-term (an hour or more) optogenetic control over neuronal firing should avoid using systems that require blue light.
Moral Development and Education

This article summarizes developmental approaches to moral education beginning with the work of Piaget and Kohlberg. Current research on moral development is reviewed including attention to the ethics of care, and social cognitive domain theory with reference to issues of culture and findings from neuroscience. Educational practices reviewed include dilemma discussion, transactive discussion, the ‘Just Community School,’ Developmental Discipline, domain consistent teacher discourse, and community service activities aimed at the development of the ‘moral self.’
One-to-many bipartite matching based coalition formation for multi-robot task allocation

In this paper, we study the NP-Hard problem of multi-robot coalition formation for task allocation. To tackle this notoriously difficult problem, we model it as a variant of classical bipartite matching, which we call One-To-Many Bipartite Matching (OTMaM). Unlike the classical bipartite matching techniques used for matching a unique robot to a unique task, in the OTMaM problem, we let multiple robots to be matched to a single task while restricting the opposite. To this end, we propose a novel heuristic algorithm that allocates robots to tasks by finding mutually best robot-task pairs. Our algorithm provides a similar theoretical worst-case approximation ratio and guarantees a better worst-case time complexity than a comparable algorithm from the literature. The proposed approach in this paper is proved to be deterministic and the resultant matching is perfect. Simulation results also demonstrate the scalability of the presented algorithm (taking less than 1 millisecond with 100 robots and 10 tasks).
Impacts of cold region hydroclimatic variability on phosphorus exports: Insights from concentration-discharge relationship

Abstract In lakes of the Northern Great Plains, algae blooms are of great concern due to the recent increase of streamflow resulting in influx of nutrients, particularly phosphorus (P). The cold sub-humid climate and snowmelt hydrology exert strong controls on P concentration, export and supply in the basin. To date, few studies have explored the impacts of hydroclimatic conditions on P concentration, export and concentration-to-streamflow relationships in cold region agricultural basins, and particularly in the headwater catchments of the Devils Lake Basin. This study gains a better understanding of the impacts of hydroclimatic variation on concentration-to-streamflow relationships between two headwater catchments (Mauvais Coulee: 1032 km2 and Tributary 3: 160 km2) draining to Devils Lake during the 2017–2018 period. High-resolution P observations during the first flush of snowmelt runoff are presented. The controlling factors of P exports using both field observations and hydroclimatic variability detected by physically-based hydrologic simulations are investigated. Total P is dominated by dissolved P, with little contribution from particulate P, which is presumed to be locked in an ice matrix in frozen soils. The Mauvais Coulee Basin expresses near chemostatic concentration-to-streamflow relationships in the rising limb of the hydrograph, while concentration correlates positively to streamflow in the descending limb. Our study period has two contrasting water years; a wet year (2016–17) and a dry year (2017–18). The wet year experienced high SWE, snowfall, maximum frozen soil conditions and a thick basal ice layer resulting in high snowmelt streamflow, while the dry year is characterized by lower SWE and absence of frozen soil/basal ice causing very little streamflow. During the wet year lower mean P concentration are observed compared to the dry year due to the presence of frozen soil/basal ice during melt period. However, the P export is much higher in wet year due to large snowmelt streamflow volume. Both chemostatic and flushing streamflow-to-concentration relationships are observed in both years. Thus, the impacts of hydroclimatic conditions to the concentration-to-streamflow relationship are inconclusive. Field observations of more extended time periods will be useful to better understand the influence of hydroclimatic variability on the concentration-to-streamflow relationship.
End-User Programmers Repurposing End-User Programming Tools to Foster Diversity in Adult End-User Programming Education

Efforts to improve diversity in computing have mostly focused on K-12 and university student populations, so there is a lack of research on how to provide these benefits to adults who are not in school. To address this knowledge gap, we present a case study of how a nine-member team of end-user programmers designed an educational program to bring job-relevant computing skills to adult populations that have traditionally not been reached by existing efforts. This team conceived, implemented, and delivered Cloud Based Data Science (CBDS), a data science course designed for adults in their local community in historically marginalized groups that are underrepresented in computing fields. Notably, nobody on the course development team was a full-time educator or software engineer. To reduce the amount of time and cost required to launch their program, they repurposed end-user programming skills and tools from their professions, such as data-analytic programming and reproducible scientific research workflows. This case study demonstrates how the spirit of end-user programming can be a vehicle to drive social change through grassroots efforts.
Evolving myelodysplastic syndrome in an HIV patient with history of anal cancer and chemotherapy

The incidence of therapy-related myelodysplastic syndromes (t-MDS) has been increasing with the widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) therapy for HIV and chemotherapy for AIDS-related cancers. The classical dysplastic features in the granulocytes and megakaryocytes may not be easily appreciated. The most reliable distinguishing feature between the hematopoietic dysplasia of t-MDS and that of HIV infection rests on the identification of MDS-related cytogenetic aberrations. Here we report a patient with well-controlled HIV and history of chemotherapy for invasive anal squamous cell carcinoma who developed high-risk t-MDS with complex chromosome abnormalities. Our study emphasizes the importance of diagnosis of MDS in HIV-infected patients, even in the absence of dysplasia, if there are typical cytogenetics changes of MDS. Therefore, the early diagnosis and intervention of t-MDS in HIV-positive patients are critical in the treatment of this aggressiveness disease.