cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucagon increases glutamine uptake without affecting glutamine release in humans

Glucagon causes transient hyperglycemia and persistent hypoaminoacidemia, but the mechanisms of this action are unclear. To address this question, the present study measured the effects of glucagon on glucose, leucine, phenylalanine, and glutamine kinetics. Seven healthy subjects each underwent three pancreatic clamp studies (octreotide 30 ng/kg/min, insulin 0.15 mU/kg/min, and glucagon 1.4 ng/kg/min) lasting 7 hours. During the last 3.5 hours of the studies, glucagon infusion was either unchanged (study 0) or increased to 4 and 7 ng/kg/min (studies 1 and 2). The higher glucagon infusion rates increased the glucagon concentration by 50% and 100%, respectively. [6,6-(2)H2]glucose, [2-(15)N]glutamine, 2H5-phenylalanine, and 2H3-leucine were infused to quantify the respective fluxes. Glucagon transiently increased glucose concentrations by stimulating glucose production, which peaked in 15 minutes to 3.82 +/- 0.36 and 4.21 +/- 0.33 mg/kg/min in studies 1 and 2 and then returned to the postabsorptive levels. Glucagon decreased the glutamine concentration (-10% +/- 2% and -22% +/- 2% in studies 1 and 2 v study 0, P < .05), because glutamine uptake became greater than glutamine release (balance from -1.9 +/- 0.9 in study 0 to -8.1 +/- 1.1 and -13.6 +/- 1.0 micromol/kg/h in studies 1 and 2, P < .01). Glucagon decreased the leucine concentration (-11% +/- 3% in study 2 v study 0, P < .02) and caused a small increment in proteolysis (+6% in study 2 v study 0, P < .01) that was related to the decrement in glutamine concentrations. Phenylalanine kinetics were not significantly affected. These results show that glucagon promotes the uptake of gluconeogenic substrates but does not increase their release, suggesting that glucagon-induced hyperglycemia is short-lived because glucagon fails to provide more fuel for gluconeogenesis. The small increase in proteolysis and the depletion of circulating glutamine prove that physiologic hyperglucagonemia can contribute to protein catabolism.
A Nontraditional Faculty Development Initiative Using a Social Media Platform

Objective. To assess the outcomes from an 11-year nontraditional professional development activity implemented by female faculty members at several colleges and schools of pharmacy. Design. Within the context of an online fantasy football league, faculty members practiced community-based faculty development strategies, including peer mentoring, skills development, constructive feedback and other supportive behaviors. Assessment. Data were extracted from curriculum vitae to characterize the academic progress of participants and to quantify scholarly work collaborations among league members. Analyses were limited to members who had participated in the league for 10 or more consecutive years. Seventy-one collaborative scholarly works occurred among team managers, including presentation of 20 posters and 2 oral presentations at national or international meetings, publication of 29 peer-reviewed articles and 15 book chapters, and funding of 5 research projects. Conclusion. Social media platforms can foster nontraditional faculty development and mentoring by enhancing connectivity between pharmacy educators who share similar interests.
The management of institutional innovation: Lessons from transferring the land grant model to India

The US and India collaborated on a successful institution building programme in the 1950s and 1960s to develop capacity for agricultural education, research and extension. This paper analyses that process for lessons that might bear on efforts to build similar institutions in other countries. India was an especially favourable environment due to the sophistication of its scientific base, the openness of its leaders to institutional innovation, the presence of public sector enterpreneurs to mobilize support for reform, and a food crisis that made it urgent to find new technology. The US did not fund institutional changes that had little demand in India, but it did influence Indian preferences over the long run by creating several mechanisms to exchange information about the American land grant system. These exchange mechanisms enhanced India's capacity for agricultural science and, less often noticed, contributed to the political support essential to new institutions.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia with a FGFR3 translocation: case report and literature review of an uncommon cytogenetic event

The t(4;14) (p16; q32) with fusion of the IGH (immunoglobulin heavy chain) and FGFR3 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 3) genes are rarely present in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), with only two previously reported cases. We herein describe a unique case of CLL with the occurrence of a t(4;14) (p16;q32), trisomy 12, and deletion of 11q13−q23 in the same clonal cells. In contrast to myeloma, in which FGFR3 translocations are a common early cytogenetic hit, FGFR3 rearrangement in CLL appears to occur later in the disease course.
A Novel Drug to Reduce Tumor Perfusion: Antitumor Effect Alone and with Hyperthermia

Abstract Griffin, R. J., Ogawa, A. and Song, C. W. A Novel Drug to Reduce Tumor Perfusion: Antitumor Effect Alone and with Hyperthermia. We have investigated the feasibility of enhancing damage induced by hyperthermia in SCK murine tumors by reducing tumor blood perfusion using a new agent, KB-R8498. Within several minutes of an i.v. injection, the tumor perfusion was reduced to less than 20% of the control value, and it recovered to 40–70% of the control value by 1 h after injection. The perfusion in normal tissues decreased or increased soon after drug administration depending on the tissue type. However, by 1 h after drug treatment, perfusion in five of the seven tissues examined had returned to the control level. The tumor pH was also reduced after i.v. drug administration. Control tumors grew to four times the initial volume in 6 days. Tumors that were heated at 42.5°C for 60 min were delayed in growth by 4 days compared to control tumors. There was a growth delay of 14 days when an i.v. injection of...
Effects of global trade liberalization on softwood lumber markets

This study develops a world spatial equilibrium softwood lumber model comprised of the major importing and exporting countries/regions to analyse the impacts of global trade reform on the world softwood lumber market. The results show that free trade leads to an increase in lumber trade, and Canadian producers and US consumers are the biggest beneficiaries. Trade liberalization improves the overall world welfare as world producer and consumer surpluses increase. The result highlights the importance of moving towards free trade in the global softwood lumber market.
Detection of antibodies directed at M. hyorhinis p37 in the serum of men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer

Background Recent epidemiologic, genetic, and molecular studies suggest infection and inflammation initiate certain cancers, including cancers of the prostate. Over the past several years, our group has been studying how mycoplasmas could possibly initiate and propagate cancers of the prostate. Specifically, Mycoplasma hyorhinis encoded protein p37 was found to promote invasion of prostate cancer cells and cause changes in growth, morphology and gene expression of these cells to a more aggressive phenotype. Moreover, we found that chronic exposure of benign human prostate cells to M. hyorhinis resulted in significant phenotypic and karyotypic changes that ultimately resulted in the malignant transformation of the benign cells. In this study, we set out to investigate another potential link between mycoplasma and human prostate cancer.
Waste and longing--the legal status of placental-blood banking.

Waste is not always what it seems. In his Cold War novel Underworld, for example, Don DeLillo explores the multifaceted qualities of waste. “Waste,” he notes, “is the secret history, the underhisto...
The Spaces of Parking: Mapping the Politics of Mobility in San Francisco

Abstract: Recently a “mobility turn” has entered critical geographic discourse. This mobility turn recognizes that mobility is at once physical movement and contains social meanings that are manifested in a politics of mobility. In this paper I contribute to this emerging line of inquiry by exploring how the politics of mobility is manifested in localized urban processes. Mobility, as with the broader localized urban process, is political and ideological, and this is particularly true with contemporary debates about automobiles and parking in cities. I explore parking as an example of the broader contestation of urban space, using a case study of San Francisco, California. There are three broad factions in San Francisco's parking debates—progressives that advocate for less parking, neoliberals that advocate that market-based pricing determine the amount of parking, and neoconservatives that advocate for more parking. Throughout the paper, I provide thoughts on the relationship between parking, space, ideology, and the broader urban process.
Fluorescence microscopy of stimulated Zn(II) release from organotypic cultures of mammalian hippocampus using a carbonic anhydrase-based biosensor system.

Abstract We demonstrate here that electrical stimulation of organotypic cultures of rat hippocampus results in the prompt release of significant amounts of Zn(II) by a fluorescence microscopic method. The fluorescence imaging of free Zn(II) is achieved using a highly selective biosensing indicator system consisting of human apo-carbonic anhydrase II (apoCAII) and a fluorescent aryl sulfonamide inhibitor of the enzyme, ABD-N. The apoenzyme and ABD-N in the absence of Zn(II) exhibit weak, reddish fluorescence typical of the ABD-N alone; when Zn(II) is added it binds to the apoenzyme ( K D =4 pM), which strongly promotes binding of ABD-N to the holoenzyme ( K D =0.9 μM). Binding of ABD-N to the holoenzyme results in a 9-fold increase in apparent quantum yield, significant blue shifts in excitation and emission, an increase in average fluorescence lifetime, a 4-fold increase in the ratio of intensities at 560 and 680 nm, and a large increase in anisotropy. Prior to stimulation, cultures immersed in phosphate-buffered saline with glucose and apoCAII with ABD-N emitted negligible fluorescence, but within 20 s after electrical stimulation a diffuse cloud of greenish fluorescence emerged and subsequently covered most of the culture, indicating release of zinc into the extracellular medium.
Market share and risk taking: the role of collateral asset managers in the collapse of the arbitrage CDO market

Asset pricing theory predicts that if credit ratings do not reflect all relevant aspects of a CDO debt tranche’s risk profile (i.e., its total and systematic risk), then ratings-based tranche pricing by some naive investors creates incentives for CDO arrangers to take excessive non-priced risk. CDO managers’ desire for repeat issuance makes them part of this risk taking strategy to exploit naive investors. The implication is that the credit quality of CDOs run by large market share managers has a higher tendency to deteriorate in bad times. This paper finds empirical evidence for large market share manager’s conflicts of interest.
Payout Policy Irrelevance and the Dividend Puzzle

Why do firms make large cash payouts, given the tax advantages of retention? The dividend puzzle is based on the premise that low or near-zero payouts are optimal (although not uniquely so) in frictionless markets, hence should be strictly optimal when payouts are taxed. This logic reflects misunderstandings about the nature of payout policy irrelevance in frictionless markets and the implications of adding personal taxes to the standard finance model. In frictionless markets, all optimal policies require substantial payouts. Those with low or near-zero distributions are strictly sub-optimal, and are infeasible given rational expectations. Payout policy irrelevance does not carry over to general equilibrium, so it is inappropriate to conclude that many or most firms can make low payouts for extended periods. Imposition of personal taxes perturbs the frictionless equilibrium on the margin, but does not alter the implication that all optimal policies require substantial payouts. In short, the standard finance model (with or without taxes) implies, requires, and predicts the large payouts observed in the world.
Leigh syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in an infant with a mitochondrial DNA point mutation (T8993G)

Mutation of mitochondrial (mt) DNA at nucleotide (nt) 8993 has been reported to cause neurogenic weakness, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa (NARP), or Leigh syndrome (LS). We report a family in whom the mutation was expressed clinically as LS and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (CMP) in a boy who presented with a history of developmental delay and hypotonia, and who had recurrent lactic acidosis. The mother's first pregnancy resulted in the birth of a stillborn female; an apparently healthy older brother had died suddenly (SIDS) at age 2 months. MtDNA analysis identified the presence of the T8993G point mutation, which was found to be heteroplasmic in the patient's skeletal muscle (90%) and fibroblasts (90%). The identical mutation was present in leukocytes (38%) isolated from the mother, but not from the father or maternal grandmother. Our findings expand the clinical phenotype of the nt 8993 mtDNA mutation to include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and confirm its cause of LS.
How do we treat life-threatening anemia in a Jehovah's Witness patient?

The refusal of allogeneic human blood and blood products by Jehovah's Witness (JW) patients complicates the treatment of life-threatening anemia. For JW patients, when hemoglobin (Hb) levels decrease beyond traditional transfusion thresholds (<7 g/dL), alternative methods to allogeneic blood transfusion can be utilized to augment erythropoiesis and restore endogenous Hb levels. The use of erythropoietin-stimulating agents and intravenous iron has been shown to restore red blood cell and Hb levels in JW patients, although these effects may be significantly delayed. When JW patients have evidence of life-threatening anemia (Hb <5 g/dL), oxygen-carrying capacity can be supplemented with the administration of Hb-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs). Although HBOCs are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, they may be obtained and administered with FDA, institutional review board, and patient approval. We describe a protocol-based algorithm to the management of life-threatening anemia in JW patients and review time to anemia reversal and patient outcomes using this approach.
A comparative study of walking-induced dust resuspension using a consistent test mechanism

UNLABELLED Human walking influences indoor air quality mainly by resuspending dust particles settled on the floor. This study characterized walking-induced particle resuspension as a function of flooring type, relative humidity (RH), surface dust loading, and particle size using a consistent resuspension mechanism. Five types of flooring, including hardwood, vinyl, high-density cut pile carpet, low-density cut pile carpet, and high-density loop carpet, were tested with two levels of RH (40% and 70%) and surface dust loading (2 and 8 g/m(2) ), respectively. Resuspension fraction ra (fraction of surface dust resuspended per step) for house dust was found to be varied from 10(-7) to 10(-4) (particle size: 0.4-10 µm). Results showed that for particles at 0.4-3.0 µm, the difference in resuspension fraction between carpets and hard floorings was not significant. For particles at 3.0-10.0 µm, carpets exhibited higher resuspension fractions compared with hard floorings. Increased RH level enhanced resuspension on high-density cut pile carpet, whereas the opposite effect was observed on hard floorings. Higher surface dust loading was associated with lower resuspension fractions on carpets, while on hard floorings the effect of surface dust loading varied with different RH levels. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The results from this study validate the recommendation that people sensitive to allergens could select hard floorings to reduce exposure and related adverse health outcomes. The results can also be applied to exposure models to determine the overall impact of exposure to resuspension as compared with other particle sources.
Dynamics and control of high-reynolds-number flow over open cavities

We review recent advances in understanding, modeling, and controlling oscillations in the flow past a cavity. The fundamental mechanisms underlying cavity flow oscillations have been known for at least 40 years, but suppressing these oscillations in a reliable and robust way is still a challenge today. Interest in controlling the flow past a cavity is motivated by aerospace applications, but in addition, cavity flows provide an attractive canonical problem for exploring general flow control techniques. The focus is on recent advances in modeling these flows, and in controlling them, using both open-loop and closed-loop techniques. A relatively new perspective is that cavity oscillations may not always be self-sustained, but under some flow conditions may be lightly damped resonances, sustained by external disturbances such as boundary layer turbulence. Areas in which our understanding is incomplete, and which deserve further study, are discussed, in particular the effects of high-frequency open-loop forcing, fundamental limitations of feedback control for a given configuration of sensors and actuators, and the development of a feedback design methodology that respects the limited range of validity of the available dynamical models.
Involvement of the Golgi region in the intracellular trafficking of cholera toxin

The intracellular pathway following receptor-mediated endocytosis of cholera toxin was studied using brefeldin A (BFA), which inhibited protein secretion and induced dramatic morphological changes in the Golgi region. In both mouse Y1 adrenal cells and CHO cells, BFA at 1 micrograms/ml caused a 80-90% inhibition of the cholera toxin (CT)-induced elevation of intracellular cAMP. The inhibition of the cytotoxicity of CT by BFA was also observed in a rounding assay of Y1 adrenal cells. The inhibition of CT cytotoxicity by BFA was dose dependent, with the ID50 value similar to the LD50 of BFA in Y1 adrenal cells. Binding and internalization of [125I]-labeled cholera toxin in Y1 adrenal cells was not affected by BFA. Unlike the BFA-sensitive cell lines such as Y1 adrenal and CHO cells, BFA at 1 micrograms/ml did not inhibit the cytotoxicity of CT in PtK1 cells, of which the Golgi structure was BFA-resistant. These results strongly suggest that a BFA-sensitive Golgi is required for the protection of CT cytotoxicity by BFA. In contrast, elevation of the intracellular cAMP by forskolin, which acts directly on the plasma membrane adenylate cyclase, was not affected by BFA. These observations indicate that the intoxication of target cells by CT requires an intact Golgi region for its intracellular trafficking and/or processing. In this respect, CT shares a common intracellular pathway with ricin, Pseudomonas toxin, and modeccin, even though their structures and modes of action are very different.
On the Use of Geographic Information Systems in Economic History: The American Transportation Revolution Revisited

Transportation improvements in the nineteenth century loom large in the historiography of the profession during the twentieth century. This article describes the ongoing construction of a historical geographic information systems (GIS) transportation database designed to provide new insights into the impact of the transportation and communications revolution in the continental United States by providing evidence on the spatial dimensions of those changes over time. It also reviews some preliminary findings and reinterpretations based upon these data.
A versatile method for simultaneous analysis of families of curves.

We have developed a versatile new approach to the simultaneous analysis of families of curves, which combines the simplicity of empirical methods with several of the advantages of mathematical modeling, including objective comparison of curves and statistical hypothesis testing. The method uses weighted smoothing cubic splines; the degree of smoothing is adjusted automatically to satisfy constraints on curve chape (monotonicity, number of inflection points). By simultaneous analysis of a family of curves, one can extract the shape common to all the curves. Up to four linear scaling parameters are used to match the shape to each curve, and to provide optimal superimposition of the several curves. By applying constraints to these scaling factors, one can test a variety of hypotheses concerning comparisons of curves (e.g., identity, parallelism, or similarity of shape of two or more curves), and thus evaluate the effects of experimental manipulation. By optimal pooling of data one can avoid the need for arbitrary selection of a typical experiment, and can detect subtle but reproducible effects that might otherwise be overlooked. This approach can facilitate the development of an appropriate model. The method has been implemented in a Turbo-Pascal program for IBM-PC compatible microcomputers, and in FORTRAN-77 for the DEC-10 mainframe, and has been utilized successfully in a wide variety of applications.
Simulation of anisotropic artificial impedance surface with rectangular and diamond lattices

Infinite lattices of patches covering grounded dielectric slabs were simulated using Ansoft HFSS. Both rectangular and diamond unit cells were studied. For waves propagating along rectangular unit cells, the transverse cell dimension has no effect on the surface impedance or dispersion characteristics. For diamond unit cells, the surface impedance and dispersion characteristics vary significantly for different transverse cell lengths when the wave propagates along the shorter unit cell dimension. For waves propagating over the longer dimension, surface impedance and dispersion remain similar. Results show that at a given frequency, the impedance can be varied by changing the length of the cell in the propagating direction. For rectangular cells, impedance in orthogonal directions is independent of each other, and an anisotropic impedance tensor can be created based on the size and orientation of the cell.
Nanoparticle layers transformed from ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays and dye-sensitized solar cells

Transformation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes (NTs) to truncated bipyramidal shape nanoparticles (NPs) with a large fraction of photo-catalytically active {001} facet surface was observed after thermal annealing TiO2 ordered nanotube arrays in fluorine ambient. Size of the formed nanoparticles depended on fluorine concentration and can be controlled from 20 nm to 350 nm. The crystal and optical properties of nanoparticle layers are superior to those of nanotube arrays, which are also annealed but without geometrical transformation. Using nanoparticle layers formed by this method we have fabricated dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with different size NPs in the range 35-350 nm. The dependence of solar cell performance on NP size is discussed.
Depth discrimination of a crowded line is better when it is more luminant than the lines crowding it

Observers usually cannot discriminate the relative depth of a crowded feature with respect to crowding features about 2 arc min distant if all the features have the same luminance. However, stereo thresholds significantly less than 20 arc sec are obtained when the crowded feature is about twice as luminant as the features crowding it. The thresholds depend only upon the ratio of the luminance of the target feature to the luminance of the crowding features and are independent of the absolute luminance of the features. With further increase in the relative luminance of the target feature, the performance eventually deteriorates and this deterioration is not due to difficulty in seeing the features which were individually clearly visible for all the luminances tested. The closest spacing of local crowded features that still allows good stereo discrimination is about the same as the spatial resolution attainable for many luminance-based non-stereo tasks.
Implications of Drug Testing Cheerleaders

With the untimely death of a University of Louisville cheerleader due to an accidental drug overdose in the summer of 2014, the athletic department representatives took steps to prevent future incidents by adding cheerleaders to the randomized drug testing protocols conducted at the university for the student-athletes involved in National Collegiate Athletic Association sponsored sports. The question remains, if cheerleaders are increasingly subjected to the requirements imposed on student-athletes, will they also be afforded similar benefits?
A cross sectional study evaluating the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii, potential risk factors for infection, and agreement between diagnostic methods in goats in Indiana

Coxiella burnetii is the etiologic agent of the zoonotic disease Q fever and is considered to be endemic in domestic ruminants. Small ruminants in particular are important reservoirs for human infection. Serologic and molecular methods are both available for diagnosis of infection with C. burnetii, but there has been little research evaluating the prevalence of this organism in small ruminants outside of the context of clinical disease outbreaks. The objectives of this study were to estimate seroprevalence of C. burnetii and the prevalence of shedding of C. burnetii DNA in milk by goats in Indiana, USA, to evaluate potential risk factors for association with C. burnetii exposure and shedding, and to assess the level of agreement between the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests used to estimate prevalence. A total of 649 does over 1 year of age and not pregnant at the time of sampling were included in the study. Serum samples were collected from 608 does representing 89 farms. Milk samples were collected from 387 does representing 85 farms. Both milk and serum samples were collected from 356 does representing 80 farms. The estimated individual seroprevalence and shedding prevalence in milk adjusted for clustering were 3.1% (n=23/608, 95% CI: 1.2-7.0%) and 2.5% (n=9/387, 9.5% CI: 1.0-5.6%) respectively. Estimated adjusted herd level C. burnetii seroprevalence and herd level shedding prevalence were 11.5% (n=10/89, 95% CI: 6.4-20.1%) and 7.0% (n=6/85, 95% CI: 3.3-14.6%) respectively. Based on a generalized estimating equation model (GEE), meat breeds of goat had 7.0 times increased odds of shedding C. burnetii DNA in milk samples as compared to dairy breeds. Agreement between tests as determined by Cohen's kappa was poor at both the individual (kappa=0.04, 95% CI: -0.1 to 0.2) and herd (kappa=0.2, 95% CI: -0.1 to 0.5) levels. This indicates that serologic screening alone is unlikely to prevent the introduction of does shedding C. burnetii into herds.
Risk, Agricultural Production, and Weather Index Insurance in Village South Asia

We investigate the sources of variance in crop output and measure their relative importance in the context of weather index insurance for smallholder farmers. We use parcel-level panel data from South Asia and a multilevel modeling approach to isolate the different sources of variance. We then measure how large a role weather plays in explaining variance in yields. Using Bayesian methods, we draw the underlying distribution of the random error term responsible for weather uncertainty, which is highly skewed and non-normal. We find that variance in weather accounts for a small but important fraction of total variance in crop output. We also derive pricing and payout schedules for actuarially fair weather index insurance. Our results shed light on the low uptake rates of index insurance in South Asia and provide direction for designing index insurance with less basis risk for farmers.
High-Frequency Rheological Characterization of Homogeneous Polymer Films with the Quartz Crystal Microbalance

We utilize quartz crystal resonators operating at multiple resonant harmonics to measure the high-frequency rheological properties of materials with a broad range of viscoelastic properties. The technique is demonstrated with poly(t-butyl acrylate) films in the vicinity of the calorimetrically determined glass transition and with rubbery polyisoprene films. The technique is a noncontact technique that can be used to quantify the temperature or time-dependent viscoelastic response in homogeneous films with thicknesses in the micrometer range. This work complements the ability of the resonators to quantify the viscoelastic behavior of viscoelastic polymer solutions and simple Newtonian liquids. For each material we obtain the density-shear modulus product and the viscoelastic phase angle at frequencies of 5 and 15 MHz. A standardized analysis protocol is described that enables this information to be obtained reliably and accurately. The polyisoprene data are found to be in good agreement with measurements obtained by dynamic mechanical analysis using extrapolated temperature shift factors.
Abstract LB-74: The estrogen receptor regulates the transcription of p53 target genes in breast cancer cells

Breast Cancer is a disease that affects thousands of women every year. A large subset of breast cancer is attributed to estrogen receptor (ER) dysregulation. Previously, our lab and others have determined the estradiol-stimulated ER cistrome in the MCF7 mammary epithelial cell line. To determine the relationship between ER and the apoptotic response, we compared our ER cistrome to a published p53 dataset. The p53 transcription factor is a tumor suppressor protein that is responsible for cell-cycle control and apoptosis. Our lab generated a doxorubicin-stimulated p53 cistrome in MCF7 cells, and we employed an integrative analysis approach examining the p53 and ER cistromes and gene expression microarray data to determine the genes coordinately regulated by both transcription factors. We identified a number of genes that are involved in the cell cycle, apoptosis, and DNA damage repair. By treating MCF7 cells with both stimuli, we found that the ER could inhibit the expression of a p53 target gene subset, thus diminishing the efficacy of the p53 program. These genes correlate with poor breast cancer clinical outcome. Moreover, we found that treatment of breast cancer cells with a combination of the anti-estrogen fulvestrant with p53 stimuli (i.e., doxorubicin and nutlin-3) leads to the synergistic enhancement of pro-apoptotic genes. Together, these data point to a set of genes essential for breast cell survival in ER-mediated breast cancer and suggest an improved paradigm for ER-positive breast cancer treatment i.e., the addition of fulvestrant with a p53 stabilizing drug. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-74. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-74
Evaluating a Water Conservation Response to Climate Change in the Lower Boise River Basin

Aquifers created or sustained by seepage losses from Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Projects extend over vast areas of western states. Yet agricultural water conservation measures such as canal lining top the list of State and Federal policies for mitigating the effect of water shortages brought about by climate change. Cost benefit analysis (CBA) of new Reclamation water conservation infrastructure such as canal lining or piping is too often Project-specific, and detached from basin hydrology. The value of canal seepage as a positive externality is thus ignored in CBA. A basin-wide approach to hydro-economic modeling that accounts for the externalized costs and benefits of both canal seepage and new canal lining conservation insures that incidental aquifer recharge is recognized in CBA of Federally financed irrigation water conservation measures. Integrated hydrologic and partial equilibrium models are employed in the Lower Boise River basin to calculate the foregone benefit to non-project groundwater and drain water irrigation of a hypothetical Boise Project canal lining response to projected climate change water shortages. Basin-wide hydrologic response data is used to compute shifts in non-project groundwater supply functions and drain water supply constraints, and a base-case water supply scenario is compared to six climate change scenarios in which projected water shortages are offset by lining of project canals. The foregone net benefit to non-project groundwater and drain water irrigation resulting from elimination of the canal seepage externality (US$4.4–22.6million depending on the scenario) outweighs the increase in net benefit to Boise Project irrigation by canal lining (US$1.4–19.3million). On average, foregone groundwater and drain water irrigation benefit exceeds restored canal irrigation benefit by about 38%. Canal lining conservation is unable to restore total basin-wide irrigation net benefit to the base-case level in any of the climate change scenarios; rather it shifts the foregone benefit of climate change shortages from project canal irrigation to non-project groundwater and drain water irrigation. The canal lining CPA is not a complete accounting of either costs or benefits of canal lining conservation. On the cost side, only the foregone benefits of eliminating the positive canal seepage externality are calculated; construction and maintenance costs of canal lining are omitted. On the benefit side, Arrowrock canal irrigators are assumed to be the sole beneficiary of reduced seepage losses.
Discussion on Owner Management of Design and Construction General Contracting Turn-Key Project for Coating Engineering

According to analyzing the management mode of design and construction general contracting turn-key project for coating engineering, the basic responsibility of the owner management was discussed.Found out problems, put forward proposal for the owner ability and efficiency in the management role transformation.
Clostridia Sepsis Following Transperineal Needle Biopsy of the Prostate

AbstractThe first case is reported of clostridial prostatitis following transperineal needle biopsy of the prostate. The literature is reviewed and treatment is discussed.
Duodenal Amyloidosis Masquerading as Iron Deficiency Anemia

The present study is a unique illustration of duodenal amyloidosis initially manifesting with iron deficiency anemia. It underscores the importance of clinical suspicion of amyloidosis while performing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with a biopsy to establish the definite diagnosis in patients with unexplained iron deficiency anemia.
Purpose of an International Comparable Census Disability Measure

In the context of the multiple domain conceptualization of the disability process modeled and classified by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) it was essential for the Washington Group (WG) to consider carefully the purpose of the initial Census measures they sought to develop. The third meeting of the WG focused on that decision and this description of that decision process highlights the problems and ultimate solutions that were developed.
Heart Failure: a Major Cardiovascular Complication of Diabetes Mellitus

Heart failure (HF) is a major cardiovascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). The greatest risk factor for HF is age, and data indicate that 6 to 10 % of individuals over the age of 65 years suffer from HF. Patients with DM have a 2.5-fold increased risk for developing HF than individuals without DM. The 25 to 40 % of patients with HF who have DM have worse outcome (death from cardiovascular disease or hospitalization for worsening HF) than patients without DM. Hyperglycemia is a risk factor for the development of HF with an increase in incidence of HF rising from 10 % at hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) 8.0 to 9.0 % to 71 % at a HbA1c > 10 %. Patients with DM and HF are equally distributed between those with low ejection fractions and those with normal ejection fractions. The HF treatment regimens for patients with HF and DM (blockade of angiotensin II synthesis or action, cardioselective β-adrenergic blockade, mineralocorticoid receptor blockade, and diuretics) are the same as for HF patients without DM, though the benefit on clinical outcomes is not as great. The new angiotensin-neprilysin inhibitors appear to provide increase outcome benefits in both HF patients with or without DM. Glycemic control impacts the clinical outcomes in patients with HF and DM in a U-shaped relationship with poorer survival at low and high mean HbA1c levels. The optimal chronic glycemic control occurs at an HbA1c of 7.5 to 8.0 % for patients with DM who have symptoms of HF.
Structure damage localization using a reliable wave damage detection technique

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) gained great attention due to its significant role in lowering the cost and time of monitoring and maintaining structures. Guided wave techniques are widely used to detect damage in structures due to its sensitivity to different changes in the structure. That makes it very reliable for inspection of large complicated structures for cracks, corrosion and different types of damages. Damage localization is based on determining the time for the signal to travel from the source to the damage and reflected back i.e. Time Of Flight (TOF). In this paper, finite element simulation is performed using ABAQUS/Explicit finite element software to study the damage size effect on the damage localization accuracy using the 3-point pulse-echo technique. A 5 cycle Gaussian tone-burst with 250 kHz central frequency is applied to simulate lamb wave propagation in an aluminum plate. The tangential displacement is recorded at the excitation and two subsequent points. Wigner-Ville Distribution (WVD) is used to eliminate noise and calculate the TOF based on its excellent time-frequency-energy distribution.
Differentiation of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma From Other Renal Cortical Tumors by Use of a Quantitative Multiparametric MRI Approach

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to develop a quantitative multiparametric MRI approach to differentiating clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) from other renal cortical tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective study included 119 patients with 124 histopathologically confirmed renal cortical tumors who underwent preoperative MRI including DWI, contrast-enhanced, and chemical-shift sequences before nephrectomy. Two radiologists independently assessed each tumor volumetrically, and apparent diffusion coefficient values, parameters from multiphasic contrast-enhanced MRI (peak enhancement, upslope, downslope, AUC), and chemical-shift indexes were calculated. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify parameters associated with clear cell RCC. RESULTS. Interreader agreement was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.815–0.994). The parameters apparent diffusion coefficient (reader 1 AUC, 0.804; reader 2, 0.807), peak enhancement (reader 1 AU...
Gastrointestinal cancer cells treatment with bevacizumab activates a VEGF autoregulatory mechanism involving telomerase catalytic subunit hTERT via PI3K-AKT, HIF-1α and VEGF receptors.

Background Targeting angiogenesis has been considered a promising treatment of choice for a large number of malignancies, including gastrointestinal cancers. Bevacizumab is an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) being used for this purpose. However, treatment efficacy is largely questioned. Telomerase activity, responsible for cancer cell immortality, is detected in 85–95% of human cancers and is considered a potential regulator of VEGF. The aim of our study was to investigate the interrelationship between VEGF and hTERT in gastrointestinal cancers and to explore cell response to a combined inhibition of telomerase and VEGF. Methods AGS (gastric cancer), Caco-2 (colorectal cancer) and HepG2/C3A (hepatocellular carcinoma), were treated with telomerase inhibitors BIBR-1232 (10μM) and costunolide (10μM), with bevacizumab (Avastin® at 5 ng/ml or 100μg/ml) or with a combination of both types of inhibitors. VEGF and hTERT mRNA levels, and telomerase activity were detected by RT-PCR. VEGF levels were quantified by ELISA. Telomerase was knocked down using hTERT siRNA and hTERT was overexpressed in the telomerase negative cell line, Saos-2 (osteosarcoma), using constructs expressing either wild type hTERT (hTERT-WT) or dominant negative hTERT (hTERT-DN). Tube formation by HUVECs was assessed using ECMatrix™ (EMD Millipore). Results Our results showed that telomerase regulates VEGF expression and secretion through its catalytic subunit hTERT in AGS, Caco2, and HepG2/C3A, independent of its catalytic activity. Interestingly, VEGF inhibition with bevacizumab (100μg/ml) increased hTERT expression 42.3% in AGS, 94.1% in Caco2, and 52.5% in HepG2/C3A, and increased telomerase activity 30-fold in AGS, 10.3-fold in Caco2 and 8-fold in HepG2/C3A. A further investigation showed that VEGF upregulates hTERT expression in a mechanism that implicates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and HIF-1α. Moreover, bevacizumab treatment increased VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression in cancer cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) through hTERT. Thus, the combination of bevacizumab with telomerase inhibitors decreased VEGF expression and secretion by cancer cells, inhibited VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 upregulation, and reduced tube formation by HUVECs. Conclusions Taken together, our results suggest that bevacizumab treatment activates a VEGF autoregulatory mechanism involving hTERT and VEGF receptors and that an inhibition of this pathway could improve tumor cell response to anti-VEGF treatment.
CSF Shuntogram results and intra-operative shunt functional testing in patients with suspected shunt malfunction

1422 Objectives To determine if cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shuntogram findings predict intra-operative shunt functional testing in patients with suspected shunt malfunction. Methods A retrospective chart review was completed on adult patients who presented to the nuclear medicine clinic who had ventricular CSF shuntograms completed between June 2005 and September 2009 for suspected shunt malfunction. Results A total of 148 shuntograms were evaluated in 104 patients for suspected shunt malfunction with a CSF shuntogram. Of these, 30 patients were found to have scintigraphic evidence of shunt obstruction. The sensitivity of the shuntogram was found to be 75% and the specificity 84.8 %. The positive predictive value was 42.9 % and the negative predictive value was 94.6 %. There were 37 (24.7%) shunts with shuntogram evidence of positional dysfunction that did not drain spontaneously in the supine position, but drained with additional maneuvers. Of these 37 patients, 6 went to surgery and had their shunts replaced, of which 4 were obstructed (11.4% of the positional, non-obstructed shuntograms were found to be obstructed at surgery). A total of twenty nine patients who had shuntograms (20.0%) went for shunt revision surgery for suspected shunt malfunction. Fifteen patients were found to have obstructed shuntograms who did not go to surgery. Conclusions In patients who went on to surgery, there is good correlation with respect to testing shunt function at the time of revision, however, PPV for post surgical obstruction was low, (42.9%), primarily due to the fact that half of these patients did not go to surgery. No patient who had a completely normally functioning shunt by shuntogram, went to surgery (NPV =94.6%)
Intravehicular digitization and digital vehicular architecture

The focus of this paper is to describe the development of a standard digital vehicular architecture. This paper chronicles the approach from “hard” standardization of a vehicle architecture, to the use of interface standards for both hardware and software.
Application of the Finite Inclusions Theorem to Robust Multivariable Design

Abstract The Finite Inclusions Theorem (FIT) has been shown to provide tie foundation for a number of robust performance synthesis algorithms for single input single output systems with parameter uncertainty. This paper demonstrates how this methodology can be extended to multivariable systems. Specifically, controller synthesis algorithms are suggested for robust D-stabilisation, robust asymptoric tracking and robust noise attenuation. The algorithms are iterative procedures where at each iteration a finite set of linear inequalities in controller parameters needs to be solved. The approach attacks the controller synthesis problem from a new direction and complements existing methodologies.
Inarticulate Transfer: Do Community College Students Understand Articulation Agreements?

ABSTRACTOnly 25% of community college students transfer to a 4-year institution within 5 years, and only 17% earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years of transferring (Jenkins & Fink, 2015). In response, community colleges have partnered with 4-year institutions to draft articulation agreements, outlining transfer policies and procedures for specific academic programs (Montague, 2012). However, no extant research has examined whether these articulation agreements are readable by community college students. This study examines 100 articulation agreements between 2- and 4-year institutions to answer the question: do community college students understand articulation agreements? Findings indicate that 93% of articulation agreements are unreadable by community college students of average reading ability, with 69% of articulation agreements written at or above a 16th-grade reading level. Implications for practitioners and future research are addressed.
Dynamic pathway regulation: recent advances and methods of construction

Microbial cell factories are a renewable source for the production of biofuels and valuable chemicals. Dynamic pathway regulation has proved successful in improving production of molecules by balancing flux between growth of cells and production of metabolites. Systems for autonomous induction of pathway regulation are increasingly being developed, which include metabolite responsive promoters, biosensors, and quorum sensing systems. Since engineering such systems are dependent on the available methods for controlling protein abundance in the desired host, we review recent tools used for gene repression at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These approaches may facilitate pathway engineering for biofuel and biochemical production.
Recanonizing “American” Sound and Reinventing the Broadway Song Machine: Digital Musicology Futures of Broadway Musicals

In 1997 a computer beat a human composer and music professor in composing a Bach-sounding chorale. In 2016, the world’s first computer-generated musical premiered in London’s West End. Now what lies ahead for Broadway musical theatre? This chapter explores the technology behind the computer-generated musical and state-of-the-art digital musicology tools, and points out that Broadway canons largely determine the musical theatre sound that digital tools capture and recreate. It then proposes six metrics of (re)canonizing US Broadway musicals in the digital age, including personal canonization. Stressing the importance of diversifying the “American” sound and reinventing the Broadway song machine (formulas that constitute a hit Broadway song), it argues that digital musicology offers human beings tools to rethink and reassess the past, develop musical theatre pedagogy, and challenge composers to create futures of a new and more varied “American” sound.
The influence of interviewer characteristics on support for democracy and political engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa*

This study investigates how an interviewer’s characteristics affect how respondents answer survey questions about democracy and political engagement. I analyze data from the 2008 Afrobarometer surv...