cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
30 ESOPHAGEAL DYSMOTILITY IN EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS: ANALYSIS USING HIGH-RESOLUTION ESOPHAGEAL MANOMETRY.

Background Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is an increasingly recognized cause of dysphagia and food impaction. In many cases, strictures are not apparent on endoscopy, raising questions as to the mechanism of impaired deglutition. Prior reports have documented eosinophilic infiltration of the muscularis propria and myenteric plexus that could induce esophageal dysmotility. Aim Characterize esophageal motor function in EE using high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) and newly described manometric parameters. Methods Twenty-four patients with EE were studied with a 36-channel solid-state HRM assembly and analyzed using ManoView software (Sierra Scientific). Analysis was based on 10 5 mL water swallows per patient. Esophageal peristalsis was quantified by distal esophageal body peristaltic point velocity and pressurization front velocity (PFV), which was the propagation rate of an intact 30 mm Hg pressure wave. In the absence of a continuous propagation wave, a swallow was classified as a null PFV. A patient was classified as null, normal, or elevated PFV based on the dominant pattern (6) of 10 swallows. Esophagogastric junction (EGJ) relaxation was quantified using the lowest mean residual pressure over a 3-second interval (E-sleeve relaxation) and integrated relaxation resistance (IRR). A higher IRR signifies impaired EGJ relaxation and consequently higher resistance to esophageal emptying. All abnormal HRM values were referenced to the 95% upper limit of normal values derived from 75 controls. Results The median patient age was 42 years (range 14-80 years). The most common presenting symptoms were dysphagia (83%) and heartburn (12.5%). Endoscopic findings included rings (50%), furrows (58%), and exudates (33%). On HRM, 14 patients (58%) had increased distal segment contraction velocity (median 8.4 cm/s), whereas 3 patients (12%) had an elevated PFV (median 4.2 cm/s). Two patients had elevated intrabolus pressures as evidenced by an elevated PFV but normally propagated peristaltic contraction. Nine patients were classified as having a null PFV and only one had significantly elevated esophageal contractile pressures (295 mm Hg). Seven patients had an elevated IRR (median 3.3 mm Hg/s), and of this group, 5 patients also had increased E-sleeve relaxation pressures (median 18 mm Hg). Conclusions (1) Manometric manifestations of EE are heterogeneous. (2) An elevation in esophageal peristaltic velocity was the most common abnormality. (3) Subsets of EE patients demonstrated failed esophageal peristalsis (null PFV) and impaired EGJ relaxation (elevated IRR). (4) Functional abnormalities on the basis of neuromuscular involvement could contribute to dysphagia in EE.
Attention selectively modulates cortical entrainment in different regions of the speech spectrum

Recent studies have uncovered a neural response that appears to track the envelope of speech, and have shown that this tracking process is mediated by attention. It has been argued that this tracking reflects a process of phase-locking to the fluctuations of stimulus energy, ensuring that this energy arrives during periods of high neuronal excitability. Because all acoustic stimuli are decomposed into spectral channels at the cochlea, and this spectral decomposition is maintained along the ascending auditory pathway and into auditory cortex, we hypothesized that the overall stimulus envelope is not as relevant to cortical processing as the individual frequency channels; attention may be mediating envelope tracking differentially across these spectral channels. To test this we reanalyzed data reported by Horton et al. (2013), where high-density EEG was recorded while adults attended to one of two competing naturalistic speech streams. In order to simulate cochlear filtering, the stimuli were passed through a gammatone filterbank, and temporal envelopes were extracted at each filter output. Following Horton et al. (2013), the attended and unattended envelopes were cross-correlated with the EEG, and local maxima were extracted at three different latency ranges corresponding to distinct peaks in the cross-correlation function (N1, P2, and N2). We found that the ratio between the attended and unattended cross-correlation functions varied across frequency channels in the N1 latency range, consistent with the hypothesis that attention differentially modulates envelope-tracking activity across spectral channels.
Oyster-to-Oyster Variability in Levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

This study examined the variability in the levels of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in individual oysters. Twenty oysters were collected on three occasions (in June, July, and September 2001) from a site near Mobile Bay, Ala. Ten of these oysters were tested immediately, and 10 were tested after 24 h of storage at 26 degrees C. Levels of total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus were determined by alkaline phosphatase-labeled DNA probe procedures targeting the thermolabile hemolysin and thermostable direct hemolysin genes, respectively. Similar V. parahaemolyticus levels (200 to 2,000 CFU/g) were found in nearly 90% of the oysters (for all sampling occasions) prior to storage. The log-transformed densities (means +/- standard deviations) of V. parahaemolyticus in oysters immediately after harvest were 2.90 +/- 0.91, 2.88 +/- 0.36, and 2.47 +/- 0.26 log10 CFU/g for June, July, and September, respectively. After storage for 24 h at 26 degrees C, the mean V. parahaemolyticus densities increased approximately 13- to 26-fold. Before storage, pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus was detected in 40% (10 to 20 CFU/g) of the oysters collected in June and July but was not detected in any oysters collected in September. After storage, pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus was detected in some oysters at levels of > 100 CFU/g. These data should aid in the development of sampling protocols for oyster monitoring programs and in the determination of exposure distributions associated with raw oyster consumption.
Bacteriophage cell lysis of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli for top-down proteomic identification of Shiga toxins 1 & 2 using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

RATIONAL Analysis of bacteria by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) often relies upon sample preparation methods that result in cell lysis, e.g. bead-beating. However, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) can undergo bacteriophage-induced cell lysis triggered by antibiotic exposure that may allow greater selectivity of the proteins extracted. METHODS We have developed a sample preparation method for selective extraction of bacteriophage-encoded proteins and specifically Shiga toxins 1 and 2 (Stx1 & 2) expressed from STEC strains induced by DNA-damaging antibiotics. STEC strains were cultured overnight on agar supplemented with ciprofloxacin, mitomycin-C or an iron chelator to induce the bacteriophage lytic cycle with concomitant expression and release of Stx1 and/or Stx2. Sample preparation relied exclusively on bacteriophage lysis for release Stx into the extraction solution. RESULTS Three clinical STEC strains were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS/MS) and top-down proteomics analysis: E. coli O157:H7 strain EDL933, E. coli O91:H21 strain B2F1 and E. coli O26:H11 strain ECRC #05.2217. The B-subunit of Stx1a of EDL933 was detected and identified even though it was ~100-fold less abundant than the B-subunit of Stx2a that had been identified previously for this strain. Two bacteriophage-encoded proteins were also identified: L0117 and L0136. The B-subunits of Stx2d of strain B2F1 and Stx1a of strain ECRC #05.2217 were also detected and identified. CONCLUSIONS Bacteriophage lysis appeared to enhance the detection sensitivity of Stx for these STEC strains compared to previous work using mechanical lysis. Detection/identification of other bacteriophage-encoded proteins (beyond Stx) tends to support the hypothesis of Stx release by bacteriophage cell lysis.
Decelerating and Trapping Large Polar Molecules

Manipulating the motion of large polyatomic molecules, such as benzonitrile (C6 H5 CN), presents significant difficulties compared to the manipulation of diatomic molecules. Although recent impressive results have demonstrated manipulation, trapping, and cooling of molecules as large as CH3 F, no general technique for trapping such molecules has been demonstrated, and cold neutral molecules larger than 5 atoms have not been trapped (M. Zeppenfeld, B. G. U. Englert, R. Glockner, A. Prehn, M. Mielenz, C. Sommer, L. D. van Buuren, M. Motsch, G. Rempe, Nature 2012, 491, 570-573). In particular, extending Stark deceleration and electrostatic trapping to such species remains challenging. Here, we propose to combine a novel "asymmetric doublet state" Stark decelerator with recently demonstrated slow, cold, buffer-gas-cooled beams of closed-shell volatile molecules to realize a general system for decelerating and trapping samples of a broad range of volatile neutral polar prolate asymmetric top molecules. The technique is applicable to most stable volatile molecules in the 100-500 AMU range, and would be capable of producing trapped samples in a single rotational state and at a motional temperature of hundreds of mK. Such samples would immediately allow for spectroscopy of unprecedented resolution, and extensions would allow for further cooling and direct observation of slow intramolecular processes such as vibrational relaxation and Hertz-level tunneling dynamics.
Valuing and Supporting Work in Mathematics Education: An Administrative Perspective

In this chapter we reflect on the roles and responsibilities of academic leaders in encouraging faculty in mathematics departments to value contributions to mathematics teaching and learning. We discuss how academic leaders can and should use their perspective, position and influence to: encourage productive dialogue between practitioners of mathematics and mathematics education; use assessment of student learning as an opportunity to further this dialogue; and value and reward work in mathematics teaching and learning in the hiring, evaluation, tenure, promotion, and merit processes.
The Open Circle: The Catholic University and Academic Freedom

Heft tackles three important questions: First, are Catholic colleges and universities in the USA now in a place similar to that occupied by major Protestant universities 100 years ago—namely, on the verge of secularizing themselves? Second, how should Catholic universities, understood neither as closed circles nor as “market places of ideas,” but rather as “open circles,” articulate and defend a robust practice of academic freedom? Third, how should Catholic colleges and universities understand the strengths and limitations of the AAUP’s definition of academic freedom? If Catholic colleges and universities ought to be “open circles,” and neither secular nor sectarian, what do they need to do to remain Catholic?
PENGARUH METAKOGNISI, MOTIVASI BELAJAR, DAN KREATIVITAS BELAJAR TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN PEMECAHAN MASALAH SISWA KELAS VIII SMP NEGERI 2 SABBANGPARU KABUPATEN WAJO

Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian ex-post facto yang bersifat kausalitas yang bertujuan untuk: 1) mendeskripsikan metakognisi, motivasi beajar, kreativitas belajar, dan kemampuan pemecahan masalah siswa, 2) mendeskripsikan pengaruh metakognisi, motivasi belajar, kreativitas belajar secara parsial terhadap kemampuan pemecahan masalah siswa. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa Kelas VIII SMP Negeri 2 Sabbangparu Kabupaten Wajo yang berjumlah 75 orang dengan mengambil populasi sebagai sampel (sampel jenuh), pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan memberikan instrumen untuk mengukur metakognisi, motivasi belajar, kreativitas belajar siswa, dan tes untuk kemampuan pemecahan masalah siswa. Hasil Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tingkat metakognisi siswa berada pada kategori sedang dengan nilai sebesar 71,85, tingkat motivasi siswa berada pada kategori sedang dengan nilai sebesar 76,42, kreativitas siswa berada pada kategori sedang dengan nilai sebesar 68,27 dan kemampuan pemecahan masalah siswa diperoleh nila 74,80. Koefisien pengaruh metakognisi terhadap kemampuan pemecahan masalah sebesar 0,470 dengan nilai p = 0,000 < 0,05; Koefisien pengaruh motivasi terhadap kemampuan pemecahan masalah sebesar 0,416 dengan nilai p = 0,009 < 0,05; Koefisien pengaruh koefisien pengaruh kreativitas belajar terhadap kemampuan pemecahan masalah sebesar 0,487 dengan nilai p = 0,000 < 0,05, Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa metakognisi, motivasi belajar, kreativitas belajar berpengaruh signifikan positif terhadap kemampuan pemecahan masalah siswa sehingga dapat diartikan bahwa semakin baik metakognisi, motivasi belajar, dan kreativitas belajar yang dimiliki siswa, maka kemampuan pemecahan masalah bagi siswa tersebut tersebut semakin tinggi. Kata kunci : Metakognisi, Motivasi Belajar, dan Kreativitas Belajar, dan Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah.
Catch and arrest: exploiting the retromer by a Chlamydial effector.

The pathogen behind chlamydia releases a protein called IncE that interacts with a particular host protein to disrupt cell trafficking. In a commentary article, Zhao-Qing Luo from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, discusses three recent structural studies that independently explored how the Chlamydia bacterium creates a privileged home in the cell ? a membrane-bound compartment termed inclusion ? from which it secretes IncE and other so-called inclusion membrane proteins to manipulate host processes for its own survival. These studies identified a small region of IncE that recognizes with high affinity the SNX5 protein, a component of the retromer complex involved in recycling the cell?s secretory machinery. These structural insights could help researchers combat chlamydial infections, a major cause of sexually transmitted and ocular diseases for which no vaccines exist.
Protection of blue color in a spirulina derived phycocyanin extract from proteolytic and thermal degradation via complexation with beet-pectin

Abstract The focus of the presented work was on improvement of spirulina based phycocyanin (PhyC) extracts as a potential natural blue colorant by enhancement of color stability via polysaccharide complexation. Beet pectin (β-pectin), guar gum and soluble soy polysaccharides (SSPS) were assessed for their ability to protect the color of a commercial phycocyanin (PhyC) extract from thermal and proteolytic degradation. Both the beet pectin and guar gum studied formed stable and homogenous solutions with the PhyC extract; SSPS did not. Color change was assessed throughout by measurement of L, a, and b color space values (Hunter, 1948) before and after thermal or proteolytic treatment. Beet pectin improved color stability, over PhyC alone, with respect to heating at 65 °C (20 min) and proteolysis by Alcalase 2.4L, papain and bromelain. For these treatments beet pectin reduced color change values (ΔEab) from 13.0 ± 0.1 to 6.2 ± 0.4 following thermal treatment and from 12.7 ± 0.2 to 5.9 ± 0.7, 19.6 ± 1.3 to 12.5 ± 0.8, and 10.8 ± 0.4 to 4.6 ± 0.6 for the Alcalase, papain and bromelain treatments, respectively. Intrinsic fluorescence (excitation at 285 nm, emission at 325 nm) of beet pectin complexed PhyC indicates an increased presence of exposed tryptophan residues compared to PhyC alone. Furthermore, measured zeta-potentials following complex heating generally diverged to slightly more negative values for PhyC-beet pectin complexes at elevated temperatures compared to PhyC alone, suggesting that maintenance of a negatively charged environment may be important to pigment color stability in PhyC complexes.
Abstract 156: Tailored Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Harvested Exosomes Carrying Elevated miR-17-92 Cluster Enhance Neurovascular Remodeling & Improve Functional Recovery After Stroke in Rats

Introduction: MSC generated exosomes mediate therapeutic benefits of MSCs for stroke, which are at least in-part attributed to their miRNA contents. In vitro, the miR-17-92 cluster promotes oligodendrogenesis, neurogenesis and axonal outgrowth, and tailored MSC exosomes enriched with the miR-17-92 cluster promote axonal outgrowth of primary cortical neurons. We therefore investigated whether the miR-17-92 cluster enriched exosomes (Exo-miR-17-92 + ) harvested from MSCs enhance neurological recovery compared to control MSC derived exosomes (Exo-Con). Methods: Rats (n=8/group) subjected to 2 hours of transient MCAO were intravenously administered Exo-miR-17-92 + , Exo-Con, or liposomes, and were sacrificed 28 days post MCAO. Foot-fault test, and a modified neurologic severity score (mNSS) were carried out at 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after MCAO by an investigator blinded to the treatments. Histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and Golgi-Cox staining were used to assess dendritic, axonal, synaptic and myelin remodeling. Expression of PTEN and activation of its downstream proteins, Akt, mTOR and GSK-3β in the peri-infarct region were measured by means of Western blots. Results: Compared with the liposome treatment, both exosome treatment groups exhibited significant improvement of functional recovery (P + treatment had more robust effects on improvement of neurological function (P + treatment substantially inhibited PTEN, a validated miR-17-92 cluster target gene, and subsequently increased the phosphorylation of PTEN downstream proteins, Akt, mTOR, and decreased the activity of GSK-3β by phosphorylating GSK-3β in neurons compared to Ex-Con treatment (P Conclusions: Our data suggest that treatment of stroke with tailored exosomes enriched with the miR-17-92 cluster increases neural plasticity and functional recovery after stroke, possibly via targeting PTEN to activate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β signaling pathway.
Development of a Community-Based Palliative Care Screening Tool for Underserved Older Adults With Chronic Illnesses:

Although they experience high rates of chronic illness, low-income minority communities have traditionally underutilized palliative care services compared to whites and those with higher incomes. One reason for this trend is lack of screening by community providers. We utilized a community-based participatory research approach to develop and implement an innovative multidomain palliative care screening tool in aging service agencies. Participants were aging service providers and clients in the East and Central Harlem neighborhoods of New York City, which are characterized by high poverty, largely African American and Latino populations, disproportionally high rates of chronic conditions, and limited health-care access. Screening tool development included reviewing existing measures and obtaining feedback from an expert panel, aging service providers, and older adults. We developed a 22-item tool covering 3 domains of palliative care need (physical symptoms, emotional concerns, and goals of care), which can be administered in 10 to 15 minutes. Sixteen providers at 2 aging service agencies were trained to use the tool over a 3-month pilot period. The tool showed evidence of feasibility of implementation, with 44 older adult clients screened. Providers reported high acceptability, 36% of clients screened positive, and the majority accepted referrals to outpatient palliative care clinics. The screening tool has the potential to increase palliative care utilization among underserved community-dwelling older adults and may improve their quality of life, potentially in communities worldwide. Future work should examine the psychometric proprieties of the tool, examine predictors of positive screens, explore its impact on clinical outcomes, and expand its reach.
Scaling of nonlinear susceptibilities in an artificial permalloy honeycomb lattice

Two-dimensional artificial magnetic honeycomb lattice is predicted to manifest several magnetic phase transitions as a function of reducing temperature. We have performed the analysis of nonlinear susceptibility to explore the equilibrium nature of phase transition in artificial honeycomb lattice of ultrasmall connected permalloy (${\mathrm{Ni}}_{0.81}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{0.19}$) elements, typical length of $\ensuremath{\simeq}12$ nm. The nonlinear susceptibility ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{n1}$ is found to exhibit an unusual crossover character in both temperature and magnetic field. The higher order susceptibility ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{3}$ changes from positive to negative as the system traverses through the spin solid phase transition at ${T}_{s}=29$ K. Additionally, the static critical exponents, used to test the scaling of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{n1}$, do not follow the conventional scaling relation. We conclude that the magnetic phase transition, especially to the low temperature spin solid order, is not conventional in nature at this length scale.
SPECIFIC RECOGNITION AND UPTAKE OF LYSOSOMAL ENZYMES AND MODIFIED GLYCOPROTEINS BY RAT TISSUES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the specific recognition and uptake of lysosomal enzymes and modified glycoproteins by rat tissues. Lysosomal glycosidases comprise a family of enzymes having certain features in common including subcellular localization, acid pH optima, and the presence of covalently bound carbohydrate. The fate of rapidly cleared enzyme has been resolved by liver subcellular fractionation experiments following large doses of β-glucuronidase, which demonstrate that within a few minutes the cleared activity appears in the large-granule fraction. The rapid clearance of lysosomal glycosidases displays saturability, suggesting a finite number of enzyme recognition components and tissue-binding sites that mediate the uptake process. The notion that sugar residues may be important in the recognition of lysosomal enzymes in vivo is suggested by the observation that, with the exception of cathepsin B, all lysosomal enzymes studied far are either suspected to be or have been shown to be glycoproteins.
Abstract LB-019: Empowering preclinical studies: A systematic and quantitative analysis of biodistribution methods to facilitate clinical translation of new drugs

Biodistribution detection methods currently hold a central role in evaluating clinical potential of new drugs and nanomedicine in vivo, either through therapeutic efficacy or toxicity assays. However, the explorative nature of these methods makes it practically difficult to validate them for clinical studies to comply with regulations as determined by the Food and Drug Administration. This work proposes a new systematic comparison of biodistribution methods to facilitate clinical validation and employment in pre-clinical and early stage clinical studies. Several optical methods (detection through IVIS, confocal microscopy, fluorescence emission), direct detection methods (detection through ICP-OES), and radiation-based methods (detection through gamma counter) are systematically tested and validated on cGMP grade microparticles. The classification here proposed quantitatively highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each method, expressing them in terms of: limit of detection, recovery rate, reproducibility, and sensitivity. As a result, this quantitative evaluation of several preclinical biodistribution detection methods leads to a new rational and objective classification of biodistribution methods based on quantitative characteristics, which is essential to facilitate clinical translation of pre-clinical data collection. Their different characteristics and application-specific advantages are also discussed based in light of the results presented. Overall, this work proposes a new and rational quantitative comparison of biodistribution detection methods with the goal to provide a guide to facilitate clinical translation of on-going and future pre-clinical and early-stage clinical studies. Citation Format: Sara Nizzero, Feng Li, Alessandro Venuta, Guodong Zhang, Carlotta Borsoi, Joy Wolfram, Junhua Mai, Haifa Shen, Zheng Li, Elvin Blanco, Mauro Ferrari. Empowering preclinical studies: A systematic and quantitative analysis of biodistribution methods to facilitate clinical translation of new drugs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-019.
Dynamic Real-Time Optimization of Air Conditioning Systems in Residential Houses under Different Electricity Pricing Structures

This paper investigates potential cost savings and peak shifting in operating residential houses air-conditioning systems through dynamic real-time optimization (D-RTO). Standard design data collected from BEopt (Building Energy Optimization) software were used in Matlab/Simulink to simulate cooling energy consumption of 60 different types of houses, which were scaled up to represent a community scale of 6000 houses for grid-level studies. Four different electricity pricing structures were employed for each house; flat pricing (FP), time-of-use (TOU), critical-peak pricing (CPP), and realtime pricing (RTP). The D-RTO was formulated as a linear programming problem with the air conditioning temperature setpoint and the cooling energy being decision variables of the model. The D-RTO determines day-ahead values for the variables of the system based on the weather forecast and energy price signals. The D- RTO uses a model predictive control (MPC) like approach in which the problem is solved for 24 hours in advance, but the solutions are implemented on a receding horizon, where the prediction interval moves forward by one hour each time step. Results show significant energy cost and energy consumption reductions for the optimized cases versus the non-optimized cases of each pricing structure. Also, the four pricing structures are ranked based on their capabilities for cost and energy savings and peak shifting in the optimized cases.
Abstract 5746: CRISPR9-mediated FGL2-KO in tumor cells impairs tumor progression in brain and triggers antitumor immune memory systematically via NF-κB dependent Batf3 expression in DCs

Brain cancer is the 10th leading cause of death in United States with increasing primary tumor morbidity and secondary brain metastasis morbidity. Glioblastoma (GBM) is most lethal brain tumor with less than 5% 5 years survival rate marked by significant resistance to majority of therapies targeting tumor cells or tumor microenvironment. Here we shown one approach to convert aggressive GBM cells to immunogenic tumor cells by knockout FGL2 in GBM cells to evoke efficient anti-tumor immunosurvilliance. FGL2 is an immunosuppressive molecule and its expression level is strongly correlated with glioma grade and poor diagnosis. FGL2 from GBM cells, but not from host cells, is essential for immune evasion dependent GBM progression using both preclinical GBM and brain metastatic tumor models. Knockout FGL2 in GBM cells completely abolish tumor progression of GBM models challenged with low or high number of tumor cells in immunocompetent mice and protect mice from tumor rechallenge in periphery. This eradication effect is impaired in immune deficient mice and CD8+ T cells depleted mice, but not in FGL2KO mice, showing the necessarily of immune system to eliminate FGL2KO tumor cells and the requirement of FGL2 in tumor cells to evade immunosurvilliance. To understand how the systemic CD8+ T cell-dependent anti-tumor response and memory was induced by FGL2KO GBM cells, we studied the impact of FGL2KO tumor cells on dendritic cells (DCs) which control immune response via its critical role in the generation of effective cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. Knockout FGL2 in GBM cells induced CD8a+/CD103+ DCs accumulation in brain in vivo; DCs proliferation and CD103+ DCs induction in vitro. In agreement with this discovery, knockout Batf3, a key transcription factor regulating CD8a+/CD103+ DCs, reverse the impact of FGL2KO in GBM cell in vivo. By molecule analysis, a novel signaling pathway was revealed that knockout FGL2 in GBM cells induce NF-κ B activation, and this activation induced Batf3 and associated CD103 expression in DCs. Therefore, target specific molecule in GBM cells, such as knockout FGL2, can convert aggressive GBM cells to immunogenic cells, pointing to new approach for immune therapy. Citation Format: Jun Yan, Qingnan Zhao, Konrad Gabrusiewicz, Ling-Yuan Kong, Longfei Huo, Xueqing Xia, Jun Wei, Jingda Xu, Eric Davis, Amy B. Heimberger, Shulin Li. CRISPR9-mediated FGL2-KO in tumor cells impairs tumor progression in brain and triggers antitumor immune memory systematically via NF-κB dependent Batf3 expression in DCs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5746.
Re-evaluation of Seed Transmission of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis in Zea mays

The spread of Goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight of corn (Zea mays), caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis, to a wider geographic range in the early 2000s compared with the lat...
Making Capitalism with Gangsters: Unfree Labor in Shanghai's Cotton Mills, 1927–1937

It is thought that workers under capitalism enjoy the freedom of changing employment at will, but studies show that unfree labor has historically existed alongside capitalist development. One explanation for the use of unfree labor under capitalism highlights the functional needs of production. However, the baoshengong, a form of bonded labor that was used in cotton mills in Shanghai from 1927 to 1937, problematizes this approach. Though the baoshengong system was not an efficient mode of labor control, it was put in place. Rejecting the functionalist account, I show that capitalist unfree labor is not necessarily spurred by production requirements. As the Shanghai case will demonstrate, unfree labor was used when the power dynamics in the larger socio-political context outside the immediate abode of production—namely, the conflict and collaboration between different forms of domination such as gang, patriarchal, capitalist, and state powers—superseded the functional considerations of the capitalists.
Baseline Frontoparietal Task-Related BOLD Activity as a Predictor of Improvement in Clinical Symptoms at 1-Year Follow-Up in Recent-Onset Psychosis

Objective:The early course of illness in psychotic disorders is highly variable, and predictive biomarkers of treatment response have been lacking. Trial and error remains the basis for care in ear...
A combined variational and diagrammatic quantum Monte Carlo approach to the many-electron problem.

Two of the most influential ideas developed by Richard Feynman are the Feynman diagram technique and his variational approach. Here we show that combining both, and introducing a diagrammatic quantum Monte Carlo method, results in a powerful and accurate solver to the generic solid state problem, in which a macroscopic number of electrons interact by the long range Coulomb repulsion. We apply it to the quintessential problem of solid state, the uniform electron gas, which is at the heart of the density functional theory success in describing real materials, yet it has not been adequately solved for over 90 years. Our method allows us to calculate numerically exact momentum and frequency resolved spin and charge response functions. This method can be applied to a number of moderately interacting electron systems, including models of realistic metallic and semiconducting solids. Developments of new computational methods for interacting electron systems have important implications for predictions of material properties. Chen and Haule combine variational techniques with diagrammatic quantum Monte Carlo to perform numerically exact calculations of electron gas properties, including the spin susceptibility and the dielectric function.
Assessing time to treatment initiation and care delivery among patients with cancer and co-occurring Alzheimer's disease and related dementia using claims data.

161Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Americans. Prognosis for survival is better if cancer is detected at an early stage, the patient is from a ma...
Recognizing the Non-religious: Reimagining the Secular: by Lois Lee, New York, Oxford University Press, 2017, xii + 235 pp., US$32.95 (paperback), ISBN 978 0 19 880853 4

Now available in paperback, Recognizing the Non-Religion was first published in 2015, by Lois Lee, Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Kent. Lee is al...
Parvalbumin expression in normal and mutant Xenopus embryos.

Our laboratory is interested in understanding the developmental regulation of the Ca2+-binding protein, parvalbumin, in embryos. We wish to learn how the various members of the parvalbumin gene family are differentially expressed, and what the individual isoforms contribute to muscle cell structure and function. Parvalbumin is a member of the troponin C superfamily and is evolutionarily related to a number of Ca2+-binding proteins, including calmodulin, troponin C., regulatory myosin light chains, oncomodulin, intestinal vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein, and Spec 1 protein (Goodman et al., 1979; Kretsinger, 1980; MacManus et al., 1983; Hardin et al., 1985).
Designing and Implementing Neonatal Sepsis Guidelines with the Transport System of a Tertiary Care Children’s Hospital

Background: In 2002, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign established the goal of decreasing sepsis mortality by 25% through the use of guidelines that promote timely sepsis recognition and treatment. The American College of Critical Care Medicine 2017 guidelines specifically recommended the development and implementation of guidelines applicable to one's own institution that address timely septic shock recognition, resuscitation, and stabilization. Objective: Develop and implement protocols in the transport system of a tertiary children’s hospital to …
A lightweight approach to detect malicious/unexpected changes in the error rates of NISQ computers

Despite the current progress in quantum computing, the reliability of quantum computers is very challenging. Near-term quantum computers referred to as Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) computers are expected to operate in the presence of errors. To run a quantum circuit on a NISQ computer, the circuit should be mapped to satisfy the physical constraints of the quantum architecture. The mapping process takes into account the error rates of the quantum hardware. It selects physical qubits and their movements, which minimize the circuit error rates. The output of the quantum circuit can be obtained through several runs on NISQ computers. What's important from a security perspective is that the output of the quantum circuit is inherently dependent on the error parameters of the quantum hardware. An adversary can, therefore, leverage such dependency to alter the functional behavior of the quantum circuit. We show that malicious changes in the error rates used for mapping quantum circuits can change their output. To detect this attack on NISQ architectures, we propose inserting test points into the quantum circuits to study their error rates with respect to other qubit allocations. We utilize superposition, classical, and un-compute tests to provide side-channel information of the quantum circuit. We study the effectiveness of our approach using IBMQ 16 Melbourne quantum computer and Qiskit tools as an exemplar.
Mechanisms and Potential Roles of Glucose-Lowering Agents in COVID-19: A Review.

Objective:To explore mechanistic benefits of glucose-lowering agents that extend beyond glycemic control with the potential to mitigate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) complications.Data Source...
Capital Cost Estimation: A Reference Class Approach

Capital expenditures for offshore wind projects are a significant determinant of profitability and project risk. The purpose of this chapter is to review the capital expenditures of existing offshore wind farms to inform estimates of U.S. costs. A reference class of 18 wind farms with monopile foundations baselines U.S. capital costs between $3.8 and 4.8 million/MW. Regression models are developed to investigate the physical factors that influence expenditures. Capital costs increase with increasing water depth, steel prices, and the application of jacket foundations. For most farm components, capital expenditures are expected to be similar in Europe and the U.S., but the installation markets will differ which may impact the reliability of the reference class approach.
The Role of Tobacco Smoking in Cutaneous Circulatory Changes Associated with Atherosclerosis

We have shown a variety of cutaneous macro-and microcirculatory disturbances distal to sclerotic lesions (Schwartz et al., J. Vas. Surg. 1, 800, 1984). Since the majority of those patients were cigarette smokers and since smoking affects the cutaneous circulation, the purpose of this on-going project is to determine if the circulatory changes characteristic of sclerotic patients are due to the disease itself or tobacco smoking. This is being done by cross-sectional comparisons of arterial (ABF) and capillary (CBF) blood flows in the cutaneous region of the toe in groups of healthy control nonsmokers (CNS); healthy control smokers (CS); smokers who have atherosclerosis in the femoral tree (AS); and nonsmokers who have femoral atherosclerosis (ANS). All groups are being matched according to age and gender. The smoker groups are also matched in accordance with smoking history. This presentation gives preliminary results of the first three groups. The rank order of ABF both at rest and at peak reactive hyperemia following a 1 min period of ischemia thus far is: CNS > CS > AS. The CS and AS values are significantly lower compared to the CNS group (P ≤ 0.10). At the microcirculatory level resting CBF per vessel has been similar among the groups, but the AS group has had a higher capillary density such that estimated total capillary perfusion (flow per vessel x density) is higher in this group. Despite this, the AS subjects have had a lower reactive hyperemia of CBF both in terms of absolute values and percent change (p ≤ 0.05). These preliminary results suggest that habitual tobacco smoking per se elicits changes in cutaneous arterial blood flow directionally similar to those seen in smokers who have atherosclerosis, but post-lesion microcirculatory changes seem to be a manifestation of the disease itself and are not related to tobacco smoking.
Estimated number of AIDS orphans in the United States.

To the Editor.— The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in child-bearing women impacts our society in a number of ways. One of these is the legacy of uninfected children left without their mothers when these women succumb to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We have calculated a crude estimate of the current and future number of these AIDS orphans. As of December 31, 1991, 21 225 women (≥13 years of age) with AIDS were reported to the Centers for Disease Control from the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Trusts and Territories; 17 910 (84%) were of reproductive age (15 to 44 years) at the time they were diagnosed with AIDS.
Minority game: The battle of adaptation, intelligence, cooperation and power

Minority game is a simulation of a zero-sum game, which has a similar structure to that of a real world market like a currency exchange market. We discuss a way to implement the game and provide a simulation environment with agents that can use various types of strategies to make decisions including genetic algorithms, statistics, and cooperative strategies. The goal of this simulation study is to find the effective strategies for winning the zero-sum game. Results show that both honesty and dishonesty can lead to a player's success depending on the characteristics of the majority of players.
Internet2 end-to-end performance tuning for distributed computing applications

We have conducted Internet2 connections end-to-end performance tunings to explore the use of high-speed network for distributed computing applications. In this research, we have investigated and tuned data transfer rate on Internet2 connections. The results have shown that the data transfer rates can be improved by adjusting the sender and receiver buffer sizes and/or maximum congestion window sizes. The network bottlenecks between the sender machine and receiver machine are also identified to remove the unexpected long delays
Highly reduced organometallics: XII. The reaction of a carbonyltungstate anion with triphenyltin chloride resulting in a phenyltin bond cleavage. X-ray structural characterization of the novel salt: [Me4N][(Ph3Sn)2{(Ph2Sn)2O-i-Pr}W(CO)3]

Abstract The reaction of a highly reduced tricarbonyltungstate species with triphenyltin chloride results in an unprecedented phenyl-tin cleavage and the formation of an unusual substituted carbonyl anion. The X-ray structure of [Me4N][(Ph3Sn)2-{(Ph2Sn)2O-i-Pr}W(CO)3] shows the presence of seven coordinate tungsten bound to three terminal carbonyl groups, two triphenyltin units and a previously unknown isopropoxo-bis(diphenyltin) bidentate ligand. The seven ligating atoms are disposed in an approximate 4 : 3 piano stool arrangement about the central tungsten atom. Crystal data: Space group P21/c, a 22.580(10), b 14.162(4), c 23.070(10) A, β 114.21(4)°, Z = 4, V 6728(1) A3, ϱ(calc) 1.626 g cm−3.
Interplay between transcriptional control and chromatin regulation in the oligodendrocyte lineage

The recent years have been characterized by a surge of studies on the role of transcription factors and histone modifications in regulating the progression of progenitors into oligodendrocytes. This review summarizes this body of evidence and presents an integrated view of transcriptional networks and epigenetic regulators defining proliferating progenitors and their differentiation along the oligodendrocyte lineage. We suggest that transcription factors in proliferating progenitors have direct access to DNA, due to predominantly euchromatic nuclei. As progenitors differentiate, however, transcriptional competence is modulated by the formation of heterochromatin, which modifies the association of DNA with nucleosomal histones and renders the access of transcription factors dependent on the activity of epigenetic modulators. These concepts are delineated within the context of development, and the potential functional implications are discussed.
Interference as a tool for designing and evaluating multi-robot controllers

Designing and implementing cooperative group behaviors for robots is considered something of a black art involving an extensive amount of reprogramming and parameter adjustment. What seems to be lacking is a pragmatic, practical, general-purpose tool that would both guide the design and structure the evaluation of controllers for distributed real-world multi-robot tasks. In this paper, we propose the use of interference. between robots as one such simple tool for designing and evaluating multi-robot controllers. We explore how key issues in multi-robot control can be addressed using interference, a directly measurable property of a multi-robot system. We discuss how behavior arbitration schemes, i.e., the choice of controllers, can be made and adjusted using interference. As an experimental example, we demonstrate three different implementations of a collection clean-up (foraging) task using four physical mobile robots, and present analyses of the experimental data gathered from trials of all three implementations.
Effects of Long-Time Feeding of Chlortetracycline to Dairy Cattle,

Summary Forty dairy heifers paired by age and breed were divided into two groups, with one of each pair receiving 240mg. chlortetracycline for a minimum of 15 mo. before parturition and subsequently except when dry. The mean weight for the antibiotic-fed group exceeded that of the controls at 12 mo. of age by 38lb., at 18 mo. of age by 39lb., and at ten days after calving by 44lb. Age at first breeding was less for the chlortetracycline group, but since this group required more services per conception the ages at first calving for the two groups were similar. Calves from antibiotic-fed heifers were slightly larger at birth, but response of the calves to chlortetracycline feeding appeared to be independent of treatment of the dam. A total of 30 and 32 records were made by treated and control animals, respectively, in three lactations. Mean total pounds milk and fat during the first lactation (adjusted to 2×, 305-day, M.E.) were 11,088 and 435 for treated cows and 10,615 and 399 for controls, respectively. Only the difference in fat yields was significant statistically (P
Self-Management of Problematic Social Behavior

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss self-management as a valuable aid in the treatment of problematic social behaviors in autism. Within this treatment, the child is taught to determine whether or not a target behavior has occurred, how to record the occurrence of the behavior, and how to recruit or obtain reinforcement. The use of self-management permits a large amount of behavior management without the continual presence of a treatment provider, thus increasing the amount of treatment provided as well as the number of settings where treatment takes place. Self-management is especially ideal for individuals whose primary treatment goals are in the area of pragmatic or social skills. In environments where it would be especially intrusive or stigmatizing to have a clinician present, self-management (in the absence of a clinician) may have significant advantages. Not only is it less stigmatizing without the presence of a therapist, but it also is more likely that opportunities for natural social exchanges will occur under such conditions. Self-regulation during such exchanges also has the potential for fine-tuning social skills as a result of peer modeling and feedback. Because children with autism have many characteristics that make their behavior difficult for a single therapist to modify, incorporating self-management into a treatment package is especially advantageous. This is true to a large extent because of the need to observe and provide consequences for numerous behaviors across many settings. Further, although some of these behaviors occur infrequently, they are severely problematic when they do occur, thus requiring the therapist to maintain continuous vigilance over extended periods of time. For example, children with autism (1) exhibit low-probability excess behaviors that disrupt their environments; (2) fail to exhibit numerous appropriate behaviors that can enhance their development; and (3) exhibit certain behaviors that, even though they may occur rarely, have a major impact on nonhandicapped individuals judgments of autism. These characteristics result in the need for continuous and vigilant treatment intervention across significant portions of the day in order to produce socially meaningful treatment impacts. Self-management addresses this need by incorporating the child as an active contributor to his/her own treatment. The following characteristics of autism illustrate how self-management can be useful.