cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fetal tay-sachs disease brain cells in culture: lack of turnover in [14C]glucosamine-labeled GM2

Abstract The glycosphingolipids in a cultured cell strain derived from Tay-Sachs disease fetal cerebellum were pulse-labeled with radioactive [ 14 C]glucosamine. The turnover of individual gangliosides in the cells were followed during a 10 day period. All of the gangliosides except G M2 had a buildup of counts which peaked between 24 and 96 h, then decreased. In contrast, the counts incorporated into G M2 did not decrease during the entire course of the experiment. The lack of turnover in G M2 ganglioside provides support for the use of these cultured brain cells as a model for Tay-Sachs disease.
Lack of an Effect of Age on β-Adrenoceptor—Mediated Lipolysis in Isolated Human Adipocytes

We examined the effect of age on the beta-adrenoceptor response in adipocytes that contain both beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptors. Twelve healthy young and 12 old subjects on a 150 mEq/24 h sodium diet underwent gluteal fat biopsies. Isolated adipocytes from all the subjects were stimulated with increasing concentrations of isoproterenol for glycerol release. In 13 of the subjects (7 young and 6 old), we also performed beta-adrenoceptor binding studies on adipocyte membranes. In addition in eight subjects (four young and four old), we also utilized a competitive binding assay to calculate the percent of beta-adrenoceptors that were of the beta 1 subtype. Our data showed that old subjects, when treated under identical conditions as the young subjects prior to fat biopsy, did not demonstrate any differences in the beta-adrenoceptor stimulated lipolysis. The Vmax of lipolysis was 10.6 +/- 1.4 nmoles glycerol/mg lipid/2 h in the young group and 9.9 +/- 1.1 in the old group. The concentrations of isoproterenol that resulted in Vmax and 1/2 Vmax were also the same in the two age groups. The addition of 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine (CPT), a specific A1-adenosine receptor antagonist, resulted in mild but equivalent enhancement of glycerol release in both age groups. The beta-adrenoceptor numbers and affinities from adipocyte membranes did not demonstrate age-related differences either (Bmax 106 +/- 17 fmol/mg of protein in the young, and 137 +/- 27 in the old; Kd 79.6 +/- 21.3 pM in the young and 81.9 +/- 16.6 in the old). The percent of beta 1-adrenoceptors on the adipocyte membranes was also similar in the two age groups (35.2 +/- 2.6% in the young; 37.1 +/- 4.5% in the old). In conclusion, we could not demonstrate any differences in the beta-adrenoceptor responses from peripheral adipocytes that contain both beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptors, in a group of healthy elderly and young subjects who were subjected to identical dietary and orthostatic conditions prior to the biopsy. These data suggest that neither beta 1- nor beta 2-adrenoceptor responses in human adipocytes show significant changes due to aging.
QeDB: A Quality-Aware Embedded Real-Time Database

QeDB is a database for data-intensive real-time applications running on flash memory-based embedded systems.Currently, databases for embedded systems are best effort,providing no guarantees on its timeliness and data freshness. Moreover, the existing real-time database (RTDB) technology can not be applied to these embedded databases since they hypothesize that the main memory of a system is large enough to hold all database, which can not be true in data-intensive real-time applications. QeDB uses a novel feedback control scheme to support QoS in such embedded systems without requiring all data to reside in main memory.In particular, our approach is based on simultaneous control of both I/O and CPU resource to guarantee the desired timeliness. Unlike existing work on feedback control of RTDB performance, we actually implement and evaluate the proposed scheme in a modern embedded system.The experimental results show that our approach supports the desired timeliness of transactions while still maintaining high data freshness compared to baseline approaches.
Shedding patterns of Daubaylia potomaca (Nematoda: Rhabditida).

Abstract: Daubaylia potomaca is a nematode parasite that exhibits an unusual direct life cycle in planorbid snails in which adult females are the infective stage, after being shed from a definitive host. The present study examined the shedding patterns of this nematode to determine what cues or mechanisms might lead to the parasite leaving its host. A correlation was found between host death and the frequency and number of D. potomaca shed, suggesting that the nematodes can detect that the host is dying and may leave in search of a new host. Furthermore, elevated intensities of D. potomaca in the snail induce shedding earlier, suggesting that competition for space and resources may also play a role in the shedding patterns of the nematode, but not when time to death is controlled. Finally, nematodes shed a longer time before host death were significantly longer and more likely to be gravid than those shed as time to snail death approached, implying that the nematode reaching maturity or being inseminated...
Physiological regulation of G protein-linked signaling.

Heterotrimeric G proteins in vertebrates constitute a family molecular switches that transduce the activation of a populous group of cell-surface receptors to a group of diverse effector units. The...
Effects of different vaccine combinations against Mycoplasma gallisepticum on blood characteristics in commercial layer chickens

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a major and economically significant pathogen of avian species. When administered before lay, F-strain MG (FMG) can reduce egg production during lay, but the ts-11 strain of MG (ts11MG) does not exert this effect. Two trials were conducted to determine the effects of pre-lay vaccinations of ts11MG, MG-Bacterin (MGBac), or their combination, in conjunction with an FMG challenge overlay after peak production on the blood characteristics of commercial layers. In each trial, 160 mycoplasma-free Hy-Line W-36 layers were housed in negative-pressure biological isolation units (4 units per treatment, 10 birds per unit) from 9 through 52 wk of age (woa). The following vaccination treatments were administered at 10 woa: 1) Control (no vaccinations); 2) MGBac; 3) ts11MG; and 4) ts11MG and MGBac combination (ts11MG+MGBac). At 45 woa, half of the birds were challenged with a laboratory stock of high-passage FMG. Parameters measured in both trials were whole-blood hematocrit and serum concentrations of cholesterol (SCHOL), triglycerides, calcium, and total protein (STP). An age×treatment interaction (P=0.04) was observed for STP between 23 and 43 woa. The STP concentration in the ts11MG and ts11MG+MGBac groups was higher at 33 woa, but was lower at 43 woa, in comparison to the Control group. Also, at 38 woa, the STP of the ts11MG+MGBac group was higher than that of the MGBac group. Although use of the ts11MG vaccine alone or in combination with MGBac may influence circulating STP concentrations when administered before lay, it remains effective in protecting layers against the adverse effect of a post-peak challenge of FMG on egg production, as was observed in a previous companion study.
Steady-state stacking in agarose at various pH

The applicability of multiphasic buffer systems to electroendosmosis-free agarose (IsoGel) was tested in order to be able to combine the benefits of agarose gel electrophoresis with those of steady-state stacking. It was found that buffer systems of a negative polarity function normally over the entire pH range, whereas proteins with positive net charge are retarded at the gel surface in buffer systems with positive polarity. This retardation is not due to a failure to establish a moving boundary in agarose. Rather, it appears due to a negatively charged weakly acidic functional group in agarose which can be removed from agarose by pre-electrophoresis at 0.1 M ionic strength. After its removal positively charged proteins also stack normally in multiphasic buffer systems of the positive polarity.
Assessing Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities on Academic Content

Federal and state policies require all students with significant cognitive disabilities to participate in state assessments and be included in measures of adequate yearly progress. Although these alternate assessments of grade-level content based on alternate achievement standards have been in place for several years, little is known about the knowledge and skills of students with significant cognitive disabilities or about the influence of these assessments on student learning. This study uses an empirically evaluated classification scheme of data from one cohort of students’ participation in a statewide alternate assessment, Connecticut’s Skills Checklist, to validate claims from teacher focus group interviews. Data from both components of the study suggest that nearly half of the teachers found the content on the Skills Checklist inaccessible for their students. Implications of this finding are discussed.
Structural heat treatment for disinfesting insect pests in food-processing facilities

Purpose of the review: This review describes methods for successful application of heat treatment to manage stored-product insect pests in food-processing facilities and distinguishes between structural and commodity heat treatments. It also discusses stage-specific susceptibility of insects to elevated temperatures, effects of elevated temperatures on insect development, survival and reproduction, and mechanisms of heat tolerance. Further, the review identifies many research needs in this area. The information and useful citations presented in this review provide substantial knowledge about structural heat treatments. Findings and limitations: Methyl bromide, a fumigant traditionally used as a space fumigant for insect management, is an ozone depleter that has been phased out in the USA and elsewhere. The use of elevated temperatures, or heat treatment, is gaining popularity as a methyl bromide alternative. Heat treatment involves raising the ambient temperature of a facility to 50–60 o C and holding these temperatures for 24–36 h. The major challenge with heat treatment is non-uniform distribution of the heated air caused by temperatures stratifying both horizontally and vertically within the heated facility. Thus, some portions of the facility may be over-heated (>60 o C), resulting in inefficient use of the generated heat, whereas other portions may be under-heated (<50 o C), resulting in survival of the tar
Sequentially Enhanced Electrokinetic Remediation of Heavy Metals in Low Buffering Clayey Soils

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation undertaken to evaluate different purging solutions to enhance the removal of multiple heavy metals, particularly chromium, nickel, and cadmium, from a low buffering clay, specifically kaolin, during electrokinetic remediation. Experiments were conducted on kaolin spiked with Cr~VI! ,N i~II!, and Cd~II! in concentrations of 1,000, 500, and 250 mg/kg, respectively, which simulate typical electroplating waste contamination. A total of five different tests were performed to investigate the effect of different electrode purging solutions on the electrokinetic remedial efficiency. A constant DC voltage gradient of 1 V/cm was applied for all the tests. The removal of heavy metals from the soil using tap water as the purging solution was very low. When 1 M acetic acid was used as the purging solution in the cathode, the removal of chromium, nickel, and cadmium was increased to 20, 19, and 13%, respectively. Using 0.1 M ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid as the purging solution in the cathode, 83% of the initial Cr was removed; however, the nickel and cadmium removal was very low. A sequentially enhanced electrokinetic remediation approach involving the use of water as a purging solution at both the anode and cathode initially, followed by the use of acetic acid as the cathode purging solution and a NaOH alkaline solution as the anode purging solution was tested. This sequential approach resulted in a maximum removal of chromium, nickel, and cadmium of 68 -71, 71-73, and 87-94%, respectively. This study shows that the sequential use of appropriate electrode purging solutions, rather than a single electrode purging solution, is necessary to remediate multiple heavy metals in soils using electrokinetics.
Efficient Neutralization of Antibody-Resistant Forms of Anthrax Toxin by a Soluble Receptor Decoy Inhibitor

A soluble receptor decoy inhibitor (RDI), comprised of the extracellular I domain of ANTXR2, is a candidate anthrax therapeutic. Here we show that RDI can effectively neutralize altered forms of the protective antigen toxin subunit that are resistant to 14B7 monoclonal antibody neutralization. These data highlight the potential of RDI to act as an adjunct to existing antibody-based therapies and indicate that inhibitors based on RDI might be useful as a stand-alone treatment against specifically engineered strains of Bacillus anthracis.
Critical Review of Mouse Models of Venous Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are a significant health care concern, representing a major source of mortality and morbidity. In order to understand the pathophysiology of thrombogenesis and thrombus resolution, animal models are necessary. Mouse models of venous thrombosis contribute to our understanding of the initiation, propagation, and resolution of venous thrombus, as well as allow for the evaluation of new pharmaceutical approaches to prophylaxis and treatment of deep vein thrombosis. In this work we review the ferric chloride model, the inferior vena cava ligation model, the inferior vena cava stenosis models, and the electrolytic inferior vena cava model and compare their advantages and disadvantages.
Bare Particulars and Constituent Ontology

My general aim in this paper is to shed light on the controversial concept of a bare particular. I do so by arguing that bare particulars are best understood in terms of the individuative work they do within the framework of a realist constituent ontology. I argue that outside such a framework, it is not clear that the notion of a bare particular is either motivated or coherent. This is suggested by reflection on standard objections to bare particulars. However, within the framework of a realist constituent ontology, bare particulars provide for a coherent theory of individuation—one with a potentially significant theoretical price tag, but one that also has advantages over rival theories.
Modeling Relationships in Clinical Research Using Path Analysis Part I: An Overview of the Process

Marjorie A. Pett and Margaret F. Clayton Column Editor: Lauren Clark Scientific Inquiry provides a forum to facilitate the ongoing process of questioning and evaluating practice, presents informed practice based on available data, and innovates new practices through research and experimental learning.
The Radio Refractive Index of Air

This is a tutorial paper. The derivation of the classical Debye expression for the radio refractive index is reviewed. Recent determinations of the constants in this expression are reviewed and the conclusion reached that differences between constants are small compared with the error in using standard meteorological data in the formula. The various transformations of refractive index data are discussed as a natural result of the model assumed for its height distribution. The effect of the use of the various units is illustrated by examples drawn from radio climatology and the refraction of radio waves.
LINKING PARAMETER ESTIMATES DERIVED FROM AN ITEM RESPONSE MODEL THROUGH SEPARATE CALIBRATIONS

A regression procedure is developed to link simultaneously a very large number of item response theory (IRT) parameter estimates obtained from a large number of test forms, where each form has been separately calibrated and where forms can be linked on a pairwise basis by means of common items. An application is made to forms in which a two-parameter logistic model is applied to dichotomous items and a general partial credit model is applied to polytomous items.
Extending the analysis of nicotinic receptor antagonists with the study of α6 nicotinic receptor subunit chimeras

Abstract Heterologous expression systems have increased the feasibility of developing selective ligands to target nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes. However, the α6 subunit, a component in nAChRs that mediates some of the reinforcing effects of nicotine, is not easily expressed in systems such as the Xenopus oocyte. Certain aspects of α6-containing receptor pharmacology have been studied by using chimeric subunits containing the α6 ligand-binding domain. However, these chimeras would not be sensitive to an α6-selective channel blocker; therefore we developed an α6 chimera (α4/6) that has the transmembrane and intracellular domains of α6 and the extracellular domain of α4. We examined the pharmacological properties of α4/6-containing receptors and other important nAChR subtypes, including α7, α4β2, α4β4, α3β4, α3β2, and α3β2β3, as well as receptors containing α6/3 and α6/4 chimeras. Our data show that the absence or presence of the β4 subunit is an important factor for sensitivity to the ganglionic blocker mecamylamine, and that dihydro-β-erythroidine is most effective on subtypes containing the α4 subunit extracellular domain. Receptors containing the α6/4 subunit are sensitive to α-conotoxin PIA, while receptors containing the reciprocal α4/6 chimera are insensitive. In experiments with novel antagonists of nicotine-evoked dopamine release, the α4/6 chimera indicated that structural rigidity was a key element of compounds that could result in selectivity for noncompetitive inhibition of α6-containing receptors. Our data extend the information available on prototypical nAChR antagonists, and establish the α4/6 chimera as a useful new tool for screening drugs as selective nAChR antagonists.
Psychological dimensions of global environmental change.

WHAT IS GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 270 The Place of P sychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 THE HUMAN CAUSES OF GLOBAL CHANGE.... 274 Identifying the Important Proximate Causes.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 274 E xpla ining the P ro ximate Causes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 276 Areas o f Psycholog ica l Research . .. . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . ... .. . . . . . . . 279 HUMAN CONSEQUENCES OF AND RESPONSES TO GLOBAL CHANGE......... 287 The Ra ng e of C onsequ ences and Re sp onses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 28 7 Area s of P sychological Re sea rch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 MAJOR RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES 295
The Role of Moral Philosophies, Operational Criteria and Operational Strategies in Determining Equitable Allocation of Resources for Leisure Services in the United States

Abstract This paper revises an earlier taxonomy of equity models that was published in this journal in 1988. This revised taxonomy consists of three elements. First, it extends the original taxonomy by proposing a set of moral philosophies, positioning them as antecedents of the operational strategies that determine equity outcomes. Six are identified: Rawlsian, egalitarianism, benefit principle, utilitarianism, libertarianism and paternal professionalism. It is suggested that communitarianism offers a philosophical basis for reconciling some of the antithetical perspectives embedded in these six moral philosophies. A second element in the taxonomy suggests the operational criterion flowing from each of the moral philosophies when it is adapted as the basis for policy decisions regarding the allocation of resources to leisure services. The third element identifies 14 operational strategies that determine equity outcomes. Their linkage to operational criteria and moral philosophies is shown. Potential equi...
On the design of Chant: a talking threads package

Lightweight threads are becoming increasingly useful for supporting parallelism and asynchronous control structures in applications and language implementations. However, lightweight thread packages for distributed memory systems have received little attention. In this paper, we introduce the design of a runtime interface, called Chant, that supports communicating threads in a distributed memory environment. In particular, Chant is layered atop standard message passing and lightweight thread libraries, and supports efficient point-to-point and remote service request communication primitives. We examine the design issues of Chant, the efficiency of its point-to-point communication layer, and the evaluation of scheduling policies to poll for the presence of incoming messages.
Whole exome analysis identifies dominant COL4A1 mutations in patients with complex ocular phenotypes involving microphthalmia.

Anophthalmia/microphthalmia (A/M) is a developmental ocular malformation defined as complete absence or reduction in size of the eye. A/M is a heterogenous disorder with numerous causative genes identified; however, about half the cases lack a molecular diagnosis. We undertook whole exome sequencing in an A/M family with two affected siblings, two unaffected siblings, and unaffected parents; the ocular phenotype was isolated with only mild developmental delay/learning difficulties reported and a normal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the proband at 16 months. No pathogenic mutations were identified in 71 known A/M genes. Further analysis identified a shared heterozygous mutation in COL4A1, c.2317G>A, p.(Gly773Arg) that was not seen in the unaffected parents and siblings. Analysis of 24 unrelated A/M exomes identified a novel c.2122G>A, p.(Gly708Arg) mutation in an additional patient with unilateral microphthalmia, bilateral microcornea and Peters anomaly; the mutation was absent in the unaffected mother and the unaffected father was not available. Mutations in COL4A1 have been linked to a spectrum of human disorders; the most consistent feature is cerebrovascular disease with variable ocular anomalies, kidney and muscle defects. This study expands the spectrum of COL4A1 phenotypes and indicates screening in patients with A/M regardless of MRI findings or presumed inheritance pattern.
A placebo-controlled screening trial of tiagabine, sertraline and donepezil as cocaine dependence treatments.

Aims To conduct a preliminary evaluation of the safety and efficacy of tiagabine, sertraline or donepezil versus an unmatched placebo control as a treatment for cocaine dependence. Design A 10-week out-patient study was conducted using the Cocaine Rapid Efficacy and Safety Trial (CREST) study design. Setting This study was conducted at the Cincinnati Medication Development Research Unit (MDRU) and at an affiliated site in Dayton, Ohio. Participants Participants met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV (DSM-IV) criteria for cocaine dependence. Sixty-seven participants were enrolled with 55 completing final study measures. Intervention The targeted daily doses of medication were tiagabine 20 mg, sertraline 100 mg and donepezil 10 mg. All participants received 1 hour of manualized individual cognitive behavioral therapy on a weekly basis. Measurements Primary outcome measures of efficacy included urine benzoylecgonine (BE) level, Cocaine Clinical Global Impression Scale–Observer and self-report of cocaine use. Safety measures included adverse events, ECGs, vital signs and laboratory tests. Findings Subjective measures of cocaine dependence indicated significant improvement for all study groups. Generalized estimating equations analysis indicated that the tiagabine group showed a trend toward a significant decrease in urine BE level from baseline to weeks 5–8 (P = 0.10) and non-significant changes for the other study groups. No pattern of physical or laboratory abnormalities attributable to treatment with any of the medications was identified. There were three serious adverse events reported, none of which were related to study procedures. Conclusions The present findings suggest that tiagabine may be worthy of further study as a cocaine dependence treatment.
Detection models for radar ground targets

Models are presented for ground targets detected by a high resolution airborne radar. Results of the modeling of some simple scatterers are presented, along with chi-square approximations to these models. Simple stabilized targets are modeled with 0.6 to 0.8 duo degrees of freedom (K). Targets with unknown rotation are modeled with K of about 0.3. The effect of cell straddling is quantified and found to be about 1.3 dB loss for one dimension and 2.8 dB loss for two dimensions. The effect of these models on detection performance is discussed. >
Disillusionment in Cohabiting and Married Couples: A National Study

Using a national sample of married (N = 752) and cohabiting (N = 323) couples, we examined the association between disillusionment and self-perceived breakup likelihood. Because disillusionment had not previously been studied in cohabiting couples, its extent and consequences for them were not known. We found considerable disillusionment in cohabiters, their mean level exceeding that of married couples. Based on a conceptual model of relationship change, we tested further whether disillusionment would predict self-perceived breakup likelihood, controlling for relationship satisfaction, commitment, and length. Furthermore, based on assumptions about barriers to leaving different types of relationships, we examined whether disillusionment’s association with breakup likelihood would be stronger in cohabiting than married couples. Results supported disillusionment’s ability to predict perceived breakup likelihood, even with rigorous controls, and the greater strength of this association in cohabiters. In addi...
Endangered species interactions suggest a role for personality and behavioral syndromes in conservation efforts

Conservation efforts should consider many aspects of the endangered species’ life history and behavioral ecology. Additionally, when multiple endangered species interact, those relationships must also be considered when exploring recovery plans for either or both species. In our continued efforts to conserve the critically endangered Leon Springs pupfish (Cyprinodon bovinus), we explored consistency in aggression toward the endangered sympatric Pecos gambusia (Gambusia nobilis), that attempt to prey upon pupfish eggs during spawnings. We repeatedly observed 13 territorial male pupfish and measured individual aggression, focusing on defensive chases against gambusia and interactions with other pupfish. Short-distance chases at gambusia and chases of territorial neighbors were significantly repeatable, indicating that pupfish show behavioral consistency, or “personality”. Moreover, male pupfish that gave more short chases to gambusia experienced higher spawning success. Together, these data suggest that per...
A Review of “Intimacy After Infidelity: How to Rebuild & Affair-Proof Your Marriage”

Intimacy After Infidelity uses an emotion-focused approach to help victims of infidelity overcome the aftermath of an affair. Solomon and Teagno focus on improving individuals' quality of life as w...
The Spectrum of the Laplacian for Domains in Hyperbolic Space and Limit Sets of Kleinian Groups

This is a report on a joint paper with Peter Sarnak [5] on the properties of the spectrum of the Laplacian, with free boundary conditions, for domains of infinite volume in hyperbolic space. We are mainly concerned with the discrete part of the spectrum, its existence or nonexistence, and lower bounds for the bottom of the spectrum. Combining these results with those of Patterson [4] and Sullivan [6] yields new estimates for the Hausdorff dimension of the limit sets of Kleinian groups.
Geminin overexpression-dependent recruitment and crosstalk with mesenchymal stem cells enhance aggressiveness in triple negative breast cancers

// Suryatheja Ananthula 1 , Abhilasha Sinha 1 , Mohamed El Gassim 1 , Simran Batth 2 , Gailen D. Marshall Jr. 2 , Lauren H. Gardner 3 , Yoshiko Shimizu 4 , Wael M. ElShamy 1 1 Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA 2 Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA 3 Institute for Biogenesis Research, Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA 4 Clinical and Translational Research Program, Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA Correspondence to: Wael M. ElShamy, e-mail: welshamy@umc.edu Keywords: breast cancer, triple negative, geminin, c-Abl, HMGB1 Received: September 22, 2015 Accepted: February 16, 2016 Published: March 10, 2016 ABSTRACT Resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote cancer progression. However, pathways and mechanisms involved in recruiting MSCs into breast tumors remain largely undefined. Here we show that geminin-dependent acetylation releases HMGB1 from the chromatin to the cytoplasm and extracellular space. Extracellular acetylated HMGB1 (Ac-HMGB1) promotes geminin overexpressing (GemOE) cells survival by binding to RAGE and activating NF-κB signaling. Extracellular Ac-HMGB1 also triggers expression and activation of RAGE in the non-expressing MSCs. RAGE activation induces expression of CXCR4 in MSCs and directional migration towards SDF1 ( aka CXCL12)-expressing GemOE cells in vitro and in vivo . These effects augmented by the necrotic and hypoxic environment in GemOE tumors, especially within their cores. Reciprocal interactions between newly recruited MSCs and GemOE tumor cells elevate tumor-initiating (TIC), basal and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) traits and enhance aggressiveness in vitro and in vivo in GemOE tumor cells. Indeed, faster, larger and more aggressive tumors develop when GemOE cells are co-injected with MSCs in orthotopic breast tumor model. Concurrently, inhibiting c-Abl (and thus geminin function), RAGE or CXCR4 prevented MSCs recruitment to GemOE cells in vitro and in vivo , and decreased the TIC, basal and EMT phenotypes in these tumor cells. Accordingly, we propose that GemOE tumor cells present within tumor cores represent metastatic precursors, and suppressing the GemOE→HMGB1/RAGE→SDF1/CXCR4 signaling circuit could be a valid target for therapies to inhibit GemOE tumors and their metastases.
Localization of glycolytic and respiratory enzyme systems on isolated mouse brain mitochondria.

Summary1. Washed mouse brain mitochondria carried out the complete enzymic conversion of exogenous glucose to carbon dioxide and water. Glucolysis took place an-aerobically and aerobically, with the production of lactic acid. Under aerobic conditions glucose was oxidized by means of a malonate-sensitive cycle. The accumulation of lactic acid was correspondingly decreased. 2. In contrast, the supernatant carried out anaerobic and aerobic glucolysis, but not respiration of glucose. The submicroscopic particle fraction did not carry out the reactions of either system.
Simulations of Protein Aggregation: Insights from Atomistic and Coarse-Grained Models

This Perspective highlights recent computational approaches to protein aggregation, from coarse-grained models to atomistic simulations, using the islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) as a case study. We review salient open questions where simulations can make an impact, discuss the successes and challenges met by simulations, and explore new directions.
Ultrasound Analysis of the Normal Popliteal Artery

There have been few articles written describing the potential usefulness of ultrasonic examination of the popliteal artery.1–3 Since aneurysms of this vessel account for as many as 70% of all peripheral artery aneurysms4 and because they often go undetected until complications arise, we felt that there was a need for detailed analysis of the normal popliteal artery as well as popliteal artery aneurysms.
New Directions for Non-Profit Service Marketing: Case for Community Hospitals

Marketing concept is often a neglected idea in most of the community hospitals. A careful mix of marketing strategies may benefit all segments of patients in the community. To this end a swing-beds concept is developed providing opportunity for long-term care.
Age as a Moderator of Change Following Compensatory Cognitive Training in Individuals With Severe Mental Illnesses.

Objective This study explored whether age moderated cognitive, symptom, and functional changes over a 12-week compensatory cognitive training (CCT) intervention for participants with severe mental illnesses. CCT focused on the cognitive domains of attention, learning, prospective memory, and executive functioning, often impaired in this population. Method Seventy-seven unemployed individuals (46 participants with severe mood disorders and 31 participants with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder; mean age = 44 years) received CCT for 12 weeks in the context of a supported employment program. Participants were administered cognitive, symptom severity, and functional measures at baseline and 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups, as well as at 18 and 24 months for symptom/functional measures. Mixed effects models, controlling for diagnosis, examined whether age impacted the trajectories of change following CCT. Results Analyses showed several significant time by age interactions; younger participants improved more over time on category fluency, β = -.280, t(42.10) = -2.76, p = .008, and financial capacity (UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment), β = -.194, t(54.02) = -2.21, p = .031, whereas older participants showed greater reduction in positive symptom severity (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale), β = -.109, t(78.35) = -2.34, p = .022, and less functional decline on the Independent Living Skills Survey, β = .118, t(109.77) = 2.05, p = .043. Conclusions and implications for practice Age moderated the effects of CCT over time on measures of cognition, symptom severity, and functioning. Younger participants improved on objective measures of verbal processing speed and financial capacity, whereas older participants showed reduced positive symptom severity and less decline in self-reported daily functioning. These findings suggest that CCT may differentially benefit persons with severe mental illnesses depending on age. (PsycINFO Database Record
An Exploration of Women Academic Scientists’ Experiences with Gender in North Africa and the United States

This exploratory research was conducted in conjunction with a research collaboration workshop in Morocco in March, 2013 which gathered 28 women scientists from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and the United States. In-depth interviews, conducted with 14 North African and 8 American scientists, found that North African and American women scientists had very different experiences with gender in the workplace and at home. North African women reported better representation of women in their science departments and equity in terms of salary and resources, whereas most American women felt they had to “push” to get to equality in the workplace. North African women reported challenging relationships with their women colleagues, while American women reported seeking out women scientists for support. At home, North African women reported having close to full responsibility for child and home care, which many said resulted in less engagement in research than their male peers and reluctance to take on leadership roles. In contrast, American women reported something approximating an equal partnership in handling home and child responsibilities with their husbands, which they viewed as enabling their professional success. While there has been extensive research examining women scientists’ experiences in academia in the United States and Europe, there have been few examinations of women scientists experiences in developing countries, particularly in North Africa (Bilimoria, Joy, & Liang, 2008; De Welde & Laursen, n.d.; Rees, 2001; Stockard, Greene, Lewis, & Richmond, 2008) . This study explores Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian women scientists’ experiences with gender in the workplace and at home, and contrasts their experiences with that of US women scientists. The research was conducted in conjunction with a March 2013 research collaboration workshop in Casablanca, Morocco conducted by COACh, a US based grass-roots organization that works to improve career success for women scientists in academia. More information on COACh can be found at their website: http://coach.uoregon.edu/coach/.
Mitochondrial Enzymes in Reye’s Syndrome

A nonuniform decrease in several mitochondrial residual enzyme activities in the liver and brain of a 42 year old woman who died with Reye’s syndrome is reported from the Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY.
Complex Karyotypic Abnormalities Detected by Conventional Cytogenetic Analysis More Strongly Predict Survival Than FISH, ZAP70, or IgVH Mutation Status for Previously Treated Patients with CLL.

Abstract Recently, several novel prognostic factors have been identified; their significance has been demonstrated in selected patient (pt) populations and retrospective analyses. As a group, previously treated pts with CLL likely have their respective, relevant prognostic factors for clinical endpoints, which may be further impacted by treatment (Rx). We prospectively evaluated the significance of newer prognostic factors: FISH abnormalities (abn) (Vysis CLL panel), IgVH mutation status, ZAP70 expression (flow & immunohistochemistry), CD38 expression (≥30%); as well as traditional factors: conventional cytogenetic analysis perfomed on bone marrow metaphases, age, sex, # prior Rx, refractoriness to alkylating agents (ALK) or fludarabine (FLU), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), HGB, PLT, β-2 microglobulin (B2M), ALB, LDH, creatinine, and Alk Phos as independent predictors for survival in previously treated pts. The group included 473 previously treated pts seen at M.D.Anderson (10/03–8/07), who were evaluated by bone marrow sampling with conventional and FISH cytogenetic analyses, and the new and traditional prognostic factors described above. The median (range) age was 63yrs(31–87) and # prior Rx was 2(1–13). Other characteristics were: 43% Rai high-risk; 35% FLU-refractory; and 39% ALK-refractory; 74% unmutated IgVH; 54% ZAP70+ (flow); 76% ZAP70+ (IHC); and 68% CD38+. FISH results were: 22% del 17p13, 21% del 11q22, 10% +12, and 48% del 13q14 or no abn by the hierarchical classification. Conventional cytogenetic analysis of bone marrow metaphases demonstrated 25% with a complex karyotypic abn (>1 cell with >1 chromosome abn), 58% diploid, 17% with single clonal abn (>1 cell with 1 abn). Of the 100 pts with complex karyotypic abn, 50% had del 17p13, 28% del 11q22, 6% +12, 9% del 13q14, and 7% had no abn by FISH. Survival was measured from the time of prognostic factor characterization (FISH). The median follow-up time was 10mo(0–47). Univariate analyses identified the following significant (p≤.01) predictors for shorter survival: advanced age, # prior Rx, Rai high-risk, ALK- or FLU-refractory, FISH del 17p13; complex karyotypic abn (Figure 1), unmutated IgVH, high ALC, low HGB, low PLT, high B2M, low ALB, high LDH, and high Alk Phos. Multivariate analysis produced the following model with the following significant (p Download : Download high-res image (62KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure
Atomistic modelling – impact and opportunities in thin-film photovoltaic solar cell technologies

This article presents a review of recent modelling work on various aspects of thin-film photovoltaic solar cells. Organic photovoltaic solar cells and perovskite solar cells are chosen as represent...
Mitigating shift-based covert-channel attacks in racetrack last level caches

Racetrack memory (RM, also known as DWM (domain wall memory)) is an emerging memory technology that has many advantages such as low power, high density, and low access latency. Recent studies have shown that it is promising to architect RM as last level cache (LLC). Given that a RM track consists of m domains (for storing m bits data) and n access heads (1≤n<m), one RM access often requires multiple hops of shift to move the access head above the domain to be accessed. This leads to variant access latency, which may be exploited to initiate covert channel attacks to leak sensitive information in secure computing environment. In this paper, we elaborate the feasibility of such attacks and propose secure head management policies to effectively mitigate the attacks in RM LLCs. Our experimental results show that the proposed schemes can reduce the new discovered shift-based covert channel's capacity by up to 260 times with modest performance overhead.
Comparing the efficacy of shunting approaches and cerebral monitoring during carotid endarterectomy using a national database.

Abstract Objective Carotid endarterectomy practice patterns, including the use of shunts and cerebral monitoring techniques, are typically surgeon-dependent and differ greatly on a national level. Prior literature evaluating these techniques is often underpowered for detecting variations in low-frequency outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate current carotid endarterectomy practice patterns and to allow comparison across surgical approaches using a large national database. Methods We divided carotid cases entered into the Vascular Quality Initiative database between October 2012 and April 2015 into routine shunting, selective shunting, and never shunting cohorts, excluding endarterectomies performed with concomitant procedures and those with incomplete information on the use of a shunt. The selective group was subdivided into cases with awake, electroencephalography, and stump pressure monitoring. We evaluated differences in practice patterns and compared rates of stroke, death, return to the operating room, reperfusion injury, and re-exploration after closure across these groups. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusting for risk factors were used to identify predictors of each outcome. Results Between October 2012 and April 2015, there were a total of 28,457 endarterectomies included in our analysis, of which 14,128 involved routine shunting, 1740 involved never shunting, and 12,489 involved selective shunting. Of the selective cases, 6144 involved electroencephalography monitoring, 2310 involved stump pressure monitoring, and 2052 involved awake monitoring. Unadjusted rates of in-hospital death and stroke were 0.30% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.39) and 0.78% (95% CI, 0.64-0.93) for routine shunting and 0.22% (95% CI, 0.14-0.31) and 0.91% (95% CI, 0.75-1.08) for selective shunting, respectively. The unadjusted rate of in-hospital death was lower in the awake monitoring group than in the routine shunting group (0.05% vs 0.30%; P = .037). After adjustment for patient risk factors, the multivariate models showed no difference in rates of any primary outcomes among the groups, although there was a shorter postoperative length of stay for the awake monitoring group compared with the routine shunting group (1.55 days vs 2.00 days, respectively; P Conclusions Analysis of the Vascular Quality Initiative registry shows equivalent unadjusted rates of in-hospital death and stroke across different approaches to shunting and cerebral monitoring with the exception of the awake monitoring group, which has lower unadjusted mortality compared with the routine shunting group. In the risk-adjusted analysis, however, there are no differences across any of the groups. Given the clinical equivalence of approaches to shunting and cerebral monitoring, further work should evaluate the relative cost of these techniques.
Approximation by multivariate sublinear and max-product operators

Here we study quantitatively the approximation of multivariate function by general multivariate positive sublinear operators with applications to multivariate max-product operators. These are of Bernstein type, of Favard–Szasz–Mirakjan type, of Baskakov type, of sampling type, of Lagrange interpolation type and of Hermite–Fejer interpolation type. Our results are both: under the presence of smoothness and without any smoothness assumption on the function to be approximated.
When the Ends Are Really the Beginnings: Targeting Telomerase for Treatment of GBM

High-throughput genomic sequencing has identified alterations in the gene encoding human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) as points of interest for elucidating the oncogenic mechanism of multiple different cancer types, including gliomas. In gliomas, the TERT promoter mutation (TPM) and resultant overexpression of TERT are observed mainly in the most aggressive (primary glioblastoma/grade IV astrocytoma) and the least aggressive (grade II oligodendroglioma) cases. This article reviews recent research on (1) the mechanism of TERT activation in glioma, (2) downstream consequences of TERT overexpression on glioma pathogenesis, and (3) targeting TPMs as a therapeutic strategy. New molecular classifications for gliomas include using TPMs, where the mutant group demonstrates the worst prognosis. Though a canonical function of TERT is established in regard to telomere maintenance, recent studies on non-canonical functions of TERT explore varied roles of telomerase in tumor progression and maintenance. Somatic alterations of the TERT promoter present a promising target for novel therapeutics development in primary glioma treatment.
Telomeres and Telomerase in Human Health and Disease

Telomeres cap chromosome ends and help protect the genome. Telomere maintenance consists of an integrated cellular system for telomere homeostasis that includes telomerase, which replenishes telomeric DNA lost from chromosomal termini. Telomerase, with its highly specialized reverse transcriptase action, is therefore essential for genomic stability and long-termcell division. The activity of telomerase in human cells is kept under a complex set of controls that include developmental, cell type-specific and environmentalmodulators.We have reported that chronic psychological stress in people leads to lower telomerase and shorter telomeres. From these and other studies, the emerging overall pattern is that telomerase insufficiency is associated with conditions, syndromes and diseases that can shorten human life.