cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Apoptosis: Implications for inflammatory bowel disease

Cells of the intestinal mucosa live in a harsh environment and therefore rely heavily on the highly regulated process of cell death, apoptosis, to maintain tissue integrity. Imbalance in the intracellular events that modulate apoptosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.
High-resolution x-ray stereomicroscopy: true three-dimensional imaging of biological samples

X-ray microscopy has the potential to become a powerful tool for the study of biological samples, allowing the imaging of intact cells and subcellular organelles in an aqueous environment at resolutions previously achievable only by electron microscopy. The ability to examine a relatively thick sample raises the issue of superposition of objects from multiple planes within the sample, making difficult the interpretation of conventional, orthogonally projected images. This paper describes our early attempts at developing three-dimensional methods for x-ray microimaging: the first to use x-ray optics, and to our knowledge, the first demonstrating sub-visible resolutions and natural contrast. These studies were performed using the scanning transmission x-ray microscope (STXM) at the National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An intron capture strategy used to identify and map a lysyl oxidase-like gene on chromosome 9 in the mouse

An intron capture strategy involving use of polymerase chain reaction was used to identify and map the mouse homologue of a human lysyl oxidase-like gene (LOXL). Oligonucleotides complementary to conserved domains within exons 4 and 5 of the human lysyl oxidase-like gene were used to amplify the corresponding segment from mouse genomic DNA. Sequencing of the resulting mouse DNA fragment of approximately 1 kb revealed that the exon sequences at the ends of the amplified fragment are highly homologous (90% nucleotide identity) to exons 4 and 5 of the human lysyl oxidase-like gene. An AluI restriction site polymorphism within intron 4 was used to map the mouse lysyl oxidase-like gene (Loxl) to mouse Chromosome 9 in a region that shares linkage conservation with human chromosome 15q24, to which the LOXL was recently mapped.
Toward the study of biopolitics: a cross-sectional analysis of mortality rates.

A new field of inquiry, which might be called biopolitics, would identify the many possible relationships between political and medical-biological variables in societal systems. One such proposition is that levels of foreign and domestic violence are a function of societal conditions and processes that become manifest in the form of deaths due to psychogenic causes, such as suicides and heart disease. To test this hypothesis, data for all significant causes of death—46 in all—are collected for 72 political units along with deathrates due to foreign and domestic violence. Eight measures of possible error are also included. The year 1960 is chosen, except for the conflict data, which span 1958 to 1960. Factor analysis, smallest space analysis, and cluster analysis are performed on the data. A Q-analysis among the 72 sampling units reveals that there are only about three strata. R-analysis of all 56 variables, in contrast, is heterogeneous, containing 14 factors with eigenvalues over the conventional 1.0 cutoff level. In the factor analysis, foreign and domestic conflict are independent of all other causes of death, including each other. Smallest space analysis and cluster analysis, however, provide results that approximate second-order factor analysis: foreign and domestic violence converge as part of an over-all medical underdevelopment cluster. Psychogenic causes of death, which emerge within the developed cluster, are thus unrelated to political casualties in the mid-twentieth century. War and civil strife are associated with lower health standards across 72 countries.
Baruch as Ezra in 2 Baruch

2 Baruch relies on the familiarity of its audience with biblical Ezra and his efforts to restore Israel after the Jews returned from their exile. In text and in characterization, 2 Baruch finds much to imitate in Ezra. In the popular imagination of the late Second Temple period, Ezra directed his coreligionists toward the systematic teaching of the law; just so 2 Baruch imagines its hero “Baruch” doing for his contemporaries. 2 Baruch therefore seeks to revitalize Israel in terms of law, community identity, Scripture, and even national expansion in an age of Jewish disenfranchisement.
Survivorship of penstemon grandiflorus in an oak woodland: combined effects of fire and pocket gophers.

The effects of fire and pocket gophers, Geomys bursarius, on the survivorship of Penstemon grandiflorus growing in an oak woodland in Minnesota were studied from 1986 to 1990. Plants growing in sparse vegetation experienced mortality rates twice that of plants growing in dense vegetation. This difference was due partly to pocket gophers whose earth moving activities reduce the density of vegetation and bury and kill individual Penstemon plants. Laboratory feeding trials showed that gophers readily eat Penstemon, particularly the fleshy roots. An experiment involving the removal of 25–75% of the root tissue in 90 plants showed that root loss significantly reduced survivorship, suggesting that gopher herbivory might also kill plants. When gophers were experimentally excluded, plants growing in sparse vegetation exhibited significantly lower mortality rates than those growing in dense vegetation. Plants in the smallest size class exhibited reduced survivorship following a late spring burn; however, overall patterns of survivorship of plants in burned areas did not differ markedly from those in the unburned areas. A longitudenal analysis of plants with different reproductive histories revealed no survivorship cost to reproduction. Mortality rates decreased with increasing plant size. Small plants were more likely to be killed by fire and by being buried under gopher mounds. Differences in underground energy reserves of small and large plants can account for most of the survivorship patterns observed in this study. The study shows that within openings of the oak woodland, fire and gophers reduce the survival of individual Penstemon plants. Nevertheless, since both gophers and fire also serve to perpetuate suitable habitat in the woodland, Penstemon is ultimately dependent on both for its long term persistence in the landscape.
Identification of lines in the satellite ultraviolet - The spectrum of Tau Scorpii

The method of wavelength coincidence statistics (WCS) is applied to the ultraviolet spectra of Tau Sco obtained by the IUE. No identifications of elements heavier than Zn were made. With the exception of Zn IV, all identifications had been previously made in an exhaustive study of Copernicus spectra by Rogerson and Ewell (1985). A comparison of the identifications made in the two studies is in very good agreement for those spectra rich in lines, where the WCS parameters indicate the strong presence of the species. Useful information is added by WCS in cases where species are only weakly, or arguably, present. It is shown that WCS is an important tool in the exploration of any complicated stellar spectrum, and even in the case of a spectrum that has been well studied by traditional methods, it adds important information.
Scaling automobile speed

The method of magnitude estimation was used to determine the psychophysical functions for three forms of subjective automobile speed. Observers experienced linear motion across the visual field, the approach motion of an oncoming car, and “en route” motion as a passenger. All three conditions resulted in power function relations between subjective speed and physical velocity. The respective exponents were 1.0, 1.35, and 1.40. Direct category estimates of en route speed were related linearly to physical velocity, but nonlinearly to subjective speed.
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND LABOR PRODUCTIVITY: DOES INDUSTRY MATTER?

There has been growing interest in the degree to which human resource systems contribute to organizational effectiveness, yet limited research attention has been paid to the contextual conditions that moderate the efficacy of these practices. In this study, we examined how industry characteristics affect the relative importance and value of high-performance work systems. Findings indicate that the impact of these human resources systems on productivity is influenced by industry capital intensity, growth, and differentiation.
Rigid Body Based Location Technology for Ad Hoc Sensor Networks

As an optimization problem, precision location requires sufficient constraints to warrant unique location estimation. The algorithm to determine the constraint sufficiency is the locatability algorithm. For the classic triangulation in two dimensions, locatability algorithm examines if a sensor node has at least 3 non-collinear reference node (RN) neighbors. This condition is often not met in most ad hoc sensor networks due to the low RN density. Progressive location was developed to turn a located sensor node into an induced RN which in turn is used to locate other sensor nodes. But even after applying progressive location, a lot of sensor nodes are still left un-locatable. A holistic approach, the rigid body (RB) based location technology, is proposed to group together sensors and RNs in a sensor network to form globally rigid bodies (GRBs) and cooperatively estimate sensor locations. The key differentiator of the technology is its locatability algorithm, a bottom-up procedure to identify GRBs in an anchor-free network and to determine the locatabilities of GRBs by grounding the network. The algorithm consists of four processes (node categorization, bilateration extension, trilateration extension and tri-connectivity test) and locatability rules. It is shown that a bilateratively rigid sub-network is a strongly rigid graph and requires only the tri-connectivity to become globally rigid. Rules are provided for the locatability determination of rigid bodies and their associated sensor nodes. Simulation results show that the RB-based location algorithm locates drastically more sensor nodes than triangulation and progressive location algorithms especially when RNs are sparse.
Causes of death after congenital heart surgery

Background There has been little research about the causes of death after congenital heart surgery. Methods To determine whether mode of death differs after congenital heart surgery, we evaluated the cause of death for 100 consecutive postoperative deaths at our institution. Mode of death was determined based on retrospective chart review including available autopsy reports. Low output states were categorized into ventricular failure; inadequate postoperative physiology (technically adequate surgery and ventricular function, but persistent low cardiac output); pulmonary hypertension; and atrioventricular valve regurgitation. Results There was considerable anatomic diversity among patients who died; 46 patients had single-ventricle physiology. The vast majority of patients (n = 79) were in the intensive care unit before surgery. Surgical repairs were revised at initial operation in 22 cases; 7 patients died in the operating room. Seventy-three patients had technically adequate surgical procedures, 23 had residual anatomic defects, and 4 were indeterminate. Thirty patients underwent additional surgical and 9 catheter-based procedures, although some were classified as rescue procedures performed to address minor anatomic or physiologic abnormalities as a last hope to rescue the patient from impending demise. Of 100 deaths, most (n = 52) were due to low cardiac output: 24 inadequate postoperative physiology, 19 ventricular failure, 8 pulmonary hypertension, and 1 valvar regurgitation. Other significant causes of death included sudden cardiac arrest (n = 11), sepsis (n = 11), and procedural complications (n = 8). Conclusions More than half of the deaths were due to low cardiac output, but not exclusively ventricular failure.
Microbial genomes have over 72% structure assignment by the threading algorithm PROSPECTOR_Q.

The genome scale threading of five complete microbial genomes is revisited using our state-of-the-art threading algorithm, PROSPEC- TOR_Q. Considering that structure assignment to an ORF could be useful for predicting biochemical function as well as for analyzing pathways, it is important to assess the current status of genome scale threading. The fraction of ORFs to which we could assign protein structures with a reasonably good confidence level to each genome sequences is over 72%, which is significantly higher than earlier studies. Using the assigned structures, we have predicted the function of several ORFs through "single-function" template structures, obtained from an analysis of the relationship between protein fold and function. The fold distribution of the genomes and the effect of the number of homologous se- quences on structure assignment are also discussed. Proteins 2004;55:464 - 473. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
SCALED WORLDS AS RESEARCH TOOLS: A DEMONSTRATION

Efforts to study cognition in complex, dynamic environments can be hampered by difficulty in accurately tracking information flow. This problem can be tackled by studying task performance in the context of a scaled world—an abstracted version of the task environment designed to elucidate information flow while maintaining the critical elements of that environment. This demonstration will illustrate a scaled world developed for research on submariner situation assessment and is a companion to Ehret, Kirschenbaum and Gray, “Contending with Complexity: The Development and Use of Scaled Worlds as Research Tools” (this volume).
Aerosol Acidity Measurement Using Colorimetry Coupled With a Reflectance UV-Visible Spectrometer

In this study, aerosol acidity was measured using colorimetry integrated with a Reflectance UV-Visible spectrometer (C-RUV). An inorganic aerosol comprising NH4 +−H+−SO4 2−−H2O was generated using an atomizer and introduced into a 2-m3 indoor Teflon film chamber. The produced aerosol was collected on the Teflon-coated glass fiber filter dyed with metanil yellow (MY) as an indicator for measuring proton concentrations in aerosol. A calibration curve for measuring aerosol acidity using the C-RUV technique was obtained through the relationship between the absorbance of the UV-Visible spectrum of the filter sample vs. theoretically calculated proton concentrations using the E-AIM Model II. To develop the C-RUV method under various humidities, the aerosol filter sample was mounted inside a small optical flow chamber controlled for humidity in situ. The humidity effect on the equilibrium thermodynamics of the indicator was theoretically described by inclusion of excess acidity (X) into the calibration curve. Th...
Visual statistical learning is not reliably modulated by selective attention to isolated events

Recent studies of visual statistical learning (VSL) have indicated that the visual system can automatically extract the temporal and spatial relationships between objects. We report several attempts to replicate and extend earlier work (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 134, 552–564, 2005) in which observers performed a cover task on one of two interleaved stimulus sets, resulting in the learning of temporal relationships that occurred in the attended stream, but not those present in the unattended stream. Across four experiments, we exposed observers to similar or identical familiarization protocols, directing attention to one of two interleaved stimulus sets; afterward, we assessed the VSL efficacy for both sets using either implicit response time measures or explicit familiarity judgments. In line with prior work, we observed learning for the attended stimulus set. However, unlike in previous reports, we also observed learning for the unattended stimulus set. When instructed to selectively attend to only one of the stimulus sets and ignore the other set, observers could extract temporal regularities for both sets. Our efforts to experimentally decrease this effect by changing the cover task (Exp. 1) or the complexity of the statistical regularities (Exp. 3) were unsuccessful. A fourth experiment using a different assessment of learning likewise failed to show an attentional effect. Simulations drawing random samples from our first three experiments (n = 64) confirmed that the distribution of attentional effects in our sample closely approximated the null. We offer several potential explanations for our failure to replicate earlier findings and discuss how our results suggest limiting conditions on the relevance of attention to VSL.
Allowing for the orienting response in GSR conditioning

In an experiment designed to partial out the orienting response, 16 college students observed a series of lights of four colors. These lights were presented one at a time in random order. There were 120 stimulus presentations, each lasting 7.5 sec. As there was no interstimulus interval, the duration of the procedure was exactly 15 min. Pairing of a mild electric shock with the critical signal (amber light) occurred only during the middle third of the experiment, thus enabling a direct comparison of the responses before and after conditioning. The GSR recordings showed conditioning to be highly significant (p <.001).
Polarity of Water Transport across Epidermal Cell Membranes in Tradescantia virginiana

Using the automated cell pressure probe, small and highly reproducible hydrostatic pressure clamp (PC) and pressure relaxation (PR) tests (typically, applied step change in pressure = 0.02 MPa and overall change in volume = 30 pL, respectively) were applied to individual Tradescantia virginiana epidermal cells to determine both exosmotic and endosmotic hydraulic conductivity (LpOUT and LpIN, respectively). Within-cell reproducibility of measured hydraulic parameters depended on the method used, with the PR method giving a lower average coefficient of variation (15.2%, 5.8%, and 19.0% for half-time, cell volume [Vo], and hydraulic conductivity [Lp], respectively) than the PC method (25.4%, 22.0%, and 24.2%, respectively). Vo as determined from PC and PR tests was 1.1 to 2.7 nL and in the range of optically estimated Vo values of 1.5 to 4.9 nL. For the same cell, Vo and Lp estimates were significantly lower (about 15% and 30%, respectively) when determined by PC compared with PR. Both methods, however, showed significantly higher LpOUT than LpIN (LpOUT/LpIN ≅ 1.20). Because these results were obtained using small and reversible hydrostatically driven flows in the same cell, the 20% outward biased polarity of water transport is most likely not due to artifacts associated with unstirred layers or to direct effects of externally applied osmotica on the membrane, as has been suggested in previous studies. The rapid reversibility of applied flow direction, particularly for the PR method, and the lack of a clear increase in LpOUT/LpIN over a wide range of Lp values suggest that the observed polarity is an intrinsic biophysical property of the intact membrane/protein complex.
Tunable terahertz waves generated by mixing two copropagating infrared beams in GaP

By mixing two copropagating coherent beams near 1??m in a zinc blende GaP crystal, we have efficiently generated coherent terahertz (THz) waves. Such efficient conversion is made possible by use of a reststrahlen band in the THz region to achieve phase matching in an isotropic crystal. A tuning range as wide as 71.1–2830??m(0.106–4.22?THz) was achieved, whereas the highest output peak power reached 15.6?W at 173??m. To obtain such a tuning range we continuously tuned the wavelength of one coherent infrared beam within a bandwidth of ?15.3?nm.
Urban/rural differences in decision making and the use of advance directives among nursing home residents at admission.

Context Advance directives promote patient autonomy and encourage greater awareness of final care options while reducing physician and family uncertainty regarding patient preferences. Purpose To investigate differences in decision making authority and the use of advance directives among nursing home residents admitted from urban and rural areas. Methods A total of 551,208 admission assessments in the Minimum Data Set were analyzed for all residents admitted to a nursing facility in 2001. Using the Rural Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) methodology and ZIP code of primary residence before admission, these residents were classified into 4 urban/rural areas. Findings Residents from rural areas were significantly more likely to have executed a durable power of attorney for health care or for financial decisions than residents admitted from the other areas, with the largest differences observed between residents admitted from urban and rural areas. Almost 6 residents in 10 from urban areas had no advance directives in place at admission compared with only 4 residents in 10 admitted from rural areas. Conclusions Health providers and social workers in both rural and urban areas should advise patients about the value of advance directives.
Synthesis of Optimal Control and Flight Testing of an Autonomous Circular Parachute

Development of guidance and control algorithms for autonomous solid circular parachutes is addressed. This effort is a part of the Affordable Guided Airdrop System that integrates a low-cost guidance and control system into fielded cargo air delivery systems. First, the underlying Affordable Guided Airdrop System concept, architecture, and components are described. Then a synthesis of a classical optimal control based on Pontrjagin’s maximum principle is suggested. Then the development of a practical control algorithm is detailed. Simulation and flight-test results of the final Affordable Guided Airdrop System demonstration are also presented.
Conservation genetic studies of the endangered Cape Fear Shiner, Notropis mekistocholas (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Genetic variation at ten microsatellite lociand one anonymous-nuclear locus was assayed forthree geographic samples of the criticallyendangered North American cyprinidNotropis mekistocholas (Cape Fear shiner). Despite low abundance of this species, therewas little suggestion of small populationeffects; allele diversity and heterozygositywere relatively high, FIS values withinsamples were non-significant, and genotypeswere distributed in frequencies according toHardy-Weinberg expectations. Geneticdivergence among samples was minimal despitethe presence of dams, constructed in the early1900s, that separate the sample sites. Thissuggests that recent gene flow has beensufficient to inhibit genetic divergence orthat gene flow has been reduced but there hasbeen insufficient time for genetic divergenceto develop. Tests of heterozygosity excesswere non-significant, suggesting that N.mekistocholas in the localities sampledhave not undergone recent reductions ineffective population size. Future studiesemploying larger sample sizes to provide morerobust tests of population structure andtemporally separated samples to estimatecontemporaneous Ne are warranted.
A Large Pleural Effusion following Abdominal Aortic Surgery

Chylous ascites and coexistent chylothorax is a rare but important complication following retroperitoneal abdominal surgery. We report a 70-year-old male who developed gradual abdominal distension, chest tightness, and dyspnea five months after having an uncomplicated aortobifemoral bypass performed. Physical examination was consistent with a large right sided effusion and ascites which were confirmed by computed tomography. Thoracentesis yielded an opaque milky fluid with analysis consistent with a chylothorax with a paracentesis revealing fluid that was similar in both appearance and biochemistry. The patient failed initial conservative management so a chest tube was placed followed by chemical pleurodesis. We review the literature of the pathophysiology and treatment approach to such a pleural effusion.
Motivational interviewing to improve self-care for patients with chronic heart failure: MITI-HF randomized controlled trial

Objective The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a tailored motivational interviewing (MI) intervention versus usual care for improving HF self-care behaviors, physical HF symptoms and quality of life.
Evaluation of commercial extension plates for the ACR CT accreditation phantom

The American College of Radiology (ACR) Computed Tomography (CT) Accreditation Program requires submission of phantom scans acquired with the ACR accreditation phantom. There is a known issue with some wide-beam scanners in which the Hounsfield unit (HU) value of water may be correct when using the scanner manufacturer's phantom, but will be out of range in some scan modes when scanning the accreditation phantom. The phantom manufacturer has developed a product known as Extension Plates to eliminate the water HU value issue. The purpose of this technical note is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Extension Plates in alleviating the water HU issue. The ACR phantom was scanned on nine different CT scanners representing four CT manufacturers at eight different facilities. Scanner models included 16- and 64-channel geometries from each manufacturer. All scanners passed routine daily water HU testing per the manufacturer's instructions. The accreditation phantom was scanned in helical and axial modes both with and without the Extension Plates present. Regions of interest were placed on the linearity test objects as well as the water HU test object in Module 1 of the phantom. Mean values were recorded and compared with the acceptable ranges specified by the ACR accreditation phantom testing instructions. Water HU values failed for one scanner model when scanned in helical mode using the widest collimation available and the Extension Plates were not present. All other scanner models passed the water HU linearity test with or without the Extension Plates in both axial and helical scan modes. Three of the four manufacturers tested failed the linearity test for different materials. The presence of the Extension Plates only affected the HU measurement for the water test object.
Differences in the Process of Self-Employment among Whites, Blacks, and Asians: The Case of Scientists and Engineers:

This study examines the process of self-employment among scientists and engineers from 1982 to 1989. I use data from the Surveys of the Natural and Social Scientists and Engineers to investigate the effects of race, nativity, and recency of arrival on the “entry to” and “persistence in” self-employment. The analysis shows that native-born Asians and blacks with paid employment are less likely than comparable native-born whites to enter self-employment, while the opposite is true for post-1965 white immigrants. Among the self-employed, compared to native-born whites, post-1965 white immigrants have a higher tendency to remain in self-employment, and blacks are less likely to persist in self-employment. There is no significant difference between Asian immigrants and native-born whites in the likelihood of entering or staying in self-employment. The results are inconsistent with the opportunity structure approach and the cultural theory, but they provide some support for the “dual” discrimination hypothesis....
Medical assessment of bleeding in the surgical patient

The key to avoidance of hemostatic failure during surgery is to be able to identify the high-risk patient and make a diagnosis and treat the defect before surgery. A thorough history and physical examination are mandatory in this regard. A screening coagulation profile is not a substitute for the history and physical examination. Selected presurgical tests are useful in major surgical cases and in certain high-risk cases. Otolaryngologists have advised presurgical testing for patients undergoing tonsillectomy, but the subject of presurgical testing is still a matter for investigation in view of the necessity for cost containment. Knowledge of the hemostatic system combined with a knowledge of the tests available to diagnose coagulation defects permits a rational approach to therapy of the bleeding surgical patient.
Estradiol downregulates miR-21 expression and miR-21 gene targets in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2008 Abstracts Abstract #3051 Select changes in microRNA (miRNA) expression correlate with diagnostic markers used in breast cancer therapies, e.g ., estrogen receptor α (ERα) and tumor grade. However, no one has examined how estradiol (E2) regulates miRNA expression in breast cancer cells. Here miRNA microarrays were used to identify miRNA genes regulated by E2 in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Twenty-five miRNAs were E2-regulated and select results were confirmed by quantitative-PCR. E2 reduced the expression of miR-21, an oncogene, and repression was inhibited by the antiestrogen ICI 182,780, ERα knockdown by siRNA, and by pre-treatment with Actinomycin D or cycloheximide. Thus, E2-ERα reduces miR-21 expression by primary transcriptional and secondary target activities. The effect of E2 on luciferase reporters containing the miRNA recognition elements (MREs) from the 3'-UTRs of 8 putative miR-21 regulated genes: CCM1, SKI , TGFB1, PDCD4, RAB6A, RAB6C, RASA1, and RASGRP1 was tested in MCF-7 cells. E2 increased luciferase with the MREs from TGFB1, PDCD4, RASA1, and RASGRP1 , and from the full length 3' UTR of the PDCD4 gene, consistent with an E2-mediated decrease in miR-21 resulting in increased stability of Renilla mRNA and increased luciferase activity. Antisense to miR-21 increased luciferase from the TGFB1,PDCD4, RAB6A, and RASGRP1 reporters, consistent with these MREs being bona fide miR-21 targets. The E2-mediated decrease in miR-21 correlated with increased expression of miR-21-targets PDCD4, PTEN, and Bcl-2 at the protein level and these increases were blocked by AS to miR-21 and by siRNA knockdown of ERα. These results identify miR-21 as an ERα-regulated miRNA in MCF-7 cells. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 3051.
Tumor Cell Procoagulant and Urokinase Expression in Carcinoma of the Ovary

Background An association between cancer and increased blood coagulation has been observed for many years. Generally, there is an equilibrium between the coagulation system (fibrin deposition) and the fibrinolytic system (degradation of fibrin by enzymes). However, in malignant disease such as ovarian carcinoma, this equilibrium is disrupted, resulting in the abnormal activation of coagulation or hypercoagulability. Also, evidence indicates that various components of these pathways may contribute to the disorderly characteristics of malignancy, such as proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Purpose Our purpose was to define the mode of interaction of tumor cells in ovarian carcinoma with both the coagulation (procoagulant-initiated) and fibrinolysis (urokinase-type plasminogen activator-initiated) (u-PA) pathways. Methods Studies were performed on acetone-methylbenzoate-xylene-fixed tissue prepared from fresh resected primary tumor specimens from 15 patients with cystic epithelial ovarian carcinoma. None of the patients had received prior treatment. Antibodies were tested on control and tumor tissues in concentrations that provided maximum staining intensity with minimum background staining. Laboratory immunohistochemical techniques used purified, monospecific antibodies to detect coagulant antigens. Tests were performed utilizing antibodies to recombinant human tissue factor; factor VII; factor X; factor XIIIA; high-molecular-weight and low-molecular-weight forms of u-PA; tissue-type plasminogen activator; plasminogen; and the plasminogen activator inhibitors 1, 2, and 3. Monoclonal antibodies used for specific antigen detection included 1-8C6 (fibrinogen), T2G1 (fibrin), and EBM-11 (macrophage-specific). Results The ovarian tumor cells expressed urokinase-type plasminogen activator in a pattern that was variable in intensity and distribution. Tumor cell plasminogen was not detected. Tumor cells also expressed tissue factor and coagulation pathway intermediates that resulted in local thrombin generation as evidenced by the conversion of fibrinogen (present in tumor connective tissue) to fibrin that was found to hug the surfaces of tumor nodules and individual tumor cells. Detected fibrin could not be accounted for on the basis of necrosis or a local inflammatory cell infiltrate. Conclusions These results are consistent with the existence of a dominant tumor cell-associated procoagulant pathway that leads to thrombin generation and hypercoagulability in carcinoma of the ovary. Implications In ovarian carcinoma the procoagulant pathway may contribute to tumor progression. Clinical trials of therapeutic drugs capable of limiting local coagulability (anticoagulants, protease inhibitors) are indicated in this tumor type.
Topographical organization of attentional, social and memory processes in the human temporoparietal cortex

The temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is activated in association with a large range of functions, including social cognition, episodic memory retrieval, and attentional reorienting. An ongoing debate is whether the TPJ performs an overarching, domain-general computation, or whether functions reside in domain-specific subdivisions. We scanned subjects with fMRI during five tasks known to activate the TPJ, probing social, attentional, and memory functions, and used data-driven parcellation (independent component analysis) to isolate task-related functional processes in the bilateral TPJ. We found that one dorsal component in the right TPJ, which was connected with the frontoparietal control network, was activated in all of the tasks. Other TPJ subregions were specific for attentional reorienting, oddball target detection, or social attribution of belief. The TPJ components that participated in attentional reorienting and oddball target detection appeared spatially separated, but both were connected with the ventral attention network. The TPJ component that participated in the theory-of-mind task was part of the default-mode network. Further, we found that the BOLD response in the domain-general dorsal component had a longer latency than responses in the domain-specific components, suggesting an involvement in distinct, perhaps postperceptual, computations. These findings suggest that the TPJ performs both domain-general and domain-specific computations that reside within spatially distinct functional components.
High-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation in patients with follicular lymphoma during first remission

We report the results of a study in previously untreated advanced stage patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) who underwent uniform induction chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone (CHOP) followed by myeloablative therapy and anti-B-cell monoclonal antibody purged autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Eighty-three patients with previously untreated, low-grade FL were enrolled. After CHOP induction, only 36% achieved complete remission (CR) and 77 patients underwent ABMT. Before BM harvest, 70 patients had a known t(14;18), as determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and all remained PCR positive in the BM at harvest. After ABMT, the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival are estimated to be 63% and 89% at 3 years, respectively, with a median follow-up of 45 months. Patients whose BM was PCR negative after purging experienced significantly longer freedom from recurrence (FFR) than those whose BM remained PCR positive (P = .0006). Continued PCR negativity in follow-up BM samples was also strongly predictive of continued CR. This study suggests that a subset of patients with advanced FL may experience prolonged clinical and molecular remissions following high-dose ablative therapy, although longer follow-up will be necessary to determine potential impact on overall survival.
Insulin Adsorption to Peritoneal Dialysis Bags

Studies in diabetic patients have demonstrated that approximately one-half of the insulin delivered intraperitoneally by bolus injection appears in the systemic circulation (I). Since the insulin is absorbed from the peritoneal cavity via the hepatic portal system and the portal vein is the site of entry for pancreatic insulin, it seems likely that this would be a "physiologic" delivery route for a mechanical pancreas with insulinization of liver and without peripheral hyperinsulinemia (2) . Diabetic patients with renal failure treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis seem ideal candidates for intraperitoneal insulin administration. Clinical results with this method of glucose control appear superior to subcutaneous injections, although usually higher daily insulin doses are needed than those given by the subcutaneous route (3-6). Higher insulin requirements could be the result of a variety of mechanisms such as (a) substantial binding
Trans* Young Adult Literature for Secondary English Classrooms: Authors Speak Out

Hayn, Clemmons, and Olvey describe how Standard VI, the new standard for social justice in Secondary English Language Arts (SELA) teacher preparation, informs how to plan instruction responsive to students’ individual identities based on gender expression. The chapter provides an essential motivation for teachers to prioritize and advocate for including trans* young adult literature in the SELA high school curriculum. They advocate for examining the beliefs, experiences, and understandings of young adult authors who write texts that will serve as a conduit for changing student perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. The writers select key trans* texts and include suggestions for engagement with their authors on a personal level, thus giving teachers strategies to build a trans* accepting classroom with their students.
The Non-coding Mammary Carcinoma Susceptibility Locus, Mcs5c, Regulates Pappa Expression via Age-Specific Chromatin Folding and Allele-Dependent DNA Methylation.

In understanding the etiology of breast cancer, the contributions of both genetic and environmental risk factors are further complicated by the impact of breast developmental stage. Specifically, the time period ranging from childhood to young adulthood represents a critical developmental window in a woman’s life when she is more susceptible to environmental hazards that may affect future breast cancer risk. Although the effects of environmental exposures during particular developmental Windows of Susceptibility (WOS) are well documented, the genetic mechanisms governing these interactions are largely unknown. Functional characterization of the Mammary Carcinoma Susceptibility 5c, Mcs5c, congenic rat model of breast cancer at various stages of mammary gland development was conducted to gain insight into the interplay between genetic risk factors and WOS. Using quantitative real-time PCR, chromosome conformation capture, and bisulfite pyrosequencing we have found that Mcs5c acts within the mammary gland to regulate expression of the neighboring gene Pappa during a critical mammary developmental time period in the rat, corresponding to the human young adult WOS. Pappa has been shown to positively regulate the IGF signaling pathway, which is required for proper mammary gland/breast development and is of increasing interest in breast cancer pathogenesis. Mcs5c-mediated regulation of Pappa appears to occur through age-dependent and mammary gland-specific chromatin looping, as well as genotype-dependent CpG island shore methylation. This represents, to our knowledge, the first insight into cellular mechanisms underlying the WOS phenomenon and demonstrates the influence developmental stage can have on risk locus functionality. Additionally, this work represents a novel model for further investigation into how environmental factors, together with genetic factors, modulate breast cancer risk in the context of breast developmental stage.
Abstract 4884: Highly sensitive fusion transcript detection and quantification in cancer

Gene fusion detection in cancer samples can provide tumor-specific information for cancer research, clinical diagnosis and targeted treatment. Common fusion detection methods such as qPCR and FISH are restricted to known fusion junctions and limited in the number of genes that can be detected in parallel. In contrast, RNA sequencing is a powerful approach for simultaneous discovery of all possible fusion junctions in a single reaction. But, the sequencing depth required for sensitive detection of fusions from whole-transcriptome libraries can be cost-prohibitive. Here we describe a cancer-specific capture-based approach for fusion detection by RNA sequencing that requires only a fraction of the sequencing depth of whole-transcriptome methods. We designed oligo probes that densely target coding regions of over 200 clinically relevant gene fusions and cancer-associated genes. This oligo panel was used to capture cancer-specific fusions from total RNA-Seq libraries. We used commonly studied cancer cell lines including MCF-7, K562, PC-3, LnCAP, A431 and Universal Human Reference RNA (UHRR) to compare the sensitivity of fusion detection across three RNA-Seq library prep methods: (1) cancer panel library capture (2) whole-transcriptome library capture and (3) PolyA selection. We show that probes targeting individual exons can robustly capture well-characterized cancer gene fusions such as BCR-ABL and BCAS4-BCAS3, as well as translocations where fusion junctions are unknown. Furthermore, these comparisons demonstrate the enhanced sequencing efficiency of the targeted cancer panel, while maintaining highly accurate quantitation of gene expression. We show that selective enrichment of RNA-Seq libraries with cancer-specific capture probes enables high-resolution mapping of genomic rearrangements in patient cancer samples, even those derived from FFPE, facilitating sequencing studies that were not previously possible. Citation Format: Lisa C. Watson, Stephen M. Gross, Irina Khrevtukova, Smita Pathak, Claire Attwooll, Jason Goode, Anthony Mai, Gary P. Schroth. Highly sensitive fusion transcript detection and quantification in cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4884. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4884
Human Herpesvirus 8 K1 Derived Peptides Reduced the Levels of Apoptosis Inhibitory Fas-K1 Complex: A Strategy for Stimulating Death Receptor Mediated Apoptosis.

Background: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection is associated with the development of primary effusion lymphoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma and multicentric Castleman’s disease. The K1 gene of HHV-8 is expressed in some of these tumor cells as a transmembrane protein with an immunoglobulin like domain in its ectodomain and an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM). We demonstrated that K1 protein activates nuclear factor of kappa B (NF-κB), and K1 expression in transgenic mice stimulated accumulation of lymphatic cells and development of lymphoma. How K1 blocks apoptosis, induces hyperplasia and lymphomas is not known. We hypothesized that K1 contributes to lymphoma development partly by suppressing apoptosis and this suppression combined with its NF-κB activation produces lymphoma. Results: We mapped the region K1 uses to bind to Fas as an immunoglobulin (Ig) chain-like domain by expressing deletion mutants of K1. Overexpression of an Ig domain-contain protein CD79b competed with K1-Fas binding that was dose-dependent. Two 20 amino acid peptides (N251, N253) representing the Ig domain of K1 competed with K1-Fas binding in immunoprecipitation/immunoblotting analysis. The N251 and N253 peptides (100 μM) enhanced anti-Fas-(Ch-11, 50 ng/ml) induced apoptosis of BJAB lymphoma cells that expressed K1 but not of vector transfected BJAB cells. Ig deleted K1 (K1dIg) transfected mice were not protected (0/6) and K1 transfected mice were protected (7/10), P Conclusion: Collectively, these results indicate that K1 potently blocks apoptosis and this effect is mediated through the Ig-like domain of K1. Because viral proteins mimic cellular proteins these results predict the presence of functional cellular homologues of K1 that have key roles in death receptor regulation.
Use of proteomic analysis of LKB1/AMPK/mTOR pathways to identify IGF-1R pathway upregulation with LKB1 loss or mTOR inhibition in NSCLC: Implications for targeted combinations.

10612 Background: LKB1 is a serine/threonine kinase which is mutated in 20-30% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and functions as a tumor suppressor by activating AMPK. Loss of LKB1 by point m...
Data Analytics: Fundamentals

This chapter provides a comprehensive and unified view of data analytics fundamentals. Four functional facets of data analytics—descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive—are described. The evolution of data analytics from SQL analytics, business analytics, visual analytics, big data analytics, to cognitive analytics is presented. Data science as the foundational discipline for the current generation of data analytics systems is explored in this chapter. Data lifecycle and data quality issues are outlined. Open source tools and resources for developing data analytics systems are listed. Future directions in data analytics are indicated. The chapter concludes by providing a summary. To reinforce and enhance the reader’s data analytics knowledge and tools, questions and exercise problems are provided at the end of the chapter.
Detecting almost symmetries of graphs

We present a branch-and-bound framework to solve the following problem: Given a graph G and an integer k, find a subgraph of G formed by removing no more than k edges that minimizes the number of vertex orbits. We call the symmetries on such a subgraph “almost symmetries” of G. We implement our branch-and-bound framework in PEBBL to allow for parallel enumeration and demonstrate good scaling up to 16 cores. We show that the presented branching strategy is much better than a random branching strategy on the tested graphs. Finally, we consider the presented strategy as a heuristic for quickly finding almost symmetries of a graph G. The software that was reviewed as part of this submission has been issued the Digital Object Identifier DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.840558 .
Years of Life Lost, Age Discrimination, and the Myth of Productivity

The article discusses the use of years of life lost (YLL) as a public health metric, noting its relation to age discrimination and a focus on economic productivity. Topics include the impact of unemployment and underemployment on health in relation to the notion of productivity and societal contributions, the impact of age discrimination in the provision of health services to older people, and the need for health policy focus on chronic diseases that affect older people.
Finding the "Ah-Ha" Moment: Making Thinking Visible in Inquiry-Based Digital Projects

Over the past few decades, pedagogy in higher education has increasinglyAÂ focused on inquiry-based learning (IBL). Indeed, inquiry has become aAÂ central theme anchoring best practices across disciplines withinAÂ postsecondary education. Scholars of teaching and learning have soughtAÂ ways to make the student thought process more visible as they engage inAÂ inquiry-based learning. Use of digital spaces to scaffold inquiry-basedAÂ learning is an emerging landscape, as new technologies make it possibleAÂ for instructors to monitor and check studentsAÂ¹ understanding outside ofAÂ face-to-face environments. Using a hybrid, graduate, history course as aAÂ model, this lightning talk will explore strategies for utilizing digitalAÂ tools to facilitate inquiry, scaffold student learning, and captureAÂ student thinking as they engage in inquiry.For more information about developing students that are critical thinkers:AÂ https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/teaching/developing-critical-thinkers