cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcome of elective switching to vedolizumab in inflammatory bowel disease patients under tumor necrosis factor antagonist-maintained clinical remission.

Background and aim Vedolizumab (VDZ) has been used in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who failed anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. This study was to examine long-term outcome of IBD patients switching to VDZ from anti-TNF agents for reasons other than failure of therapy. Methods Inflammatory bowel disease patients at the University of Chicago IBD center who were in clinical remission with anti-TNF therapy and then electively changed to VDZ due to reasons other than loss of response were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was the durability of clinical remission maintained by VDZ as assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The proportion of patients in clinical and endoscopic remission at 6-12 months after switching to VDZ therapy was analyzed. Results A total of 41 patients (36 with Crohn's disease and 5 with ulcerative colitis) met the inclusion criteria and were in clinical remission at the time of switch. The majority of patients switched therapy due to adverse effects (56.1%) or infections (14.6%). During a median duration of 30 months (range 7-52) of VDZ therapy, 34 (82.9%) were in VDZ-maintained clinical remission. One (2.4%) and four (9.8%) patients discontinued VDZ due to flare and adverse effects, respectively. Endoscopic remission was present in 25 of 30 patients (83.3%) who had a follow-up colonoscopy. Conclusions Vedolizumab was effective and safe in maintaining remission in IBD patients who switched from anti-TNF agents due to reasons other than failure of therapy. Our results suggest that switching anti-TNF remitters to VDZ treatment is a safe practice in specific patient populations.
Abstract 4205: Pan-cancer molecular study of disparities among African Americans

Objective: Several factors have been proposed to contribute to racial disparities in gynecologic cancers, however there are no comprehensive studies that have investigated inherent molecular features that may be racially unique. Our objective was to perform a pan-cancer clinical and molecular analysis of African-Americans (AA) and European American (EA) patients. Methods: We performed cross-platform analyses utilizing cancer registry and molecular databases [Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)] to evaluate differences in AA vs EA patients. To characterize genetic ancestry we utilized the recently established The Cancer Genetic Ancestry Atlas (TCGAA). We further evaluated epigenetic modifications through non-coding RNA expression in these tumors. Results: A total of 2,045,500 patients (87.5% EA, 12.5% AA) with 64 primary tumor types were evaluated using SEER to evaluate clinical outcome differences. Compared to white race, AA race had higher rate of death in 45 cancer types (HR>1.0, CI 1.00-5.23). 19 cancer types were then identified to have the largest differences in overall survival (HR>1.2). Utilizing TCGA, we analyzed molecular data of 7028 tumors (88.9% EA, 10.9% AA) having miRSeq data and genetic ancestry data. We identified differentially expressed miRNA’s in five cancer types: breast invasive (300 miRs, p Conclusions: Our results identify molecular and genetic features unique to African Americans that may contribute to worse survival outcomes. While the cause of cancer disparities is multifactorial, a focus on molecular signatures unique to AA may identify actionable molecular abnormalities. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Olivia D. Lara, Ying Wang, Wei Hu, Lin Zhang, Alejandro Rauh-Hain, Anil Sood. Pan-cancer molecular study of disparities among African Americans [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4205.
Making Sense of Soft Information: Interpretation Bias and Loan Quality

Abstract We explore whether cognitive constraints and behavioral biases impede the processing and interpretation of soft information in private lending. Using data from a credit union's internal reporting system, we delineate three constraints and biases likely to affect lending decisions: limited attention, task-specific human capital and common identity. We find that soft information leads to worse loan quality when loan officers are busy or before weekends and around national holidays; when they have prior sales experience; and when both the officers and borrowers are men. We provide evidence of non-agency-related costs in the use of soft information in lending decisions.
2732. Estimate of the Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccine among Children for the 2017–2018 Season

Background The 2017–2018 influenza season was one of the deadliest in decades, with 180 pediatric deaths, 80% among children who did not receive the vaccine. Circulating influenza strains change periodically, making it important to determine vaccine efficacy on an annual basis specifically in susceptible populations. The primary aim of our study was to estimate the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine for the 2017–2018 season. Secondary aims were to determine effect of weaning immunity and of previous season vaccination.
Steric constraints control processing of glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors in Trypanosoma brucei

The transferrin receptor (TfR) of the bloodstream form (BSF) of Trypanosoma brucei is a heterodimer comprising glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored expression site–associated gene 6 (ESAG6 or E6) and soluble ESAG7. Mature E6 has five N-glycans, consisting of three oligomannose and two unprocessed paucimannose structures. Its GPI anchor is modified by the addition of 4–6 α-galactose residues. TfR binds tomato lectin (TL), specific for N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) repeats, and previous studies have shown transport-dependent increases in E6 size consistent with post-glycan processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. Using pulse-chase radiolabeling, peptide-N-glycosidase F treatment, lectin pulldowns, and exoglycosidase treatment, we have now investigated TfR N-glycan and GPI processing. E6 increased ∼5 kDa during maturation, becoming reactive with both TL and Erythrina cristagalli lectin (ECL, terminal LacNAc), indicating synthesis of poly-LacNAc on paucimannose N-glycans. This processing was lost after exoglycosidase treatment and after RNAi-based silencing of TbSTT3A, the oligosaccharyltransferase that transfers paucimannose structures to nascent secretory polypeptides. These results contradict previous structural studies. Minor GPI processing was also observed, consistent with α-galactose addition. However, increasing the spacing between E6 protein and the GPI ω-site (aa 4–7) resulted in extensive post-translational processing of the GPI anchor to a form that was TL/ECL-reactive, suggesting the addition of LacNAc structures, confirmed by identical assays with BiPNHP, a non-N-glycosylated GPI-anchored reporter. We conclude that BSF trypanosomes can modify GPIs by generating structures reminiscent of those present in insect-stage trypanosomes and that steric constraints, not stage-specific expression of glycosyltransferases, regulate GPI processing.
Dan Yaron: The Person, His Work and His Legacy

Dan Yaron was born in Poland and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1935. His teenage years were spent in Tel-Aviv. He was a member of Kibbutz Manara between 1946 and 1951, prior to returning to school to earn a Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Agriculture at the Rehovot campus of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Yaron completed his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at Iowa State University, under the supervision of Earl Heady, in 1960. Upon his completion, Yaron returned to the newly established Department of Agricultural Economics and Management of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Rehovot.
Single port versus total thoracoscopic surgery for treatment of pediatric mediastinal tumors

Objective To compare the therapeutic efficacy of single port versus total thoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of pediatric mediastinal tumors. Methods From January 2014 to June 2017, 46 children with mediastinal tumors who underwent surgical treatment were divided into two groups according to the operative approach used: A and B. Age, body weight, and tumor size were compared between the two groups. Group A (n=29) underwent single port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, while group B (n=17) underwent total thoracoscopic surgery. Operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage time, hospitalization time, and postoperative complications of the two groups were recorded and compared. Results The average operative duration was significantly shorter in group A than in group B [(69.35±8.24) min vs (72.80±6.28) min] (P<0.05) . The volume of intraoperative blood loss was similar between the two groups [(21.47±6.85) mL vs (27.52±4.15) mL]. Mean postoperative drainage time and hospitalization time of group A were slightly longer than those of group B [(5.46±1.72) days vs (4.68±1.39) days, (6.93±1.34) days vs (5.92±1.67) days]. All operations were successfully completed. There was two cases of conversion to thoracotomy in group A. No severe complications occurred in either group. Conclusion Compared with total thoracoscopic surgery, single port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery offers the advantages of smaller incision and faster recovery for mediastinal tumors under 5 cm; however, the latter is more time-consuming. Key words: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery; Single port; Mediastinal tumors; Children
Pediatric laboratory medicine

Abstract “Children are not little adults” is a common phrase in the practice of pediatrics, and laboratory medicine is not exempt from issues that pertain primarily to the pediatric population. Handling pediatric specimens presents unique challenges ranging from small blood volumes, samples types, and modes of samples collection, to test validation and establishing reference intervals. Many of these issues affect the day-to-day processes in the clinical laboratory. In addition, there are a few testing scenarios, which are commonly encountered in pediatric population. This chapter will discuss blood volume and sample volume requirements and challenges, pediatric reference intervals, recommended public health screening (newborn screening, lead exposure, and lipid screening), and common pediatric clinical testing considerations (transient hyperphosphatasemia, hemolysis, and bilirubin assessment).
Self-regulatory processes and personality

Abstract Being an effective self-regulator is predictive of a wide range of positive life outcomes and is among the most desired and respected traits. The present chapter explores how self-regulation is linked to personality traits broadly speaking. The chapter reviews evidence for three such links. First, ample work suggests that certain personality traits, and in some cases certain combinations of them, predict self-regulatory behaviors and outcomes. Second, more recent work suggests that self-regulatory efforts and styles are themselves determinants of people's personalities. Third, the approach with which people self-regulate (e.g., the ends on which they focus, the processes they emphasize, and the beliefs they hold about their ability to change) represents meaningful and somewhat stable individual differences between people. Further research on the links between self-regulation and traits promises to further the field of personality psychology and allow for a more complete characterization of human behavior.
The procreative asymmetry and the impossibility of elusive permission

This paper develops a form of moral actualism that can explain the procreative asymmetry. Along the way, it defends and explains the attractive asymmetry: the claim that although an impermissible option can be self-conditionally permissible, a permissible option cannot be self-conditionally impermissible.
Autologous Fat Grafting and the Occurrence of Radiation-Induced Capsular Contracture.

Introduction Radiation therapy is a known risk factor for capsular contracture formation after implant-based breast reconstruction. Although autologous fat grafting (AFG) has been shown to reverse radiation-induced tissue fibrosis, its use as a prophylactic agent against capsular contraction has not been assessed in the clinical setting. In the setting of 2-stage implant-based reconstruction and postmastectomy radiation therapy, we explored the effect AFG has on the prevalence of capsular contracture. Materials and methods A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent immediate tissue expander (TE) placement followed by postmastectomy radiation therapy and secondary implant-based reconstruction at our institution between January 2012 and December 2019 was performed. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts based on whether or not AFG was performed at the time of secondary reconstruction. The primary outcome of interest was the occurrence of capsular contracture after TE exchange. Results Overall 57 patients (57 breasts) were included, 33 of whom received AFG at the time of TE exchange. All but 1 patient underwent submuscular implant placement, and the mean follow-up was 1.96 years. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of medical comorbidities between the study groups.Capsular contracture occurred in 24 patients (42.1%). Seventeen of these patients had undergone AFG at the time of TE exchange (17/33 patients, 51.5%), and 7 of these patients had not (7/24 patients, 29.2%). Most of the capsular contracture cases were Baker grades III or IV (14 patients, 58.3%), and 50% of patients with capsular contracture of any grade ultimately required operative intervention. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that AFG did not significantly influence the occurrence or severity of capsular contracture, or did not impact the need for operative intervention in this patient population. Conclusions Implant-based reconstruction of the irradiated breast is associated with high postoperative capsular contracture rates. Although AFG has shown promise in reversing radiation-induced dermal fibrosis, no protective effect on the development of capsular contracture after stage 2 reconstruction was observed in this study population. Further investigation in the form of randomized, prospective studies is needed to better assess the utility of AFG in preventing capsular contracture in irradiated patients.
Learning to Reach, Swim, Walk and Fly in One Trial: Data-Driven Control with Scarce Data and Side Information.

We develop a learning-based control algorithm for unknown dynamical systems under very severe data limitations. Specifically, the algorithm has access to streaming data only from a single and ongoing trial. Despite the scarcity of data, we show -- through a series of examples -- that the algorithm can provide performance comparable to reinforcement learning algorithms trained over millions of environment interactions. It accomplishes such performance by effectively leveraging various forms of side information on the dynamics to reduce the sample complexity. Such side information typically comes from elementary laws of physics and qualitative properties of the system. More precisely, the algorithm approximately solves an optimal control problem encoding the system's desired behavior. To this end, it constructs and refines a differential inclusion that contains the unknown vector field of the dynamics. The differential inclusion, used in an interval Taylor-based method, enables to over-approximate the set of states the system may reach. Theoretically, we establish a bound on the suboptimality of the approximate solution with respect to the case of known dynamics. We show that the longer the trial or the more side information is available, the tighter the bound. Empirically, experiments in a high-fidelity F-16 aircraft simulator and MuJoCo's environments such as the Reacher, Swimmer, and Cheetah illustrate the algorithm's effectiveness.
Threat of Hedge Fund Activism and Risky Investment

I study the effect of a threat of hedge fund activism on corporate investment. I find that managers are less likely to undertake acquisitions when subject to a higher threat of activism. They decrease the number of risky, value-creating acquisitions undertaken by the firm. I present evidence that the results can be explained by the manager's exposure to firm-level risk. Hedge fund activists often pursue a restructuring of the target firms, which may increase the riskiness of the firm's assets and reduce the manager's incentives to take on new risky projects. Overall, my results demonstrate that activists can create ex-ante inefficiencies by altering the incentives-risk sharing tradeoff of the manager's compensation contract.
Loss of TDP-43 in male germ cells causes meiotic failure and impairs fertility in mice.

Meiotic arrest is a common cause of human male infertility, but the causes of this arrest are poorly understood. Transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) is highly expressed in spermatocytes in the preleptotene and pachytene stages of meiosis. TDP-43 is linked to several human neurodegenerative disorders wherein its nuclear clearance accompanied by cytoplasmic aggregates underlies neurodegeneration. Exploring the functional requirement for TDP-43 for spermatogenesis for the first time, we show here that conditional KO (cKO) of the Tardbp gene (encoding TDP-43) in male germ cells of mice leads to reduced testis size, depletion of germ cells, vacuole formation within the seminiferous epithelium, and reduced sperm production. Fertility trials also indicated severe subfertility. Spermatocytes of cKO mice showed failure to complete prophase I of meiosis with arrest at the midpachytene stage. Staining of synaptonemal complex protein 3 and γH2AX, markers of the meiotic synaptonemal complex and DNA damage, respectively, and super illumination microscopy revealed nonhomologous pairing and synapsis defects. Quantitative RT–PCR showed reduction in the expression of genes critical for prophase I of meiosis, including Spo11 (initiator of meiotic double-stranded breaks), Rec8 (meiotic recombination protein), and Rad21L (RAD21-like, cohesin complex component), as well as those involved in the retinoic acid pathway critical for entry into meiosis. RNA-Seq showed 1036 upregulated and 1638 downregulated genes (false discovery rate
Three-dimensional structures based on ZnO/CdS and ZnO/(Zn,Mg)O core–shell nanowires embedded in Cu(In,Ga)S2 for solar cell applications

Abstract Thin film and core–shell nanowire heterostructures containing copper indium gallium sulfide Cu(In,Ga)S2 (CIGS) as light absorber are fabricated by low cost, solution based processes. The unique structures consist of ZnO and CdS or (Zn,Mg)O core–shell nanowire arrays embedded inside CIGS thin films for solar cell applications. Nontoxic (Zn,Mg)O buffer layer deposited by atomic layer deposition is proven to be suitable for replacing solution grown CdS for fabricating CIGS nanowire solar cells. A systemic comparison of device performance is made between the CIGS nanowire solar cells and their thin film counterparties with different final treatment temperatures. Overall, the nanowire devices show higher efficiency than the corresponding planar structures fabricated under similar conditions. Effect of nanowire on the solar cell performance is further studied by using nanowires of various lengths, which reveals that the longer nanowire arrays resulted in a higher short circuit current. This study represents the first working CIGS nanowire solar cells reported so far and provides an opportunity for investigating the mechanism of nanowire solar cells using a well-defined material system.
Perceptual mapping of apples and cheeses using projective mapping and sorting.

Projective mapping, also called napping, was introduced to the chemosensory community as a multidimensional data-collection method in which panelists place products directly into a two-dimensional space based on their perceived similarity. Sorting is a form of nominal level measurement in that a pair of products is either placed in the same category or not for each subject. Analysis of projective mapping data is typically performed with multiple factor analysis, and sorting is typically performed with multidimensional scaling (MDS). This study took an exploratory empirical look at apple and cheese product systems separately in a direct comparison of sorting (analyzed by MDS) with projective mapping (analyzed with MFA). Product maps were similar for both the sorting and projective mapping procedures. Subjects had more difficulty with the apples than the cheeses. Cluster analysis was easier to interpret for the napping configurations. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Sorting has already gained wide use in such areas of applied sensory science as competitive evaluation, flavor exploration and category appraisals, among others. Projective mapping, also known as the napping method, was introduced relatively recently to the sensory community and has already gained much interest. It may have certain advantages or disadvantages of sorting and, at least in theory, can be applied in the same situations. This paper provides a comparison of projective mapping and sorting, and illustrates some of the differences and advantages/disadvantages of each method. It provides examples of the types of data analysis that can be used for each method. Based on this study, we conclude that projective mapping may have advantages over sorting where the product space contains relatively similar products, such as different apples or cheddar cheeses. Cluster analysis enriches the projective mapping interpretation by helping differentiate product groupings.
The axostat. I. A new instrument for the multiaxial registration of extremity electrocardiograms.

Abstract 1. 1. A new instrument is described which produces any desired number of interpolated leads between the extremity leads of the electrocardiogram. 2. 2. An analysis of the new leads in terms of lead vectors demonstrates that they represent the projection of the electromotive forces of the heart on any axis of the Burger triangle. 3. 3. Some of the problems in which this instrument may possess unique investigative value are discussed. 4. 4. Bipolar and unipolar extremity leads are shown to constitute special cases of a general type of extremity lead. On the basis of a priori reasoning it cannot be concluded that the bipolar leads are inferior to unipolar leads and should, therefore, be abandoned in their favor.
Epileptogenesis In Vivo Enhances the Sensitivity of Inhibitory Presynaptic Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Basolateral Amygdala Neurons In Vitro

Modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission by presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) was examined in brain slices from control rats and rats with amygdala-kindled seizures. Using whole-cell voltage-clamp and current-clamp recordings, this study shows for the first time that in control and kindled basolateral amygdala neurons, two pharmacologically distinct presynaptic mGluRs mediate depression of synaptic transmission. Moreover, in kindled neurons, agonists at either group II- or group III-like mGluRs exhibit a 28- to 30-fold increase in potency and suppress synaptically evoked bursting. The group II mGluR agonist (2S,3S,4S)-2-(carboxycyclopropyl)glycine (L-CCG) dose-dependently depressed monosynaptic EPSCs evoked by stimulation in the lateral amygdala with EC50 values of 36 nM (control) and 1.2 nM (kindled neurons). The group III mGluR agonist L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (L-AP4) was less potent, with EC50 values of 297 nM (control) and 10.8 nM (kindled neurons). The effects of L-CCG and L-AP4 were fully reversible. Neither L-CCG (0.0001-10 microM) nor L-AP4 (0.001-50 microM) caused membrane currents or changes in the current-voltage relationship. The novel mGluR antagonists (2S,3S,4S)-2-methyl-2-(carboxycyclopropyl)-glycine (MCCG; 100 microM) and (S)-2-methyl-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (MAP4; 100 microM) selectively reversed the inhibition by L-CCG and L-AP4 to 81.3 +/- 12% and 65.3 +/- 6.6% of predrug, respectively. MCCG and MAP4 (100-300 microM) themselves did not significantly affect synaptic transmission. The exquisite sensitivity of agonists in the kindling model of epilepsy and the lack of evidence for endogenous receptor activation suggest that presynaptic group II- and group III-like mGluRs might be useful targets for suppression of excessive synaptic activation in neurological disorders such as epilepsy.
A logical design tool for relational databases

A method is presented to prevent anomalies from affecting the design of a relational database. The approach, called the logical design tool (LDT), can also be used as an educational tool for the relational database. It allows certain problems that arise when the data is manipulated to be detected during design. An overview of LDT is followed by a discussion of its functions and its application. >
Pheromones and Pheromone Receptors Are the Primary Determinants of Mating Specificity in the Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has two haploid cell types, a and alpha, each of which produces a unique set of proteins that participate in the mating process. We sought to determine the minimum set of proteins that must be expressed to allow mating and to confer specificity. We show that the capacity to synthesize alpha-factor pheromone and a-factor receptor is sufficient to allow mating by mat alpha 1 mutants, mutants that normally do not express any alpha- or a-specific products. Likewise, the capacity to synthesize a-factor receptor and alpha-factor pheromone is sufficient to allow a ste2 ste6 mutants, which do not produce the normal a cell pheromone and receptor, to mate with wild-type a cells. Thus, the a-factor receptor and alpha-factor pheromone constitute the minimum set of alpha-specific proteins that must be produced to allow mating as an alpha cell. Further evidence that the pheromones and pheromone receptors are important determinants of mating specificity comes from studies with mat alpha 2 mutants, cells that simultaneously express both pheromones and both receptors. We created a series of strains that express different combinations of pheromones and receptors in a mat alpha 2 background. These constructions reveal that mat alpha 2 mutants can be made to mate as either a cells or as alpha cells by causing them to express only the pheromone and receptor set appropriate for a particular cell type. Moreover, these studies show that the inability of mat alpha 2 mutants to respond to either pheromone is a consequence of two phenomena: adaptation to an autocrine response to the pheromones they secrete and interference with response to alpha factor by the a-factor receptor.
The Optical Constants

The most apparent properties of metals, their luster and their color, have been known to mankind since metals were known. Because of these properties, metals were already used in ancient times for mirrors and jewelry. The color was utilized 4000 years ago by the ancient Chinese as a guide to determine the composition of the melt of copper alloys: the hue of a preliminary cast indicated whether the melt, from which bells or mirrors were to be made, already had the right tin content.
Ballet across Borders: Career and Culture in the World of Dancers

Ballet across Borders: Career and Culture in the World of Dancers. Helena Wulff. New York: Berg, 1998. 185 pp.
Coefficient quantization effects in digital signal processing

A statistical analysis of the effects of coefficient quantization, which takes into account the quantization of the multiplication result, is presented. It is shown that the logarithm of the coefficient quantization noise power is proportional to the coefficient word length.
HVDC transmission to mitigate electric energy crisis in the United States

United States has abundant resources of fossil fuel, such as coal and natural gas. But fossil fuels are not equally distributed through out the country and some highly developed large industrial states can not burn the cheapest fossil fuel coal due to strict environmental regulations. Both the East and West coasts of the country are facing electric energy shortages and burn costly fuels such as natural gas to satisfy the increasing demand. On the other hand, Rocky Mountain States are rich in fossil fuels and Wyoming alone produces 40% of the US coal every year. But Wyoming generates only 1% of the total US electric energy which has the second lowest price of electricity in the US. The geographic location of Wyoming is suitable to mitigate the electric energy crisis in Eastern, Western and Southern USA by using HVDC transmission lines. In this paper, technical and economical analysis of the proposed HVDC lines will be discussed.
THE REDISTRIBUTIVE EFFECTS OF REDUCED TRANSIT FARES FOR THE ELDERLY

Abstract Redistributive effects concern which socioeconomic groups pay for a particular program and which socioeconomic groups benefit from it. Considering the off-peak reduced farefor senior citizens required by UMTA Section 5 funding, an analysis of the resulting financial implication is the first step in examining any redistribution. Knowledge of the number of rides switched from peak to off-peak times, the number of new off-peak rides generated and any cost changes are necessary. It appears that such a policy will likely lower net revenue. If the loss is not reimbursed, a redistribution from non-elderly and peak riders to the elderly users will result; if reimbursement is available, a different result will be obtained. A survey of the literature fails to establish whether reducing fares is preferable to directly transferred income as a means of redistribution. It is concluded that off-peak reduced fare is more efficient than reduced fare at all hours. Finally, the redistribution due to the reduced fare funding mechanism used in Illinois appears to favor the poor.
Polycomb protein EZH2 suppresses apoptosis by silencing the proapoptotic miR-31

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is the catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2 and suppresses gene expression by catalyzing histone H3 methylation on lysine 27. EZH2 is overexpressed in metastatic prostate cancer and has been shown to promote cell proliferation and metastasis. Here we show that EZH2 also suppresses prostate cancer apoptosis by coordinating the epigenetic silencing of two proapoptotic microRNAs (miRNA), miR-205 and miR-31. We previously reported that miR-205 promotes apoptosis by targeting antiapoptotic protein Bcl-w and miR-205 is silenced in prostate cancer through promoter methylation. In this study, we found that EZH2 suppresses miR-31 expression by trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone 3 on the miR-31 promoter. SiRNA knockdown of EZH2 increased miR-31 expression and decreased the antiapoptotic protein E2F6 (E2F transcription factor 6) (a target of miR-31), resulting in the sensitization of prostate cancer cells to docetaxel-induced apoptosis. Conversely, overexpression of EZH2 blocked docetaxel-induced apoptosis. We further demonstrated that miR-205 silencing is linked to miR-31 silencing through EZH2. Suppression of miR-205 with an miRNA inhibitor caused an increase of EZH2 protein, which in turn inhibited miR-31 expression. Conversely, overexpression of miR-205 decreased EZH2 protein and increased miR-31 expression. In paired human prostate cancer specimens and adjacent normal tissues, we observed that the decrease of miR-205 expression correlated with EZH2 overexpression and miR-31 silencing. Thus, EZH2 integrates the epigenetic silencing of miR-205 and miR-31 to confer resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis.
Deterministic lot-sizing for coordinated families of production/inventory items

Abstract Coordination of order placing points, in a multi-item environment, becomes desirable as it reduces the set-up costs and eases the problem of order-control implementation. Because of the computational complexities most of the analysis in the literature is confined to single families of items. In this paper, we establish the basic property of item consecutiveness for the multi-family situation which facilitates a shortest-path formulation of optimal families. We also develop an efficient algorithm for lot size computations of a single family to be incorporated in the shortest-path model.
Protein Conformational Dynamics Detected Via Fluorescence Fluctuation Spectroscopy

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and cumulant analysis were applied to study the conformational dynamics of T4 Lysozyme (T4L) in solution. Previous EPR studies (Mchaourab et al., 1997)∗ have shown that T4L undergoes a hinge-bending motion in its native state - an oscillatory motion between an open and a closed conformation. To observe this motion on a single molecule level, we took advantage of the self quenching of the probe tetramethyl rhodamine (TAMRA) at short distances. Pairs of fluorescent probes were placed at specific residues predicted to undergo relative movement. FCS autocorrelation showed two components consistent with two conformational states of T4L in solution. Fits to a diffusion/kinetic model yielded a relaxation time in the range of 5 to 25 microseconds. Molecular brightness values obtained in the two conformations correlate with expected proximity in the structure and with distances between pairs of spin labels introduced at the same sites. We further found that the structural fluctuations as revealed by the autocorrelation curve are diminished when a substrate is bound to T4L. A novel finding is that the hinge motion modulates the dynamics of the long inter-domain helix. We are currently extending these studies to membrane transporters to detect and characterize functionally-relevant fluctuations in their structures.∗Mchaourab HS, Oh KJ, Fang CJ and Hubbell WL. 1997. Conformation of T4 Lysozyme in solution. Hinge-bending motion and the substrate-induced conformational transition studied by site-directed spin labeling. Biochemistry36:307-316.
Maximum bite force, muscle efficiency and mechanical advantage in children with vertical growth patterns.

SUMMARY This study correlated maximum bite force and masticatory muscle electromyography (EMG) activity with craniofacial morphology and mechanical advantage of children with vertical growth patterns. From lateral cephalograms of 30 females and 17 males (9.3 ± 3.6 years of age), 13 morphological and eight biomechanical measurements were recorded. Two maximum bite forces and 12 submaximal bite forces along with their associated EMG muscle activity were recorded at the right mandibular first molar. Muscle efficiency was evaluated using the relationship between bite forces and EMG activity levels. There were no significant sex differences (P > 0.05) for any of the morphological, functional or biomechanical variables. Factor analyses reduced: (1) the 13 morphological variables to four factors explaining 82.8 per cent of the morphological variance; (2) six functional variables to two factors explaining 68.8 per cent of the functional variance; and (3) 11 biomechanical variables to three factors explaining 90.9 per cent of the biomechanical variance. The vertical size factor was negatively correlated with the muscle efficiency factor (r = ‐0.39; P = 0.006) and positively correlated with the moment arm factor (r = 0.67; P < 0.001). The morphological divergence factor was negatively correlated with the bite force factor (r = ‐0.34; P = 0.019) and the mechanical advantage factor (r = ‐0.32; P = 0.028). The muscle efficiency factor (functional) was negatively correlated with the moment arm factor (r = ‐0.33; P = 0.023). It is concluded that: (1) independent of chronological age, children with larger faces have larger moment arms and require less muscle activity to attain any given force, and (2) greater hyperdivergence is related to poorer mechanical advantage and lower maximum bite force. These data support the relationships between bite force, muscle strength and morphology in children, similar to those reported for adults.
Sources and information: Professional development in community colleges

This chapter presents an annotated bibliography of resources on faculty and staff development at community colleges, including information on needs assessment, programs and initiatives at local and state levels, national data, and future needs.
Correlation between mechanical and conductive properties of porous/microcracked metals

Difierent physical properties of anisotropic porous/microcracked materials - the elastic and the conductive ones, in particular - can be explicitly related to one another. The practical usefulness of such relations lies in the fact that one physical property (say, electric conductivity) may be easier to measure than the other (say, full set of anisotropic elastic constants). Man-made microstructures designed for the optimal combined elastic/conductive performance constitute yet another application. These relations, derived from the micromechanical considerations, are confirmed by experiments on several heterogeneous materials. It is also shown that the anisotropic yield surface for a porous ductile material can be constructed from measurements of the efiective electric conductivities. The derived cross-property correlations are sensitive to pore aspect ratios and Poisson's ratio of the virgin material. .
Condition Monitoring of Operating Spindle Based on Stochastic Subspace Identification

Accurate identification of spindle modal parameters is critical to realizing a new generation of “smart” machine tools with built-in self-diagnosis capability. This paper describes a new approach to extracting spindle modal parameters from the output measured during operation, based upon stochastic subspace identification. The technique accounts for structural dynamic behavior, associated with the spindle rotation, that is not present when the spindle remains stationary. Experimental results conducted on a customized spindle test bed under different speed-load combinations confirm the effectiveness of the new technique for on-line spindle condition monitoring.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Creating an IT orientation video for new students at Indiana University

Each year thousands of newly enrolled students arrive on IU's main and regional campuses to participate in the New Student Orientation program. They're introduced to the many academic and social aspects of campus life and given an overview of Information Technology at Indiana University. For thirty minutes these young people glimpse the many IT services they'll have access to as IU students. In past years a staff member from the University Information Technology Services (UITS) Support Center delivered IT orientation information from a lecture hall stage and then quickly fielded questions, mainly about IT accounts before sending the students on their way; each carrying a hefty red binder filled with important information. Four years ago UITS updated the presentation format to include a video which provided information that the live speaker would have given. Having a video ensured a uniform presentation for every group of students (about one hundred each year) and allowed UITS to deliver information several times each day without excessive strain on the presenter's voice.This paper will examine the process by which an IT Orientation video is produced. We will discuss the various iterations of the video; the people involved and the skills they brought to the project; use of online collaborative tools; timelines and production costs; working with a professional production department; using the same video on multiple campuses; and lessons learned to make things easier the next time around.
Unusual sites of acute osteomyelitis in childhood

In children osteomyelitis is common in the long bones of femur, tibia and humerus. This study reports 16 children, aged 2–13 years, with osteomyelitis at unusual sites: in the bones of the thoracic cage including three involving the clavicle; in the spine, foot and elsewhere. In one case, multifocal involvement of the vertebral body and the knee occurred. In two large series reported previously, the incidence of osteomyelitis was 1–3% in the clavicle, 3–8% in the calcaneus and less than 1% in the ribs. Four out of 16 cases (two involving clavicles, one rib and one with multifocal sites of the lesion) required open biopsies and histological examination to achieve the final diagnosis of osteomyelitis; in three of these patients the causative agent was not identified on culture. Staphylococcus aureus was the infective organism in 50% of cases where cultures were obtained. In five cases there was no growth on culture and specific search for less common organisms, including mycobacteria tuberculosis (AAFB), proved negative. It is suggested that in such situations diagnostic problems may present as the clinical and radiological findings may not be specific or conclusive. In such cases early biopsy is mandatory.
Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Dendrobatid Alkaloids: Preparation of Indolizidine 251F and Its 3-Desmethyl Analogue Using an Intramolecular Schmidt Reaction Strategy

Total syntheses of alkaloid 251F (1), a natural product detected from the skin extracts of the dendrobatid frog species Minyobates bombetes, and its racemic 3-desmethyl derivative (2) are reported. A Diels-Alder reaction initiated both syntheses and established four consecutive stereogenic centers. Important to the synthesis of 2 was a first-generation ozonolysis/olefination/aldol strategy to convert a [2.2.1] bicyclic acid to the [3.3.0]bicyclooctane diquinane 4b. Further elaboration to an appropriate keto azide allowed for a key intramolecular Schmidt reaction to deliver the tricyclic core of the target molecule. In a second-generation approach, a tandem ring-opening/ring-closing metathesis reaction effected an overall [2.2.1] --> [3.3.0] skeletal rearrangement to deliver diquinane 4a. In similar fashion, 4a was manipulated to an appropriate keto azide, and an intramolecular Schmidt reaction generated the core cyclic architecture of 251F.
Characterization of barium strontium titanate thin films for tunable microwave and DRAM applications

Ba 0.6 Sr 0.5 TiO 3 thin films have been deposited on Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 /Si substrates by the pulsed laser deposition technique (PLD) while varying the temperature, oxygen pressure, substrate to target distance and laser energy. The structural characterization of the BST thin films was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrical characteristic of the capacitors was assessed by the vector network analyzer (VNA). A tunability of 3.1:1 and loss tangent of 0.0121 were achieved at 0.4-0.8 GHz for tunable microwave applications. The effect of using strontium ruthenium oxide (SrRuO 3 ) as electrodes for BST has been explored for DRAM applications. The SrRuO 3 film was deposited by PLD and was used as bottom and top electrodes. The BST-based capacitors show reasonable dielectric constants and thus have been proven to be very reliable memory devices.
The effect of 5‐bromodeoxyuridine on the postnatal development of the rat testis

The effects of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) on postnatal testicular development were studied in rats treated on the second, third and fourth days of life. Testes were removed for study at 5, 15 and 35 days of age. Body weights and diameters of seminiferous cords and tubules were significantly less in the treated than control animals. At 15 days of age fewer pachytene spermatocytes were present in treated animals. At 35 days of age the testes of treated animals contained fewer canalized cords. Spermatids exhibited an altered distribution of chromatin material, contained less agranular endoplasmic reticulum and fewer mitochondria, and had not yet developed tails. Sertoli cells and Leydig cells of treated animals contained less agranular endoplasmic reticulum and more lipid droplets than the normal.
Cell growth and oxygen uptake of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are differently effected by the genetically engineered Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene

Vitreoscilla hemoglobin is a good oxygen trapping agent and its presence in genetically engineered Escherichia coli helps this bacterium to grow better. Here, the potential use of this hemoglobin, for improving the growth and the oxygen transfer properties of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as well as Escherichia coli, was investigated. To stably maintain it in both bacteria, a broad-host range cosmid vector (pHG1), containing the entire coding sequence for Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene and its native promoter on a 2.3 kb fragment, was constructed. Though at different levels, both bacteria produced hemoglobin and while the oxygen uptake rates of vgb-bearing strains were 2-3-fold greater than that of non-vgb-bearing strains in both bacteria, the growth advantage afforded by the presence of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin was somewhat varied. As an alternative to the traditional method of the improvement of oxygen transfer properties of the environment in which cells are grown, the genetic manipulation applied here improved the oxygen utilization properties of cells themselves.
‘Keeping the Faith’: How Incarcerated African American Mothers Use Religion and Spirituality to Cope with Imprisonment

Previous studies investigate whether religion aids in rehabilitation and acclimation to the prison structure among the incarcerated. However, few studies investigate whether and how religion and spirituality can assist incarcerated persons as they attempt to cope with the strains of fulfilling family roles while behind bars. Neither does previous prison research adequately investigate the intersections of race, gender, religion, spirituality and mothering. The present study is based on focus groups with fifteen African American mothers in a Midwestern maximum-security prison. Findings give voice to this marginalized group and illustrate the ways in which these mothers utilize religion and spirituality to make sense of their incarceration and cope with the role strain associated with being an imprisoned mother. Implications for prison policy and future research are discussed.
ANDROSTENE SULFATES IN AMNIOTIC FLUID AND CORD BLOOD: A POSSIBLE APPROACH TO PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS OF SMITH LEMLI-OPITZ SYNDROME (SLO)

We have previously shown that during the first month of life there are 4 androstene sulfates present in serum. Two of these have been identified as the sulfates of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and 16α-hydroxy-DHEA; the others (II and IV) are unidentified. Of the four, DHEA-sulfate is present in the smallest amounts. We have extended our studies to cord blood and second trimester amniotic fluid. Steroid sulfates were extracted with ethanol-ethyl acetate (1:2) and hydrolyzed with Helix pomatia extract; the 5-androstenes were sparated by flash chromatography and detected in a radioimmunoassay in which DHEA and 16α-hydroxy-DHEA crossreact but pregnenolone and 17-hydroxy-pregnenolone do not. DHEA, 16α-hydroxy DHEA and II (an acidlabile material) were found in both cord blood and amniotic fluid; IV was not present in either. When (7α-3H)DHEA-sulfate was added to cord blood or amniotic fluid, no radiolable was found in II or 16-α-hydroxy-DHEA. Thus, neither is an artifact of isolation. Compound II may represent the product of an hitherto unidentified pathway. In the first week of life, children with SLO do not have II in their serum. The fact that this material is present in second trimester amniotic fluid from pregnancies with a normal outcome, suggests that it may possible to diagnose SLO prenatally, if the deficit in II concentration begins early in gestation.