cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autocrine regulation of growth: II. Glucocorticoids inhibit transcription of c-sis oncogene-specific RNA transcripts

Abstract The ductus deferens smooth muscle tumor cell line (DDT1MF-2) expresses c- sis protooncogene poly A+ RNA transcripts which are thought to encode at least one subunit of the potent mitogen platelet derived growth factor (PDGF). We have previously demonstrated that glucocorticoids block DDT1MF-2 cells in G 0 G 1 stage of the cell cycle, and that exogenously applied PDGF reinitiates cell cycle progression. In this paper we document that glucocorticoids act to inhibit cell cycle progression by inhibiting the expression of c- sis poly A+ transcripts, which we suggest are encoding a PDGF-like molecule for DDT1MF-2 cells.
The structure of vocational interests in Iceland: Examining Holland's and Gati's RIASEC models.

Summary: The applicability of Holland's and Gati's RIASEC models and translated measures was tested in Iceland. The participants were 449 career counseling clients who responded to the Strong Inter...
Managing the care of adults with Down’s syndrome

#### Summary points #### Sources and selection criteria We based this narrative review on articles found by searching PubMed and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. We then applied snowball techniques to sources for the articles identified from both databases. Search terms first included “Down syndrome”, “preventive health care”, “epidemiology”, and “adults with Down syndrome”. We then searched specifically for articles dealing with comorbidities identified within that search. To date, few randomized controlled trials have involved adults with Down’s syndrome, and many studies that do exist used small sample sizes. We referenced many of these studies to ensure that our review was thorough and accurate. The information contained in this review results primarily from literature arising from observational studies and expert consensus, unless noted otherwise. Down’s syndrome results from increased genetic material on all or a portion of chromosome 21 and is characterized by intellectual disability and risk for comorbidities involving multiple organ systems.1 2 3 The survival of people with Down’s …
Estimating and constructing confidence intervals for spatial patterns between random and regular

Abstract A new spatial pattern index is proposed that spans the continuum of patterns from random to regular. The proposed index is the parameter of the distribution of distances from random points to the closest individual. Knowing the distribution makes it possible to derive estimators, perform hypothesis tests, and construct confidence intervals anywhere on the continuum. Although analytical solutions to the estimators and critical values cannot be derived, numerical procedures are discussed to estimate the solutions. A simulated example is given that tests the hypothesis that spatial patterns in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) forests converge to a common pattern over time, across all initial patterns.
Spectral and Dynamical Properties of Multiexcitons in Semiconductor Nanocrystals

Because of the strong spatial confinement of electronic wave functions and reduced dielectric screening, the effects of carrier-carrier Coulomb interactions are greatly enhanced in semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) compared with those in bulk materials. These interactions open a highly efficient decay channel via Auger recombination, which represents a dominant recombination pathway for multiexcitons in NCs. Furthermore, strong Coulomb coupling between charge carriers leads to extremely efficient direct photogeneration of multiexcitons by single photons via carrier (or exciton) multiplication. This review focuses on spectral and dynamical properties of multiexcitons in semiconductor NCs. The specific topics discussed here include the structure of NC electronic states, spectral signatures of multiexcitons in transient absorption and photoluminescence, exciton-exciton interaction energies, Auger recombination, and carrier multiplication. This chapter also briefly reviews the implications of multiexciton effects for practical technologies, such as NC lasing and photovoltaics.
The transmission of nuclear pore complexes to daughter cells requires a cytoplasmic pool of Nsp1.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are essential protein assemblies that span the nuclear envelope and establish nuclear–cytoplasmic compartmentalization. We have investigated mechanisms that control NPC number in mother and daughter cells during the asymmetric division of budding yeast. By simultaneously tracking existing NPCs and newly synthesized NPC protomers (nups) through anaphase, we uncovered a pool of the central channel nup Nsp1 that is actively targeted to the bud in association with endoplasmic reticulum. Bud targeting required an intact actin cytoskeleton and the class V myosin, Myo2. Selective inhibition of cytoplasmic Nsp1 or inactivation of Myo2 reduced the inheritance of NPCs in daughter cells, leading to a daughter-specific loss of viability. Our data are consistent with a model in which Nsp1 releases a barrier that otherwise prevents NPC passage through the bud neck. It further supports the finding that NPC inheritance, not de novo NPC assembly, is primarily responsible for controlling NPC number in daughter cells.
Occupation and well-being in dementia: the experience of day-care staff.

Objective The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of the staff experience of occupation in the context of day care for persons with dementia. Method Narratives of especially satisfying and dissatisfying experiences of care were elicited from a random state-wide sample of day-care staff members. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the phenomenological data. Results The core meaning of occupation derived from these data was Occupation as the Gateway to Relative Well-Being. A model of the experience of occupation for staff members is proposed that is composed of three phases: the meeting of minds, engagement in occupation, and relative well-being. The skills of the staff informants that bring about the meeting of minds, the many levels of client engagement in occupation, and the indicators of well-being for clients and for staff members are described. The three phases together constitute an occupational space--created by the staff person--and the engagement in occupation itself constitutes an occupational place within that space. Conclusions Bringing about indicators of well-being through occupation was a primary source of satisfaction for the day-care staff informants in this study. The model of the staff experience of occupation proposed in this study has application to all areas of occupational therapy practice.
Mutation spectrum of homogentisic acid oxidase (HGD) in alkaptonuria

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder, characterized by accumulation of homogentisic acid, leading to darkened urine, pigmentation of connective tissue (ochronosis), joint an spine arthritis, and destruction of cardiac valves. AKU is due to mutations in the homogentisate dioxygenase gene (HGD) that converts homogentisic acid to maleylacetoacetic acid in the tyrosine catabolic pathway. Here we report a comprehensive mutation analysis of 93 patients enrolled in our study, as well as an extensive update of all previously published HGD mutations associated with AKU. Within our patient cohort, we identified 52 HGD variants, of which 22 were novel. This yields a total of 91 identified HGD variations associated with AKU to date, including 62 missense, 13 splice site, 10 frameshift, 5 nonsense, and 1 no-stop mutation. Most HGD variants reside in exons 3, 6, 8, and 13. We assessed the potential effect of all missense variations on protein function, using five bioinformatic tools specifically designed for interpretation of missense variants (SIFT, POLYPHEN, PANTHER, PMUT, and SNAP). We also analyzed the potential effect of splice-site variants using two different tools (BDGP and NetGene2). This study provides valuable resources for molecular analysis of alkaptonuria and expands our knowledge of the molecular basis of this disease. Hum Mutat 30:1611-1619, 2009. Published 2009 Wiley Liss, Inc.
Vaccinia virus infection attenuates innate immune responses and antigen presentation by epidermal dendritic cells.

Langerhans cells (LCs) are antigen-presenting cells in the skin that play sentinel roles in host immune defense by secreting proinflammatory molecules and activating T cells. Here we studied the interaction of vaccinia virus with XS52 cells, a murine epidermis-derived dendritic cell line that serves as a surrogate model for LCs. We found that vaccinia virus productively infects XS52 cells, yet this infection displays an atypical response to anti-poxvirus agents. Whereas adenosine N1-oxide blocked virus production and viral protein synthesis during a synchronous infection, cytosine arabinoside had no effect at concentrations sufficient to prevent virus replication in BSC40 monkey kidney cells. Vaccinia virus infection of XS52 cells not only failed to elicit the production of various cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 p40, alpha interferon (IFN-α), and IFN-γ, it actively inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 by XS52 cells in response to exogenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or poly(I:C). Infection with a vaccinia virus mutant lacking the E3L gene resulted in TNF-α secretion in the absence of applied stimuli. Infection of XS52 cells or BSC40 cells with the ΔE3L virus, but not wild-type vaccinia virus, triggered proteolytic decay of IκBα. These results suggest a novel role for the E3L protein as an antagonist of the NF-κB signaling pathway. ΔE3L-infected XS52 cells secreted higher levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in response to LPS and poly(I:C) than did cells infected with the wild-type virus. XS52 cells were productively infected by a vaccinia virus mutant lacking the K1L gene. ΔK1L-infected cells secreted higher levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in response to LPS than wild-type virus-infected cells. Vaccinia virus infection of primary LCs harvested from mouse epidermis was nonpermissive, although a viral reporter protein was expressed in the infected LCs. Vaccinia virus infection of primary LCs strongly inhibited their capacity for antigen-specific activation of T cells. Our results highlight suppression of the skin immune response as a feature of orthopoxvirus infection.
Task partitioning effects in semi-automated human-machine system performance.

Twelve professional pilots performed a flight simulation consisting of three component sub-tasks: (i) tracking, (ii) monitoring and (iii) targeting, respectively. The targeting sub-task required (i) target identification, (ii) weapon selection and then (iii) weapon release. Pilots performed in a fully manual condition, a partial automation condition or a fully automated condition. Automated assistance was provided for the targeting sub-task only, while tracking and monitoring sub-tasks were always performed manually. During full automation, the computer located the target, identified it and released the appropriate weapon without any pilot input. During partial automation, the computer located and identified the target while the pilot retained final control over weapon release. Significantly higher levels of tracking error distinguished manual from both automated conditions and also between the two levels of automation. Monitoring response times were also sensitive to the degree of automation engaged, wit...
Boards of Directors and Firm Performance: Integrating Agency and Resource Dependence Perspectives

Boards of directors serve two important functions for organizations: monitoring management on behalf of shareholders and providing resources. Agency theorists assert that effective monitoring is a function of a board's incentives, whereas resource dependence theorists contend that the provision of resources is a function of board capital. We combine the two perspectives and argue that board capital affects both board monitoring and the provision of resources and that board incentives moderate these relationships.
Land carbon sequestration within the conterminous United States: Regional- and state-level analyses

A quantitative understanding of the rate at which land ecosystems are sequestering or losing carbon at national-, regional-, and state-level scales is needed to develop policies to mitigate climate change. In this study, a new improved historical land use and land cover change data set is developed and combined with a process-based ecosystem model to estimate carbon sources and sinks in land ecosystems of the conterminous United States for the contemporary period of 2001–2005 and over the last three centuries. We estimate that land ecosystems in the conterminous United States sequestered 323 Tg C yr−1 at the beginning of the 21st century with forests accounting for 97% of this sink. This land carbon sink varied substantially across the conterminous United States, with the largest sinks occurring in the Southeast. Land sinks are large enough to completely compensate fossil fuel emissions in Maine and Mississippi, but nationally, carbon sinks compensate for only 20% of U.S. fossil fuel emissions. We find that regions that are currently large carbon sinks (e.g., Southeast) tend to have been large carbon sources over the longer historical period. Both the land use history and fate of harvested products can be important in determining a region's overall impact on the atmospheric carbon budget. While there are numerous options for reducing fossil fuels (e.g., increase efficiency and displacement by renewable resources), new land management opportunities for sequestering carbon need to be explored. Opportunities include reforestation and managing forest age structure. These opportunities will vary from state to state and over time across the United States.
The potential for using cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and algae in the biological control of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and eukaryote algae occur in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial (soil) habitats. In fact, these microorganisms comprise most of the world's biomass. Although the cyanobacteria are mostly photoautotrophic, some are facultative heterotrophs, capable of growing on certain substrates in darkness. Also, some are non-phototrophic and hence, are obligate heterotrophs. A number of cyanobacteria and eukaryote algae, particularly macroalgae, produce various, biologically active compounds. These include antibiotics which in laboratory tests inhibited bacteria and fungi that incite diseases of humans. In addition, the following fungi which are of interest to plant pathologists, were inhibitedin vitro by substances produced by various cyanobacteria: The saprophytesChaetomium globosum, Cunninghamella blakesleeana, andAspergillus oryzae and the plant pathogensRhizoctonia solani andSclerotinia sclerotiorum. Extracts from seaweeds (macroalgae) sprayed on plants have been reported to reduce the incidence ofBotrytis cinerea (gray mold) on strawberries,Erysiphe polygoni (powdery mildew) on turnips, and damping-off of tomato seedlings. Because many cyanobacteria and algae produce a large number of antibacterial and antifungal materials, are almost never a threat to the environment, and many can be grown in quantity in mass culture, they are suitable candidates for exploitation as biocontrol agents of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Much additional work remains to be done however, to thoroughly evaluate cyanobacteria and algae and their products for this role.
Whither Organic Synthesis

An overview of the development of modern organic synthesis is given. Key researchers and their work are highlighted with a focus on the development of analytical and synthetic techniques currently in use.
The hand that has forgotten its cunning—Lessons from musicians' hand dystonia†‡

Focal task-specific dystonia of the musicians' hand (FTSDmh) is an occupational movement disorder that affects instrumental musicians and often derails careers. There has been speculation on the role of intense practice or the specific technical demands of various instruments as triggers for the development of FTSDmh. In this study, we review the clinical features of all published cases (899 patients) and 61 previously unpublished cases of FTSDmh. Our primary goals were to search for patterns in the clinical phenotype, and to discern if specific instrumental technical demands might be related to the development of dystonia. Symptoms of FTSDmh began at a mean age 35.7 years (SD = 10.6), with an overwhelming male predominance (M:F = 4.1:1). The right hand was preferentially affected in keyboard and plucked string players (77%), and the left hand in bowed string players (68%). Flexion movements were the most common dystonic movement in each instrument class, and fingers 3, 4, and 5, either in isolation or combination, were most frequently involved. The clinical implications of these findings and their possible relationship to the pathophysiology of focal task-specific dystonia are explored.
Rapid Enterovirus RNA Detection in Clinical Specimens by Using Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification

Enterovirus (EV) detection by nucleic acid sequence-based amplification was compared with EV isolation in cell culture. The NucliSens Basic kit (bioMerieux) was utilized for RNA detection. For virus isolation, samples were inoculated into MRC-5, primary rhesus monkey kidney, A549, rhabdomyosarcoma, and/or Buffalo green monkey kidney cells.
Causes, effects and molecular mechanisms of testicular heat stress.

The process of spermatogenesis is temperature-dependent and occurs optimally at temperatures slightly lower than that of the body. Adequate thermoregulation is imperative to maintain testicular temperatures at levels lower than that of the body core. Raised testicular temperature has a detrimental effect on mammalian spermatogenesis and the resultant spermatozoa. Therefore, thermoregulatory failure leading to heat stress can compromise sperm quality and increase the risk of infertility. In this paper, several different types of external and internal factors that may contribute towards testicular heat stress are reviewed. The effects of heat stress on the process of spermatogenesis, the resultant epididymal spermatozoa and on germ cells, and the consequent changes in the testis are elaborated upon. We also discuss the molecular response of germ cells to heat exposure and the possible mechanisms involved in heat-induced germ cell damage, including apoptosis, DNA damage and autophagy. Further, the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways that are involved in the intricate mechanism of germ cell apoptosis are explained. Ultimately, these complex mechanisms of apoptosis lead to germ cell death. © 2014 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Trunk and Hip Muscle Activation Patterns Are Different During Walking in Young Children With and Without Cerebral Palsy

Background. Poor control of postural muscles is a primary impairment in people with cerebral palsy (CP). Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the timing characteristics of trunk and hip muscle activity during walking in young children with CP compared with children with typical development (TD). Methods. Thirty-one children (16 with TD, 15 with CP) with an average of 28.5 months of walking experience participated in this observational study. Electromyographic data were collected from 16 trunk and hip muscles as participants walked at a self-selected pace. A custom-written computer program determined onset and offset of activity. Activation and coactivation data were analyzed for group differences. Results. The children with CP had greater total activation and coactivation for all muscles except the external oblique muscle and differences in the timing of activation for all muscles compared with the TD group. The implications of the observed muscle activation patterns are discussed in reference to existing postural control literature. Limitations. The potential influence of recording activity from adjacent deep trunk muscles is discussed, as well as the influence of the use of an assistive device by some children with CP. Conclusions. Young children with CP demonstrate excessive, nonreciprocal trunk and hip muscle activation during walking compared with children with TD. Future studies should investigate the efficacy of treatments to reduce excessive muscle activity and improve coordination of postural muscles in CP.
Proteins and Albumin

Proteins are large polymers of amino acids linked by peptide bonds (Figure 1). The amino acid subunits of proteins are organic molecules that include a carboxylic acid linked through a carbon atom to a primary (or secondary, in proline) amine with the chemical formula H 2 N-CHR-COOH, in which R is a side group that largely determines the chemical properties of the amino acid. The simplest amino acid is glycine, H 2 N-CH 2 -COOH, in which the R side group is a hydrogen atom. Although this chemical template can be modified into an infinite array of molecules based on variations in the R group, only approximately 20 amino acids occur in proteins. The R groups confer acidic, alkaline, polar, or nonpolar properties to the various amino acids.
Gesture variants and cognitive constraints for interactive virtual reality training systems

Two studies investigated the nature of environmental context on various parameters of pointing. The results revealed the need for extreme temporal precision and the need for efficient algorithms to parse out different styles of pointing. Most variability in pointing came from individual differences, and a method to classify the kind of point and derive its temporal parameters is discussed. These results and methods improve the pragmatism of virtual reality, making events appear more realistic by emphasizing temporal precision.
Docosahexaenoic acid synthesis from α-linolenic acid by rat brain is unaffected by dietary n-3 PUFA deprivation

Rates of conversion of α-linolenic acid (α-LNA, 18:3n-3) to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) by the mammalian brain and the brain's ability to upregulate these rates during dietary deprivation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are unknown. To answer these questions, we measured conversion coefficients and rates in post-weaning rats fed an n-3 PUFA deficient (0.2% α-LNA of total fatty acids, no DHA) or adequate (4.6% α-LNA, no DHA) diet for 15 weeks. Unanesthetized rats in each group were infused intravenously with [1-14C]α-LNA, and their arterial plasma and microwaved brains collected at 5 minutes were analyzed. The deficient compared with adequate diet reduced brain DHA by 37% and increased brain arachidonic (20:4n-6) and docosapentaenoic (22:5n-6) acids. Only 1% of plasma [1-14C]α-LNA entering brain was converted to DHA with the adequate diet, and conversion coefficients of α-LNA to DHA were unchanged by the deficient diet. In summary, the brain's ability to synthesize DHA from α-LNA is very low and is not altered by n-3 PUFA deprivation. Because the liver's reported ability is much higher, and can be upregulated by the deficient diet, DHA converted by the liver from circulating αLNA is the source of the brain's DHA when DHA is not in the diet.
Corticosteroids as Effective Vasodilators in the Treatment of Low Output Syndrome

The low output syndrome experimentally and clinically is expressed as a reduction in cardiac output associated with signs of peripheral vasoconstriction and reduced tissue perfusion. Experimentally in dogs methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg acts as a peripheral vasodilating drug with weak inotropic properties resulting in an increase in survival from 22 percent to 65 percent. Clinically methyl-prednisolone, 30 mg/kg, also acts as a peripheral vasodilating drug. When this drug is coupled with adequate volume replacement and the positive inotropic agent isoproterenol which are ineffective when given alone, 12 (63 percent) of 19 patients survived. This preliminary study underscores the effectiveness of this combined therapy in a usually lethal syndrome.
Sector-Level Results from the 2015 Strategy and Corporate Performance in the Energy Industry (SCOPE) Study

We report sector-level results from the Strategy and Performance in the Energy Industry (SCOPE) Survey conducted among professionals in the energy industry (so called “insiders”) to measure their perceptions about specific companies on multiple dimensions. The study includes 51 of the most prominent oil & gas companies covering six sectors: integrated oil & gas, exploration and production, midstream oil & gas, oil & gas services, refining and marketing, and engineering, project management, and construction. The study dataset includes responses from 1,978 oil & gas industry insiders who provided a total of 4,742 company evaluations. Results revealed that financial management, safety, leadership & strategy, and global focus are assessed relatively highly by respondents whereas corporate social responsibility, crisis handling, and innovation are rated relatively lower. The refining sector is consistently the worst performer of the six sectors. The best performer honors are enjoyed by the integrated oils in eight of ten performance factors. Six performance factors are significant predictors of the firm’s overall reputation. We also report results of an importance-performance analysis to help prioritize dimensions of strategic performance.
Characterization of regulatory elements in the 5'-flanking region of the rat GPIIb gene by studies in a primary rat marrow culture system

Glycoprotein (GP)IIb/IIIa, an integrin complex found on the surface of platelets, is a receptor for fibrinogen and other ligands, and is involved in platelet aggregation. Because GPIIb is specifically expressed in megakaryocytes, we have studied the 52-flanking region of the rat (r) GPIIb gene as a model of a megakaryocyte-specific gene. The studies presented here used a rat marrow expression system, which allows the study of primary cells undergoing terminal differentiation into megakaryocytes. The determination of megakaryocyte-specific expression of DNA constructs was possible by immunomagnetically separating megakaryocytes from total bone marrow cells. Transient expression constructs, containing varying lengths of the 52-flanking region from -39 to -912 bp, localized a regulatory element between -460 and -439 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site. This region contains a GATA consensus binding element between -457 and -454 (GATA454). Further constructs demonstrated that this GATA binding element was indeed essential for expression. A 25-bp substitution, covering the region -450 to -426 immediately downstream of the GATA454, demonstrated that this region was essential for full expression, which suggests that this region may interact with the GATA454 site in promoting high-level lineage-specific expression. To define regulatory elements between the GATA454 and the transcriptional start site further, we tested additional constructs derived from the original -912 construct; each of which contained the GATA454 but had different 50-bp deletions from -450 to the start site. Virtually all of these constructs continued to show high-level tissue-specific expression. The deleted -150 to -101 construct had twice the level of expression of the full-length wild-type construct; therefore, this region may contain a negative regulatory element. Comparison of our data with expression studies performed with the 52-region of the human GPIIb gene using HEL cells, a cell line with some megakaryocytic properties, demonstrates significant differences, which may reflect our use of primary rate bone marrow cells. In particular, our study points to the importance of the GATA454 for high levels of GPIIb expression in developing megakaryocytes.
The World Trading System After the Gatt Uruguay Round

The paper examines the tortuous course of the Uruguay Round and investigates the reasons for its failure thus far to reach its destination after meandering for almost five and a half years. It then considers the future of the world trading system after the Uruguay Round.
Livermore plutonium array program: experiments and calculations

The first precision array measurements with high-density plutonium-metal cylindrical parts of 3 and 6 kg took place at the Livermore Critical Assembly Facility from 1965 to 1969. Cubic arrays of up to sixty-four 6-kg parts were measured. Mock high-explosive epoxy moderators were used in several measurements. Experiments observing the effects of simulated body reflectors provided personnel safety guidance for the construction of these arrays. A comparison of Monte Carlo calculations and the experimental measurements indicated that the calculational method is sufficiently accurate to be used in nuclear safety guidance for arrays of these elements. Included for comparison are calculations for arrays comprised solely of the plutonium parts. Also included are calculations for 6-kt-part arrays in which a 0.479-cm-wide gap at the midplane has been eliminated and where the spacing was varied for each idealized array.
The varied nature of History textbooks in the teaching of History in Cameroonian schools

Like most countries in Africa, Cameroon is a colonial construct. It has its specificities and paradoxes, which are quite mesmerising. Cameroon is one of only a few countries in Africa to have had three colonial masters, Germany, France and Britain and has serpentined through Anglo-French Trusteeship, Federalism and the unitary state, to what is today just the state. Geographically, even Cameroon’s location is ambiguous with an Englishspeaking sector located in West Africa and the French-speaking sector in Central-Africa1 It is based on this standpoint that the Anglophones and the Francophones who graduated from the two colonial legacies and from two colonial educational systems reunited in 1961. It is vital to understand the path covered by the former German colony to achieve unification. After the defeat of the Germans in Cameroon in 1916, Britain and France were left to arrange the administration of this former German colony. Based on fundamental differences after the war as to the type of administration to be introduced to be styled on whose mood – Britain or France separated
Fertility-preserving surgical procedures for patients with gynecologic malignancies.

Gynecologic malignancies often affect young women who are at the peak of their reproductive potential. The treatment for gynecologic malignancies often consists of removal of the ovaries or uterus, affecting the future fertility of these patients. Advances in surgical management have allowed patient
Probe Variables for Nonvisual Judgment of Pathway Safety

About 10% of visually impaired Americans use canes to aid locomotion. Prior research has found surprisingly little influence of mechanical variables of these probes on judgments of walkway variables explored with them, and cane users spontaneously report employing various cane substitutes with little decrement. Cane users seem able to adapt to the mechanical variables of their tools, which approach functional transparency to the qualities explored. New research is discussed in which traditional-style aftereffects will be sought in conditions in which participants wield the same probe for several consecutive trials.
Design of planar diffractive elements with a simulated annealing algorithm and the scalar Helmholtz equation

In a planar waveguide an optimized volume grating is designed with the finite difference scalar Helmholtz equation and a simulated annealing algorithm to maximize the out-coupled power to a pre-determined beamshape.
Mechanisms of Zymosan Induced IL-8 Generation in Vivo

Acute peritonitis in the rabbit induced by intraperitoneal injection of zymosan is characterised by the sequential generation of at least three neutrophil chemoattractants (1). An initial phase of C5a generation (0-2 hours) is followed (2 hours onwards) by the appearance of two structurally related chemoattractant cytokines, rabbit IL-8 and rabbit MGSA (2). The time course of cytokine generation is similar to that of neutrophil accumulation, and phagocytosing neutrophils release IL-8 in vitro. We have therefore investigated whether the infiltrating neutrophils are the source of the IL-8 observed in the cavity at 6 hours. Depletion of circulating neutrophils (>98%) did not inhibit the generation of inflammatory mediators in the peritoneal cavity measured by both in vivo bioassay in skin and using a rabbit IL-8 specific RIA. In addition, HPLC separation of the mediators in exudate from depleted animals revealed that the inflammatory activity comprised both IL-8 and MGSA. Thus, it appears that infiltrating neutrophils are not necessary for production of these cytokines in this model, implicating other cells such as macrophages or mesothelial cells as the source.
Abstract B20: The cholesterol metabolite, 27-hydroxycholesterol induces hyperplasia in an androgen receptor-dependent manner in normal prostate RWPE-1 cells

For every 6 men, 1 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa). Moreover, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) also occurs in 50% of men over the age of 50. Although Androgens are known to play an important role in PCa and BPH, some evidence shows estrogens may be involved as well. Recently a cholesterol oxidized metabolite (oxysterol), 27- hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) was found to bind to estrogen receptor(ER) and act as a selective ER modulator (SERM). 27-OHC is the most prevalent cholesterol metabolite present in the blood with levels increasing with oxidative stress and age, especially in men. The role of 27-OHC in PCa and BPH remains to be investigated. We propose that 27-OHC has deleterious effect in PCa and BPH, whereas the effect on BPH may be androgen dependent. We recently found that incubation with 27-OHC of RWPE-1 (normal epithelial) and LNCaP (cancer cells) increased cell proliferation in both cell lines. Interestingly, upon incubation of RWPE-1 and LNCaP with 27-OHC, we observed an increase in androgen receptor (AR) activity in RWPE-1, not in LNCaP. Furthermore, we found an increase in AR binding to the Androgen Response Element upon exposure of RWPE-1 to 27-OHC. We also found that upon silencing AR gene expression, 27-OHC-induced proliferation in RWPE-1 was markedly attenuated. Additionally, 27-OHC also diminished Docetaxel-mediated apoptosis in RWPE-1. Altogether, our results propose dysregulated levels of 27-OHC as a new risk factor for BPH and PCa. This indicates a novel role for 27-OHC in the etiopathogenesis of BPH and PCa. Citation Format: Shaneabbas Raza, Megan Meyer, Bin Guo, Kimberly Hammer, Othman Ghribi. The cholesterol metabolite, 27-hydroxycholesterol induces hyperplasia in an androgen receptor-dependent manner in normal prostate RWPE-1 cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr B20.
Evidence-Based Versus Personalized Prostate Cancer Screening: Using Baseline Prostate-Specific Antigen Measurements to Individualize Screening

the need for prostate biopsy. These trials include the US Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, andOvarian Cancer ScreeningTrialthatrandomly assigned 76,685 men age 55 to 74 years to annual screening versus usual care and recommended aprostate biopsy for aPSA.4ng/mL or suspicious digital rectal examination. This study found no difference in prostate cancer mortality between the screening and usual care groups. 9 However, these results are not surprising, given that approximately 90% of men in the usual care arm had PSA testing (more than in the screening arm). 10 Therefore, the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial is not informative regarding the efficacy of screening versus no screening. The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer randomly assigned 162,388 menage55 to69yearstoscreening and control arms. 11 This study reported a significant reduction in metastatic disease and prostate cancer death with PSA screening at 2to 4-year intervals, primarily using a PSA threshold of 3 ng/mL. The Goteborg population-based randomized trial in Sweden randomly assigned 20,000 men to PSA screening every 2 years beginning at age 50 years and found the greatest overall reduction in prostate cancer mortality reported to date. 12 This may imply that more frequent screening in younger men accounts for the better results observed in this population compared with the rest of the European trial. Indeed, a recent study comparing men age 50 to 54 years from this trial to age-matched Swedish men from the pre-PSA era found that screening in this age group was associated with a large reduction in metastatic disease (incidence rate ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.79) and prostate cancer death (incidence rate ratio, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.67). 13 However, since the time of these randomized trials, numerous studies suggest offering screening at an even earlier age. In a large prospective US screening study, our group reported that men with a baseline PSA level in their 40s above the age-specific median of 0.7 ng/mL had a significantly higher risk of future prostate cancer diagnosis and aggressive disease. 14 Conversely, among men with a baseline PSA level below the age-specific median in their 40s, only 0.3% reached the PSAthreshold for biopsy of 2.5 ng/mLwithin the next 5 years, and only one was diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 50 years. 15
Active and Passive Microwave Remote Sensing Synergy for Soil Moisture Estimation

Abstract The following chapter presents the concept of combined active-passive soil moisture estimation. By simultaneously taking advantage of radar and radiometer microwave remote sensing observations, it is possible to obtain both high accuracy and high-resolution global surface soil moisture predictions. This is mainly achieved by merging the complementary strengths, sensitivities to soil moisture, and spatial resolutions of active and passive observations within an integrated and unified retrieval framework.
Gene delivery to the nervous system using retroviral vectors

Publisher Summary Retrovirus vectors derived from Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) have been the most utilized vector for gene delivery to the nervous system. Particles enter the cells by binding to glycoproteins on the plasma membrane of the host cell, followed by fusion of the virus envelope with the cell membrane. There is some cell specificity of virus entry conferred by the interaction between envelope elements in the virus particles and the cell membrane. It is shown that stable, albeit low level, transgene expression could be achieved following peripheral grafting of fibroblasts by using the “house-keeping” promoter for dihydrofolate reductase, which is active in most mammalian cell types. The function of particular neural proteins is elucidated by retrovirus-encoded antisense RNA, which interferes with expression of the protein. Antisense technology is still an incomplete art and one can expect to achieve only partial inhibition of translation of the targeted mRNA. Retrovirus-mediated gene transfer is a particularly applicable technique for brain tumors because of the selectivity of retroviruses for proliferating cells. The possibility of obtaining retroviruses with mixed phenotypes, through infection of the same cell by different viruses, from the same or different taxonomic groups is also elaborated.
Influencing public school policy in the United States: the role of large-scale assessments

AbstractThe authors review the influence of state, national and international large-scale assessments (LSAs) on education policy and research. They distinguish between two main uses of LSAs: as a means for conducting research that informs educational reform and LSAs as a tool for implementing standards and enforcing accountability. The authors discuss the influence of the international TIMSS study on US mathematics standards and the development of the Common Core as an example of LSA’s potential for research-based reform. They also examine how the controversy over using assessments to evaluate teacher performance suggests some of the problems with using LSAs as a lever for policy. They conclude by suggesting that the ‘assessment to inform policy’ model may be more promising (and yield greater long-term fruits) than an ‘assessment as policy’ model.
Public Theology as “Bridge Building”

This exchange between ethicist Peter Gathje and one of the guests of Manna House of Hospitality (Memphis, Tennessee) points to the task of the public theologian. Gathje serves at Manna House, sharing meals and prayers with its guests. Through his blog Radical Hospitality he echoes and responds to the theology of the people he serves, and their deep questions about justice in our world. In this dialogical movement he enters the locations where he serves meals and prays with his “public,” who in turn ask for a justice that seems all too elusive from their vantage point. His “public,” the guests and others who pass through Manna House, are sources for theological imagination and critical questioning, shaping the way Gathje organizes his vision of the Christian story and the liberating truth it seeks to relate to the world.
Breaking Bonds: Refiguring Maternity in Elena Ferrante’s The Lost Daughter

The Lost Daughter (2006) is a uniquely non-idealized maternal narrative that centers on the mothering of adult daughters. Elwell argues that The Lost Daughter both evokes and departs from its “mother-text,” A Woman. The implicit allusion to Aleramo’s novel links the texts’ protagonists in a project to break the ideological chain of sacrifice in mothering. In Ferrante’s novel, the “crime” of the theft of a doll symbolizes the cultural crime of being a “madre snaturata,” capable of non-apologetically abandoning one’s children. Drawing on Luisa Muraro’s theorizations of “affidamento” (entrustment), the author posits that the narrator’s relationship to Nina, a young mother she meets on vacation, allows for a doubled mediation in which Nina serves simultaneously as both a symbolic mother and daughter for Leda, the narrator.
Attenuated recovery of contractile function in aging hearts following global ischemia/reperfusion: Role of extracellular HSP27 and TLR4.

While cardiac functional recovery is attenuated in the elderly following cardiac surgery with obligatory global myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. We observed previously that human and mouse myocardium releases heat shock protein (HSP) 27 during global I/R. Extracellular HSP27 induces myocardial inflammatory response and plays a role in postischemic cardiac dysfunction in adult mouse hearts. This study was to determine the role of extracellular HSP27 and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the attenuated functional recovery in aging mouse hearts following global I/R. Hearts isolated from aging (18–24 months) and adult (4–6 months) mice were subjected to ex vivo global I/R. Augmented release of HSP27 in aging hearts was associated with greater production of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) and worse functional recovery. Anti-HSP27 suppressed the inflammatory response and markedly improved functional recovery in aging hearts. Perfusion of recombinant HSP27 to aging hearts resulted in greater cytokine production and more severe contractile depression in comparison to adult hearts. TLR4 deficiency abolished cytokine production and functional injury in aging hearts exposed to recombinant HSP27. Interestingly, aging hearts had higher TLR4 protein levels and displayed enhanced TLR4-medi-ated NF-κB activation following HSP27 stimulation or I/R. Extracellular HSP27 and TLR4 jointly enhance the inflammatory response and hamper functional recovery following I/R in aging hearts. The enhanced inflammatory response to global I/R and attenuated postischemic functional recovery in aging hearts are due, at least in part, to augmented myocardial release of HSP27 and elevated myocardial TLR4 levels.
Measuring kinetic rate constants of multiple-component reactions with optical biosensors

One may measure the kinetic rate constants associated with biochemical reactions using an optical biosensor: an instrument in which ligand molecules are convected through a flow cell over a surface to which receptors are immobilized. If there are multiple reactants, one is faced with the problem of fitting multiple kinetic rate constants to one signal, since data from all of the reacting species is lumped together. Even in the presence of ambiguous data, one may use a series of experiments to accurately determine the rate constants. Moreover, the true set of rate constants may be identified by either postprocessing the signals or adjusting the ligand inflow concentrations.
Regulation of Early Events in Cell Cycle Progression by Hedgehog Signaling in CNS Development and Tumorigenesis

Hedgehog signaling is essential for proliferation of neural precursor populations in the developing central nervous system (CNS) and is etiologic in cerebellar brain tumors. Here we will contrast general strategies of cell cycle regulation by growth factors in the developing CNS with the emerging concept of a noncanonical Hedgehog “proliferative pathway” as suggested by published studies. Mechanisms utilized by Sonic hedgehog signaling to promote cell cycle progression in CNS progenitors during development and in adult stem cell populations also contribute to CNS tumorigenesis.
Segregation in Science: An Historico-Cultural Analysis

An analysis of the historical and cultural circumstances which have led to the segregation of the social and behavioral sciences to an inferior position in the list of disciplines and some suggestions for correcting this erroneous practice are presented.
Learning of skid-steered kinematic and dynamic models for motion planning

Abstract Modeling of the motion of a skid-steered robot is challenging since slippage and skidding is inherent to this type of platform and it requires high torques to perform curvilinear motion. If the ground–robot interaction and torque requirements are not captured properly, motion planners will sometimes generate trajectories that are not achievable by the robot. Important motion planning applications that rely heavily in these models, include energy efficient and momentum based planning. However, these models change as the terrain surface varies. To cope with this issue, this paper presents a methodology to perform online learning of such models. It combines detailed slip and terramechanic-based dynamic models of wheel–terrain interaction with online learning via Extended Kalman filtering (to update the kinematic model) and an efficient neural network formulation (to update the dynamic model). The proposed approach experimentally demonstrates the importance of the joint utilization of the learned vehicle models in the context of energy efficient motion planning. In particular, the slip-enhanced kinematic models are used to efficiently provide estimates of robot pose and the dynamic models are employed to generate energy estimates and minimum turn radius constraints.
Exponential and logarithm

The exponential function, and its inverse, the logarithm function, are two of the most fundamental elementary functions in all of mathematics, and in numerical computing. They also turn up hidden inside other important functions, such as the hyperbolic functions, the power function, and in the computation of interest and investment value, and lottery returns, in financial mathematics, a subject that we treat briefly at the end of this chapter.
Effect on orthometallation of NHC palladium complexes toward the catalytic activity studies in Suzuki coupling reaction

Herein, we report an approach to improve catalytic activity for cross-coupling reactions. N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) palladium complexes bearing a nitrogen-based ligand without orthometallation complexes show remarkable activities in Suzuki coupling reaction than orthometallation. Aryl chlorides examples employed in air and ambient temperature in Suzuki coupling reaction to reach completion within few minutes.