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Abstract Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD) is a rare, non‐Langerhans histiocytic disease, with the manifestation of cutaneous lesions becoming further recognised and understood. Most commonly presenting with xanthelasma‐like lesions, cutaneous manifestations are the first noticeable sign of ECD in a significant number of patients. Other commonly reported cutaneous lesions of ECD include panniculitis‐like lesions and granuloma annulare‐like lesions. While previously reported papular lesions of ECD include crusty yellow and erythematous papules, small, pink to fleshy coloured papules, and verruca plana‐like papules, papulonodular eruptions consistent with fibrous histiocytomas are a rare and underreported sequala of ECD. Here, we report an 86‐year‐old male with a history of prostate and bladder cancer who presented with eruptive fibrous histiocytomas, prompting workup that lead to a diagnosis of ECD. The patient received expedited imaging given the rare association of eruptive fibrohistiocytic lesions with malignancy, revealing diffuse perinephric and urothelial soft tissue thickening and enhancement, which was biopsied and found to harbour the BRAF V600E mutation. One could reasonably hypothesise that the pathologic mechanism occurring in the perinephric and urothelial soft tissue areas of this patient bodes similarities to the cutaneous sites consistent with the fibrohistiocytic lesions. This may present a potential clue to the poorly understood origin and pathogenesis of ECD.

Abstract High concentrations of sodium chloride dominate oilfield produced waters (brine) of the Williston Basin. When accidental spills of produced waters occur, there is an immediate need to reduce concentrations of chloride, to protect surface and groundwater systems and to reduce concentrations of sodium (Na) in soil to prevent any unwanted swelling and dispersion in soil. Swelling and dispersion of soils will likely occur if sodium adsorption ratio values are too high and the electrical conductivity drops below a certain threshold that is required to maintain flocculation. To prevent this, a calcium (Ca) amendment can be applied to replace Na with Ca on soil exchange sites. Historically, gypsum has been the most common Ca amendment used for improving brine impacted soils. Flue gas desulfurization gypsum is available in North Dakota but is still a sparingly soluble amendment. The purpose of this research was to investigate the use of calcium acetate (Ca‐Ac) as an amendment for brine‐impacted soils as compared to gypsum. Ca‐Ac has a similar concentration of Ca compared to gypsum but is over 100 times more soluble than gypsum. This laboratory experiment will compare how varying levels of gypsum and Ca‐Ac can influence soil hydraulic conductivity, and chemical and physical properties when mixed with oilfield brine‐impacted soils.

ABSTRACT Introduction We present a relationship‐centred shared‐decision‐making (RCSDM) process model to explicate factors that shape decision‐making processes during physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) encounters among patients, their care partners and practitioners. Existing shared decision‐making (SDM) models fall short in addressing the everyday decisions routinely made regarding persons with chronic disabilities who require high levels of support, their care partners and rehabilitation practitioners. In PMR, these everyday decisions are small scale, immediate and in service to a larger therapeutic goal. They can be thought of as micro‐decisions and involve multiple practitioners, care partners and patients. How micro‐decisions are made in this context is contingent on multiple roles and relationships among these relevant parties. Our model centres on micro‐decisions among patients, their care partners and practitioners based on our disorders of consciousness (DoC) research. Methods To develop our model, we examined peer‐reviewed literature in SDM in PMR, chronic disability and person‐centeredness; formed collaborations and co‐created our constructs with rehabilitation practitioners and with care partners who have lived experience of caring for persons with DoC; analysed emerging empirical data and vetted early versions with expert scientific and clinical audiences. Our model builds from the core tenets of relational autonomy, and scholarship and activism of disability advocates. Findings Our model conceptualizes four non‐hierarchical levels of analysis to understand the process of micro‐decision‐making in chronic disability and medical rehabilitation: social forces (historical and sociological); roles and relationships (multiple and intersecting); relational dimensions (interactional and contextual) and micro‐decision moments (initiation, response and closure). Discussion Relationships among patients, their care partners and practitioners are the intersubjective milieu within which decisions are made. Our conceptual model explicates the process of micro‐decision‐making in PMR. Patient or Public Contribution Care partners (or caregivers) and rehabilitation practitioners are active members of our team. We work together to develop research projects, collect, analyse and disseminate data. The conceptual model we present in this manuscript was co‐created—input from care partners and practitioners on previously collected data became the impetus to develop the RCSDM process model and share co‐authorship in this manuscript.

Abstract Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression methods are widely used to study gene function in both model and non‐model plants. Using a dual‐luciferase assay, we quantified the effect of Agrobacterium‐infiltration parameters on the transient transformation efficiency of Catharanthus roseus seedlings. We showed that transformation efficiency is highly sensitive to seedling developmental state and a pre‐ and post‐infiltration dark incubation and is less sensitive to the Agrobacterium growth stage. For example, 5 versus 6 days of germination in the dark increased seedling transformation efficiency by seven‐ to eight‐fold while a dark incubation pre‐ and post‐infiltration increased transformation efficiency by five‐ to 13‐fold. Agrobacterium in exponential compared with stationary phase increased transformation efficiency by two‐fold. Finally, we quantified the variation in our Agrobacterium‐infiltration method in replicate infiltrations and experiments. Within a given experiment, significant differences of up to 2.6‐fold in raw firefly luciferase (FLUC) and raw Renilla luciferase (RLUC) luminescence occurred in replicate infiltrations. These differences were significantly reduced when FLUC was normalized to RLUC values, highlighting the utility of including a reference reporter to minimize false positives. Including a second experimental replicate further reduced the potential for false positives. This optimization and quantitative validation of Agrobacterium infiltration in C. roseus seedlings will facilitate the study of this important medicinal plant and will expand the application of Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation methods in other plant species.

Abstract In the Williston Basin, land‐preparation treatments have not been compared in side‐by‐side trials to evaluate performance for parameters such as runoff, erosion, and vegetation establishment. Thus, four treatments of wheat‐straw crimping, land imprinting, wood‐fiber hydromulch, and the combination of land imprinting and hydromulch were evaluated against a bare soil control in a replicated and randomized completed block field experiment near Williston, ND. Rainfall simulations were performed in September 2020 and June 2021 to examine the effectiveness of the treatments to reduce runoff and sediment losses. Vegetation establishment was also evaluated in August 2021. The wheat straw treatment reduced the equivalent depth of runoff by 60% as compared to the bare soil control in 2021. By 2021, the imprinted area had largely become similar in roughness as the control plots and thus sediment losses were not different between these treatments. However, relic effects of the straw and hydromulch treatments reduced sediment loss by 50% or more. Vegetation establishment was not significantly different among treatments and the bare soil control using broadcast seeding, which may have been due to drought conditions causing low establishment in all plots. All the land‐preparation practices evaluated in this study may have limitations in assisting plant establishment during severe or persistent droughts.

Abstract We investigated whether a unique immune response was instigated with the development of oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (OTSCC), with/without nodal involvement, with/without recurrent metastatic disease, or within tumor involved nodes. One hundred and ten formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded samples were collected from a retrospective cohort of 67 OTSCC patients and 10 non‐cancerous tongue samples. Targets including CD4, CD8, FOXP3, PD‐L1, and PD‐1 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The Nanostring PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel was used for gene expression profiling. Data were externally validated in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) head and neck (HNSCC), melanoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) cohorts. A 24‐immune gene signature was identified that discriminated more aggressive OTSCC cases, and although not prognostic in HNSCC was associated with survival in other TCGA cohorts (improved survival for melanoma, P

Abstract Oncogenic RAS impacts communication between cancer cells and their microenvironment, but it is unclear how this process influences cellular interactions with extracellular vesicles (EVs). This is important as intercellular EV trafficking plays a key role in cancer invasion and metastasis. Here we report that overexpression of mutant RAS drives the EV internalization switch from endocytosis (in non‐transformed cells) to macropinocytosis (in cancer cells) resulting in enhanced EV uptake. This process depends on the surface proteoglycan, fibronectin and EV engulfment mechanism regulated by CRAF. Both mutant RAS and activated CRAF expression is associated with formation of membrane ruffles to which they colocalize along with actin, sodium‐hydrogen exchangers (NHEs) and phosphorylated myosin phosphatase (pMYPT). RAS‐transformed cells internalize EVs in the vicinity of ruffled structures followed by apparent trafficking to lysosome and degradation. NHE inhibitor (EIPA) suppresses RAS‐driven EV uptake, along with adhesion‐independent clonal growth and experimental metastasis in mice. Thus, EV uptake may represent a targetable step in progression of RAS‐driven cancers.

Abstract The novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 has emerged as one of the most compelling and concerning public health challenges of our time. To address the myriad issues generated by this pandemic, an interdisciplinary breadth of research, clinical and public health communities has rapidly engaged to collectively find answers and solutions. One area of active inquiry is understanding the mode(s) of SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission. Although respiratory droplets are a known mechanism of transmission, other mechanisms are likely. Of particular importance to global health is the possibility of vertical transmission from infected mothers to infants through breastfeeding or consumption of human milk. However, there is limited published literature related to vertical transmission of any human coronaviruses (including SARS‐CoV‐2) via human milk and/or breastfeeding. Results of the literature search reported here (finalized on 17 April 2020) revealed a single study providing some evidence of vertical transmission of human coronavirus 229E; a single study evaluating presence of SARS‐CoV in human milk (it was negative); and no published data on MERS‐CoV and human milk. We identified 13 studies reporting human milk tested for SARS‐CoV‐2; one study (a non‐peer‐reviewed preprint) detected the virus in one milk sample, and another study detected SARS‐CoV‐2 specific IgG in milk. Importantly, none of the studies on coronaviruses and human milk report validation of their collection and analytical methods for use in human milk. These reports are evaluated here, and their implications related to the possibility of vertical transmission of coronaviruses (in particular, SARS‐CoV‐2) during breastfeeding are discussed.

Background Little is known about the veterinary referral process and factors that contribute to positive outcomes. Objective To investigate equine referring veterinarians' (rDVMs') satisfaction with their most recent referral experience and compare rDVM and specialist perspectives. Sample 187 rDVMs and 92 specialists (referral care providers). Methods Cross‐sectional observational study. An online survey was administered to both rDVMs and specialists. Referring veterinarian satisfaction with their most recent referral experience was evaluated. Both rDVMs and specialists were asked to identify factors influencing a rDVM's decision where to refer, and the top 3 factors they perceive are barriers to referral care. Results Median rDVM satisfaction with their most recent referral care experience was 80 of 100 (mean, 75; range, 8–100). Referring veterinarians provided the lowest satisfaction score for the item asking about “The competition the referral hospital poses to your practice” (mean, 56.96; median, 62; range, 0–100). The top factor rDVMs identified as influencing their decision where to refer was “quality of care,” whereas specialists identified “quality of communication and updates from the clinician.” Referring veterinarians' top barrier to referral care was “high cost of referral care,” and for specialists was “poor service provided to the client by the referral hospital.” Conclusions and Clinical Importance Referring veterinarians generally were satisfied with referral care, but areas exist where rDVMs and specialists differ in what they view as important to the referral process. Exploring opportunities to overcome these differences is likely to support high quality care.

Abstract Initial data from the Formosa Satellite‐7/Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere and Climate (FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2, hereafter C2), a recently launched equatorial constellation of six satellites carrying advanced radio occultation receivers, exhibit high signal‐to‐noise ratio, precision, and accuracy, and the ability to provide high vertical resolution profiles of bending angles and refractivity, which contain information on temperature and water vapor in the challenging tropical atmosphere. After an initial calibration/validation phase, over 100,000 soundings of bending angles and refractivity that passed quality control in October 2019 are compared with independent data, including radiosondes, model forecasts, and analyses. The comparisons show that C2 data meet expectations of high accuracy, precision, and capability to detect superrefraction. When fully operational, the C2 satellites are expected to produce ~5,000 soundings per day, providing freely available observations that will enable improved forecasts of weather, including tropical cyclones, and weather, space weather, and climate research.