Deciphering the impact of STAT3 activation mediated by PTPRT promoter hypermethylation as biomarker of response to paclitaxel-plus-cetuximab in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis. It is known that the activation of STAT3 signaling pathways promotes the development and progression of this neoplasia and it has been described the role of PTPRT as a negative regulator of STAT3. Then, we have evaluated the impact of them as biomarkers of outcome in a series of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN treated with weekly paclitaxel-plus-cetuximab (ERBITAX) regimen.

Simultaneous removal of nutrients and biological pollutants via specialty absorbents in a water filtration system for watershed remediation.

To investigate watershed remediation within a Total Maximum Daily Load program, this study examined the field-scale filtration performance of two specialty absorbents. The goal was to simultaneously remove nutrients and biological pollutants along Canal 23 (C-23) in the St. Lucie River Basin, Florida.

Latin-American Registry of Cardiovascular Disease and COVID-19: Final Results.

Background: Socioeconomic factors contribute to a more severe impact of COVID-19 in Latin American and Caribbean (LA&C) countries than in developed countries. Patients with a severe or critical illness can develop respiratory and cardiovascular complications.

Objective: To describe a LA&C population with COVID-19 to provide information related to this disease, in-hospital cardiovascular complications, and in-hospital mortality.

Collaborative Teaching plus (CT+): A Timely, Flexible, and Dynamic Course Design Implemented during Emergency Remote Teaching in an Introductory Biology Course.

Student-centered pedagogies promote student learning in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms. However, transitioning to active learning from traditional lecturing may be challenging for both students and instructors. This case study presents the development, implementation, and assessment of a modified collaborative teaching (CT) and team-based learning (TBL) approach (CT plus TBL, or CT+) in an introductory biology course at a Minority-Serving Institution.

Color removal for large-scale interbasin water transfer: Experimental comparison of five sorption media.

The increasing needs of drinking water due to population growth requires seeking for new tap water sources. However, these large-scale tap water sources are oftentimes abundant with dissolved natural organic matter (NOM), such as tannic acid issue causing color in water. If not removed at the source locations beforehand, NOM would impact coagulation and flocculation unit, and/or become precursors to prompt the production of disinfectant by-products after chlorination in drinking water treatment.

Green sorption media for the removal of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water.

This study investigated the removal of selected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water via two green sorption media (IFGEM-7 and AGEM-2). Both selected green sorption media recipes contain sand (85-91%) and clay (3-4%), in addition to recycled iron (Fe) (5-7.5%) or aluminum (Al) (4.

Synergistic Integration Between Machine Learning and Agent-Based Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Review.

Agent-based modeling (ABM) involves developing models in which agents make adaptive decisions in a changing environment. Machine-learning (ML) based inference models can improve sequential decision-making by learning agents' behavioral patterns. With the aid of ML, this emerging area can extend traditional agent-based schemes that hardcode agents' behavioral rules into an adaptive model.

Integration of machine learning classifiers and higher order tensors for screening the optimal recipe of filter media in stormwater treatment.

Filter media have oftentimes been used in fixed-bed column tests to examine their removal efficiencies for various pollutants, such as nutrients in stormwater runoff. With limited data sets from column studies, a response surface method (RSM), such as the Box-Behnken Design (BBD), and machine learning methods, can be used to transition from discrete mode assessment to continuous mode optimization, from which the key ingredients of filter media can be better synergized. In this study, similarly to drug discovery via chemometrics, RSM is used to generate meta-models and identify the optimum ratio between clay and iron-filings contents in Iron-filings-based Green Environmental Media (IFGEM) for nutrient removal in stormwater treatment.

Adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics of Advanced Green Environmental Media (AGEM) for nutrient removal and recovery in agricultural discharge and stormwater runoff.

Recycled materials were used in three types of green sorption media for nutrient removal and possible recovery in high nutrient-laden agricultural discharge and stormwater runoff. The three types of green sorption media included in this comparative study were two new aluminum-based green environmental media (AGEM) and one existing iron-filings based green environmental media (IFGEM). The corresponding adsorption isotherm, thermodynamics, and kinetics models were simulated based on isotherm studies to determine their removal efficiency and potential for recovery of nitrate, phosphate, and ammonia when used as a soil amendment in crop fields or in a filter for water treatment.

The interaction of dissolved organic nitrogen removal and microbial abundance in iron-filings based green environmental media for stormwater treatment.

Nonpoint sources pollution from agricultural crop fields and urbanized regions oftentimes have elevated concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in stormwater runoff, which are difficult for microbial communities to decompose. The impact of elevated DON can be circumvented through the use of green sorption media, such as Biosorption Activated Media (BAM) and Iron-Filing Green Environmental Media (IFGEM), which, as integral parts of microbial ecology, can contribute to the decomposition of DON. To compare the fate, transport, and transformation of DON in green sorption media relative to natural soil (control), a series of fixed-bed columns, which contain natural soil, BAM, and two types of IFGEM, respectively, were constructed to compare nutrient removal efficiency under three distinct stormwater influent conditions containing nitrogen and phosphorus.

Comparative nitrogen removal via microbial ecology between soil and green sorption media in a rapid infiltration basin for co-disposal of stormwater and wastewater.

In this study, a rapid infiltration basin (RIB) designed as green infrastructure for co-disposal of wastewater effluent and stormwater runoff was retrofitted for sustainable groundwater recharge after nitrogen removal. For comparison of nitrogen removal efficiency via different filtration media, the RIB was divided into two sub-basins for different filtration processes. One sub-basin was filled with a native sandy soil with about 2-4% clay (Control RIB), and the other sub-basin was modified with Biosorption Activated Media (BAM) (BAM RIB), for the enhancement of microbial nitrogen removal.

Copper impact on enzymatic cascade and extracellular sequestration via distinctive pathways of nitrogen removal in green sorption media at varying stormwater field conditions.

Nutrient removal efficiency in green sorption media such as biosorption activated media (BAM) for treating stormwater runoff can be heavily influenced either on a short- or long-term basis by varying field conditions of linear ditches due to the presence of copper in stormwater runoff. It is also noticeable that the linear ditch undergoes physical or mechanical impacts from the traffic compaction, chemical impact of carbon sources from the nearby farmland, and biological impact from potential animal activities (such as gopher tortoises, moles, and ants). In the nitrogen cycle, two denitrification pathways, the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia and common denitrification, are deemed critical for such assessment.

Evaluation of green sorption media blanket filters for nitrogen removal in a stormwater retention basin at varying groundwater conditions in a karst environment.

Removing excess nutrient from stormwater runoffs is necessary to protect the water quality of receiving water bodies such as rivers, lakes, springs, and groundwater aquifers. Silver Springs Springshed, located in the vicinity of Ocala, Florida, has received widespread attention from the local government and residents due to its long-term nutrient impact, which has resulted in eutrophication. Blanket filters containing Bio-sorption Activated Media (BAM) were implemented with different depths of the vadose zone in a stormwater retention basin.