cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 865: Fat-1 gene suppression of breast cancer growth in mice

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL The high ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) content in Western diets (approximately 10 to 30) may be related to the high breast cancer rate in the United States compared to Japan (approximately 4). Numerous studies in literature report about the tumor suppression effect of n-3 PUFAs, a main component of fish or fish oil. A recent study on B16 melanoma on C57BL/6 mice carrying the fat-1 gene, suppressed the melanoma by changing the n-6/n-3 ratio in tumors from 27:1 in wild type mice to 4.6:1 in fat-1 mice. In this project, a fat-1 gene, which encodes a fatty acyl desaturase that acts on substrates of 16-20 carbons and converts n-6 to n-3 fatty acids, was transfected into the human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231, parental MCF-7 and tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7/TAM-R cells, Sk-BR3 and murine EMT6 mammary tumor cells. Both fat-1 transgenic mice and fat-1 gene treated breast cancer cells were employed to test our hypothesis that fat-1 suppresses the growth of both estrogen receptor (ER) positive and ER negative breast cancer cells that respond poorly to endocrine therapies. We have also treated the breast cancer cell lines with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, n-3 fatty acid), arachidonic acid (AA, n-6 fatty acid) with a vehicle control. We found that for the ER negative human breast cancer cells, MDA- MB-231 and SK-BR-3 cells, the cell proliferation rate of DHA treated cells decreased 50%, compared to the corresponding control cells treated with AA and vehicle control. The fatty acid analysis of the fat-1 gene expressing breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 showed 30% and 46% reduction of n-6/n-3 ratio, respectively, and ∼30% reduction of cell proliferation rate. The fat-1 transfected MDA-MB-231 cells have ∼4-fold increase of cell apoptosis by Tunel assay. Fat-1 gene expression also suppresses the growth of tamoxifen resistant human breast cancer cells MCF-7F/Tam-R. These results indicate that fat-1 or n-3 fatty acid suppresses breast cancer cells in an ER independent way. Normal human mammary epithelial cells treated with DHA, AA and BSA showed no significant difference of growth rates, suggesting that the n-3 suppression effect is breast cancer selective. In a preliminary study, the growth rate of the EMT6 mammary tumors were significantly reduced when the cell line was treated with fat-1 gene before inoculation into the FVB/NJ mice. The transgenic mice expressing fat-1 gene are also used to investigate the breast cancer suppression effect of fat-1 gene in vivo. The underlying mechanism of the breast cancer suppression effect by fat-1 gene is currently under investigation. This study may provide a potential adjuvant therapeutic method for hormonal resistant human breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 865. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-865
Transport imaging with near-field scanning optical microscopy

Direct imaging of charge transport is obtained in luminescent materials by combining the excitation capability and resolution of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with high sensitivity optical imaging. A regular optical microscope (OM) or a near field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) is operated within the SEM to allow for characterization of semiconductor materials by imaging the spatial variation of luminescence associated with minority carrier recombination. The NSOM system uses a Nanonics MultiView 2000 that allows for independent scanning of both sample and collecting fiber. The technique builds upon traditional cathodoluminescence (CL), but differs in that spatial information from the luminescence is maintained, allowing for direct imaging of carrier transport. The approach will be introduced with results from double heterostructures of GaAs and the effect of radiation damage on minority carrier diffusion lengths. Then, its application to structures requiring near field imaging will be illustrated with results from measurements of carrier diffusion in GaN nanowires.
Effect of UV irradiation on colorectal cancer cells with acquired TRAIL resistance.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the TNF superfamily. TRAIL shows strong cytotoxicity to many cancer cells but minimal cytotoxicity to most normal cells. Interestingly, our recent studies have demonstrated that pretreatment with TRAIL induces acquired resistance to TRAIL (Song et al. 2007 J Biol Chem 282: 319). Acquired TRAIL resistance develops within 1 day and gradually decays within 5 days after TRAIL treatment. In our current study, we examined whether human colorectal carcinoma CX-1 cells with acquired TRAIL resistance are resistant to UV irradiation as well. CX-1 cells were treated with 200 ng/ml TRAIL for 6 h and incubated various times (0.25–5 days) and then challenged to UV irradiation. Unexpectedly, we observed an increase in apoptosis in acquired TRAIL resistant cells after UVC as well as UVB exposure. This was due to an increase in caspase activation which was mediated through cytochrome c release. These results suggest that cells with acquired TRAIL resistance are sensitive to UV irradiation. J. Cell. Biochem. 104: 1172–1180, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Phylogenies and the forces of evolution

The construction of phylogenetic trees from gene frequency data assumes that a history of binary fissioning of populations has been the major cause of genetic variation. However, in many areas of the world human populations have been relatively stable with local gene flow. This population history is closer to an isolation by distance model. It was modelled by a simulation of gene frequency changes in a linear sequence of 50 stable populations with gene flow among neighboring populations. Phylogenetic trees were constructed from the gene frequencies after the simulation was run for 500 generations. Using only a few loci there is little correlation between genetic and geographic distance, but with 40 or more loci, there was a perfect correlation with geographic distance. A different population model can thus result in a phylogenetic tree comparable to those assumed to be produced by binary fission.
Field verification of Wave Equation tidal dynamics in the English Channel and southern North Sea

Abstract Finite element results obtained with the implicit Wave Equation algorithm are compared with field data in a blind (uncalibrated) verification exercise. The study area comprises the English Channel and the southern North Sea.
Platelet αIIbβ3 activation: filling in the pieces

In this issue of Blood , Kasirer-Friede and colleagues show that the adhesion and degranulation promoter protein (ADAP) promotes αIIbβ3 activation by presenting the cytoplasmic proteins talin and kindlin to the β3 cytoplasmic tail.[1][1] ![Figure][2] Talin and kindlin bind to ADAP in
Alkali metal-responsive geometric and spectral changes in a cobalt(II) complex of a constrained dicarboxylate: a carboxylate shift-mediated metallochromoionophore

Abstract A mononuclear Co(II) complex of the convergent dicarboxylate ligand xylenediamine bis-(Kemp's triacid imide) (XDK) and neocuproine (neo, 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) has been prepared both by demetallation of a dinuclear precursor with neocuproine and by direct synthesis. The X-ray structure of this complex, [Co(XDK)(neo)]·3CH3OH (1·dCH3OH) (monoclinic P2 1 /c, a = 13.352(2), b = 16.026(3), c = 23.145(7) A , β = 96.64(2)°, V = 4919(2) A 3 , Z = 4, T = 173 K ) shows the cobalt ion to be in a highly distorted trigonal bipyramidal environment, with asymmetrical binding by the carboxylates of XDK. Complex 1 reacts readily with alkali metal salts to afford heterodimetallic complexes, such as [KCo(XDK)(neo)(PF6)] (2) and [Rb2Co2(XDK)2-(neo)2(H2O)(BPh4)2] (3). The X-ray structures of 2·2CH3CN and 3·2CHCl3 reveal that XDK undergoes a carboxylate shift upon formation of the alkali metal adducts, resulting in a highly unusual distorted trigonal pyramidal geometry at the cobalt ion (2·2CH3CH: monoclinic P2 1 /c, a = 14.261(2), b = 14.275(2), c = 26.113(4) A , β = 100.95(1)°, V = 5219(1) A 3 , Z = 4, T = 188 K . 3·2CHCl3: triclinic, P 1 , a = 12.130(2), b = 16.409(3), c = 17.315(3) A , α = 100.09(2), β = 103.83(1), γ = 96.35(2)°, V = 3252(1) A 3 , Z = 1, T = 213 K ). The alkali metal ions bind to the carboxylate and amide oxygen atoms as well as to the PF6− or BPh4− anion. The alteration in Co(II) geometry upon binding of the alkali metal ions to 1 is reflected by significant changes in its visible spectrum. These changes permit the reactions to be monitored spectroscopically, from which their 1:1 stoichiometries were clearly evident.
Estrogen receptor co-activator (AIB1) protein expression by automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) in a breast cancer tissue microarray and association with patient outcome

Purpose Amplified in breast cancer (AIB1 or SRC-3) is an estrogen receptor coregulatory protein that together with other co-activators like transcription intermediary factor 2 (TIF2) and nuclear receptor co-repressor (NCoR), is implicated in estrogen signaling pathway and estrogen regulated tumor progression. We investigated the prognostic significance of AIB1, TIF2 & NCoR protein expression breast tissue microarray (TMA), and studied the relationship of coregulatory proteins to prognostic biomarkers like estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) & HER2/neu and between coregulatory proteins. Methods: AIBI, TIF2 & NCoR were studied by fluorescent immunohistochemical staining of a TMA with 670 breast cancer specimens, using AQUA software. Result: Using Cox univariate survival analyses, high AIB1 expression was associated with poor patient outcome (P = 0.002), while no association was noted for TIF2 (P = 0.376) & NCoR (P = 0.12). When subclassified by nodal or ER status, AIB1 was not prognostic in the node positive and ER positive subsets. However, in the ER negative and node negative subsets, high AIB1 expression was associated with poor patient outcome (P = 0.02 and P = 0.007 respectively). AIB1 retained its independent association with survival by multivariate analyses (P = 0.028). There was significant positive correlation between AIB1 and ER and PR status and with other cofators (TIF2 and NCoR) but not with HER2/neu status. Conclusion: High AIB1 expression was predictive of worse overall survival in our study, suggesting that AIB1 may be critical in breast carcinogenesis.
Flux flow resistivity and upper critical field in ideal type II amorphous superconductors

Flux flow resistivity ρ f and upper critical fieldH c2 of ideal type II amorphous bulk supercbnductors Zr3Ni and Zr3Rh on both as-quenched and thermally relaxed states have been studied. It is found that thermal annealing does not change the temperature dependence ofH c2 in homogeneous superconductors. The temperature and field dependence of ρ f in all samples studied exhibits a universal scaling relation of the form ρ f /ρ n =f(h, t), where ρ n is the normal state resistivity, andh andt are the reduced field and reduced temperature, respectively. The results are compared with predictions of the time-dependent microscopic theories for bulk superconductors in the dirty limit. In the low-field region (H≪H c2 ) the viscosity coefficient contains both the ordinary (Bardeen-Stephen, Tinkham) and anomalous (Gor'kov-Kopnin) terms. ForH⋍H c2 the results agree qualitatively with the theory of Imai with pair-breaking in the anomalous term. Implications of the present results are discussed.
Elements of a mars transportation system

Earth to Mars transportation requirements are derived for a permanent Mars base of 20 people operating in the 2035 time frame. In order to satisfy these requirements, various transportation modes are developed assuming an existing space infrastructure including propellant tankers, crew and consumable transfer vehicles, orbital facilities and extraterrestrial propellant factories. These transportation modes are compared with respect to total propellant requirements, number of vehicles required, flight times, frequency of opportunity and several other characteristics. Directions for further studies and analysis are indicated.
Modeling of collision and coalescence of droplets during microgravity processing of Zn-Bi immiscible alloys

A population balance model is presented for the coarsening of the dispersed phase of liquid-liquid two-phase mixtures in microgravity due to gravity sedimentation and Marangoni migration, which lead to the collision and coalescence of droplets. The model is used to predict the evolution of the size distribution of the dispersed phase in a liquid-phase miscibility gap system, Zn-Bi, which has been used in a number of experimental microgravity processing studies in which significant phase segregation has been observed. The analysis shows that increasing the temperature gradient, gravity level, volume fraction of the dispersed phase, initial average drop radius, initial standard deviation of droplet radii, or the temperature coefficient of the interfacial tension leads to an increase in the rate of droplet growth due to collision and coalescence. Comparison of the distribution evolutions for unimodal and bimodal initial distributions shows that the latter yield significantly more rapid droplet growth. Finally, it is shown that droplet growth can be dramatically reduced with antiparallel orientation of the gravity vector and the temperature gradient, provided that the relative magnitude of these two vectors is properly chosen.
Quadrupole core vibrations in the A = 211 isobars

Abstract States of the A = 211 isobars are described as three particles coupled to each other and to a vibrating 208 Pb core. Model parameters are extracted from available data on A = 209, 210 isobars, but it is necessary to postulate a form for the two-body interaction to obtain all necessary matrix elements. Energy spectra and reduced transition probabilities are calculated and compared with experiment.
Krüppel-Like Factor 5 Protects Against Dextran Sulfate Sodium−Induced Colonic Injury in Mice by Promoting Epithelial Repair

Background & Aims Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) is a transcription factor that promotes proliferation, is highly expressed in dividing crypt cells of the gastrointestinal epithelium, and is induced by various stress stimuli. We sought to determine the role of KLF5 in colonic inflammation and recovery by studying mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)−induced colitis. Methods Wild-type (WT) and Klf5 +/− mice were given DSS in the drinking water to induce colitis. For recovery experiments, mice were given normal drinking water for 5 days after DSS administration. The extent of colitis was determined using established clinical and histological scoring systems. Immunohistochemical and immunoblotting analyses were used to examine proliferation, migration, and expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Results Klf5 expression was increased in colonic tissues of WT mice given DSS; induction of Klf5 was downstream of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. In DSS-induced colitis, Klf5 +/− mice exhibited greater sensitivity to DSS than WT mice, with significantly higher clinical and histological colitis scores. In recovery experiments, Klf5 +/− mice showed poor recovery, with continued weight loss and higher mortality than WT mice. Klf5 +/− mice from the recovery period had reduced epithelial proliferation and cell migration at sites of ulceration compared to WT mice; these reductions correlated with reduced expression of epidermal growth factor receptor. Conclusions Epithelial repair is an important aspect of recovery from DSS-induced colitis. The transcription factor KLF5 regulates mucosal healing through its effects on epithelial proliferation and migration.
Fate and Transport of Nitrogen Applied to Six Warm-Season Turfgrasses

A greenhouse study compared six warm season turfgrasses [common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], Tifway' hybrid bermudagrass (C. dactylon x transvaalensis), centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.), Raleigh' St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze], 'Meyer' zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.), and Emerald' zoysiagrass (Z. japonica x tenuifolia)] for NO 3 -N leaching and N use efficiency. Sod was established in sand-filled columns and managed under worst-case conditions to promote nitrate leaching. Ammonium nitrate was applied at 50 kg N ha -1 on seven dates, with the final application labeled with 15 N. Leachate samples were collected and analyzed for NO 3 -N and NH 4 -N and clippings were analyzed for total N. Leaching losses were high following the first N application, ranging from 48 to 100% of the NO 3 -N and 4 to 16% of the NH 4 -N applied. Nitrate loss from subsequent applications was reduced substantially, while NH 4 leaching was essentially eliminated. There were significant differences among species for leachate NO 3 -N concentration and cumulative N leached, with St. Augustinegrass being the most effective and Meyer zoysiagrass the least effective at minimizing NO 3 leaching. Nitrogen recovery by the turf ranged from 63% for Meyer zoysiagrass to 84% for hybrid bermudagrass. Root length density (RLD) varied significantly among species at depths >30 cm, and was negatively correlated with NO 3 leaching loss. These results document differences between the warm season turfgrasses for NO 3 leaching potential, possibly related to root distribution, and emphasize that species selection is an important factor in minimizing environmental impacts from turfgrass management.
Síndrome metabólico en un grupo de pacientes diabéticos tipo 1. ¿Una nueva variedad de diabetes?

Background: Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is related to insulin resistance and to type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may also develop this condition. Aim: To determine the prevalence of MS in patients with T1DM. Material and methods: Cross sectional study of 52 patients with T1DM aged 18 to 72 years (27 females) with 5 years or more since their diagnosis of T1DM. MS presence was defined according to the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Acanthosis nigricans (AN), waist circumference (WC), daily dose of insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc) and micro albuminuria were evaluated. Results: The prevalence of MS was 25% (13/52). A higher daily dose of insulin was required in patients with MS (p =0.018), with AN (p =0.022) and with obesity (p =0.002). A direct association between WC and the dose of insulin was observed (r =0.51; p <0.0001). No association was observed between MS, time of evolution of T1DM, HbAlc or micro albuminuria. Conclusions: In this group of patients with T1DM there was a high prevalence of MS.
Designing Usable Interventions: Bringing Student Perspectives to the Table.

This commentary examines the rationale behind the use of participatory approaches to the design and development of educational interventions, particularly with respect to the inclusion of students in the process. The perspectives and claims put forth in this special issue are examined against an emerging approach to designing more usable educational interventions called design-based implementation research, or DBIR.
TBGA package technology

TBGA or Tape Ball Grid Array is a ball grid array package which utilizes solder bumps to connect the TAB tape to the printed circuit card or board. The array of outer lead bond (OLB) joints is typically on a 50 mil grid. This technology differs from conventional TAB peripheral OLB in that the package can be "picked and placed" using conventional card assembly equipment and processes at very high assembly yields. If thermal enhancement is required, a heatsink can be attached to the die. The technology can be applied to both single and double level metal tape; and can utilize various inner lead bonding (ILB) techniques, i.e., peripheral thermocompression, thermosonic, or wirebonding, and area array solder reflow. This paper describes the package technology, applications, and attributes. >
Effective parameters for flow in saturated heterogeneous porous media

Abstract Effective parameters for flow in saturated porous media are obtained via Taylor-Aris-Brenner moment analysis considering both periodic as well as stationary porous medium properties. It is assumed that a slug is instantaneously introduced into an unbounded, anisotropic porous medium having a compressible matrix, and that the correlation length of the local hydraulic conductivity and specific storage fluctuations is smaller than the correlation length of hydraulic head fluctuations (gradually varying flow). It is shown that the effective specific storage is equal to its volume average. The effective hydraulic conductivity is derived by a small-perturbation analysis and it is shown to consist of its volume average and of a second term which accounts for the ‘small’ local conductivity fluctuations.
Lateral and Longitudinal Magnification in Direct and Indirect Ophthalmoscopy

Object-image relationships in a reduced schematic eye have been considered for both direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Certain distorting effects of lateral and longitudinal magnification in ophthalmoscopy have been defined and compared. The model described allows first order evaluation of imagery for both axial and oblique viewing of the patient's retina. Techniques have been described which allow partial evaluation of the factors developed in the text by (1) apparent projection of a fixed reference after-image located on the observer's retina, and by (2) selectively bleaching known areas on the patient's retina.
PCR-based apolipoprotein E genotype analysis from archival fixed brain.

Abstract A technique is described for determining the apolipoprotein E genotype (apo E; alleles ϵ 2, ϵ 3, or ϵ 4) from tissues which have been fixed with 4–10% formaldehyde and archived. The procedure requires efficient extraction and exhaustive purification of DNA from the fixed tissue. Because the fixation process renders the DNA largely crosslinked and/or sheared (therefore unsuitable for traditional analysis), a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is employed (using two apo E gene specific primer pairs) to specifically amplify the polymorphic region of the gene. The genotype was then determined using previously reported Hha I polymorphisms that occur as a direct result of the variant codons responsible for the three alleles. This protocol permitted the successful genotyping of 90% (34 out of 38) of the archived brain samples from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. These samples included such extremes as a sample that had been stored for 12 years in formalin. This procedure permits the retrospective analysis of samples that had been processed and stored well before the original characterization of apo E alleles as risk factors in AD. Finally, this approach is readily adapted to the analysis of any gene of interest, whether by restriction fragment length polymorphism or direct amplicon DNA sequencing. It is also a very robust assay for less stringent conditions such as DNA isolated from whole blood or frozen tissue.
An intercellular adhesion molecule-3 (ICAM-3) -grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) efficiently blocks HIV viral budding

Efficient inhibition of the HIV infection life cycle at the stages of viral infection, reverse transcription, and post-translational processing has been extensively studied. However, efficient inhi...
Structural Equation Modeling of School Violence Data: Methodological Considerations.

SUMMARY Methodological challenges associated with structural equation modeling (SEM) and structured means modeling (SMM) in research on school violence and related topics in the social and behavioral sciences are examined. Problems associated with multiyear implementations of large-scale surveys are discussed. Complex sample designs, part of any large-scale survey, introduce multiple methodological challenges into SEM analysis. Problems with missing data and data imputation procedures are explored, along with commonly occurring departures from normality. Hypothesis testing of models and associated fit indices are explicated. Issues surrounding the use of Lagrange Multiplier tests of constraint validity in SMM are examined. Finally, basic problems associated with developing viable models of complex social phenomena with SEM are considered.
Regional variation in temporal organization in American English

Abstract The goal of the current study was to explore the temporal organization of six regional dialects of American English to gain a better understanding of the perceptual impressions of speaking rate variation. The study further examines whether regional dialects form different groupings based on their segmental vs. global temporal characteristics. Acoustic measures included articulation rate, pause frequency and duration, and vowel and consonant duration variability. The results revealed that Southern American English is characterized by a slow overall articulation rate, long pauses, and highly variable syllable-to-syllable vowel durations, whereas the New England dialect is characterized by a fast overall articulation rate, short pauses, and highly variable syllable-to-syllable consonant durations. The patterns for the other dialects are more mixed: the Northern and Western dialects are characterized by low variability vowel durations, the Midland dialect shares a slow articulation rate with the Southern dialect, and the Mid-Atlantic dialect exhibits no unique temporal properties among those examined. Thus, temporal variation in regional dialects of American English is orthogonal to vowel variation, in which New England, Midland, and Western dialects are often characterized together as “General American”. Taken together, the results are consistent with the stereotype that Southerners talk slowly and Northerners talk quickly and suggest that pausing and segmental duration variability may contribute to the perceived speaking rate differences.
Damage detection in prestressed pile to bent cap connections

South Carolina is one of the most seismically active states in the eastern U.S. Due to this high level of seismic activity, structural health monitoring is important to ensure a high level of confidence in the state's infrastructure. The University of South Carolina (U.SC) is currently studying the behavior of prestressed pile to bent-cap connections that are typical of construction used in the state. Bent caps are generally constructed with multiple piles. In these tests single pile specimens were created for both interior and exterior piles. Interior specimens were subjected to a constant compressive load while exterior specimens experienced both compressive and tensile loads. Acoustic Emission (AE) sensing was utilized on fullscale test specimens to investigate the feasibility of detecting and characterizing damage in these connections during a seismic event. Seven full-scale prestressed concrete piles have been embedded into cast-in-place (CIP) reinforced concrete bent caps and tested under reverse cyclic loading. AE data has been gathered with eight strategically placed AE sensors. Preliminary analysis of the data indicates that AE is promising method with respect to the detection of damage prior to detection by visual observation. AE activity is used to detect both the onset and location of cracking and to characterize the extent of damage at later stages of degradation. One focus of the work is to minimize the amount of AE data recorded for the development of wireless systems having low power consumption.
Vanadium-iron-sulfur clusters containing the cubane-type [VFe3S4] core unit: synthesis of a cluster with the topology of the PN cluster of nitrogenase.

bridged by a common I6-S atom and two I2-S atoms that simulate the bridging atoms in the two Fe-(I2-SCys)-Fe bridges of the P N cluster. The bridge pattern V2Fe6(I2-S)2(I3-S)6(I6-S) and cluster shape match those of the native cluster. A best-fit superposition of the cores of 10 and the P N cluster affords a weighted rms deviation in atom positions of 0.33 A. Cluster 10 and [(Tp)2Mo2Fe6S9(SH)2] 3- , prepared by a related route (Zhang, Y.; Holm, R. H. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 3910-3920), demonstrate that the topology of the P N cluster can be achieved in molecular form in the absence of protein structure (Tp ) tris(pyrazolyl)hydroborate).
Prospective study of venous thromboembolism in patients with head and neck cancer after surgery: interim analysis.

Objectives To prospectively determine the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following major head and neck surgery. At the midpoint of enrollment, an interim analysis was performed to determine if it was ethical to continue this study as an observational study without routine anticoagulation. Design Prospective, observational cohort study. Setting Academic surgical center. Patients The interim analysis comprised 47 subjects. Main Outcome Measure The total number of new cases of VTE (superficial and deep) identified within 30 days of surgery and confirmed on diagnostic imaging. These cases were further categorized as clinically relevant and nonclinically relevant. Clinically relevant VTEs were those requiring more than 6 weeks of anticoagulation or were associated with any negative impact on clinical course. On postoperative day 2 or 3, subjects were clinically examined and received duplex ultrasonography. Subjects with negative findings from examination and ultrasonography were followed up clinically; subjects with evidence of deep venous thrombus or pulmonary embolism were given therapeutic anticoagulation. Subjects with superficial VTE received repeated ultrasonography on postoperative days 4 to 6. Subjects were monitored for 30 days after surgery. Results Three subjects (6%) were identified as having clinically significant VTE: 2 cases of deep venous thrombus and 1 case of pulmonary embolism. Two additional subjects had lower extremity superficial VTE without clinical findings, which were detected by ultrasonography alone. No statistically significant differences were seen between patients with VTE and those without VTE. Conclusions This interim analysis of the first prospective study of the incidence of VTE in patients with head and neck cancer showed a VTE rate slightly higher than previously estimated in retrospective studies. There have been no unexpected serious adverse events and no rationale for early termination of the study.
Metabolic requirements for secretion from the adrenal medulla.

Abstract Secretion of catecholamines evoked by acetylcholine from isolated perfused bovine adrenal glands was completely inhibited when cyanide and iodoacetate were both present in the perfusion medium at a concentration of 1 mM. Neither cyanide nor iodoacetate by themselves prevented secretion. However, when the gland was first perfused with iodoacetate, then cyanide did block secretion. The contribution of cyanide to the inhibitory effect was reversible but that of iodoacetate was not. These studies indicate that a metabolic source of energy is required either for the secretory process itself or to maintain the cell in a functional state.
Surface instability and associated roughness during conventional and pendeo-epitaxial growth of GaN(0001) films via MOVPE

Abstract Investigations of the origins of surface roughening in GaN(0 0 0 1) have resulted in the development of a growth process route having an optimum temperature of 1020°C and a film thickness beyond 2.5 μm which results in films with the smoothest surface morphology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed uncoalesced GaN islands and hillocks for non-optimum temperatures below and above 1020°C, respectively. Uncoalesced islands were a result of insufficient lateral growth. Hillocks were a result of the rotation of heterogeneous steps formed at pure screw or mixed dislocations which terminated on the (0 0 0 1) surface. Growth of the latter features was controlled kinetically by temperature through adatom diffusion. The 10 6 cm −2 density of hillocks was reduced through growth on thick GaN templates and regions of pendeo-epitaxy (PE) overgrowth with lower pure screw or mixed dislocations. Smooth PE surfaces were obtained at temperatures that reduced the lateral to vertical growth rate but also retarded hillock growth that originated in the stripe regions. The (1 1 2 0) PE sidewall surface was atomically smooth, with a root mean square roughness value of 0.17 nm, which was the noise limited resolution of the AFM measurements.
AN EXPERIMENT IN THE PRESENTATION OF PARALLEL AND CONTRASTING STRUCTURES

Five learning experiments (three in French, two In Spanish) were conducted. The main independent treatment variable in each experiment was the sequence of presentation of a contrasting structure and a parallel structure closely related to it (e.g., the French and English patterns used in Donne-moi/ Give me are parallel structures while those used in Ne me donne pas/Don't give me are contrasting). The following research hypotheses were investigated: (1) The sequence Contrasting Structure before Parallel Structure will result in better learning than the reverse sequence. (2) Each of the two treatments will exert a recency effect in favor of the structure taught last. (3) Contrasting structures are more difficult to learn than parallel structures. Hypothesis 1 was only partly confirmed, though the experiments showed a trend toward the superiority of treatment Contrasting before Parallel Structure. Hypothesis 2 was clearly confirmed and hypothesis 3 was confirmed in those of the five experiments in which “parallel” and “contrasting” referred to syntactical arrangements involving word order.
Neural Correlates of Emotion Processing in Typically Developing Children and Children of Diabetic Mothers

To examine the neurocognitive sequelae of children born to diabetic mothers (CDMs), event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to three facial expressions (happy, fear, anger) were collected from 42 children (18 CDMs, 24 controls), aged 36 and/or 48 months. A linear mixed models approach was used to model individual variation in amplitude and latency. As infants, CDMs in the present study displayed subtle impairments in attention and memory processing, including face recognition, as indexed by ERPs. Findings indicate that these same children, now ages 3-4 years, continue to display ERP patterns that differ from controls in amplitude, latency, and hemispheric asymmetry.
Proton NMR and CD solution conformation determination and opioid receptor binding studies of a dynorphin A(1–17) model peptide

The opioid peptide dynorphin A(1–17) contains a peptide segment in residues 7–15 with the potential to form an amphiphilic β-strand. This amphiphilic structure may, like the amphiphilic α-helices found in many other peptide hormones, be an important determinant of its interactions with membranes and receptors. In order to investigate and characterize these interactions, we have synthesized a 17-residue dynorphin analogue (YGGFLKKVKPKVKVKSS) that incorporates a peptide model of this amphiphilic secondary structure with minimized homology (25%) relative to the native sequence. This peptide exhibits the full biological potency of dynorphin in assays of κ-opioid receptor binding, and is more selective for this type of opioid receptor than the natural peptide. The conformation of the model peptide in aqueous solution has been investigated in detail by NMR spectroscopy. The values of the NHCHa coupling constants together with rotating frame NOEs indicate the presence of an amphiphilic structure together with some β-strand structure in residues 7–15, and demonstrate that a peptide model that stabilizes this structure in aqueous solution and enhances κ-opioid receptor selectivity can be successfully designed using alternating lysine and valine residues.
Hair transplantation in women: A practical new classification system and review of technique

Alopecia in women is often overlooked as a major cosmetic problem. For women with hair loss, the psychological effects are often more severe than for men. Advances in modern hair transplantation have allowed successful hair restoration in many cases of female alopecia that might not have been possible to treat with older techniques. A classification of female hair loss patterns into 5 different categories is proposed. On the basis of these categories, a variety of techniques are demonstrated to restore alopecia. Careful preoperative patient evaluation, including analysis of the donor and recipient features, is emphasized. In addition, women's psychological reactions to hair loss and the expectations for hair restoration are discussed. (Aesthetic Surg J 2002;22:247-259.).
Loss of BRMS1 Promotes a Mesenchymal Phenotype through NF-κB-Dependent Regulation of Twist1

Breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) is downregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its reduction correlates with disease progression. Herein, we investigate the mechanisms through which loss of the BRMS1 gene contributes to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Using a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) system, we show that loss of BRMS1 promotes basal and transforming growth factor beta-induced EMT in NSCLC cells. NSCLC cells expressing BRMS1 shRNAs (BRMS1 knockdown [BRMS1KD]) display mesenchymal characteristics, including enhanced cell migration and differential regulation of the EMT markers. Mesenchymal phenotypes observed in BRMS1KD cells are dependent on RelA/p65, the transcriptionally active subunit of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrates that loss of BRMS1 increases Twist1 promoter occupancy of RelA/p65 K310—a key histone modification associated with increased transcription. Knockdown of Twist1 results in reversal of BRMS1KD-mediated EMT phenotypic changes. Moreover, in our animal model, BRMS1KD/Twist1KD double knockdown cells were less efficient in establishing lung tumors than BRMS1KD cells. Collectively, this study demonstrates that loss of BRMS1 promotes malignant phenotypes that are dependent on NF-κB-dependent regulation of Twist1. These observations offer fresh insight into the mechanisms through which BRMS1 regulates the development of metastases in NSCLC.
Introduction: Atomistic Nature of Materials

Materials are made of atoms. The atomic hypothesis was put forward by the Greek philosopher Demokritos about 25 centuries ago, but was only proven by quantitative arguments in the 19th and 20th centuries, beginning with the work of John Dalton (1766–1844) and through the development of quantum mechanics, the theory that provided a complete and accurate description of the properties of atoms. The very large number of atoms encountered in a typical material (of order ∼1024or more) precludes any meaningful description of its properties based on a complete account of the behavior of each and every atom that comprises it. Special cases, such as perfect crystals, are exceptions where symmetry reduces the number of independent atoms to very few; in such cases, the properties of the solid are indeed describable in terms of the behavior of the few independent atoms and this can be accomplished using quantum mechanical methods. However, this is only an idealized model of actual solids in which perfect order is broken either by thermal disorder or by the presence of defects that play a crucial role in determining the physical properties of the system.
The Influence of Sex, Ethnicity, and CYP2B6 Genotype on Bupropion Metabolism as an Index of Hepatic CYP2B6 Activity in Humans

The effects of sex, ethnicity, and genetic polymorphism on hepatic CYP2B6 (cytochrome P450 2B6) expression and activity were previously demonstrated in vitro. Race/ethnic differences in CYP2B6 genotype and phenotype were observed only in women. To identify important covariates associated with interindividual variation in CYP2B6 activity in vivo, we evaluated these effects in healthy volunteers using bupropion (Wellbutrin SR GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC) as a CYP2B6 probe substrate. A fixed 150-mg oral sustained-release dose of bupropion was administered to 100 healthy volunteers comprising four sex/ethnicity cohorts (n = 25 each): Caucasian men and Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic women. Blood samples were obtained at 0 and 6 hours postdose for the measurement of serum bupropion (BU) and hydroxybupropion (HB) concentrations. Whole blood was obtained at baseline for CYP2B6 genotyping. To characterize the relationship between CYP2B6 activity and ethnicity, sex, and genotype when accounting for serum BU concentrations (dose-adjusted log10-transformed), analysis of covariance model was fitted in which the dependent variable was CYP2B6 activity represented as the log10-transformed, metabolic ratio of HB to BU concentrations. Several CYP2B6 polymorphisms were associated with CYP2B6 activity. Evidence of dependence of CYP2B6 activity on ethnicity or genotype-by-ethnicity interactions was not detected in women. These results suggest that CYP2B6 genotype is the most important patient variable for predicting the level of CYP2B6 activity in women, when measured by the metabolism of bupropion. The bupropion metabolic ratio appears to detect known differences in CYP2B6 activity associated with genetic polymorphism, across different ethnic groups. Prospective studies will be needed to validate the use of bupropion as a probe substrate for clinical use.
Accurate and efficient stochastic reliability analysis of composite services using their compact Markov reward model representations

Stochastic reliability analysis of composite services is challenging, primarily since it needs us to carefully balance accuracy of analysis and its computational complexity: Given stochastic models of service components, we often combine them and define a large complex model to accurately reflect the effects of failures of particular components on the reliability of the entire service. In this paper, we propose a new technique, based on the Markov reward model (MRM) foundation, to substantially reduce the computational complexity without losing accuracy. It evaluates, prior to analysis, the effects of the possible failures and represents them as scalar reward values attached to a single compact Markov model. Thus we can replace the component models with a compact model that retains the complete information for accurate analysis. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique for several cases, where failures are correlated with each other in different ways.
Design of multichannel fringing electric field sensors for imaging. Part I. General design principles

Multichannel electric field sensors are used for electrical impedance and capacitance tomography applications. In cases where only one-sided access can be accommodated, fringing electric field sensors (FEF) sensors are used. The genera! design principles of multichannel fringing electric field sensors are discussed in This work. Analysis of the figures of merit of FEF sensors, such as penetration depth, signal strength, measurement sensitivity, and imaging resolution, are presented. The effects of design parameters on sensor performance are also evaluated. The qualitative design principles described in this part of the paper provide intuitive guidelines for the simulation-based design optimization procedure to be presented in the second part of the paper.
The Optimal Design and Analysis of Piezoelectric Cantilever Beams for Power Generation Devices

With the rapid development of wireless remote sensor systems, battery is becoming the limiting factor in the lifetime of the device and miniaturization. As a way to eliminate battery in the system, the conversion of ambient vibration energy has been addressed. The piezoelectric cantilever beam with a proof mass was exploited for energy conversion since it can generate large strain and power density. The design of cantilever beams was optimized through numerical analysis and FEM simulation at higher acceleration condition. The investigated parameters influencing the output energy of piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers include dimensions of cantilever beam and proof mass. The resonant frequency and robustness of cantilever structure were also considered for enhancing power conversion efficiency and implementing devices at high acceleration condition. The power density generated by the optimized piezoelectric device was high enough (> 1200 μW/cm3) to operate microsensor systems. However, high stress near clamping area of cantilever beam could lead to the fracture at high acceleration condition.
The Atomistic Simulation of Thermal Diffusion and Coulomb Drift in Semiconductor Detectors

In order to enhance the imaging resolution of gamma cameras over standard Compton camera and coded aperture designs, one can add momentum information to the kinematics by tracking the recoil electrons that result from gamma-ray interactions. The initial direction of the recoil electron can be discerned from its meandering trajectory, as measured via the initial electron-hole charges' spatial distribution, which itself is extracted by measuring the induced current signal on the bounding electrodes of the detector. In principle, the extraction of the recoil electron direction is ultimately limited by those stochastic effects that significantly contribute to the charge motion; most notably, thermal diffusion, although for existing systems, electronic noise can contribute or even dominate the position uncertainty. Nevertheless, we neglect the effects of electronic noise in this paper in order to gauge the intrinsic uncertainty in the charges' positions. We model diffusion using two techniques: one found in the literature and based on the diffusion coefficient, the other based on the underlying physics in which the probability density function describing the random thermal motion is sampled to determine the random contribution to each charge's motion, which depends on its drift state as well as the surrounding crystallographic environment. As is shown, the effect of diffusion is always significant, but its effect can be mitigated if the charges drift with alacrity. Coulomb drift, which refers to the dynamic charge motion due to the electromagnetic forces of the space charge created during the radiation event, is usually neglected; however, it can also be important for highly ionizing particles. We thus quantify the effect of Coulomb drift and suggest methods by which its impact can be extracted from the overall charge-track reconstruction.
π-Donor olefin substituents alter olefin binding to CpFe(CO)2+

The X-ray diffraction structures of the olefin complexes [CpFe(CO)2(H2CCHDo)]PF6 (Do = OEt and NMe2) have been determined to further evaluate the previous report that the distance from Fe to the olefin carbon substituted by Do (referred to as Cβ) is long or even nonbonding. These Fe–C distances are determined here to be long [2.402(10) A for Do = OEt] or nonbonding [2.823(11) A for Do = NMe2]. DFT optimization of the geometries of these, together with CpFe(CO)2 − n(PH3)n(H2CCHDo])+ for n = 1 and 2, show (a) agreement with experiment for n = 0, (b) a progression of Fe–Cβ distances to shorter values with increasing n for Do = OEt, (c) persistence of the Fe–Cβ distance at a nonbonding value for all n when Do = NMe2 and (d) the shortest Fe–Cβ distances for the weakest π-donor substituent, Do = F. These results are rationalized in terms of increased localization of nucleophilicity on the olefin Cα as the π-donor ability of Do strengthens. Therefore, not all olefins will show η2-binding.
Weather Radar at MIT

Weather Radar Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been ongoing for more than forty years. Well over two hundred people, ranging from senior staff members to part-time undergraduate student assistants, have participated in the work. This brief and informal account cannot include all their names or the details of their work, but we recognize that each, in some way, has made a contribution to the overall effort.