cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased proinflammatory and oxidant gene expression in circulating mononuclear cells in older adults: amelioration by habitual exercise

We tested the hypothesis that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of older adults demonstrate a proinflammatory/-oxidative gene expression profile that can be improved by regular aerobic exercise. PBMC were isolated from young (n = 25, 18-33 yr) and middle-aged/older (n = 40, 50-76 yr) healthy adults. The older adults had greater mRNA expression (real-time RT-PCR) of the proinflammatory/-oxidant transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (1.58-fold, P < 0.05) and receptor for advanced glycation end products (1.12-fold, P < 0.05), the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (1.90-fold, P < 0.05) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (1.47-fold, P < 0.05), and the oxidant-producing enzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase (0.91-fold, P < 0.05) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (2.60-fold, P < 0.05). In 11 subjects (58-70 yr), maximal oxygen consumption (+11%) and exercise time (+19%) were increased (both P < 0.001), and expression of the above proinflammatory/-oxidative genes was or tended to be decreased in PBMC after vs. before 2 mo of aerobic exercise (brisk walking ∼6 days/wk, 50 min/day, 70% of maximal heart rate). Expression of interleukin-6 was not different with age or exercise intervention. Age group- and exercise intervention-related differences in gene expression were independent of other factors. PBMC of healthy older adults demonstrate increased expression of several genes associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, which is largely ameliorated by habitual aerobic exercise. This proinflammatory/-oxidative gene signature may represent a therapeutic target for lifestyle and pharmacological prevention and treatment strategies.
Reconfigurable Hybrid CMOS/Nanodevice Circuits for Image Processing

We have analyzed two options of using hybrid CMOS/nanodevice circuits with area-distributed (CMOL) interface for the low-level image processing tasks, on the simplest example of 2-D image convolution with a sizable filter window. The first option is to use digital, DSP-like circuits based on a reconfigurable CMOL fabric, while the second one is based on mixed-signal CMOL circuits with the analog presentation of input and output data and the binary presentation of the filter function. Estimates of the circuit performance have been carried out for the 45-nm CMOS technology and the 4.5-nm nanowire half-pitch, and the power consumption fixed at a manageable, ITRS-specified level. In the digital case, the circuit area per pixel is about 25times25 , and the time necessary for convolving a 1024times1024-pixel, 12-bit-accurate image with a 3232-pixel window function of similar accuracy is close to 25 , much shorter than that estimated for purely CMOS circuits with the same minimum feature size on 45 nm. For a mixed-signal CMOL circuit, the corresponding numbers are much better ( ~1 mum2 and 1mus, respectively), but this option requires a very high (~1%) reproducibility of on currents of the necessary crosspoint devices (programmable diodes), which has not yet been reached experimentally.
Deformable interconnects for conformal integrated circuits

The electro-mechanical response of thin gold layers evaporated onto silicone substrates is reported. Gold layers are prepared either thin and flat or thin and wavy on the compliant substrate. The electrical resistance of gold/silicone stripes is measured and analyzed during tensile deformation. For a 100-nm thick gold layer evaporated on a 1-mm thick silicone membrane, we have observed electrical continuity up to ≈ 22 % strain. This maximum strain decreases when the gold layer thickness is raised.
Current concepts in the diagnosis and management of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) was described first in 1924when Moschcowitz [1] reported a 16-year-old girl who died suffering fromanemia, petechiae, and microscopic hematuria. This early observation and otherreports led to the classic description and characterization of this syndrome bySinger [2] in 1947. Since then, understanding of the pathophysiology, etiology,and management of this disease has increased as TTP has become a truemedical emergency.Despite its rarity, recognizing this entity is important, as early institution ofappropriate medical intervention has a substantial impact on the outcome ofthis disease. Its frequency was estimated a decade ago to be only 3.7 casesper year per 1 million people [3,4]. With greater awareness of this disorderand increasing reports of TTP secondary to other illnesses and to drugs, theincidence likely is much higher today. It is more common in women than inmen, with a ratio of 3:2, without significant racial difference [5]. Although therange of incidence is wide, from the neonatal period and infancy to as old as90 years, the peak occurs in the fourth decade, with a median age at diagnosisof 35 years [6,7].
The Powers and Strengths of Tests for Multinomials and Contingency Tables

Abstract The strength of a significance test is defined as a weighted average of the power especially if the weights are a prior density. The concept is a compromise between Neyman-Pearsonian and Bayesian methods and is applied to tests for multinomial equiprobability and for no association in contingency tables. The differences of the power functions of two criteria, X 2 and G, are illustrated for the trinomial, where G arose earlier from a partially Bayesian approach. Other methods for apprehending power functions of several variables are discussed. For 2 × 2 contingency tables with equal row or column totals the power and strength functions of several statistics are equal.
A multifeature approach to tool wear estimation using 3D workpiece surface texture parameters

This work presents a new way to determine the condition of a cutting tool based on 3D texture parameters of workpiece surface. Recently, a laser holographic interferometer has been developed to rapidly measure a large workpiece surface and generate a 3D surface height map with micron level accuracy. This technique enables online surface measurement for machined workpieces. By measuring and analyzing workpiece surface texture, the interaction between the tool's cutting edges and the workpiece surface can be extracted as a spatial signature. It can then be used as a warning sign for tool change because the workpiece produced by a heavily worn tool exhibits more irregularities in its surface texture than that produced by a normal tool. Multiple texture parameters such as image intensity histogram distribution parameter, 3D peak-to-valley height, and 3D surface waviness parameter are employed to indicate the onset of severe tool wear. In this work, aluminum (Al308) and compacted graphite iron parts were machined by a polycrystalline diamond insert and a multiphase coated tungsten carbide insert, respectively. After that, multiple 3D surface texture features of workpieces samples under different phases of tool wear were analyzed in order to assess tool wear conditions. The experimental results verify that these surface texture features can be used as good indicators for online tool wear monitoring.
Does experimental pain response vary across the menstrual cycle? A methodological review

The findings on sex differences in human experimental pain research are inconsistent. One possible factor contributing to the inconsistent findings is the female hormonal cycle, as hormone levels m...
Fine Mapping Reveals Sex Bias in Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Growth, Skeletal Size and Obesity-Related Traits on Mouse Chromosomes 2 and 11

Previous speed congenic analysis has suggested that the expression of growth and obesity quantitative trait loci (QTL) on distal mouse chromosomes (MMU) 2 and 11, segregating between the CAST/EiJ (CAST) and C57BL/6J-hg/hg (HG) strains, is dependent on sex. To confirm, fine map, and further evaluate QTL × sex interactions, we constructed congenic by recipient F2 crosses for the HG.CAST-(D2Mit329-D2Mit457)N(6) (HG2D) and HG.CAST-(D11Mit260-D11Mit255)N(6) (HG11) congenic strains. Over 700 F2 mice were densely genotyped and phenotyped for a panel of 40 body and organ weight, skeletal length, and obesity-related traits at 9 weeks of age. Linkage analysis revealed 20 QTL affecting a representative subset of phenotypes in HG2DF2 and HG11F2 mice. The effect of sex was quantified by comparing two linear models: the first model included sex as an additive covariate and the second incorporated sex as an additive and an interactive covariate. Of the 20 QTL, 8 were sex biased, sex specific, or sex antagonistic. Most traits were regulated by single QTL; however, two closely linked loci were identified for five traits in HG2DF2 mice. Additionally, the confidence intervals for most QTL were significantly reduced relative to the original mapping results, setting the stage for quantitative trait gene (QTG) discovery. These results highlight the importance of assessing the contribution of sex in complex trait analyses.
Precocious puberty in a 7-year-old boy: A novel case

A 7-year-old boy was referred for evaluation of precocious puberty, evidenced by penile enlargement and pubic hair formation. His testicular size was prepubertal bilaterally. A comprehensive hormonal evaluation showed an elevated serum testosterone value (4.0 nmol/L) and a prepubertal gonadotropin value. A 0.9-cm heterogenous left testicular mass was detected on scrotal ultrasonography. Inguinal exploration was performed with ultrasound-guided open testicular biopsy and orchiectomy. Pathologic evaluation of the orchiectomy specimen showed the unclassified type of a mixed germ cell sex cord stromal tumor (MGCSCST), composed of neoplastic Sertoli cells and seminoma-like germ cells. Isolated previous reports of unclassified MGCSCSTs of the testis are now thought to be reports of sex cord stromal tumors with entrapped non-neoplastic germ cells. In our patient, the germ cells appeared to be neoplastic with aberrant expression of c-kit and placental alkaline phosphatase, a high proliferative rate, and DNA aneuploidy. Postoperatively, the patient's serum testosterone concentrations returned to prepubertal values (<0.2 nmol/L) and puberty was halted. This case represents a novel cause of precocious puberty.
Circulatory changes associated with the closure of the ductus arteriosus in hatching emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

In developing avian embryos, the right and left ductus arteriosi (DA) allow for a shunt of systemic venous return away from the lungs to the body and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). Unlike in mammals where the transition from placental respiration to lung respiration is instantaneous, in birds the transition from embryonic CAM respiration to lung respiration can take over 24h. To understand the physiological consequences of this long transition we examined circulatory changes and DA morphological changes during hatching in the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), a primitive ratite bird. By tracking microspheres injected into a CAM vein, we observed no change in DA blood flow between the pre-pipped to internally pipped stages. Two hours after external pipping, however, a significant decrease in DA blood flow occurred, evident from a decreased systemic blood flow and subsequent increased lung blood flow. Upon hatching, the right-to-left shunt disappeared. These physiological changes in DA blood flow correspond with a large decrease in DA lumen diameter from the pre-pipped stages to Day 1 hatchlings. Upon hatching, the right-to-left shunt disappeared and at the same time apoptosis of smooth muscle cells began remodeling the DA for permanent closure. After the initial smooth muscle contraction, the lumen disappeared as intimal cushioning formed, the internal elastic lamina degenerated, and numerous cells underwent regulated apoptosis. The DA closed rapidly between the initiation of external pipping and hatching, resulting in circulatory patterns similar to the adult. This response is most likely produced by increased DA constriction in response to increased arterial oxygen levels and the initiation of vessel remodeling.
Impacts of combined overfishing and oil spills on the plankton trophodynamics of the West Florida shelf over the last half century of 1965–2011: A two-dimensional simulation analysis of biotic state transitions, from a zooplankton- to a bacterioplankton-modulated ecosystem.

Abstract Over 50 years of multiple anthropogenic perturbations, Florida zooplankton stocks of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico declined ten-fold, with increments of mainly dominant toxic dinoflagellate harmful algal blooms (HABs), rather than diatoms, and a shift in loci of nutrient remineralization and oxygen depletion by bacterioplankton, from the sea floor to near surface waters. Yet, lytic bacterial biomass and associated ammonification only increased at most five-fold over the same time period, with consequently little indication of new, expanded “ dead zones ” of diatom-induced hypoxia. After bacterial lysis of intact cells of these increased HABs, the remaining residues of zooplankton biomass decrements evidently instead exited the water column as malign aerosolized HAB asthma triggers, correlated by co-traveling mercury aerosols, within wind-borne sea sprays. To unravel the causal mechanisms of these inferred decadal food web transitions, a 36-state variable plankton model of algal, bacterial, protozoan, and copepod component communities replicated daily time series of each plankton group's representatives on the West Florida shelf (WFS) during 1965–2011. At the lower phytoplankton trophic levels, 52% of the ungrazed HAB increments, between 1965–1967 and 2001–2002 before recent oil spills, remained in the water column to kill fishes and fuel bacterioplankton. But, another 48% of the WFS primary production then left the ocean’s surface as a harbinger of increased public health hazards during continuing sea spray exports of salts, HAB toxins, and Hg poisons. Following the Deepwater Horizon petroleum releases in 2010, little additional change of element partition among the altered importance of WFS food web components of the trophic pyramid then pertained between 2001–2002 and 2010–2011, despite when anomalous upwelled nutrient supplies instead favored retrograde benign, oil-tolerant diatoms over the HABs during 2010. Indeed, by 2011 HABs were back, with biomass accumulations equivalent to those found in 2001.
Immoral, Conflicting and Redundant Promises

Immoral, conflicting, and redundant promises raise important but neglected issues for any theory of promising. The paper investigates what resources expectation theories of promising, such as Scanlon’s, have to deal with these under-explored problem cases. It contrasts them with the resources available to rights-transfer theories of promising, offering a welcome occasion for the refinement and clearer articulation of rights-transfer theories. The paper acknowledges that these cases appear to pose special challenges for rights-transfer theories, but ones, I contend, that it can meet. Although at first blush, Scanlon’s theory seems to handle these cases more straightforwardly than rights-transfer theories, Scanlon’s theory may oversimplify what is, in fact, rugged moral terrain.
Porokeratosis of mibelli in transplant recipients.

Four of 602 renal and hepatic transplant recipients had porokeratosis of Mibelli develop in the posttransplant period. Porokeratosis is an uncommon, autosomally dominant inherited disorder that presents in adolescence as a proliferation of an abnormal clone of epidermal cells. Clinically, it is characterized by non-healing plaques that develop most commonly on the limbs. Porokeratosis, a premalignant condition, must be added to the list of potential cutaneous complications seen in immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients.
Abstract 894: Melanoma fights cisplatin with NO: S-nitrosation as a mechanism supporting drug-resistance.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Melanoma patients experience inferior survival after bio-chemotherapy when their tumors contain numerous cells expressing the inducible isoform of NO synthase (iNOS), and elevated levels of nitrotyrosine, a product derived from nitric oxide (NO). Although several lines of evidence suggest that NO promotes tumor growth and increases resistance to chemotherapy, it is unclear how it shapes these outcomes. Here we demonstrate that modulation of NO-mediated S-nitrosation of cellular proteins is strongly associated with the pattern of response to the anti-cancer agent cisplatin in human melanoma cells in vitro. Cells were shown to express iNOS constitutively, and to generate sustained nanomolar levels of NO intracellularly. Inhibition of NO synthesis or scavenging of NO enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptotic cell death. Additionally, pharmacologic agents disrupting S-nitrosation markedly increased cisplatin toxicity, whereas treatments favoring stabilization of S-nitrosothiols decreased its cytotoxic potency. Activity of the pro-apoptotic enzyme caspase-3 was higher in cells treated with a combination of cisplatin and chemicals that decreased NO/S-nitrisothiols, whereas lower activity resulted from cisplatin combined with stabilization of S-nitrisothiols. Constitutive protein S-nitrosation in cells was detected by analysis with biotin switch and reduction/chemiluminescence techniques. Moreover, intracellular NO concentration increased significantly in cells that survived cisplatin treatment, resulting in augmented S-nitrosation of caspase-3 and prolyl-hydroxylase-2 (PHD2), the enzyme responsible for targeting the pro-survival transcription factor HIF-1α for proteasomal degradation. Because activities of these enzymes are inhibited by S-nitrosation, our data thus indicate that modulation of intrinsic intracellular NO levels substantially affects cisplatin toxicity in melanoma cells. The underlying mechanisms may thus represent potential targets for adjuvant strategies to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy. Citation Format: Luiz C. Godoy, Chase C.T. Anderson, Rajdeep Chowdhury, Laura J. Trudel, Gerald N. Wogan. Melanoma fights cisplatin with NO: S-nitrosation as a mechanism supporting drug-resistance. [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 894. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-894
Identification of β-Alanyl-Lysine in Chick Muscle

Abstract WHILE studying the metabolism of lysine in growing chicks fed a diet containing 35% casein, an unidentified ninhydrin-positive peak was observed in acid extracts of muscle analyzed for free amino acids. The compound was hydrolyzable and as eventually identified as a peptide, composed of β-alanine and lysine. There is little information in the literature concerning such a peptide and no details concerning its presence in avian species. Other related peptides, camosine (β-alanylhistidine) and anserine (β-alanyl-1-methylhistidine) have been recognized as constituents of muscle for many years. Kalyankar and Meister (1959) have described the enzymatic synthesis of camosine, anserine and several related peptides, including β-alanyl-lysine. They used a cell-free system obtained from chick pectoral muscle. Meister (1965) referred to an unpublished observation that a peptide with the properties of β-alanyl-lysine occurs in the muscle of chicks fed diets containing 2% lysine. Recently α-(β-alanyl)–lysine has been isolated from rabbit muscle (Matsuoka et…
Development of the Carpophores of Certain Boletaceae

Ontogenetic studies were made of five species of Boletaceae: three exannulate species with glandular-dotted stipe of the Viscipelles of Boletus (genus Ixocomus of the Europeans)—B. placidus, B. gra...
Investigation on Health Risk Behaviors among Middle School Students in Shunyi District of Beijing City

[Objective]To understand the epidemic situation of health risk behaviors among middle school students in Shunyi District,such as unintentional injury,smoking,drinking,unhealthy diet habit,physical exercise,internet addiction,gambling,and early unsafe sexual behavior,etc.[Methods]A self-designed questionnaire for health-related behavior was adopted to investigate students from 3 secondary schools,5 high schools and 1 vocational high school.[Results]In our study,37.3% students had had unlawful practice on bike in past 30 d,14.2% had played roller-skating and skating on board without protective gear;12.1% had thought of suicide during the past 12 months,6.9% had a suicide plan;26.2% had tried smoking;52.3% had tried drinking.In the first week of investigation,30.8% pupils had been to western fast food restaurant;18.2% had more than 4 hours games play for each day,12% had network addiction and 4.8% had sex behavior with others.[Conclusion]Health risk behavior is different between different schools and students of different gender.It is necessary to develop healthy education based on existence skill in school timely and effectively so as to help students to develop a good habit of living.
Leadership in Tough Times: How Executives Sustain Organizational Faithfulness

in this narrative case study 10 chief executives of Mennonite health Services Alliance were extensively interviewed to explore how they perceived their role and leadership practice to sustaining the Mennonite/Anabaptist identity of the organization they were serving. the findings fell into four broad themes: the executive as person, the executive and context, leadership and sense-making, and promising practices. this article seeks to popularize some of the insights that emerged from the research and offer practical support to executive leaders committed to corporate faithfulness to core identity while managing in very challenging times.
What to do with Mediocre Painting? The (Ab)uses of Vincenzo Chilone's The Return of the Horses to San Marco

The Venetian painter Vincenzo Chilone (1758-1839) is at best a footnote in conventional art history. Many of his works are in private hands, as museums do not strive to have a "Chilone." Chilone's most well-known work is "The Return of the Horses to San Marco" (1815), which, because of its historical subject matter, has appeared in books about Venice. Typically, though, Chilone is not mentioned, and the text may not even explicitly refer to the painting, which "speaks for itself." A close examination of this painting, which no one seems to have done, reveals more than meets the eye at a casual glance. "The Return of the Horses to San Marco" - ostensibly a celebration of Austrian triumphalism after the Napoleonic wars - can be read subversively as anti-Austrian.
1,25(OH)2D3 in Humans: Regulation in Health and Role in Urolithiasis

Hypercalciuria is one of the risk factors for calcium oxalate (CaOx)/ apatite urolithiasis (1–3). The extra Ca excreted in the urine of stone formers (idiopathic hypercalciuria, IH) is almost entirely derived from the diet as a consequence of increased efficiency of intestinal Ca absorption (2–5).
Experimental observation of phase-flip transitions in the brain

The phase-flip transition has been demonstrated in a host of coupled nonlinear oscillator models, many pertaining directly to understanding neural dynamics. However, there is little evidence that this phenomenon occurs in the brain. Using simultaneous microelectrode recordings in the nonhuman primate cerebral cortex, we demonstrate the presence of phase-flip transitions between oscillatory narrow-band local field potential signals separated by several centimeters. Specifically, we show that sharp transitions between in-phase and antiphase synchronization are accompanied by a jump in synchronization frequency. These findings are significant for two reasons. First, they validate predictions made by model systems. Second, they have potentially far reaching implications for our understanding of the mechanisms underlying corticocortical communication, which are thought to rely on narrow-band oscillatory synchronization with specific relative phase relationships.
The Trace Fossil Record of Eusociality in Ants and Termites

The case of false fossil termite nests in current literature. Categorization of fossil ant and termite nests according to different criteria of reliability. The ichnogenera attributed to ants and termites: Archeoentomichnus, Attaichnus, Barberichnus, Coatonichnus, Daimoniobarax, Fleaglellius, Krausichnus, Masrichnus, Microfavichnus, Parowanichnus, Socialites, Syntermesichnus, Tacuruichnus, Termitichnus, and Vondrichnus and their ichnospecies are reviewed. In all cases they are composed of chambers of different sizes and shapes connected by tunnels. In some of them the distinction between tunnels and chambers is sharp, whereas in others they are less distinguishable. They may be complex, well differentiated and very extended structures or in other cases more diffuse and small. In some cases they are clearly attributable to extant taxa, whereas the affinities of some other are questioned. Color plates of type material, morphological details and representative cases are provided.
EFFECT OF MEAT PARTICLE SIZE AND CASING DIAMETER ON SUMMER SAUSAGE PROPERTIES DURING DRYING1

Drying characteristics were evaluated for summer sausages (50% beef, 50% pork) prepared with three meat particle sizes obtained through grinding variations. Increases of chemical components (protein, fat, ash, salt, lactic acid) during 45 days of drying were dependent on the rate of moisture removal from sausages. Summer sausage produced with a 9-mm grinder plate for the pork and a 6-mm plate for beef (9-6 grinding combination) had a 34% shrinkage at 45 days, whereas sausages of a 3–6 and a 6-6 grind combination had shrinkages of 37% and 40%, respectively. The rate of moisture removal for an all beef summer sausage was lower for larger diameter sausage when 52, 62, and 73 mm sizes were compared. Moisture content of the outer one-third radius portion of the sausages was 5 to 7% lower than the moisture content of the inner two-thirds radius portion from 5 days through 45 days of drying. Both types of summer sausages (beef-pork and all beef) having greater than 1.2 kg/cm2 of shearing force were generally of ...
Teaching for critical thinking: preparing hospitality and tourism students for careers in the twenty-first century

ABSTRACTTwenty-first century tourism educators and career-seeking graduates are faced with a host of novel challenges. Given the dynamic, complex nature of the contemporary tourism industry, students must be equipped with relevant twenty-first century skills. To address this need, critical thinking is currently being promoted, via university initiatives, as an employable skill. This study assesses the extent to which critical thinking is being transmitted to tourism students at a large southeastern university in the United States. Precourse and postcourse data were collected from students (n = 85) who participated in a tourism management class, that emphasized case study learning, during the fall 2014, spring 2015, and spring 2016 semesters. Uncorrected results indicate significant positive increases in overall critical thinking and two of five sub-domains – inference and deduction; however, in the conservative, corrected results there are no significant effects. Recommendations for improving critical thi...
Effect of maternal rumination and disengagement during childhood on offspring neural response to reward in late adolescence

Abstract Maternal rumination is a cognitive-affective trait that could influence offspring's ability to respond flexibly to positive and negative events, depending on the quality of maternal problem-solving behaviors with which rumination co-occurs. As reward circuitry is sensitive to stressors and related to risk for depression, reward circuitry is an appropriate candidate mechanism for how maternal characteristics influence offspring. We evaluated the independent and combined effect of maternal rumination and disengagement on adolescent neural response to reward win and loss. Participants were 122 boys and their mothers from low-income, urban backgrounds followed prospectively in a longitudinal study. The combination of high maternal rumination at child age 6 and high maternal disengagement during problem-solving at child age 10–12 was associated with lower anterior cingulate response to winning reward at age 20, but unrelated to neural response to losing reward. Lower anterior cingulate response to winning reward was associated with fewer anxiety symptoms during late adulthood. Findings suggest that maternal rumination occurring within the context of maternal disengagement during challenging experiences may be related to offspring blunted engagement during positive events. Helping highly ruminative mothers to restructure repetitive negative thoughts and to develop context-appropriate problem-solving behaviors may be important for promoting offspring affective development.
Muscle-Adipose Tissue Cross Talk

Exercise training results in adaptations to both skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue (WAT) and protects against metabolic disorders including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Exercise-induced adaptations include an altered profile of secreted proteins, both myokines (from skeletal muscle) and adipokines (from adipose tissue). These secreted proteins may act in an endocrine manner to facilitate tissue-to-tissue communication and "cross talk," likely working together to improve overall metabolic health. Some studies suggest that contracting skeletal muscles release myokines that may function to alter the phenotype of WAT, including WAT "beiging," in which there is increased expression of beige marker genes and increased presence of multilocular cells within the WAT.
A PGAM5–KEAP1–Nrf2 complex is required for stress-induced mitochondrial retrograde trafficking

The Nrf2 transcription factor is a master regulator of the cellular anti-stress response. A population of the transcription factor associates with the mitochondria through a complex with KEAP1 and the mitochondrial outer membrane histidine phosphatase, PGAM5. To determine the function of this mitochondrial complex, we knocked down each component and assessed mitochondrial morphology and distribution. We discovered that depletion of Nrf2 or PGAM5, but not KEAP1, inhibits mitochondrial retrograde trafficking induced by proteasome inhibition. Mechanistically, this disrupted motility results from aberrant degradation of Miro2, a mitochondrial GTPase that links mitochondria to microtubules. Rescue experiments demonstrate that this Miro2 degradation involves the KEAP1-cullin-3 E3 ubiquitin ligase and the proteasome. These data are consistent with a model in which an intact complex of PGAM5-KEAP1-Nrf2 preserves mitochondrial motility by suppressing dominant-negative KEAP1 activity. These data further provide a mechanistic explanation for how age-dependent declines in Nrf2 expression impact mitochondrial motility and induce functional deficits commonly linked to neurodegeneration.
Cost-effectiveness of interventions for alternate food in the United States to address agricultural catastrophes

Abstract The literature suggests there is ~ 0.3% chance per year of full-scale nuclear war. This event would have ~ 20% probability of causing U.S. mass starvation due to collapse of conventional agriculture from smoke blocking the sun. Alternate foods exploit fossil fuels (e.g. methane digesting bacteria) and stored biomass (e.g. mushrooms growing on dead trees) and are technically capable of saving all Americans from starving. However, current awareness is low and the technologies need to be better developed. This Monte Carlo study investigates the economics of three interventions including planning, research and development. Even the upper bound of $20,000 per life saved is far lower than the millions of dollars typically paid to save an American life. Therefore, it should be a high priority to implement these interventions as they would improve American resilience and reduce the possibility of civilization collapse.
Estimating risk of adverse cardiac event after vascular surgery using currently available online calculators.

Abstract Background The decision to proceed with vascular surgical interventions requires evaluation of cardiac risk. Recently, several online risk calculators were created to predict outcomes and to lead to a more informed conversation between surgeons and patients. The objective of this study was to compare and further validate these online calculators with actual adverse cardiac outcomes at a single institution. Methods All patients from January 2011 through December 2015 undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA), infrainguinal lower extremity bypass, open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) on the vascular surgical service were included using the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative database at our health system. Additional information was collected through retrospective chart review. Each patient was entered through three online risk calculators: (1) the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) estimates the risk of cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction (MI); (2) the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) estimates risk of MI, pulmonary edema, ventricular fibrillation, primary cardiac arrest, and complete heart block; and (3) the Vascular Study Group of New England (VSGNE) Cardiac Risk Index estimates risk of postoperative MI only. Observed adverse cardiac events (ACEs) were compared with expected values for each calculator using a χ 2 goodness-of-fit test. Institutional Review Board exemption was obtained. Results A total of 856 cases were included: 350 CEAs, 210 infrainguinal bypasses, 77 open AAA repairs, and 219 EVARs. For CEA, no risk calculator showed statistically significant variation from the observed values (NSQIP, P = .45; RCRI, P = .17; VSGNE, P = .24). For infrainguinal bypass, NSQIP slightly underpredicted adverse events ( P = .054), RCRI strongly underpredicted ( P = .002), and VSGNE showed no difference ( P = .42). For open AAA repair, NSQIP ( P = .51) and VSGNE ( P = .98) were adequate predictors, but RCRI strongly underpredicted the adverse events ( P ≤ .0001). Finally, EVAR cardiac outcomes showed greater adverse events than predicted by all three calculators (NSQIP, P = .02; RCRI, P = .0002; and VSGNE, P = .025). Pooled data for the entire group documented that the VSGNE proved an accurate tool for prediction ( P = .34), whereas ACEs were underpredicted by NSQIP ( P = .0055) and RCRI ( P ≤ .001). Conclusions Although online cardiac risk calculators of adverse surgical events are easy to use and to reference in broad surgical decision-making, there is significant variability in their predictability at the procedure and institutional level. Our data suggest that ACEs often occur at a higher rate than expected on the basis of calculated risks profiles, thus creating a platform for future discussion about preoperative evaluation and postoperative care decision-making models.
Market impacts of China and India meeting biofuel targets using traditional feedstocks

Biofuel production has largely occurred in Brazil, the European Union (EU), and the United States (U.S.), but several other countries have articulated large biofuel targets. Among them, China and India stand out with large populations, with a prominent food versus fuel debate. Recent research has recognized the importance of biofuels in replacing traditional transportation fuels in these two countries; but such work has largely considered unconventional pathways such as lignocellulosic feedstocks. This work takes a more straight-forward approach, using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to estimate the market impacts of achieving biofuel targets in 2020. Along with projections in food and fuel demand to 2020, we also consider several options in meeting biofuel targets. China's biofuel policy focuses on ethanol, and the result of meeting a 10 percent ethanol blend target, along with food and feed demand, is an increase in coarse grain production of 19 percent. India's largest potential biofuel component is biodiesel, where reaching a 20 percent target would entail a triple-digit increase in vegetable oil production. Results indicate that these impacts could be somewhat mediated if biofuel trade access is increased; in addition, utilizing stockpiled grain in China, or implementation of an effective waste cooking oil collection-to-biodiesel program in either country could substantially reduce agricultural feedstock requirements.
The Case against Perfection

Like cosmetic surgery, genetic enhancement employs medical means for nonmedical ends–ends unrelated to curing or preventing disease or repairing injury. But unlike cosmetic surgery, genetic enhancement is more than skin-deep. In order to grapple with the ethics of enhancement, one need to confront questions largely lost from view–questions about the moral status of nature, and about the proper stance of human beings toward the given world. Human memory is more complicated, but biotech companies, including Memory Pharmaceuticals, are in hot pursuit of memory-enhancing drugs, or “cognition enhancers,” for human beings. The obvious market for such drugs consists of those who suffer from Alzheimer’s and other serious memory disorders. Pediatricians already struggle with the ethics of enhancement when confronted by parents who want to make their children taller. Since the 1980s human growth hormone has been approved for children with a hormone deficiency that makes them much shorter than average.
Changes in Caries Risk in a Practice-Based Randomized Controlled Trial.

To demonstrate that Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) can be successfully implemented in dental practice, 30 dentists were recruited to perform a 2-y CAMBRA trial. Twenty-one dentists (...
Women and Self-Promotion: A Test of Three Theories.

Although self-promotion (communicating one’s past accomplishments and positive characteristics) is important for obtaining career and educational opportunities, women feel uncomfortable when doing ...
Embryo and Endometrial Synchrony in Implantation Failure

Normal implantation requires synchronous timing between the endometrium and the embryo. A loss of this synchrony—termed dyssynchrony—occurs when the endometrium is not optimally receptive at the time the embryo is ready to implant. This issue related to timing may lead to implantation failure even when the endometrial is capable of being receptive and the embryo was capable of implantation and progressing through pregnancy to delivery. While the traditional view has represented dyssynchrony as pathology attributed singularly to the embryo or the endometrium, it is clear that both entities can have robust reproductive potential in isolation, and the issue lies in the combination of both of these entities at the appropriate time. The timing of the stimulus for secretory transformation may vary from cycle to cycle, and embryonic development can also vary with age. Thus, their respective contribution to dyssynchrony is not always reproducible from cycle to cycle—thus it may not be screened for in advance. All patients undergoing superovulation during IVF are at risk for embryonic-endometrial dyssynchrony based on timing when a critical level of progesterone is attained and the timing of embryonic blastulation.
Effect of Use of a Bougie vs Endotracheal Tube and Stylet on First-Attempt Intubation Success Among Patients With Difficult Airways Undergoing Emergency Intubation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance The tracheal tube introducer, known as the bougie, is typically used to aid tracheal intubation in poor laryngoscopic views or after intubation attempts fail. The effect of routine bougie use on first-attempt intubation success is unclear. Objective To compare first attempt intubation success facilitated by the bougie vs the endotracheal tube + stylet. Design, Setting, and Patients The Bougie Use in Emergency Airway Management (BEAM) trial was a randomized clinical trial conducted from September 2016 through August 2017 in the emergency department at Hennepin County Medical Center, an urban, academic department in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where emergency physicians perform all endotracheal intubations. Included patients were 18 years and older who were consecutively admitted to the emergency department and underwent emergency orotracheal intubation with a Macintosh laryngoscope blade for respiratory arrest, difficulty breathing, or airway protection. Interventions Patients were randomly assigned to undergo the initial intubation attempt facilitated by bougie (n = 381) or endotracheal tube + stylet (n = 376). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was first-attempt intubation success in patients with at least 1 difficult airway characteristic (body fluids obscuring the laryngeal view, airway obstruction or edema, obesity, short neck, small mandible, large tongue, facial trauma, or the need for cervical spine immobilization). Secondary outcomes were first-attempt success in all patients, first-attempt intubation success without hypoxemia, first-attempt duration, esophageal intubation, and hypoxemia. Results Among 757 patients who were randomized (mean age, 46 years; women, 230 [30%]), 757 patients (100%) completed the trial. Among the 380 patients with at least 1 difficult airway characteristic, first-attempt intubation success was higher in the bougie group (96%) than in the endotracheal tube + stylet group (82%) (absolute between-group difference, 14% [95% CI, 8% to 20%]). Among all patients, first-attempt intubation success in the bougie group (98%) was higher than the endotracheal tube + stylet group (87%) (absolute difference, 11% [95% CI, 7% to 14%]). The median duration of the first intubation attempt (38 seconds vs 36 seconds) and the incidence of hypoxemia (13% vs 14%) did not differ significantly between the bougie and endotracheal tube + stylet groups. Conclusions and Relevance In this emergency department, use of a bougie compared with an endotracheal tube + stylet resulted in significantly higher first-attempt intubation success among patients undergoing emergency endotracheal intubation. However, these findings should be considered provisional until the generalizability is assessed in other institutions and settings. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT02902146
Where Are We Now? Where Could We Be?

This chapter provides a broad description of the current state of science education in America, primarily through a sociocultural lens. The chapter begins the process of envisioning what a more equitable future might look like if we are able to remove barriers to science education.
RNAi Suppression and Its Application

In eukaryotes, RNA interference (RNAi) is a gene silencing mechanism mediated by small RNAs (sRNAs), currently classified as small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA). These small RNAs are produced in Dicer (a ribonuclease III enzyme)-dependent (siRNA and miRNA) or Dicer-independent (piRNA) manner and are effected by a group of Argonaut (AGO) proteins. These small RNAs mediate silencing of target genes with complementary sequence at transcriptional or posttranscriptional level thereby to control a wide variety of biological functions. In worms and plants, RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) amplify RNAi by converting AGO cleavage products into dsRNAs for the generation of secondary siRNAs. One of the well characterized functions of RNAi is antiviral, which has been shown to serve as major viral innate immunity in fungi, plants, and invertebrates. Typically, RNAi-directed viral immunity (RDVI) is initiated with Dicer processing of viral dsRNAs, usually the replication intermediates, into siRNAs. These virus-derived siRNAs (viRNA) will then be used as sequence guide for target viral RNA destruction. Host-encoded miRNAs also contribute to viral control in mammal or bacterial control in plant. As a counterdefensive mechanism, many viruses and some bacteria are found to encode RNAi suppressors, previously known as pathogenicity factors. These RNAi antagonists target key components of RNAi for suppression, which eventually leads to defects in viRNA biogenesis or function. Since transgene expression in plants and invertebrates is often targeted by RNAi for suppression but can be reversed by various RNAi suppressors, codelivery of a VSR has been used to facilitate the isolation and biochemical characterization of a broad range of proteins of interests. RNAi suppressors can also be used as genetic tool for the study of biological functions controlled by certain class of endogenous sRNA (siRNA or miRNA). This is because, when expressed as transgenes, some RNAi suppressors can specifically target and interfere with the biogenesis or function of certain class of endogenous sRNA but not the other.
BigCube: A Metamodel for Managing Multidimensional Data.

New emerging scientific applications in geosciences, sensor and spatio-temporal domains require adaptive analysis frameworks that can handle large datasets with multiple dimensions. However, existing conceptual design strategies for multidimensional data using the data warehousing framework are not suitable for users, since they involve complex extensions of traditional database design frameworks like E/R and UML diagrams, or the relational star and snowflake schema. There is a lack of a generalized model that provides a user-centric design approach to let analysts abstractly design and query multidimensional data. In this paper, we propose a solution to this problem by presenting a generic metamodel for multidimensional data that keeps the user as the focal point and achieves a clear abstraction for all users. Our model called the BigCube provides users with a set of multidimensional abstract data types for data modeling and includes aggregate operations for performing analysis. Overall, we provide a formal and adaptable, user-centric data warehouse modeling approach to handle large multidimensional datasets.
Neonatal Brazelton and Bayley Performance at 12 and 18 Months of Infants with Intraventricular Hemorrhage

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is the most common brain lesion documented at autopsy in 40% to 50% of preterm infants with birth weights less than 1,500 g (Papile, Burstein, Burstein, & Kofler, 1978). The incidence of IVH remains high in the very low birth weight preterm population because of improved survival rates of infants with increasingly shorter gestations in whom IVH insult can be expected (Shinnar, Molteni, Gammon, D’Souva, Altman, & Freeman, 1982). Ultrasonographic studies conducted within 2 to 10 days of preterm birth can detect IVH in approximately one-third of infants of very low birth weight (less than 1,500 g) (Ahmann, Lazzara, Dykes, Brann, & Schwartz, 1978; Papile et al., 1978).