cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Gene-Centered Transcription Factor Networks for Enhancers and Disease Variants

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) comprising interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and regulatory loci control development and physiology. Numerous disease-associated mutations have been identified, the vast majority residing in non-coding regions of the genome. As current GRN mapping methods test one TF at a time and require the use of cells harboring the mutation(s) of interest, they are not suitable to identify TFs that bind to wild-type and mutant loci. Here, we use gene-centered yeast one-hybrid (eY1H) assays to interrogate binding of 1,086 human TFs to 246 enhancers, as well as to 109 non-coding disease mutations. We detect both loss and gain of TF interactions with mutant loci that are concordant with target gene expression changes. This work establishes eY1H assays as a powerful addition to the toolkit of mapping human GRNs and for the high-throughput characterization of genomic variants that are rapidly being identified by genome-wide association studies.
Clinical Psychologists' Perceptions of Persons with Mental Illness

Clinical psychologists have an ethical responsibility to monitor the nature and appropriateness of theirattitudes toward persons with mental illness. This article presents the results of a survey of randomlyselected clinical psychologists who were asked to rate the effectiveness, understandability, safety,worthiness, desirability, and similarity (to the rater) of persons with moderate depression, borderlinefeatures, and schizophrenia. The results show that psychologists perceive these individuals differentlywith respect to these characteristics. The results also suggest that psychologists disidentify or distancethemselves from persons with personality and psychotic conditions. Implications for quality improve-ment and stigma reduction in the field of professional psychology are discussed.Keywords: disidentification, mental health attitudes, professional bias, attitudes of psychologists
A Colanic Acid Operon Deletion Mutation Enhances Induction of Early Antibody Responses by Live Attenuated Salmonella Vaccine Strains

Colanic acid (CA) is a common exopolysaccharide produced by many genera in the Enterobacteriaceae. It is critical for biofilm formation on HEp-2 cells and on chicken intestinal tissue by Salmonella. In this study, we generated different CA synthesis gene mutants and evaluated the immune responses induced by these mutants. One of these mutations, Δ(wza-wcaM)8, which deleted the whole operon for CA synthesis, was introduced into two Salmonella vaccine strains attenuated by auxotrophic traits or by the regulated delayed attenuation strategy (RDAS). The mice immunized with the auxotrophic Salmonella vaccine strain with the deletion mutation Δ(wza-wcaM)8 developed higher vaginal IgA titers against the heterologous protective antigen and higher levels of antigen-specific IgA secretion cells in lungs. In Salmonella vaccine strains with RDAS, the strain with the Δ(wza-wcaM)8 mutation resulted in higher levels of protective antigen production during in vitro growth. Mice immunized with this strain developed higher serum IgG and mucosal IgA antibody responses at 2 weeks. This strain also resulted in better gamma interferon (IFN-γ) responses than the strain without this deletion at doses of 10(8) and 10(9) CFU. Thus, the mutation Δ(wza-wcaM)8 will be included in various recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccine (RASV) strains with RDAS derived from Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi to induce protective immunity against bacterial pathogens.
The Agr-Like Quorum-Sensing System Regulates Sporulation and Production of Enterotoxin and Beta2 Toxin by Clostridium perfringens Type A Non-Food-Borne Human Gastrointestinal Disease Strain F5603

Clostridium perfringens type A strains producing enterotoxin (CPE) cause one of the most common bacterial food-borne illnesses, as well as many cases of non-food-borne human gastrointestinal disease. Recent studies have shown that an Agr-like quorum-sensing system controls production of chromosomally encoded alpha-toxin and perfringolysin O by C. perfringens, as well as sporulation by Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium sporogenes. The current study explored whether the Agr-like quorum-sensing system also regulates sporulation and production of two plasmid-encoded toxins (CPE and beta2 toxin) that may contribute to the pathogenesis of non-food-borne human gastrointestinal disease strain F5603. An isogenic agrB null mutant was inhibited for production of beta2 toxin during vegetative growth and in sporulating culture, providing the first evidence that, in C. perfringens, this system can control production of plasmid-encoded toxins as well as chromosomally encoded toxins. This mutant also showed reduced production of alpha-toxin and perfringolysin O during vegetative growth. Importantly, when cultured in sporulation medium, the mutant failed to efficiently form spores and was blocked for CPE production. Complementation partially or fully reversed all phenotypic changes in the mutant, confirming that they were specifically due to inactivation of the agr locus. Western blots suggest that this loss of sporulation and sporulation-specific CPE production for the agrB null mutant involves, at least in part, Agr-mediated regulation of production of Spo0A and alternative sigma factors, which are essential for C. perfringens sporulation.
Regulation of target genes of PAX3-FOXO1 in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Background: The majority of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) are distinguished through the paired box 3−forkhead box protein O1 (PAX3−FOXO1) fusion oncoprotein, being generated by a 2;13 chromosomal translocation. This fusion-positive ARMS is the most clinically difficult type of rhabdomyosarcoma. The present study characterized four genes (gremlin 1 (GREM1), death- associated protein kinase-1 (DAPK1), myogenic differentiation-1 (MYOD1), and hairy/enhancer-of-split related with YRPW motif-1 (HEY1)) as targets of PAX3−FOXO1. Materials and Methods: The expression of the four genes, PAX3−FOXO1, and v-myc myelocytomatosis viral-related oncogene, neuroblastoma-derived (avian) (MYCN) was determined in various ARMS cell models and primary tumors. The roles of PAX3−FOXO1 and MYCN expression were examined. Results: Pulse-chase and cycloheximide experiments suggest that GREM1, DAPK1, and MYOD1 are directly regulated by PAX3−FOXO1. PAX3−FOXO1 appears to indirectly down-regulate HEY1 by up-regulating MYCN. Data reveal that the growth- suppressive activity of high PAX3−FOXO1 expression is closely-associated with up-regulation of the GREM1 and DAPK1 tumor-suppressor genes. Conclusion: This study characterized four downstream targets of PAX3−FOXO1 that contribute to the biological activities of growth suppression and myogenic differentiation.
Literacy Practices and Digital Literacies: A Commentary on Swenson, Rozema, Young, McGrail, and Whitin

The integration of digital tools and multimodal representations in the English classroom has the greatest potential when we define literacy as multiple socially constructed practices. If digital literacies are defined as autonomous tools and isolated symbolic systems, reduced to a set of skills and forms for students to reproduce, then school literacy practices will become further distanced from nonschool literacy practices. Instead, English teachers should engage school literacies in which digital and nondigital tools help students inquire into how multimodal symbols are used to construct and negotiate community identities, relationships, activities, and values. Digital literacies may be especially supportive of such critical inquiry practices.
Nonpersistent Errors Optimization in Spin-MOS Logic and Storage Circuitry

By combining the flexibility of MOS logic and the nonvolatility of spintronic devices, Spin-MOS logic and storage circuitries offer a promising approach to implement a highly integrated, power-efficient, and nonvolatile computing and storage systems. Besides the persistent errors due to process variations, however, the functional correctness of Spin-MOS circuitries suffers from additional nonpersistent error that incurred by the randomness of spintronic device operations, i.e., thermal fluctuations. In this work, we quantitatively investigate the impacts of the thermal fluctuations on the operations of two typical Spin-MOS circuitries: one transistor and one magnetic tunnel junction (1T1J) spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) cell and a nonvolatile flip-flop design. The possible design techniques to reduce thermal incurred nonpersistent error rate are also discussed. Our experimental results show that the optimization of nonpersistent and persistent errors are closely entangled with each other and should be conducted from both circuit design and magnetic device engineering perspectives simultaneously.
Transcriptomic variation and plasticity in rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) along an altitudinal gradient

As modern genomic tools are developed for ecologically compelling models, field manipulation experiments will become important for establishing the role of functional genomic variation in physiological acclimation and evolutionary adaptation along environmental clines. High-altitude habitats expose individuals to hypoxic and thermal stress, necessitating physiological acclimation, which may result in evolutionary adaptation. We assayed skeletal muscle transcriptomic profiles of rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) distributed along an altitudinal gradient on the Pacific slope of the Peruvian Andes. Nearly 200 unique transcripts were differentially expressed between high-altitude [4100 m above sea level (a.s.l.)] and low-altitude (2000 m a.s.l.) populations in their native habitats. Gene ontology and network analyses revealed that these transcripts are primarily involved in oxidative phosphorylation, protein biosynthesis, signal transduction and oxidative stress response pathways. To assess the plasticity in gene expression differences between populations, we performed a 'common garden' experiment in which high- and low-altitude individuals were transferred to a common low-altitude site (approximately 150 m). None of the genes that were differentially expressed between populations at the native altitudes remained significantly different between populations in the common garden. The role of gene expression variation in adaptation and acclimation to environmental stress is largely unexplored in natural populations of birds. These results demonstrate substantial plasticity in the biochemical pathways that underpin cold and hypoxia compensation in Z. capensis, which may mechanistically contribute to enabling the broad altitudinal distribution of the species.
Telemedicine for genetic and neurologic evaluation in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Objective Evaluate whether telemedicine can be used to perform dysmorphology and neurologic examinations in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by determining the examination accuracy, limitations and optimized procedures. Study design Prospective evaluation of NICU patients referred for subspecialty consultation for dysmorphic features (n=10) or encephalopathy (n=10). A physician at bedside (bedside clinician) performed an in-person examination that was viewed in real time by a remote physician (remote consultant). Standardized examinations were recorded and compared. Subsequently, a qualitative approach established technique adjustments and optimization procedures necessary to improve visualization. Result Telemedicine examinations identified 81 of 87 (93%) dysmorphology examination abnormalities and 37 of 39 (92%) neurologic examination abnormalities. Optimization of remote consultant visualization required an active bedside clinician assisting in camera and patient adjustments. Conclusion Telemedicine can be used to perform accurately many components of the dysmorphology or neurologic examinations in NICU patients, but physicians must be mindful of specific limitations.
Infection in Late Preterm Infants

Late preterm neonates have unique susceptibilities to infection. Theclosed setting of the neonatal ICU (NICU) and the immunologic immatu-rity of premature infants set the stage for the development of nosocomial in-fections. Timing of presentation is one of the crucial factors in determiningthe cause, evaluation, and appropriate early treatment of neonatal infec-tions. Timing of presentation can be divided broadly into three categories: Congenital infections: generally acquired before delivery Early onset: usually acquired during delivery and presenting within theﬁrst 72 hours of life Late onset: often acquired in the hospital and presenting after 72 hoursof lifeThe overall neonatal mortality rate is low for late preterm infants. Thetragedy of neonatal infections among these infants is that infection increasesrisk of neonatal complications, prolongs hospital stay, and increasesmortality.EpidemiologyCongenital and perinatal infectionsThese infections are acquired before delivery or during the intrapartumperiod. They result most commonly from Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus,cytomegalovirus, herpes virus, HIV, parvovirus B19 and Treponema
A Robust Autonomic Computing Architecture for Server Virtualization

The increasing heterogeneity and complexity of the Information Technology infrastructure encompassing hardware and software applications, services and networks, led to complex, unmanageable and insecure systems. Correspondingly, new approaches in regards to the IT infrastructure automation and operation have been investigated. Autonomic computing has been born and successfully launched as a research area in response to the "must have" solutions for the problems above. It approaches subjects such as self-configuration, self- protection, self-healing, and self-optimization. Its ambitious goals in making a computer environment behaving in a self controlled and intelligently guided manner, lead to various approaches such as intelligent systems, control, learning machines and others. In this paper, a special adaptive technique will be used for the implementation of self-provisioning and self- optimization techniques for autonomic computing with applications to server virtualization. The autonomic computing processes are considered as nonlinear uncertain systems with constant linearly parameterized uncertainty. The approach is motivated by the fact that a complex computer system behaves in time in a nonlinear fashion, its parameters having a stochastic variation, and components of the autonomic computing environment might fail from time to time. The architecture of an adaptive robust autonomic computing environment and its implementation specific components is described. The application domain of the autonomic computing technology has been chosen to be a virtual server environment. An application of this autonomic computing solution to server virtualization is presented at the end of this paper.
Roles of CAMTA transcription factors and salicylic acid in configuring the low-temperature transcriptome and freezing tolerance of Arabidopsis.

Previous studies in Arabidopsis thaliana established roles for CALMODULIN BINDING TRANSCRIPTION ACTIVATOR 3 (CAMTA3) in the rapid cold induction of CRT/DRE BINDING FACTOR (CBF) genes CBF1 and CBF2, and the repression of salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis at warm temperature. Here we show that CAMTA1 and CAMTA2 work in concert with CAMTA3 at low temperature (4°C) to induce peak transcript levels of CBF1, CBF2 and CBF3 at 2 h, contribute to up-regulation of approximately 15% of the genes induced at 24 h, most of which fall outside the CBF pathway, and increase plant freezing tolerance. In addition, CAMTA1, CAMTA2 and CAMTA3 function together to inhibit SA biosynthesis at warm temperature (22°C). However, SA levels increase in Arabidopsis plants that are exposed to low temperature for more than 1 week. We show that this chilling-induced SA biosynthesis proceeds through the isochorismate synthase (ICS) pathway, with cold induction of ICS1 (which encodes ICS), and two genes encoding transcription factors that positively regulate ICS1 - CBP60g and SARD1 -, paralleling SA accumulation. The three CAMTA proteins effectively repress the accumulation of ICS1, CBP60g and SARD1 transcripts at warm temperature but not at low temperature. This impairment of CAMTA function may involve post-transcriptional regulation, as CAMTA transcript levels did not decrease at low temperature. Salicylic acid biosynthesis at low temperature did not contribute to freezing tolerance, but had a major role in configuring the transcriptome, including the induction of 'defense response' genes, suggesting the possible existence of a pre-emptive defense strategy programmed by prolonged chilling temperatures.
Laparoscopy versus Laparotomy in the Management of Benign Unilateral Adnexal Masses

Study Objective. To compare operative characteristics and charges of laparoscopy and laparotomy for women with a benign unilateral adnexal mass 7 cm or less in greatest diameter. Design. Historical cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting. Clinic department of obstetrics and gynecology. Patients. One hundred six women. Intervention. Unilateral oophorectomy or unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy performed by laparoscopy or laparotomy. Measurements and Main Results. When patients were compared on an intent to treat basis, no differences in greatest mass diameter (4.2 vs 4.5 cm), patient age (49.2 vs 46.4 yrs), or body mass index (26.0 vs 27.0 kg/m2) were found between 62 laparoscopies and 44 laparotomies. Laparoscopy was associated with longer operating times (94 vs 63 min, p <0.001), shorter hospital stay (1.6 vs 2.5 days, p <0.001), higher sterile supply charges ($1031 vs $40, p <0.001), and lower hospital room charges ($672 vs $1351, p <0.0001). No significant differences in total hospital charges, febrile morbidity, or transfusion rates were identified. Conclusion. Patient charges and early operative morbidity are similar for laparoscopy and laparotomy. Therefore, patient and surgeon preference should be a primary consideration when deciding on operative approach in carefully selected women with a unilateral adnexal mass.
Canopy penetration studies: modeled radar backscatter from Amazon floodplain forests at C-, L-, and P-band

For radar incidence angles ranging from 20 to 60/spl deg/, modeled canopy volume scattering from a flooded forest in the Amazon dominated C-HH, C-VV, and L-VV backscatter. Between 20 and 35/spl deg/ incidence angles and at L-HH polarization, modeled canopy-ground term and canopy volume scattering contributed roughly equally to the total backscatter, and there was some contribution from the trunk-ground term. Canopy-ground (at small incidence angles) and trunk-ground terms (at large incidence angles) were dominant at P-HH and P-VV backscatter. The dominant canopy volume scattering at C-HH, C-VV, and L-VV showed that radar systems with these parameters could not penetrate the canopies in the stands. When trunk-ground and canopy-ground terms dominated or contributed significantly to the total backscatter, microwave energy penetrated the canopies. Thus, a L-HH, P-HH, or P-VV radar system could penetrate the canopies, and, potentially, detect boundaries between flooded and nonflooded forests. >
An interchangeable homogeneous ⇔ heterogeneous catalyst system for furfural upgrading

Intercalation of benzimidazolium cations [BI]+ into the nanogalleries of Na+/montmorillonite (MMT) clay leads to generation of recyclable supported precatalysts [BI]+/MMT, which, upon treatment with a base, catalyze furfural self-condensation coupling reaction into furoin in almost constant yields of >96% over the three cycles investigated. This catalyst system combines the best features of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst systems, as it performs the homogeneous molecular catalysis by the discharged N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst in solution and then recovers the catalyst through in situ heterogenization after the reaction via re-intercalation of the charged precatalyst. The [12,12BI]+/MMT catalyst system carrying two long-chain C12 dodecyl substituents on the [BI] nitrogen atoms is particularly effective for achieving both high product yield and catalyst recyclability.
Sevier orogenesis and nonmarine basin filling: Implications of new stratigraphic correlations of Lower Cretaceous strata throughout Wyoming, USA

Lower Cretaceous nonmarine rocks throughout Wyoming have been used to date movements on major thrusts during the Sevier orogeny, evaluate the sedimentary response in the adjacent foreland basin, reconstruct subsidence histories, evaluate the driving mechanisms of that subsidence, and have been applied to basin modeling studies. However, detailed correlation and dating of these strata have been problematic for a century, making most detailed interpretations equivocal. New age data and correlations presented here have important implications for the evolution of the Sevier orogen and controls on basin fi lling. Lower Cretaceous strata in Wyoming show the former existence of a foreland basin fi ll that displays a thick foredeep depozone to the west (the Gannett Group), a thin forebulge depozone throughout central Wyoming (the Cloverly Formation), and thickening into a backbulge depozone in the Black Hills area to the east (the Lakota Formation). Basin subsidence is attributable not only to orogenic loading, but to dynamic loading as well. New data and correlations indicate that a thrust load was in place during the Neocomian (attributable to movement on the Paris-Willard thrust system) and that sediment supply was high (as represented by the upper Ephraim Formation). Subsequent deposition of the Peterson Limestone in the foredeep during the latest Neocomian and Aptian, and the development of a regional unconformity elsewhere, indicate a reduction in sediment supply that may have been caused by (1) a change to a drier climate, possibly related to progressive mountain-belt uplift and development or intensifi cation of an orographic rain shadow, or (2) a decrease in mountain-belt uplift rate and a reduction in mountain-belt relief. Unconformity development on the forebulge is consistent with the fi rst scenario. Subsequent deposition of the Bechler, upper Cloverly, and upper Lakota Formations during the Early to Middle Albian indicates increased sediment supply, progressive unroofi ng of the mountain belt, and movement on the Meade-LaketownParis-Willard thrust system. These events suggest renewed or accelerated mountainbelt uplift during the early to middle Albian. The Draney Limestone, which overlies the Bechler, correlates with an unconformity at the top of the Cloverly and Lakota Formations and is Albian in age. The Draney Limestone and the unconformity signify a return to conditions similar to those that existed during deposition of the Peterson Limestone. The results presented here differ from those of some researchers who contend that a foredeep did not exist during initial deposition of these strata, and that deposition was not coincident with thrusting during early stages of the Sevier orogeny.
Music and anxiety in Williams syndrome : A harmonious or discordant relationship?

Abstract In this two-part study, we assessed musical involvements in two samples of persons with Williams syndrome compared to others with mental retardation and also related musicality to anxiety and fears in Study 2. Relative to others with mental retardation, those with Williams syndrome were more likely to take music lessons, play an instrument, and have higher ratings of musical skills. In the Williams syndrome groups only, fewer externalizing symptoms were associated with listening to music, whereas less anxiety and fewer fears were associated with the frequency, duration, and skill in producing music as well as emotional responses to negatively toned music. Implications are discussed for future research on musical processing, musical interventions, and well-being in Williams syndrome and other groups.
Phase I study of Ad5-TRAIL in men with clinically organ confined prostate cancer

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4870 We have developed a recombinant adenovirus that encodes human TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL; Ad5-TRAIL), which is a potent inducer of tumor cell apoptosis but is not cytotoxic to normal cells. In vitro infection of human prostate tumor cells with Ad5-TRAIL resulted in the rapid transcription and translation of the transferred TRAIL gene into functional TRAIL protein that, when expressed on the cell surface, induced apoptotic death in TRAIL-sensitive prostate tumor cell targets but not normal prostate epithelial cells. Furthermore, in vivo preclinical studies have revealed Ad5-TRAIL can inhibit or slow the outgrowth of human prostate tumor xenografts in SCID mice. Thus, the primary objective of the study is to determine the local and systemic toxicity associated with intraprostatic injection of Ad5-TRAIL delivered in a collagen matrix in men with locally confined prostate cancer, and determine the maximum tolerated dose from four different dose levels. Secondary study objectives will examine the distribution of Ad5-TRAIL within the human prostate after transrectal injection, to determine the effect of transrectal injection of Ad5-TRAIL on existent prostate cancer, and to determine the effect of Ad5-TRAIL-induced apoptosis on immune activation to prostate antigens. Prostate cancer patients (T1c, T2a, T2b and N0, M0) scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy (RRP) within 10 d following study entry were chosen. The patients had 4 intraprostatic injections of Ad5-TRAIL, 2 per prostate lobe. One week later, endorectal MRI was performed prior to RRP to rule out abscess. Laboratory assessment was performed to assess systemic infection. RRP was then performed if there was no adverse reaction. Operation difficulty was compared to non-injected control patients. Standard histologic evaluation and Gleason grading was performed. Evaluation of the inflammatory infiltrates in Ad5-TRAIL-treated prostates was assessed and compared to control prostate biopsies. To date (11/06), three patients have received the initial vector concentration. There were no immediate or delayed allergic reactions. None of the patients showed abscess on MRI. Operatively, there was no indication of increased inflammation (p=.495), difficulty of the operation, length of stay (p=0.724), or total estimated blood loss. There was no significant increased morbidity post-operatively. All patients had negative margins. Pathologically, each patient had an increase in staging from clinically, and viral vector uptake was shown through visualization of the collagen matrix in the specimen. Ad-5 TRAIL in vivo is known to induce apoptosis in prostate cancer. The initial dose level shows intraprostatic injection is well-tolerated and remains in the prostate after injection. Further increases in dosing will reveal the maximum tolerated dose, and likelihood of increased apoptosis in prostatectomy specimens.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS CAUSING CANCER AND GENETIC BIRTH DEFECTS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes environmental chemicals that cause cancer and genetic birth defects. Damage to DNA appears to be the cause of most cancer and genetic birth defects and may contribute to aging and heart disease as well. A major part of this DNA damage is caused by environmental chemicals, both natural and man-made. Many more chemicals will be added to the current list of human carcinogens and mutagens. A major area of public health can be prevented by: identifying environmental mutagens/ carcinogens, making a rough estimate of human risk based on the potency and amount of human exposure, and minimizing human exposure to the more dangerous of these agents. Thus, it appears likely that potency in a battery of short-term tests (many good ones have now been developed) may be able to be used as an aid in human risk assessment.
Extra-alveolar veins are contiguous with, and leak fluid into, periarterial cuffs in rabbit lungs

We previously observed physiological evidence that arterial and venous extra-alveolar vessels shared a common interstitial space. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the site ...
A brief history of Sandia's National security missions.

To help members of the workforce understand what factors contribute to Sandia National Laboratories national security mission, the authors describe the evolution of Sandias core mission and its other mission components. The mission of Sandia first as a division of Los Alamos and later as Sandia Corporation underlies our core nuclear weapon mission of today. Sandias mission changed in 1963 and twice more in the 1970s. This report should help staff and management appreciate the need for mission evolution. A clear definition and communication of a consistent corporate mission statement is still needed.
Predicting the histology of renal masses using pre-operative Doppler ultrasonography

4598 Background: Traditional imaging techniques cannot differentiate between benign, indolent and malignant renal neoplasms. Since conventional clear cell carcinomas are highly vascular, we evaluat...
Localization of fetal major histocompatibility complex antigens and maternal leukocytes in murine placenta. Implications for maternal-fetal immunological relationship.

Abstract An immunohistochemical study of the days 14-19 murine placenta and uterus using a panel of antibodies specific for maternal and paternal class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens, specific leukocyte subsets, and other lineage-specific markers was performed to elucidate the nature of the maternal tolerance of the fetal implant in the uterus. Fetally derived trophoblast lining maternal blood spaces lacked MHC antigens, but other interstitial trophoblasts expressed fetally derived polymorphic class I MHC determinants. The latter class I MHC-bearing trophoblasts were most prominent in the maternal decidua basalis where they were mixed with maternal cells. Our results identify two factors that may be relevant for understanding why these alloantigen-bearing fetal cells are not rejected by the mother: a paucity of la-bearing antigen presenting cells, macrophages, and mature T and B lymphocytes and the presence of large numbers of Thy-1+ asialo-GM-1+ CD4- CD8- bone marrow-derived (CLA/Ly5+) cells of maternal origin in the decidua basalis. These latter cells correspond to previously described granulated metrial gland cells that may be involved in local immunoregulation.
Adaptive fractionally spaced equalization algorithm for shallow water acoustic channels

An underwater acoustic channel is a complicated medium for data communications,especially in shallow coastal regions,which is important in military and commercial applications.Signals sent through a shallow water channel are often corrupted by inter-symbol interference(ISI) and intra-symbol interference,seriously affecting the underwater acoustic communication quality.We propose an adaptive equalization algorithm based on the decision feedback structure,and using a fractional sampling method.The performance is compared with the baud-spaced adaptive equaliz-ation in computer simulations.Quadrature phase shift keying(QPSK) signaling is employed to make efficient use of the available bandwidth.Mont Carlo simulations are performed,showing that the proposed algorithm with high convergence rate and low steady state error results in improved communication effectiveness and reliability.
The Testament of Henry Simons

T HE old economics," wrote Henry Simons a year ago in his devastating review of the Beveridge program, "is commended by its normative implications..... Its strength is in its implied political philosophy. Its wisdom is that of seeking solutions which are within the rule of law, compatible with great dispersion or deconcentration of power .... Certainly another kind of system, ruled by authorities, might be more efficient and more progressive-if one excludes liberty as an aspect of efficiency and capacity for freedom and responsibility, among individuals and among nations, as a measure of progress. Discretionary authorities, omniscient and benevolent, surely could in some sense do better than any scheme involving democratic, legislative rules ..... But some of us dislike government by authorities, partly because we think they would not be wise and good and partly because we would still dislike it if they were." Henry Simons, professor of economics at the University of Chicago, is dead but he has left behind him an enduring testament. It is a testament of the worth of political economy-the type of thought, so conspicuously absent in our times, that marries economic analysis to political values. It is a testament of liberty profoundly prejudicial to all collectivist solutions. Simons took up that fight early when the majority of the American intelligentsia had lost faith in American tradition and were looking to Moscow if not to Berlin to point the way of the future. Now that the folly and inhumanity of all-out statist planning are apparent to all but the blind, it is perhaps unnecessary to labor the negative contribution of his philosophy. But the fact is that the prodigal sons, who are currently coming home from the world of totalitarianism, have no positive program for the U.S. in their pockets. American liberalism is in a state of complete confusion if not collapse. It is in this context that the work of Henry Simons takes on profound importance. For it was his privilege and duty to reassert in an age of doubt the truth of libertarian doctrine and to adapt it to the needs of the times. For his pains he was called a reactionary by professional leftists and a dangerous radical by some conservatives. But the more his writings are studied, the more it will be found that he was a conservative in the best
Abstract 1013: Quantification of NADPH balance in cancer

NADPH is a key cofactor involved in antioxidant defense and reductive biosynthesis. The quantitative contribution of different NADPH pathways, either in normal tissues or in tumors, remains unclear. Here we enable tracing of NADPH production using deuterium-labeled nutrients and mass spectrometry, providing methods that for the first time can track each of the major cytosolic pathways: malic enzyme, isocitrate dehydrogenase, folate metabolism, and the pentose phosphate pathway. This is achieved via a battery of different 2H-tracers. A linear algebra method for deducing the fractional contribution of each pathway, even when a specific tracer for that pathway is not available, will be described. Utility of these methods will be illustrated through examples drawn from both normal cellular physiology and cancer. Specifically, we find that most NADPH in differentiating adipocytes is made by malic enzyme. Examining cancer cells, we find that the pentose phosphate pathway is typically the largest cytosolic NADPH source, but that the collective contribution of alternative pathways is often larger than the pentose phosphate pathway. The specific other pathways involved differ strongly depending on the cancer cell type. We also provide examples where NADPH production routes in both normal and cancer cells vary with nutrient availability, including hypoxia. Given the heightened redox stress of cancer cells, understanding NADPH production routes is likely to illuminate new avenues for therapeutic intervention. Citation Format: Ling Liu, Li Chen, Greg Ducker, Junyoung Park, Supriya Shah, Kathryn E. Wellen, Joshua D. Rabinowitz. Quantification of NADPH balance in cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1013.
Detection of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in tonsillar specimens using 2 commercially available assays.

Abstract The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection in tonsillar swabs and tissue Patients undergoing tonsillectomy for nonmalignant causes were enrolled. A flocked swab and fresh tissue were collected from the left and right tonsil of each patient. Specimens were tested for hrHPV DNA using the Roche cobas test and for the presence of E6/E7 messenger RNA using the Hologic Aptima hrHPV test. Of the 193 patients enrolled, 129 were in the pediatric group (ages 1–12 years; median, 5 years), and 64 were in the adult group (ages 13–55; median, 22 years). All swab and tissue specimens were negative for hrHPV by both methods. Positive, negative, and internal controls performed as expected. We found a 0% rate of infection indicating that detectable hrHPV infection in tonsillar tissue appears to be uncommon in the children and adults in the population sampled.
Program evaluation of neuroscience competency programs to implement evidence-based practices.

Rationale Program evaluation is essential to help determine the success of an evidence-based practice program and assist with translating these processes across settings. Aims The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of 2 competency programs that sought to improve neurocritical care nurses' knowledge of and adherence to evidence-based stroke and spinal cord injury guidelines. These programs consisted of 3 specific implementation strategies, including local opinion leaders, printed educational materials, and educational outreach. Methods A qualitative study using one-on-one interviews with 10 neurocritical care nurses was used. Semi-structured interview questions examined the nurses' perceptions of the competency programs and the implementation strategies used; themes were identified through first-level coding. The transcripts were deductively analyzed and categorized using a predetermined implementation outcomes framework, including the concepts of acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, and sustainability. Results Nurses reported that the 3 implementation strategies used for the competency programs were acceptable and appropriate. Further, the nurses perceived that the evidence-based practices reviewed during the programs were being adopted into practice and provided suggestions for sustaining improvements in nursing knowledge of and adherence to these evidence-based practices. Conclusions Findings from this study support the success of the Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury Competency Programs, as well as the usefulness of the 3 implementation strategies used. This study provides insight for improvements for subsequent studies focused on implementing evidence-based practices.
Net Neutrality| The Historical Moment of Net Neutrality: An Interview With Former U.S. Federal Communications Commissioner Michael J. Copps (Forum)

Former Federal Communications Commissioner Michael J. Copps (sworn in May 31, 2001; served until December 31, 2011) reflects on how his time on the commission helped pave the way for the 2015 net neutrality decision. He offers his historical perspective on the role of the public in media policymaking and upcoming issues for citizens and activists.
The use of routine non density calibrated clinical computed tomography data as a potentially useful screening tool for identifying patients with osteoporosis.

Objectives To evaluate whether lumbar vertebral body density CT attenuation values measured in Hounsfield Units (HUs) on routine Computed Tomography (CT) examinations can be reliably measured with limited variability, and to evaluate for a correlation between HUs and bone mineral density as measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Methods Retrospective review of a total of 249 routine MDCT examinations, performed to measure HUs at the first non-rib bearing lumbar vertebral body on axial images, cross-referenced to the lateral scout image. Results The overall ICC and RC for intra-reader variability on CT HU were 0.987 (95% CI 0.973 - 0.999) and 15.664 (95% CI 11.66-16.97). The overall ICC and RDC for inter-reader variability on CT HU were 0.952 (95% CI 0.892 - 0.999) and 30.20 (95% CI 23.73 - 34.48). The ICC and RC for interscanner variability were 0.98 (95% CI 0.95 - 0.99) and 16.67 (95% CI 13.13 - 22.85). The correlation between the L1 HUs and L1 BMD, L1 t-score, and overall t-score was 0.437, 0.392, and 0.400, respectively. Conclusions CT attenuation values of the first lumbar vertebra can be measured on routine abdomen CTs with limited variability despite multiple readers and scanners. Correlation between HU and BMD as measured by DXA scan was only weakly positive, and by this method measuring the density of a lumbar vertebral body from a routine MDCT scan does not provide the sensitivity or specificity necessary for a screening test. However above a certain measured value (180 HU), patients have a low chance of osteoporosis and therefore may not need additional screening, potentially limiting radiation exposure and cost.
Mechanisms: Xenobiotic Receptor-Mediated Toxicity

A common theme in chemically induced mammalian toxicity is the ability of certain chemicals to mediate their effects through activation of members of the nuclear receptor superfamily or the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a basic helix–loop–helix/PAS ligand-activated transcription factor. This in turn leads to a myriad of changes in gene expression as these receptors bind to their cognate response elements. Receptor-induced toxicity can be divided into four basic mechanisms, the first being the disruption of the activation pathways involved in normal development and physiological processes. The second mechanism of receptor-mediated toxicity is the ability of the xenobiotic-induced receptor to induce a spectrum of transcriptional activity not normally observed. The third general mechanism of toxicity involves the ability of an activated receptor to increase levels of enzymes that metabolize the receptor ligand to toxic metabolites. The fourth more recently studied mechanism of toxicity involves the interaction of the gut microbiota with host receptors to either modify or directly mediate the toxicity response. The mechanisms of PPARα/β-, estrogen receptor-, and the AHR-mediated toxicity are described in detail to illustrate the various mechanisms that have been experimentally determined.
Bladder, Urethra, and Urachus

The urinary bladder is a hollow muscular organ with an inner lining of lamina propria covered on its surface by urothelium three to six cell layers thick. The urinary bladder performs the physiologic functions of storage and expulsion of urine via the urethra. The bladder and urethra are the sites of an astonishing array of pathologic conditions – congenital anomalies, a host of different inflammatory conditions, a number of acquired nonneoplastic lesions, and a broad spectrum of benign and malignant neoplasms. The urachus, if it remains partially or completely patent after birth, can be the site of various pathologic conditions, as well.
How Ethical Can an Ancient Skeptic Be

The paper addresses the question whether a Pyrrhonist skeptic has the resources with which to live a life that the rest of us would consider ethically robust, focusing especially on the writings of Sextus Empiricus. In the area of ethics, the Pyrrhonist refrains from positing anything that is good or bad by nature. This is a belief that he takes ordinary people, and not just philosophers, to hold. Although Sextus says that the skeptic’s ataraxia, freedom from worry, comes from suspension of judgment on all topics, his account of how ataraxia is generated focuses exclusively on the turmoil that afflicts those who do believe in things good or bad by nature. His argument that such beliefs are a source of trouble seems more convincing in some cases than in others. As for the skeptic’s own actions, Sextus says that they are shaped by the way things appear; in the case of ethics, the most important such “appearances” are the laws and customs of the society in which one was raised. Now, to follow laws and customs with no convictions as to their rightness or wrongness seems a strikingly passive approach to life. It seems to eliminate any notion of values in which one is invested as a self; and it seems to encourage an unattractive degree of conformism. In other words, it does not seem to permit an ethically robust life. It is suggested that, contrary to Sextus’ own presentation of the matter, the crucial point is not the absence of any belief in things good and bad by nature. What is central is the absence of any thought that certain things really matter or are really important (a thought that is not necessarily dependent on any belief in ethical objectivity). At the root, then, of the skeptic’s ethically impoverished attitude (as most of us would think of it) is the commitment to ataraxia or tranquility.
Redox Mechanism of Reactive Oxygen Species in Gastrointestinal Tract Diseases

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of major sites of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. ROS produced under physiological conditions are essential for the maintenance of gut homeostasis. In response to external stimuli such as pathogens, drugs, and radiation, ROS are generated in large quantities, which can overwhelm the antioxidant defense system, leading to oxidative stress. Sustained oxidative stress and prolonged inflammation are manifested in various GI diseases including ulcers and inflammatory bowel diseases. In this chapter, we will discuss the redox mechanisms underlying specific GI diseases, as well as introduce multiple dietary regimens that likely benefits GI health.
Dynamic marine viral infections and major contribution to photosynthetic processes shown by regional and seasonal picoplankton metatranscriptomes

Viruses are an important top-down control on microbial communities, yet their direct study in natural environments has been hindered by culture limitations. The advance of sequencing and bioinformatics over the last decade enabled the cultivation independent study of viruses. Many studies focus on assembling new viral genomes and studying viral diversity using marker genes amplified from free viruses. We used cellular metatranscriptomics to study community-wide viral infections at three coastal California sites throughout a year. Generation of and recruitment to viral contigs (> 5kbp, N=66) allowed tracking of infection dynamics over time and space. Here we show that while these assemblies represent viral populations, they are likely biased towards clonal or low diversity assemblages. Furthermore, we demonstrate that published T4-like cyanophages (N=50) and pelagiphages (N=4), having genomic continuity between close relatives, are better tracked using marker genes. Additionally, we demonstrate determination of potential hosts by matching infection dynamics with microbial community composition. Finally, we quantify the relative contribution of various cyanobacteria and viruses to photosystem-II psbA expression in our study sites. We show sometimes >50% of all cyanobacterial+viral psbA expression we observed is of viral origin, which highlights the proportion of infected cells and makes viruses a remarkable contributor to photosynthesis and oxygen production.
Some device implications of voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy in Co/Gd 2 O 3 thin films through REDOX chemistry

Abstract The effect of intermediate interfacial oxidation on the in-plane magnetization of multilayer stack Pt/Co/Gd 2 O 3 , on a p-type silicon substrate, has been investigated by magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurements, the anomalous Hall effect, and magnetoresistance measurements. While voltage controlled perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of a metal/oxide heterostructure is known, this heterostructure displays an inverse relationship between voltage and coercivity. The anomalous Hall effect demonstrates a significant change in hysteresis, with the applied bias sign. There is a higher perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with positive bias exposure.