cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene Silencing and Overexpression of Porcine Peptidoglycan Recognition Protein Long Isoforms: Involvement in β-Defensin-1 Expression

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are a group of newly identified proteins with emerging functions in mammalian innate immunity. Here we report the identification and characterization of two long isoforms of porcine PGRP. Their complete cDNA sequences encode predicted peptides of 252 and 598 residues and are named pPGRP-L1 and pPGRP-L2, respectively. These porcine isoforms share identical PGRP domains at their C terminus, which are highly conserved with human and mouse orthologs. pPGRP-L1 is expressed constitutively in several tissues, including bone marrow, intestine, liver, spleen, kidney, and skin. pPGRP-L2 is highly expressed in the duodenum and liver, and expression in intestinal tissues is increased by Salmonella infection. In intestinal cells, expression of both pPGRP-L1 and pPGRP-L2 is increased by bacterial infection. Recombinant pPGRP-L1 and pPGRP-L2 have N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase activity. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments indicate that these two pPGRPs are involved in expression of the antimicrobial peptide beta-defensin-1. Silencing of pPGRP-L2 in intestinal cells challenged with Listeria monocytogenes results in downregulation of beta-defensin-1. Conversely, overexpression of pPGRP-L1 or pPGRP-L2 dramatically upregulates expression of beta-defensin-1. Collectively, these findings suggest that porcine PGRPs are involved in antimicrobial peptide expression.
Pre and Perinatal Growth and Development: Implications of Music Benefits for Premature Infants:

This article summarizes the current scientific knowledge on foetal and newborn neurological development and related research on beneficial uses of music with the premature infant. As technology and science advance, the survival rate of earlier and earlier premature birth increases with long-term implications for these children having impaired neurological development, delayed growth, and need for special education. Research in the neonatal intensive care unit has focused on uses of music to reduce stress, to promote homeostasis and weight gain, to reinforce non-nutritive sucking, to enhance developmental maturation, and to shorten length of hospitalization. Further, it is theorized that music benefits documented for full term newborns may also apply to the premature infant, i.e., lullabies promote language development; familiar music is recognized, reinforcing, and comforting; and infants orient to and avidly attend to music more so than other auditory stimuli. This burgeoning area of research provides ex...
Functional transcriptomics of a migrating cell in Caenorhabditis elegans

In both metazoan development and metastatic cancer, migrating cells must carry out a detailed, complex program of sensing cues, binding substrates, and moving their cytoskeletons. The linker cell in Caenorhabditis elegans males undergoes a stereotyped migration that guides gonad organogenesis, occurs with precise timing, and requires the nuclear hormone receptor NHR-67. To better understand how this occurs, we performed RNA-seq of individually staged and dissected linker cells, comparing transcriptomes from linker cells of third-stage (L3) larvae, fourth-stage (L4) larvae, and nhr-67-RNAi–treated L4 larvae. We observed expression of 8,000–10,000 genes in the linker cell, 22–25% of which were up- or down-regulated 20-fold during development by NHR-67. Of genes that we tested by RNAi, 22% (45 of 204) were required for normal shape and migration, suggesting that many NHR-67–dependent, linker cell-enriched genes play roles in this migration. One unexpected class of genes up-regulated by NHR-67 was tandem pore potassium channels, which are required for normal linker-cell migration. We also found phenotypes for genes with human orthologs but no previously described migratory function. Our results provide an extensive catalog of genes that act in a migrating cell, identify unique molecular functions involved in nematode cell migration, and suggest similar functions in humans.
Use of a general-purpose optimization module in accelerator control

The SDDS EPICS toolkit has recently been enhanced by the addition of a general-purpose optimizer. The tool sddsoptimize is easily configured and has features that make it robust. The sddsoptimize program has been incorporated in many new Tcl/Tk applications used for various Advanced Photon Source tune-up operations, such as injection tune-up for the storage ring, coupling minimization of the storage ring, and the automatic phasing of the linac.
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: the excessive mortality rate of conventional repair.

Abstract Objective: Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) remains lethal. In a report of patients treated in the 1980s, we recommended aggressive management. Our continued experience prompted us to reevaluate this policy. Methods: We reviewed clinical variables affecting outcome, morbidity, mortality, and trends in mortality of all patients managed at our institution with ruptured AAAs between January 2, 1980, and November 30, 1998. Results: The study group included 413 consecutive patients, 339 men and 74 women. The mean age was 74.3 years (range, 49-96); 116 (28%) patients were older than 80 years. AAA was diagnosed before rupture in 119 (29%) patients. Eighty (19%) patients had preoperative cardiac arrest. Twenty-nine (7%) patients died before operation; 65 (17%) died during the operation. The surgical mortality rate (30-day) was 37%; the overall mortality rate was 45% and was higher in women (68%) than in men (40%) ( P A cute P hysiology a nd C hronic H ealth E valuation) II score, initial hematocrit, and preoperative cardiac arrest were associated multivariately with 30-day mortality rates by means of stepwise logistic regression ( P P Conclusions: The mortality rate of ruptured AAAs remains excessive, despite improvement over 18 years. Patients older than 80 years with shock or cardiac arrest have the highest mortality rate and should be evaluated for possible endovascular treatment. Because the diagnosis of AAA was unknown in more than 70% of patients, screening of the high-risk population and elective repair are recommended. (J Vasc Surg 2001;34:41-6.)
Mammalian microRNAs derived from genomic repeats

In this article, we show that a subset of conventional mammalian microRNAs is derived from LINE-2 transposable elements and other genome repeats. These repeat-derived microRNAs arise from conventional precursor hairpins and are distinct from the rasiRNAs, which appear to be processed from long double-stranded RNA precursors. The insertion of transposable elements into new genomic sites appears to be one of the driving-forces that create new microRNAs during mammalian evolution. Two of the LINE-2-derived microRNAs exhibit perfect complementarity to a large family of mRNA and EST transcripts that contain portions of MIR and other LINE-2 elements in their 3'-untranslated regions.
The Role of Marital Discord and Parenting in Relations between Parental Problem Drinking and Child Adjustment.

Background: Research suggests that children exposed to parental drinking problems are at risk for maladjustment. However, the potential impact of drinking problems in a community sample and the processes involved in the relationship between parental drinking and child outcomes have rarely been examined. Method: A community sample of 235 mothers and fathers of kindergarten children completed measures of problem drinking symptoms, family functioning and child adjustment. Results: Model tests indicate that problem drinking was associated with greater marital conflict, and that marital conflict was related to ineffective parenting which was in turn related to poorer child adjustment. Conclusions: Even in a community sample, parental problem drinking behaviors are associated with reduced family functioning that relates to child outcomes.
Pyogenic Vertebral Osteomyelitis

I retrospectively reviewed the records of 111 patients who had pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis unrelated to an open procedure on the spine. The mean age at the time of the diagnosis was sixty years (range, eighteen to eighty-four years); sixty-one patients (55 per cent) were sixty years old or more. Forty-four patients (40 per cent) had an impaired immune system secondary to diabetes mellitus, the use of corticosteroids, chemotherapy for cancer, rheumatic or immunological disease, renal or hepatic failure, malnutrition, or myelodysplasia. Magnetic resonance imaging, critical for the determination of an early diagnosis, was performed for 103 patients (93 per cent). The infection in sixty-eight patients (61 per cent) was diagnosed within one month after the onset of symptoms. The most frequent infecting organism was Staphylococcus aureus (forty patients; 36 per cent). The infection in forty-one patients (37 per cent) was caused by organisms, such as Staphylococcus epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes, and diphtheroid species, that are traditionally considered to be of low virulence. The urinary tract was the most frequent source of infection (confirmed in thirteen patients and suspected in twenty-one). The success of non-operative treatment was predicted by four independent variables: an age of less than sixty years, the immune status, infection with Staphylococcus aureus, and a decreasing erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Forty-two patients were managed with debridement and arthrodesis. Fourteen of these patients also had instrumentation of the spine, in the presence of infection, without compromise of the outcome. Eighteen patients died by the time of the latest follow-up evaluation at a mean of four years (range, two years and two months to six years and six months): seven who had been managed non-operatively died in the first month after the diagnosis was made, three died in the acute postoperative period, three died of late complications of paraplegia, and five died of unrelated causes. None of the eighty-nine patients who were seen at a minimum of two years postoperatively had had late recurrence of infection. Chronic, severe back pain was noted in only seven patients.
Human-driven spatial language for human-robot interaction

This extended abstract outlines a new study that investigates spatial language for use in human-robot communication. The scenario studied is a home setting in which the elderly resident has misplaced an object, such as eyeglasses, and the robot will help the resident find the object, We present preliminary results from the initial study in which we investigate spatial language generated to a human addressee or a robot addressee in a virtual environment.
Thoracic kyphosis and rate of incident vertebral fractures: the Fracture Intervention Trial.

Summary Biomechanical analyses support the theory that thoracic spine hyperkyphosis may increase risk of new vertebral fractures. While greater kyphosis was associated with an increased rate of incident vertebral fractures, our analysis does not show an independent association of kyphosis on incident fracture, after adjustment for prevalent vertebral fracture. Excessive kyphosis may still be a clinical marker for prevalent vertebral fracture.
Determination of oxyfluorfen herbicide and oxyfluorfen amine residues in Garbanzo beans by liquid chromatography

Oxyfluorfen and oxyfluorfen amine were determined by liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet (UV) and photoconductivity detection (PCD). A simple extraction procedure acceptably recovered both analytes from garbanzo beans over a wide range of fortifications (0.05 to 20 ppm) (83 +/- 4 for oxyfluorfen; 85 +/- 4 for oxyfluorfen amine). Percent recoveries decreased slightly as the fortification level decreased. Both analytes could be determined simultaneously at a concentration greater than 0.2 ppm in garbanzo beans. Detection limits were 3 ng for oxyfluorfen and 100 ng for oxyfluorfen amine using LC/UV, and 12 ng for both oxyfluorfen and oxyfluorfen amine with LC/PCD. Different knitted reaction coils and photoreactors were evaluated. Photoproduct yields and identification were determined by ion chromatography. The LC/PCD method measures oxyfluorfen and oxyfluorfen amine separately and has a shorter analysis time, while the standard method using gas chromatography measures total residues and is more sensitive.
Salmonella transfer during pilot plant scale washing and roller conveying of tomatoes.

Salmonella transfer during washing and roller conveying of inoculated tomatoes was quantified using a pilot scale tomato packing line equipped with plastic, foam, or brush rollers. Red round tomatoes (2.3 kg) were dip inoculated with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 (avirulent) (4 log CFU/g), air dried for 2 h, and then washed in sanitizer-free water for 2 min. Inoculated tomatoes were then passed single file over a 1.5-m conveyor equipped with plastic, foam, or brush rollers followed by 25 previously washed uninoculated tomatoes. Tomato samples were collected after 2 min of both washing and roller conveying, with all 25 uninoculated tomatoes collected individually after conveying. Roller surface samples were collected before and after conveying the uninoculated tomatoes. Both tomato and surface samples were quantitatively examined for Salmonella by direct plating or membrane filtration using xylose lysine Tergitol 4 agar. Regardless of the roller type, Salmonella populations on inoculated toma...
Redirecting electron transfer in photosystem II from water to redox-active metal complexes.

A negatively charged region on the surface of photosystem II (PSII) near QA has been identified as a docking site for cationic exogenous electron acceptors. Oxygen evolution activity, which is inhi...
Foreign Divestment: The Neglected Area of International Business?

Foreign divestment (FD) has become an integral aspect of global strategy, yet it remains a neglected area among the international business and business strategy academies. It is now widely practice...
Study on influence of 1 000 kV power transmission project on ecological environment

The research achievements of electromagnetism environment of UHV AC power transmission line and its effect on ecology were summarized on the world, and combined with the national conditions in China, the limited value suggestions of power frequency electric field, power frequency magnetic field and audible noises for 1 000 kV UHV AC power transmission line in China were put forward. On this foundation, the influence of 1 000 kV UHV AC power transmission demonstrating project on ecological environment was evaluated. The research results show that the threshold values of power frequency electric field, power frequency magnetic field and audible noises with harmful influence on biology are higher than the relevant limited values of power transmission line; the limited value control suggested by this paper for electromagnetism environment of 1 000 kV UHV AC power transmission line will not produce the disadvantages for ecological environment.
Single stage transformer isolated high frequency AC link based open end drive

An open end drive configuration utilizing a transformer isolated single phase high frequency ac link is presented. A high frequency ac link enables the use of a compact and light weight transformer to provide voltage transformation and galvanic isolation while the open end configuration leads to an improved utilization of the ac link. The desired output is synthesized using dual cycloconverters modulated using a space vector technique that has been modified to work with a high frequency ac link and leads to single stage conversion. Any change in the switch states is restricted to the zero crossings of the ac link to achieve zero voltage switching in the cycloconverters. The topology described also has the advantage of achieving natural commutation of leakage energy in the transformer windings and avoids the need for additional circuits to achieve the same. The proposed drive is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink and the results are discussed. A hardware prototype has been constructed to demonstrate the implementation of the proposed drive.
Tissue Distribution and Covalent Binding of [14C]1,1-Dichloroethylene in Mice: In vivo and in vitro Studies

1,1-Dicholorethylene (DCE), a widely used compound in the manufacture of plastics, has been shown to be toxic to kidney, liver and lung in laboratory animals1–5, and to exhibit some mutagenic and carcinogenic potential6–8. Its toxicity has been suggested to result from covalent binding of reactive metabolites to cellular macromolecules3,9,10; these metabolites are nprm jly detoxified by conjugation with reduced glutathione (GSH)11–16. However the exact mechanisms of its expressed toxicity and its application to man are not understood. Species differences among animals in toxicity of DCE are thought to be due to the relative amount of bioactivated and covalently bound DCE produced in each species We present in this paper the in vivo tissue distribution and covalent binding as well as the in vitro metabolism and covalent binding of DCE in the mouse, the species Wight to be most suscep-tible to its toxicity9,10, with particular reference to the kidney, liver and lung.
Abstract 5257: Upregulation of glutathione S-transferase P1 by green tea polyphenols: A novel transcriptional target of p53 tumor suppressor gene

Green tea polyphenols (GTPs) and its major constituent (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) reactivate epigenetically silenced genes in cancer cells. Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), an enzyme involved in detoxification process, is frequently inactivated in prostate cancer due to epigenetic modifications. The mechanisms underlying the re-expression of GSTP1 expression by GTP/EGCG in prostate cancer is currently not well understood. Earlier we demonstrated the ability of GTP/EGCG to increase p53 transcriptional activity through suppression of class I histone deacetylases (Carcinogenesis 33(2):377-84, 2012). Here we report that the GSTP1 gene is an unrecognized downstream transcriptional target of the tumor suppressor p53, and that GTP/EGCG has ability to increase GSTP1 expression mediated through p53. Treatment of human prostate cancer LNCaP cells with 5μg/ml GTP and 20μM EGCG, activate p53 through acetylation at the Lys373 and Lys382 residues along with consequent increase in GSTP1 protein expression in time-dependent manner. To study the possible interaction between GSTP1 and p53, LNCaP cells stably-transfected with short hairpin-RNA against p53 (LNCaPshp53) and control vector (LNCaPshV) for generation of p53 knockout cells. GTP/EGCG treatment induced p53 activation and acetylation at p53 Lys373 and Lys382 specifically in LNCaPshV cells in time-dependent manner, but not in LNCaPshp53. This increase in p53 acetylation led to activation of GSTP1 in LNCaPshV cells both at protein and message levels. GTP/EGCG-mediated increase in GSTP1 expression is caused by increase binding of p53 to its consensus binding site on the intron 4 of GSTP1 gene as analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift binding assay. Furthermore, this association was validated by ChIP assay where GTP/EGCG treatment led to an increase in the amount of acetylated p53-Lys373 associated within the intron site of GSTP1, compared to untreated controls. Taken together, our findings indicate the ability of p53 to transcriptionally activate the human GSTP1 gene, which defines a novel mechanism of protection of the genome by green tea polyphenols. Citation Format: Vijay S. Thakur, Gauri Deb, Mark W. Jackson, Sanjay Gupta. Upregulation of glutathione S-transferase P1 by green tea polyphenols: A novel transcriptional target of p53 tumor suppressor gene. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5257.
Probabilistic Approach for Long-Run Price Projections: Case Study of Concrete and Asphalt

AbstractPractitioners increasingly use pavement management systems for determining the allocation of resources for multidecade investments. One important and uncertain input that will affect decisions in these frameworks is future changes in cost for rehabilitation and reconstruction actions. Despite this, existing paradigms overlook its consideration largely because little research to date has evaluated the performance of forecasting over extended time horizons. Therefore, the contribution of this study is the demonstration (via a case study) of the long-term fidelity of probabilistic price projections relative to current practice. Two paving materials, asphalt and concrete, are projected through a probabilistic hybrid forecasting model that convolves conventional forecasts for underlying constituent prices and a long-term price equilibrium relationship between commodities. Out-of-sample forecasts are conducted to test the performance of the proposed model in estimating future prices in terms of their (1...
Free and Forced Interannual Variability of the Circulation in the Extratropical Northern Hemisphere Middle Atmosphere

This paper is an informal review of research relating to the interannual variability of the stratospheric and mesospheric circulation in the northern extratropics. Observations and modelling studies concerning aspects of variability generated internally in the atmosphere are reviewed first, with a particular emphasis on the effects of the tropical quasi-biennial oscillation. Then studies relating to externally forced variability are reviewed, including those that deal with the effects of volcanic aerosols and solar irradiance.
Stunning by 131 I Scanning: Untoward Effect of 131 I Thyroid Imaging Prior to Radioablation Therapy

Thyroid stunning is a temporary suppression of iodine-trapping function of the thyrocytes and thyroid cancer cells as a result of the radiation given off by the scanning (or first) dose of 131I. The stunned cells may not be able to take up the ensuing therapeutic 131I to the degree of their original unaffected capacity. This may lead to an incomplete ablation of the thyroid remnant or metastatic lesion. Stunning is radiation dose dependent, i.e., the higher the radiation dose absorbed by the target tissue, the greater the stunning effect. The use of 123I in lieu of 131I for diagnostic scanning avoids stunning, due to the 100-fold lower absorbed radiation dose. When 123I is not available or otherwise practical, other possible measures to reduce stunning include reducing the diagnostic 131I dose, decreasing the time between the dose and scan, and shortening the interval between scanning and 131I treatment.
The Home Literacy Environment and the English Narrative Development of Spanish–English Bilingual Children

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the home literacy environment (HLE) on the English narrative development of Spanish–English bilingual children from low-income backgrounds. Method Longitudinal data were collected on 81 bilingual children from preschool through 1st grade. English narrative skills were assessed in the fall and spring of each year. Microstructure measures included mean length of utterance in morphemes and number of different words. The Narrative Scoring Scheme (Heilmann, Miller, Nockerts, & Dunaway, 2010) measured macrostructure. Each fall, the children's mothers reported the frequency of literacy activities and number of children's books in the home. Growth curve modeling was used to describe the children's narrative development and the impact of the HLE over time. Results Significant growth occurred for all narrative measures. The HLE did not affect microstructure growth. The frequency with which mothers read to their children had a positive impact on the grow...
Space filling curves for additive manufacturing of spatially graded dielectric structures

In this paper we present a novel design tool for the generation of graded dielectric structures via additive manufacturing. Space filling curves are utilized to create tool paths ideal for the additive manufacturing (AM) processes. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) was utilized to print spatially varying structures resulting in a spatially varying relative permittivity. A wide range of varying fill fractions were printed and evaluated; the simulated and measured results displayed good agreement. To verify that the design tool can be applied to practical structures a gradient index flat lens was designed, printed, and tested.
Dynamic properties of ultraviolet-exposed polyurea

Polyurea is used in military and civilian applications, where exposure to the sun in long durations is imminent. Extended exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun can deteriorate its mechanical performance to suboptimal levels. This study reports on the dynamic mechanical properties of polyurea as a function of ultraviolet radiation exposure duration. Six sets of samples were continuously exposed to ultraviolet radiation for different durations up to 18 weeks. Control samples were also tested that did not receive ultraviolet exposure. The dynamic properties were measured using a dynamic mechanical analyzer. Exposed samples exhibited significant color changes from transparent yellow to opaque tan after 18 weeks of exposure. Changes of color were observed as early as 3 weeks of exposure. The dynamic properties showed an initial increase in the dynamic modulus after 3 weeks of exposure, with no further significant change in the stiffness thereafter. The ultraviolet exposure had a significant impact at relatively short loading times or low temperature, for example, up to 6 decades of time. As loading time increases or polyurea operates at high temperature, the effect of ultraviolet exposure and temperature on the performance become highly coupled.
Psoriasis Therapy: Breakthroughs in Pharmacogenomics or in Pharmacology?

As the cost of psoriasis therapies skyrockets, it becomes increasingly important to find biomarkers that predict which patients will respond to expensive medications. The ability to predict response to a specific therapy is particularly important for medications that are effective in only a small portion of the population. As we develop medications that clear most patients, the need for a predictive biomarker diminishes. Nevertheless, the importance of pharmacogenomics is likely to increase as the cost of drugs continues to rise.
Absorption/Transmission Measurements of PSAP Particle-Laden Filters from the Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP) Field Campaign.

ABSTRACTAbsorptivity measurements with a laser-heating approach, referred to as the laser-driven thermal reactor (LDTR), were carried out in the infrared and applied at ambient (laboratory) nonreacting conditions to particle-laden filters from a three-wavelength (visible) particle/soot absorption photometer (PSAP). The particles were obtained during the Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP) field campaign. The focus of this study was to determine the particle absorption coefficient from field-campaign filter samples using the LDTR approach, and compare results with other commercially available instrumentation (in this case with the PSAP, which has been compared with numerous other optical techniques). Advantages of the LDTR approach include (1) direct estimation of material absorption from temperature measurements (as opposed to resolving the difference between the measured reflection/scattering and transmission), (2) information on the filter optical properties, and (3) identification of the filter ...
Oral Communication Apprehension: A Reconceptualization

(1982). Oral Communication Apprehension: A Reconceptualization. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 6, Communication Yearbook 6, pp. 136-170.
Transgenerational effects alter plant defence and resistance in nature.

Trichomes, or leaf hairs, are epidermal extensions that take a variety of forms and perform many functions in plants, including herbivore defense. In this study, I document genetically determined variation, within-generation plasticity, and a direct role of trichomes in herbivore defense for Mimulus guttatus. After establishing the relationship between trichomes and herbivory, I test for transgenerational effects of wounding on trichome density and herbivore resistance. Patterns of inter-annual variation in herbivore density and the high cost of plant defense makes plant-herbivore interactions a system in which transgenerational phenotypic plasticity (TPP) is apt to evolve. Here, I demonstrate that parental damage alters offspring trichome density and herbivore resistance in nature. Moreover, this response varies between populations. This is among the first studies to demonstrate that TPP contributes to variation in nature, and also suggests that selection can modify TPP in response to local conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
T025 Optimizing logical coupling between brain stimulation and pharmacotherapy with use of animal models

Adaptations of noninvasive brain stimulation protocols to animal models offers opportunities for insight into the molecular and cellular consequences of techniques such as rTMS and tDCS. Beyond identifying mechanisms by which these and related protocols alter brain function, in vivo and in vitro translational experiments can uncover signalling pathways that are both engaged by noninvasive brain stimulation and also contain therapeutic drug targets. Thus paired drug-device combinations may be tested in preclinical experiments where relatively high-throughput systematic manipulation of stimulation parameters and drug choice and dose is much more practical than in clinical studies. Accordingly this presentation summarizes experiments aimed to address practical gaps in knowledge that may be encountered in the clinical arena, where in many disease states a patient is unlikely to undergo stimulation without concomitant drug treatment, and where the therapeutic efficacy of noninvasive brain stimulation may be incomplete and can be improved by selective drug treatment.
Reliable a Priori Shortest Path Problem with Limited Spatial and Temporal Dependencies

This paper studies the problem of finding most reliable a priori shortest paths (RASP) in a stochastic and time-dependent network. Correlations are modeled by assuming the probability density functions of link traversal times to be conditional on both the time of day and link states. Such correlations are spatially limited by the Markovian property of the link states, which may be such defined to reflect congestion levels or the intensity of random disruptions. We formulate the RASP problem with the above correlation structure as a general dynamic programming problem, and show that the optimal solution is a set of non-dominated paths under the first-order stochastic dominance. Conditions are proposed to regulate the transition probabilities of link states such that Bellman’s principle of optimality can be utilized. We prove that a non-dominated path should contain no cycles if random link travel times are consistent with the stochastic first-in-first-out principle. The RASP problem is solved using a non-deterministic polynomial label correcting algorithm. Approximation algorithms with polynomial complexity may be achieved when further assumptions are made to the correlation structure and to the applicability of dynamic programming. Numerical results are provided.
Optical tuning of interlayer excitonic systems in trilayer transition metal dichalcogenides heterostructures

We report enhanced interlayer excitonic systems, excitons and trions, in trilayer transition metal dichalcogenides heterostructrues with photoluminescence spectroscopy. We investigate interlayer trion binding energy and carrier lifetime of interlayer excitons and trions.
Does High Service Quality Reduce Risk or Create Idiosyncratic Returns

ABSTRACTThis article explores the impact of service quality on idiosyncratic returns, idiosyncratic risk (nonsystematic risk), and beta (systematic risk). Service quality was derived from the airline quality rating, and three dependent variables were calculated by the Fama–French four-factor model. The data includes 1,512 monthly records from 1997 to 2006, across 21 airlines. Multiple regression and vector autoregressive models were applied to test relationships among all, low-cost, and non-low-cost airlines. The study found that service quality has a positive impact on idiosyncratic returns in non-low-cost airlines; non-low-cost airlines are less affected by changes in the external environment.
Abstract 44: Influence of Antithrombotics on Outcome Following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Objective: This study seeks to investigate the impact of antithrombotics, including Aspirin, Clopidogrel, and Warfarin, on the severity of bleeding and outcomes in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We hypothesize that patients with a history of antithrombotic use have a more severe injury from SAH. Methods: Two hundred twenty-eight patients admitted to the Mayo Clinic Florida consecutively between July 2008 and July 2011 were studied retrospectively. Of this group, 77 patients had a known history of antithrombotic use while 151 did not. Both aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal cases were included in the study. Each patient’s Hunt and Hess Score, Fisher Grade, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) were evaluated. Associations between history of antithrombotic use and severity of SAH were assessed using Spearman’s test of correlation and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: There was strong evidence of higher mRS grades in patients with a history of antithrombotic use compared to other patients (Median: 3 vs. 2, P=0.001). There was no significant difference between patients with and without a history of antithrombotic use regarding SAH Fisher grade (Median: 3 vs. 3, P=0.31) and Hunt and Hess score (Median: 2 vs. 2, P=0.93). The difference in GCS score was not statistically significant (Median: 14 vs. 15, P=0.20). Conclusion: This analysis found a significant effect of previous use of antithrombotics on overall outcome following SAH. Further analysis is needed to correlate the outcomes with specific medications and investigate the role of aggressive reversal of coagulopathy on overall outcomes.
Topological Characteristics In The Acquisition Of Coordination

In this paper, we will demonstrate the importance of biokinematic analysis of the joint dynamics in the acquisition of coordinated movement patterns, and articulate how this approach might develop our knowledge of the way movement patterns form; particularly how specific phase transitions occur as a consequence of learning. An important element of this orientation is a better understanding of the interaction between biological and task constraints on action. This approach will have far reaching implications for teaching and training strategies in the human factors domain.
Teaching Preservice Early Childhood Educators About Humane Education

Young children are inquisitive about their environment. Humane education has the potential to create various learning opportunities to expand children’s understanding and skills for becoming responsible citizens of the globe. The infusion of humane education values into curriculum should occur every day. Therefore, early childhood teachers should incorporate humane education in lessons across the curriculum. Nevertheless, teachers need experience and preparation for this task. In the field of teacher preparation, courses on humane education can create opportunities for preservice teachers to construct knowledge, skills, and attitudes for shaping young children’s mind about the environment. This chapter proposes an argument for the infusion of humane education courses within teacher preparation. The theoretical framework emerges from a review of research on school-based humane education programs and on humane education courses at the university level. Subsequently, a project that piloted infused multidisciplinary humane education courses into teacher preparation is described, followed by the recommendations for early childhood teacher educators.
CA19-9 on Postoperative Surveillance in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Predicting Recurrence and Changing Prognosis over Time

Serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) correlates with response to therapy and overall survival (OS) for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This study aimed to define the chronologic relationship between CA19-9 elevation and radiographic recurrence to develop a model that can predict the risk of recurrence (RFS) and prognosis during interval surveillance for patients with resected PDAC. A retrospective review examined patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic adenocarcinoma from January 2010 to May 2016. Their CA19-9 levels were classified at diagnosis, after surgery, and at 6-month surveillance intervals. Recurrence was defined by radiographic evidence. The CA19-9 levels were correlated with RFS and OS at every time point using multivariate analysis. The study examined 525 patients. Five patterns of CA19-9 were identified: normal (“nonsecretors,” 18.5%), always elevated, and high at diagnosis but normal after resection involving three patterns with varied behavior during surveillance. These five patterns had implications for RFS and OS. When elevation of CA19-9, as assessed at 6-month intervals, was analyzed relative to detection of radiographic disease, CA19-9 had poor positive predictive value (average, 35%) but high negative predictive value (average, 92%) for radiographic recurrence. Conditional RFS showed that CA19-9 elevation did not equal radiographic recurrence but predicted subsequent RFS. Additionally, conditional OS showed that CA19-9 elevation alone was predictive at each time point. This study showed that CA19-9 patterns beyond the post-resection period predict RFS and OS. High CA19-9 frequently is discordant with recurrence on imaging and may precede it by more than 6 months. At each surveillance interval, CA19-9 is predictive of prognosis, which may help in counseling patients and could be used to direct protocols of salvage chemotherapy.
Exercise Similarly Facilitates Men and Women's Selective Attention Task Response Times but Differentially Affects Memory Task Performance.

Previous research has found that acute, moderate-intensity physical exercise enhances selective attention and memory and that men and women show differential performance on tasks measuring these skills. Although exercise and participant sex have been examined separately, it remains unknown whether acute, moderate-intensity exercise differentially affects men and women’s selective attention and memory encoding and retrieval. To address this question, participants in the present study completed two 10-minute sessions of moderate-intensity exercise comprised of jumping rope alternating with walking in place. Each participant completed a selective attention task and a task assessing recognition and object location memory immediately after exercising. Exercise was related to overall faster performance during the selective attention task, with no differences in men and women’s performance. Women showed better recognition memory compared to men. Exercise specifically improved object location memory among men, but only among participants who completed the memory task second. These findings suggest that acute, moderate-intensity exercise differentially affects men and women’s memory, which may be related to complex interactions between exercise, sex hormones, and the neurotrophin BDNF.
Quantitative Analysis of the Whole-Body Metabolic Fate of Branched-Chain Amino Acids

Elevations in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) associate with numerous systemic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and heart failure. However, an integrated understanding of whole-body BCAA metabolism remains lacking. Here, we employ in vivo isotopic tracing to systemically quantify BCAA oxidation in healthy and insulin-resistant mice. We find that most tissues rapidly oxidize BCAAs into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, with the greatest quantity occurring in muscle, brown fat, liver, kidneys, and heart. Notably, pancreas supplies 20% of its TCA carbons from BCAAs. Genetic and pharmacologic suppression of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase, a clinically targeted regulatory kinase, induces BCAA oxidation primarily in skeletal muscle of healthy mice. While insulin acutely increases BCAA oxidation in cardiac and skeletal muscle, chronically insulin-resistant mice show blunted BCAA oxidation in adipose tissues and liver, shifting BCAA oxidation toward muscle. Together, this work provides a quantitative framework for understanding systemic BCAA oxidation in health and insulin resistance.
Randomized trial of oral cyclophosphamide versus oral cyclophosphamide with celecoxib for recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer.

Abstract Background Oral metronomic chemotherapy, which has low toxicity, has demonstrated promising anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic properties that may lead to prolonged progression-free survival and improved response rates in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). These effects may be enhanced by the co-administration of anti-angiogenic agents. Methods We conducted a randomized phase II clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of oral metronomic cyclophosphamide (CTX) alone and with the anti-angiogenic drug celecoxib in patients with gynecological malignancies. 52 patients were randomly assigned to two treatments arms: 50 mg oral CTX daily alone (Arm A) or with 400 mg celecoxib twice daily (Arm B). The primary endpoint was response rate. Secondary endpoints included toxicity, time to treatment failure, and overall survival. Results In Arm A (n = 26), 3 patients (12%) had stable disease >6 months and 1 (4%) had a partial response. In Arm B, 5 (19%) had stable disease >6 months and 1 patient (4%) had a partial response. There were no significant between-group differences in overall survival (9.69 months [95% CI 3.84–13.18] vs. 12.55 months [6.67–17.61]) or in median time to treatment failure (1.84 months [1.68–2.76] vs. 1.92 months [1.64–5.22]). The most common adverse events were nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Conclusions Oral metronomic CTX has activity with no major toxicities in heavily pretreated recurrent gynecological cancers and may be considered in patients with indolent disease. We did not observe any additional benefit of celecoxib treatment, though this may be due to small sample sizes.
Identification of Footprints of RNA:Protein Complexes via RNA Immunoprecipitation in Tandem Followed by Sequencing (RIPiT-Seq)

RNA immunoprecipitation in tandem (RIPiT) is a method for enriching RNA footprints of a pair of proteins within an RNA:protein (RNP) complex. RIPiT employs two purification steps. First, immunoprecipitation of a tagged RNP subunit is followed by mild RNase digestion and subsequent non-denaturing affinity elution. A second immunoprecipitation of another RNP subunit allows for enrichment of a defined complex. Following a denaturing elution of RNAs and proteins, the RNA footprints are converted into high-throughput DNA sequencing libraries. Unlike the more popular ultraviolet (UV) crosslinking followed by immunoprecipitation (CLIP) approach to enrich RBP binding sites, RIPiT is UV-crosslinking independent. Hence RIPiT can be applied to numerous proteins present in the RNA interactome and beyond that are essential to RNA regulation but do not directly contact the RNA or UV-crosslink poorly to RNA. The two purification steps in RIPiT provide an additional advantage of identifying binding sites where a protein of interest acts in partnership with another cofactor. The double purification strategy also serves to enhance signal by limiting background. Here, we provide a step-wise procedure to perform RIPiT and to generate high-throughput sequencing libraries from isolated RNA footprints. We also outline RIPiT's advantages and applications and discuss some of its limitations.
Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Outcomes in Treating Chronic Pain Secondary to Extremity Amputation and Phantom Limb Syndrome.

Background Secondary to vascular disease, oncological resection, or devastating trauma, lower extremity amputations are performed globally at a yearly rate exceeding 1 million patients. Three-quarters of these patients will develop chronic pain or phantom pain, which presents a functional limitation for prosthetic use and contributes to deconditioning and increased mortality. Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) presents a surgical solution to this problem as either a primary or secondary intervention. Methods A review of the existing literature was conducted using a combination of the terms “phantom pain” “chronic pain,” “neuroma,” and “targeted muscle reinnervation” in Medline and PubMed. Results Five articles were found which addressed TMR for pain syndromes, four of which involved lower extremity amputation. Four of the articles were retrospective reviews, and one was a randomized control trial. A total of 149 patients were included, of which 82 underwent lower extremity amputation. Ninety-two of the patients underwent prophylactic TMR, of which 57 were secondary procedures. In patients who underwent TMR at the time of amputation, all studies reported a minimal development of symptomatic neuromas (27%). For secondary TMR, near-complete resolution of previous pain was found (90%). Phantom pain was noted to be similar to other studies in the literature but noted to improve over time with both primary (average drop of 3.5 out of 10 points on the numerical rating scale) and secondary (diminishing from 72% of patients to 13% over 6 months) operations. Conclusion Although much of the current literature is limited to retrospective studies with few patients, these data point toward near-complete resolution of neuroma pain after treatment as well as complete prevention of chronic pain if TMR is used as a prophylactic measure during the index amputation. This study was a level of evidence IV.
Optimism and opioid misuse among justice-involved children

Abstract Aim Adolescents in the criminal justice system, called justice-involved children (JIC), are particularly vulnerable in the modern opioid misuse (OM) epidemic. After release, relapse and overdose occur at higher rates than the general population. The current study assesses optimism and likelihood of P30D consumption of non-prescription or illicit opioids among JIC. Methods The study examines a sample of 79,960 JIC from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Multivariate logistic regression was employed, controlling for gender, race, family income, age, history of mental problems, history of depression, and county of residence. Results JIC who reported very low optimism on the final screen had over 8 times the odds of meeting criteria for P30D OM compared to those with high optimism while adjusting for covariates. Conclusions Further research is needed to understand the potential for optimism to serve as a protective factor. Optimism can be developed, and therefore can possibly be incorporated to design novel interventions or integrated into empirically validated treatment programs to precipitate uptake.
Clinical utility of a hand-held scanner for breast cancer early detection and patient triage

PURPOSE Globally, breast cancer represents the most common cause of cancer death among women. Early cancer diagnosis is difficult in low- and middle-income countries, most of which are unable to su...