cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of water stress on abscisic-acid levels and metabolism in roots of Phaseolus vulgaris L. and other plants.

Abscisic-acid (ABA) levels in roots of bean plants exposed to a—4 bar stress in the root medium increased ca. 10fold within 1 h and 16fold by the end of the 2nd h. Several types of experiments indicated that there is no transport requirement from the shoot for the increase to occur. ABA levels in roots from pea (Pisum sativum L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) also increased in response to a—4 bar stress, although not as dramatically as in bean. When (S)-[2-14C]-ABA was fed to excised bean roots dihydrophaseic acid (DPA) was the major metabolite formed. The levels of endogenous DPA and phaseic acid increased markedly during a 27-h stress period. These results are consistent with a possible role for ABA in roots of water-stressed plants.
Electron-Nuclear Double Resonance of F Centers in Lithium Fluoride

In LiF the spin resonance of the F-center electron is partially resolved by its hyperfine interactions with neighboring nuclei. Discrepancies between observed and theoretically predicted values of these interactions are most serious for the lighter alkali halides. This situation motivated a more detailed experimental investigation of the electronic structure of this center using the new double resonance technique. A crystal of LiF was heavily irradiated with 50- kv x rays thereby inducing a high concentration of F centers. (W.D.M.)
Gravitational lensing by cosmic strings in the era of wide-field surveys

Motivated by the recent claim for gravitational lensing by a cosmic string, we reinvestigate the probability of finding such an event with upcoming wide-field surveys. If an observed lensing event is suspected to be due to a string, observations of the vicinity of the event in a circle of diameter L centered on the observed lens should reveal several additional lensing events. For a string located nearby $(z\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.5),$ we find that observations in a region of size $\ensuremath{\approx}1{\mathrm{arc}\mathrm{}\mathrm{min}}^{2}$ will see $\ensuremath{\sim}100$ objects, of which $\ensuremath{\sim}5$ would be lensed by the string, compared to $\ensuremath{\sim}0.1$ lensed by conventional sources.
Psychosocial factors and low back pain among college students.

Objective and Participants: The authors evaluated psychosocial factors of stress and their effects on the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) among a population of college students in a major univers...
Hypoparathyroidism and T cell immune defect in a patient with 10p deletion syndrome

At least a dozen cases of partial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 10 have been described since the first report in 1975) Pertinent physical findings in these children include down-slanting palpebrai fissures, ear anomalies, frontal bossing, micrognathia, and developmental delay. We report an additional child with 10p deletion who initially presented with hypocalcemia and was later discovered to have a T cell defect. Whether or not this immune defect is categorized as partial DiGeorge syndrome, this patient does have an immune defect primarily involving the T cell system, associated with a chromosomal deletion.
State Correlations in the Unimolecular Dissociation of Ketene

Doppler-broadened absorption spectra of selected rotational levels of singlet CH2 fragments from the 308-nm photolysis of ketene have been observed by frequency-modulated transient absorption spectroscopy in a slit jet expansion. Nascent Doppler profiles of CH2 transitions have been analyzed to yield the internal energy distributions of coincident CO fragments at a total energy 2333 cm-1 above the singlet dissociation threshold. The vibrational branching ratio of CO (υ = 1):(υ = 0) is determined in coincidence with selected rotational levels of CH2. The coincident rotational distributions of CO (υ = 0) are also estimated and found to differ from simple statistical predictions, revealing a relative deficiency of those pairs in which both fragments have a low internal energy.
A method for measuring membrane microviscosity using pyrene excimer formation. Application to human erythrocyte ghosts

In order to determine the microviscosity of human erythrocyte membrane suspensions, a method has been developed which is based on pyrene excimer formation. First, measurements of partitioning of pyrene into membranes, in conjunction with known values for the volume of the lipid compartment of erythrocyte ghosts are used to determine the concentration of pyrene in the membrane lipid. Secondly, reported measurements of the diffusion constants of aromatic hydrocarbons similar in structure to pyrene, are used to derive an empirical equation relating solvent viscosity and the diffusion constant of pyrene. Then, measurements of pyrene excimer formation in a series of solvents ranging up to several poise in viscosity are used to determine that the interaction diameter of the excimer formation reaction is 3 +/- 1 A. Finally all these data are brought together in order to conclude that the viscosity of the lipid in the human erythrocyte ghost is 8.0, 4.0 and 1.6 P at 10, 25 and 40 degrees C, respectively.
The Pituitary-Specific Transcription Factor, Pit-1, Can Direct Changes in the Chromatin Structure of the Prolactin Promoter

The chromatin structure of a promoter is an important determinant of its transcriptional activity. Many promoters are assembled into repressive polynucleosomal arrays that are subsequently remodeled to allow for the activation of gene expression. This study addresses the contribution of a single transcription factor, Pit-1, in orchestrating the chromatin structure of the prolactin gene. Utilizing an in vivo reconstitution system, we found that Pit-1 can bind to multiple sites in the chromatin-assembled 5'-flanking region of the prolactin gene and activate transcription from the chromatin-assembled template. Interestingly, Pit-1 was able to substantially alter micrococcal nuclease digestion of the prolactin 5'-flanking region, and the results are consistent with presence of a translationally positioned nucleosome on the prolactin promoter. Changes in micrococcal nuclease digestion were also observed with a truncated Pit-1 mutant containing only the DNA-binding domain. As the truncation mutant was unable to activate transcription from the chromatin-assembled template, the ability of Pit-1 to alter chromatin structure of the prolactin gene is not dependent on transcriptional activation. We propose that Pit-1 likely plays a role in altering chromatin to facilitate recruitment and subsequent transcriptional activation by additional factors.
‘Globel Events Local Impacts’: India's Rural Emerging Markets

The paper attempts to analyse rapidly changing rural Indian socio-economic landscapes from a recent empirical study of rural PC kiosks. Rural contexts in India are essentially composite and digitally immature communication ecologies. Some of the questions we wanted to answer were as follows: How do computing technologies find their way into a rural community? Who are the people driving this technology? How technology is being received by the community? Breaking away from a committed long-term participatory ethnography in a bounded field, we consider an array of wider contexts and a repertoire of methods available for qualitative research to study societies in transition.
Mitochondrial and Cell Death Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are the most common human adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases. They are characterized by prominent age-related neurodegeneration in selectively vulnerable neural systems. Some forms of AD, PD, and ALS are inherited, and genes causing these diseases have been identified. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of the neuronal cell death are unresolved. Morphological, biochemical, genetic, as well as cell and animal model studies reveal that mitochondria could have roles in this neurodegeneration. The functions and properties of mitochondria might render subsets of selectively vulnerable neurons intrinsically susceptible to cellular aging and stress and overlying genetic variations, triggering neurodegeneration according to a cell death matrix theory. In AD, alterations in enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative damage, and mitochondrial binding of Aβ and amyloid precursor protein have been reported. In PD, mutations in putative mitochondrial proteins have been identified and mitochondrial DNA mutations have been found in neurons in the substantia nigra. In ALS, changes occur in mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes and mitochondrial cell death proteins. Transgenic mouse models of human neurodegenerative disease are beginning to reveal possible principles governing the biology of selective neuronal vulnerability that implicate mitochondria and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. This review summarizes how mitochondrial pathobiology might contribute to neuronal death in AD, PD, and ALS and could serve as a target for drug therapy.
Superconductivity and structural instability

Abstract Various types of structural instability found in superconducting materials are discussed.
VLSI implementation of visible watermarking for secure digital still camera design

Watermarking is the process that embeds data called a watermark into a multimedia object for its copyright protection. The digital watermarks can be visible to a viewer on careful inspection or completely invisible and cannot be easily recovered without an appropriate decoding mechanism. Digital image watermarking is a computationally intensive task and can be speeded up significantly by implementing in hardware. In this work, we describe a new VLSI architecture for implementing two different visible watermarking schemes for images. The proposed hardware can insert on-the-fly either one or both watermarks into an image depending on the application requirement. The proposed circuit can be integrated into any existing digital still camera framework. First, separate architectures are derived for the two watermarking schemes and then integrated into a unified architecture. A prototype CMOS VLSI chip was designed and verified implementing the proposed architecture and reported in this paper. To our knowledge, this is the first VLSI architecture for implementing visible watermarking schemes.
Prednisone, Azathioprine, and N-Acetylcysteine for Pulmonary Fibrosis

Background A combination of prednisone, azathioprine, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been widely used as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The safety and efficacy of this three-drug regimen is unknown. Methods In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we assigned patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who had mild-to-moderate lung-function impairment to one of three groups — receiving a combination of prednisone, azathioprine, and NAC (combination therapy), NAC alone, or placebo — in a 1:1:1 ratio. The primary outcome was the change in longitudinal measurements of forced vital capacity during a 60-week treatment period. Results When approximately 50% of data had been collected (with 77 patients in the combination-therapy group and 78 in the placebo group), a planned interim analysis revealed that patients in the combination-therapy group, as compared with the placebo group, had an increased rate of death (8 vs. 1, P = 0.01) and hospitalization (23 vs. 7, P<0.001). These observations, coupled with no evidence of physiological or clinical benefit for combination therapy, prompted the independent data and safety monitoring board to recommend termination of the combination-therapy group at a mean follow-up of 32 weeks. Data from the ongoing comparison of the NAC-only group and the placebo group are not reported here. Conclusions Increased risks of death and hospitalization were observed in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who were treated with a combination of prednisone, azathioprine, and NAC, as compared with placebo. These findings provide evidence against the use of this combination in such patients. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Cowlin Family Fund; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00650091.)
[2,3]-Sigmatropic rearrangement of propargylic sulfinates by a Pale Cu 1 -USY zeolite and copper salts

Abstract The sigmatropic rearrangement of propargylic sulfinates to allenic sulfones is catalyzed by the copper cation. The Pale Cu 1 -USY zeolite, as well as copper salts, lead to essentially quantitative yield of the corresponding allenic sulfones.
Mechanical properties and fracture toughness of organo-silicate glass (OSG) low- k dielectric thin films for microelectronic applications

The integration of chemical vapor deposited organo-silicate glass (OSG) interlayer dielectrics (ILD) has challenged the IC industry to formulate new methods of metrology and characterization. The impact of nanoindentation to understand and screen for integrated circuit failure mechanisms that are mainly predicated upon OSG nano-porosity is discussed. Failure modes include poor mechanical strength, low material stiffness, and brittle fracture due to low cohesive and adhesive fracture toughness, a particular danger during chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). By developing a methodology to predict failure modes, we are able to screen multiple candidate low-k materials. Nanoindentation measurements of elastic modulus, hardness, and fracture toughness and what they reveal about OSG porosity are discussed.
Osteosarcoma metastatic to the kidney

Two clinically silent renal metastatic lesions from primary osteogenic sarcoma were first detected on radionuclide bone scan. A needle biopsy performed under the guidance of abdominal ultrasonography confirmed the diagnosis. Prior to nephrectomy, further definition of the metastatic lesion was attained using enhanced computed tomography. A review of the English literature revealed only six previous cases of metastatic osteosarcoma detected in the kidney prior to autopsy.
Myelin basic protein priming reduces the expression of Foxp3 in T cells via nitric oxide.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a vital role in autoimmune disorders. Among several markers, forkhead box p3 (Foxp3) is the most specific with regard to Treg activity. Therefore, understanding mechanisms that regulate Foxp3 expression is a critical step for unraveling the complicacy of autoimmune pathophysiology. The present study was undertaken to investigate the crosstalk between NO and Tregs. Interestingly, after myelin basic protein (MBP) priming, the expression of Foxp3 decreased in MBP-primed T cells. However, blocking NO either by inhibiting inducible NO synthase with l-N6-(1-iminoethyl)-lysine hydrochloride or through scavenging with PTIO or by pharmacological drugs, such as pravastatin, sodium benzoate, or gemfibrozil, restored the expression of Foxp3 in MBP-primed T cells. However, this restoration of Foxp3 by pharmacological drugs was reversed by S-nitrosoglutathione, an NO donor. Similarly, NO also decreased the populations of Tregs characterized by CD4+CD25+ and CD25+FoxP3+ phenotypes. We have further confirmed this inverse relationship between NO and Foxp3 by analyzing the mRNA expression of Foxp3 and characterizing CD25+FoxP3+ or CD4+Foxp3+ phenotypes from inducible NO synthase knockout mice. Moreover, this inverse relation between NO and Foxp3 also was observed during priming with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, another target neuroantigen in multiple sclerosis, as well as collagen, a target autoantigen in rheumatoid arthritis. Finally, we demonstrate that NO inhibited the expression of Foxp3 in MBP-primed T cells via soluble guanylyl cyclase-mediated production of cGMP. Taken together, our data imply a novel role of NO in suppressing Foxp3+ Tregs via the soluble guanylyl cyclase pathway.
Biology and treatment of gliomas

Summary This review discusses some of the recent advances in glioma research and treatment. Our understanding of the characteristics of these tumors has been strengthened by the application of molecular biologic and genetic techniques to pathalogic grading and therapy outcome. Newer attempts to correlate imaging modalities to pathologic grading are also discussed. It is anticipated that these developments will strengthen our ability to design improved treatment strategies, an essential goal inasmuch as current treatment schemes have limited benefit. More work needs to be done to understand the biology of these tumors especially the complex interactions of their cytokine expression, multiplicity of genetic abnormalities, and their local environment. Only then will be able to develop improved therapeutic interventions.
Discussion on AASHTO LRFD Load Distribution Factors for Slab-on-Girder Bridges

The present study developed a new set of formulas for load distribution factors that are more rational than the current AASHTO LRFD formulas. A formula to quantify the intermediate diaphragm effect on live load distribution was also proposed. Preliminary coefficients of these formulas were obtained from curve fitting either with the values of AASHTO LRFD formulas or with the results from finite element modeling. The load distribution factors predicted with the proposed formulas were compared with those from AASHTO codes, field measurements, and finite element analysis with or without considering the effects of intermediate diaphragms. While the present study was intended to shed some light in developing future AASHTO LRFD design formulas, development of complete load distribution factors is out of the scope of the present study.
Collaboration at a distance: improving collaborative efforts in a distance-education environment

Though the promise and problems of classroom collaboration are well known to most teachers of writing, collaborating in a distance education (DE) environment opens up more potential benefits and different potential problems. DE collaboration mimics business collaborations that create their own working conditions, allowing students to create a productive academic environment. By being alert to the potentials problems of DE collaboration and by introducing students to successful collaborative approaches, an instructor can maximize the possibilities of DE collaboration.
THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM'S “BILLS ONLY” POLICY*

THE CENTRAL PROBLEM of the present study is a policy initiated by the Federal Reserve System in March, 1953, and followed, with only brief interruptions, until February, 1961. The principal provisions of the policy were: (1) restriction of Federal Reserve open market operations to the purchase and sale of short-term United States government securities, preferably Treasury bills, except for the correction of disorderly markets; (2) conduct of Federal Reserve open market operations solely to influence the reserve positions of member banks, with no attempt to influence particular yield structures in the market; and (3) discontinuance of Federal Reserve support of Treasury financings, a provision which carried with it a corollary prohibition against System swapping operations either to clear the way for new Treasury issues or to affect the yield curve on government securities. These three principal provisions were embodied in the Federal Reserve System's "bills only" policy. The present study attempted to discover the appropriateness of such a policy for the effective execution of the responsibilities of the Federal Reserve in its role as the nation's central bank. Examination of the historical setting of the bills only policy revealed that the policy was the product of several factors, including: (1) System reaction to years of subservience to the Treasury; (2) a concept of free markets; and (3) a desire by the Federal Reserve to strengthen the government securities market. Early defenses of bills only centered largely around its desirability as a means of strengthening the government securities market; but later defenses also emphasized the compatibility of the policy with the primary responsibilities of the Federal Reserve. A review of the arguments and 'empirical studies dealing with various aspects of bills only suggests that the opponents of the policy have the stronger theoretical and empirical case. The subject of the term structure of interest rates was examined because neither the Federal Reserve nor other proponents of bills only have stated explicitly the theory of the determination of the interest rate pattern which bills only assumes. The factors which determine the prevailing rate structure at any given time were examined in an effort to discover the implications for the execution of monetary policy. The theory of the term structure accepted in the present study emphasizes both expectations and the preferences displayed by both issuers and investors for certain types of securities. A review of economic conditions and monetary policy during the 1953-1962 interval provides empirical support for the accepted theory of the term structure of rates, and examines the appropriateness of monetary policy within that context. The review suggests that there were numerous instances when a departure from bills only would have seemed advisable. Both the inability and unwillingness of the Federal Reserve to take what would seem to have been the
A knowledge-based experimental design system for nucleic acid engineering

Presented in this paper is a knowledge-based experimental design system that incorporates the domain expertise used in nucleic acid engineering, thus automating the processing of error-prone, laborious low-level work, and many decision-making steps, and guiding the biologist toward a workable plan. This allows the biologist to work at a higher abstraction level, concentrating on more fundamental, difficult and challenging problems directly related to protein structure - function relationships. Cassette-based site-directed mutagenesis and synthetic gene designs are used as examples to illustrate the utility of the knowledge-based system approach to experimental design.
Electrophysiology of Necturus urinary bladder: I. “Instantaneous” current-voltage relations in the presence of varying mucosal sodium concentrations

The “instantaneous” transepithelial current-voltage (I–V) relations ofNecturus urinary bladder were determined under short-circuit conditions during impalement of a cell with a microelectrode as described previously (Thompson et al.,J. Membrane Biol. 66: 41–54, 1982). These studies were performed in the presence of 5, 15 and 45mm Na in the mucosal solution, [Na] m , and in the absence and presence of a maximally effective dose of amiloride. TheI–V relations of the amiloride-sensitive Na-entry step at the apical membrane conformed closely to that predicted by the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz (GHK) “constant field” flux equation over a wide range under all conditions. From theseI–V relations we calculated: (a) the permeability of the apical membrane to Na,P Na ; (b) thechord conductance of the apical membrane to Na under short-circuit conditions,0 G Na ; and, (c) the intracellular Naactivity, (Na) c . In addition, from theI–V relations in the absence and presence of amiloride and the voltage-divider ratio, we determined theslope conductances of the transcellular pathway (g c) and the apical (g m) and basolateral (g s) membranes at each different steady state. Our findings indicate that: A possible mechanism that could account forboth the increase in basolateral pump activity in the face of a constant (Na) c ,and the increase ing s that parallels the increase in pump activity is the “recruitment” of additional “pump-leak units” to the basolateral membrane with increasing [Na] m . Other possibilities are discussed.
Engineering the Propagation Properties of Planar Plasmonic Terahertz Waveguides

We recently demonstrated that periodically perforated metal films allow for the creation of complex planar plasmonic terahertz-guided-wave devices. Here, we experimentally examine the effect of changing the geometrical parameters of the periodic perforations on the propagation properties of these devices. These changes allow one to engineer the number of propagating modes and their corresponding frequencies, by varying the metal film thickness and the aperture dimensions, respectively, as well as the mode size and associated loss, by varying the aperture periodicity and width. Such information is of critical importance for optimizing the design parameters of these devices.
Wetting properties of liquid lithium on select fusion relevant surfaces

Abstract Research into lithium as a plasma facing component material has illustrated its ability to engender low recycling operation at the plasma edge leading to higher energy confinement times. Introducing lithium into a practical fusion device would almost certainly require the lithium to be flowing to maintain a clean lithium surface for gettering. Several conceptual designs have been proposed, like the LiMIT concept of UIUC (Ruzic, 2011). Critical to the implementation of these devices is understanding the interactions of liquid lithium with various surfaces. For a device that relies on thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamic drive, such as the LiMIT concept, two of the critical interactions are the wetting of materials by lithium, which may be characterized by the contact angle between the lithium and the surface, and the relative thermopower between lithium and potential substrate materials. Experiments have been performed into the contact angle of liquid lithium droplets with various surfaces, as well as methods to decrease the contact angle of lithium with a given surface. The contact angle, as well as its dependence on temperature was measured. For example, at 200 °C, tungsten registers a contact angle of 130°, whereas above its wetting temperature of 350 °C, the contact angle is less than 80°. Glow discharge cleaning of the target surface as well as evaporation of a thin layer of liquid lithium onto the surface prior to performing wetting measurements were both found to decrease the wetting temperature.
Decentralized runtime analysis of multithreaded applications

Violations of a number of common safety properties of multithreaded programs - such as atomicity and absence of dataraces - cannot be observed by looking at the linear execution trace. We characterize a class of such properties, called robust properties, and define a simple but expressive epistemic logic to specify them. We then develop an efficient algorithm to automatically monitor and predict violations of robust safety properties. Our algorithm is based on capturing the causal structure of a computation through a mechanism similar to vector clock updates. The algorithm automatically synthesizes decentralized monitors to evaluate the information at each thread and to detect and predict safety violations. Based on this approach, a tool named DAME has been developed and evaluated on some simple examples.
Active integrated antennas for wireless applications

With an increased activities in the area of wireless applications, the role of antennas has been expanding and changing. Active integrated antenna is a new technology that integrates planar antennas with active solid state devices so that a number of interesting functions can be realized at low cost. This paper reviews the effort of primarily the author's group on active integrated antennas for wireless applications.
sRAGE and risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their receptors are strongly implicated in the development of diabetes complications. When stimulated by AGEs, the receptors for AGEs (RAGEs) induce inflammation and are thought to fuel disease progression. Soluble circulating RAGE (sRAGE) may counteract the detrimental effects of RAGE. We measured sRAGE in stored plasma from a random sample of 1,201 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study who were aged 47–68 years, had normal kidney function, and had no history of cardiovascular disease. In cross-sectional analyses, black race, male sex, higher BMI, and higher C-reactive protein were independently associated with low sRAGE. The racial difference was striking, with blacks approximately three times more likely to have low sRAGE compared with whites even after adjustment. During ~18 years of follow-up, there were 192 incident coronary heart disease events, 53 ischemic strokes, 213 deaths, and 253 cases of diabetes (among the 1,057 persons without diabetes at baseline). In multivariable Cox models comparing risk in the first quartile with that in the fourth quartile of baseline sRAGE, low levels of sRAGE were significantly associated with risk of diabetes (hazard ratio 1.64 [95% CI 1.10–2.44]), coronary heart disease (1.82 [1.17–2.84]), and mortality (1.72 [1.11–2.64]) but not ischemic stroke (0.78 [0.34–1.79]). In conclusion, we found that low levels of sRAGE were a marker of future chronic disease risk and mortality in the community and may represent an inflammatory state. Racial differences in sRAGE deserve further examination.
Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 3C Augments Mdm2-Mediated p53 Ubiquitination and Degradation by Deubiquitinating Mdm2

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 3C (EBNA3C) is one of the essential latent antigens for primary B-cell transformation. Previous studies established that EBNA3C facilitates degradation of several vital cell cycle regulators, including the retinoblastoma (pRb) and p27(KIP) proteins, by recruitment of the SCF(Skp2) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. EBNA3C was also shown to be ubiquitinated at its N-terminal residues. Furthermore, EBNA3C can bind to and be degraded in vitro by purified 20S proteasomes. Surprisingly, in lymphoblastoid cell lines, EBNA3C is extremely stable, and the mechanism for this stability is unknown. In this report we show that EBNA3C can function as a deubiquitination enzyme capable of deubiquitinating itself in vitro as well as in vivo. Functional mapping using deletion and point mutational analysis showed that both the N- and C-terminal domains of EBNA3C contribute to the deubiquitination activity. We also show that EBNA3C efficiently deubiquitinates Mdm2, an important cellular proto-oncogene, which is known to be overexpressed in several human cancers. The data presented here further demonstrate that the N-terminal domain of EBNA3C can bind to the acidic domain of Mdm2. Additionally, the N-terminal domain of EBNA3C strongly stabilizes Mdm2. Importantly, EBNA3C simultaneously binds to both Mdm2 and p53 and can form a stable ternary complex; however, in the presence of p53 the binding affinity of Mdm2 toward EBNA3C was significantly reduced, suggesting that p53 and Mdm2 might share a common overlapping domain of EBNA3C. We also showed that EBNA3C enhances the intrinsic ubiquitin ligase activity of Mdm2 toward p53, which in turn facilitated p53 ubiquitination and degradation. Thus, manipulation of the oncoprotein Mdm2 by EBNA3C potentially provides a favorable environment for transformation and proliferation of EBV-infected cells.
Negative Externalities and Subprime Auto Financing: Time to Let the Hanging Paragraph Go(2)

This article discusses the economic concept of negative externalities in the context of the "Hanging Paragraph" rule in bankruptcy law and its application to automobile purchase-money security interest loans. It points out the incongruence between the Hanging Paragraph rule and government’s role as envisioned by the basic economic theory of externality and suggests that the Hanging Paragraph is inconsistent with government’s role as posited by the economic theory and advocates for its elimination on that basis.
Modeling the Cost Effectiveness of Neuroimaging-Based Treatment of Acute Wake-Up Stroke

Background Thrombolytic treatment (tissue-type plasminogen activator [tPA]) is only recommended for acute ischemic stroke patients with stroke onset time <4.5 hours. tPA is not recommended when stroke onset time is unknown. Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI mismatch information has been found to approximate stroke onset time with some accuracy. Therefore, we developed a micro-simulation model to project health outcomes and costs of MRI-based treatment decisions versus no treatment for acute wake-up stroke patients.
Patents and University Strategies in the Prestige Economy

Research universities in the US exist in a “prestige economy,” meaning a field that is stratified both by status and by financial resources. University patenting, which promises revenues through the commodification of research discoveries and also signals status, offers a useful lens through which to understand the prestige economy. Analyses of patenting behavior by US research universities from 1988 to 2004 indicate that public university patenting was predicted by industry funding early in the sample period, but came to be predicted by federal and institutional contributions to research. This suggests that public universities may patent because they are expected to do so – that is, as indicators of status – rather than because patents are associated with revenues. Private universities, by contrast, patent in idiosyncratic ways, with a few very active universities joined by many that engage in little or no patenting. This suggests that privates, unlike their public counterparts, pursue patenting selectively and strategically.
FIXED AND DYNAMIC LEFT VENTRICULAR OUTFLOW OBSTRUCTIONS IN TANDEM: NOT A ROUTINE PREOPERATIVE EVALUATION

A 75 year old woman with hypertension, borderline diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was referred for preoperative cardiovascular evaluation prior to left total hip arthroplasty for stage IV osteonecrosis. She was asymptomatic at rest. On examination, carotid
Marketing and the Use of Fear- or Anxiety-arousing Appeals:

Are anxiety-arousing advertising messages more effective with nonowners of a product than with owners? The author reports on an experimental test of this hypothesis.
Relationship of pyridoxine deficiency to adrenal function in production of leucocytes in mice.

Summary1. The production of pyridoxine deficiency in adrenalectomized mice calls forth the same hematologic response, neutrophilia and lymphopenia, as in intact animals. This is positive evidence that these blood changes occurring in pyridoxine deficiency are not the result of an alarm reaction mediated through the adrenal gland. (2) Pyridoxine deficiency and cortisone administration produce similar hematologic responses. When combined, a synergistic effect results. This may be evidence that the mechanism of the production of the hematologic changes is different in the 2 conditions. (3) Further evidence that the mechanisms may differ is the fact that the cortisone effect cannot be blocked by giving large amounts of pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine, although the possibility exists that cortisone has a role at another site in the B6 cycle.
Load Forecasting via Diversified State Prediction in Multi-Area Power Networks

Load forecasting has a pivotal role in operating electric utilities. This paper proposes a learning-based tool for short-term load forecasting via first predicting the state parameters of the grid and then delineating load forecasts as functions of the predicted state parameters. Such indirect load forecasting via predicting state parameters leads to improved forecast quality due to the inherent diversity in predictions for state parameters. Specifically, due to the strong inter-connectivity among network components, some state parameters are shared by multiple substations. Hence, allowing each substation to provide local predictions for its associated state parameters based on its local dynamics enables providing multiple predictions for each shared state parameter, leading to a diversified set of predictions for it. Our analysis shows that the proposed aggregation framework provides a prediction for each state parameter such that the quality of this prediction equals to that of the best local prediction provided for that state parameter. This implies that this framework can identify and track the best local prediction for each state parameter without requiring any knowledge about network dynamics.
Abstract 3444: Exon 4 of osteopontin: A unique target to reduce malignant behavior in non-small cell lung cancer

INTRODUCTION: Osteopontin (OPN) is a ubiquitous protein associated with a wide range of normal and pathologic functions. It is a central regulator of malignant phenotype in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). OPNa, the full length isoform, is disproportionately expressed in NSCLC tumors and cell lines, and increases malignant behavior when over expressed. OPNc, the shortest isoform, does not induce malignant properties when expressed in NSCLC. The only structural difference between OPNa and OPNc is the transcription of exon 4. The hypothesis of this project is that a small interfering peptide to OPN exon 4 will reduce in vitro malignant activity in NSCLC. METHODS: A 16-amino acid peptide which mimics the central sequence in OPN exon 4 and a scrambled sham were constructed and florescent labeled. Three NSCLC cell lines, H358 (low), A549 (moderate), and H460 (high endogenous OPN) were used in binding, proliferation, and invasion assays in presence of exon 4 mimic or sham. Cisplatin sensitivity was performed with peptides in A549. RESULTS: There was florescent evidence for cell surface binding of the exon 4 mimic in all of the NSCLC cell lines without binding of the sham. The exon 4 mimic significantly decreased in vitro invasion and proliferation in the A549 and H460 cell lines, with a lesser effect in H358 with low endogenous OPN. (Table) The exon 4 mimic increased cisplatin sensitivity, decreasing cell viability 2-fold compared to sham and control at cisplatin concentrations 0.1-0.8 uM/ml. CONCLUSIONS: Exon 4 of OPN has not previously been identified as a regulatory region essential for OPN9s effect on malignant behavior. We have evidence for an un-described cell surface receptor to this region. A small mimicking peptide to OPN exon 4 significantly decreased in vitro malignant behavior, suggesting interference with important regulatory pathways. This novel binding site could serve as an ideal for target for antibody or small molecule therapies in NSCLC. 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 3444. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3444
Carbon and Nitrogen Storage Allocation of Eucalyptus Plantations in Hainan

The 2, 4 and 6 years old Eucalyptus plantations in Danzhou,Tunchang and Qionghai of Hainan Island were investigated to study the dynamics and allocation patterns of carbon and nitrogen storage. The results showed that the ranges of carbon and nitrogen contents were 430.5-439.6 g/kg and 13.3-15.2 g/kg in the undergrowth layer of different age Eucalyptus plantations, 427.7-475.2 g/kg and 16.2~18.9 g/kg in the litter layer, 3.11-47.99 g/kg and0.34-2.34 g/kg in the 0 ~100 cm soil layer. The soil carbon and nitrogen content decreased with the soil depth.The total carbon storage of Eucalyptus plantation in the three regions was 83.98, 158.13 and 189.58 t/hm2; and the total nitrogen storage was 9.61, 11.59 and 13.08 t/hm2. The total carbon and nitrogen storage in Eucalyptus plantation increased with the increase of forest age, and the carbon and nitrogen storage in Qionghai were higher than those of Danzhou and Tunchang. The soil layer was the major carbon pool and nitrogen pool in Eucalyptus plantation ecosystem, accounting for 54.93%~98.54% and 94.53%~99.65%, the second was the tree layer. In terms of the average forest age in the three regions, the size of carbon storage of soil layer accounted for the proportion of ecological system was : Qionghai Tun Chang Danzhou, while the tree layer : Danzhou Tun Chang Qionghai.The size of nitrogen storage of soil layer accounted for the proportion of ecological system was: Tun Chang QionghaiDanzhou.
Effect of CCS Technology for CO_2 Leakage on Seed Germination of C_4 Crops

Effect of CCS technology for CO2 leakage on C4 crops seed germination is simulated so as to provide basic information for the potential effect of CCS technology for CO2 leakage on environment.With the help of artificial CO2 climate chamber,the impacts of CO2 on the percentage,potential and the average days of germination of 4C4 corps like corn,sorghum,millet and broom corn millet were studied under the condition of normal,10 000,20 000,40 000,and 80 000mg/kg CO2 concentration by simulating the environment of high CO2 concentration resulted from CCS technology for CO2 leakage.The high CO2 concentration has little effect on germination percentage of corn,while the germination percentages of sorghum,millet and broom corn millet reach the maximum values at 10 000,20 000,20 000mg/kg CO2 concentration,respectively. High CO2 concentration also has no significant impact on the germination potential of corn,while all the germination potentials of sorghum,millet and broom corn millet reach the maximum values in 20 000mg/kg CO2.High CO2 concentration has little effect on the average germination days of four kinds of C4 crop,in which the effect toward broom corn millet is more significant than others.Various CO2 concentrations have the functions of promotion and inhibition toward the germinating percentage of C4 corps and however,the effect is not very obvious,in which the promotion range is about 1%~5%and the inhibition range is about 1%~4%.High concentration CO2 plays more significant role in promoting C4 crop seed germination potential,in which the promoting range is 9%~16%.High CO2 concentration has little effect on the average germination days of four kinds of C4 crop.
TU-H-204-00: Work of ICRP, NCRP and Others and How They Impact On Medical Physicists

Since 1928, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has developed, maintained, and elaborated the International System of Radiological Protection used world-wide as the common basis for radiological protection standards, legislation, guidelines, programs, and practice. ICRP provides and periodically revises radiation and tissue weighing factors, provides and updates recommended dose limits for occupational and public exposures, recommends dose levels for termination of pregnancy, and estimates threshold doses for tissue reactions (deterministic effects). ICRP developed the dose quantity “effective dose”. NCRP Council Committee 1 (CC-1) is charged with developing recommendations for revising radiation protection guidance for the United States. Topics to be discussed include a summary of current ICRP guidance, NCRP CC-1 directions, NRC regulatory changes on the horizon, and potential implications of radiation protection guidance changes on the practice of medicine. The opinions of AAPM members on potential changes are welcomed. NCRP Program Area Committee (PAC) 4 has oversight of activities in radiation protection in medicine, including protection of patients and training of health care workers. Documents have been published recently on diagnostic reference levels and achievable doses, health effects of preconception and prenatal radiation exposure, and administrative policies for quality assurance and peer review of tissue reactions associated with fluoroscopically guided interventions. Additional documents are in preparation. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the international system of radiation protection and learn about the work of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in relation to activities of medical physicists 2. To understand the ongoing work of NCRP in developing new guidance for radiation protection in the U.S. 3. To understand the ongoing work of NCRP in developing new recommendations for radiation protection in medicine. 4. To learn about other national organizations in US whose work plays a useful role in the activities of medical physicists. M. Rehani, Work done as part of being member of ICRP. ICRP is an independent charity.
Bias-driven spontaneous spin-valley polarization in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides

A physical mechanism that may enable electrical control of carrier spin-valley polarization is theoretically examined in a monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) structure. The idea is based on the interplay between the strongly spin-orbit coupled nature of the TMD band structure and the exchange interaction with a proximate magnet that can spontaneously lift the valley degeneracy when the carrier density exceeds a certain threshold. The analysis based on the free energy of the system clearly illustrates the desired spin-valley polarization in the TMD layer as well as the accompanying rotational phase transition in the magnetization. Numerical estimates utilizing the ${\mathrm{WS}}_{2}$ parameters as an example indicate a sharp transition in the spin-valley polarization over tens of percent at room temperature with only a modest change in the electrochemical potential of a few meV via electrostatic bias. Detection of the predicted phenomenon is expected to be straightforward through the corresponding modification in the TMD channel conductance.
Self-sanitizing copper-impregnated surfaces for bioburden reduction in patient rooms

Novel self-sanitizing copper oxide-impregnated solid surfaces have the potential to influence bioburden levels, potentially lowering the risk of transmission of pathogens in patient care environments. Our study showed persistently lower microbial burden over a 30-hour sampling period on a copper-impregnated tray table compared with a standard noncopper surface in occupied patient rooms after thorough initial disinfection.
A qualitative analysis of student-written law and ethics cases: A snapshot of PY2 student experience

Abstract Introduction This study was designed to better understand pharmacy students’ experiences and recognition of legal and ethical tensions existing in pharmacy practice as demonstrated in student-written law and ethics cases. Methods A qualitative analysis of 132 student-written cases representing the team efforts of 1053 students over a 12-year time period was conducted. Student-written cases were coded and analyzed thematically. Results Our results demonstrate the types of ethical and legal issues our students have experienced in pharmacy practice during the first five quarters of their professional education. Our data highlight three themes: 1) ethical dilemmas presented when the law is misapplied; 2) ethical dilemmas presented when an institutional policy or law was viewed as insufficient; and 3) ethical dilemmas presented as provider distress. The third theme was further subdivided into five subthemes. Conclusion The themes that emerged from this study represent some of the ethical dilemmas that second professional year students have encountered and how these dilemmas may intersect with legal boundaries. Educators can use cases demonstrating these themes to reinforce law and ethics education in the curriculum, thus helping prepare students for pharmacy practice. This article recommends how and when to use case examples.
BEADS: Automated Attack Discovery in OpenFlow-Based SDN Systems

We create BEADS, a framework to automatically generate test scenarios and find attacks in SDN systems. The scenarios capture attacks caused by malicious switches that do not obey the OpenFlow protocol and malicious hosts that do not obey the ARP protocol. We generated and tested almost 19,000 scenarios that consist of sending malformed messages or not properly delivering them, and found 831 unique bugs across four well-known SDN controllers: Ryu, POX, Floodlight, and ONOS. We classify these bugs into 28 categories based on their impact; 10 of these categories are new, not previously reported. We demonstrate how an attacker can leverage several of these bugs by manually creating 4 representative attacks that impact high-level network goals such as availability and network topology.