cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Specific regulation of RGS2 messenger RNA by angiotensin II in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.

The effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) are mediated primarily by Ang II type 1 receptors, which in turn are coupled to heterotrimeric G proteins. After receptor activation, the Gα and Gβγ subunits dissociate, contributing to the signaling cascades involving protein kinase C (PKC) activation. Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS proteins) comprise a class of proteins that have been shown to negatively regulate the Gα subunit. We examined which RGS sequences were expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells and which of these were regulated by Ang II. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that of 16 RGS sequences screened, six RGS transcripts (RGS2, 3, 10, 11, and 12 and GAIP) were present. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that RGS3, 10, and 12 and GAIP were not regulated by Ang II at the mRNA level. In contrast, RGS2 mRNA was rapidly and dose dependently increased (395 ± 24% peak, 45 min) by Ang II but returned to baseline level by 6 to 8 h. Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, a PKC activator, robustly increased RGS2. This signal was attenuated by the PKC inhibitor GF 109203X (50 ± 4%) and by phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate-mediated down-regulation of PKC (48 ± 13%). Tyrosine kinase inhibition and calcium deprivation did not affect the up-regulation of RGS2 mRNA after Ang II stimulation. Actinomycin D treatment inhibited both Ang II- and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-stimulated RGS2 up-regulation, suggesting activation of transcription by these agonists. The stability of RGS2 mRNA did not appear to be affected by Ang II. Thus, RGS2 is a likely candidate for negative regulation of the G proteins coupled to the Ang II type 1 receptor in vascular smooth muscle cells. Regulation of this protein may be of critical importance in modulating the role of Ang II in vascular disease.
Who should make moral policy decisions in health care

Physical therapists are not always involved in the formulation of moral policy that significantly affects their professional practice as clinicians, researchers, and educators. This paper analyzes five major positions being taken regarding what the physical therapist's role ought to be, and suggests possibilities for increased involvement in the policy-making process.
Social Assistance: Analysis of the Fundamental Right Based on the 20-Year Experience of Law 8.472/93

There are two essential points that the text deals with: the qualification of social care as a social right and the character of constitutional program granted to social inclusion. Thus, interests on social assistance to identify social needs and, consequently, carrying out the measures—benefits, services, projects, and programs—able to transform the social reality in which the poor live. Everything will be done so that they give full implementation of the task of eradicating poverty and marginalization, qualified by art. 3, III, of the Constitution of Brazil as the magnum social constitutional goal.
A VLSI global placement solver based on proximal alternating direction method

In nonlinear global placement methods, the very large scale integration (VLSI) global placement problem is formulated as a nonlinear mathematical programming problem that contains the wirelength objective and the non-overlapping constraints, and it is usually solved by the penalty function method. In this paper, unlike using the penalty function method, a proximal alternating direction method (PADM) based solver is attempted to solve the VLSI global placement problem. In the solver, a alternating direction method combining with proximal point algorithm is used to optimize the VLSI placement problem according to its features. Moreover, local convergence of the PADM method is proved under some conditions. In addition, the multilevel framework is adopted to make the PADM based solver scalable. Preliminary numerical results on the IBM standard cell benchmarks show that the proposed solver is promising.
Image of the Month: An Exophytic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Stomach Complicated by Bacteremia and Liver Abscess.

An Exophytic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Stomach Complicated by Bacteremia and Liver Abscess
Tight Bounds for Sketching the Operator Norm, Schatten Norms, and Subspace Embeddings

We consider the following oblivious sketching problem: given epsilon in (0,1/3) and n >= d/epsilon^2, design a distribution D over R^{k * nd} and a function f: R^k * R^{nd} -> R}, so that for any n * d matrix A, Pr_{S sim D} [(1-epsilon) |A|_{op} = 2/3, where |A|_{op} = sup_{x:|x|_2 = 1} |Ax|_2 is the operator norm of A and S(A) denotes S * A, interpreting A as a vector in R^{nd}. We show a tight lower bound of k = Omega(d^2/epsilon^2) for this problem. Previously, Nelson and Nguyen (ICALP, 2014) considered the problem of finding a distribution D over R^{k * n} such that for any n * d matrix A, Pr_{S sim D}[forall x, (1-epsilon)|Ax|_2 = 2/3, which is called an oblivious subspace embedding (OSE). Our result considerably strengthens theirs, as it (1) applies only to estimating the operator norm, which can be estimated given any OSE, and (2) applies to distributions over general linear operators S which treat A as a vector and compute S(A), rather than the restricted class of linear operators corresponding to matrix multiplication. Our technique also implies the first tight bounds for approximating the Schatten p-norm for even integers p via general linear sketches, improving the previous lower bound from k = Omega(n^{2-6/p}) [Regev, 2014] to k = Omega(n^{2-4/p}). Importantly, for sketching the operator norm up to a factor of alpha, where alpha - 1 = \Omega(1), we obtain a tight k = Omega(n^2/alpha^4) bound, matching the upper bound of Andoni and Nguyen (SODA, 2013), and improving the previous k = Omega(n^2/\alpha^6) lower bound. Finally, we also obtain the first lower bounds for approximating Ky Fan norms.
Reams from My Father: Weber’s Legacy for Organization Theory

At his untimely death in 1920, Max Weber--widely recognized as the father of organization theory--left behind reams of manuscript pages that were assembled into Economy & Society. This paper argues...
Regulations, Regulatory Authority, and Foreign Direct Investment in the Financial Services Sector

In this study, I examine the effect of the quality of various host country regulations on attracting inward foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in the financial services sector. This study employ...
Capturing the Medication Management Work System of Older Adults Using a Digital Diary Method

Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) has the potential to transform the lives of older adults by helping them better manage their health and disease. Older adults are often beset with multiple chroni...
An enzymatic advance in nicotine cessation therapy

A nicotine-degrading enzyme termed NicA2 was altered (NicA2-J1) through fusion of an albumin binding domain to increase its half-life. Examination of NicA2-J1 in vivo demonstrated a complete blockade of brain nicotine access, which in turn blunted nicotine's psychoactive effects. These data further support development of pharmacokinetic nicotine cessation therapeutics.
Race, Identity, and Black Children: A Developmental Perspective:

The definitional and theoretical underpinnings of identity development suggest the need to establish a developmental perspective for viewing identity development in black children and youths. The d...
The Scattering of Low-Energy Helium Atoms at the Surface of Liquid Helium

We have designed an atomic beam experiment to be performed at low temperature in order to study the scattering of helium atoms at the liquid surface. This work has been partly stimulated by the theoretical papers of Anderson1 and Hyman et al.2 as well as by the experimental work of Johnston and King3. Anderson pointed out that the spectrum of atoms evaporating from the liquid should show a sharp increase in intensity at an energy corresponding to the difference between the atomic binding energy L and the roton minimum Δ. This prediction is made by assuming that inelastic processes at the surface play a minor role in evaporation.
[Celiac disease in children--modern diagnostic approach].

Celiac disease presents a hereditary disorder of gluten tolerance, i.e. of gliadin and related prolamins of wheat, rye and barley. It primarily occurs in Caucasians (1:100-300), while it is considerably or exceptionally rare in colored races. It is particularly frequent in close relatives of the patient, as well as in persons with congenital IgA deficiency and in patients with autoimmune and some chromosomal diseases. The basis of the disease, as well as the key finding in its diagnostics, lies in small bowel inflammation, which withdraws on gluten free diet. Beside clinically manifest or non-manifest enteropathy, changes involving other organs and systems are also frequently seen. The diagnosis of the manifest form of the disease is based on characteristic pathohistological finding detected by the examination of small bowel mucosa in patients on standard diets and their clinical improvement after the introduction of gluten free diet. However, in the diagnosis of the asymptomatic form of the disease, it is necessary to perform enterobiopsy, which confirms the normalization of the appearance of small bowel mucosa in patients on the elimination diet. In children with gluten sensitive enteropathy detected in the first two years of life, as well as in cases in which mucosa samples taken on the first enterobiopsy do not have typical appearance or are inadequate for a reliable interpretation, a definite diagnosis is made based on biopsy finding during the provocation of gluten tolerance. As the quality of permanent teeth can be disturbed, this procedure is not suggested to be done before the completed age of 6 years, and due to adverse effects on the growth and development of the child, it should not be done during puberty. Due to incomplete sensitivity and specificity, the serological indicators of the disease do not have diagnostic value. Therefore, they are primarily used in the disclosure of asymptomatic and atypical forms of celiac disease, as well as in the assessment of the consistency of elimination diet in cases with already verified disease. In addition, the application of these tests makes easier passing the decision to perform pathohistological examination of small bowel mucosa in patients with provoked gluten tolerance, which also gives a more complete understanding into the remission of the disease during the initial phase of treatment.
Complications of Robotic Partial Nephrectomy

Partial nephrectomy has emerged as the standard of care for the treatment of small renal tumors. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) has been performed for over 15 years and has demonstrated satisfactory oncologic outcomes, decreased patient morbidity, and shorter recovery time compared to open surgery [1–3]. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RALPN) is an emerging technique that shares the minimally invasive advantages of LPN and may provide technical advantages specific to robotic systems (e.g., improved visualization and dexterity during reconstruction) [4, 5]. Furthermore, early literature on RALPN has demonstrated possible advantages in terms of warm ischemia time (WIT) and blood loss compared with laparoscopy [4, 5].
Comparative Efficacy and Side Effects of Ursodeoxycholic and Chenodeoxycholic Acids in Dissolving Gallstones: A Double-Blind Controlled Study

In a double-blind controlled study of ursodeoxycholic acid (400 and 800 mg/day) and chenodeoxycholic acid (375 and 750 mg/day), in comparison with placebo, ursodeoxycholic acid was significantly more effective than chenodeoxycholic acid in dissolving gallstones after 12 mo of treatment. Although there continued to be better dissolution during ursodeoxycholic acid treatment (dissolution complete in 30% and partial in another 30% of the patients) than during chenodeoxycholic acid treatment (dissolution complete in 7% and partial in 40%) at 24 mo, this difference between the treatment groups was no longer statistically significant. The incidence of floating stones was significantly higher in the patients who dissolved their stones than in those who did not (p less than 0.001). The three failures of dissolution of floating stones during bile acid treatment were associated with chenodeoxycholic acid therapy--two of them with the 750-mg and the third with the 375-mg doses. Gallstone dissolution with ursodeoxycholic acid occurred in spite of a rise in biliary cholesterol saturation, which was consistent with a nonmicellar mechanism of cholelitholysis. Furthermore, more than threefold serum elevations of L-alanine aminotransferase were observed only during chenodeoxycholic acid therapy. They occurred in 2 patients treated with 375 and 750 mg/day, respectively. The enzyme levels normalized after discontinuation of chenodeoxycholic acid and have remained normal for 13 and 8 mo, respectively, after the institution of treatment with 800 mg/day of ursodeoxycholic acid. There was no correlation between the liver tests and biliary levels of lithocholic acid. Of all the symptoms studied, only constipation showed changes that approached statistical significance (p = 0.0681). There was a significant improvement of constipation in the combined chenodeoxycholic acid groups when they were compared with the combined ursodeoxycholic acid groups. The total bile acid pool expanded significantly in both the chenodeoxycholic acid and in the 800-mg ursodeoxycholic acid treatment groups. The marked increases of biliary ursodeoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid, respectively, indicated compliance with the treatment in all but 1 bile acid-treated patient. Neither serum triglycerides nor serum cholesterol showed significant changes in any of the treatment groups. The study shows that ursodeoxycholic acid dissolves gallstones faster and with fewer side effects than chenodeoxycholic acid. The results of the study are also consistent with the view that ursodeoxycholic acid is cholelitholytic at a lower dose than is chenodeoxycholic acid.
Attention reorganizes as structure is detected in dynamic action.

Once one sees a pattern, it is challenging to "unsee" it; discovering structure alters processing. Precisely what changes as this happens is unclear, however. We probed this question by tracking changes in attention as viewers discovered statistical patterns within unfolding event sequences. We measured viewers' "dwell times" (e.g., Hard, Recchia, & Tversky, 2011) as they advanced at their own pace through a series of still-frame images depicting a sequence of event segments ("actions") that were discoverable only via sensitivity to statistical regularities among the component motion elements. "Knowledgeable" adults, who had had the opportunity to learn these statistical regularities prior to the slideshow viewing, displayed dwell-time patterns indicative of sensitivity to the statistically defined higher-level segmental structure; "naive" adults, who lacked the opportunity for prior viewing, did not. These findings clarify that attention reorganizes in conjunction with statistically guided discovery of segmental structure within continuous human activity sequences. As patterns emerge in the mind, attention redistributes selectively to target boundary regions, perhaps because they represent highly informative junctures of "predictable unpredictability."
Impact Studies and Cooperative Voltage Control for High PV Penetration

Abstract The drastically increasing penetration of photovoltaic (PV) has posed tremendous challenges in operation, control, and protection in distribution networks. The over-voltage issue is one of major concerns for extremely high PV penetration (e.g. 100%). It is critical to identify the most sensitive locations to high PV penetration and apply effective methods to mitigate the over-voltage issue. This paper introduced a novel greedy search algorithm to locate worst-case scenarios of over-voltage in both distributed and centralized PV configurations, as well as a cooperative voltage control method to mitigate over-voltage. The search algorithm has the computational advantage over existing stochastic approach and provides more insights in impact studies. The cooperative control method relies upon reactive power compensation to converge system voltage to a predefined value within standard limits. Moreover, a clustering strategy is applied to divide the network into several clusters, within which all nodes share information with neighboring nodes following a scalable communication architecture. The control algorithms and communication hierarchies presented in this paper have been implemented into OpenDSS to form the Multi Agent (MA) OpenDSS package, which has been made available to the reader. The effectiveness of developed methods are demonstrated through simulation studies on the IEEE 123-node test feeder under four different load levels.
Commentary on Le Douarin, 1973 and 1974.

Developmental Biology has a long, rich history of publishing papers that have influenced the field for decades. As 2019 marks the 80th anniversary of the Society for Developmental Biology, I thought it would be useful to republish a sampling of these classic papers both to highlight their impact and also to give a sense of how the field has advanced. To begin this series, I have chosen two papers by Nicole Le Douarin and colleagues that are personally important to me and helped to shape my thinking as a young scientist. The first is a technical note that introduces the quail-chick chimera grafting technique; the second one, published one year later, utilizes the technique to test the developmental potential of neural crest cells by grafting them to other axial levels. Published in Developmental Biology in 1973 and 1974, respectively, these papers were paradigm shifting in the neural crest field and established Le Douarin as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century.
Plasmas in extreme electromagnetic fields

The recent developments in the generation of laser pulses with ultra-high power (presently petawatt and progressing) have opened up a new frontier in plasma research by making it possible to obtain and to study “mesoscopic” amounts of relativistic (ionized) matter in compact-size experiments in the laboratory. This will make it possible to investigate in a controlled environment the nonlinear dynamics of collective relativistic systems, to enter the Quantum Electrodynamics plasma regime, and to explore conditions that are of interest for high-energy astrophysics and beyond.
Understanding the Motivation for Exercise Through Smart Bracelets: The Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle

The study investigates the healthy lifestyle of the users to see whether the healthy lifestyle of the users affects their exercise behavior and if healthier lifestyles lead to better exercise habits. The study found the average number of health-promoting lifestyles of the overall subjects was 2.04, which was of medium-low level. Among the six subscales, the average scores of health responsibility, exercise, and nutrition fell around 2.0, indicating that the establishment of healthy lifestyles of college students needs great improvement. The lower the self-fulfillment score of irregular exercisers is, the more they intend to engage in exercise, while in healthy lifestyles the regular exercisers tend to do more exercises when the score of exercise is higher.
Advances in understanding addiction treatment and recovery.

Benjamin Xu Kevin S. LaBar This Special Collection on Addiction focuses on scientific advances in the treatment and recovery mechanisms of addiction related to four widely misused substances: alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and opioids. Although the opioid crisis has taken center stage across public policy and scientific forums, all of these substances continue to have a profound global impact on health and well-being and on social and economic resources. This collection includes comprehensive review articles on these substances authored by leading researchers in the field of addiction, along with research studies that present recent discoveries with clear translational impact on developing new treatment targets and effective intervention strategies. Substance use disorder (SUD)—commonly referred to as addiction—is a medical illness with altered behavioral, cognitive, physical, neurobiological, and affective functions associated with compulsive and repeated use of addictive substance(s), whether legal or illegal. Regardless of the differences among the addictive substances, SUDs share common neurobehavioral characteristics, including the progression of the three addiction stages (intoxication → withdrawal → craving) and dysregulation of the neurobiological systems associated with reward, stress, emotion, and executive functions ( 1 ). SUDs cause millions of years of life lost because of premature death and is also among the leading causes of life with disability worldwide, including both developing and developed countries ( 2 – 4 ). Tobacco and alcohol, in particular, are among the four leading risk factors for deaths globally ( 5 , 6 ). In the United States, it is estimated that each year, over 88,000 people die from alcohol related causes, and more than 480,000 deaths are linked to cigarette smoking ( 7 , 8 ). Other drug-overdose deaths have increased by more than threefold in the United States since 1999, resulting in more than 70,000 deaths in 2017 ( 9 ). Based on the 2018 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services …
Ca2 + as a therapeutic target in cancer

Ca2+ is a ubiquitous and dynamic second messenger molecule that is induced by many factors including receptor activation, environmental factors, and voltage, leading to pleiotropic effects on cell function including changes in migration, metabolism and transcription. As such, it is not surprising that aberrant regulation of Ca2+ signals can lead to pathological phenotypes, including cancer progression. However, given the highly context-specific nature of Ca2+-dependent changes in cell function, delineation of its role in cancer has been a challenge. Herein, we discuss the distinct roles of Ca2+ signaling within and between each type of cancer, including consideration of the potential of therapeutic strategies targeting these signaling pathways.
Analysis of Radial Force Ripple with Sensor Errors and its Effect in NVH Performance for SRMs

Phase current shaping is a common approach to reduce the radial force ripple and thus improve the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance of the switched reluctance machine (SRM). However, this method is reliant on the accuracy of the position and the current sensors. This paper presents an analytical approach to model the effect of position and current sensor errors on radial force ripple SRM and its impact on the NVH performance of the machine. As a phase current shaping method, current harmonics injection is chosen to analyze the sensor errors on its performance. Initially, the radial force is modelled using the Fourier series expansion. Then, position and current sensor errors in the SRM drive system are included in the analytical modelling. The harmonic orders of the radial force ripple are analyzed and simulated for different sensor errors. NVH performance of SRM is analyzed to show the effects of different sensor errors on the current profiling methods. Simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the proposed method of analysis.
The environment shapes swine lung bacterial communities

Previous studies of the lung microbiome have focused on characterizing the community and attempts to understand the role of community membership concerning disease or exposures such as cigarette smoke. However, we still lack an understanding of two critical aspects of the lung microbiome: the origin of the community members and their fate. As we continue to better understand how the lung microbiome influences human health, it is essential to determine how the environment shapes the lung microbiome membership. Using a pig model, we explored the relationship that the surrounding environment has on the resident lung bacteria by collecting environmental samples (soil, air, water, feed) to compare with lung samples (swab, lavage, and tissue). Results suggest that airborne bacteria make up the highest portion of the lung microbiome. Furthermore, bacteria from samples taken from the bronchioles can be correctly identified by which farm they originated, whereas those from alveolar samples are indistinguishable. The findings suggest that while the environment may shape the microbiome of the bronchioles, a distinct community exists within the alveoli. Our findings expand upon the current understanding of the lung microbiome and provide a model of how microbial communities within the lung relate to their surrounding environment.
Differential effects of token production and exchange on responding of children with developmental disabilities

Abstract Token economies are commonly used in educational and clinical settings as tools for reinforcing appropriate behavior. However, little applied research has been conducted to investigate the behavioral mechanisms involved. What’s more, research with non-human animals suggests that tokens may serve discriminative functions which may actually suppress responding under high schedule requirements. This study explores the relationship between schedules of token production (i.e., dense, lean, and yoked reinforcement) and response patterns in three children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Relative to yoked reinforcement schedules, token production corresponded with higher response rates and shorter pre-ratio pauses (PRPs) under low schedule requirements. Under high schedule requirements, all three participants demonstrated higher response rates and shorter PRPs in the yoked reinforcement condition relative to either token production condition. These findings are consistent with research involving non-human animals suggesting that, under high schedule requirements, tokens may signal lengthy delays to reinforcement and potentially even suppress responding. Thus, we provide preliminary recommendations for using token reinforcement systems most effectively in applied contexts.
Differential condensation of sister chromatids coordinates with Cdc6 to ensure distinct cell cycle progression in Drosophila male germline stem cell lineage

Stem cells undergo asymmetric division to produce both a self-renewing stem cell and a differentiating daughter cell. During Drosophila male germline stem cell (GSC) asymmetric division, preexisting old histones H3 and H4 are enriched in the self-renewed stem daughter cell, whereas the newly synthesized H3 and H4 are enriched in the differentiating daughter cell. However, the biological consequences in the two daughter cells resulting from asymmetric histone inheritance remained to be elucidated. In this work, we track both old and new histones throughout GSC cell cycle using high spatial and temporal resolution microscopy. We find several unique features differentiating old versus new histone-enriched sister chromatids, including nucleosome density, chromosomal condensation, and H3 Ser10 phosphorylation. These distinct chromosomal features lead to their differential association with Cdc6, an essential component of the pre-replication complex, which subsequently contributes to asynchronous initiation of DNA replication in the two resulting daughter cells. Disruption of asymmetric histone inheritance abolishes both differential Cdc6 association and asynchronous S-phase entry, demonstrating that asymmetric histone acts upstream of these critical events during cell cycle progression. Furthermore, GSC defects are detected under these conditions, indicating a connection between histone inheritance, cell cycle progression and cell fate decision. Together, these studies reveal that cell cycle remodeling as a crucial biological readout of asymmetric histone inheritance, which precedes and could lead to other well-known readouts such as differential gene expression. This work also enhances our understanding of asymmetric histone inheritance and epigenetic regulation in other stem cells or asymmetrically dividing cells in multicellular organisms.
Distributed numerical and machine learning computations via two-phase execution of aggregated join trees

When numerical and machine learning (ML) computations are expressed relationally, classical query execution strategies (hash-based joins and aggregations) can do a poor job distributing the computa...
Addictive Cell Phone Usage: Impacts on Family Interaction During COVID-19 Pandemic

The affordability, ease of access, and functionalities of cell phones have increased its usage in our societies. This technology has redesigned the human communication style and reshaped family interaction long before COVID-19. This study investigated the addictive nature of cell phone usage impacts on family relationships during COVID-19 lockdown. We surveyed 250 participants, participants’ age ranged from 18 years old and upward, included 64% female, 34% male, and 2% unidentified. Findings indicated that 46% of the participants preferred to be on their phone during the family time because they felt bored during COVID-19 compared with 30% who felt the same way before the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the respondents, 47% affirmed stayed on social media, video, and played games, only 15% chatted with the family members. About 54% affirmed to have experienced improvement in the family interaction. Generally, respondents agreed that the pandemic could have improved family interaction, but the addictive usage of cell phone destroyed all the advantages. Loneliness without communication with family members might have contributed to the death toll saw during COVID-19 among the citizen. More study is required in this area of research.
Actuator, a Listeria -Inspired Molecular Tool for Manipulation of Intracellular Organizations

At all levels in biology, form and function are closely interdependent. Mitochondria have particularly attracted attention since their altered morphology is often observed under pathophysiological conditions including heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the physiological significance, assessing the direct causal relationship between mitochondrial morphology and function has been out of reach, primarily due to limitations of the existing experimental technologies such as optical tweezers and atomic force microscopy in manipulating the morphology of this submicron length-scale entity deep inside living cells. By engineering an actin regulator, ActA, derived from Listeria monocytogenes , and coupling it with protein dimerization schemes, we first established molecular tools collectively termed ActuAtor that can trigger actin polymerization to exert constrictive forces at subcellular locations of choice in a rapidly inducible manner. The ActuAtor-mediated forces drove striking movement and/or deformation of target intracellular structures including mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, and nucleus, as well as non-membrane-bound biomolecular condensates such as stress granules. We then implemented ActuAtor in functional assays of mitochondria, uncovering that fragmented mitochondria are more susceptible to degradation, while none of the other essential functions tested like ATP synthesis are morphology dependent. The modular and genetically-encoded features of ActuAtor should enable its applications in de novo studies of the interplay between form and function at various intracellular and subcellular spaces.
A more powerful test of equality of high-dimensional two-sample means

Abstract A new test is proposed for testing the equality of two sample means in high dimensional data in which the sample sizes may be much less than the dimension. The test is constructed based on a studentized average of squared component-wise t-statistics. Asymptotic normality of the test statistic was derived under H 0 . Theoretical properties of the power function were given under local alternatives. The new test has much better type I error control and power compared to a similarly constructed competing test in recent literature as a result of a more efficient scaling parameter estimate in the test statistic. Monte Carlo experiments show that the new test outperforms several popular competing tests under various data settings, especially when components of the data vector have high correlations. The results are established under the condition that there exists a permutation of the component indices such that the correlation decays suitably fast (at least with polynomial rate). The test is further evaluated with a real-data task of identifying differently expressed Gene Ontology terms with the acute lymphoblastic leukemia gene expression data. The new test provides more consistent results on random samples of the dataset.
Mechanisms through which executive dysfunction influences suicidal ideation in combat-exposed Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

OBJECTIVE Executive dysfunction has previously been associated with suicidality, but it remains unclear how deficits in executive functioning contribute to increased suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Although it has been proposed that poorer executive functioning leads to difficulty generating and implementing appropriate coping strategies to regulate distress and inhibit suicidal thoughts and behaviors, studies have not systematically examined these relationships. Therefore, the present study examined various hypotheses to elucidate the mechanisms through which executive dysfunction influences suicidal ideation (SI) in combat-exposed Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. METHOD Veterans who endorsed SI were compared to those who denied SI on demographic and diagnostic variables and measures of neuropsychological functioning, psychological symptoms, coping styles, and combat experiences. Serial mediation models were tested to examine mechanistic relationships among executive functioning, psychological distress, coping, and SI. RESULTS Those who endorsed SI had worse executive functioning, greater psychological distress, and greater avoidant coping relative to those who denied SI. Serial mediation model testing indicated a significant indirect path, such that executive dysfunction increased psychological distress, which in turn increased avoidant coping, leading to SI. CONCLUSIONS Findings support and extend previous hypotheses regarding how executive functioning contributes to increased risk of suicidality via increased distress and avoidant coping. Intervention efforts focused on reducing suicidality may benefit from techniques that enhance executive functioning (e.g. computerized training, cognitive rehabilitation) and in turn reduce distress prior to targeting coping strategies.
Beyond the Cell Cycle: Implications of D-type Cyclin Deregulation in Prostate Cancer

D-type cyclins hold well-known roles in promoting cell cycle ­progression, mediated largely through activation of CDK4/6 kinase complexes. While decades of research from both in vitro and in vivo models confirmed these kinase-­dependent roles in cell cycle initiation, only recently have additional, kinase-­independent functions of the D-cyclin family been uncovered. Critical analyses of the Cyclin D1 interactome uncovered a large network of transcriptional regulators in complex with and modulated by Cyclin D1, among them the superfamily of steroid nuclear receptors. As such, the D-cyclin family of proteins have been implicated as critical regulators of cancer progression in many hormone-dependent diseases. In the context of prostate cancer, D-cyclin have been demonstrated to directly influence the activity of the androgen receptor (AR), whose activity is critical for both cellular growth and survival. Here, the roles of the D-type cyclin family in prostate cancer will be ­discussed in relation to both their “classical” kinase-­dependent as well as ­kinase-independent functions, with specific focus on their influences on AR-driven tumor phenotypes.
Laparoskopische Operationen bei Rektumkarzinomen

Verschiedene minimal-invasive Methoden sind zur Resektion von Rektumkarzinomen beschrieben worden. Jedoch sind die aktuellen Ergebnisdaten fur diese Ansatze von einzelnen Kliniken mit hohen Fallzahlen nach wie vor begrenzt. Unser Ziel war die Untersuchung von Ergebnissen bei Patienten, die sich in unserer Klinik aktuell einer minimal-invasiven Operation wegen eines Rektumkarzinoms unterzogen hatten. Eine retrospektive Analyse zur Evaluierung von Kurzzeitvorteilen und onkologischen Ergebnissen wurde bei Patienten durchgefuhrt, die zwischen 2004 und 2007 einen minimal-invasiven Eingriff wegen eines Rektumkarzinoms gehabt hatten. Insgesamt 100 konsekutive Patienten (61 Manner, medianes Alter 62) mit einem medianen Follow-up von 1,8 Jahren wurden ausgewahlt. Bei 67 wurde eine handassistierte laparoskopische Operation (HALS) und bei 33 eine laparoskopisch assistierte (LA) durchgefuhrt; 72 Patienten hatten eine anteriore, 27 eine abdominoperineale Resektion und ein Patient hatte eine totale Proktokolektomie. Die Tumorstadien waren Stadium 1 (21%), Stadium 2 (17%), Stadium 3 (56%) und Stadium 4 (6%). Im Median wurden 16 Lymphknoten entfernt, ein distaler Rand von 3,4 cm sowie ein in 99% negativer zirkumferenzieller Absetzungsrand erreicht. Das 3-Jahres-Uberleben, erkrankungsfrei und gesamt, betrug 86,2 bzw. 94,5%. Drei Falle erforderten eine Konversion. Der mediane Zeitraum bis zur Nahrungsaufnahme und erster Stuhlentleerung betrug 3 Tage und die mediane Dauer des Aufenthalts 5 Tage. Aufenthaltsdauer, Zeitraum bis zu flussiger Nahrung, Inzisionslange und Schmerzscores waren bei einem LA-Ansatz geringer verglichen mit HALS (p<0,01). Die Gesamtmorbiditat lag bei 26% ohne Mortalitat. Beide eingesetzten minimal-invasiven Methoden erzielten exzellente onkologische Ergebnisse bei Patienten mit Rektumkarzinomen. Der LA-Ansatz hatte geringfugig bessere Kurzzeitergebnisse.
World Development Report 2009: A Practical Economic Geography

The World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography (WDR 2009a) was written to inform policy debates about urbanization, lagging areas, and globalization. During almost two years of con...
Pseudo-Linear Identification: Optimal Joint Parameter and State Estimation of Linear Stochastic MIMO Systems

This paper presents a new method of joint parameter and state estimation called pseudo-linear identification (PLID), extending a method given by Salut et.al. (1) to the more general case where the system inputs and output measurements are corrupted by noise. PLID can be applied to linear, strictly proper, completely observable, completely controllable, discrete-time MIMO systems with known structure and unknown parameters, without assumptions about pole and zero locations. It is proved, under standard gaussian assumptions, that for time-invariant systems PLID is the optimal estimator (in the mean-square error sense) of the states and parameters conditioned on the input and output measurements; and, under a reasonable criterion for persistency of excitation, that the PLID parameter estimates converge a.e. to the true parameter values.
Multi-Method Comparative-Historical Analysis: Trends and Possible Trajectories

In this paper, I consider the possibilities (and pitfalls) of integrating high quality comparative-historical analysis (CHA) with other empirical strategies such that the combination may yield more than the sum of the parts. I focus on nested analysis as the best-established mixed-method approach, which typically combines CHA with cross-country statistical analyses. But I also highlight how other types of combinations, including the use of matching and experimental methods, might be both promising and viable for answering questions typically left open by nested analyses. (This paper is being prepared for a volume on Comparative Historical Analysis in the Social Sciences, edited by James Mahoney and Kathleen Thelen.)
Preliminary Evaluation of Effects of Best Management Practices in the Black Earth Creek, Wisconsin, Priority Watershed

Nonpoint-source contamination accounts for a substantial part of the water quality problems in many watersheds. The Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program provides matching money for voluntary implementation of various best management practices (BMPs). The effectiveness of BMPs on a drainage-basin scale has not been adequately assessed in Wisconsin by use of data collected before and after BMP implementation. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, monitored water quality in the Black Earth Creek watershed in southern Wisconsin from October 1984 through September 1986 (pre-BMP conditions). BMP implementation began during the summer of 1989 and is planned to continue through 1993. Data collection resumed in fall 1989 and is intended to provide information during the transitional period of BMP implementation (1990-93) and 2 years of post-BMP conditions (1994-95). Preliminary results presented for two subbasins in the Black Earth Creek watershed (Brewery and Garfoot Creeks) are based on data collected during pre-BMP conditions and the first 3 years of the transitional period. The analysis includes the use of regressions to control for natural variability in the data and, hence, enhance the ability to detect changes. Data collected to date (1992) indicate statistically significant differences in storm mass transport of suspended sediment and ammonia nitrogen at Brewery Creek. The central tendency of the regression residuals has decreased with the implementation of BMPs; hence, the improvement in water quality in the Brewery Creek watershed is likely a result of BMP implementation. Differences in storm mass transport at Garfoot Creek were not detected, primarily because of an insufficient number of storms in the transitional period. As practice implementation continues, the additional data will be used to determine the level of management which results in significant improvements in water quality in the two watersheds. Future research will address techniques for including snowmelt runoff and early spring storms.
The Fifth Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference: Intellect, Initiatives, Insight, and Innovations

We're honored to welcome you to the fifth Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference, and our first event in the Pacific Northwest. Your involvement is critical to the success of the conference, and we encourage you to attend the technical program, visit the exhibit tables, network with your colleagues, and enjoy the social activities. This year's technical program, including papers, panels, workshops, posters, Birds-of-a-Feather sessions, a Doctoral Consortium, and a Robotics Competition, is the strongest in the conference series history. To add to the program, we are honored to have the following plenary speakers: Hector Garcia-Molina, Stanford University; Ann Gates, University of Texas at El Paso; Charles Isbell, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jane Margolis, UCLA; and Mario Pipkin, Microsoft Corporation. In addition to its technical content, the conference includes presentations on initiatives to increase the number of individuals from underrepresented groups succeeding in computing-based careers.
Polyamorphic transitions in vitreous B2O3 under pressure

We have studied the nature of structural transitions in B2O3 glass under pressure using molecular dynamics simulations, based on a newly developed coordination-dependent charge transfer potential, to complement the results from our earlier Brillouin and Raman scattering experiments and to interpret these findings. This interaction model allows for charges to re-distribute between atoms upon the formation and rupture of chemical bonds, and accommodates multiple coordination states for a given species in the course of the simulation. The macroscopic observables of the simulated vitreous B2O3, such as the variation of density and elastic modulus with pressure, agree well with those seen in experiments. The compaction of simulated structures is based on a polyamorphic transition that involves transitory four-coordinated boron atoms at high pressures. While the coordination of boron completely reverts to trigonal upon pressure release, without this transitory coordination increase permanent densification would not be manifest in the recovered glass. The response of vitreous B2O3 to pressure is virtually independent of the concentration of boroxol rings in the structure. In simulated glass, boroxol rings dissolve when subject to pressure, which explains the disappearance of the breathing mode in the Raman spectrum of compressed B2O3 glass. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
The short-term effect of a lymphatic pump protocol on blood cell counts in nursing home residents with limited mobility: a pilot study.

Context Lymphatic pump techniques have the potential to alter blood cell counts and thus enhance immune function in elderly adults with diminished mobility. Objective To test whether an osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) protocol designed to enhance immune function will have an effect on lymphocyte and lymphocyte subset counts compared with a sham control group. Design The study design was a single-session, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing a standardized lymphatic pump protocol with a light-touch protocol. Participants were assigned to 1 of 2 groups by using a 1:1 allocation ratio. Setting The study was conducted in 2 rural long-term care facilities in Missouri. Participants Residents in the long-term care facilities who were aged 60 years or older and who were confined to a bed or wheelchair for most of their waking hours. Twenty residents were recruited to participate in the study, and 10 were randomly assigned to each group. Interventions Baseline blood samples were obtained. Then each patient received a 6-minute study protocol treatment. Thirty minutes after completion, posttreatment blood samples were obtained. The OMT protocol consisted of 3 osteopathic techniques: myofascial release to the thoracic inlet, the splenic pump, and the pedal lymphatic pump. The light touch protocol was applied to the same body areas as the OMT protocol for 6 minutes. Outcome measures A pretreatment and posttreatment lymphocyte subset panel, complete blood cell count, and automated white blood cell count differential was obtained from each participant. Results There was a statistically significant between-group difference in mean change for platelet counts: counts in the OMT group decreased by a mean (standard deviation) of 15,400 (7947) platelets per microliter and the light touch group increased by 4,700 (17,857) platelets per microliter (P=.004). The between-group differences for the mean (standard deviation) absolute lymphocyte cell count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin level, and hematocrit measures all decreased, but the changes were not statistically significant relative to the control group. Conclusion The OMT protocol used in this pilot study modestly reduced platelet counts in nursing home residents with limited mobility.