cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prospects for using an IVEM with a FEG for imaging macromolecules towards atomic resolution

Specimen preparation and imaging techniques for biological macromolecules have been improved to the point where attention to the electron-optical imaging conditions becomes a significant factor for achieving high resolution. A field emission gun (FEG) can provide an illumination source with a better spatial and temporal coherence suitable for imaging near atomic resolution. Our computational analysis of carbon film images taken between Scherzer focus and 1.1 microns underfocus (20x Scherzer focus) with the Hitachi 200 kV microscope with a cold field emission gun shows detectable contrast beyond 3.5 A resolution. In biological imaging, a large defocus is often used to optimize the low-resolution contrast in order to facilitate the subsequent steps in computer reconstruction. An intermediate-voltage electron microscope (IVEM) would optimize the contrast at high resolution by reducing the temporal coherent effects. In theory, the IVEM would give a greater depth of field so that large macromolecular assemblies such as viruses and cellular structures can be interpreted and reconstructed reliably using the projection approximation. These experimental and theoretical considerations provide a rationale for designing a future IVEM with a FEG suitable for biological macromolecule imaging close to atomic resolution.
Calculations for the transverse N-point phonons in bcc Zr, Nb, and Mo.

The frequencies of the transverse N-point phonons in Nb and Mo have been calculated using the first-principles frozen-phonon method. The ordering of the modes is reversed in these metals in agreement with experiment. Similar calculations for the L and ${T}_{2}$N-point phonons in the high-temperature bcc phase of Zr agree with recent measurements, while the results for the ${T}_{1}$ phonon of Zr indicate an instability toward the formation of the hcp phase.
Effect of oxygen on structural properties of quenched Ge-Te melts

By the deliberate addition of oxygen (up to 1.0 at. % in the form of GeO2), its effect on the structure and properties of quenched Ge-Te glasses was studied. The glass-forming region of the water-quenched melts is narrowed by the addition of oxygen impurity. Replica electron micrographs of the glasses show apparent coarsening of the microstructure by such an oxygen addition, whereas the crystallization behaviour of the splat-cooled melts studied by DTA did not change significantly with this oxygen addition. Morphological features of GeTe crystallites in the glass + crystal portion observed in the oxygen-containing melts are described. However, in cases when either the melts were splat-cooled in an oxidizing atmosphere, or the DTA runs were made in air, a two-stage crystallization reaction was observed on DTA thermograms. Reactivity of the melts with SiO2 glass vials is enhanced by the existence of the impurity oxygen.
Random indices for incomplete pairwise comparison matrices

Abstract Until now, consistency indices have been available for complete reciprocal matrices. Here, experimental values of consistency indices are provided for incomplete reciprocal matrices up to order 7.
Hardware, software, brainware, noware

Developments in politics, communications, economics, and population have all had profound effects on the market for analytical chemical instrumentation. This essay examines the assumptions behind the current training of instrumentation scientists and marketing of instruments, and suggests changes in both. The market must be taken to be all of society, not just technically literate society. Cost tradeoffs between hardware and software are context- dependent. Chemometrics allows extraction of information from data that leaves the typical reductionist scientist queasy. And clever chemistry can sometimes obliterate entire markets. The implications of this evolution are explored.
Increased spiral ganglion cell survival in electrically stimulated, deafened guinea pig cochleae

For implanted electronic prostheses to function successfully in the deaf, residual spiral ganglion neurons are presumed to be necessary. Several studies have tried to determine the effects cochlear electrode implantation and electrical stimulation have on the neurons of the spiral ganglion. Little work has been published, however, on the trophic effects of electrical stimulation on cell survival after cochlear damage by ototoxicity. This report presents the results of an investigation to determine the effects of early intracochlear electrical stimulation on spiral ganglion neuron survival after chemically induced deafness in young guinea pigs. A significantly larger number of spiral ganglion cells remained in stimulated ears 6 weeks after deafening than were seen in the unstimulated ears of the same animals. These results suggest that early implantation after acquired deafness may affect the success obtainable with electronic hearing prostheses.
A Report on Major Complications and Biochemical Recurrence After Primary and Salvage Cryosurgery for Prostate Cancer in Patients With Prior Resection for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Single-center Experience

Objective To report on biochemical recurrence (BCR) and major complications in patients with prior prostate resection that underwent cryosurgery (CS) for prostate cancer. Methods The Columbia University Urologic Oncology database identified patients that underwent CS after resection. Patient demographics, surgical details, prostate volume, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, biopsy results, major complications, and BCR were recorded. Results Prior resection for benign prostatic hyperplasia was identified in 32 patients who underwent CS. Median age was 70.7 years (range 54.9-83.1 years). Median prostate volume before and after resection was 40 (range 30-90) and 20 cm 3 (range 9-54), respectively. Median time from resection to CS was 50.4 months (range 0-178.1 months). Twenty-one (16 full and 5 focal gland ablations) and 11 patients underwent primary and salvage CS, respectively. Median prostate-specific antigen at CS was 5.9 ng/mL (range 0.1-18.4 ng/mL), with a median nadir post-CS of 0.1 ng/mL (range 0.04-12.2 ng/mL). Median follow-up was 41.2 months (range 8.9-154.2 months). According to Stuttgart and Phoenix definitions, 11 and 10 patients, respectively, experienced BCR. Three patients underwent further CS for disease recurrence. Overall complications were rare and minor. Patients with smaller glands postresection ( 3 ) experienced a similar incidence of BCR as those with larger glands after CS in all the settings. Conclusion Although no patients experienced major complications after primary CS, 18% (2/11) had grade III or higher complications in the salvage setting. Postresection gland volume was not associated with BCR. Further research is needed to evaluate functional and oncological outcomes in postresection patients after CS because they are considered high-risk for major complications.
Modeling the 2012 Wharton basin earthquakes off-Sumatra: Complete lithospheric failure

A sequence of large strike-slip earthquakes occurred west of Sunda Trench beneath the Wharton Basin. First reports indicate that the main shock was extremely complex, involving three to four subevents (M_w > 8) with a maze of aftershocks. We investigate slip models of the two largest earthquakes by joint inversion of regional and teleseismic waveform data. Using the M_w 7.2 foreshock, we developed hybrid Green's Functions for the regional stations to approximate the mixture of oceanic and continental paths. The main shock fault geometry is defined based on the back projection results, point-source mechanisms, aftershock distribution, and fine tune of grid searches. The fault system contains three faults, labeled F1 (89°/289° for dip/strike), F2 (74°/20°), and F3 (60°/310°). The inversion indicates that the main rupture consisted of a cascade of high-stress drop asperities (up to 30 MPa), extending as deep as 50 km. The rupture propagated smoothly from one fault to the next (F1, F2, and F3 in sequence) with rupture velocities of 2.0–2.5 km/s. The whole process lasted about 200 s, and the major moment release (>70%) took place on the N-S oriented F2. The M_w 8.2 aftershock happened about 2 h later on a N-S oriented fault with a relatively short duration (~60 s) and also ruptured as deep as 50 km. The slip distributions suggest that the earthquake sequence was part of a broad left-lateral shear zone between the Australian and Indian plates and ruptured the whole lithosphere. These earthquakes apparently reactivated existing fracture zones and were probably triggered by unclamping of the great Sumatran earthquake of 2004.
Structural Implications of Fluorescence Quenching in the Shaker K+ Channel

When attached to specific sites near the S4 segment of the nonconducting (W434F) Shaker potassium channel, the fluorescent probe tetramethylrhodamine maleimide undergoes voltage-dependent changes in intensity that correlate with the movement of the voltage sensor (Mannuzzu, L.M., M.M. Moronne, and E.Y. Isacoff. 1996. Science. 271:213–216; Cha, A., and F. Bezanilla. 1997. Neuron. 19:1127–1140). The characteristics of this voltage-dependent fluorescence quenching are different in a conducting version of the channel with a different pore substitution (T449Y). Blocking the pore of the T449Y construct with either tetraethylammonium or agitoxin removes a fluorescence component that correlates with the voltage dependence but not the kinetics of ionic activation. This pore-mediated modulation of the fluorescence quenching near the S4 segment suggests that the fluorophore is affected by the state of the external pore. In addition, this modulation may reflect conformational changes associated with channel opening that are prevented by tetraethylammonium or agitoxin. Studies of pH titration, collisional quenchers, and anisotropy indicate that fluorophores attached to residues near the S4 segment are constrained by a nearby region of protein. The mechanism of fluorescence quenching near the S4 segment does not involve either reorientation of the fluorophore or a voltage-dependent excitation shift and is different from the quenching mechanism observed at a site near the S2 segment. Taken together, these results suggest that the extracellular portion of the S4 segment resides in an aqueous protein vestibule and is influenced by the state of the external pore.
Factors influencing the use of microwave ovens and video cassette recorders

The purpose of this study was to examine ownership of microwave ovens and video cassette recorders (VCRs) and factors influencing their use. Data were collected from 148 consumers who participated in an in-depth personal interview. For both microwave ovens and VCRs, ownership rates of the sample exceeded that of the general population. Five categories of microwave oven use were examined: use of the oven to heat water or leftovers, prepare convenience foods, prepare foods from scratch, use of alternative power levels and use of programmable features. Three categories of VCR use were examined: watch movies, tape shows to watch later and programming the VCR to record while no one is present. As the complexity of use increased, fewer respondents performed that task often. Use of microwave ovens was influenced by the innovation index score, presence of children, gender, age and education. Use of VCRs was associated with the innovation index score and age.
Reproductive health and preconception counseling awareness in adolescents with diabetes: what they don't know can hurt them.

Purpose This study explored the awareness of issues related to diabetes and pregnancy, preconception counseling (PC), and contraception in adolescent women with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods A descriptive-qualitative method was used to collect open-ended data during a telephone interview on reproductive health by same-gender research assistants. Eighty subjects were recruited from multiple sites (mean age = 17.6 +/- 1.0 year; range, 16-20). Questions focused on 2 themes, awareness of diabetes and reproductive health (pregnancy, PC, birth control) and where to seek information about these issues. Responses were written verbatim. Pattern recognition detected common themes. Results were cross-checked for interrater reliability. Results Overall, the response "don't know" or "never heard about it" was most frequently given. Most teens in this sample were unaware of the term preconception counseling; 65% (n = 52) indicated they knew nothing about PC. Many were not aware of the risks of pregnancy-related complications in women with diabetes. One fourth of the teens were aware of preplanning a pregnancy and the importance of good metabolic control. Many knew where to seek information about diabetes and pregnancy, and birth control. Conclusions This sample of teens lacked awareness of pregnancy-related complications with diabetes, the term and role of PC in preventing these complications, and the importance for women with diabetes to use a highly effective birth control method for preventing an unplanned pregnancy. Because of its implications for future reproductive health behavior and preventing unplanned pregnancies and complications, during their routine clinic visits, it is imperative for health professionals to raise these issues with their adolescent female patients.
Perversion in the twenty-first century: From the holocaust to the karaoke bar

Perversion has always been of interest to mental health professionals. Beginning with Krafft-Ebing’s (1906) Psychopathia Sexuallis and the first of Freud’s (1905) Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, this has been a topic which has fascinated psychotherapists and theoreticians alike. Krafft Ebing’s more than four hundred page book was a catalogue of perverse behaviors and practices that would rival anything on today’s Internet with parental advisories. He addressed only the phenomenology of perversions, however, and did not consider other important issues, such as conscious and unconscious thoughts, affects, relationships, or development. In 1905, Freud published the Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. Whereas Ebing simply listed deviant sexual practices, Freud proposed a continuum between what he believed to be “normal” sexualities and perversions, according to variations within an instinctual model of sexuality. This model includes the following components: “source,” relating to any erotogenic zone; sexual “object,” which could be a woman, man, animal, or thing; and “aim,” which is the pattern that the instinct takes (coitus, voyeurism, etc.) With this work, he added the postulation that a perversion is an expression of an erotic drive that, due to developmental vicissitudes, became fixated, or regressed, from the oedipal stage to an earlier point in development. Thus, the erotic drive becomes displaced onto different erogenous objects with a sexual aim that is incompatible with genital primacy. Since Freud’s time, many theorists have discussed what is
Self-regulation, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and social support: social cognitive theory and nutrition behavior.

Background: Understanding the need for and accessibility to healthier foods have not improved the overall diets of the U.S. population. Social cognitive theory (SCT) may explain how other variables, such as self-regulation and self-efficacy, may be key to integrating healthier nutrition into U.S. lifestyles.Purpose: To determine how SCT accounts for the nutritional content of food purchases and consumption among adults in a health promotion study.Methods: Participants were 712 churchgoers (18% African American, 66% female, 79% overweight or obese) from 14 churches in southwestern Virginia participating in the baseline phase of a larger health promotion study. Data were collected on the nutrition related social support, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulation components of SCT, as well as on the fat, fiber, fruit, and vegetable content of food-shopping receipts and food frequency questionnaires. These data were used to test the fit of models ordered as prescribed by SCT and subjected to structural equation analysis.Results: SCT provided a good fit to the data explaining 35%, 52%, and 59% of observed variance in percent calories from fat, fiber g/1000 kcals and fruit and vegetable servings/1000 kcals. Participants’ age, gender, socioeconomic status, social support, self-efficacy, negative outcome expectations, and self-regulation made important contributions to their nutrition behavior—a configuration of influences consistent with SCT.Conclusions: These results suggest a pivotal role for self-regulatory behavior in the healthier food choices of adults. Interventions effective at garnering family support, increasing nutrition related self-efficacy, and overcoming negative outcome expectations should be more successful at helping adults enact the self-regulatory behaviors essential to buying and eating healthier foods.
Comparison of gene flow estimates between species of darters in different streams

Allozyme variation was assessed at two localities for 38 loci in Etheostoma blennioides and 43 loci in E. flabellare. Percent polymorphism (P) ranged from 18.4 to 31.6 and average heterozygosity (H) ranged from 0.026 to 0.079. Estimates of gene flow indicated panmictic populations of E. blennioides and sub-divided populations of E. flabellare, with significantly more substructuring of E. flabellare from one population. Population structuring of E. flabellare and no structuring of E. blennioides is consistent with predictions based on life history data. Significantly different gene flow estimates for E. flabellare between streams imply that each stream environment induced different population structures. Reduced heterozygosity for both species and significantly less population structuring in one population are consistent with drought-induced extinction and recolonization that probably occurs in the smaller stream.
Time in individual-level organizational studies: What is it, how is it used, and why isn’t it exploited more often?

Time is an important concern in organizational science, yet we lack a systematic review of research on time within individual-level studies. Following a brief introduction, we consider conceptual ideas about time and elaborate on why temporal factors are important for micro-organizational studies. Then, in two sections—one devoted to time-related constructs and the other to the experience of time as a within-person phenomenon—we selectively review both theoretical and empirical studies. On the basis of this review, we note which topics have received more or less attention to inform our evaluation of the current state of research on time. Finally, we develop an agenda for future research to help move micro-organizational research to a completely temporal view.
Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy and photosynthesis: Fundamentals and applications to photosynthetic light-harvesting

In natural light harvesting systems, pigment-protein complexes are able to harvest sunlight with near unity quantum efficiency. These complexes exhibit emergent properties that cannot be simply extrapolated from knowledge of their component parts. In this perspective, we focus on how two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) can provide an incisive tool to probe the electronic, energetic, and spatial landscapes that must be understood to describe photosynthetic light-harvesting. We review the theoretical and experimental principles of 2DES, and demonstrate its application to the study of the Photosystem II supercomplex of green plants. We illustrate several capabilities of 2DES, including monitoring energy transfer pathways, observing excitonic coherence, determining excitonic geometry, and informing on the atomic structure.
Visualization of thrombin receptors on mouse embryo fibroblasts using fluorescein‐amine conjugated human α‐thrombin

The localization of thrombin receptors on mouse embryo (ME) cells has been examined by direct fluorescence microscopy using a fluorescein amine-labeled thrombin. Two fluorescein amines, 4-(N-2-aminoethyl thioureal)-fluorescein and 4-(N-5-aminohexyl thioureal)-fluorescein, were synthesized and attached to the carbohydrate moiety of highly purified human alpha-thrombin by periodate oxidation of the carbohydrate and selective reduction of the Schiff's base using sodium cyanoborohydride. Preparations of fluorescent thrombin with from 1 to 4 fluoresceins per molecule of thrombin retained their ability to proteolytically cleave fibrinogen to form fibrin clots, to bind to thrombin receptors on ME cells, and to initiate cell division. After incubating mitogenic concentrations of the fluorescein amine labeled thrombin with ME cells at 4 degrees C, a diffuse fluorescent pattern was observed over the surface of the ME cells. This diffuse pattern was specific: it was not observed on cells from parallel cultures incubated with fluorescent thrombin plus a 20-fold excess of unlabeled thrombin. Thus, thrombin receptors appear to be distributed randomly over the surface of ME cells prior to interaction with thrombin. Increasing the temperature to 37 degrees C following binding at 4 degrees C resulted in a rapid dissociation of the fluorescent pattern from the cells leaving only the autofluorescent vesicles. This result may reflect the unique ability of thrombin to proteolytically cleave its own receptor.
Investigating Heterogeneity of Intracellular Calcium Dynamics in Anterior Pituitary Lactotrophs Using a Combined Modelling/Experimental Approach

Cell responses are commonly heterogeneous, even within a subpopulation. In the present study, we investigate the source of heterogeneity in the Ca(2+) response of anterior pituitary lactotrophs to a Ca(2+) mobilisation agonist, thyrotrophin-releasing hormone. This response is characterised by a sharp increase of cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration as a result of mobilisation of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores, followed by a decrease to an elevated plateau level that results from Ca(2+) influx. We focus on heterogeneity of the evoked Ca(2+) spike under extracellular Ca(2+) free conditions. We introduce a method that uses the information provided by a mathematical model to characterise the source of heterogeneity. This method compares scatter plots of features of the Ca(2+) response obtained experimentally with those made from the mathematical model. The model scatter plots reflect random variation of parameters over different ranges, and matching the experimental and model scatter plots allows us to predict which parameters are most variable. We find that a large degree of variation in Ca(2+) efflux is a likely key contributor to the heterogeneity of Ca(2+) responses to thyrotrophin-releasing hormone in lactotrophs. This technique is applicable to any situation in which the heterogeneous biological response is described by a mathematical model.
Differences in functional disability of rural American Indian and White older adults with comorbid diabetes

This study examines racial/ethnic differences in functional disability among a sample of rural older adults with comorbid diabetes. In 2002, interviews were conducted with 62 rural American Indian ...
An approximate analytical calculation of precipitate dissolution rate using a slowing down-diffusion theory for charged particles

Abstract The dynamic dissolution of microstructures by radiation induced collision cascades is theoretically calculated. Coupled cascade-slowing down diffusion equations are formulated. The resulting equations are decoupled and analytically solved by using the Neumann series expansion for total particle fluxes. Specific examples illustrating the dependence of precipitate dissolution rate on its size and the incident PKA energy are given. Spatial fluxes and currents of precipitate and matrix atoms are calculated. Dissolution parameters which control the stability of precipitates show that the concept of a modified “escape zone” for precipitate atoms from its surface is a valid representation of the phenomenon. It is shown that, for large precipitates, the dissolution rate is approximately proportional to the incident ion energy and inversely proportional to the precipitate radius.
Learning Humanoid Arm Gestures

While biological motion control systems are generally simple and robust, their robotic analogs tend to be just the opposite. While function has driven many of the control architectures to date, we feel that a biologically-inspired system for monitoring the energy consumption of virtual muscles can lead to the development of more humanoid motion and gesture.
Invited manuscript poster on renal-related education American Society of Nephrology, Nov. 16-21, 2010. Adolescents with chronic kidney disease and their need for online peer mentoring: a qualitative investigation of social support and healthcare transition

Adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD) tend to be isolated from peers who also have CKD, develop non-adherent behavior with treatment recommendations, and consequently are at higher risk for poor health outcomes such as transplant rejection. At the same time, patients in this age group tend to be technologically savvy and well-versed in using Internet-based communication tools to connect with other people. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews among adolescents with CKD to assess their information needs and their interest in using a CKD-oriented peer-mentoring website that we are developing, kTalk.org. We interviewed 17 adolescents with CKD, ages 14-18 years old, to learn about (1) any concerns regarding transition from pediatric to adult care teams; and (2) their interest in using the Internet as a source for disease-related information and as a social networking tool for finding and interacting with their peers. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed. Results showed that (1) the adolescent participants are commonly concerned about transitioning to an adult clinic; (2) they are isolated from peers with the same medical condition who are of similar age; (3) they are frequent Facebook users and are highly interested in exploring the possibility of using an online community website, such as kTalk.org, to discover and communicate with peers and peer mentors; and (4) there exist divergent opinions regarding if an online community of adolescent CKD patients should be open to the public.
Neurological abnormalities associated with remote occupational elemental mercury exposure

We examined 502 subjects, 247 of whom had occupational elemental mercury exposures 20 to 35 years previously, to identify potential exposure-related neurological abnormalities. Few significant (p less than 0.05) differences existed between exposed and unexposed subjects. However, multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated several significant correlations between declining neurological function and increasing exposure as determined by urine mercury measurements from the exposure interval. Subjects with urine mercury peak levels above 0.6 mg/L demonstrated significantly decreased strength, decreased coordination, increased tremor, decreased sensation, and increased prevalence of Babinski and snout reflexes when compared with the remaining subjects. Furthermore, subjects with clinical polyneuropathy had significantly higher peak levels than normal subjects (0.85 vs 0.61 mg/L; p = 0.04), but not increased exposure duration (20.1 vs 20.8 quarters; p = 0.34), and 28% of subjects with peak levels above 0.85 mg/L had clinical evidence of polyneuropathy, compared with 10% of remaining subjects (p = 0.005). Although exposure was not age dependent, several neurological measures showed significant age-mercury interaction, suggesting that natural neuronal attrition may unmask prior exposure-related subclinical abnormalities.
A Novel Learning Framework for State Space Exploration Based on Search State Extensibility Relation

Model Checking is an effective method for design verification, useful for proving temporal properties of the underlying system. In model checking, computing the pre-image (or image) space of a given temporal property plays a critical role. In this paper, we propose a novel learning framework for efficient state space exploration based on search state extensibility relation. This allows for the identification and pruning of several non-trivial redundant search spaces, thereby reducing the computational cost. We also propose a probability-based heuristic to guide our learning method. Experimental evidence is given to show the practicality of the proposed method.
Identifying Good Nursing Levels: A Queuing Approach

Nursing care is arguably the single biggest factor in both the cost of hospital care and patient satisfaction. Inadequate inpatient nursing levels have also been cited as a significant factor in medical errors and emergency room overcrowding. Yet, there is widespread dissatisfaction with the current methods of determining nurse staffing levels, including the most common one of using minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. In this paper, we represent the nursing system as a variable finite-source queuing model. We develop a reliable, tractable, easily parameterized two-dimensional model to approximate the actual interdependent dynamics of bed occupancy levels and demands for nursing. We use this model to show how unit size, nursing intensity, occupancy levels, and unit length-of-stay affect the impact of nursing levels on performance and thus how inflexible nurse-to-patient ratios can lead to either understaffing or overstaffing. The model is also useful for estimating the impact of nurse staffing levels on emergency department overcrowding.
Yarding Cost for the Koller K300 Cable Yarder: Results from Field Trials and Simulations

This paper describes results from field studies and simulation that can be used to estimate the yarding cost for the Koller K300 cable yarder. Yarding costs can be estimated for clearcuts and light and heavy thinnings in eastern hardwoods. Yarding costs can be estimated with a handheld calculator, or the data can be incorporated into stump-to-mill desktop PC and mainframe computer programs. The results can be a valuable tool for loggers, managers, and planners considering the use of small- to medium-size cable yarders to extract timber from eastern hardwood stands.
EGF augments TGFβ-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition by promoting SHP2 binding to GAB1

In many epithelial cells, epidermal growth factor (EGF) augments the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that occurs when cells are treated with transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). We demonstrate that this augmentation requires activation of SH2 domain-containing phosphatase-2 (SHP2; also known as PTPN11), a proto-oncogene. In lung and pancreatic cancer cell lines, reductions in E-cadherin expression, increases in vimentin expression and increases in cell scatter rates were larger when cells were treated with TGFβ and EGF versus TGFβ or EGF alone. SHP2 knockdown promoted epithelial characteristics basally and antagonized EMT in response to TGFβ alone or in combination with EGF. Whereas EGF promoted SHP2 binding to tyrosine phosphorylated GAB1, which promotes SHP2 activity, TGFβ did not induce SHP2 association with phosphotyrosine-containing proteins. Knockdown of endogenous SHP2 and reconstitution with an SHP2 mutant with impaired phosphotyrosine binding ability eliminated the EGF-mediated EMT augmentation that was otherwise restored with wild-type SHP2 reconstitution. These results demonstrate roles for basal and ligand-induced SHP2 activity in EMT and further motivate efforts to identify specific ways to inhibit SHP2, given the role of EMT in tumor dissemination and chemoresistance.
An investigation into the role of ATP in the mammalian pre-mRNA 3' cleavage reaction.

RNA Polymerase II transcribes beyond what later becomes the 3' end of a mature messenger RNA (mRNA). The formation of most mRNA 3' ends results from pre-mRNA cleavage followed by polyadenylation. In vitro studies have shown that low concentrations of ATP stimulate the 3' cleavage reaction while high concentrations inhibit it, but the origin of these ATP effects is unknown. ATP might enable a cleavage factor kinase or activate a cleavage factor directly. To distinguish between these possibilities, we tested several ATP structural analogs in a pre-mRNA 3' cleavage reaction reconstituted from DEAE-fractionated cleavage factors. We found that adenosine 5'-(β,γ-methylene)triphosphate (AMP-PCP) is an effective in vitro 3' cleavage inhibitor with an IC50 of ∼300 μM, but that most other ATP analogs, including adenosine 5'-(β,γ-imido)triphosphate, which cannot serve as a protein kinase substrate, promoted 3' cleavage but less efficiently than ATP. In combination with previous literature data, our results do not support ATP stimulation of 3' cleavage through cleavage factor phosphorylation in vitro. Instead, the more likely mechanism is that ATP stimulates cleavage factor activity through direct cleavage factor binding. The mammalian 3' cleavage factors known to bind ATP include the cleavage factor II (CF IIm) Clp1 subunit, the CF Im25 subunit and poly(A) polymerase alpha (PAP). The yeast homolog of the CF IIm complex also binds ATP through yClp1. To investigate the mammalian complex, we used a cell-line expressing FLAG-tagged Clp1 to co-immunoprecipitate Pcf11 as a function of ATP concentration. FLAG-Clp1 co-precipitated Pcf11 with or without ATP and the complex was not affected by AMP-PCP. Diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A), an ATP analog that binds the Nudix domain of the CF Im25 subunit with higher affinity than ATP, neither stimulated 3' cleavage in place of ATP nor antagonized ATP-stimulated 3' cleavage. The ATP-binding site of PAP was disrupted by site directed mutagenesis but a reconstituted 3' cleavage reaction containing a mutant PAP unable to bind ATP nevertheless underwent ATP-stimulated 3' cleavage. Fluctuating ATP levels might contribute to the regulation of pre-mRNA 3' cleavage, but the three subunits investigated here do not appear to be responsible for the ATP-stimulation of pre-mRNA cleavage.
Abstract LB-149: Sustained activity of the mTOR pathway is required for DNA damage-induced up-regulation of RRM2 in cancer cells.

Balanced deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs) are essential for the accurate and efficient replication and repair DNA synthesis. Increased or imbalanced dNTP pool leads to a mutator phenotype, while decreased dNTP level impairs DNA replication and repair, and hence cell survival. Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is the rate-limiting enzyme for the production of dNTPs from ribonucleotides and is under tight control during cell cycle and in response to stress. Increase of RNR is required for yeast cells to survive DNA damage and replication stress. However, the regulation and function of RNR in response to DNA damage remains unclear and controversial in mammalian cells. We report here that the mTOR pathway controls both RRM1 and RRM2 but not p53R2. mTOR signaling is required for mitomycin C (MMC) induced up-regulation of RRM2 in rhabdomyosarcoma Rh30 cells. Pharmacological inhibition of mTOR kinase with AZD8055 or mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin resulted in the decrease of both RRM1 and RRM2, but not p53R2. 4E-BP1 and 4E-BP2 double knockout mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (4E-BP1/2-/- MEF) showed increased basal expression of RRM1 and RRM2, indicating that mTORC1 controls RRM1 and RRM2 via cap-dependent protein translation. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of either mTORC2-Akt signaling or CDK4/6 led to decrease of the mRNAs of RRM1 and RRM2, accompanied with the suppression of pRb-S780 signaling, suggesting that mTORC2-Akt signaling controls the gene transcription of RRM1 and RRM2 via regulating G1 cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK4/6). Both rapamycin and AZD8055 impaired the induction of endogenous RRM2 by MMC, but not ectopically expressed RRM2, which is not controlled by mTOR signaling. Our data demonstrate that mTOR controls both the protein translation and gene transcription of RRM1 and RRM2. DNA damage induced up-regulation of RRM2 depends on sustained mTOR signaling, suggesting that control of RNR by mTOR signaling may be one of the mechanisms by which cell growth-promoting signaling pathways enhance the survival and genome instability of cancer cells under constant DNA replication and damage induced stress. Supported by UPHS award CA77776. Citation Format: Changxian Shen, Peter J. Houghton. Sustained activity of the mTOR pathway is required for DNA damage-induced up-regulation of RRM2 in cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-149. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-149
Prototype Design of Graphic System Configuration Tool for Intelligent Substation Based on IEC 61850

In order to implement the system configuration function based on IEC 61850 and strengthen the description for virtual interactive messages among protection intelligent electronic devices(IEDs),a kind of prototype of graphic system configuration tool based on IEC 61850 for substation is studied.Function modules of the system include the main user interface,extensible markup language(XML) analysis and substation configuration language(SCL) syntax verifying modules,as well as three kinds of interactive information configuration modules,i.e.,internal protection logic relationship in a logical node(LN),the coordination logic relationship among LNs in an IED,the virtual interactive messages among LNs of different IEDs.Some toolboxes that include primary electric wiring diagram and secondary equipment configuration are designed.Implementation methods of the key techniques are described,such as drawing and picking of graphic elements,the storage of graphic files with scalable vector graphics(SVG),the graphic configuration of the virtual interactive messages among different IEDs.The main function of prototype graphic configuration system has been implemented.It provides a reference for the configuration development and system testing of intelligent substation.
Investigation on Occupational Hazards and Control Measures in A Thermal Power Plant

[Objective] To understand the occupational hazards and its control measures in a thermal power plant , and provide evidence for occupational disease control.[Methods]The investigation was conducted to analyze the production process, distribution and concentration of occupational hazards and its control measures.[Results]There were multiple links that could generate a variety of occupational hazards in the plant, including coal dust, silica dust (coal dust), and other dust, noise, CO, CO2, NOx, SO2, HCl, NaOH, ammonia, heat stress, frequency electric field and so on. Through field tests, the results were all met the national standards for occupational health. The control of dust, poisoning, noise, heat stress and frequency electric field were basically implemented.[Conclusion]A variety of occupational hazards exist in this power plant. Although the survey results are consistent with national health standards, occupational health protection measures and management measures should also been adopted to effectively protect the health rights of workers.
DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS FOR THE LARGE-SCALE CULTURE OF OXYTRICHA NOVA

Publisher Summary Hypotrichous ciliates, such as Oxytricha nova, have two types of nuclei: transcriptionally inactive micronuclei and transcriptionally active macronuclei. The transcriptionally inactive micronucleus has chromosome-size DNA molecules and divides mitotically. The transcriptionally active macronucleus has gene-size DNA fragments and divides amitotically. This chapter discusses the development of methods for the large-scale culture of Oxytricha nova. Oxytricha nova can be grown in specially designed 50-liter fermentation vats with very gentle agitation and aeration. Chlorogonium are grown to a Klett of 90–100 units in 48 liters of steril Oochromonas medium . Then, two liters of mature Oxytricha cultures are added. The cultures are grown at 25°C and under fluorescent lights. Within seven days, the Oxytricha consume almost all of the chlorogonium and reach a steady-state density of about 8,000 cells/ml. The cell distribution is very uniform. Using this cell-culture method, quantities of macronuclei and micronuclei sufficient for comparative biochemical and biophysical analyses of active and inactive chromatin can be isolated.
Ethics and Legal Aspects

The term “ethics” refers to both a branch of philosophy and codes of professional conduct. Philosophical ethics that are related to restrictive behavior management practices include consequential and deontological ethics and virtue ethics. Philosophical ethics intersects directly with service practices when we ask ourselves “What should we do?” Legal ethics include international, national, and state laws and are often apparently prescriptive as to when and when not to restrain or seclude. Legal standards change substantially over time and from place to place and have expanded to include safety issues for workers and restrictions on parental rights in the use of restraint. This chapter details both American and British laws related to restraint. Professional ethics include both ethical principles, such as beneficence, and specific directions relating to the use of restrictive behavior management practices. Professional ethics also restrict professional behavior with regard to restrictive behavior management practices. Although professional ethics agree on restriction of the use of such practices, professional ethics from different professional groups do not agree as to whether restraint should be eliminated or only used under limited circumstances.
Uninvolved Maternal Feeding Style Moderates the Association of Emotional Overeating to Preschoolers' Body Mass Index z-Scores

Abstract Objective To examine the relation between preschoolers' eating behaviors and body mass index (BMI) z -scores (BMIz) and the moderating role of permissive parent feeding styles in these associations. Design Cross-sectional study involving mothers' report of food-related parenting styles and child eating behaviors. Setting Small city in southern Mississippi. Participants Mother–preschooler dyads (n = 104). Main Outcome Measure Child body BMIz. Analysis Moderated multiple regression. Results An uninvolved feeding style moderated the relationship between emotional eating and BMIz such that children with higher emotional overeating scores had higher a BMIz in the presence of an uninvolved feeding style (B = 2.16; P = .01). Conclusions and Implications An uninvolved feeding style may be a risk factor for higher BMIz in preschoolers who tend to overeat to cope with negative emotions. For other children in this population, self-regulatory aspects of eating may be more important than mothers' feeding style in the maintenance of healthy weight.
Unequal error protection method for packet video transmission over wireless channels

A robust video transmission technique that protects video signals over wireless channels is proposed in this work. First, we present new packetization and concealment methods for compressed video data. Second, the loss of each packet is quantitatively measured under this normative concealment method. More specifically, the encoder associates each packet with the mean square error between the error-free reconstruction and the concealed reconstruction. Third, a channel code rate is adaptively allocated to protect each packet so that the expected mean square error is minimized subject to a constraint on the overall bit rate. Extensive simulations show that the jointly designed video codec provides acceptable image quality in a high bit error rate environment. Besides, the proposed algorithm can be applied to real time video transmission applications, since its computational complexity is very low.
A History of Research of PNH: Defining a Disease

Historically, a principal reason Western medicine has progressed to the degree it has is the epistemology used to define disease. Diseases are distinguished by two main methods: (1) assembly of defining characteristics (symptoms, physical descriptions both direct and derived from imaging techniques, and laboratory findings and clinical course) that recur so as to form a clinical template and (2) assessment of cause and effects of the clinically defined disease. The method was first clearly established in the nineteenth century with the definition of microbial diseases and received its second great impetus with the development of molecular genetics. Although the pattern has been altered in more recent times with the development of science leading to the definition of disease, a study of the classical methodology has a clear place in the study of disease.
Simulation of First-Charge Oxygen-Dimerization and Mn-Migration in Li-Rich Layered Oxides xLi2MnO3·(1 – x)LiMO2 and Implications for Voltage Fade

The instabilities of Li-rich layered oxide xLi2MnO3·(1 – x)LiMO2 (lithium-ion-battery cathode materials) during the first charge are investigated using first-principles dynamical simulation. To complement our earlier simulations for (x = 0.4, M = Ni0.5Mn0.5), we address here: pure Li2MnO3; small x; M compositions that include Co; a composite with Co spinel, Li2MnO3·Li2M2O4; a Li2MnO3 slab. We discuss how the threshold fraction f of Li2(1-f)MnO3 delithiation at which instabilities occur at the surface, fth(surface), differs from that in the bulk, fth(bulk). Approaches to inhibit voltage fade are discussed.
The Undismissible Rats: How Do Short Connections Affect Long-Lived TCP Flows under Moderate Traffic Load?

It is well-known that the distribution of file sizes in the Internet has a long tail, and that the traffic mainly consists of small flows — “the mice”, while a large portion of the bytes are sent by large flows — “the elephants”. However, it is not yet well understood regarding how the mice and the elephants interact with each other when they share a common link. A simplified modelling assumption is that the mice appear as an uncontrolled and random background load while the elephants take the remaining link bandwidth [7].
Hegemonic blackmail: entrapment in civil war intervention

ABSTRACTHow do alliance ties impact intervention decision-making? In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the interventionist mantle was adopted by many of America’s allies, from the French- and British-led intervention in Libya, to the heavy involvement of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar in Syria. In both cases, the United States was eventually drawn into the intervention. This article lays the theoretical foundations for the logic of civil war entrapment, illustrating that alliance ties can be used by smaller states to induce their more militarily capable allies to join an intervention. This pressure – whether exercised through diplomatic pressure, manipulation of media narratives and public opinion, or through tactical manipulation of the war – constitutes a crude form of “hegemonic blackmail,” allowing small states to entangle their more powerful allies in intervention.
Prediction of atmospheric rivers over the North Pacific and its connection to ENSO in the North American multi-model ensemble (NMME)

Prediction skills of the wintertime atmospheric rivers (ARs) and moisture flux over the Northeast Pacific in response to El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forcing are evaluated from the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) hindcasts (CFSv2, CCSM4, CanCM3, CanCM4, GEOS5, and GFDL CM2.1). The skill is estimated for the active AR season, December–February (DJF) with initial conditions around early November. Models underestimate the climatological moisture flux to different extents corresponding with various climatological biases in predictions of sea surface temperature (SST) and large-scale atmospheric circulation fields. The anomalous moisture flux and AR frequency over the Northeast Pacific are predicted in the models but in weaker amplitude than the reanalysis. Significant regional biases are shown in the anomalous landfalling AR frequency corresponding with ENSO, underlining the challenge in regional precipitation forecasts.