cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis on Monitoring Results of Pathogens in Food in Xicheng District of Beijing from 2008 to 2010

[Objective]To understand the contamination of food-borne pathogens in Xicheng district from 2008 to 2010,determine the kind of high-risk food,in order to prevent and reduce the food poisoning. [Methods]According to the monitoring plan for food-borne pathogens of Beijing CDC,the foods were randomly sampled and tested,and the monitoring indexes included Coliform bacteria,Salmonella,Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli O15∶H7,Listeria monocytogenes,Vibrio parahaemolyticus and so on. [Results]A total of 407 food samples were tested for food-borne pathogens from 2008 to 2010,15 pathogens were isolated with the detection rate of 3.69%,which included 9 strains of Listeria monocytogenes,4 strains of Staphylococcus aureus,1 strain of Salmonella and 1 strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. [Conclusion]There exists a certain degree of food-borne pathogens contamination in Xicheng district of Beijing.It is important to strengthen the food health management to prevent the food poisoning.
FDI and Industrial Structure Optimization of Our Country

The relationship between the use of foreign capital and optimization of industrial structure is an important research field.This paper analyze the distribution of Foreign Direct Investment in China among the three major industries,based on foreign direct investment of previous years,and uses an econometric model about GDP and FDI in China to do simple regression analysis.The result is as follows: the total FDI promotes the growth of GDP;FDI of the second industry makes the largest contribution to GDP growth,the tertiary industry is the second,and the first industry is minimum.
Efficacy evaluation on comprehensive intervention of prevention and control of AIDS for entertainment sex workers in Dali City

Objective The study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of comprehensive intervention of prevention and control of AIDS for entertainment sex workers in Dali City in order to provide references for comprehensive intervention for prevention and control of AIDS.Methods One-to-one questionnaire interviews were conducted to those female sex workers covered by the program and compare between the investigation results and baseline results were done.Results The evaluation showed that the awareness rate of the knowledge about prevention and control of AIDS of target population increased from 75.50% in 2003 to 88.30% in 2005,5.90% to 41.40% for the awareness of spread knowledge.Statistical significance was seen for awareness difference before and after intervention.Rate of using condoms with commercial sex partners at last time and in recent month increased from 89.40% to 97.22%,71.27% to 81.48% respectively,not high using condoms with regular sexual partners,only always using condoms with regular sexual partner is in recent month of 25.33% only.Conclusion Comprehensive interventions contribute to enhance awareness of knowledge about AIDS and security behavior rate for target population in intervention area,but the behavior change need continuous intervention for long time in order to get significant efficacy.
Metabolic imaging to assess myocardial viability.

A potentially reversible impairment of contractile function in patients with chronic coronary artery disease characteristically exhibits a regional increase in glucose utilization or, more precisely, glucose extraction, as evidenced by the presence of a blood flow-glucose metabolism mismatch. The predictive accuracy of patterns of blood flow and glucose metabolism has now been established in more than 107 patients with 384 dysfunctional myocardial segments against the gold standard of myocardial viability, the functional outcome of contractile function after revascularization. According to long-term albeit retrospective follow-up studies, correlations exist between the blood flow-metabolism patterns and patient survival or cardiac morbidity. The same studies point out the high risk of patients with blood flow-metabolism mismatches and, at the same time, the considerable benefits derived from revascularization, i.e., reduced mortality and improvement in symptoms related to congestive heart failure. Imaging of the relative distribution of blood flow and of exogenous glucose utilization with PET therefore appears to be of considerable value for identifying high-risk patients as well as for stratifying patients to the most appropriate therapeutic management. This pertains especially to patients with poor left ventricular function and symptoms related to congestive heart failure. Assessment of myocardial viability in this particular patient group remains diagnostically challenging. On the other hand, as demonstrated by several investigations, blood flow metabolism imaging with 18F-deoxyglucose and PET is highly accurate in these patients for the identification of viable or reversibly dysfunctional myocardium.
Natural DEET substitutes that are strong olfactory repellents of mosquitoes and flies

Despite shortcomings, N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) has remained the gold-standard of insect repellents for >60 years. There are significant impediments to finding improved substitutes because the molecular targets causing repellency are unclear, new chemistries will require significant human-safety testing, and predicted costs for development are exorbitant. Here we identify shared structural features important for repellency and using a supervised chemical-informatics method screen insilico >400,000 compounds to identify >100 natural compounds as candidate repellents. We select 4 candidates that are affordable, 3 approved as safe for human food use, and demonstrate that they are strong olfactory and gustatory repellents to both mosquitoes and Drosophila. The chemicals do not dissolve plastic and have a mild and pleasant odor. These repellents are representative of a new generation of affordable substitutes for DEET that can be rapidly deployed globally because of excellent human-safety profiles, and have great potential in reducing deadly diseases by reducing mosquito-human contact.
Why edge inversion? Theoretical characterization of the bonding in the transition states for inversion in $$\mathrm{F}_{n}\mathrm{NH}_{(3-n)}\; \mathrm{and}\; \mathrm{F}_\mathrm{n}\mathrm{PH}_{(3-n)}(n=0-3)$$

As first noted by Dixon et al. (J Am Chem Soc 108:2461–2462, 1986), heavily fluorinated pyramidal phosphorus compounds, e.g., FnPH(3-n) with n>1, invert through a T-shaped transition state (edge inversion) rather than the D3h-like transition states (vertex inversion) found in the corresponding nitrogen compounds and less fluorinated phosphorus compounds. Subsequent studies by Dixon and coworkers established that this is a general phenomenon and has important chemical consequences. But what is the reason for the change in the structure of the transition state? Recent theoretical investigations have resulted in the discovery of a new type of chemical bond, the recoupled pair bond. In particular, it was found that recoupled pair bond dyads account for the hypervalency of the elements beyond the first row. In this paper, we show that recoupled pair bond dyads also account for the existence of the edge inversion pathway in heavily fluorinated phosphorus compounds and likely account for the presence of the lower energy inversion pathways in pyramidal compounds of other elements beyond the first row.
Elimination of Ground-Water Contamination by Septic-Tank Effluent

In the laboratory, a sand-filled tank was used to represent a cross section of a soil-absorption trench. The top layer received half of the septic-tank effluent under aerobic conditions, while the remaining half directly entered the lower section. The lower section had a raised discharge to maintain anaerobic conditions. The unit removed more than 90% of nitrogen from the effluent, resulting in nitrogen concentrations consistently less than 10 mg/L. The results suggest that design modifications to conventional absorption trenches can achieve excellent nitrate removal without an external carbon source, mechanical additions, or other complexities.
National Minorities in an Era of Externalization

This article investigates how two processes of externalization—deeper integration into European institutions, and the extension of citizenship and voting rights offered by neighboring kin-states—impact national minority politics using the critical case of the ethnic Hungarian political community in Romania. It finds that external citizenship and voting rights may help strengthen ethnic political identity, but also reorients resources away from minority political projects toward the kin-state and encourages intra-minority stratification. Access to European political spaces offers additional arenas through which minority political actors can make claims and gain allies, but is of limited use as a mobilizational resource.
Pathology and Classification of Thyroid Tumors

Nodules of the thyroid gland are common and frequently problematic specimens encountered by the diagnostic surgical pathologist. It is estimated that 4–7% of adults have a palpable thyroid nodule, and several times that many have nodules which are detectable at autopsy or by ultrasound. Of the estimated 10–20 million clinically detectable thyroid lesions in the United States, approximately 5–30% will be malignant. Thyroid nodules are more common in women, in people with a history of radiation exposure, and in those with goitrogenic-rich diets or iodine-deficient diets (Faquin, Arch Pathol Lab Med 132:622–632, 2008). Carcinomas of follicular cell origin are the most common and greatly outnumber carcinomas of C-cell origin. Secondary malignancies and lymphomas are far less common than follicular origin tumors, but they do occur and must be considered in the differential diagnosis of both benign and malignant thyroid abnormalities. The majority of carcinomas of follicular origin are indolent, with approximately 90% 10-year survival rates.
Steady-State and Transient Studies of Gas Hydrates Formation in Non-emulsifying Oil Systems

The dynamics of gas hydrate formation have been investigated for surfactant-free oil mixing systems, containing mineral oil or kerosene as the continuous phase. This subject is particularly relevant in the hydrate management strategies for deep-subsea petroleum production. Experiments were performed in a high pressure cell coupled to a rheometer to investigate the characteristics of hydrates formed under different mixing rates (rotational speeds of 200, 300, and 450 rpm) and water contents (5, 10, 20, and 30 vol %) mixed with the oil. The experimental protocol consisted of six stages: (i) saturation, (ii) cooling, (iii) hydrate formation, (iv) steady state, (v) shut-in, and (vi) restart. Three different types of results were observed. In the first type, all six stages were present and well-defined. In the second type, the experiment stopped during the third stage due to the jamming of the impeller caused by the morphology/amount of hydrate formed. For the last type, the experiment was executed until the s...
Commentary: Fundamental problems with candidate gene-by-environment interaction studies - reflections on Moore and Thoemmes (2016).

Moore and Thoemmes elaborate on one particular source of difficulty in the study of candidate gene-by-environment interactions (cG × E): how different biologically plausible configurations of gene-environment covariation can bias estimates of cG × E when not explicitly modeled. However, even if cG × E investigators were able to account for the sources of bias Moore and Thoemmes elaborate, it is unlikely that conventional approaches would yield reliable results. Published cG × E findings to date have generally employed inadequate analytic procedures, have relied on samples orders of magnitude too small to detect plausible effects, and have relied on a particular candidate gene approach that has been unfruitful and largely jettisoned in mainstream genetic analyses of complex traits. Analytic procedures for the study of gene-environment interplay must evolve to meet the challenges that the genetic architecture of complex traits presents, and investigators must collaborate on grander scales if we hope to begin to understand how specific genes and environments combine to affect behavior.
Spatial Attention in Binge-Drinking and Moderate-Drinking College Students: An fMRI Investigation

ABSTRACTCollege-age binge drinking is considered a developmental disturbance that may give rise to unique treatment challenges. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the completion of a spatial Stroop task to compare brain activation of 24 college-aged participants: 12 moderate drinkers (MoD) and 12 binge drinkers (BD). Overall, the BD showed a significant reduction in reaction time and accuracy in performing this task, while concurrently displaying less overall brain activation than moderate-drinking controls. In general, the BD showed decreased activity in regions related to rule discovery but hyperactivation in areas thought to mediate attention and response inhibition. Implications for treatment are discussed.
Humidity-induced damage in polyvinyl toluene and polystyrene plastic scintillator

Polyvinyl toluene and polystyrene are materials commonly used in plastic scintillators. In recent years, cold weather related performance degradation has been identified in plastic scintillators that are exposed to the environment. Prior exposure to water vapor at high temperatures, in particular, has been identified as a likely culprit. This work subjected a selection of commercially produced polyvinyl toluene and polystyrene plastic scintillator to a controlled high-temperature, high-humidity environment for an extended period of time, followed by exposure to freezing temperatures consistent with performance degradation. Polymethyl methacrylate, which is used as a light guide in detectors, was also subjected to these conditions. Samples were evaluated visually, and weight measurements were taken at regular intervals during and after the environmental exposure.
Decompensated Cirrhosis and Fluid Resuscitation

The critically ill patient with decompensated cirrhosis has a unique physiology and alterations in albumin that need to be understood to properly resuscitate them and minimize morbidity and mortality. Little data exist on specific resuscitation of the patient with cirrhosis compared with those patients without liver disease. The effectiveness of albumin administration compared with saline administration in common settings, such as large-volume paracentesis, can be extrapolated to the care of the general surgical patient but further studies in this area are warranted. This article enhances the understanding of unique physiology of the patient with decompensated cirrhosis to guide their needs in fluid resuscitation in critical illness.
Gaining Mechanistic Insight with Control Pulse Slicing: Application to the Dissociative Ionization of CH2BrI.

In quantum control experiments with shaped femtosecond laser pulses, adaptive feedback control is often used to identify pulse shapes that can optimally steer the quantum system toward the desired outcome. However, gaining mechanistic information can pose a challenge due to the varied structural features of the control pulses and/or the often complex nature of the associated simulations of the experiments. In this article, we introduce control pulse slicing (CPS) as an easy-to-implement experimental analysis tool that can be employed directly in the laboratory without the need for modeling, to gain mechanistic insights about control experiments, regardless of whether the pulse is optimal or chosen by other means. As an illustration, we apply CPS to dissociative ionization of CH2BrI with mass spectral detection, where two pulses with similar intensities are investigated, with each capable of distinctively controlling the ratio of Br+/CH2Br+. These two control pulses were, respectively, first identified wit...
Restoration Is Preparation for the Future

Returning a site or landscape to some historical condition is a long-standing objective in restoration ecology, but restoration ecology is by no means limited solely to the goal of returning an ecosystem to a prior condition. Restoration, done properly, can increase biodiversity, restore structure and connectivity, and enhance a variety of ecosystem services that may better position ecosystems to adapt to climate change, even where the primary intent of restoration may have had little to do with climate adaptation. In this discussion, we address how ecological restoration maintains biodiversity, structure, and function that prepare forests for an uncertain future, and we show how there is no inherent incompatibility between restoration and management for global change. Better education is needed about what restoration is and how it should be practiced. Some changes in the way that restoration is envisaged and implemented in an age of rapid global change are warranted, but calls for the replacement of ecological restoration by another paradigm are misguided.
Vascularized Spinous Process Graft Rotated on a Paraspinous Muscle Pedicle for Lumbar Fusion: Technique Description and Early Clinical Experience

Background Vascularized bone grafts (VBGs) are described as having superior osteogenicity, osteoconductivity, and osteoinductivity compared with other graft types and have been used in high-risk patients to augment arthrodesis. Pedicled VBGs are rotated on an intact vascular pedicle and therefore maintain all the benefits of VBGs but avoid many of the challenges and additional morbidity of free-tissue transfer. This study describes a novel surgical technique for rotating vascularized spinous process into the posterolateral space for augmenting arthrodesis in patients undergoing posterolateral fusion (PLF). Methods A technique is described for rotating the spinous process into the posterolateral space on an intact vascular pedicle of paraspinal muscle. Early clinical and radiographic outcomes are reported for 4 patients who have undergone this procedure. Results Four patients were treated with a single or 2-level PLF combined with posterior, anterior, or lateral interbody fusion and vascularized spinous process graft. Three-month postoperative computed tomography scans demonstrated a dislodged graft in 1 patient and successful arthrodesis in 3 patients. Additional operative time taken for graft harvest and implantation ranged from 22 minutes for the first patient to 6 minutes for the fourth patient. Conclusions Rotation of vascularized spinous process graft for augmentation of posterolateral arthrodesis in the lumbar spine is a potentially safe, effective surgical technique that results in successful arthrodesis in as little as 3 months but requires further study. This technique is expected to add little additional time or morbidity to the traditional lumbar PLF because it requires no separate incision or additional bone removal.
Specific patterns of self-antigen expression determine the mechanisms by which polyclonal self-reactive CD4+ T cells are tolerized.

Understanding how self-tolerance is maintained requires the ability to track rare, self-reactive T cells of known specificity in normal individuals. However, due to technical limitations much of our knowledge has relied on the study of T cell receptor transgenic cells that recognize model antigens. While this work has identified numerous modes of tolerance, it is unclear which mechanisms operate in normally diverse repertoires and how this decision is made. We studied polyclonal CD4 + T cells specific for an epitope from green fluorescent protein (GFP) in fourteen different mouse strains that express GFP under the control of tissue-specific promoters. We found that clonal deletion was the key tolerance mechanism for self-antigens that were uniformly expressed by thymic antigen-presenting cells. In contrast, self-antigens that were absent from the thymus were ignored. A more complex form of tolerance regulated CD4 + T cells specific for self-antigens with limited expression by thymic antigen-presenting cells. These populations showed partial clonal deletion and impaired effector T cell potential but enhanced regulatory T cell potential of remaining cells. Furthermore, these tolerance mechanisms were also found to regulate CD4 + T cells specific for endogenously expressed self-antigens. Thus, self-antigen expression patterns dictate the tolerance mechanisms by which self-reactive polyclonal CD4 + T cells are regulated.
Global Pedagogies and Communities of Meaning and Hope: Education in a Time of Global Fragmentation

It is no shock that there is a growing hunger for communities where people can feel recognized and needed (Putnam 2000; Bellah et al. 1985). This is not a problem that we face only here in the USA. It is clear that there is, in many countries and places, a yearning to feel a part of something that is larger than the very small sphere of our private lives. Whether this takes the form of a resurgent nationalism in some situations, religious communities with almost a tribal identity elsewhere, or groups that unite people behind the commonality of race, ethnicity, or geographical region, it is quite clear that our atomizing and fragmented world is producing alternative forms of human relationships that give individuals the feeling of being a part of something that transcends their own limited lives (Bauman 2001). The price of worldly success in our materialistic, consumer‐driven, competitive world is increasingly experienced, even by those who have done well by it, as being spiritually and emotionally too high.
Undergraduate and graduate medical education and the pharmaceutical industry.

The financial generosity of the pharmaceutical industry to provide funding for medical education tempts a compromise of professional standards and ethics. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Cavernous malformations are rare sequelae of stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases

The development of cavernous malformations many years following conventionally fractionated brain irradiation is well recognized and commonly reported. However, cavernous malformation induction following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is largely unreported. Herein, we describe two cases of cavernous malformation formation years following SRS for brain metastases. A 20-year-old woman with breast cancer brain metastases received treatment with whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), then salvage SRS 1.4 years later for progression of a previously treated metastasis. This lesion treated with SRS had hemorrhagic enlargement 3.0 years after SRS. Resection revealed a cavernous malformation. A 25-year-old woman had SRS for a brain metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma. Resection of a progressive, hemorrhagic lesion within the SRS field 2 years later revealed both recurrent carcinoma as well as cavernous malformation. As patients with brain metastases live longer following SRS, our cases highlight that the differential diagnosis of an enlarging enhancing lesion within a previous SRS field includes not only cerebral necrosis and tumor progression but also cavernous malformation induction.
Computational complexity of convoy movement planning problems

Convoy movement planning problems arise in a number of important logistical contexts, including military planning, railroad optimization and automated guided vehicle routing. In the convoy movement problem (CMP), a set of convoys, with specified origins and destinations, are to be routed with the objective of minimizing either makespan or total flow time, while observing a number of side constraints. This paper characterizes the computational complexity of several restricted classes of CMPs. The principal objective is to identify the most parsimonious set of problem features that make the CMP intractable. A polynomial-time algorithm is provided for the single criterion two-convoy movement problem. The performance of a simple prioritization–idling approximation algorithm is also analyzed for the K-convoy movement problem. Error bounds are developed for the makespan and flow time objectives.
Genetic diversity matters

Too many participants in research studies are of white European descent - and that is skewing the secience.
The Phytophthora RXLR Effector Avrblb2 Modulates Plant Immunity by Interfering With Ca 2+ Signaling Pathway.

In plants, subcellular fluctuations in Ca2+ ion concentration are among the earliest responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Calmodulin, which is a ubiquitous Ca2+ ion sensor in eukaryotes, plays a major role in translating these Ca2+ signatures to cellular responses by interacting with numerous proteins located in plasma membranes, cytoplasm, organelles and nuclei. In this report, we show that one of the Phytophthora RXLR effector, Avrblb2, interacts with calmodulin at the plasma membrane of the plant cells. Using deletion and single amino acid mutagenesis, we found that calmodulin binds to the effector domain of Avrblb2. In addition, we show that most known homologs of Avrblb2 in three different Phytophthora species interact with different isoforms of calmodulin. Type of amino acids at position 69 in Avrblb2, which determines Rbi-blb2 resistance protein-mediated defense responses, is not involved in the Avrblb2-calmodulin interaction. Using in planta functional analyses, we show that calmodulin binding to Avrblb2 is required for its recognition by Rpi-blb2 to incite hypersensitive response. These findings suggest that Avrblb2 by interacting with calmodulin interfere with plant defense associated Ca2+ signaling in plants.
Global Glomerulosclerosis in Kidney Biopsies With Differing Amounts of Cortex: A Clinical-Pathologic Correlation Study.

Rationale & Objective The number of glomeruli is often used to determine the adequacy of a kidney biopsy (eg, at least 10 glomeruli). It is often assumed that biopsy specimens with limited amounts of cortex are too imprecise for detection of focal pathology. Study Design Clinical-pathologic correlation (cross-sectional). Setting & Participants Living kidney donors who underwent a needle core biopsy of their kidney at the time of donation. Exposure The amount of cortex biopsied as determined by either the number of glomeruli or area of cortex on histology. Outcome The percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli, density of interstitial fibrosis foci, and severity of arteriosclerosis were determined. Analytical approach A beta-binomial model assessed how the mean percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli and patient variability in percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli differed with the number of glomeruli on the biopsy specimen. Additional models assessed the association of interstitial fibrosis and arteriosclerosis with number of glomeruli. Results There were 2,915 kidney donors studied. Fewer glomeruli on the biopsy specimen associated with higher mean percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli and higher patient variability in percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli. Smaller cortical volume on imaging correlated with both less cortex on biopsy and higher percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli. Based on a statistical simulation, the probability of patient percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli≥10% if the biopsy percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli is≥10% (positive predictive value) was 45% with 1 to 9 glomeruli versus 31% with 10 or more glomeruli; the negative predictive value was 91% versus 98%. Fewer glomeruli also associated with more interstitial fibrosis and arteriosclerosis. Limitations The study was limited to living kidney donors. Patient variability in percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli was based on a statistical model because multiple biopsy specimens per patient were not available. Conclusions The amount of cortex on a needle core biopsy is not completely random. Chronic changes from loss of cortex contribute to low amounts of cortex on a kidney biopsy specimen.
Successful management of acute bilirubin encephalopathy in a dog with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia using therapeutic plasma exchange.

Objective To describe the successful management of acute bilirubin encephalopathy in a dog with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) treated with therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in conjunction with conventional medical management. Case summary A 6-year-old neutered male Australian Cattle Dog diagnosed with IMHA developed severe hyperbilirubinemia and stupor within the first 48 hours of implementing immunosuppressive therapy consisting of corticosteroids and mycophenolate. The patient received 4 blood transfusions during this period, but remained severely anemic PCV (18%) and experienced a subsequent increase in total bilirubin from 78 µmol/L (4.6 mg/dL) to a peak value of 1,563 µmol/L (91.4 mg/dL). The patient's neurological status rapidly deteriorated, resulting in lateral recumbency, vertical nystagmus, extensor rigidity, and stuporous mentation. Over the next 3 days, TPE was provided once every 24 hours, decreasing serum bilirubin, immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin M (IgM). The patient's red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirements decreased immediately, requiring only 1 transfusion over the next 7 days that was required due to procedure-associated blood loss. Gradual neurological improvement was noted as serum bilirubin decreased. A brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) did not reveal any structural abnormalities and the patient was discharged after 11 days of hospitalization. Following discharge, the patient had complete remission of IMHA without any residual neurological deficits. Therapeutic plasma exchange played an integral role in case management and was successful in reducing bilirubin, IgG, and IgM. New or unique information provided Bilirubin encephalopathy has been rarely reported in small animal medicine and cases have been limited to postmortem documentation. This is the first suspected case of acute bilirubin encephalopathy in a dog that survived and describes the clinical course of disease. The kinetics of serum bilirubin, IgG, and IgM concentrations before and after TPE and throughout the hospitalization period are also described.
Epigenetic Modifications Compromise Mitochondrial DNA Quality Control in the Development of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose Diabetes causes dysfunction in the retinal mitochondria and increases base mismatches in their DNA (mtDNA). The enzyme responsible for repairing the base mismatches, MutL homolog 1 (Mlh1), is compromised. Diabetes also favors many epigenetic modifications and activates DNA methylation machinery, and Mlh1 has a CpG-rich promoter. Our aim is to identify the molecular mechanism responsible for impaired mtDNA mismatch repair in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Methods Human retinal endothelial cells, incubated in 20 mM glucose, were analyzed for mitochondrial localization of Mlh1 by an immunofluorescence technique, Mlh1 promoter DNA methylation by the methylated DNA capture method, and the binding of Dnmt1 and transcriptional factor Sp1 by chromatin immunoprecipitation. The results were confirmed in retinal microvessels from streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, with or without Dnmt inhibitors, and from human donors with diabetic retinopathy. Results Compared with cells in 5 mM glucose, high glucose decreased Mlh1 mitochondrial localization, and its promoter DNA was hypermethylated with increased Dnmt-1 binding and decreased Sp1 binding. Dnmt inhibitors attenuated Mlh1 promoter hypermethylation and prevented a decrease in its gene transcripts and an increase in mtDNA mismatches. The administration of Dnmt inhibitors in mice ameliorated a diabetes-induced increase in Mlh1 promoter hypermethylation and a decrease in its gene transcripts. Similar decreases in Mlh1 gene transcripts and its promoter DNA hypermethylation were observed in human donors. Conclusions Thus, as a result of the epigenetic modifications of the Mlh1 promoter, its transcription is decreased, and decreased mitochondrial accumulation fails to repair mtDNA mismatches. Therapies targeted to halt DNA methylation have the potential to prevent/halt mtDNA damage and the development of diabetic retinopathy.
Lead Isotopes as a New Tracer for Detecting Coal Fly Ash in the Environment

Lead (Pb) isotopes have been widely used to delineate Pb pollutants in the environment. Here, we present, for the first time, a systematic analysis of Pb isotopes in coal fly ash derived from coals...
Imaging in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common primary renal malignant neoplasm in adults. Approximately 25–30 % of cases present with metastatic disease and 2 % of cases may have lesions in bilateral kidneys at the time of presentation. Extensive use of cross-sectional imaging in recent years has resulted in incidental detection of such carcinoma at an early stage. Approximately 36 % of RCCs are discovered incidentally. The radiologist should be aware of this, and once a suspected mass is identified, further investigations should be instituted. Solid or complex cystic lesions are best characterized by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast enhancement. Diffusion-weighted imaging helps in differentiating malignant lesions from benign lesions. These cross-sectional modalities are also indispensable in the staging and restaging of suspected RCC lesions. Other modalities including ultrasound and PET can also be deployed to play a complementary role. Image-guided percutaneous renal biopsy is safe and accurate in sampling the lesion and reaching a final histopathological diagnosis. As the frequency of detection of renal masses increases and the utility of percutaneous biopsy and minimally invasive interventions including radiofrequency ablation (RFA), transarterial embolization (TAE), and nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) becomes more common, we are likely to see these procedures become more frequently utilized in patient management.
Imaging nascent transcription in wholemount vertebrate embryos to characterize zygotic genome activation

Abstract A major event in early embryo development is the awakening of the embryonic genome, a process of large-scale transcriptional induction termed zygotic genome activation (ZGA). To understand how ZGA is controlled temporally and spatially, tools are required to image and quantify nascent transcription in wholemount embryos. In this chapter, we describe a metabolic labeling approach that leverages 5-ethynyl uridine (5-EU) incorporation into newly transcribed RNAs. Subsequently, click chemistry is used to conjugate these nascent transcripts to fluorophores for wholemount confocal imaging or biotin for RNA sequencing. Such an approach facilitates direct visualization of the global transcriptional state of each cell during early embryogenesis and provides a spatial map of gene expression activity. We describe this procedure for imaging nascent transcription in a vertebrate embryo Xenopus laevis, and use it as our model the onset of large-scale ZGA. Unlike cell culture systems in which 5-EU can be added to the media, metabolic labeling in Xenopus embryos requires microinjection in one-cell or two-cell stage embryos. This method is a powerful tool to quantify the nascent transcriptome at a single-cell level and to dissect mechanisms that control ZGA. We propose that this methodology can be applied broadly in other embryonic systems, and demonstrate the feasibility using zebrafish cleavage stage embryos. Finally, we demonstrate how to sequence the nascent transcriptome via 5-EU incorporation and separation of zygotic vs maternal RNAs. Altogether, our generalizable methodology will facilitate new insights into gene regulation and spatial patterning of ZGA during early embryogenesis.
CubeSLAM: Monocular 3-D Object SLAM

In this paper, we present a method for single image three-dimensional (3-D) cuboid object detection and multiview object simultaneous localization and mapping in both static and dynamic environments, and demonstrate that the two parts can improve each other. First, for single image object detection, we generate high-quality cuboid proposals from two-dimensional (2-D) bounding boxes and vanishing points sampling. The proposals are further scored and selected based on the alignment with image edges. Second, multiview bundle adjustment with new object measurements is proposed to jointly optimize poses of cameras, objects, and points. Objects can provide long-range geometric and scale constraints to improve camera pose estimation and reduce monocular drift. Instead of treating dynamic regions as outliers, we utilize object representation and motion model constraints to improve the camera pose estimation. The 3-D detection experiments on SUN RGBD and KITTI show better accuracy and robustness over existing approaches. On the public TUM, KITTI odometry and our own collected datasets, our SLAM method achieves the state-of-the-art monocular camera pose estimation and at the same time, improves the 3-D object detection accuracy.
Investigating Political Tolerance at Conservative Protestant Colleges and Universities: , by George Yancey, Laurel Shaler, and Jerald H. Walz, 2019. 159 pp. Softback, 36.16USD, ISBN: 978-0367661120

The past three decades have witnessed an outpouring of scholarship on religion and higher education. Much of this research explores the ways the sacred intersects with American politics on the camp...
Accelerated long-term forgetting is a BACE1 inhibitor-reversible incipient cognitive phenotype in Alzheimer's disease model mice.

Aim After the continued failure of β-secretase (BACE1) inhibitor clinical trials in prodromal as well as mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), they are shifting to further earlier or asymptomatic stages. The aim of this study is to explore a cognitive paradigm that allows us to more sensitively detect beneficial effects of BACE1 inhibitors in presymptomatic AD. Methods GRL-8234 (33.4 mg/kg, ip), a small-molecule BACE1 inhibitor, was administered once daily for 28 days to the 5XAFD transgenic mouse model of AD. The contextual fear conditioning was used to evaluate the effects of GRL-8234 on memory deficits in 5XFAD mice at different ages. Results Chronic administration of GRL-8234 to 5XFAD mice rescued their contextual memory deficits, when tested 1 day after training at 6-8 months but not at 12 months of age. Importantly, 4-month-old 5XFAD mice retain the ability to form contextual memory equivalent to wild-type controls, demonstrating that the standard method of 1-day memory assessment is not suitable for evaluating BACE1 inhibitor efficacy in ameliorating cognitive declines during earlier disease stages. Despite normal contextual memory formation, young 5XFAD mice showed faster forgetting when a longer delay (28 days) intervened between training and memory testing. Notably, GRL-8234 administered to 4-month-old 5XFAD mice during the 28-day delay reversed accelerated long-term forgetting almost completely back to wild-type control levels. Conclusion The results provide experimental evidence that accelerated long-term forgetting represents more sensitive memory testing that can help evaluate BACE1 inhibitor therapy in presymptomatic AD populations.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Perspectives on the CSR Construct’s Development and Future:

This perspectives article seeks to comment and reflect on my 1999 BAS article titled “Corporate Social Responsibility: Evolution of a Definitional Construct,” and subsequent writings addressing the...
23 Forced exercise on gut microbiota and cytokines in young horses

Exercise in young horses is common but impacts on gut microbial profiles and systemic cytokines are unknown. Quarter Horse yearlings (mean ± SEM; 496 ± 12 d of age; 343 ± 28 kg BW) were used to test the hypothesis that exercise would increase beneficial gut microbial profiles and decrease serum inflammatory cytokines. Horses were balanced by age, BW, and sex and randomly assigned to non-exercise control (CON; n = 10), dry treadmill exercise (DRY; n = 10), or aquatic treadmill exercise (H2O; n = 10; water at 60% wither height). Horses were stalled 12 h/d, 5 d/wk but otherwise housed in dry lots. Horses individually received 1.25% BW/d (as-fed) commercial concentrate and ad libitum Coastal bermudagrass hay. From d0 to 112, DRY and H2O walked on treadmills 30 min/d, 5 d/wk. Workload for DRY and H2O then increased to moderate intensity on a free-stall exerciser 5 d/wk to d140. Serum and fecal samples were collected on d0, 112, and 140. Serum was analyzed for interleukin (IL)-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, growth related oncogene (GRO), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) concentrations via commercial bead-based ELISA. The V4 region of 16S rRNA gene was amplified from fecal community DNA using universal primers. Resulting amplicons were sequenced (2 × 250bp PE) using Illumina's NovaSeq 6000, processed using DADA2 pipeline, and analyzed using R vegan package. Significant (P
Myocardial Function in Premenopausal Women Treated With Ovarian Function Suppression and an Aromatase Inhibitor

Background Premenopausal women with high-risk hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer often receive ovarian function suppression (OFS) with aromatase inhibitor therapy; however, abrupt menopause induction, together with further decrements in estrogen exposure through aromatase inhibition, may affect cardiovascular microcirculatory function. We examined adenosine-induced changes in left ventricular (LV) myocardial T1, a potential subclinical marker of LV microcirculatory function in premenopausal women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Methods Twenty-one premenopausal women (14 with HR-positive breast cancer receiving OFS with an aromatase inhibitor and 7 comparator women with triple-negative breast cancer [TNBC] who had completed primary systemic therapy) underwent serial resting and adenosine cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging measurements of LV myocardial T1 and LV volumes, mass, and ejection fraction. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results After a median of 4.0 months (range = 3.1-5.7 months), the stress to resting ratio of LV myocardial T1 declined in women with HR-positive breast cancer (-1.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -3.4% to 0.7%) relative to those with TNBC (3.2%, 95% CI = -1.2% to 7.6%, P = .02). After accounting for age, LV stroke volume, LV ejection fraction, diastolic blood pressure, and breast cancer subtype women with HR-positive breast cancer experienced a blunted T1 response after adenosine relative to women with TNBC (difference = -4.7%, 95% CI = -7.3% to -2.1%, P difference = .002). Conclusions Over the brief interval examined, women with HR-positive breast cancer receiving OFS with an aromatase inhibitor experienced reductions in adenosine-associated changes in LV myocardial T1 relative to women who received nonhormonal therapy for TNBC. These findings suggest a possible adverse impact on LV myocardial microcirculatory function in premenopausal women with breast cancer receiving hormone deprivation therapy.
A Review of the Model/Rival (M/R) Technique for Training Interspecies Communication and Its Use in Behavioral Research.

In this paper, I will review the Model/Rival (M/R) technique that has been used to establish interspecies communication with Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). I will describe the original format developed by Todt, the relationship to other forms of observational learning outlined by other researchers, and the adaptations that I devised. I will describe how my undergraduate trainers and I isolated the various components that constitute the technique and explain how each is necessary, but how only the combination of all components is sufficient for successful implementation—and how improper implementation can lead to failure. I will briefly summarize the results of proper implementation—including the importance of interspecies communication itself as a technique for studying animal cognition.
Beijing’s Multi-Sector E-health Smart Crowdsourcing During COVID-19: Political, Economic, and Sociocultural Impacts

During the COVID-19 pandemic, individual countries such as the United States and China witnessed an increasing use of self-organised smart crowdsourcing events to assist with public education and risk communication about the novel virus and the emerging pandemic. Professional organisations, businesses, and governmental agencies led these endeavours and worked with innovation intermediaries to broadcast the requests to networks of external experts via existing or new online platforms. How can we mobilise extra-institutional risk communication endeavours to bridge the expert-public gap in real time when little is known about the quickly spreading COVID-19 pandemic? This chapter examines a smart crowdsourcing project in China that organised physicians to offer online consultation and diagnosis to all citizens during the lockdown in March and April 2020. We map out all organisational and individual participants before analysing organising mechanisms, quality assurance measures, and approaches to formalise scattered insights and to achieve scalability for existing solutions. This will help to identify strategies that can be used to invite and support rapid responses in emerging crises.
Adding power of artificial intelligence to situational awareness of large interconnections dominated by inverter-based resources

Large-scale power systems exhibit more complex dynamics due to the increasing integration of inverter-based resources (IBRs). Therefore, there is an urgent need to enhance the situational awareness capability for better monitoring and control of power grids dominated by IBRs. As a pioneering Wide-Area Measurement System, FNET/GridEye has developed and implemented various advanced applications based on the collected synchrophasor measurements to enhance the situational awareness capability of large-scale power grids. This study provides an overview of the latest progress of FNET/GridEye. The sensors, communication, and data servers are upgraded to handle ultra-high density synchrophasor and point-on-wave data to monitor system dynamics with more details. More importantly, several artificial intelligence (AI)-based advanced applications are introduced, including AI-based inertia estimation, AI-based disturbance size and location estimation, AI-based system stability assessment, and AI-based data authentication.
On Diversity of Cooperative Relaying Protocols

We focus on the achievable diversity order and probability of error performance in an uncoded cooperative relaying scenario with multiple relays when the destination has no knowledge of the channel gains corresponding to the source to relay links. We consider a hard-decision adaptive decode-and- forward protocol wherein each relay transmits only if its received signal strength is above a threshold. For such a protocol we show that by allowing the threshold to change with the average SNR, the achievable diversity order can be made arbitrarily close to the spatial diversity available. We also analyze a pure amplify- and-forward protocol and show via numerical results that the achievable diversity order is close to 1 as opposed to 3 when there are two participating relays. By choosing a threshold that varies with the average SNR, it is observed that the adaptive decode- and-forward protocol significantly outperforms the amplify-and- forward and decode-and-forward protocols.