cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Expression of Interleukin 2 Receptors upon Triggering of the TCR-CD3 Complex on Human T Lymphocytes

Monoclonal antibodies reactive with CD3 molecular complex can induce antigen-associated early biochemical changes in purified, monocyte-depleted resting T cell populations and synergize with interleukin 2 (IL2) in the induction of T-cell proliferation. Interleukin 2 mediates its effects via two receptor molecules of apparent 70–75 kD (p70/p75) and 50–55 kD (p50/55) molecular weights respectively. Using radioactive IL2 and bi-functional cross-linking chemistry, we are able to determine that incubation of purified, monocyte-depleted, resting T cells with anti-CD3 (OKT3) antibody induces a significant and selective increase in the expression of p70/75 IL2 receptors from their low constitutively expressed levels. This event occurs in the complete absence of cellular proliferation. Although IL2 also causes the upregulation of p70/75 molecules, it is the synergistic action of both antibody and lymphokine which is needed for the induction of significant amounts of the p50/55 IL2 receptors and the concomitant cel...
The Role of Non-Cognate T Cell Stimulation during Intracellular Bacterial Infection

Intra-macrophage bacterial infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in both the developed and developing world. Protective host immune responses to these infections initially requires the activation and expansion of pathogen-specific CD4 Th1 cells within lymphoid tissues and subsequent relocation of these effector cells to sites of infection. After entering infected tissues, the elicitation of Th1 bactericidal activity can be triggered by cognate or non-cognate signals that are delivered by locally infected antigen-presenting cells and innate cells. However, the contribution of non-cognate stimulation to the resolution of bacterial infection remains poorly understood, especially in the context of a Th1 response. Here, we review the current data on Th1 cell activation and expansion in mouse models of Salmonella and Chlamydia infection and discuss the potential role of non-cognate Th1 cell stimulation in these disease models. Greater understanding of this pathway of T cell activation may lead to the design of therapeutics or vaccines to combat intra-macrophage pathogens.
Are Some Relationships more Useful than Others? The Value of Similar Others in the Networks of Recent Widows:

Contacts with other widows are often seen as having particular value for those who are coping with bereavement. Both the benefits of associating with other widows and the difficulties of maintaining ties with married friends make it likely that recent widows' friendship networks will show increasing `homophily', based on substituting widowed friends for married friends. We investigated these issues based on a year of longitudinal interviewing with 321 recently widowed women, aged 59-85 years, who provided data about their social support networks. Our results indicate that these widows did shift their networks toward greater association with others who had experienced this life event. We did not, however, find evidence that this was due to the amount or quality of the support they received from widowed rather than married friends. One possible explanation is that widows' preference for associating with their similar others has more to do with the nature of the companionship they share in such relationships...
Regulation of cysteine dioxygenase and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase is associated with hepatic cysteine level

Abstract Two hepatic enzymes, cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS), play important regulatory roles in the response of cysteine metabolism to changes in dietary sulfur amino acid or protein levels. To examine the time-course of changes in CDO and GCS activities, CDO and GCS-catalytic or heavy subunit protein and mRNA levels, and cysteine and glutathione levels, we adapted rats to either a low protein (LP) or high protein (HP) diet, switched them to the opposite diet, and followed these parameters over 6 days. Hepatic CDO activity and amount, but not mRNA level, increased in response to higher protein intake; the t1/2 of change for CDO activity or protein level was 22 h for rats switched from a LP to a HP diet and 8 h for rats switched from a HP to a LP diet, suggesting that the HP diet decreased turnover of CDO. Hepatic GCS activity, catalytic subunit amount and mRNA level decreased in response to a higher protein intake. GCS catalytic subunit level changed with a similar t1/2 for both groups, but the change in GCS activity in rats switched from a LP diet to a HP diet was faster (∼16h) than for rats switched from a HP to a LP diet (∼74h). Hepatic cysteine and glutathione levels reached new steady states within 12 h (LP to HP) or 24 h (HP to LP). CDO activity appeared to be regulated at the level of protein, probably by diminished turnover of CDO in response to higher protein intake or cysteine level, whereas GCS activity appeared to be regulated both at the level of mRNA and activity state in response to the change in cysteine or protein availability. These findings support a role of cysteine concentration as a mediator of its own metabolism, favoring catabolism when cysteine is high and glutathione synthesis when cysteine is low.
Role of polymer interactions with clays and modifiers on nanomechanical properties and crystallinity in polymer clay nanocomposites

We present the effect of organic modifier on crystallinity and nanomechanical properties of polymer clay nanocomposites (PCNs) using two different polymers while maintaining the same nanoclay and organic modifier. Experimental results and interaction energy maps of Polybutylene-Terephthalate- (PBT-) PCN system indicate that the underlying mechanisms of change in crystallinity and improvement in mechanical properties as proposed in altered phase theory are valid. Experimental and molecular simulation studies of PBT-PCN and Nylon6-PCN reveal that a higher crystallinity polymer could require significantly higher attractive and repulsive interaction energies between polymer and organic modifiers to change the crystallinity of the polymer in the PCN significantly and thus improve mechanical properties of the PCN.
Implementation and evaluation of a parallel PMS simulator

The sources of parallelism in an event-driven simulator have been investigated. First, a simple and straightforward parallelization strategy was implemented. It was observed that this strategy did not provide sufficient parallelism. Then the advance scheduling strategy was developed, which has yielded a significantly higher degree of parallelism. The main contribution of this research has been the development of this advance scheduling strategy. This strategy trades a small amount of inaccuracy in the simulation results for a large gain in the amount of parallelism extracted from the simulator. This strategy can be effectively applied for statistical simulators, because the statistical methods of simulation themselves introduce variations in the results. It was observed that, with a proper choice for the overlap distance, the error in the final results is comparable to the variation in the results introduced by the statistical simulation methods employed. A modified implementation of the event queue (Runqueue), which exploits the disorder in event scheduling created by the advance scheduling strategy, is presented. This implementation should significantly reduce contention for the Runqueue. A simulation model was implemented to simulate a distributed memory architecture proposed by D. Black, Z. Segall, and L. Rudolph. With the help of this simulation model, extensive experiments can be conducted to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed architecture. >
The Uneasy Tensions of Immanence and Transcendence

I have been in dialog with Chuck Taylor for 40 years and it has been a marvelous learning experience. I vividly recall my excitement when I read his first book The Explanation and Behaviour a work that was of critical importance for the writing of my Praxis and Action. Taylor's thought figures prominently in several of my subsequent books including The Restructuring of Social and Political Theory, Beyond Objectivism and Relativism, The New Constellation and The Abuse of Evil. The experience of reading A Secular Age is like reading Taylor's summa, for it shows the fruits of his thinking during the past 40 years and goes beyond anything he has written. A Secular Age is so richly textured that it is difficult to know how to approach it. Let me suggest several closely related perspectives. In his "Introduction," Taylor distinguishes three different senses of secularity: (1) secularity understood in terms of public spaces or spheres of autonomous activities the extent to which we participate in these without any reference to God or a transcendent reality; (2) secularity understood primarily in regard to changes of belief or unbelief in a divine being; (3) secularity understood as the lived experience that conditions belief and unbelief. Most discussions of secularity focus on 1 and 2. Taylor thinks that we gain a deeper and more subtle understanding of secularity if we focus on "the conditions of belief." The historical changes of these conditions of belief enable us to better understand the first two approaches to secularity. So we can read A Secular Age as a complex narrative of the changes over centuries, from a society where belief in God (in the Latin Christian world) was unchallenged and unproblematic to one where belief in a divine being is only one option among others an option that is "frequently not the easiest to embrace." How are we to account for this? What have been the transformations in the lived experience that have brought this about? This suggests a second perspective for approaching A Secular Age. We can read it as a genealogy (not a debunking or reductive one), what Foucault once called a "history of the present," where Taylor seeks to gain a deep understanding of the genesis of
Hierarchical feedback control system

This paper introduces an architecture that is based upon a concept of nested hierarchical (multiresolutional) control systems. Multiresolutional representation of control variables which allows for a hierarchical prediction of the next sample error vector. Method leads to a simple design process, easily implementable by software, and demonstrates the advantages over other approaches. >
Strategic substitutes or complements? The game of where to fish

The "global game with strategic substitutes and complements" of Karp et al. (2007) is used to model the decision of where to fish. A complete information game is assumed, but the model is generalized to S > 1 sites. In this game a fisherman's payoff depends on fish density in each site and the actions of other fishermen which can lead to congestion or agglomeration effects. Stable and unstable equilibria are characterized, as well as notions of equilibrium dominance. The model is applied to the Alaskan flatfish fishery by specifying a strategic interaction function (response to congestion) that is a non-linear function of the degree of congestion present in a given site. Results suggest that the interaction function may be non-monotonic in congestion.
Electric field gradients in dilute Cu-Zn alloy☆

Abstract The electric field gradient parameters for the nearest neighbors Cu to Zn impurities in a Cu - 1.5 per cent Zn alloy have been measured on a single crystal sample.
Normal and abnormal midfacial development in the cadmium‐treated hamster

Clefts of the midface ranging in severity from a notched lip to complete facial disorganization were observed in the offspring of golden hamsters injected with cadmium chloride on the morning of the eighth day of gestation. Other malformations frequently observed were microphthalmia, anophthalmia, and diencephalic encephaloceles. Histologic examination of embryos on the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th days of gestation revealed a marked deficiency of mesenchyme in the frontonasal process, which led to a foreshortened and deformed nasal septum. These data confirm that the teratogenicity of cadmium is highly specific for the region of the anterior neural segment on the eighth day of gestation. The deficiency of mesenchyme in the frontonasal process may be the result of disruption in neural crest cell development in this region.
Improving the utility of MeSHź terms using the TopicalMeSH representation

Display Omitted TopicalMeSH representation combines information from topic models and MeSH terms.TopicalMeSH has better document retrieval performance than MeSH.TopicalMeSH has better classification performance than MeSH and several alternatives. ObjectiveTo evaluate whether vector representations encoding latent topic proportions that capture similarities to MeSH terms can improve performance on biomedical document retrieval and classification tasks, compared to using MeSH terms. Materials and methodsWe developed the TopicalMeSH representation, which exploits the 'correspondence' between topics generated using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) and MeSH terms to create new document representations that combine MeSH terms and latent topic vectors. We used 15 systematic drug review corpora to evaluate performance on information retrieval and classification tasks using this TopicalMeSH representation, compared to using standard encodings that rely on either (1) the original MeSH terms, (2) the text, or (3) their combination. For the document retrieval task, we compared the precision and recall achieved by ranking citations using MeSH and TopicalMeSH representations, respectively. For the classification task, we considered three supervised machine learning approaches, Support Vector Machines (SVMs), logistic regression, and decision trees. We used these to classify documents as relevant or irrelevant using (independently) MeSH, TopicalMeSH, Words (i.e., n-grams extracted from citation titles and abstracts, encoded via bag-of-words representation), a combination of MeSH and Words, and a combination of TopicalMeSH and Words. We also used SVM to compare the classification performance of tf-idf weighted MeSH terms, LDA Topics, a combination of Topics and MeSH, and TopicalMeSH to supervised LDA's classification performance. ResultsFor the document retrieval task, using the TopicalMeSH representation resulted in higher precision than MeSH in 11 of 15 corpora while achieving the same recall. For the classification task, use of TopicalMeSH features realized a higher F1 score in 14 of 15 corpora when used by SVMs, 12 of 15 corpora using logistic regression, and 12 of 15 corpora using decision trees. TopicalMeSH also had better document classification performance on 12 of 15 corpora when compared to Topics, tf-idf weighted MeSH terms, and a combination of Topics and MeSH using SVMs. Supervised LDA achieved the worst performance in most of the corpora. ConclusionThe proposed TopicalMeSH representation (which combines MeSH terms with latent topics) consistently improved performance on document retrieval and classification tasks, compared to using alternative standard representations using MeSH terms alone, as well as, several standard alternative approaches.
Development of a Water Stick to Measure Nipple Waterer Flow Rates

SUMMARY Inadequate drinking water supplies have been cited as a major reason for poor weight gain in broiler production. One of the limiting factors is nipple waterer flow rate. Research demonstrated a constant water flow rate of 25 mL/min impeded BW by approximately 156 g (0.34 lb) at 6 wk of age compared with those having 75 mL/min through the grow out. A device to measure nipple flow rates was developed from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, pipefittings, aluminum screen, and a centrifuge tube. The instrument is 41 in. tall so that the user stands to obtain a measurement, eliminating the need to kneel in litter while activating the nipple. This water stick features a screened trip plate to activate the nipple, a clear polypropylene measuring tube, and a pour spout for discarding the sample. Following the description herein, the stick can be easily constructed so that the conscientious integrator, grower, or researcher can assure flocks an adequate drinking water supply.
Naturally Occurring Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Glycosylation Variants.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a member of the glycoprotein hormone family, which is a subfamily of the cystine knot growth factor superfamily [1,2]. The glycoprotein hormones are composed of heterodimeric glycoprotein subunits, a common α-subunit, and a hormone-specific β-subunit. While the α-subunit primary structure is identical for all glycoprotein hormones within the same species, the oligosaccharide populations differ in a hormone-specific manner [3–6]. Characterizing the oligosaccharides released from an α-subunit preparation can identify the hormone from which the subunit was derived [7]. There are 3 to 4 β-subunits in vertebrates, which combine with α-subunit to create either FSH, luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), or in primates and equids, chorionic gonadotropin (CG) [8]. As both glycoprotein hormone subunits are cystine knot proteins [9–11] the protein backbone is folded into a series of three loops, two relatively rigid hairpin loops on one side of the knot, designated L1 and L3, and a single, flexible loop on the other side [12], designated L2. Oligosaccharides are attached to all 3 loops in a subunit-specific pattern (Figure 1). FSH subunits possess two potential N-glycosylation sites on each subunit and all four are of the Asn-Xaa-Thr type, which exhibit very efficient carbohydrate attachment [13]. Indeed, the α-subunit is always glycosylated at both sites in all known glycoprotein hormones. Because FSH α and β subunits co-migrate during electrophoresis, it is difficult to detect missing N-glycans in this hormone. FSHβ-specific Western blots have revealed partial glycosylation in equine FSHβ, human FSHβ (hFSH β), rhesus FSH β, and Japanese macaque FSHβ [14–16]. During the past few years, we have studied partially glycosylated hFSH isolated from pituitary extracts, postmenopausal urine, and conditioned tissue culture medium containing recombinant hFSH. Each glycosylation site in hFSH is decorated with a population of N-glycans. When total glycans are removed from reduced, carboxy-methylated FSH subunits, 39–130 glycans are found in mass spectra. We have data from only one glycosylation site, αAsn52, which possessed 29 neutral core ions, and when decorated with various patterns of sialic acid grew to 109 unique glycan structures. Micro heterogeneity can affect electrophoretic mobility, for example, placental hCGα with hybrid and biantennary glycans migrated faster than pituitary hFSHα, with triantennary, biantennary and tetraantennary glycans, which complicated sorting out the hFSH variants that resulted from loss of one or more N-glycans [17].
DUBIOUS SUPPORT FOR FIRO-B's VALIDITY

The evidence that Floyd (1988) recently cited as supporting FIRO-B's validity was reviewed. Without hypotheses about relationships between the 25 items of a Living Group Questionnaire and FIRO-B's ...
Empirical Examination of Trust in Automation Across Multiple Agents in a Search and Rescue Operation

Automation has become increasingly prevalent in modern day society. With this progress, the shift from operators serving as active controllers (directly involved with the system) to supervisory controllers (indirect management of a system) has become more common. Accompanying this evolution of the operator from their original role, there is a need to explore the components that influence effective cooperation between operators and semi-autonomous agents. Two key factors moderating this relationship are operator trust in the agent and the complexity of the task itself (i.e., number of agents an operator monitors). This work examines trust and automation theory as it applies to an operator monitoring a complex, two agent, simulated search-and-rescue task. The effect of source characteristics of the two automated systems will be evaluated across reliability conditions for their impact upon reliance and perceived trust of automation. The purpose of this research is to extend knowledge in the theory of human-a...
Synthesis of C60 Chains Contained Within Carbon Nanotubes

We have recently discovered self-assembled chains of C 60 molecules contained within single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Using in situ transmission electron microscopy studies, we show a route by which such ‘peapod’ structures can be synthesized. The results indicate that exterior C 60 molecules arrive at the nanotubes from the vapor phase and subsequently enter, presumably through open ends or sidewall defects. The methods discussed in this work provide a means for the bulk production of these molecular assemblies.
Effect of compressibility on strong shock and turbulence interactions

The interactions between turbulent flows and shock waves are important in many natural processes as well as scientific and engineering applications. One of the fundamental building blocks in these complex processes and applications is the canonical problem of isotropic turbulence and a normal shock. Unfortunately, even this fundamental problem is not well understood. Recent direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of perfect gas flow showed some new trends in turbulent statistics as mean Mach number is increased. In this paper, we first conduct extensive DNS studies on canonical strong shock and turbulence interaction problem of perfect gas flow with mean Mach numbers ranging from 2 to 30, with the emphasis on investigating the effect of compressibility. The results show that maximum values of variance of streamwise vorticity fluctuations first increase and then decrease as shock strength is increased. The peak of streamwise vorticity fluctuations is observed for shock and turbulence interactions with Mach 2.8 shock. For stronger than Mach 2.8 shocks, there is a decrease in streamwise vorticity fluctuations. The amplification of Reynolds stress R11 decreases as mean Mach number is increased till 8.8, which is consistent with findings of linear interaction analysis. This trend, however, reverses as shock strength is increased beyond Mach 8.8. For stronger than Mach 8.8 shocks, Reynolds stress R11 is amplified as mean Mach number keeps increasing. Since gas temperature increases dramatically after strong shocks, we are also working on DNS of non- equilibrium flow, where non-equilibrium flow effects including internal energy excitations, translation-vibration energy relaxation, and chemical reactions among different species are considered based on the 5-species air chemistry and recently thermal property models. The code and corresponding thermo-chemical models have been tested on two cases of non-equilibrium flow over cylinders.
Dilatation of bronchial stenosis with Gruentzig balloon

Current treatments for bronchial stenosis include surgical resection, laser photoresections, cryotherapy, and limited experience with balloon dilatation. This article describes the use of the Gruentzig balloon for treatment of an acquired bronchial anastomotic stricture after sleeve resection for carcinoma.
Human basophil recovery from secretion. A review emphasizing the distribution of Charcot-Leyden crystal protein in cells stained with the postfixation electron-dense tracer, cationized ferritin.

Basophils of two species, guinea pigs and humans, have been shown by ultrastructural analyses to recover from noncytotoxic secretory processes by conservation and synthetic mechanisms. In human basophils, an electron-dense tracer (cationized femtin) used after fixation labels membranes in continuity with plasma membranes at planes of section out of view, thereby indicating internalization of previously externalized granule membranes. Conservation of previously emptied granule containers that remain in the cytoplasm after secretion was associated with reaccumulation of electron-dense particles and condensation of these dense materials therein. Granuleand vesicle-poor, previously stimulated cells developed large numbers of cytoplasmic vesicles beneath plasma membranes, in expanding Golgi areas and in perigranular areas of the cytoplasm. Cytochemical labeling techniques to localize histamine and Charcot-Leyden crystal protein revealed reaccumulation of these two granule proteins in recovering human basophil granules. The mechanism(s) of their recovery likely involves both synthesis of new proteins and conservation by internalization of secreted proteins bound to cell surfaces.
Vesicoureteral Obstruction and Vesicoureteral Reflux: Different Congenital Defects With a Common Cause

Removal of toxic substances from the blood depends on patent connections among the kidneys, ureters, and bladder that are established when the ureter moves from the original insertion site in the nephric duct to the bladder trigone, the final insertion site. A number of studies provide new insights into the normal process of ureter maturation that, when abnormal, results in vesicoureteral obstruction, vesicoureteral reflux, and hydronephrosis, pathologies that affect 1–2% of the human population and are a major cause of renal disease in children. According to the Ureteric Bud Theory of Mackie and Stephens, proper positioning of the distal ureter depends on differentiation of the common nephric duct, the caudal-most nephric duct segment, into the trigone, a muscular structure at the bladder neck that marks the junction between the ureteral and sex duct insertion sites. The availability of mouse models has enabled us to reexamine this hypothesis in the context of normal and abnormal development. We find that nephric duct insertion, an event that occurs before ureteric bud formation, is critical for proper positioning of the distal ureter in the bladder. Our studies indicate that, unlike what has been thought, the common nephric duct does not differentiate into the bladder trigone but instead undergoes a continuous process of apoptosis as it is adsorbed into the urogenital sinus. These cellular rearrangements bring the distal ureter close to the urogenital sinus, separate the ureter from the common nephric duct, and promote insertion of the distal ureter into the urogenital sinus. Once inserted, growth of the urogenital sinus, in particular the bladder neck, moves the distal ureter farther from the nephric duct. Failure at any of these steps can result in ectopically positioned distal ureters, leading to vesicoureteral reflux or obstruction, depending on the final position of the ureter orifice relative to the trigone.
More Polarized but More Independent: Political Party Identification and Ideological Self-Categorization Among U.S. Adults, College Students, and Late Adolescents, 1970-2015

In three nationally representative surveys of U.S. residents (N = 10 million) from 1970 to 2015, more Americans in the early 2010s (vs. previous decades) identified as Independent, including when age effects were controlled. More in the early 2010s (vs. previous decades) expressed polarized political views, including stronger political party affiliation or more extreme ideological self-categorization (liberal vs. conservative) with fewer identifying as moderate. The correlation between party affiliation and ideological views grew stronger over time. The overall trend since the 1970s was toward more Americans identifying as Republican or conservative. Older adults were more likely to identify as conservative and Republican. More Millennials (born 1980-1994) identify as conservative than either GenXers or Boomers did at the same age, and fewer are Democrats compared with Boomers. These trends are discussed in the context of social identification processes and their implications for the political dynamics in...
Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for locally advanced extrahepatic and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract Objectives We report single-institution clinical efficacy and safety outcomes for patients with unresectable locally advanced cholangiocarcinoma who were treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and a subset of patients who received neoadjuvant SBRT and chemotherapy as part of an orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) protocol. Methods and materials From October 2008 to June 2015, 31 consecutive patients with unresectable extrahepatic (n = 25) or intrahepatic (n = 6) cholangiocarcinoma were treated with SBRT and retrospectively analyzed. Four patients underwent liver transplantation, and 1 underwent resection. SBRT was delivered in 5 fractions with a median dose of 40 Gy. Toxicity was scored using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0. Overall survival (OS), time to progression, and local control were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results The median follow-up time was 11.5 months. The 1- and 2-year OS rates were 59% and 33%, respectively, with a median survival of 15.7 months. The 1- and 2-year freedom from progression was 67% and 34%, respectively. Median time to progression was 16.8 months. Nine patients had local failure. The actuarial 1- and 2-year local control rates were 78% and 47%, respectively. Among patients who also had OLT, the median OS was 31.3 months. Twenty-four patients (77%) experienced some form of acute grade 1-2 toxicity, most commonly fatigue or pain. Five patients (16%) experienced grade ≥3 toxicity. Conclusions SBRT is a promising option for patients with unresectable or recurrent cholangiocarcinoma either as a component of neoadjuvant therapy prior to OLT or as part of definitive therapy for patients who are unresectable and not eligible for transplantation.
Abstract B47: Racial/ethnic disparities in prostate cancer survival

Background: Few studies have examined racial/ethnic differences in prostate cancer survival in association with socioeconomic status, and no studies have examined this relationship for men in Texas. The objective of this analysis is to determine whether racial disparities in survival for men with prostate cancer in Texas from 1995 to 2002 remain after adjusting for socioeconomic status, rural residence, and stage of disease. Methods: A cohort of 87,449 men diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 18 years or older was identified from the Texas Cancer Registry (TCR). Socioeconomic status (SES) was based on census tract data reflecting median household income, proportion below poverty, proportion with a college education, proportion with a management/professional occupation, and median home value. Five-year survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to estimate all-cause and disease-specific hazard ratios (HR) of mortality and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: After adjusting for SES, age, stage, tumor grade, year of diagnosis and rural residence, non-Hispanic black men were more likely (aHR=1.36; 95%CI: 1.30–1.42) and Asian/Pacific Islander men were less likely (aHR=0.65; 95%CI: 0.52–0.82) to die of all causes when compared with non-Hispanic white men. Both non-Hispanic black men and Hispanic men were more likely (aHR=1.69; 95%CI: 1.57–1.82; aHR=1.11; 95%CI: 1.02–1.20, respectively) to die of prostate cancer relative to non-Hispanic white men. Conclusions: Substantial racial disparities in survival were found for men with prostate cancer in Texas that were not explained by SES. Future studies should incorporate treatment data as well as comorbid conditions, which may help explain these survival disparities.
Molecular dynamics investigations of membrane-bound CYP2C19 polymorphisms reveal distinct mechanisms for peripheral variants by long-range effects on the enzymatic activity

Increasing sophistication in methods used to account for human polymorphisms in susceptibility to drug metabolism has been one of the success stories in the prevention of adverse drug reactions. Genetic polymorphisms in drug-metabolizing enzymes can affect enzyme activity and cause differences in treatment response or drug toxicity. CYP2C19 is one of the most highly polymorphic CYP enzymes and acts on 10–15% of drugs in current clinical use. Despite the number of experimental analyses carried out for this system, the detailed structural basis for altered catalytic properties of polymorphic CYP2C19 variants remains unexplained at the atomic level. To this end, we have investigated the mutation effects on structural characteristics and tunnel geometry upon single point mutations to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism for the enzymatic activity deficiencies by using the fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in their native, membrane-bound cellular environment. The obtained results demonstrate how significant sequence divergence causes heterogeneous variations, and further affects the shape and chemical properties of the substrate binding site. Principal component analysis (PCA) results combined with free energy calculations have revealed distinct mechanisms for different peripheral variants, implying a more complicated process for the decrease/loss of enzymatic activity upon the introduction of point mutations in CYP2C19 rather than simply structural changes of the region where the mutation is located. Overall, our present study provides important insights into the current pharmacogenetic knowledge of human drug-metabolizing CYP2C19 to understand the large inter-individual variability in drug clearance. The knowledge of heterogeneous variations in structural features could guide future experimental and computational work on efficient and safe drug treatment with better pharmacokinetic properties based on the common variant alleles of CYP genes, which varies among different ethnic populations.
Bi-subspace saliency detection

Relevant to visual attention mechanism, visual saliency are concerns of detecting the salient regions in image and video. Saliency detection is a critical pre-process in many computer vision applications, which requires high-level visual recognition and scene understanding as well as low-level photo and video processing. In this paper, We propose a new bi-subspace bottom-up saliency detection model. Inspired by visually intuitions and bi-subspace priors, we formulate the problem as subspace analysis depicting the background aside from the saliency object in the image. In the meanwhile, another subspace representation via a group-sparse constraint is proposed to depict the structure of the object in our model. Numerical experiment results show that our method is more stable and accurate than other methods.
An information policy perspective on learning analytics

Policy for learning analytics joins a stream of initiatives aimed at understanding the expanding world of information collection, storage, processing and dissemination that is being driven by computing technologies. This paper offers a information policy perspective on learning analytics, joining work by others on ethics and privacy in the management of learning analytics data [8], but extending to consider how issues play out across the information lifecycle and in the formation of policy. Drawing on principles from information policy both informs learning analytics and brings learning analytics into the information policy domain. The resulting combination can help inform policy development for educational institutions as they implement and manage learning analytics policy and practices. The paper begins with a brief summary of the information policy perspective, then addresses learning analytics with attention to various categories of consideration for policy development.
Patient-Reported Outcomes of Aesthetics and Satisfaction in Immediate Breast Reconstruction After Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy With Implants and Fat Grafting.

Background Direct-to-implant (DTI) and tissue expander/implant (TE/I) reconstructions are the most common implant-based reconstructions after nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). However, there are little data beyond complication rates comparing these options. Fat grafting has emerged as an adjunct in NSM reconstructions to improve aesthetic results; however, its impact on patient perceptions of aesthetic outcomes remain unknown. To improve patient-centered care, aesthetic outcomes must be considered from the patients' perspective. Objectives To evaluate patient-reported outcomes of aesthetic satisfaction and quality of life in patients undergoing immediate DTI vs TE/I reconstruction after NSM and to assess the role of fat grafting on these outcomes. Methods This is a prospective cohort study comparing NSM patients undergoing DTI or TE/I reconstruction. Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated using the BREAST-Q. Continuous and categorical variables were analyzed using t test and Fisher's exact test, respectively. Results Fifty-nine patients underwent 113 reconstructions with either DTI (n = 41) or TE/I (n = 18). Mean follow up was 12.1 months. DTI and TE/I patients had comparable satisfaction with outcome, though TE/I patients had significantly larger final implant sizes. TE/I who underwent fat grafting also had significantly higher satisfaction with outcome and psychosocial wellbeing. Conclusions Patient-reported outcomes are comparable between DTI and TE/I reconstructions after NSM. In order for TE/I patients to achieve a similar level of satisfaction, they may require a larger final implant and additional operations compared to DTI patients. Additionally, fat grafting improves overall satisfaction. TE/I patients may have different aesthetic expectations than DTI patients, emphasizing patient-centered discussions are essential to optimizing outcomes after NSM. Level of evidence 3.
Is resilience a protective factor of internet addiction

Extensive research has focused on risk factors that increase an individual's likelihood of internet addiction. This paper intends to examine protective factors that may reduce the likelihood of an individual to suffer from internet addiction, focusing on the role of resilience. A total of 240 online participants completed a questionnaire that measured general internet addiction, resilience levels, and addictive behavior for online games and Facebook. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed while controlling for age, gender, social class, and hours spent online. It was found that, overall, the higher the level of the participants' resilience, the lower the level of their internet addiction. The same relationship was seen in online game addiction but not in Facebook addiction. Future directions for research on how to experimentally test the effectiveness of resilience on internet addiction were discussed. People who have higher resilience tend to have lower levels of internet addiction.This holds true for online gaming addiction, but not for Facebook addiction.The more time spent on these activities, the higher addiction levels tended to be.
Approaches to the Biochemistry of Regeneration in the Central Nervous System

Our laboratory has a long-standing interest in the biochemical basis of central nervous system plasticity. We have come to recognize that many of the ultimate answers we seek are imbedded in the more general question of the biochemical basis of neural development. That is, until we learn how cells recognize and mark one another during development, we will probably not understand fully how neurons connect with one another. Present experimental approaches to the general problem of cell recognition in the nervous system, as well as in a number of other eukaryotic preparations, range from the whole animal model—a biochemical extension of classical embryology—to reductionist models. An example of the latter is the reaggregation of dissociated cells or their selective adhesion to other cells or to cell membranes. Lipid biochemists have been drawn to the area of cell recognition since it has become increasingly apparent that some cell surface determinants, at least at the immunological level, may be lipid in nature.
Retinal Neovascularization and the Role of VEGF

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of blindness in the United States and other industrialized countries. Retinal neovascularization is the hallmark of the proliferative stage of diabetic retinopathy and is a major cause of vision loss in diabetes. This chapter discusses our current knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying retinal neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy, with a focus on the critical role played by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The current understanding of the stages of neovascularization is reviewed, beginning with the ischemic/hypoxic stimulus that is thought to play a critical role in the transition from nonproliferative to proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The evidence supporting the importance of VEGF in diabetic retinopathy is presented, including clinical, preclinical, and basic research studies. Furthermore, the regulation of VEGF expression in the retina as well as its actions at the cellular and molecular level is discussed in detail. In the light of VEGF's pathophysiologic importance in DR, the development of therapeutics targeting VEGF and its downstream actions is a promising approach for current and future treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Regulation of Vitellogenesis in Insects: The Pleiotropic Role of Juvenile Hormones

Endocrine controlled egg production in insects has been a major research topic since Wigglesworth [1] discovered the source of a hormone that promotes vitellogenesis in Rhodnius prolixus. Emphasis has been directed in recent years towards an understanding of the molecular mode of hormone action, and this has been particularly fruitful with regard to juvenile hormone (JH) directed vitellogenin synthesis [2,3]. Vitellogenin is the precursor to the major yolk protein of the mature eggs. It is produced in the fat bodies of most species, but in Drosophila the follicular epithelial cells of the ovaries also produce an identical protein species [4]. JH-controlled vitellogenin synthesis is a dramatic event, both because it is produced in an all-or-none fashion upon JH exposure and because of the massive quantities synthesized within a short period. Hormonal control is basically via induction of transcriptional events which are amenable to an experimental approach in many species of insects, and in analogy, as well in egg-laying vertebrates, such as amphibians and birds.
The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education: Expanding the Conversation to Include Gender and Sexuality Equity.

Many teachers and educational researchers have claimed to adopt tenets of Culturally Relevant Education (CRE), but recent work describes how standardized curricula and testing have marginalized CRE...
YAP independently regulates cell size and population growth dynamics via non-cell autonomous mediators

The Hippo pathway, in which changes at the cell surface and in the extracellular environment control the activity of a downstream transcription factor, known as YAP in mammalian cells and Yorkie in Drosophila, has recently taken center-stage as perhaps the most important pathway in metazoans for controlling organ size. In intact tissues YAP activity is inhibited and the organ does not overgrow. When the organ is damaged, YAP is active and necessary for growth and regeneration to occur. The exact process by which YAP drives organ and tissue growth is not fully understood, although it is known to affect both cell size and cell number. Since cell size and proliferation are highly interdependent in many cultured cell studies, we investigated the role of YAP in the simultaneous regulation of both cell size and number. Our experiments reveal that YAP controls both cell size and cell proliferation by independent circuits, and that it affects each process non-cell autonomously via extracellular mediators. We identify that CYR61, a known secreted YAP target, is the major regulator of the non-cell autonomous increase in cell number, but does not affect cell size. The molecular identity of the non-cell autonomously acting mediator of cell size is yet to be identified.
To Want the Unwanted: Latinx English Language Learners on the Border

Scandals rooted in the pressures of high-stakes schooling have pushed school leaders and districts to a tipping point in the education of the marginalized and vulnerable. This chapter explores how some parts of our education system have evolved into ones in which the dehumanization of vulnerable students, their parents, and their communities has become commonplace. In the pursuit of praxis, this author argues that we must consider actions at the individual and local level to bring about localized, incremental change that can result in larger cumulative movements of counter-narratives and counter-pedagogies in response to this trend of dehumanization in our schooling of ethnic, racial, and linguistic minorities.
JNK MAPK Regulates IFN-Stimulated Genes and Cell Adhesion in Chemoresistant, Quiescent Leukemic Cells

Cancer cells survive environmental stresses including DNA damage-inducing chemotherapy by entering cellular quiescence (G0). In our previous study, to elucidate how G0 leukemic cells become resistant to chemotherapy, we profiled them at the transcriptome, translatome and proteome levels. Here, we used these datasets to identify differentially expressed genes and find that IFN-stimulated genes are highly expressed in our G0 models of leukemic cells induced by AraC chemotherapy or serum-starvation. Mechanistically, upon induction of G0, STAT1 is phosphorylated on tyrosine 701, leading to transcription of IFN-stimulated genes. Importantly, our data reveal that activation of JNK and p38 MAPK is integral to STAT1 phosphorylation and expression of IFN-stimulated genes. Pharmacological inhibition of either JNK or p38 MAPK greatly reduced expression of IFN-stimulated genes as well as STAT1 phosphorylation, revealing a JNK-STAT1 pathway that regulates IFN-stimulated genes. While the expression of IFN-stimulated genes does not affect survival rates of patients with hematological malignancies and chemoresistance of G0 leukemic cells, we find that this JNK-STAT1 pathway enhances adherence of G0 leukemic cells. Consistently, inhibition of the JNK-STAT1 pathway dramatically reduced the number of adherent G0 cells. Interestingly, STAT1 is transiently phosphorylated within 24 hours of chemotherapy, leading to transcriptional expression of IFN-stimulated genes. Subsequently, post 24 hours of chemotherapy, translational regulation attenuates their expression, thereby enabling precisely controlled expression of IFN-stimulated genes in G0 leukemic cells. These studies uncover translational and transcriptional regulation of IFN-stimulated genes by a JNK-STAT1 pathway that enhances cell adhesion in G0 leukemic cells.
Results of a pilot randomized controlled trial: A couple-based meditation intervention for patients with metastatic lung cancer and their partners.

135Background: Although mindfulness-based interventions have been widely examined in patients with early stage cancer, the feasibility and efficacy of these types of programs are largely unknown in...