cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Closing the Gate in the Limbic Striatum: Prefrontal Suppression of Hippocampal and Thalamic Inputs

Many brain circuits control behavior by integrating information arising from separate inputs onto a common target neuron. Neurons in the ventral striatum (VS) receive converging excitatory afferents from the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HP), and thalamus, among other structures, and the integration of these inputs is critical for goal-directed behaviors. Although HP inputs have been described as gating PFC throughput in the VS, recent data reveal that the VS desynchronizes from the HP during epochs of burst-like PFC activity related to decision making. It is therefore possible that PFC inputs locally attenuate responses to other glutamatergic inputs to the VS. Here, we found that delivering trains of stimuli to the PFC suppresses HP- and thalamus-evoked synaptic responses in the VS, in part through activation of inhibitory processes. This interaction may enable the PFC to exert influence on basal ganglia loops during decision-making instances with minimal disturbance from ongoing contextual inputs.
The structure of the inner core inferred from short- period and broadband GDSN data

Summary. Broadband displacement and velocity records of PKP phases are formed by the simultaneous deconvolution of the instrument responses of waveforms recorded by the short- and long-period channels of the Global Digital Seismograph Network. Revisions of standard earth models are inferred from the comparison of synthetic and observed waveforms. The synthetics incorporate a Q-model designed for the bandwidth of the data and a source model that accounts for the variations of waveform about the focal sphere due to the effects of finiteness and complexity of the rupture process. The interpretation of the data waveforms allows the position of the D-cusp to be fixed at 121 f 1" and the C-cusp at 154 f 2" for a surface source. The cusp positions are consistent with a P-velocity of 10.82 f 0.02 km s-' on the underside of an inner core boundary at 1216 km and a P-velocity of 10.30 f 0.05 kms-' on its upper side, resulting in a P-velocity jump of Aa! = 0.52 k 0.07 km s-'. Based on the agreement of synthetic and observed waveforms that have been diffracted beyond the Ccusp there is no zone of small or negative P-velocity gradient or of strong anelasticity at the bottom of the outer core. Second-order features in the observed waveforms near the D-cusp suggest that the S-velocity may be nearly zero at the top of the inner core. Q, must increase with depth in the inner core in order to satisfy the pulse width of the PKP-DF phase at distances greater than 150". In order to satisfy average properties of the inner core inferred from travel times and normal modes, these combined results require strong gradients in P-velocity, S-velocity and anelasticity in the upper 200-300 km of the inner core.
On the frequency of copy number variants

Motivation: Estimating the frequency distribution of copy number variants (CNVs) is an important aspect of the effort to characterize this new type of genetic variation. Currently, most studies report a strong skew toward low-frequency CNVs. In this article, our goal is to investigate the frequencies of CNVs. We employ a two-step procedure for the CNV frequency estimation process. We use family information a posteriori to select only the most reliable CNV regions, i.e. those showing high rates of Mendelian transmission. Results: Our results suggest that the current skew toward low-frequency CNVs may not be representative of the true frequency distribution, but may be due, among other reasons, to the non-negligible false negative rates that characterize CNV detection methods. Moreover, false positives are also likely, as low-frequency CNVs are hard to detect with small sample sizes and technologies that are not ideally suited for their detection. Without appropriate validation methods, such as incorporation of biologically relevant information (for example, in our case, the transmission of heritable CNVs from parents to offspring), it is difficult to assess the validity of specific CNVs, and even harder to obtain reliable frequency estimates. Availability: Software implementing the methods described in this article is available for download at the following address: http://www.isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k36162 Contact: iionita@hsph.harvard.edu Supplementary informantion:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
TSLP and IL-7 use two different mechanisms to regulate human CD4+ T cell homeostasis

Whether thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) directly induces potent human CD4+ T cell proliferation and Th2 differentiation is unknown. We report that resting and activated CD4+ T cells expressed high levels of IL-7 receptor a chain but very low levels of TSLP receptor (TSLPR) when compared with levels expressed in myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs). This was confirmed by immunohistology and flow cytometry analyses showing that only a subset of mDCs, with more activated phenotypes, expressed TSLPR in human tonsils in vivo. IL-7 induced strong STAT1, -3, and -5 activation and promoted the proliferation of naive CD4+ T cells in the presence of anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 monoclonal antibodies, whereas TSLP induced weak STAT5 activation, associated with marginally improved cell survival and proliferation, but failed to induce cell expansion and Th2 differentiation. The effect of TSLP on enhancing strong human T cell proliferation was observed only when sorted naive CD4+ T cells were cultured with mDCs at levels as low as 0.5%. TSLP could only induce naive CD4+ T cells to differentiate into Th2 cells in the presence of allogeneic mDCs. These results demonstrate that IL-7 and TSLP use different mechanisms to regulate human CD4+ T cell homeostasis.
Effect of oat gum on the physical properties of the gastrointestinal contents and on the uptake of D-galactose and cholesterol by rat small intestine in vitro.

Recent reports indicate that oats have a relatively low glycaemic effect in comparison with other carbohydrate food, and that their consumption leads to a reduction in plasma-cholesterol levels in man. These properties may be due to a soluble non-starch polysaccharide in oats. The present study was undertaken to explore the physiological properties of this material. Three groups of male Wistar rats were meal-fed on a control diet free of soluble dietary fibre for 10 d before being given a 19 g meal of either the control diet, a diet containing oat gum (j3-glucan), or finely ground rolled oats. The contents of the stomach, small intestine and caecum were later recovered and the weight, water content and viscosity were measured. The small intestinal contents from oat-gum-fed or oat-fed rats had a higher wet:dry weight ratio than that of the controls, and a higher viscosity. In in vitro studies the rate of uptake of D-galactose by jejunal rings was reduced in the presence of oat gum. The estimated Michaelis-Menten constant for the carrier-mediated component in the presence of oat gum was higher than that for controls, but the maximum transport rates were similar. Cholesterol uptake by everteq jejunal sacs was progressively inhibited by increasing concentrations of oat gum in the mucosal medium. It is concluded that increased viscosity of the contents of the small intestine may contribute to the low glycaemic index and hypocholesterolaemic effects of oats in man. Oats appear to be amongst the few palatable sources of viscous dietary fibre in the conventional Western diet. Cholesterol : Dietary fibre : Oats : Rat
Role of blood pressure and the renin-angiotensin system in development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in eNOS−/− db/db mice

Randomized clinical trials have clearly shown that inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) will slow the rate of progression of diabetic nephropathy, but controversy remains about whether ...
Plane-stress crack-tip fields for perfectly plastic orthotropic materials

Plane stress mode I crack-tip fields for perfectly plastic orthotropic materials are studied. Plastic orthotropy is described by Hill's quadratic yield function. The construction of crack-tip fields is based on the general crack-tip field analysis for elastic perfectly plastic materials given by Rice (1) and guided by the correspond- ing low-hardening power-law solutions. Two very different types of plane-stress crack-tip fields emerge as plastic orthotropy is varied. The first one consists of a centered fan sector in front of the crack tip and two neighboring constant stress sectors. The second one consists of a constant stress sector in front of the crack tip, a constant stress sector bordering the crack face, and a centered fan sector between the two constant stress sectors. All the perfectly plastic crack-tip solutons are verified by the corresponding low-hardening power-law solutions. General trends of crack-tip stress solutions as functions of plastic orthotropy and implications of these solutions to the design of ductile composite materials are discussed.
Seeing Is Remembering: How Visuals Contribute to Learning from Television News

Sur un ensemble de donnees recueillies a l'echelon national, l'A. examine l'impact visuel et auditif des journaux televises sur la memorisation, compare les deux types d'impact, les presentations visuelles, les stereotypes, et met en evidence la predominance de l'impact visuel sur l'impact auditif
Comparison of Types of Research Articles Published in Emergency Medicine and Non‐Emergency Medicine Journals

Introduction: As the specialty of emergency medicine (EM) matures, its journals should be publishing research of a quality similar to that which appears in other premier journals. Objective: To compare the types of original research published in 4 EM vs 3 non-EM journals. Methods: Retrospective review of all 1995 articles published in Academic Emergency Medicine, American Journal of Emergency Medicine, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Journal of Emergency Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA, and New England Journal of Medicine. Research articles were classified as longitudinal vs cross-sectional, prospective vs retrospective, and interventional vs observational. Other characteristics noted were number of subjects, randomization, blinding, control, and power calculations. Journals were reviewed by 4 investigators who received specific training in research classification, adhering to previously reported criteria for retrospective reviews. Interobserver reliability was independently validated. Results: The authors reviewed 3,524 articles, of which 874 (24.8%) were original research. Compared with research reported in non-EM journals, EM journals contained fewer longitudinal studies (40.5% vs 60.4%, p < 0.0001) and fewer prospective studies (70.8% vs 78.7%, p = 0.008). Fewer EM journals had studies that were blinded (13.7% vs 18.9%, p = 0.047) or controlled (36.3% vs 50.0%, p = 0.003). Studies reported in EM journals had fewer subjects (138 vs 300, p < 0.001). Research reports in EM journals were less likely to have been funded, even after adjustment for the differences in study designs (adjusted odds ratio 7.0, 95% CI 5.1–9.7). Conclusion: Significant differences in types of research published in EM and non-EM journals were identified.
Epitope spreading in bullous pemphigoid: what does it mean?

Most dermatologists encounter patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP); however, many key questions about this disease remain unanswered. Why does someone get BP? Why do some patients with BP have a single episode followed by disease resolution, whereas in other patients the disease persists for a considerable time? In addition, why does one individual with BP have a mild course while another has extensive disease with severe symptoms? The study by Di Zenzo and co-workers in this issue helps to shed light on the latter question.
Use of a quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method to study the induction of CYP1A, CYP2B and CYP4A forms in precision-cut rat liver slices.

1. The aim was to employ real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology (TaqMan ®) to examine the induction of some selected cytochrome P450 (CYP) forms in precision-cut rat liver slices. 2. Taqman ® primers and probe sets were developed for rat CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2B1 and CYP4A1 forms. 3. Rat liver slices were cultured in control medium or medium containing either 10 µg ml -1 Aroclor 1254 (ARO), 500µM sodium phenobarbitone (NaPB) or 50µM Wy-14,643 (WY) for 3, 6 and 24 h. 4. Compared with control liver slices, treatment with ARO for 3 and 6 h produced 24- and 184-fold increases, respectively, in CYP1A1 mRNA levels, and after 24h produced an 85-fold increase in CYP1A2 mRNA levels. Levels of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 mRNA were not markedly affected by NaPB and WY. 5. Treatment with ARO and PB for 24 h produced 10.6- and 23.8-fold increases, respectively, in CYP2B1 mRNA. Levels of CYP2B1 mRNA were not markedly affected by WY. 6. Treatment with WY, but not ARO and NaPB, for ...
Home Nutrition Support Materials

The provision of enteral and parenteral nutrition to patients in the home setting continues to be an expanding area of practice throughout the US and Canada. The need for specialized training of patients and family members to safely administer these nutrition therapies at home following hospital discharge also continues to grow. In 1993, written materials designed for this purpose were gathered from institutions throughout the US and listed in a directory of Home Nutrition Support Patient Education Materials. Many nutrition support teams and health care organizations have been undergoing reorganization and streamlining during the past several years. As a result, resources for the creation and distribution of home nutrition support (HNS) education materials are diminished in many areas. An updated version of this directory has therefore been compiled to facilitate the exchange of these training items between institutions and teams across the country.
Role of ceftiofur in selection and dissemination of blaCMY-2-mediated cephalosporin resistance in Salmonella enterica and commensal Escherichia coli isolates from cattle

Third-generation cephalosporin resistance of Salmonella and commensal Escherichia coli isolates from cattle in the United States is predominantly conferred by the cephamycinase CMY-2, which inactivates beta-lactam antimicrobial drugs used to treat a wide variety of infections, including pediatric salmonellosis. The emergence and dissemination of bla(CMY-2)(-)-bearing plasmids followed and may in part be the result of selection pressure imposed by the widespread utilization of ceftiofur, a third-generation veterinary cephalosporin. This study assessed the potential effects of ceftiofur on bla(CMY-2) transfer and dissemination by (i) an in vivo experimental study in which calves were inoculated with competent bla(CMY-2)-bearing plasmid donors and susceptible recipients and then subjected to ceftiofur selection and (ii) an observational study to determine whether ceftiofur use in dairy herds is associated with the occurrence and frequency of cephalosporin resistance in Salmonella and commensal E. coli. The first study revealed bla(CMY-2) plasmid transfer in both ceftiofur-treated and untreated calves but detected no enhancement of plasmid transfer associated with ceftiofur treatment. The second study detected no association (P = 0.22) between ceftiofur use and either the occurrence of ceftiofur-resistant salmonellosis or the frequency of cephalosporin resistance in commensal E. coli. However, herds with a history of salmonellosis (including both ceftiofur-resistant and ceftiofur-susceptible Salmonella isolates) used more ceftiofur than herds with no history of salmonellosis (P = 0.03) These findings fail to support a major role for ceftiofur use in the maintenance and dissemination of bla(CMY-2)-bearing plasmid mediated cephalosporin resistance in commensal E. coli and in pathogenic Salmonella in these dairy cattle populations.
Personality Plasticity After Age 30

Rank-order consistency of personality traits increases from childhood to age 30. After that, different summaries of the literature predict a plateau at age 30, or at age 50, or a curvilinear peak in consistency at age 50. These predictions were evaluated at group and individual levels using longitudinal data from the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory for periods of up to 42 years. Consistency declined toward a nonzero asymptote with increasing time interval. Although some scales showed increasing stability after age 30, the rank-order consistencies of the major dimensions and most facets of the Five-Factor Model were unrelated to age. Ipsative stability, assessed with the California Adult Q-Set, also was unrelated to age. These data strengthen claims of predominant personality stability after age 30.
Phase I Study of Oxaliplatin, Full-Dose Gemcitabine, and Concurrent Radiation Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose To determine a biweekly dose of oxaliplatin for combination with full-dose gemcitabine and concurrent radiation therapy (RT) in pancreatic cancer. Patients and Methods Patients with previously untreated pancreatic cancer received gemcitabine days 1, 8, and 15, and oxaliplatin days 1 and 15, repeated at 28-day intervals. RT (27 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions) was administered during cycle 1. Dose escalation was guided using the time-to-event continuous reassessment method. Dose levels 1 to 4 included gemcitabine 1 g/m2 intravenously (IV) during 30 minutes and oxaliplatin 40, 55, 70, or 85 mg/m2 IV during 90 minutes, respectively; for dose levels 5 and 6, oxaliplatin dose remained 85 mg/m2 but infusion time for gemcitabine 1 g/m2 was increased to 65 or 100 minutes, respectively. The trial objective was to determine the dose level associated with dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) through cycle 2 in ≤ 20% of patients. Results Forty-four patients were enrolled (median age, 64 years; 27 men, 17 women) with resectabl...
Manufacturing of fibro-porous biomaterials with controlled micro-architecture

Single polymer micro-fibers and fibro-porous meshes for potential use in soft-tissue biomaterial applications were fabricated using an electrospinning method. Micro-fibers of diameters less than 4 /spl mu/m were produced, a size demonstrated in previous in vivo single fiber studies to minimize fibrous capsule formation. A next step will be to evaluate mesh performance in vivo.
Providing security with insecure systems

A Martian who arrived on Earth today would surely conclude that computing and communications security are in a crisis situation. The popular media as well as technical publications are full of stories of new vulnerabilities being discovered and systems being compromised. Government and business leaders call for a fundamental rethinking of how information and communication technologies (ICT) systems are designed and operated. But that Martian would surely have come to the same conclusion 10 years, and 20 years, and 30 years ago. The alarms and complaints have been practically the same all this time, only their volume and stridency have grown. Further, for the last few decades security professionals have been getting more and more frustrated. They have been complaining that they were not being listened to, and that their expertise was not being used properly. They have also been repeating constantly the mantra that once some ICT insecurity leads to a big disaster (such as bankruptcy of a major bank), society will finally take notice and rethink its approach to the issue. Sherlock Holmes noted that the “curious incident” in the Silver Blaze story was that the dog did not bark. In ICT insecurity, there are two curious incidents that so far seem not to have attracted much notice:
Plasmid-based short-hairpin RNA interference in the chicken embryo.

Summary: The chicken neural tube serves as an ideal model for new techniques to alter gene expression. We show that short-hairpin RNA delivered by a plasmid vector can effectively knock down expression of both exogenous and endogenous genes in the chicken neural tube. We also assay the effects of short-hairpin RNA on the interferon response and find no difference between electroporation of a control plasmid and a short-hairpin RNA plasmid. genesis 39:73–78, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Delineating the Detail: The Communication of Architectural Particulars, 1750-1872

In contemporary architectural practice, the notion of the architectural detail is complex and contentious. For many, ‘details’ are synonymous with the smallest scale of construction’s resolution. Others believe them to be a building’s ‘minimal units of signification’ and essential to the production of architectural meaning. And still others see the term as interchangeable with ornamentation. While there have been recent and notable contributions to the architectural detail’s theorization, the longer history of its etymological evolution and changing meanings in practice has yet to be written. As a means of clarifying our contemporary understanding of the meaning of the practice of detailing, this study intends an overview of one piece of this proposed history, exploring the dynamic relation between architectural details and their delineation in 18th and 19th century France and the United Kingdom. The word “detail” stems from the French de tailler, meaning “to cut up into pieces”, which would evolve into the cognate detail by the 18th century. The term referred to the ‘cutting’ of architecture into a collection of significant fragments, a process accomplished primarily via drawing as a means of both development and communication. This practice, however, would be brought to bear on an increasingly complex collection of things as designers responded to the emergence of new social, disciplinary, and technological conditions by the mid-19th Century. From issues of fire-protection to prefabrication and the growing rift between architects and engineers, the stage would be set for the haze of our contemporary understanding of detail. By analyzing a collection of delineated details from a series of critical moments from the late 18th to mid 19th centuries, this paper seeks to give a conceptual account of the practice of detailing as derived from an understanding of its shifting meanings in the history architectural discourse and practice.
Cement Stabilized Fill for Conduit Support

A compacted sand and gravel fill, stabilized with cement, was used to provide an economical foundation under a portion of the outlet works conduit at Cochiti Dam in north central New Mexico. Based on results of tests a cement stabilized fill with a 28-day compressive strength of 1,000 psi was considered an adequate foundation for the conduit. The test results are presented herein.
Online Collective Action and the Role of Social Media in Mobilizing Opinions: A Case Study on Women’s Right-to-Drive Campaigns in Saudi Arabia

With the advent of advanced information and communication technologies (ICT), especially social media, new forms of collective actions (CAs) have emerged calling for reassessment of some aspects of traditional CA theories. However, regardless of the prominent role of social media platforms in various movements, there is a scarcity of online CA research. Existing computational studies focusing on capturing and mapping social media interactions and issues manage to identify the very manifestations of CA. These studies, unfortunately, rarely go beyond a mere descriptive tendency. We propose a methodology to gain deeper insights into online CA by analyzing issue propagation, influential community members’ roles, and the transcending nature of CA through individual, community, and transnational perspectives. The efficacy of the proposed model is demonstrated by a case study of the Saudi women campaigns on the ban of driving, including data from the 2008 Wajeha al-Huwaider’s driving campaigns and the 2011 ‘Women2Drive’ campaign observed on various social media sites. As conceptualized, utilized, and illustrated in this case study, our proposed methodology highlights several key contributions to the fundamental research on online CAs as well as computational studies on social media in general. We offer: a new framework to understand the evolution and diffusion of issues in online CA networks; a new approach focusing on the formation of issues providing a rigorous model; and, ultimately, a new understanding of the relationship between online CAs and the rapidly changing online environment.
Transverse liquid fuel jet breakup, burning, and ignition

An analytical study of the breakup, burning, and ignition of liquid fuels injected transversely into a hot air stream is conducted. The non-reacting liquid jet breakup location is determined by the local sonic point criterion. Two models, one employing analysis of an elliptical jet cross-section and the other employing a two-dimensional blunt body to represent the transverse jet, were used for sonic point calculations. An auxiliary criterion based on surface tension stability is used as a separate means of determining the breakup location. For the reacting liquid jet problem, a diffusion flame supported by a one-step chemical reaction within the gaseous boundary layer is solved along the ellipse surface in subsonic cross flow. Typical flame structures and concentration profiles were calculated for various locations along the jet cross-section as a function of upstream Mach numbers. The integration reaction rate along the jet cross-section is used to predict ignition position, which is found to be situated near the stagnation point. While a multi-step reaction is needed to represent the ignition process more accurately, the present calculation does yield reasonable predictions concerning ignition along a curved surface.
Ecology of Predaceous Arthropods in Iowa Soybean Agroecosystems

An intensive sampling program was conducted during 1977 and 1978 in central Iowa to determine the faunal composition and seasonal occurrence of the predatory arthropod community in soybeans. Although a complex of more than 80 species was recorded, the majority of predators was infrequently collected. Orius insidiosus (Say), Nabis spp., and Araneida accounted for ca. 90% of the foliage-inhabiting fauna. Carabidae, Staphylinidae, and Formicidae were the most common litter-dwelling predators. Predator densities varied greatly in magnitude between years, but population trends were similar each season. In general, predators were most abundant during soybean podfill stages (R5 and R6). Phenological and density relationships between predatory arthropods and larval green cloverworms, Plathypena scabra (F.), indicated that predators contribute to larval mortality, particularly late in the season. However, predation alone is not sufficient to halt larval outbreaks that occur earlier in the season. Extensive predator surveys in 1978 showed that the faunal composition of predatory arthropod communities throughout Iowa was similar to the complex observed in central Iowa.
Immunohistochemistry of estrogen receptor protein in paraffin sections. Effects of enzymatic pretreatment and cobalt chloride intensification.

Monoclonal antibodies provide important tools for the demonstration of estrogen receptors (ERs) in cases of breast cancer. This study reports an improved immunohistochemical method for the demonstration of ER in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples using the Abbott monoclonal antibody to ER protein. Tissue sections were pretreated briefly with trypsin, followed by DNase before the performance of the immunohistochemical reaction and cobalt chloride was used to intensify the color of the diaminobenzidine reaction product. In 20 cases, the results in paraffin sections were compared with biochemical assays with the dextrancoated charcoal technique or with immunohistochemistry performed on frozen sections. There was an excellent correlation between the results obtained with all three methods. The introduction of cobalt chloride into the chromogen solution significantly increased the sensitivity of this approach as com-pared with the use of diaminobenzidine alone.
C-reactive protein as a mediator in the lysis of human erythrocytes sensitized by brown recluse spider venom.

AbstractHemolytic reactions, frequently associated with envenomization by the brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa, are poorly understood. Using an in vitro model some fundamental observations on venom-induced hemolysis have been characterized which indicate that C-reactive protein could be a mediator in the natural toxic process. Washed human type O erythrocytes, when added to small amounts of brown recluse spider venom, show no direct lysis; however, when added to normal fresh, blood group-compatible adult human serum, these venom-sensitized cells are destroyed. The ability to lyse cells is complement dependent, but individual sera show quantitative differences which are not related to the levels of functional complement. Fresh human cord sera contain adequate levels of complement but are unable to lyse venom-sensitized erythrocytes. Experiments were done in which reactive fresh adult human serum was immunoabsorbed with specific rabbit antibodies to human C-reactive protein. This absorbed human seru...
Gene Signature in Sessile Serrated Polyps Identifies Colon Cancer Subtype

Sessile serrated colon adenoma/polyps (SSA/P) are found during routine screening colonoscopy and may account for 20% to 30% of colon cancers. However, differentiating SSA/Ps from hyperplastic polyps (HP) with little risk of cancer is challenging and complementary molecular markers are needed. In addition, the molecular mechanisms of colon cancer development from SSA/Ps are poorly understood. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed on 21 SSA/Ps, 10 HPs, 10 adenomas, 21 uninvolved colon, and 20 control colon specimens. Differential expression and leave-one-out cross-validation methods were used to define a unique gene signature of SSA/Ps. Our SSA/P gene signature was evaluated in colon cancer RNA-Seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify a subtype of colon cancers that may develop from SSA/Ps. A total of 1,422 differentially expressed genes were found in SSA/Ps relative to controls. Serrated polyposis syndrome (n = 12) and sporadic SSA/Ps (n = 9) exhibited almost complete (96%) gene overlap. A 51-gene panel in SSA/P showed similar expression in a subset of TCGA colon cancers with high microsatellite instability. A smaller 7-gene panel showed high sensitivity and specificity in identifying BRAF-mutant, CpG island methylator phenotype high, and MLH1-silenced colon cancers. We describe a unique gene signature in SSA/Ps that identifies a subset of colon cancers likely to develop through the serrated pathway. These gene panels may be utilized for improved differentiation of SSA/Ps from HPs and provide insights into novel molecular pathways altered in colon cancer arising from the serrated pathway. Cancer Prev Res; 9(6); 456-65. ©2016 AACR.
The Rise and Decline of ArabuTamil Language for Tamil Muslims

The Arab Muslim Traders and the native Tamil converts to Islam in Tamilnadu state of India and Sri Lanka came into closer contact as a result of their commercial activities. They were bound by a common religion, but separated by two different languages They felt the necessity for a link-language. They started to write Tamil in an adapted Arabic script called Arabu-Tamil. The Arabu-Tamil or Arwi script represents the Tamil language using an Arabic style of scripts. From eighth century to nineteenth century, this language enjoyed its popularity among Tamil speaking Muslims of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The valuable and useful ideas of Tamil Muslim minds were conveyed in Arabicized Tamil called Arabu-Tamil. It rendered a most useful service for the advancement and progress of Arab and Tamil cultures. However, the beginning of the twentieth century saw the decline of Arwi language. And no step was taken to arrest this decline. The study analyses its rise and decline as a language of Tamil Muslims. IIUC Studies Vol.10 & 11 December 2014: 263-282
Working Group on Virtual Data Integration

This report is the outcome of a workshop commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD) to examine current and future data infrastructure requirements foundational for achieving CESD scientific mission goals in advancing a robust, predictive understanding of Earth’s climate and environmental systems. Over the past several years, data volumes in CESD disciplines have risen sharply to unprecedented levels (tens of petabytes). Moreover, the complexity and diversity of this research data— including simulations, observations, and reanalysis— have grown significantly, posing new challenges for data capture, storage, verification, analysis, and integration. With the trends of increased data volume (in the hundreds of petabytes), more complex analysis processes, and growing cross-disciplinary collaborations, it is timely to investigate whether the CESD community has the computational and data support needed to fully realize the scientific potential of its data collections. In recognition of the challenges, a partnership is forming across CESD and among national and international agencies to examine the viability of creating an integrated, collaborative data infrastructure: a Virtual Laboratory. The overarching goal of this report is to identify the community’s key data technology requirements and high-priority development needs for sustaining and growing its scientific discovery potential.more » The report also aims to map these requirements to existing solutions and to identify gaps in current services, tools, and infrastructure that will need to be addressed in the short, medium, and long term to advance scientific progress.« less
Pseudoborings in petrified wood from the Yellowstone "fossil forests"

Some Eocene silicified wood from the Yellowstone "fossil forests" is riddled with small diameter holes previously presumed to have been excavated by wood-boring insects. The holes occur only near the surface of the wood with light brown elongate, solid cylinders, at first thought to be frass-filled channels, occurring in the interior. Thin section analysis reveals isolated groups of calcified cells in otherwise silicified wood. Recent differential weathering of calcite with respect to silica produced the holes or pseudoborings on exposed surfaces. The apparent replacement of calcite by silica and the excellent preservation of fine structures may bear on proposed Tertiary climatic changes and rate of petrification.
An Accurate On-line Monitoring Method of the Exhaust Steam Dryness Based on Discriminant Criteria of the Flow Patterns

With the development of information and computer technology,it is possible to monitor and analyze on-line features of large steam turbine-generator units.The energy consumption rate and the exhaust steam dryness are two important indices.Base on the analyses of those existed calculation methods for turbine varying condition,we give a sequential varying condition calculation that starts with steam extraction of the final stage or the second final stage(superheated steam condition).According to the initially assumed final stage flow,and the thermodynamic parameters before the final stage,also the backpressure,we can distinguish the flow patterns of the stage by a discriminant criteria.Then we can conduct a stage varying condition calculation of primary stage in sequence from the front final stage parameter,so the new exhaust steam enthalpy and the exhaust steam dryness can be got.So the precise energy consumption rate and the exhaust enthalpy(or the dryness) can be got easily.Obviously,without measuring the flow or the dryness,we can accurately monitor the on-line energy consumption rate and the dryness of the units.
Resource requirements for transgenic livestock research

Transgenic research usually involves a large investment in carrying out a series of low-efficiency steps to produce a few transgenic founder animals, and then characterizing a transgenic line of animals derived from each founder. There is considerable variation in phenotype among transgenic lines made with the same DNA construct. In the case of livestock species, to produce one founder animal that expresses a transgene typically requires injection of DNA into hundreds of embryos, which then are transferred to reproductive tracts of recipients for gestation to term. To reduce costs, embryos sometimes are screened by analysis of a biopsy using the polymerase chain reaction, and only those with the transgene are transferred. Characterizing a transgenic line often is a greater logistical undertaking than making the transgenic founder. Ideally, animals should be evaluated for the transgenic trait as well as for absence of undesirable side effects in both sexes in both the hemizygous and homozygous transgenic states. Producing homozygous transgenic animals requires mating relatives, resulting in inbreeding. Characterization of transgenic lines takes many years in species with long generation intervals; the whole process is much less costly in litter-bearing species. Because of safety and efficacy issues, characterizing transgenic lines for agricultural production purposes will be more demanding than characterizing them for research purposes. At a minimum, three broad areas of expertise are required for successful transgenic projects: molecular biology, embryo micromanipulation/reproductive physiology, and knowledge of the biology of the tissues/systems affected by the transgene. Facilities, including surgical suites for most projects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Autonomic neuropathy and the genitourinary system.

AbstractAutonomic and pudendal neuropathies are frequent and neglected diseases affecting the genitourinary system. In the initial stages they frequently are asymptomatic. Autonomic neuropathy is seen in association with peripheral neuropathy in a wide range of metabolic diseases, including diabetes mellitus. Diagnosis can only be made directly by electrophysiologie methods. Treatment is based upon an adequate laboratory study of genitourinary function.
Abstract IA07: Multiple myeloma as a model of bone metastasis.

The process of cell metastasis is characterized by a multistep process, the invasion-metastasis cascade. This involves cell invasion, intravasation into nearby blood vessels, passage into the circulation, followed by homing into predetermined distant tissues, the formation of new foci of micrometastases, and finally the growth of micrometastasis into macroscopic tumors. Multiple myeloma (MM) represents one of the best models to examine bone metastasis as it is characterized by the presence of multiple myelomatous “omas” throughout the skeleton, indicating that there is continuous trafficking of tumor cells to multiple areas in the bone marrow niches. We will examine intrinsic factors of clonal heterogeneity that mediate cell dissemination, as well as factors present in the bone marrow niche that are permissive for oncogenic proliferation. In addition, we will discuss advances that have been discovered in the complex process of invasion-metastasis in MM, and potential therapeutic agents that target the different steps of cell dissemination and progression. Citation Format: Irene Ghobrial. Multiple myeloma as a model of bone metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(17 Suppl):Abstract nr IA07.
Exploring relationships between Dairy Herd Improvement monitors of performance and the Transition Cow Index in Wisconsin dairy herds

Transition cow management has been tracked via the Transition Cow Index (TCI; AgSource Cooperative Services, Verona, WI) since 2006. Transition Cow Index was developed to measure the difference between actual and predicted milk yield at first test day to evaluate the relative success of the transition period program. This project aimed to assess TCI in relation to all commonly used Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) metrics available through AgSource Cooperative Services. Regression analysis was used to isolate variables that were relevant to TCI, and then principal components analysis and network analysis were used to determine the relative strength and relatedness among variables. Finally, cluster analysis was used to segregate herds based on similarity of relevant variables. The DHI data were obtained from 2,131 Wisconsin dairy herds with test-day mean ≥30 cows, which were tested ≥10 times throughout the 2014 calendar year. The original list of 940 DHI variables was reduced through expert-driven selection and regression analysis to 23 variables. The K-means cluster analysis produced 5 distinct clusters. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the 23 variables per cluster grouping. Using principal components analysis, cluster analysis, and network analysis, 4 parameters were isolated as most relevant to TCI; these were energy-corrected milk, 3 measures of intramammary infection (dry cow cure rate, linear somatic cell count score in primiparous cows, and new infection rate), peak ratio, and days in milk at peak milk production. These variables together with cow and newborn calf survival measures form a group of metrics that can be used to assist in the evaluation of overall transition period performance.
Contemporary perspectives and the functioning of trace

The notion of trace has taken on a central role in contemporary philosophy and religious thought, bringing it to the fore in the understanding of both the living present and language. Traces are constitutive of signs in the same way that the protentions and retentions as traces are constitutive of the living present. And the different understandings by various thinkers of the role of traces in the living present demand different understandings of the role of trace in signs. Thus Derrida’s view of trace in relation to the living present and to sign will be found to differ essentially from the shared view presented by Mead’s pragmatic and Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological perspective, in accordance with their different understandings of the constitution of the living present. In clarifying this relation, however, it will prove beneficial for the sake of clarity to procede, at least initially, from trace in signs to trace in the living present which governs the former.
Building a More Diverse Workforce in HIV/AIDS Research: The Time has Come.

Investigators from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are grossly underrepresented in the nation’s biomedical research enterprise. Projections of current demographic trends suggest that population growth rates of minority populations will outpace that of the Caucasian population by 2060. Thus, this workforce will remain a poor reflection of the U.S. population. As a result of this underrepresentation of all sectors of the U.S. populace, the majority of the HIV research involving minority populations—those disproportionately impacted by HIV infection—will be conducted by investigators who do not resemble them. Although this does not necessarily preclude scientifically valid and important research, it produces research without the important cultural and contextual issues that can enhance the utility and generalizability of specific findings or interventions. The goal of this review is to not only raise awareness of the small numbers of minority investigators engaged in biomedical research, but also to identify the challenges to recruiting and retaining these investigators. In this article, while we discuss issues of diversity in general, the focus will be upon the mental health aspects of the HIV epidemic for illustrative purposes: to demonstrate the issues associated with enhancing investigator diversity as a strategy for remediating the chronic shortage of historically underrepresented investigators in scientific research. After presenting the magnitude of the problem and a rationale for enhancing diversity of the biomedical research workforce, we identify a number of potential reasons and challenges for the shortage of minority investigators. Aspects of the mentoring process, together with ten key suggestions, are discussed as the backdrop for the supplement papers that follow (dealing with mentoring principles, challenges, and mentoring-related issues on mentee, mentor, mentee-mentor relationship, and programs). By identifying these realities we hope to: (1) promote greater discussions of these challenges in academic institutions and settings; (2) suggest meaningful strategies to address these challenges; and (3) foster a national discussion about the long-term investment necessary for permanent change, as there are no easy ‘fixes’ for these challenges.
Early Detection of Cerebral Palsy

An Early Motor Pattern Profile (EMPP), consisting of 15 tests of muscle tone, reflexes, and movement, organized in a standardized format, was used to identify children with cerebral palsy (CP) in the first year of life at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine at Peoria.
TDOA Positioning Irrespective of Source Range

TDOA localization requires the knowledge if the source is in the near-field or far-field, for the purpose to decide using the curved wavefront model that enables point positioning or the linear wavefront model that provides only the DOA. Such prior knowledge is often not available in practice. The far-field model can cause a considerable amount of DOA bias if the source is not sufficiently distant from the sensor array. This paper proposes a unified model to locate a source irrespective of whether it is in the near field, the far field or in between. The proposed model represents the source location by the direction and the inverse-range. It yields the unique coordinate if the source is near or the DOA if it is distant. We developed the Maximumm Likelihood Estimator for the proposed model through the Gauss–Newton iteration and semidefinite relaxation. We analyze the proposed model using the Hybrid Bhattacharyya–Barankin bound and show that the proposed model does not have the thresholding effect as the source range increases, validating that there is no need to resort to the far-field model even if the source range is large. We also perform bias analysis and elaborate a benefit of the proposed approach in reducing the DOA bias as compared to the far-field model.