cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single cell mutational analysis of PIK3CA in circulating tumor cells and metastases in breast cancer reveals heterogeneity, discordance, and mutation persistence in cultured disseminated tumor cells from bone marrow

Therapeutic decisions in cancer are generally guided by molecular biomarkers or, for some newer therapeutics, primary tumor genotype. However, because biomarkers or genotypes may change as new metastases emerge, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood are being investigated for a role in guiding real-time drug selection during disease progression, expecting that CTCs will comprehensively represent the full spectrum of genomic changes in metastases. However, information is limited regarding mutational heterogeneity among CTCs and metastases in breast cancer as discerned by single cell analysis. The presence of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow also carry prognostic significance in breast cancer, but with variability between CTC and DTC detection. Here we analyze a series of single tumor cells, CTCs, and DTCs for PIK3CA mutations and report CTC and corresponding metastatic genotypes. We used the MagSweeper, an immunomagnetic separation device, to capture live single tumor cells from breast cancer patients’ primary and metastatic tissues, blood, and bone marrow. Single cells were screened for mutations in exons 9 and 20 of the PIK3CA gene. Captured DTCs grown in cell culture were also sequenced for PIK3CA mutations. Among 242 individual tumor cells isolated from 17 patients and tested for mutations, 48 mutated tumor cells were identified in three patients. Single cell analyses revealed mutational heterogeneity among CTCs and tumor cells in tissues. In a patient followed serially, there was mutational discordance between CTCs, DTCs, and metastases, and among CTCs isolated at different time points. DTCs from this patient propagated in vitro contained a PIK3CA mutation, which was maintained despite morphological changes during 21 days of cell culture. Single cell analysis of CTCs can demonstrate genotypic heterogeneity, changes over time, and discordance from DTCs and distant metastases. We present a cautionary case showing that CTCs from any single blood draw do not always reflect metastatic genotype, and that CTC and DTC analyses may provide independent clinical information. Isolated DTCs remain viable and can be propagated in culture while maintaining their original mutational status, potentially serving as a future resource for investigating new drug therapies.
Alternatively Spliced Tissue Factor Promotes Plaque Angiogenesis Through the Activation of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Signaling

Background—Alternatively spliced tissue factor (asTF) is a novel isoform of full-length tissue factor, which exhibits angiogenic activity. Although asTF has been detected in human plaques, it is unknown whether its expression in atherosclerosis causes increased neovascularization and an advanced plaque phenotype. Methods and Results—Carotid (n=10) and coronary (n=8) specimens from patients with stable or unstable angina were classified as complicated or uncomplicated on the basis of plaque morphology. Analysis of asTF expression and cell type–specific expression revealed a strong expression and colocalization of asTF with macrophages and neovessels within complicated, but not uncomplicated, human plaques. Our results showed that the angiogenic activity of asTF is mediated via hypoxia-inducible factor-1α upregulation through integrins and activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α upregulation by asTF also was associated with i...
A histochemical study of normal and denervated red and white muscles of the rat.

The distribution and characterization of the fibers of normal and denervated red and white muscles of the albino rat are reported in this study. Histochemical procedures for succinic dehydrogenase, lipides, adenosinetriphosphatase, esterase, and glycogen were utilized to differentiate muscle fibers, and these methods facilitated the study of the distribution of fiber types within whole muscle. Muscle fibers of the granular type (dark or red fibers) can be clearly distinguished from those with clearer sarcoplasm (light or white fibers) by methods for demonstrating succinic dehydrogenase, lipides, and esterase. The method for adenosine-triphosphatase reveals differences only under the special conditions described in the text. Additional fiber types are described in the cat9s diaphragm and in the extrinsic ocular muscles of the rat. Succinic dehydrogenase and adenosinetriphosphatase activities of the soleus and biceps femoris were studied 14 days after denervation of these muscles. The histochemical findings are discussed principally in the light of current biochemical knowledge of these enzymes.
Comparing bioinformatics software development by computer scientists and biologists: An exploratory study

We present the results of a study designed to better understand information-seeking activities in bioinformatics software development by computer scientists and biologists. We collected data through semi-structured interviews with eight participants from four different bioinformatics labs in North America. The research focus within these labs ranged from computational biology to applied molecular biology and biochemistry. The findings indicate that colleagues play a significant role in information seeking activities, but there is need for better methods of capturing and retaining information from them during development. Also, in terms of online information sources, there is need for more centralization, improved access and organization of resources, and more consistency among formats. More broadly, the findings illustrate a variety of information problems that end-user biologists and professional software developers face in developing bioinformatics software and how they are influenced by the level of domain knowledge and technical expertise.
A Characterization of the Angle Defect and the Euler Characteristic in Dimension 2

The angle defect, which is the standard way to measure the curvatures at the vertices of polyhedral surfaces, goes back at least as far as Descartes. Although the angle defect has been widely studied, there does not appear to be in the literature an axiomatic characterization of the angle defect. In this paper a characterization of the angle defect for simplicial surfaces is given, and it is shown that variants of the same characterization work for two known approaches to generalizing the angle defect to arbitrary 2-dimensional simplicial complexes. Simultaneously, a characterization of the Euler characteristic for 2-dimensional simplicial complexes is given in terms of being geometrically locally determined.
Factors influencing thyroid volume in Chinese children

This paper aims to compare children’s thyroid volume (Tvol) by age and gender in Zhejiang province in order to explore the factors influencing Tvol in this area. This survey was a cross-sectional survey of a provincial representative sample of Zhejiang province children aged 6–12 years. The children were asked to provide a urine sample for the determination of urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and thyroid ultrasonography was performed for the determination of Tvol. The median (25th, 75th percentile) of UIC in children aged 6–12 years in Zhejiang province was found to be 170.0(111.2, 244.4) μg/l. The median (25th, 75th percentile) of Tvols was found to be 3.1(2.3, 4.2) ml. There were significant differences among the different age groups on BSA (Z=−17.911, P=0.000) and Tvol (Z=−1.996, P=0.046) but not on UIC and body mass index (P>0.05). Tvol was in significant association with BSA (P=0.000) but was not associated with UIC (P>0.05). Age, gender and BSA were significant in multiple linear regression (P<0.05). The median UIC of children aged 6–12 years falls in the optimal iodine status as recommended by WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD. However, urinary iodine nutritional status had little effect on the Tvol in children aged 6–12 years in Zhejiang province. Age, gender and BSA were the influencing factors of Tvol.
Foundations of sequence-based software specification

Rigorous specification early in the software development process can greatly reduce the cost of later development and maintenance, as well as provide an explicit means to manage risk and identify and meet safety requirements. Sequence-based software specification is a collection of techniques for implementing rigorous, practical software specification. The primary result of this research is the sequence enumeration method of specification writing. Straightforward, systematic enumeration of all sequences to produce an arguably complete, consistent, and traceably correct specification is made practical by controlling the growth of the process.
The Effect of Execution-Time/Delay Ratio on Stability of Load Balancing Control

Many factors can affect the stability of load balancing algorithm in parallel cluster computing, among them, a very important one is the ratio of execution-time to delay. This paper analyzes the effect of execution-time/delay on stability of load balancing algorithm in both theory and experiment view, and then this paper uses a load balancing gain to control this kind of effect for enhancing the performance of parallel cluster computing. The simulation results for different execution-time/ delay value are given to compare with the theory results in the end of paper.
Post-Lumbar Puncture Headache and Needle Gauge

Investigators from the Oncology Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, compared the frequency of headache and procedure time following lumbar puncture (LP) in a randomized crossover trial using a 25-gauge compared to a 22-gauge needle.
Commonly Used Intercarcass Distances Appear to Be Sufficient to Ensure Independence of Carrion Insect Succession Pattern

Forensic entomology field researchers have typically placed experimental carcasses ≤50 m apart. Direct observations indicate that this intercarcass distance sufficiently prevents cross contamination by crawling larvae, but seems insufficient to prevent highly mobile adult insects from detecting or visiting more than one carcass. It would be valuable if minimum intercarcass distance ensured independence of replicates, because this is an assumption of common statistical analyses. For 32 domestic pig carcasses exposed during two consecutive summers (range of intercarcass distance 30 to >300 m), possible relationships between: 1) average distance to another carcass and aspects of the succession patterns of forensically important species and 2) intercarcass distance and community similarity indices were estimated with regression analyses. In addition, minimum intercarcass distance was investigated through semivariogram analyses of aspects of the succession interval as well as community similarity indices. Pairwise similarity of time to first occurrence was the only variable that displayed a consistent, in this case negative, relationship to intercarcass distance, although not statistically significant for any single analysis. Semivariogram analysis suggested that under the conditions used for our experiment commonly used intercarcass distances are satisfactory to ensure independence of carcasses.
Differentiation of B. Coli and B. Aerogens on a Simplified Eosin-Methylene Blue Agar

For confirming the presumptive test for B. coli the mediums most frequently employed are litmus lactose agar and fuchsin sulphite (Endo) agar. It is becoming more apparent that the coli-like forms may be divided into two groups which are closely correlated with the source. One group (B. coli) is characteristic of fecal origin; the other (B. aerogenes and B. cloacae) is rare in feces, but constitutes the prevailing coli-like form in the soil and on grains. The standard litmus lactose and Endo agar may be employed to a slight extent for the differentiation of B. coli and B. aerogenes, but the differences between these types on these mediums (particularly L.L.A.) are not very clear-cut nor distinct. Better results are obtained with a modified Endo agar described elsewhere. A very excellent differentiation between the B. coli and B. aerogenes types has been obtained on a modification of eosin-methylene blue agar first described by HoltHarris and Teague for the isolation of the typhoid group from feces. The medium is prepared in the following manner:
The long isoform uncoupling protein-3 (UCP3L) in human energy homeostasis

The biological role(s) proposed for UCP3 in energy homeostasis have been based primarily upon amino acid sequence homology to UCP1. Spontaneous mutations of UCP3> have been described in humans, but not in rodents. The functional consequences-or lack thereof-of these mutations in humans will be of great importance in elucidating the biology of this protein. The results of two such studies are summarized here.
Fabricaton Of Granular Materials by High-Pressure Sputitering

A brief study of the fabrication of granular materials by high-pressure sputtering is presented. This method utilizes sputtering at high pressures (p > 100 mTorr) in a thermal gradient to produce nanoscale particles, which are then embedded in a matrix by normal sputtering (p ∼ a few mTorr). The shape, size and the degree of aggregation of these nanoscale crystals can be changed by varying such processing parameters as the sputtering gas pressure and the target voltage. Examples are presented of nanocomposite films containing Mo nanocrystals (grain size ranging from 3 to 20 nm ) in an Al matrix.
The Quantifiable-Body Discourse “Height-Weight Proportionality” and Gay Men’s Bodies in Cyberspace

The majority of gay men are now meeting online; however, little is understood about how body presentations in cyberspace affect gay men’s intimate contacts. In this article, I develop the concept o...
Clinical and epidemiological analysis of 73 Guillain-barre syndrome cases in Mianyang

[Objective]The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and epidemiological features of Guillain-Barre syndrome in Mianyang city. [Methods] Epidemiological data of 73 cases with Guillain-Barre syndrome in Mianyang which reported by AFP monitoring system between 1997 and 2006 were analyzed. [Results] The average annual incidence rate of GBS was 1.79 per 100,000 among the children under 15 years in Mianyang city. The disease was mainly sporadic, the male/female ratio was 1.15∶1.00. 65 cases were reported during May to October which accounted for 89.04% of the total cases and 23 cases occurred in July which was the incidence peak month. The highest proportion of the syndrome was observed in summer and autumn. [Conclusion] The results indicated that an unexpected high incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome has occurred in the region. Effective measures should be taken to monitor AFP levels for children especially to fewer than 5 years old and to prevent and therapy severe cases in order to reduce the ratio of incidence and mutilation of GBS utmost.
Abstract IA30: Insights into metabolome of breast cancer

Metabolomics describes the science of quantifying the levels of metabolites (e.g., small molecules Our recent profiling of 200 metabolites using mass spectrometry in benign and malignant breast tissues from ancestry-verified AA and EA women, revealed altered levels of specific metabolites (or associated pathways) in AA TN BCa compared to EA TN tumors. Key among them was elevated levels of 2- hydroxyglutaric acid (2-HG), a mitochondrial onco-metabolite that was elevated in a subset of predominantly AA TN BCa with poor clinical outcome. Tumors with high 2-HG had a distinct methylation signature exhibiting activation of the MYC oncogene and were associated with elevated levels of fatty acids and lipids. Taken together, we expect these studies help understand the disparity in the clinical behavior of TN BCa. Further, we expect biochemical profiles to be useful in stratifying tumors for various pathway-based treatment regimens. Citation Format: Arun Sreekumar. Insights into metabolome of breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research; Oct 17-20, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(2_Suppl):Abstract nr IA30.
Colloquium on Signaling and Molecular Structure in Pharmacology (La Jolla, California, March 11–12, 1997)

A colloquium sponsored by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (Molecular Pharmacology Division), The Burroughs-Wellcome Fund and the San Diego Supercomputer Center was held as a satellite meeting to Pharmacology ‘97 in San Diego on March 11 and 12, 1997. The
Towards a Zeta Function Derived from Quantized Discrete States

There is interest by mathematics and physics to describe the observed eigen values of a Hamiltonian that gives rise to partition functions that are of the form of the Zeta function or similar power law summations, to the mathematics of Zeta functions and primes. In this letter we utilize our recent result of a second quantization or equivalently an occupation number formalism description of composite numbers as discrete (read quantum) states to derive just such a partition function from operator algebra. The result is, when the entropy is generalized from Fourier Gaussian PDFs to nonextensive Tsallis Rajagopal amplitudes and PDFs, just such Zeta function partitions.
A Tutorial Introduction to the P/G% Software

It is the purpose of this tutorial to guide new users of the P/G% software through an example problem which involves most of the analytic situations that one is likely to encounter in other examples. This example presupposes no prior contact with the P/G% program, microcomputers, multi-criteria decision-making, spreadsheet analysis, or related techniques. Only the ability to read is presupposed, and an interest in learning about the P/G% decision-aiding software.
Social Media for Sensitive Disclosures and Social Support: The Case of Miscarriage

I study self-disclosure and investigate ways in which social computing systems can be designed to allow people to disclose negatively-perceived or stigmatized experiences and find support in their social networks. My prior work has given me insight about online disclosures of depression and sexual abuse, the role of anonymity in support seeking, and the ways that people respond to such disclosures. In my dissertation I will use miscarriage as a context to investigate online disclosure and response practices around stigmatized and traumatizing topics with the goal of improving both theory and social media design practices.
Unique concurrent observations of whistler mode hiss, chorus, and triggered emissions

We present a unique two hour ground based observation of concurrent magnetospheric hiss, chorus, VLF triggered emissions as well as ELF/VLF signals generated locally by the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility. Eccentricity of observed wave polarization is used as a criteria to identify magnetospheric emissions and estimate their ionospheric exit points. The observations of hiss and chorus in the unique background of coherent HAARP ELF/VLF waves and triggered emissions allows for more accurate characterization of hiss and chorus properties than in typical ground based observations. Eccentricity and azimuth results suggest a moving ionospheric exit point associated with a single ducted path at L~5. The emissions exhibit dynamics in time suggesting an evolution of a magnetospheric source from hiss generation to chorus generation or a moving plasmapause location. We introduce a frequency band-limited autocorrelation method to quantify the relative coherency of the emissions. A range of coherency was observed from high order of coherency in local HAARP transmissions and their echoes to lower coherency in natural chorus and hiss emissions.
A Snapshot of the Life as Lived: Wearable Cameras in Social and Personality Psychological Science

Recent advances in mobile sensing technology provide innovative methods for understanding how individuals think, feel, and behave in vivo. Despite the utility of these new methods, as of yet, researchers have not been able to see the environments people encounter in their daily lives. In this article, we introduce wearable cameras as a new tool for sampling from participants’ everyday situations. Wearable cameras are small devices that capture pictures on a fixed interval (e.g., 30 s). This article discusses the benefits and disadvantages of incorporating wearable cameras into personality and social psychological research. Drawing on our experiences using wearable cameras in research, we provide insights into ethical and legal considerations when designing studies using these devices. Lastly, we report data on situation change and perceived obtrusiveness from, to our knowledge, the first wearable camera study in personality and social psychology.
Design and Synthesis of N-Aryl Phenoxyethoxy Pyridinones as Highly Selective and CNS Penetrant mGlu3 NAMs

Herein, we detail the optimization of the mGlu3 NAM, VU0650786, via a reductionist approach to afford a novel, simplified mGlu3 NAM scaffold that engenders potent and selective mGlu3 inhibition (mGlu3 IC50 = 245 nM, mGlu2 IC50 > 30 μM) with excellent central nervous system penetration (rat brain/plasma Kp = 1.2, Kp,uu = 0.40). Moreover, this new chemotype, exemplified by VU6010572, requires only four synthetic steps and displays improved physiochemical properties and in vivo efficacy in a mouse tail suspension test (MED = 3 mg/kg i.p.).
Complementary roles of mitochondrial respiration and ROS signaling on cellular aging and longevity

Although it is widely accepted that mitochondria play fundamental roles in the mechanisms of cellular and organismal aging and lifespan extension, some open questions remain concerning the requirements for aerobic energy production and the effect of the potentially hazardous reactive oxygen species (ROS) byproducts as well as their interplay with nutrition and caloric intake.
Clinical Use of Human Semen after Long-Term Storage

The single pregnancy, following insemination of human semen which had been frozen and stored for 10 years, is often cited to indicate that such long-term storage is efficacious. To my knowledge, however, there is no published data concerning the clinical and practical aspects of long-term storage of human sperm. With an anticipated proliferation of semen banks, and an anticipated increase in the number of men having vasectomies, it is important to gather whatever information is currently available about long-term storage of human semen. With this information, some predictions may be made about the clinical usefulness of this technic, problems attendant to it may be identified, and avenues of research to ameliorate such problems may be suggested.
Aquatic Insects – Ecology, Feeding, and Life History

Although only ∼4% of the 1 million described species of insects are considered aquatic, their occurrence in essentially all freshwater habitats, and their position as the dominant class of macroinvertebrates in many of these, provides evidence of a broad evolutionary diversification. The structure of aquatic insect communities is closely tied to physical habitat attributes and further influenced by biological factors such as dispersal, competition, and predation. Essentially, no aquatic insects are completely aquatic. With very few exceptions, terrestrial habitats are required for one or more life-cycle stages. The duration of their life cycles has a wide range, even among closely related taxa. The life cycle of midges of the Chironomidae (Diptera), as an example, may be as short as 1 week or as long as several years depending upon species and habitat. As primary consumers, aquatic insects feed on biofilms, periphyton, detritus, and less commonly, the tissues of living macrophytes. As secondary consumers, they are primarily predators of other invertebrates. Because of their generalized diets, aquatic insects are often classified on the basis of feeding mechanisms to better understand their function within their communities. The major functional-feeding groups, which emphasize feeding mechanisms rather than food type, include shredders, scrapers, collector-gatherers, collector-filterers, engulfing-predators, and piercers.
Bottleneck identification using process chronologies

We present a heuristics-based approach to deep space mission scheduling which is modeled on the approach used by expert human schedulers in producing schedules for planetary encounters. New chronological evaluation techniques are used to focus the search by using information gained during the scheduling process to locate, classify, and resolve regions of conflict. Our approach is based on the assumption that during the construction of a schedule there exist several disjunct temporal regions where the demand for one resource type or a single temporal constraint dominates (bottleneck regions). If the scheduler can identify these regions and classify them based on their dominant constraint, then the scheduler can select the scheduling heuristic.
Chemical Fluxes in Cellular Steady States Measured by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

Genetically, identical cells adopt phenotypes that have different structures, functions, and metabolic properties. In multi-cellular organisms, for example, tissue-specific phenotypes distinguish muscle cells, liver cells, fibroblasts, and blood cells that differ in biochemical functions, geometric forms, and interactions with extracellular environments. Tissue-specific cells usually have different metabolic functions such as synthesis of distinct spectra of secreted proteins, e.g., by liver or pancreatic cells, or of structural proteins, e.g., muscle vs. epithelial cells. But more importantly, a phenotype should include a dynamic aspect: different phenotypes can have distinctly different dynamic functions such as contraction of muscle cells and locomotion of leukocytes. The phenotypes of differentiated tissue cells are typically stable, but they can respond to changes in external conditions, e.g., as in the hypertrophy of muscle cells in response to extra load [1] or the phenotypic shift of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts as part of the wound healing response [2]. Cells pass through sequences of phenotypes during development and also undergo malignant phenotypic transformations as occur in cancer and heart disease.
Impact of Land-Cover and Land-Cover Changes

>When the first satellite imagery became available, they evidenced human impacts on land-cover on a large scale. They showed cities, deforestation pattern, international borders, and even land-cover changes (LCC) and their impacts from space (Fig. 3.1). The Negev, for instance, appears much darker than the Sinai where grazing is unrestricted (Nicholson et al.
Semen Quality and Endocrine Parameters after Acute Testicular Torsion

Of 16 postpubertal patients evaluated following testicular torsion 9 were treated with detorsion and bilateral orchiopexy (detorsion group), and 7 were treated with ipsilateral orchiectomy and contralateral orchiopexy (orchiectomy group). Each patient was evaluated with regard to semen quality, endocrine parameters (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone) and the presence or absence of semen antisperm antibodies. These data were compared to similar data from a group of proved fertile semen donors. The semen quality in the detorsion group did not differ significantly from that of controls (p = 0.25) but follicle-stimulating hormone was significantly elevated compared with that of controls before and after stimulation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone. The orchiectomy group, which had been subjected to prolonged torsion (mean 69 hours), demonstrated a significant decrease in semen quality compared with semen quality in controls (p = 0.001), with average sperm density of only 29.0 million per ml. Baseline and post-stimulation levels of follicle-stimulating hormone in the orchiectomy group were also significantly abnormal when compared with those in controls and in the detorsion group. Our study demonstrates that testicular damage (changes in semen quality and/or endocrine parameters) occurs in the ipsilateral and contralateral testis following torsion, regardless of treatment modality. However, with early intervention by detorsion and testicular salvage, subsequent semen quality is likely to remain within normal limits. Late surgical intervention, even with removal of the nonviable testes, may result in significant impairment of semen quality.
Categorizing distance learning systems: discovering successful ingredients

The technology of a delivery system is only one of the factors of importance when examining what does and does not work in distance education. The characteristics of the teacher and learner, and the content to be delivered must also be examined before the delivery system is chosen, since these factors determine final learning outcomes. This paper provides a framework for categorizing distance learning systems and discusses specific examples of how teaching, learning and distance education technology interact to produce successful teaching-learning experiences.
Assessing atmospheric nitrogen losses with photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy: Polymer coated urea.

Although N is beneficial and essential for life, it is also a common atmospheric pollutant as nitrous oxide (N2O) and ammonia (NH3)—contributed largely from N fertilization. Polymer-coated urea (PCU) fertilizer is a promising controlled release fertilizer that provides improved N-release timing. Glasshouse studies were conducted to compare N2O and NH3 emissions from PCU and uncoated urea to an untreated control utilizing a non-static, non-flow-through chamber in conjunction with photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy (PAIRS) for gas collection and analysis. Three short-term 20-Day Studies with sand, sandy loam, and loam soils and a full-term 45-Day Study with loam soil were completed. Volatilization of NH3 was reduced by 72% and 22% in the sandy loam and loam soils, respectively, in two of the short-term studies and by 14% in the loam in the full-term study. Evolution of N2O was reduced by 42% and 63% in the sandy loam and loam soils of the short-term studies and by 99% in the loam soil of the full-term study. No differences were observed in the sand soil. Overall, PCU decreased gaseous losses of N following fertilization while providing a steady supply of N to the plant. Higher temporal resolution was observed with the PAIRS instrumentation as compared to what is typically reported and, as such, we recommend PAIRS analysis as a viable method for studying N gas emissions.
Mito-tempo protects against acute liver injury but induces limited secondary apoptosis during the late phase of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity

We previously reported that delayed treatment with Mito-tempo (MT), a mitochondria-targeted superoxide dismutase mimetic, protects against the early phase of acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity by inhibiting peroxynitrite formation. However, whether this protection is sustained to the late phase of toxicity is unknown. To investigate the late protection, C57Bl/6J mice were treated with 300 mg/kg APAP followed by 20 mg/kg MT 1.5 h or 3 h later. We found that both MT treatments protected against the late phase of APAP hepatotoxicity at 12 and 24 h. Surprisingly, MT-treated mice demonstrated a significant increase in apoptotic hepatocytes, while the necrotic phenotype was observed almost exclusively in mice treated with APAP alone. In addition, there was a significant increase in caspase-3 activity and cleavage in the livers of MT-treated mice. Immunostaining for active caspase-3 revealed that the positively stained hepatocytes were exclusively in centrilobular areas. Treatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor ZVD-fmk (10 mg/kg) 2 h post-APAP neutralized this caspase activation and provided additional protection against APAP hepatotoxicity. Treatment with N-acetylcysteine, the current standard of care for APAP poisoning, protected but did not induce this apoptotic phenotype. Mechanistically, MT treatment inhibited APAP-induced RIP3 kinase expression, and RIP3-deficient mice showed caspase activation and apoptotic morphology in hepatocytes analogous to MT treatment. These data suggest that while necrosis is the primary cause of cell death after APAP hepatotoxicity, treatment with the antioxidant MT may switch the mode of cell death to secondary apoptosis in some cells. Modulation of mitochondrial oxidative stress and RIP3 kinase expression play critical roles in this switch.
Discovery and Characterization of Two Classes of Selective Inhibitors of the Suppressor of the TCR Signaling Family of Proteins.

The suppressor of T-cell receptor signaling (Sts) proteins, Sts-1, has recently emerged as a potential immunostimulatory target for drug development. Genetic inactivation of the Sts proteins dramatically increases host survival of systemic infection and leads to improved pathogen clearance. The protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activity of these proteins arises from a C-terminal 2-histidine phosphatase (HP) domain. To identify new inhibitors of the HP activity of Sts-1, we miniaturized a phosphatase assay to a 1536-well format and conducted a 20 580 compound screen. Among the hits were two classes of structurally related compounds, tetracycline variants and sulfonated azo dyes. These hits had low micromolar to nanomolar IC50 values. Orthogonal screening confirmed the validity of these inhibitors and demonstrated that both act competitively on Sts-1 phosphatase activity. When tested on other PTPs, PTP1B and SHP1, it was found that the tetracycline PTP1B, SHP1, the tetracycline variant (doxycycline), and t...
Dermoscopy Image Analysis: Overview and Future Directions

Dermoscopy is a non-invasive skin imaging technique that permits visualization of features of pigmented melanocytic neoplasms that are not discernable by examination with the naked eye. While studies on the automated analysis of dermoscopy images date back to the late 1990s, because of various factors (lack of publicly available datasets, open-source software, computational power, etc.), the field progressed rather slowly in its first two decades. With the release of a large public dataset by the International Skin Imaging Collaboration in 2016, development of open-source software for convolutional neural networks, and the availability of inexpensive graphics processing units, dermoscopy image analysis has recently become a very active research field. In this paper, we present a brief overview of this exciting subfield of medical image analysis, primarily focusing on three aspects of it, namely, segmentation, feature extraction, and classification. We then provide future directions for researchers.
Characterization of the Spectrum of Insecticidal Activity for IPD072Aa: A Protein Derived from Psuedomonas chlororaphis with Activity Against Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) presents significant pest management challenges for farmers in both North America and Europe. IPD072Aa, a protein derived from Pseudomonas chlororaphis, has previously been shown to have activity against western corn rootworm. In the current study, the spectrum of activity of IPD072Aa was evaluated in controlled laboratory diet bioassays. IPD072Aa was fed at high concentrations in subchronic or chronic bioassays to 11 different insect species, representing 4 families within Coleoptera, and an additional 4 species representing four families of Lepidoptera. No adverse effects were noted in the Lepidoptera species. Within the order Coleoptera, western corn rootworm was the most sensitive species tested. A range of responses was observed within each of the four families of Coleoptera evaluated that included either no-observed effects or reduced growth, developmental delays, and/or reduced survival. These data will help inform the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants that express the IPD072Aa protein for western corn rootworm control.
Delayed Cord Clamping and Umbilical Cord Milking among Infants in California Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Objective To assess the current practice of delayed cord clamping (DCC) and to determine patient and hospital factors that predict DCC. Study Design The California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC) collects data on preterm and acutely ill infants. In 2016, 52 CPQCC neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) collected data on DCC. Hospital and patient characteristics were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Results Of 5,332 deliveries, 1,555 (29%) newborns received DCC. Hospital rates ranged from 0 to 74.5% and increased from 21 to 37% throughout 2016. Infants delivered at Conclusion There are opportunities to implement quality improvement activities to increase DCC rates.
Diversity and characterization of oomycetes associated with corn seedlings in Michigan.

Corn is a staple feed and biofuel crop with a value close to $3.7 billion dollars for Michigan’s economy. Knowledge about distribution and abundance of seedling pathogens in Michigan corn fields is...
Improving Lives Globally Through An Application of Sociocultural Communication Theory to Online Education

Online education has only existed for a few decades, and really only gained real steam over the past decade. However, online education is just one of several forms of distance education that has existed in the United States for almost three centuries (Anderson and Simpson, 2012) with the others in chronological order being correspondence, radio and television. Distance learning has evolved over time with the new technologies with which we communicate. As with today’s distance learner, previous students were attracted to distance education to improve their minds, chance for career advancement and to earn more money, all of which potentially could provide a better life for their families. A positive by-product is that society can improve when more of its people are better educated, earning more, and generally happier and more engaged (Alsharari, 2018). Bannier’s (2014) trellis theory, where the online learning environment makes no assumptions regarding the online learner’s motivations, is a fitting online learning pedagogy to apply with sociocultural theory to better understand the background of the student. Sociocultural theory allows us to understand the background from which the learner comes, while trellis theory forces us to get to know the learner on an individual basis. These tools can help offer a more fulfilling educational experience. It is time to share the gift of online education with the world by providing models of what has worked, accessibility for students, and faculty and administrator training in how to teach and operate online education programs.
Cumulative socio-demographic risk factors and sleep outcomes in early childhood.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To examine associations between cumulative socio-demographic risk factors, sleep health habits, and sleep disorder symptoms in young children. METHODS Two hundred five caregiver-child dyads (child mean age ± SD: 3.3 ± 1.1 years; 53.7% girls; 62.9% black, 22.4% non-Hispanic/Latinx white, 4.4% Hispanic/Latinx; 85.4% maternal caregiver reporter) completed caregiver-rated sleep measures (Brief Child Sleep Questionnaire [BCSQ]; Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire [PSQ] snoring subscale), which were used to generate indexes of poor sleep health habits, pediatric insomnia symptoms, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms. A cumulative risk index was created reflecting caregiver, family, and neighborhood risks. RESULTS Overall, 84.5% of children had ≥ 1 poor sleep health habit, 62.9% had ≥ 1 insomnia symptom, and 40.0% had ≥ 1 OSA symptom. Poisson regression indicated that each increase in the number of cumulative risk factors was associated with a 10% increase in poor sleep health habits, a 9% increase in insomnia symptoms, and an 18% increase in OSA symptoms. Specific caregiver risks (depressive symptoms, lower educational attainment) and family risks (single caregiver, crowded home) were most predictive of poor sleep outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Poor sleep health habits and sleep disorder symptoms are highly prevalent in early childhood, particularly among families experiencing cumulative socio-demographic risks. Findings underscore the need for targeted screening and prevention for modifiable sleep behaviors and efforts to tailor such strategies for at-risk children and families, especially those living in crowded conditions, or with caregivers who are single or have a lower educational attainment or depressive symptoms.
T Cell Metabolism in a State of Flux

Our knowledge of T cell metabolism relies primarily on studies performed in vitro that may not fully recapitulate physiological conditions in vivo. In this issue of Immunity, Ma et al. find that the in vivo environment dictates the metabolic phenotype of effector CD8+ T cells—particularly their glucose utilization.
Antigens, antibodies, and membranous nephropathy: a decade of progress.

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is either primary or associated with various etiologies, each with unique glomerular antigens. The discovery of the phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antigen in primary MN revolutionized our understanding of MN and led to major clinical progress. Other recently discovered antigens in MN include the THSD7A antigen and exostosin. Sethi et al. have now identified a new antigen, NELL-1, in primary MN, again decreasing the number of patients whose antigen remains unknown.
SATURN: Technical and Design Challenges of Building a Self-sustaining Sound and Vibration Sensing Material

SATURN is a thin and flexible multi-layer material that can sense sound and other mechanical vibrations in the environment without any external power source. It is constructed of inexpensive materials (paper, copper, and plastic), so that it can be attached to a variety of objects and surfaces. When flat, SATURN's frequency response below 5000Hz is comparable to a powered microphone. When bent, SATURN has a comparable frequency response up to 3000Hz. As a sound power harvester, SATURN can harvest 7 microWatts, which allows the detection of loud sound events. We explore the space of potential applications for SATURN as part of self-sustaining interactive systems.
Modern Total Body Irradiation (TBI): Intensity-Modulated Radiation Treatment (IMRT)

Total body irradiation (TBI) is used as part of the conditioning regimen for allogeneic stem cell transplants since the 1970s. Current TBI uses 2D radiation planning to treat the whole body with lung blocks. Currently, lung is the only normal organ that is spared in full dose TBI, but we only have an estimate of the lung dose due to 2D planning. Recent papers suggest that TBI toxicity could be lowered by sparing normal organs the TBI dose and providing specific guidelines for lung dose. Intensity-modulated radiation treatment (IMRT) is a conformal, more targeted form of radiation that treats patients with 3D planning. With IMRT TBI, we can selectively prescribe full dose TBI while sparing critical organs such as lungs, kidney, and lens. Moreover, IMRT TBI allows more accurate dosimetric calculations of dose to normal structures. With modern technology and widespread use of IMRT already, we expect IMRT TBI to become the new standard for TBI.
Measuring multiple housing deprivations in urban India using Slum Severity Index

Abstract Around one billion people who live in slums globally have low quality housing and poor living conditions (UN, 2020). However, such global estimates do not provide a full description of different types of deprivations experienced by the urban poor, often resulting in inaccurate estimates of the extent of housing challenge. An all-encompassing, single analytical category of “slums” limits its usefulness for planning and policymaking purposes. Slum population as an urban metric also presents challenge for comparative analysis mainly because slum definitions vary country by country. We argue that current approaches of slum enumeration fail to recognize the true extent and nature of housing deprivations, effectively undermining the urgent need to address housing issues for urban poor in developing countries and rarely providing any basis for concrete policy actions. We use a methodological framework originally developed by Patel et al. (2014) and apply it to a large-scale dataset from Census of India (2011) consisting of 1% sample of India's entire urban population. This is one of the first studies to use a large-scale micro-data to provide reliable estimates of the extent and nature of multiple housing deprivations in the country. This paper demonstrates how India's official slum statistics underestimate the extent of housing problems in India. Moreover, we show how levels of multiple deprivations may be useful in identifying the most deprived populations and, by logical extension, targeting the most deservingbeneficiaries of slum policies. Further, the paper discusses how such an approach can be helpful in determining types of interventions and targeting beneficiaries. The approach can be easily expanded to other countries and significantly contribute to current debates about measurement and monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals pertaining to housing and basic services for the urban poor across the globe.
Family Meetings as a System Reform to Address Racial Disproportionality and Disparities

The chapter provides: (1) an overview of family meetings, including the origins of family meeting practice in child welfare; (2) a theoretical framework on how family meetings can impact racial disparities and disproportionality in child welfare systems; (3) an exploration of how family meetings can fit within a larger system reform context; and (4) a review of the current evidence regarding the impact of family meetings on disproportionality and disparities.
Using qualitative interviews to better understand differences in how local health departments inspect school share tables

ABSTRACT Environmental and health advocates are increasingly promoting food donations to reduce landfilled food waste and feed hungry people. Share tables are locations where students can put unwanted school food or beverage items, allowing their uneaten food items to be "shared" with other students and providing food donation opportunities for the 4.9 billion lunches served annually in the U.S. National School Lunch Program. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify differences in health inspector interpretations of the Food Code as it relates to share table operations and risk mitigation techniques preferred by inspectors for preventing foodborne illness from recovered food. A snowball sampling technique was used to identify Illinois health inspectors (n = 13) engaged in share table inspections. Telephone interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were coded using a hybrid process of deductive and inductive content analysis. Participants considered contamination, rather than temperature abuse, to be the primary risk factor for foodborne illness. Those participants with permissive Food Code interpretations considered contamination risk in the context of the overall school environment. Participants had the lowest degree of consensus on whether to allow whole apple recovery via a share table. Participants also lacked consensus on reuse of unclaimed share table items in future meal programs (reservice). This lack of consensus indicates that further research is needed to develop data-driven strategies to assess and manage the microbial risks associated with share tables and ultimately to facilitate increased food recovery. HIGHLIGHTS