cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract IA01: Targeting phosphoinositide 3-kinase for cancer therapy

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is a central enzyme in a signaling pathway that mediates cellular responses to insulin and other growth factors. The signaling pathway involving insulin, PI3K and the downstream components of AKT and mTOR is highly conserved from worms and flies to humans and genetic analysis of the pathway has revealed a conserved role in regulating glucose metabolism and cell growth. Germline mutational events that lead to hyperactivation of the PI3K pathway result in hamartoma syndromes and cancers. Sporadic activating mutations in PIK3CA, encoding the p110alpha catalytic subunit of PI3K or inactivating mutations in PTEN, a phosphoinositide 3-phosphatases that reverses the effects of PI3K, are among the most common events in solid tumors. More than thirty drugs that target PI3K and other components of this pathway are in clinical trials for a variety of cancers. It is likely that PI3K pathway inhibitors will need to be combined with other drugs to be broadly effective. We have employed genetically engineered mouse models that develop cancers due to mutations in genes in the PI3K pathway and are using these models to explore the efficacy of PI3K pathway inhibitors as single agents or in combination with other drugs. The role of PI3K inhibitors for treating cancers in these mouse models and in human trials will be discussed. Citation Format: Lewis C. Cantley. Targeting phosphoinositide 3-kinase for cancer therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Targeting the PI3K-mTOR Network in Cancer; Sep 14-17, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(7 Suppl):Abstract nr IA01.
Designing type inference for typed object-oriented languages

Type-checked object-oriented languages have typically been designed with extremely simple type systems. However, there has recently been intense interest in extending such languages with more sophisticated types and subtyping relationships. JAVA and C# are mainstream languages that have been successfully extended with generic classes and methods; SCALA, FORTRESS, and X10 are new languages that adopt more advanced typing features, such as arrows, tuples, unions, intersections, dependent types, and existentials. Presently, the type inference performed by these languages is unstable and evolving. This thesis explores problems arising in the design of a type inference specification for such languages. We first present a formal description of subtyping in the context of a variety of advanced typing features. We then demonstrate how our formal subtyping algorithm can be easily re-expressed to produce a type inference algorithm, and observe that this algorithm is general enough to address a variety of important type-checking problems. Finally, we apply this theory to a case study of the JAVA language's type system. We express JAVA'S types and inference algorithm in terms of our formal theory and note a variety of opportunities for improvement. We then describe the results of applying an improved type inference implementation to a selection of existing JAVA code, noting that, without introducing significant backwards-incompatibility problems for these programs, we've managed to significantly reduce the need for annotated method invocations.
Regulation of integrin αIIbβ3 ligand binding and signaling by the metal ion binding sites in the β I domain.

The ability of αIIbβ3 to bind ligands and undergo outside-in signaling is regulated by three divalent cation binding sites in the β I domain. Specifically, the metal ion-dependent adhesion site (MI...
Predictors of Physical Activity in the Transition After High School Among Young Women

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with physical activity (PA) in women during the first year following high school. Methods: Females from 22 high schools (n = 915) completed the 3-Day Physical Activity Recall in 12th grade and reported if they were sports participants. After graduation, 305 women (18.9 ± 0.6 years) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. They reported time spent per day in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and vigorous PA (VPA) for the previous week. Multiple logistic regression was used to predict postgraduate PA. Results: The odds of being in the high-active group were greater in women who were sports participants (OR = 1.93) in 12th grade. The odds of being in the high-active group were greater among white women (OR = 2.09) and greater among currently employed women compared with unemployed women (OR = 5.57). MVPA had borderline significance in the regression model. Conclusion: Sports participation and being currently employed predi...
Endocrine changes with critical illness.

Many alterations in hormonal economy occur predictably with critical illnesses, including changes in thyroid hormones, glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and gonadotrophins. These effects are generally nonspecific and relate primarily to the severity of the illness, rather than to the exact nature of the illness. Thus a wide variety of critical illnesses, ranging from severe pneumonia to hepatic or renal failure, all tend to produce a similar pattern of “stress-induced” hormonal alterations.
High-birefringence photonic crystal fiber structures based on the binary morse-thue fractal sequence

A novel index-guiding Silica glass-core hexagonal High-Birefringence Photonic Crystal Fiber (HB-PCF) is proposed, with five rings of standard cladding air circular holes arranged in four formations inspired by the Binary Morse-Thue fractal Sequence (BMTS). The form birefringence, confinement loss, chromatic dispersion, effective mode area, and effective normalized frequency are evaluated for the four PCFs operating within (1.8 - 2 μm) eye-safe wavelength range. Modeling and analysis of the four PCF formations are performed deploying full-vector analysis in Finite Element Method (FEM) using COMSOL Multiphysics. Respecting fabrication and in light of commercial availability in designing the proposed PCF structures, a high birefringence of up to (6.549 × 10 -3 at 2 μm) is achieved with dispersionfree single-mode operation. Confinement loss as low as (3.2 × 10 -5 - 6.5 × 10 -4 dB/m for 1.8 - 2 μm range) is achieved as well. Comparison against previously reported PCF structures reveals the desirably higher birefringence of our BMTS HB-PCF. The proposed PCFs are of vital use in various optical systems (e.g.: multi-wavelength fiber ring laser systems, and tunable lasers), catering for applications such as: optical sensing, LIDAR systems, material processing, optical signal processing, and optical communication.
Effects of matrix metalloproteinases on the fate of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have great potential as a source of cells for cell-based therapy because of their ability for self-renewal and differentiation into functional cells. Moreover, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have a critical role in the differentiation of MSCs into different lineages. MSCs also interact with exogenous MMPs at their surface, and regulate the pericellular localization of MMP activities. The fate of MSCs is regulated by specific MMPs associated with a key cell lineage. Recent reports suggest the integration of MMPs in the differentiation, angiogenesis, proliferation, and migration of MSCs. These interactions are not fully understood and warrant further investigation, especially for their application as therapeutic tools to treat different diseases. Therefore, overexpression of a single MMP or tissue-specific inhibitor of metalloproteinase in MSCs may promote transdifferentiation into a specific cell lineage, which can be used for the treatment of some diseases. In this review, we critically discuss the identification of various MMPs and the signaling pathways that affect the differentiation, migration, angiogenesis, and proliferation of MSCs.
OR13 Mitogen-activated protein kinase P38 and C-JUN NH2-terminal kinase regulate hla class II antibody-stimulated activation of human aortic endothelial cells

Aim Transplant recipients developing donor specific HLA antibodies (DSA) are at a higher risk for acute and chronic antibody (Ab) mediated rejection (AMR). HLA Ab contribute to the process of AMR by binding to the HLA molecules on endothelial cells (EC) and triggering signal transduction pathways leading to EC activation, adhesion molecule expression, proliferation and migration. DSA against HLA class I appear earlier, while class II DSA tends to prevail late post transplantation and associate with chronic graft dysfunction. Ligation of HLA-I with Ab on EC and smooth muscle cells have been shown to contribute to the process of transplant vasculopathy. However, the mechanism(s) underlying how HLA-II Ab contribute to chronic rejection remain unknown. Method Primary human aortic EC were infected with recombinant adenovirus pAd/PL-DEST encoding CIITA (Ad-CIITA) an HLA-II transactivator, or pretreated with TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma. HLA-II expression was determined by flow cytometry. Ad-CIITA infected or cytokine-treated EC were stimulated with anti-HLA-II Ab, phosphorylation was detected by Western Blot, EC proliferation was measured by BrdU incorporation and analyzed by flow cytometry. Results Infection of EC with Ad-CIITA or pretreatment of EC with TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma induced a marked increase in HLA-II antigen expression and CIITA protein presentation. Ligation of HLA-II antigens on Ad-CIITA infected EC or TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma pretreated EC stimulated a significant increase in phosphorylation of MAPK p38 and JNK. Ligation of HLA on Ad-CIITA infected EC or TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma pretreated EC with class II mAb also stimulated cell proliferation. Pretreatment of class II positive EC with pharmacological inhibitors of p38 (SB203580) or JNK (SP600125) or siRNA inhibited HLA-II Ab-stimulated EC proliferation. Conclusions In this study we found that Ad-CIITA infection or TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma treatment can induce HLA-II expression on EC. Ligation of class II with Ab on EC triggers intracellular signal transduction promoting cell proliferation via a MAPK dependent pathway. Our results provide information on novel mechanisms of HLA-II Ab-mediated activation of EC. Disrupting activation of MAPK p38 or JNK may provide new therapeutic targets to prevent AMR.
Dosimetric and radiobiologic comparison of 103Pd COMS plaque brachytherapy and Gamma Knife radiosurgery for choroidal melanoma.

Abstract Purpose Plaque brachytherapy (BT) and Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) are highly conformal treatment options for choroidal melanoma. This study objectively compares physical dose and biologically effective dose (BED) distributions for these two modalities. Methods and Materials Tumor and organ-at-risk (OAR) dose distributions from a CT-defined reference right eye were compared between 103Pd COMS (Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study Group) plaques delivering 70 Gy (plaque heterogeneity corrected) over 120 h to the tumor apex and GKRS plans delivering 22 Gy to the 40% isodose line for a representative sample of clinically relevant choroidal melanoma locations and sizes. Tumor and OAR biologically effective dose-volume histograms were generated using consensus radiobiologic parameters and modality-specific BED equations. Results Published institutional prescriptive practices generally lead to larger tumor and OAR physical doses from COMS BT vs. GKRS. Radiobiologic dose conversions, however, revealed variable BEDs. Medium and large tumors receive >1.3 times higher BEDs with COMS BT vs. GKRS. OAR BEDs have even greater dependence on tumor size, location, and treatment modality. For example, COMS BT maximum BEDs to the optic nerve are lower than from GKRS for large anterior and all posterior tumors but are higher for anterior small and medium tumors. Conclusions BT and GKRS for choroidal melanoma have different physical dose and BED distributions with potentially unique clinical consequences. Using published institutional prescriptive practices, neither modality is uniformly favored, although COMS BT delivers higher physical doses and BEDs to tumors. These results suggest that lowering the physical prescription dose for COMS BT to more closely match the BED of GKRS might maintain equivalent tumor control with less potential morbidity.
Similar Risks for Late-Onset Chronic Kidney Disease in Myeloablative and Reduced-Intensity Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Survivors.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been reported in nearly 20% of recipients of myeloablative (MA) allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). HCT using reduced-intensity (RIC) conditioning is associated with lower morbidity and mortality, but the risk of CKD after RIC HCT is not well known. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the incidence of CKD after MA and RIC HCT. Adult allogeneic HCT recipients were eligible if (1) they received an allogeneic HCT between 2000 and 2005, (2) survived for ≥ 1 year post-HCT, and (3) had no history of CKD pre-transplant. The dose of total body irradiation in MA and RIC regimens was 1320 cGy (165 cGy twice daily × 4 days) and 200 cGy (single fraction), respectively, and was given without kidney shielding. CKD was defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 6 months (RR 3.48 [2.33–2.56]). ARF within the first 180 days also predicted the risk for CKD. Compared to severe ARF [lowest GFR ≤ 30], RR of CKD was 0.40 [0.23–0.69] for moderate ARF [lowest GFR 31–59] and 0 for no ARF [lowest GFR ≥ 60]. In conclusion, CKD is frequent in long term adult allogeneic HCT survivors. RIC is associated with similar risks of CKD as MA conditioning. Older age, ARF, acute graft-versus-host disease and prolonged CSA exposure increases the risk of CKD. Continuous monitoring of renal function is necessary in allogeneic HCT survivors and studies exploring prevention strategies are needed.
Chronic Infections of the Chest Wall

Chronic chest wall infections may occur in soft tissue, cartilage, and bone. They may present as localized chest wall pain, a discrete mass initially mistaken for neoplasm, a superficial infection, or a draining sinus. Chronic chest wall infections are typically non-necrotizing and associated with lower morbidity than their more acute and necrotizing counterparts. Effective management of chest wall infections ranges from antimicrobial administration to wide surgical resection and subsequent reconstruction.
Assessing the Impact of the Holocaust Museum Houston's Field Trips on Adolescents' Civic Values

Civics-based educational interventions are intended to prepare students for effectively engaging in democratic society. Social studies curriculum and instruction scholars have made strong cases for the vital role that teaching adolescents about the Holocaust serves in fostering and reinforcing civic values. While these lessons have great promise, however, effectively teaching about the Holocaust poses substantial challenges for educators whom may not be well-versed or comfortable with teaching challenging, sensitive topics. Holocaust museums and memorials have played a critical role in helping teachers overcome these obstacles. Scholars have commended these efforts, but the body of empirical research evaluating these supports is limited. Applying experimental methods with a sample of 865 students across 15 middle and high school campuses, we examine the causal effects that a field trip intervention to the Holocaust Museum Houston has on students’ civic values. We find that this experience has a significant, positive impact on students’ desires to protect civil rights and liberties. Students also demonstrate a more accurate grasp of historical facts regarding the Holocaust. Overall, we did not find significant evidence that this intervention affected students’ sense of civic obligation, empathy, willingness to take on roles as “upstanders,” inclinations towards civil disobedience, or the willingness to donate to charities whose missions align with these objectives. We also find that this experience appears to have a negative effect with regard to tolerance. However, this particular result is possibly attributed to ceiling or framing effects. Finally, we find substantial differences in outcomes by student subgroups. Specifically, female students experience significant negative effects with regard to their senses of civic obligation and empathy as a result of their field trip experiences; estimates on these outcomes with males are in the positive direction, though they are statistically insignificant. Hispanic/Latinx and African-American students appear to have propelled the overall positive effect on the preservation of civil liberties; white students experience positive effects on support for civil disobedience in response to acts of injustice but demonstrate negative effects on empathy. Finally, students from less-educated parent households appear to have driven the negative effect on tolerance. Students from college-educated parental households experience positive effects in terms of preserving liberty as well as their willingness to financially support charitable causes whose missions overlap with secondary Holocaust education objectives.
A Goldilocks God: Open Theism as a Feuerbachian Alternative?

In contemporary philosophy of religion (and philosophical theology), abstract, indeterminate, and largely continental, discourse about God’s absence is sometimes placed in stark opposition to concrete, overly determinate, and largely analytic, discourse about God’s presence. In this paper we argue that this recent trend, which appears to force a decision between extremes, misses the importance of living in the space between—where one’s God-talk would be characterized by epistemic humility and also theological determinacy. Somewhere between the temptations toward apophatic indeterminacy and kataphatic arrogance is where existence happens as we try to live before God and with others in our historical context. Drawing on Ludwig Feuerbach’s rejection of positive theology as anthropocentric arrogance and negative theology as cowardice, we suggest that Open Theism productively maintains the tension between absence and presence that is required of us as existing individuals .
Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy of methacrylate-based functional monomers at the hydrophilic solid–liquid interface

2-Substituted ethyl methacrylate monomers were characterized using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFGVS) to study the effect of substituent groups in the organization of the monomers at the monomer-hydrophilic quartz interface. The SFG spectra of the methacrylate-based functional monomers collected at the hydrophilic quartz interface were found to be different from those collected at the air-monomer interface. The various spectral profiles indicated different conformations of the molecular groups at the solid-liquid interface. Moreover, a peak shift of the methyl symmetric stretch from ∼2900 cm-1 to ∼2880 cm-1 was observed from the air-liquid to solid-liquid interface, respectively. This observation of peak shifting is due to two factors: (1) a change in the chemical environment of the methacrylate-based monomer from air-to-liquid surfaces and (2) interaction between the ester carbonyl group of the monomer and the surface hydroxyl silanol group of the amorphous quartz surface. Also, the monomers were characterized in the carbonyl region, which showed the presence of the C[double bond, length as m-dash]O stretch in the SFG spectrum. This result is indicative of the hydrogen bonding interactions existing between the carbonyl group of the monomers and the Si-OH groups of the hydrophilic quartz interface. In addition, the changes in the SFG intensity of the C[double bond, length as m-dash]O peak at ∼1730 cm-1 revealed that the conformation of the C[double bond, length as m-dash]O groups is affected by bulky substituents. Furthermore, the conformational changes of these functionalized monomers at the hydrophilic solid-neat liquid interface was investigated using SFGVS.
Comparison of anterior segment health in wild and captive common murres.

Objective To evaluate and compare the anterior segment health of wild and captive common murres. Procedures Thirty wild common murres (Uria aalge) were captured and housed in freshwater pools and had an adnexal and anterior segment exam performed prior to a subsequent wildlife health study. The examination included phenol red thread tear tests, fluorescein staining, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, rebound tonometry, and conjunctival culture sampling. Six captive common murres housed in natural seawater at the Monterey Bay Aquarium were examined in a similar manner. Results The most common ophthalmic lesion in the wild birds was corneal fibrosis with 55% prevalence, and over half of these were potentially vision threatening. Lenticular opacity (cataract or sclerosis or both) was the most common lesion in captive murres seen in 67% of the eyes. Mean phenol red tear test for all eyes without ulcers was 20 ± 3.6 mm. Mean intraocular pressure for all eyes without ulcers or flare was 23 ± 2.6 mmHg. The wild murres had a low percentage (17%) of positive conjunctival cultures. The captive murres had no growth on any culture. Conclusions Wild murres are more likely to suffer corneal lesions, whereas captive murres are more likely to experience age-related lenticular diseases. Corneal scarring indicates that wild murres are frequently exposed to ocular trauma and the body condition scores indicate they appear to remain successful predators despite some vision compromise.
Caspofungin resistant disseminated candidiasis in a 7-year old girl with T cell lymphoma: a case report

Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk of disseminated candidiasis. Guidelines for the treatment of invasive candidiasis were last published in 2009, but resistance to the recommended treatment has recently been described in the literature. Here we present the case of an immunocompromised child with T-cell lymphoma who died secondary to disseminated candidiasis despite prolonged antifungal therapy. Awareness of the increasing resistance patterns of Candida when caring for immunocompromised patients, especially pediatric patients, may improve treatment and create better patient outcomes.
The Globalization of Labor and the Limits of Sovereignty: Immigration and the Politics of Forgiveness

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of ever-growing global migration of people with a following set of questions: (1) What are the main causes of this global phenomenon?; (2)...
The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Marijuana-Related Attitude and Perception Among US Adolescents and Young Adults

Marijuana liberalization policies are gaining momentum in the USA, coupled with limited federal interference and growing dispensary industry. This evolving regulatory landscape underscores the importance of understanding the attitudinal/perceptual pathways from marijuana policy to marijuana use behavior, especially for adolescents and young adults. Our study uses the restricted-access National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2004–2012 data and a difference-in-differences design to compare the pre-policy, post-policy changes in marijuana-related attitude/perception between adolescents and young adults from ten states that implemented medical marijuana laws during the study period and those from the remaining states. We examined four attitudinal/perception pathways that may play a role in adolescent and young adult marijuana use behavior, including (1) perceived availability of marijuana, (2) perceived acceptance of marijuana use, (3) perceived wrongfulness of recreational marijuana use, and (4) perceived harmfulness of marijuana use. We found that state implementation of medical marijuana laws between 2004 and 2012 was associated with a 4.72% point increase (95% CI 0.15, 9.28) in the probability that young adults perceived no/low health risk related to marijuana use. Medical marijuana law implementation is also associated with a 0.37% point decrease (95% CI − 0.72, − 0.03) in the probability that adolescents perceived parental acceptance of marijuana use. As more states permit medical marijuana use, marijuana-related attitude/perception need to be closely monitored, especially perceived harmfulness. The physical and psychological effects of marijuana use should be carefully investigated and clearly conveyed to the public.
Lexical and Conceptual Memory in Fluent and Nonfluent Bilinguals

Abstract Research on bilingual memory suggests that words in each language are stored in separate lexical systems, but that concepts are stored in a representation common to both languages. When individuals are in early phases of acquiring a second language, lexical connections appear to mediate cross-language performance. However, as second language learners acquire expertise, they begin to conceptually mediate their understanding of second language words. In this chapter we focus on the implications of this change for second language representation. We present (1) evidence that suggests that lexical connections between the two languages remain active after concept mediation is achieved, and (2) a model of bilingual representation in which cross-language connections between lexical and conceptual memory are asymmetric.
Flock house virus: a simple model for studying persistent infection in cultured Drosophila cells

Flock house virus (FHV), isolated from twenty Drosophila melanogaster cell lines, persistently infected with the virus, were examined during successive serial passages by plaque assay and sequence analysis. No phenotypic or genotypic changes in the virus were observed during the establishment of persistent infection, suggesting that it was a cellular modification that led to the first step in establishing the persistent state. Once this state was initiated, the virus was relieved of the need for a functional coat protein to propagate itself and mutations began to accumulate selectively in RNA2, the gene for the coat protein. These changes were manifested by a gradual drift to a smaller plaque population. The replicase activity, coded by RNA1, remained unaltered.
Molecular mechanisms of androgen action

Androgens directly regulate a vast number of physiological events. These direct androgen effects are mediated by a nuclear receptor that exhibits four major functions or activities: steroid binding, DNA binding, transactivation, and nuclear localization. The SBD consists of a hydrophobic pocket of amino acids that exhibits high-affinity, androgen-specific binding. Based on studies of mutant AR, it appears that a number of different amino acids contribute to the steroid binding characteristics of the AR. The DNA binding domain confers sequence-specific binding to structures called androgen-responsive elements. The specificity of steroid binding and DNA binding provides a crucial basis for androgen-specific regulation of target genes. The nuclear localization signal shares homology with known nuclear localization signals and, coupled with the presence of androgens, is responsible for localizing the AR to the nucleus. The transactivation functions reside mostly in the NH2 terminus but the responsible domains are as yet poorly defined. Though the different domains can act as independent moieties, one domain can clearly alter the behavior of another domain. For instance, the SBD appears to inhibit the transactivating functions until steroid is bound and the amino terminus prevents DNA binding activity until steroid is bound. The relative ease of introducing mutations with polymerase chain reaction technology will facilitate further delineation of critical amino acids and domains responsible for the various activities of the AR. The recent cloning and characterization of AR promoters revealed that the AR genes are driven by a TATA-less promoter characteristics of housekeeping genes. Analysis of transcription rates, mRNA levels, and protein levels indicates that androgens and pkA and pkC pathways modulate expression of AR mRNA and protein. This indicates that the same signal pathways that interact to regulate androgen target genes also regulate the levels of AR in the target tissues. Surprisingly few androgen-regulated genes have been well characterized for the mechanisms by which androgen regulates the gene. The C(3), Slp, probasin, PSA, and hKLK2 genes have provided examples where androgens regulate transcription. Posttranscriptional regulation by androgens has been demonstrated for the SVP1, 2, 3, and 4 and AR genes. The mechanisms underlying posttranscriptional regulation are poorly defined but substantial progress has been made in defining the critical elements that mediate transcriptional effects of androgens. Transcriptional effects are mediated through binding of androgen-AR complexes to specific DNA sequences called AREs. Simple AREs such as those found in C(3) and kallikrein genes tend to be permissive in that GR and PR can also act through the same element.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
IT Investment Under Competition: The Role of Implementation Failure

How does competition impact firms’ incentive to innovate by investing in information technology (IT)? Prior literature suggests opposite predictions on the direction in which competition drives IT ...
Comprehensive Characterization of Petroleum Acids by Distillation, Solid Phase Extraction Separation, and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

Crude acids or petroleum acids are considered to be one of the prime contributors to corrosion, emulsion, and fouling issues across upstream, downstream, and chemical operations. Thus, the composition of crude acids has been extensively studied in the last several decades. To achieve molecular level characterization, mass spectrometry is typically applied. However, one of the challenges in mass spectrometry characterization is that the dynamic range of the technique can severely limit the compositions observed. Here, we employ multiple separations before analyzing crude oil acid fractions to overcome this limitation. First, a whole crude (WC) oil was distilled into boiling point fractions including vacuum gas oil (VGO) and vacuum residue (VR). Acids were then collectively isolated from the VGO and VR fractions as well as the starting WC using a solid phase extraction (SPE) method. Isolated acids were also further separated by molecular weight (MW) using a similar SPE technique. The acid fractions were the...
Adenine acts in the kidney as a signaling factor and causes salt- and water-losing nephropathy: early mechanism of adenine-induced renal injury.

Chronic adenine feeding is extensively used to develop animal models of chronic renal failure with metabolic features resembling those observed in humans. However, the mechanism by which adenine in...
Dedifferentiation by adenovirus E1A due to inactivation of Hippo pathway effectors YAP and TAZ

Adenovirus transformed cells have a dedifferentiated phenotype. Eliminating E1A in transformed human embryonic kidney cells derepressed ∼2600 genes, generating a gene expression profile closely resembling mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This was associated with a dramatic change in cell morphology from one with scant cytoplasm and a globular nucleus to one with increased cytoplasm, extensive actin stress fibers, and actomyosin-dependent flattening against the substratum. E1A-induced hypoacetylation at histone H3 Lys27 and Lys18 (H3K27/18) was reversed. Most of the increase in H3K27/18ac was in enhancers near TEAD transcription factors bound by Hippo signaling-regulated coactivators YAP and TAZ. E1A causes YAP/TAZ cytoplasmic sequestration. After eliminating E1A, YAP/TAZ were transported into nuclei, where they associated with poised enhancers with DNA-bound TEAD4 and H3K4me1. This activation of YAP/TAZ required RHO family GTPase signaling and caused histone acetylation by p300/CBP, chromatin remodeling, and cohesin loading to establish MSC-associated enhancers and then superenhancers. Consistent results were also observed in primary rat embryo kidney cells, human fibroblasts, and human respiratory tract epithelial cells. These results together with earlier studies suggest that YAP/TAZ function in a developmental checkpoint controlled by signaling from the actin cytoskeleton that prevents differentiation of a progenitor cell until it is in the correct cellular and tissue environment.
Bariatric surgery in the elderly: outcomes analysis of patients over 70 using the ACS-NSQIP database

Abstract Background Bariatric surgery offers patients with morbid obesity and related diseases short- and long-term benefits to their health and quality of life. Evidence-based medicine is integral in the evaluation of risk versus benefit; however, data are lacking for several high-risk patient populations, including the elderly. Objectives This study assessed morbidity and mortality data for patients age ≥70 undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Setting University Hospital, Bronx, New York, United States using national database. Methods We used the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database for years 2005–2016 and identified patients who underwent primary SG or RYGB. Patients age ≥70 were assigned to the over age 70 (AGE70+) cohort and younger patients were assigned to the under age 70 (U70) cohort. Postoperative length of stay and 30-day morbidity and mortality were assessed. Results A total of 1498 patients age ≥70 underwent nonrevisional bariatric surgery, including 751 (50.1%) SG and 747 (49.9%) RYGB. AGE70+ was associated with increased mortality and increased rates of cardiac, pulmonary, renal, and cerebrovascular morbidity. AGE70+ patients had longer mean length of stay, and were more likely to require transfusion and return to operative room. When stratified by procedure, rates of organ-space surgical site infection, acute renal failure, urinary tract infection, myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis/thrombophlebitis, and septic shock were significantly increased in AGE70+ patients undergoing RYGB but not SG. Impaired functional status was associated with increased rates of morbidity and mortality for AGE70+ patients and for U70 patients, although the small number of patients within each category limited statistical analysis. Conclusions Evaluation of risk versus benefit is performed on a case-by-case basis, but evidence-based medicine is critical in empowering surgeons and patients to make informed decisions. The overall rate of morbidity and mortality for AGE70+ patients undergoing bariatric surgery was increased relative to U70 patients. Rates of several adverse events, including acute renal failure and myocardial infarction, were increased in AGE70+ patients undergoing RYGB but not SG, suggesting that SG may be the preferred procedure for elderly patients with organ-specific risk factors. The increased rates of morbidity and mortality observed for patients with impaired functional status supports consideration of functional status when evaluating preoperative risk.
Battleground Zero: A Review of Best Practice Recommendations for Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile Testing

Abstract Diagnosing Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile infection can be difficult, especially when there is a lack of consensus in the definition, disagreement on the gold standard, and indecision as to which is the best testing method. As laboratorians, we look to published best practice documents for guidance, but oftentimes, the recommendations are not straightforward. This article reviews the most recent guidance documents published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America/Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the American College of Gastroenterology, the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and the American Society for Microbiology. Recommendations for the desired testing population, most accurate diagnostic test or testing algorithm, and frequency of testing are compared between the societies. A review of the guidance methodologies is provided, and strategies for laboratory adoption are discussed.
More than a Penny's Worth: Left-Digit Bias and Firm Pricing

Firms arguably price at 99-ending prices because of left-digit bias—the tendency of consumers to perceive a $4.99 as much lower than a $5.00. Analysis of retail scanner data on 3500 products sold by 25 US chains provides robust support for this explanation. I structurally estimate the magnitude of left-digit bias and find that consumers respond to a 1-cent increase from a 99-ending price as if it were more than a 20-cent increase. Next, I solve a portable model of optimal pricing given left-digit biased demand. I use this model and other pricing procedures to estimate the level of left-digit bias retailers perceive when making their pricing decisions. While all retailers respond to left-digit bias by using 99-ending prices, their behavior is consistently at odds with the demand they face. Firms price as if the bias were much smaller than it is, and their pricing is more consistent with heuristics and rule-of-thumb than with optimization given the structure of demand. I calculate that retailers forgo 1 to 4 percent of potential gross profits due to this coarse response to left-digit bias.
Leveraging Nanoparticle Dispersion State To Tune Vanadium Ion Selectivity of Nanophase-Segregated Ionomer Nanocomposites for Redox Flow Batteries.

Ionomer nanocomposites provide a promising solution to address ion crossover issues inherent to traditional ion-containing membranes used in batteries for grid-scale energy storage (e.g., vanadium ...
Monolithically fabricated tunable long-wave infrared detectors based on dynamic graphene metasurfaces

Here, the design, fabrication, and characterization of an actively tunable long-wave infrared detector, made possible through direct integration of a graphene-enabled metasurface with a conventional type-II superlattice infrared detector, are reported. This structure allows for post-fabrication tuning of the detector spectral response through voltage-induced modification of the carrier density within graphene and, therefore, its plasmonic response. These changes modify the transmittance through the metasurface, which is fabricated monolithically atop the detector, allowing for spectral control of light reaching the detector. Importantly, this structure provides a fabrication-controlled alignment of the metasurface filter to the detector pixel and is entirely solid-state. Using single pixel devices, relative changes in the spectral response exceeding 8% have been realized. These proof-of-concept devices present a path toward solid-state hyperspectral imaging with independent pixel-to-pixel spectral control through a voltage-actuated dynamic response.
Factors Influencing School Counselors’ Time Spent on Career Planning With High School Students:

Using a multinomial regression and a nationally representative sample of school counselors, we examined the factors influencing the percentage of time school counselors spend on career planning. Fi...
The ‘conceit of controllability’: nuclear diplomacy, Japan’s plutonium reprocessing ambitions and US proliferation fears, 1974-1978

US-Japanese nuclear diplomacy on plutonium reprocessing was a means by which both attempted to assert control. For Japan, this meant control over its energy supplies and the status associated with ...
Did Miranda Diminish Police Effectiveness

This paper examines the claims of Paul Cassell and Richard Fowles, who argue on the basis of a multiple regression analysis of the time series of national clearance rates, that the Supreme Court's Miranda decision has impaired police effectiveness. The paper notes that, although the raw clearance rates published by the FBI seem to have fallen sharply at about the time of the 1966 decision, it is difficult to tell how much of this result reflects changes in the reporting conduct of police departments and, if real, how much is the product of forces other than the Supreme Court's decision that are not well captured in the gross statistical model. The paper notes that clearance rates are not the best measure of the impact of Miranda since the decision only mandates the police to inform individuals of their rights when they are taken into custody, which is when the police consider a case to be cleared. Thus, any impact that Cassell and Fowles find is likely either to be spurious or to represent a reduction in clearances of crimes other than the one for which the recitation of rights is being offered.
Ectopic Vas Deferens Causing Recurrent Epididymo-Orchitis.

Abstract Vasal ectopia is a rare congenital anomaly arising from the close embryonic relationship between the proximal vas precursor and the common mesonephric duct. We present a case of an adolescent male with recurrent epididymitis with scrotal and inguinal abscesses found to have right ectopic vas draining into the bladder.
Military as an Institution and Militarization as a Process: Theorizing the U.S. Military and Environmental Justice

State reactions to Black Lives Matter demonstrations include heavily militarized domestic police responses and the deployment of the National Guard. These events place emphasis on understanding the...
Use of plasma late on cardiopulmonary bypass in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation.

Coagulopathy is common during left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, treatment of which can be challenging given the often-limited ability for the right ventricle to accommodate volume transfusion after device initiation with 20% to 40% of patients developing right ventricular failure (RVF). Transfusion of plasma late on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) combined with ultrafiltration may replace clotting factors while reducing volume administration. We compared outcomes in patients undergoing LVAD implantation receiving plasma on CPB and ultrafiltration with traditional transfusion practices. Co-primary outcomes needed for blood product transfusion in the first 6 and 24 hours after CPB. Secondary outcomes included metrics of morbidity and mortality. 396 patients were analyzed (59 plasma on CPB). Patients receiving plasma on CPB had a greater volume of blood products transfused (3764 vs. 2741 mL first 6 hours; 6059 vs. 4305 mL first 24 hours) in unadjusted analysis. In adjusted analysis, plasma transfusion on CPB with ultrafiltration had no significant effect on the primary outcomes of blood products given in the first 6 hours (estimated effect size 982 [-428, 2392] mL, P = .17) and 24 hours (estimated effect size 1076 [-904, 3057] mL, P = .29). Patients receiving plasma on CPB were more likely on either vasopressors or inotropes at 24 hours after ICU admission (P = .01), however, indices of coagulopathy and RVF were similar between groups. While prospective studies would be necessary to definitively evaluate the clinical utility of this strategy, no signal for benefit was observed suggesting plasma should not be used for this purpose.
Prospective Comparison of 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT with 18F-NaF PET/CT for Detection of Skeletal Metastases in Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer

1584 Objectives: 18F-DCFPyL is a promising 18F-labeled agent for PSMA PET imaging, available at our institution through a research access program. Here we compared 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT and 18F-NaF PET/CT for the detection of skeletal metastases in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer (BCR PC). Methods: We prospectively enrolled 50 patients (52-91 years old, 71.2 ± 7.4 years) who had 18F- DCFPyL PET/CT at BCR PC after definitive treatment with prostatectomy (30 patients) and/or radiation therapy (20 patients). A total of 16 of the 50 patients (63-86 years old, 73.6 ± 5.9 years) also had 18F-NaF PET/CT for identification of bone metastases. Up to 7 bone lesions were recorded per patient for each tracer. Results: Three patients did not have bone metastases. A total of 41 skeletal lesions were found. 18F DCFPyL PET/CT identified 32 bone lesions (78%) and 18F NaF PET/CT identified 35 lesions (85.4%). Congruent findings between 18F-DCFPyL and 18F NaF were found in 26/41 (63.4%) lesions. 18F DCFPyL identified 1 lesion missed on 18F NaF in 4 participants (4/41, 9.8%). However, 18F DCFPyL was negative in 2 patients with lesions found on 18F NaF (4/41 lesions, 9.8%). CT alone identified 21 lesions (51.2%). Conclusions: The performance of 18F DCFPyL PET/CT for detecting bone metastases is similar to that of 18F NaF PET/CT. Taken together with the accuracy of 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT in the detection of non-bone metastases and disease at low PSA presented separately, 18F DCFPyL PET/CT may be used as a “one stop shop” for evaluation of patients with BCR PC. However, more patients have to be evaluated to support these findings.
Transfer of Foreign Genes into Yellow-Poplar ( Liriodendron Tulipifera)

Yellow-poplar can be regenerated from tissue culture by somatic embryogenesis. The transformation of embryogenic cultures should allow the production of transgenic yellow-poplar plants. Direct gene transfer methods have been used to introduce the gene encoding s-glucuronidase (GUS) into protoplasts (polyethyene-glycol mediated uptake, electroporation) and intact cells (microprojectile bombardment) from suspension cultures. In addition to other parameters, the physiological age of the protoplasts was found to be an important factor in the transient expression of GUS. Intact cells, bombarded with DNA-coated tungsten particles, were found to express the marker gene individually and in cell clusters.
Strategic vs. Parametric choice in Newcomb’s Problem and the Prisoner’s Dilemma: Reply to Walker

In Bermudez 2013 I argued against David Lewis’s well-known and widely accepted claim that Newcomb’s problem and the prisoner’s dilemma are really notational variants of a single problem. Mark Walker’s paper in this journal (Walker, Philosophia, 42, 841–859, 2014) takes issue with my argument. In this note I show how Walker’s criticisms are misplaced. The problems with Walker’s argument point to more general and independently interesting conclusions about, first, the relation between deliberation and decision and, second, the differences between the prisoner’s dilemma, which is a strategic choice problem, and Newcomb’s problem, which is a parametric choice problem.
A Review of “The Cuban Missile Crisis in American Memory: Myths versus Reality”

In the two decades since the end of the Cold War, historians have taken advantage of newly available US and international sources to reassess the pivotal moments of the confrontation between the su...
Magnetic loss in AC motors in transportation

This paper describes a very practical model that can be used to determine the magnetic loss in motor driven by a nonsinusoidal waveform such an inverter waveform (e.g. PWM, six-step). We have shown that if either the classical eddy current losses or excess eddy current loss is the dominant loss mechanism, the loss due to nonsinusoidal waveform can far exceed die loss for the corresponding sinusoidal wave-from even when the frequency and the peak flux density are the same for the two types of waveforms. We pointed out that in such cases it is not appropriate to use the manufacturer supplied data for the sinusoidal waveform to describe the loss for nonsinusoidal waveforms. However, we have provided some simple formulas in this paper which can be used to calculate loss for nonsinusoidal waveform using the manufacturer supplied data.
Cosmic instability from radiation pressure

The Cosmic Background Explorer has recently confirmed the blackbody character of the microwave background to high accuracy (Mather et al. 1990), and will have the capability to detect other cosmic backgrounds throughout the infrared. A detection of cosmic background radiation dating from the pregalactic era would have important consequences for theories of cosmic structure. During the creation of such a background the pressure of the radiation itself causes an instability which leads inevitably to the growth of large-scale structure in the matter distribution. In contrast to conventional gravitational-instability models, the statistical properties of this structure are determined primarily by the self-organizing dynamics of the instability rather than details of cosmological initial conditions. The behavior of the instability is described here.