cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Focus on diagnosis: a primer on D-dimer.

1. Cristyn N. Camet, MD* 2. Donald L. Yee, MD† 1. *Pediatric Resident. 2. †Department of Pediatrics, Hematology-Oncology Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. The D-dimer antigen is a degradation byproduct of the fibrinolytic process (Figure) and is commonly used as a biomarker in various clinical settings such as the evaluation of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Much more literature on and collective experience with use of the D-dimer assay exists for adult than pediatric patients. However, thrombotic complications are becoming increasingly recognized in infants and children, and reports on this assay's utility in a variety of other pediatric applications are increasing. This review examines the biochemical basis of D-dimer formation, issues raised by the varied testing methods used to measure D-dimer, and the scenarios in which this assay may provide information useful for medical management. Figure. Sequential process of fibrinogen cleavage, fibrin polymerization, cross-linking, and fibrinolysis that leads to degradation products containing the D-dimer antigen. This diagram is simplified by depicting only a single fibrin strand and degradation products of uniform composition. Adapted from Adam SS, Key NS, Greenberg CS. D-dimer antigen: current concepts and future prospects. Blood . 2009;113:2878–2887. D-dimer formation begins with cleavage of fibrinogen molecules by activated thrombin into fibrin monomers, which then polymerize. Thrombin activates fibrin-bound factor XIII to form factor XIIIa that, in turn, catalyzes formation of covalent bonds between D-domains of the polymerized fibrin. Finally, during fibrinolysis, plasminogen is activated to plasmin, which cleaves the fibrin polymers at specific locations and releases fibrin degradation products that vary in molecular weight and size but include moieties containing the exposed D-dimer antigen. Thus, D-dimer concentrations are increased under any conditions of increased fibrin formation, as with hemostasis, …
A multilevel security model for a distributed object-oriented system

Distributed systems are vulnerable to a number of security attacks. The authors look at the security problems of object-based distributed systems, and propose a model based on labelling for multilevel security. The purpose of this model is to preserve the information flow security in a distributed object-oriented system. The authors consider the basic concepts of the object paradigm, and also the security threats to such systems. They postulate various modelling possibilities, and produce a specific set of security properties which describe a multilevel secure object model. This particular model should not be considered as a panacea, but rather should demonstrate how the various modelling decisions are reflected in an actual model. >
Diagnosis and minimally invasive surgical treatment of bleeding Meckel's diverticulum in children using double-balloon enteroscopy

Abstract Background/Purpose To demonstrate the diagnosis of bleeding Meckel's diverticulum (MD) using double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) and to highlight the utility of this technique for guidance in minimally invasive surgery. Materials and Methods From August 2011 to September 2014, 21 pediatric patients with bloody diarrhea underwent transanal DBE examinations. When a lesion such as MD or a tumor was detected, the enteroscopic light source was brought as close to the umbilicus as possible. A small incision was made at the umbilicus, and the lesion indicated by the enteroscopic light source was pulled out of the umbilicus for lesion removal and intestinal anastomosis. If no lesion was detected, the DBE exam was ended after the scope had been advanced at least 200 cm into the ileum. All patients were followed closely after discharge. Results Fourteen children were diagnosed with MD and underwent successful removal via an umbilical incision using enteroscopic light guidance; a standard resection was then performed. Two patients were diagnosed with lymphoma and successfully treated using the same method. Five patients had negative enteroscopic findings. Of these, a 4-year-old boy had recurrent bloody diarrhea and a negative laparoscopic evaluation after 7 months. In 4 patients, bloody diarrhea did not recur during follow-up. Conclusions DBE is an ideal tool for the diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of bleeding MD in children.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE END OF THE CLASSIC PERIOD IN YUCATAN: Resolving a paradox

Recent paleoecological research indicates that the collapse of Classic Maya civilization in the southern and central Maya Lowlands coincided with the onset of prolonged and severe drought conditions around A.D. 850. The northern Maya Lowlands is an area that receives much less rainfall today and probably did so throughout most of the recent past; nevertheless, many northern lowland sites not only persisted throughout the period of the drought but actually prospered under the hegemony of Chichen Itza. This paper attempts to resolve this obvious paradox by examining the adaptive responses made by the northern Maya. The northern lowlands had a slight edge in adapting to the climate change that apparently devastated the south because it had easy access to a diversity of resources that no doubt contributed to Chichen Itza's subsistence security and the enrichment of its realm. However, massive transformations in the political and religious domains were every bit as necessary to Chichen Itza's adaptive strategy. The seeming paradox of Chichen Itza's successful adaptation to environmental adversity represents a cautionary tale about the dangers of oversimplification that are inherent in environmental deterministic thinking. Paradoxes of this kind arise when the primacy of cultural factors in adaptive processes is ignored.
3-Bromopyruvate: A New Targeted Antiglycolytic Agent and a Promise for Cancer Therapy

The pyruvate analog, 3-bromopyruvate, is an alkylating agent and a potent inhibitor of glycolysis. This antiglycolytic property of 3-bromopyruvate has recently been exploited to target cancer cells, as most tumors depend on glycolysis for their energy requirements. The anticancer effect of 3-bromopyruvate is achieved by depleting intracellular energy (ATP) resulting in tumor cell death. In this review, we will discuss the principal mechanism of action and primary targets of 3-bromopyruvate, and report the impressive antitumor effects of 3-bromopyruvate in multiple animal tumor models. We describe that the primary mechanism of 3-bromopyruvate is via preferential alkylation of GAPDH and that 3-bromopyruvate mediated cell death is linked to generation of free radicals. Research in our laboratory also revealed that 3-bromopyruvate induces endoplasmic reticulum stress, inhibits global protein synthesis further contributing to cancer cell death. Therefore, these and other studies reveal the tremendous potential of 3-bromopyruvate as an anticancer agent.
Endothelin-1 enhances cross-bridge function of ferret myocardium: role of second messengers

To investigate postreceptor pathways of endothelin and the site of action responsible for enhancing myocardial contractility, studies were performed on ferret papillary muscles loaded with the Ca2+ indicator aequorin. Endothelin-1 (ET) and the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist, phenylephrine (PE) produced similar dose-dependent increases in tension development and peak intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i); moreover, pretreatment with PE eliminated effects of ET, suggesting similar postreceptor pathways. Because alpha 1-adrenoceptor activation is thought to cause the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol and generate D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG), the protein kinase C (PKC) activator 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was used to determine whether activation of PKC was responsible for the myocardial actions of ET. In contrast to ET, PMA decreased tension development and peak [Ca2+]i, and pretreatment with PMA attenuated the myocardial action of ET; however, intracellular Ins(1,4,5)P3 levels were greatly increased by ET stimulation, suggesting that rather than DAG, Ins(1,4,5)P3 might be the second messenger for the actions of ET. To determine whether ET produced actions on the contractile elements, thereby enhancing myocardial contractility, 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) was used to interfere with the interaction of myosin and actin. Pretreatment with 6 mM BDM did not alter the half-maximum effective concentration (EC50) of the [Ca2+]o-tension relation, but, in contrast, shifted the ET dose-response curve to the right, and increased the EC50 by approximately 1.0 log unit. In addition, ET partially reversed the downward shift of the peak [Ca2+]i-peak tension curve induced by BDM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Do Management Internal Control Certifications Increase the Likelihood of Restatement-Related Litigation?

Although the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposes internal control disclosure and certification requirements on management, regulators are concerned that companies are not disclosing material internal control weaknesses on a timely basis. This study investigates whether litigation risk could act as a mechanism to incentivize timely material weakness disclosure. Examining material weakness and restatement disclosures from 2003 – 2011, we find that restatement-related litigation is significantly greater for firms with material weakness disclosures regardless of when the material weakness was disclosed (i.e., during the misstated time period or following the restatement announcement). In fact, we find that over 75 percent of lawsuits allege that management falsely certified internal controls regardless of whether the material weakness was disclosed during or after the misstated time period. While we do not find evidence that internal control-related arguments are associated with the resolution of litigation, our results generally indicate that SOX-mandated internal control certifications are increasing litigation costs without providing management with an incentive to disclose material weaknesses on a timely basis.
Do Large-Scale Refinancing Programs Reduce Mortgage Defaults? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design

In 2012, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) reduced fees to refinance FHA-insured mortgages obtained before -- but not after -- a retroactive deadline. We use a natural experiment to study how reduced mortgage payments affect default rates. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that reducing payment size by 1 percent lowers conditional default rates by 2.75 percent. Evidence suggests that those effects are larger for borrowers with negative equity and lower credit scores. We estimate that the policy will prevent more than 35,000 defaults of FHA-insured mortgages, saving FHA nearly $1 billion in present-value terms.
Indirect Detection of Glycosidases Using Amperometry

Glycosidases are essential enzymes that cleave glycoside bonds. The presence of glycosidases have been widely used to detect pathogens, label cells/tissues, and report specific diseases. We have developed a rapid electrochemical assay to detect glycosidases. Exposure of electrochemically inactive substrates to glycosidases releases glucose, which can be measured easily using an electrochemical cell. Five different glycosidases were detected rapidly within 1 h using disposable electrodes. This assay could readily be incorporated into repurposed glucose meters to rapidly detect glycosidases, which in turn could be useful to report the presence of a pathogen or illness.
Edema Formation in the Newborn Lung

Pulmonary edema is an important cause of respiratory distress in newborn infants. It occurs with severe perinatal asphyxia, heart failure, hyaline membrane disease, persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus, pneumonitis from group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus, and chronic lung disease (bronchopulmonary dysplasia). Neonatal pulmonary edema often develops from increased pressure in the microcirculation of the lungs. This may occur in conjunction with sustained hypoxia; left ventricular failure associated with congenital heart disease or myocardial dysfunction; following excessive intravascular infusions of blood, colloid, fat, or electrolyte solution and in conditions that increase pulmonary blood flow. Low intravascular protein osmotic pressure from hypoproteinemia may predispose infants to pulmonary edema. Hypoproteinemia is common in infants who are born prematurely. Large intravascular infusions of protein-free fluid further decrease the concentration of protein in plasma and thereby facilitate edema formation. Lymphatic obstruction by air (pulmonary interstitial emphysema of fibrosis (chronic lung disease) also may contribute to the development of edema. Bacteremia, endotoxemia, and prolonged oxygen-breathing injure the pulmonary microvascular endothelium and cause protein-rich fluid to accumulate in the lungs. Epithelial protein leaks may develop when the transpulmonary pressure needed to inflate the lungs increases because of high surface tension at the air-liquid interface. Fibrin clots from in some of the air spaces, which in combination with atelectasis and edema constitute the pathologic features of hyaline membrane disease. The risk of neonatal pulmonary edema can be reduced by several therapeutic measures designed to lessen fluid filtration pressure, increase plasma protein osmotic pressure, and prevent or reduce the severity of lung injury.
A modified diphenylamine procedure for fructose or inulin determination.

SummaryA modification of Harrison's diphenylamine method for fructose or inulin determination is described, heating being carried out at 75°C for 60 minutes. With this procedure the ratio of fructose to glucose color production is 64, as compared with a ratio of 8 at 100°C for 30 minutes. Inulin hydrolysis is complete, the standard error of the method is less than 1 percent, the color is light stable and the low color production by glucose permits one to omit fermentation except in the presence of unusual glucose fluctuations.
Imaging the Nearfield of a Submerged-Plate Using Acoustical Holography

The image of the acoustic field near a driven, submerged plate has been obtained experimentally using underwater nearfield holography. In addition to a discussion of the results, this paper develops theoretical explanation, for mechanical and acoustical processes, and describes aspects of the work which may be of interest to others attempting similiar experiments.
Mutations leading to antifolate resistance in Chinese hamster ovary cells after exposure to the alkylating agent ethylmethanesulfonate

Chinese hamster ovary cells with a single allele for dihydrofolate reductase were used as a model system to study the effect of exposure to an alkylating agent, ethylmethanesulfonate, on rates and types of mutations at the dihydrofolate reductase locus leading to antifolate resistance. After overnight exposure to 400 micrograms/ml ethylmethanesulfonate, cells were allowed to recover for 3 days, and resistant colonies were selected in 8 x 10(-8) M trimetrexate. Trimetrexate, rather than methotrexate, was used as the selecting agent to increase the probability of obtaining mutations in dihydrofolate reductase, rather than in the reduced folate transport carrier protein. Seven of several hundred surviving colonies were selected at random, and cell lines were established. Cell lines 1-3 were maintained in culture in the presence of 8 x 10(-8) M trimetrexate and were 66-170-fold resistant to the drug. Cell lines 4-7 were initially expanded in 8 x 10(-8) M trimetrexate but were then maintained in the absence of the drug. These cell lines were 4.4-26-fold resistant to the drug, compared with the parental cell line. Cell line 1 was found to have an increase in dihydrofolate reductase activity, a corresponding increase in mRNA for dihydrofolate reductase, and amplification of this gene. Cell lines 2 and 6 had a mutated dihydrofolate reductase with altered trimetrexate- and methotrexate-binding properties. Cell line 3 had a 3-fold increase in dihydrofolate reductase activity. In cell lines 4, 5, and 7 the mechanisms of resistance to trimetrexate remain unknown.
Paleoindian fat-seeking behavior: Evidence from the Hell Gap Site, Locality II Agate Basin faunal assemblage

Analysis of the Agate Basin component faunal remains from the Hell Gap Site (48G0305) Locality II suggests that the assemblage results from a multi-dimensional formational history. Comparisons of s...
The molecules in the corneal basement membrane zone affected by mustard exposure suggest potential therapies

Mustard exposures result in epithelial-stromal separations in the cornea and epidermal-dermal separations in the skin. Large blisters often manifest in skin, while the cornea develops microblisters, and, when enough form, the epithelium sloughs. If the exposure is severe, healing can be imperfect and can result in long-term adverse consequences. For the cornea, this could manifest as recurrent corneal erosions. Since the corneal epithelial-stromal separations are in the region identified by electron microscopy as the lamina lucida, the same region affected by the blistering disease junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB), we postulated that the molecules that are defective in JEB would be the same ones cleaved by mustard compounds. These molecules are α6β4 integrin and collagen XVII, which can be cleaved by matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and ADAM17, respectively. Therefore, our laboratory has tested MMP-9 and ADAM17 inhibitors as potential therapies to attenuate corneal mustard injury. Our results demonstrated that inhibiting MMP-9 and ADAM17 resulted in less epithelial-stromal separation in the corneas at 24 h postexposure, as compared with using only medium as a therapy.
Evaluating mechanisms of proactive facilitation in cued recall

Abstract Confusion of older information with newer, similar information is a potent source of memory errors. The current project focused on understanding how memories for recent experiences interact, or interfere, with other related information. In the experiments, participants study multiple lists of pairs of items. Items from an initial study list (e.g., A-B) reappear on a second study list paired with new, other items (e.g., A-Br). Memory performance for A-Br pairs is contrasted with control pairs exclusive to the second study list (e.g., C-D). We observed that the correct recall of the second presentation of a target (Br) is better when cued by its partner (A) despite being studied with a different partner during the initial presentation; a phenomena called proactive facilitation. We examined multiple possible explanations for proactive facilitation, including whether proactive facilitation was driven by changes in response threshold, whether participants encoded the pairs with repeated items and associations better during the second study list, or whether participants spent more time searching memory for A-Br pairs. In general, the data appear to be most consistent with the idea that some items, when encountered a second time, are encoded more completely while others are not. Implications for models of memory are discussed.
Algae-based biofilm productivity utilizing dairy wastewater: effects of temperature and organic carbon concentration

Biofilm-based microalgal growth was determined as functions of organic chemical loading and water temperature utilizing dairy wastewater from a full-scale dairy farm. The dairy industry is a significant source of wastewater worldwide that could provide an inexpensive and nutrient rich feedstock for the cultivation of algae biomass for use in downstream processing of animal feed and aquaculture applications. Algal biomass was cultivated using a Rotating Algal Biofilm Reactor (RABR) system. The RABR is a biofilm-based technology that has been designed and used to remediate municipal wastewater and was applied to treat dairy wastewater through nutrient uptake, and simultaneously provide biomass for the production of renewable bioproducts. Aerial algal biofilm growth rates in dairy wastewater at 7 and 27 °C temperatures were shown to be 4.55 ± 0.17 g/m2-day and 7.57 ± 1.12 g/m2-day ash free dry weight (AFDW), respectively. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) calculations indicated that both an increase in temperature of the wastewater and an increase in the level of organic carbon, from 300 to 1200 mg L-1, contributed significantly to an increase in the rate of biomass growth in the system. However, ANOVA results indicated that the interaction of temperature and organic carbon content was not significantly related to the biofilm-based growth rate. A microalgae-based biofilm reactor was successfully used to treat turbid dairy wastewater. Temperature and organic carbon concentration had a statistically significant effect on algae-based biofilm productivity and treatment of dairy wastewater. The relationships between temperature, TOC, and productivity developed in this study may be used in the design and assessment of wastewater remediation systems and biomass production systems utilizing algae-based biofilm reactors for treating dairy wastes.
Academic Freedom Should Be Redefined: Point and Counterpoint

As part of the 2014-15 Academic Leadership Fellows Program, the cohort teams presented debates on topics relevant to academic pharmacy at a public forum during the 2015 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Interim Meeting. The topic of one of the debates was “Academic Freedom Should Be Redefined.” The “point” of the debate focused on important issues such as the fundamental definition of academic freedom as it was written in the 1940 American Association of University Professors’ Statement and the need for redefinition as a consequence of many misunderstandings and misinterpretations that have arisen over time. The “counterpoint” received the greatest support, and it asserted that redefinition is not necessary, but rather the need is to clearly articulate the intended meaning of academic freedom through education, discussion, and by not supporting inappropriate behaviors in the name of “academic freedom.” Reinforced clarity and operational guidance from the academy and academic institutions may ad...
Strip Cultures: Finding America in Las Vegas The Project on Vegas (Stacy M. Jameson, Karen Klugman, Jane Kuenz, and Susan Willis). Duke University Press, 2015.

Strip Cultures: Finding America in Las Vegas The Project on Vegas (Stacy M. Jameson, Karen Klugman, Jane Kuenz, and Susan Willis). Duke University Press, 2015.Strip Cultures: Finding America in Las Vegas is an interesting combination of personal experiences, research, on-the-spot photography, and serious scholarship all rolled into one. The authors call themselves "The Project on Vegas," a group of four academics from various universities and various disciplines who describe their personal experiences and encounters with real people in Las Vegas, both tourists and inhabitants, while deconstructing American culture and consumerism through interviews, conversations, and observations, mixed in with scholarship and research on popular culture and American capitalism. Interspersed throughout are over one hundred photographs of people, buildings, Strip locations, and photo montages which capture the essence and atmosphere that is Las Vegas. The authors spent over a decade visiting Las Vegas intermittently, both prior and after the economic recession of 2008, chronicling the constant flow, rise, and decline of the city, its visitors, and its citizens.The book is divided into thirteen sections, through which the authors provide a type of travelogue experience to the reader of their Las Vegas encounters. In the introduction, taking the "Deuce" or double-decker bus that goes up and down the Las Vegas Strip, the authors listen in on conversations of first-timers to the city and how these first impressions, both visual and cultural, are so important to those who visit the Strip. The first chapter captures the intensity and experience of Las Vegas "reality," whatever that is and means, framing the conversation around Elvis, sex and pornography, and first impressions of the various Las Vegas Strip hotels. Chapter Two explores the casino and gambling side of Vegas, with pictures of people sitting at the various slot machines in the casinos with various expressions of boredom, disgust, and interest. Chapter Three explores the sin in Sin City or rather the Surveillance Information Network (SIN) that chronicles everything and everyone in Las Vegas on a continual basis. There isn't a cubbyhole that doesn't have a camera pointing at it, watching visitors as well as the habits of the employees and professional gamblers at all times. This chapter is an eye-opening expose of government and corporate intelligence and surveillance methods in the wake of 9/11. …
Conceptualizing employability for PhD graduates: An understanding of academic mobility and cultural capital within the discipline of higher education.

This study explores the relationship between employability and academic mobility, within the field of higher education. The tools of Bourdieu’s theory of practice, specifically field and cultural capital, are used as an important ways to interrogate where and how PhD graduates secure employment
Possible precursory signals in damage zone foreshocks

Foreshocks may provide a precursory signal of an impending earthquake, but their role in nucleation of the mainshock is unclear. One way to further our understanding of foreshock failure mechanisms is to determine where they occur in the fault zone. However, earthquake locations commonly include uncertainties large enough to allow rupture on either the main fault interface or on subsidiary fractures within a surrounding damage zone. Here we obtain precise earthquake locations, with ~10 m uncertainty, for foreshocks and aftershocks of an Mw5.0 near Prague, OK, USA. Repeating earthquakes imply that some precursory slow slip occurred before the mainshock. In addition, we show that foreshocks initially rupture faults and fractures throughout the 300-meter-thick fault damage zone, and later localize onto a narrower zone (<100 m thick) nearer the mainshock hypocenter. Focal mechanisms corroborate that foreshocks occur in the surrounding damage zone as well as on the mainshock rupture interface. These results highlight that earthquake nucleation is most likely a complex feedback between frictional failure processes on the fault interface and deformation in the surrounding damaged rock, not just nucleation on a single surface.
Carbon Dioxide in Cerebral Extracellular Fluids

The extravascular extracellular compartment of the cerebral fluids consists of the cerebral interstitial fluid (cISF) and of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Both these fluids are continuously formed from, and returned to, the blood plasma (DAVSON [1967]). The rate of formation and bulk absorption of CSF is slow, about 0.5% of its total volume per minute (HEISEY et al. [1962]). In cISF the turnover is probably faster (FENCL et al. [1966]). CSF in the ventricles is separated from cISF by the ependyma; on the outer surface of the brain the separation between CSF and cISF is formed by pia-glia. Both these boundaries permit exchange by free diffusion of even large molecules, between cISF and the CSF in large cerebral cavities (BRIGHTMAN et al. [1970]).
Experiences in Asia - Education and Industry

Abstract This paper presents a discussion of the needs of the developing countries of Asia and other areas in terms of their industrial requirements and the education of the personnel needed to staff their industries as these strive to equal those of the present industrialized nations in terms of costs, quality and productivity. This paper is based on some observations made by the author during several trips in Asia, particularly in India and the Peoples Republic of China, where he was involved in several industrial development projects and educational programs.
Blueberry supplementation attenuates microglia activation and increases neuroplasticity in mice consuming a high-fat diet.

Objectives: Consuming a high-fat diet (HFD) may result in behavioral deficits similar to those observed in aging animals. Blueberries may prevent and even reverse age-related alterations in neurochemistry and behavior. It was previously demonstrated that middle-aged mice fed HFD had impaired memory; however, supplementation of HFD with blueberry reduced these memory deficits. As a follow-up to that study, the brain tissue from HFD-fed mice with and without blueberry supplementation was assessed to determine the neuroprotective mechanism(s) by which blueberry allayed cognitive dysfunction associated with HFD.Methods: Mice were fed HFDs (60% calories from fat) or low-fat diets (LFD) with and without 4% blueberry (freeze-dried, U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council). Microglia activation was assessed ex vivo and in vitro. The hippocampus was assessed for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurogenesis by measuring doublecortin (DCX).Results: There was significantly less microglia ionized calcium binding ...
Physical Activity as a Risk Factor for Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a highly fatal gynecologic malignancy that is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Most known risk factors are not easily modifiable, necessitating examination of modifiable lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and sedentary behavior, with risk. While putative biologic mechanisms of action, such as reduced adiposity, sex hormones, and inflammation, suggest that physical activity should lower ovarian cancer risk, results from epidemiologic studies have been less clear. In general, case-control studies have shown an inverse association, however potential recall bias and reverse causation may play a role in this relationship. Conversely, prospective studies generally have observed either a positive association or null results. This may be due to influences of moderate to vigorous activity on increasing ovulatory function compared to physical inactivity. Little research is available regarding associations with survival or the role of sedentary behavior. Clearly, additional research in cohort-based consortia with harmonized physical activity data is needed to further understand the complex role of physical activity with ovarian cancer risk and survival, overall and by tumor subtype.
Low-Density Lipoprotein Docosahexaenoic Acid Nanoparticles Kill Liver Cancer Cells by Ferroptosis

Low-density lipoprotein nanoparticles reconstituted with the natural omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (LDL-DHA), is a novel experimental therapeutic that has been reported to selectively kill malignant hepatoma cells over normal hepatocytes and effectively treat orthotopic liver tumors in the rat. To date, little is known about the cell death pathways by which LDL-DHA nanoparticles kill tumor cells. Here we show that the LDL-DHA nanoparticles are cytotoxic to both rat and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. Following LDL-DHA treatment both rat and human HCC cells experience pronounced lipid peroxidation, depletion of glutathione and inactivation of the lipid antioxidant glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4) . Inhibitor studies revealed that treated HCC cells die independent of apoptotic, necroptotic or autophagic pathways, but require the presence of cellular iron. These hallmark features are consistent and were later confirmed to reflect ferroptosis, a novel form of nonapoptotic iron-dependent cell death. In keeping with the mechanisms of ferroptosis cell death, GPX4 was also found to be a central regulator of LDL-DHA induced cytotoxicity. We also investigated the effects of LDL-DHA treatments in mice bearing human HCC tumor xenografts. In vivo treatments of LDL-DHA were extremely cytotoxic to the HCC tumors and severely inhibited their growth long term. Consistent with our in vitro findings, the LDL-DHA treated HCC tumors experienced ferroptotic cell death characterized by increased levels of lipid hydroperoxides and suppression of GPX4 expression. Supplementary studies with specific ferrrpotosis inhibitors also confirmed this mechanism of tumor killing by LDL-DHA. Conclusion LDL-DHA induces cell death in HCC cells through the ferroptosis pathway, this represents a novel molecular mechanism of anticancer activity for LDL-DHA nanoparticles.
Aldosterone and Renin

To appreciate the origins of the steroids produced in the zona glomerulosa (ZG) and zona fasciculata (ZF), the reader is referred to Fig. 1. The unique steroids from the ZG are 18-hydroxycorticosterone (180H-B) and aldosterone. The contribution of ZG corticosterone (B) and deoxycorticosterone (DOC) to peripheral blood levels must be minimal because current evidence suggests that they are primarily ACTH-dependent and of ZF origin. Only in the 17α-hydroxylase deficiency type of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) does 18OH-B originate from the ZF. Angiotensin II is the principal regulator of this zone, but acute or short-term administration of ACTH stimulates 18OH-B and aldosterone.
Virtual reality tools for the correction of automated volume segmentation errors using dense surface reconstructions

The Kasthuri laboratory at the University of Chicago seeks to map the human brain and have begun by mapping mouse brains at high resolutions. In 2015, using electron microscopy imaging of miniscule slices, Kasthuri et al. produced a high-resolution volume reconstruction of neocortical tissue roughly the size of 1500pm3: a resolution allowing identification of every synaptic vesicle [2]. Today, the Kasthuri lab has been working with the Argonne National Laboratory to automatically segment and visualize volumes using Argonne's supercomputers. This poster presents initial work on a toolset for neuroanatomists to use to engage with and correct errors associated to the automated segmentation, in anticipation of future, larger volumes. The project leverages commercial virtual reality head-mounted displays (HMDs), and will give scientists the opportunity to make corrections in real time and while disconnected from the supercomputers. The development follows studies that have found that greater field of regard, head tracking, and immersion improves visual analysis and spatial understanding of inherently three dimensional datasets.
Methods and Materials for Smart Manufacturing: Additive Manufacturing, Internet of Things, Flexible Sensors and Soft Robotics

Abstract With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the realization of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0, rapid advancements in technologies will change manufacturing of goods and services, apart from how we live. Innovation in digital technologies will have to be accompanied by advances in manufacturing processes and materials, to keep up with the transition. This paper will review and discuss the methods and material technologies present now, along with challenges to overcome, which will be critical for enabling smart manufacturing in the form of the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber-physical systems (CPS), human-robot interaction, augmented and virtual realities.
Kerry Mitchell, Spirituality and the State: Managing Nature and Experience in America’s National Parks (New York: New York University Press, 2016), xi + 247 pp., $30 (pbk), ISBN: 9781479873012

Kerry Mitchell, Spirituality and the State: Managing Nature and Experience in America’sNational Parks (New York: New York University Press, 2016), xi + 247 pp., $30 (pbk),ISBN: 9781479873012
Serotonin and Sexual Behavior

Abstract Serotonin's (5-HT) classical role in regulation of sexual behavior is to inhibit copulation. However, the neurotransmitter exerts a more complex influence on the behavior dependent on the particular aspect of the behavior examined. In this chapter, the historical basis for consideration of 5-HT as a major player in sexual behavior is discussed. Current information about the role of 5-HT in the sexual dysfunction that is associated with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is reviewed. Information on specific 5-HT receptor subtypes, though far from complete, implicates 5-HT 1A , 5-HT 1B , 5-HT 2A , 5-HT 2C , 5-HT 3 and 5-HT 7 receptors as potential mediators of 5-HT's influence on sexual behavior. Evidence for the involvement of each of these receptor subtypes is reviewed, and their different effects in males and females examined. Finally, the possible biological significance of serotonin's contribution to sexual behavior is examined.
Managerial Horizons, Accounting Choices and Informativeness of Earnings

Prior research has demonstrated that in companies with low managerial ownership managers exploit the latitude available in generally accepted accounting principles to alleviate contractual constraints, presumably to ensure job preservation (annual salary) and maximize incentive compensation (annual bonus). The result is accounting information that is less informative in low managerial ownership companies compared to companies with higher levels of managerial ownership. We hypothesize that in companies with low managerial ownership, higher levels of stock ownership relative to annual salary and bonus (i.e., the ratio of the market value of managerial ownership to annual compensation) mitigate managerial incentives to exploit accounting choices. Our findings are consistent with this hypothesis and suggest that greater managerial wealth tied to the long-term performance of the company through stock ownership versus short-term performance horizons (annual salary and bonus) results in more informative accounting earnings and lower discretionary accounting accrual adjustments in low managerial ownership companies.
The NRC and thyroid protection—one excuse after another

This article questions the delay on the part of the US NRC in distributing potassium iodide, an inexpensive chemical certified safe and effective for use in a radiation emergency by the Food and Drug Administration. In order to protect thyroids in an emergency, it would be necessary to have large quantities available in the proper dosages. The author discusses the reasons given by the NRC for not distributing potassium iodide to the populations at risk. (KRM)
Improving wellbeing and reducing future world population

Almost 80% of the 4 billion projected increase in world population by 2100 comes from 37 Mid-African Countries (MACs), caused mostly by slow declines in Total Fertility Rate (TFR). Historically, TFR has declined in response to increases in wellbeing associated with economic development. We show that, when Infant Survival Rate (ISR, a proxy for wellbeing) has increased, MAC fertility has declined at the same rate, in relation to ISR, as it did in 61 comparable Other Developing Countries (ODCs) whose average fertility is close to replacement level. If MAC ISR were to increase at the historic rate of these ODCs, and TFR declined correspondingly, then the projected world population in 2100 would be decreasing and 1.1 billion lower than currently projected. Such rates of ISR increase, and TFR decrease, are quite feasible and have occurred in comparable ODCs. Increased efforts to improve the wellbeing of poor MAC populations are key.
Reconstructing Gene Networks of Forest Trees from Gene Expression Data: Toward Higher-Resolution Approaches

In two of our recent systems biology studies of forest trees we reconstructed gene networks active in wood tissue development for an undomesticated tree genus, Populus. In the first study, we used time series data to determine gene expression dynamics underlying wood formation in response to gravitational stimulus. In the second study, we integrated data from newly generated and publicly available transcriptome profiling, transcription factor binding, DNA accessibility and genome-wide association mapping experiments, to identify relationships among genes expressed during wood formation. We demonstrated that these approaches can be used for dissecting complex developmental responses in trees, and can reveal gene clusters and mechanisms influencing poorly understood developmental processes. Combining orthogonal approaches can yield better resolved gene networks, but the resulting network modules may contain large numbers of genes. This limitation reflects the difficulty in creating a variety of experimental conditions that can reveal expression and functional differences among genes within a module, thus imposing limits on the resolving power of network models in practice. To resolve networks at a finer level we are now adding a complementary approach to our work: using cross-species gene network inference. In this approach, transcriptome assemblies of two or more species are considered together to identify expression responses common to all species and also responses that are species specific. To that end here we present a new tool, fastOC, for identifying gene co-expression networks across multiple species. We provide initial evidence that the tool works effectively in calculating co-expression modules with minimal computing requirements, thus making cross-species gene network comparison practical.
Circling back on theories of sound localization

An important question of human perception is how we localize target objects in space. Through our eyes and skin, activation patterns on the sensory epithelium suffice to cue us about a target’s location. However, for our ears, the brain has to compute where a sound source is located. One important cue for computing sound direction is the time difference in arrival of acoustic energy reaching each ear, the interaural time difference (ITD). With behavioral experiments on sound lateralization as a function of sound intensity, we tested how the computation of sound location with ITDs is done. We tested twelve naive normal-hearing listeners (ages 18–27, five females). Stimuli consisted of low-frequency noise tokens that were bandlimited from 300 to 122 Hz, from 5 to 25 dB sensation level. Without response feedback, listeners were initially trained to reliably judge the direction of a sound source and then tested on where they heard the sound. We found that softer sounds tend to be localized closer to midline as compared to louder sound. This finding raises doubt on one major theory of sound localization, the labeled-line theory, and supports another main contender, population rate based coding.
A role for glutamate transporters in neurodegenerative diseases.

In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) L-glutamic acid acts as a chemical transmitter of excitatory signals. L-glutamate is released in the synaptic cleft and activates a multitude of highly integrated signaling pathways by binding to an array of iono-and metabotropic glutamate receptors. The termination of this chemical neurotransmission occurs via uptake of glutamate by specialized carrier proteins. The reuptake mechanism is capable of maintaining glutamate at levels below 1 p.M in the synaptic cleft. Cells in the CNS possess unique Na+- and K+-coupled transporters with high affinity for glutamate.1 These glutamate transporters are distinct from the recently identified vesicular glutamate transporters, which belong to the family of Na+/phosphate and sulphate transporters.
Fabrication of Silicon photonic circuits with integrated thermo-optic heaters for education

Silicon photonics is revolutionizing computing, communication and sensing systems. As a result, there is a growing need to teach integrated photonic design, fabrication, testing and packaging principles. The focus of this paper is on an improved fabrication process for silicon waveguides that are compatible with most university cleanrooms (i-line photolithography) Furthermore, we establish a simple process for integrating metal heaters to realize thermo-optic tuning of silicon photonic circuits. The process optimization was performed by running extensive etch tests with PEVCD TEOS and carbon hard masks. PECVD TEOS was prone to erosion, while carbon proved more resilient and was chosen as the best hard mask material. The Photolithography was improved by adjusting the coating thickness of the BARC and resist layer. Etch resistance of the photoresist was improved by a simple curing process. The passive component fabrication is followed by addition of metal heater to thermally tune the waveguides. This optimized fabrication process is executed in a CMOS compatible academic fabrication facility with 365 nm i-line lithography. The bi-layer metal lift off process has Nichrome alloy as the heater metal because of this high electrical resistivity along with less resistive molybdenum for contacts.
Motivating Your Staff to Provide Outstanding Service

Excerpt] Your service environment is superb, your operations are efficient, your concept reflects a clear idea of the customers' demands, and your back-of-the-house delivery system is flawless—so far, so good. Now it's up to that front-line employee you've worked so hard to hire and train to deliver the service you've promised, because the guest contact employee usually is the key to having a satisfied guest. Say that there's a problem at the front desk, and a guest's room is out of order or not acceptable. This is the moment of truth. If the frontdesk associate is rushed or dealing with a heavy check-in, he or she may not be able to respond to the guest's problem or may be too casual about the problem. Suddenly, all your careful planning is for naught. If the guest feels shabbily treated, the guest will also be angry at your hotel, since the employee represents the hotel. It makes no difference whether the guest's reaction is fair or appropriate. Since quality and value are defined by the guest, the employee who provides the guest experience must be not only well trained but highly motivated to meet the guest's quality and value expectations and to do so consistently. Your role as a manager responsible for providing an exceptional service experience, and specifically for preparing your staff to deliver such service, is vital. In this chapter, we argue that motivating your employees is as critical for excellent service as is training them.
Introduction to the Special Issue: The Donbas Conflict

Many scholarly studies of the Ukrainian conflict look at its origins, focusing either on the international level (external interference) or the domestic one (including ethnic, linguistic, economic, and regional tensions) (Pikulicka-Wilczewska and Sakwa 2015). The international level of analysis draws attention to external factors, namely Russia’s conscious decision to fragment Ukraine and make it a “failed state” in order to avoid its moving closer to the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Even though Moscow denies playing any role in the conflict, several international and independent Russian sources have confirmed the direct involvement of Russian regular troops (Urban 2015; Sutyagin 2015; Yashin and Shorina 2015). For scholars who emphasize the primacy of the international aspect of the conflict, the current war in Donetsk and Luhansk is not a civil war but a war orchestrated and directed from Moscow against Ukraine via Russian proxies (Motyl 2014; Kuzio 2015).
Sensor-guided technology helps to reproduce medial pivot kinematics in total knee arthroplasty:

Achieving a well-balanced total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a difficult task, but the use of real-time sensing technology could provide intraoperative dynamic feedback regarding stability and load. ...