cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamics and Molecular Mechanisms of p53 Transcriptional Activation

The "guardian of the genome", p53, functions as a tumor suppressor that responds to cell stressors such as DNA damage, hypoxia, and tumor formation by inducing cell-cycle arrest, senescence, or apoptosis. Mutation of p53 disrupts its tumor suppressor function, leading to various types of human cancers. One particular mutant, R175H, is a structural mutant that inactivates the DNA damage response pathway and acquires oncogenic functions that promotes both cancer and drug resistance. Our current work aims to understand how p53 wild-type function is disrupted due to the R175H mutation. We use a series of atomistic integrative models built previously from crystal structures of the full-length p53 tetramer bound to DNA and model the R175H mutant using in silico site-directed mutagenesis. Explicitly solvated all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on wild-type and the R175H mutant p53 reveal insights into how wild-type p53 searches and recognizes DNA, and how this mechanism is disrupted as a result of the R175H mutation. Specifically, our work reveals the optimal quaternary DNA binding mode of the DNA binding domain and shows how this binding mode is altered via symmetry loss as a result of the R175H mutation, indicating a recognition mechanism that is reminiscent of the asymmetry seen in wild type p53 binding to nonspecific genomic elements. Altogether our work sheds new light into the hitherto unseen molecular mechanisms governing transcription factor, DNA recognition.
Race, Land Use Regulation, and Housing Affordability

Previous studies have examined the link between land-use regulation and home prices extensively. Yet there are few studies that examine the influence of land-use regulation on housing affordability. Even more uncommon is a focus on the effects of specific types of regulation on individual households, and variations in these effects by racial and ethnic group. Using a cross-sectional regression design analyzing existing Wharton Residential Land Use Regulation Survey data, land use regulation survey data developed by Pendall, Puentes, and Martin (2006), and American Community Survey data, this article estimates the impact of various kinds of exclusionary land use regulation on individual housing affordability by housing tenure and race. We find that mobile home bans have powerful and consistent effects on owner affordability. Affordability for African Americans is especially harmed by multi-family development limits and for Hispanics by restrictions on the pace of housing construction.
Developing Pharmacy Student Communication Skills through Role-Playing and Active Learning

Objective. To evaluate the impact on pharmacy students of a communication course, which used role-playing to develop active-learning skills. Design. Students role-playing pharmacists in patient care scenarios were critiqued by students and pharmacist faculty members. Grading was performed using the rubric inspired by Bruce Berger’s Communication Skills for Pharmacists. Written skills were evaluated using student written critique questionnaires. Students completed precourse and postcourse self-assessment surveys. Preceptor evaluations were analyzed for course impact. Assessment. Students demonstrated improvement in oral skills based on role-play scores (45.87/50) after practice sessions. The average score based on the student questionnaire was 9.31/10. Gain was demonstrated in all defined course objectives. Impact on introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) communication objectives was insignificant. Student evaluations for course and teaching strategy reflected a high average. Conclusion. Study results demonstrated improvement in oral and written communication skills that may help improve interprofessional teamwork between pharmacists and other health care providers.
Abstract 3939: Exploiting tumor treating fields induced downregulation of BRCA1 pathway for novel combination therapies

A new physical cancer treatment modality called Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) has demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of solid tumors in vitro and in vivo. TTFields therapy is a non-invasive cancer treatment modality that delivers low intensity (1-3 V/cm), intermediate frequency (100-300 kHz) alternating electric fields to the tumor. The TTFields delivery device called Optune (NovoCure), has been approved for recurrent and newly diagnosed glioblastoma and clinical trials are ongoing for other cancers. The primary mechanism of TTFields action is thought to be interference with mitosis. We monitored temporal gene expression changes in 5 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines whose response to TTFields is variable and found that the expression of the BRCA1 DNA damage repair pathway, as well as other DNA repair/checkpoint pathways were significantly downregulated (P Citation Format: Narasimha Kumar Karanam, Liang-Hao Ding, Brock Sishc, Debabrata Saha, Michael D. Story. Exploiting tumor treating fields induced downregulation of BRCA1 pathway for novel combination therapies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3939.
Effect of Different Visual Stimuli on Joint Attention of ASD Children Using NAO Robot

Interaction of autistic children with socially assistive robots have shown improvements in their impairments. This research focuses on one of the core impairments i.e. joint attention of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using robot-mediated therapy. The study aims to compare the effect of different visual stimuli on joint attention. Two different visual cues i.e. rasta and blink by NAO robot are introduced. The evaluation parameters are total time for eye contact and number of eye contacts in response to generated stimuli. The experiment is conducted on 12 ASD children, 8 sessions for each cue over the period of 2 months. Each session consists of 8 trials of each category. This approach achieves 80.3% of accuracy for rasta while 65.1% for blink cue. The average eye contact time for rasta is 38.8 s and for blink is 32.4 s, signifying the effect of a prominent visual cue in improvement of joint attention.
The new ‘old country’ and its ‘tenth province’: Yugoslav pavilions and the ‘Emigration Question’

What can three exhibitions in the 1930s tell us about diaspora nationalism and Yugoslavia? During the interwar period, the newly-formed Kingdom of Yugoslavia struggled to win the loyalty of its ove...
Investigation of Cyclic-Shear Behavior of Circular-Reinforced Concrete-Filled Steel Tubes

AbstractThe cyclic-shear behavior of composite circular concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs) and reinforced concrete-filled steel tubes (RCFSTs) was experimentally and numerically investigated. Spec...
Interactive effects of HIV and ageing on neural oscillations: independence from neuropsychological performance

HIV infection is associated with increased age-related co-morbidities including cognitive deficits, leading to hypotheses of HIV-related premature or accelerated ageing. Impairments in selective attention and the underlying neural dynamics have been linked to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder; however, the effect of ageing in this context is not yet understood. Thus, the current study aimed to identify the interactive effects of ageing and HIV on selective attention processing. A total of 165 participants (92 controls, 73 participants with HIV) performed a visual selective attention task while undergoing magnetoencephalography and were compared cross-sectionally. Spectrally specific oscillatory neural responses during task performance were imaged and linked with selective attention function. Reaction time on the task and regional neural activity were analysed with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models aimed at examining the age-by-HIV interaction term. Finally, these metrics were evaluated with respect to clinical measures such as global neuropsychological performance, duration of HIV infection and medication regimen. Reaction time analyses showed a significant HIV-by-age interaction, such that in controls older age was associated with greater susceptibility to attentional interference, while in participants with HIV, such susceptibility was uniformly high regardless of age. In regard to neural activity, theta-specific age-by-HIV interaction effects were found in the prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices. In participants with HIV, neuropsychological performance was associated with susceptibility to attentional interference, while time since HIV diagnosis was associated with parietal activity above and beyond global neuropsychological performance. Finally, current efavirenz therapy was also related to increased parietal interference activity. In conclusion, susceptibility to attentional interference in younger participants with HIV approximated that of older controls, suggesting evidence of HIV-related premature ageing. Neural activity serving attention processing indicated compensatory recruitment of posterior parietal cortex as participants with HIV infection age, which was related to the duration of HIV infection and was independent of neuropsychological performance, suggesting an altered trajectory of neural function.
The Proxy Advisory Industry: Influencing and Being Influenced

Mutual funds rely on recommendations from proxy advisors when voting in corporate elections. Proxy advisors’ influence has been a source of controversy, but it is difficult to study because information linking funds to their advisors is not publicly available. A key innovation of this paper is to show how fund-advisor links can be inferred from previously unnoticed features of a fund’s SEC filings. Using this method to infer links, I establish several novel facts about the proxy advisory industry. During 2007-2017, the market share of the two largest proxy advisory firms has declined slightly from 96.5 percent to 91 percent, with Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) controlling 63 percent of the market and Glass Lewis 28 percent in the most recent year. A large fraction of ISS customers appear to have robo-voted, rising from 5 percent in 2007 to 23 percent in 2017, at which time over 50 percent of small index funds robo-voted. Negative recommendations from ISS or Glass Lewis reduce their customers’ votes by over 20 percent in director elections and say-on-pay proposals. Finally, proxy advisors cater to investors’ preferences, adjusting their recommendations to align with fund preferences independent of whether those adjustments lead to recommendations that maximize firm value.
CHRONIC RECURRENT MULTIFOCAL OSTEOMYELITIS INVOLVING THE MANDIBLE

Clinical Presentation A 13-year-old male presented with the chief complaint of pain and facial swelling on the left side. His medical history was significant for chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) and hospitalization for recurrent right facial swelling, tenderness, and chronic ankle pain. Differential Diagnosis CRMO can mimic infective osteomyelitis, thus unnecessarily subjecting the patient to a prolonged course of antibiotics, radiation exposure, and multiple biopsies. Diagnosis and Management Extraoral radiographs: Normal bone pattern, no evidence of periosteal reaction and mild left-sided soft tissue swelling. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Postcontrast T1-weighted fat-suppressed 2017: High signal from the marrow of the right mandibular body and ramus and surrounding muscles representative of edema. Noncontrast T2-weighted fat-suppressed 2018: Persistent high signal in the marrow of the right mandibular body and ramus, with a resolution of muscular edema; the new hyperintense signal in the marrow of the left mandibular body. Bone scan: Phases 2 and 3: Increased tracer uptake along the right mandible and the right calcaneus and epiphyses of the long bone. Discussion Familiarity with the clinical and radiographic findings of CRMO greatly increases the likelihood of early diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and avoidance of multiple unnecessary procedures.
Intercultural differences in healthcare experiences of Latinos in a nontraditional destination area.

Background: Disparities in health care access for Latinos are well documented, but little is known about how they may impact immigrants from diverse countries of origin differently. Immigrants in nontraditional destination areas face greater disparities, allowing more robust comparison of Latino heritage groups in such regions. Method: Mexican (N = 258) and Guatemalan (N = 143) participants were recruited for a community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative in Cincinnati, Ohio: Latinos Unidos por la Salud (LU-Salud). Community partners recruited Latino immigrants to complete a brief survey about health care difficulties. Mixed methods data analysis was employed using t tests, Fisher's exact test, and a qualitative content analysis approach to analyze group differences. Results: Although both groups reported challenges, Guatemalans reported greater difficulty navigating health care. Conversely, Mexicans more commonly used local resources like health fairs to seek health information and described fewer language barriers. Qualitatively, Guatemalans and Mexicans had different perceptions of the biggest health problem for Latinos in Cincinnati. Notably, Mexicans identified major chronic diseases as community health problems. Discussion: Mexicans and Guatemalans show different patterns of health care engagement and express distinct concerns. Future work should consider the role of health literacy in informing the heterogenous experiences and needs of Latinos from diverse countries of origin. Further, interventions should train health care providers to provide culturally sensitive services, with interpreters available in multiple languages to address heterogenous language needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Transcription Factor Based Small-Molecule Sensing with a Rapid Cell Phone Enabled Fluorescent Bead Assay.

Recently, allosteric transcription factors (TFs) were identified as a novel class of biorecognition elements for in vitro sensing, whereby an indicator of the differential binding affinity between a TF and its cognate DNA exhibits dose-dependent responsivity to an analyte. Described is a modular bead-based biosensor design that can be applied to such TF-DNA-analyte systems. DNA-functionalized beads enable efficient mixing and spatial separation, while TF-labeled semiconductor quantum dots serve as bright fluorescent indicators of the TF-DNA bound (on bead) and unbound states. The prototype sensor for derivatives of the antibiotic tetracycline exhibits nanomolar sensitivity with visual detection of bead fluorescence. Facile changes to the sensor enable sensor response tuning without necessitating changes to the biomolecular affinities. Assay components self-assemble, and readout by eye or digital camera is possible within 5 minutes of analyte addition, making sensor use facile, rapid, and instrument-free.
Planar Metasurface Design for Wide-Angle Refraction Using Interface Field Optimization

Wide-angle planar metasurface refractors are designed by synthesizing complete interface fields corresponding to passive and lossless characteristics. To the Floquet modes associated with a refraction function, additional Floquet mode contents are introduced to the inner and outer layers, and optimized to render all admittance sheets between layers purely reactive. For optimized three-layer designs, full-wave simulations show perfect refraction without reflections. Analysis of physical three-layer metallic sheet designs shows high-efficiency refraction without supercell-level optimizations.
Learning Through Shared Care : Allomaternal Care Impacts Cognitive Development in Early Infancy in a Western Population.

This study investigates how allomaternal care (AMC) impacts human development outside of energetics by evaluating relations between important qualitative and quantitative aspects of AMC and developmental outcomes in a Western population. This study seeks to determine whether there are measurable differences in cognitive and language outcomes as predicted by differences in exposure to AMC via formal (e.g., childcare facilities) and informal (e.g., family and friends) networks. Data were collected from 102 mothers and their typically developing infants aged 13–18 months. AMC predictor data were collected using questionnaires, structured daily diaries, and longitudinal interviews. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Cognitive, Receptive Language, and Expressive Language subtests of the Bayley III Screening Test. Additional demographic covariates were also evaluated. Akaike Information Criterion (AIC)-informed model selection was used to identify the best-fitting model for each outcome across three working linear regression models. Although AMC variables had no significant effects on Receptive and Expressive Language subtest scores, highly involved familial AMC had a significant medium effect on Cognitive subtest score (β = 0.23, p < 0.01, semi-partial r = 0.28). Formal childcare had no effect on any outcome. This study provides preliminary evidence that there is a measurable connection between AMC and cognitive development in some populations and provides a methodological base from which to assess these connections cross-culturally through future studies. As these effects are attributable to AMC interactions with networks of mostly related individuals, these findings present an area for further investigation regarding the kin selection hypothesis for AMC.
File System Semantics Requirements of HPC Applications

Most widely-deployed parallel file systems (PFSs) implement POSIX semantics, which implies sequential consistency for reads and writes. Strict adherence to POSIX semantics is known to impede performance and thus several new PFSs with relaxed consistency semantics and better performance have been introduced. Such PFSs are useful provided that applications can run correctly on a PFS with weaker semantics. While it is widely assumed that HPC applications do not require strict POSIX semantics, to our knowledge there has not been systematic work to support this assumption. In this paper, we address this gap with a categorization of the consistency semantics guarantees of PFSs and develop an algorithm to determine the consistency semantics requirements of a variety of HPC applications. We captured the I/O activity of 17 representative HPC applications and benchmarks as they performed I/O through POSIX or I/O libraries and examined the metadata operations used and their file access patterns. From this analysis, we find that 16 of the 17 applications can utilize PFSs with weaker semantics.
Pregnancy and Childbirth Expectations During COVID-19 in a Convenience Sample of Women in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the health care landscape and shifted individuals' expectations for and interactions with essential health services, including pregnancy-related care. This study explores alterations to individuals' pregnancy and childbirth decisions during an infectious disease pandemic. A convenience sample of 380 pregnant individuals with an expected delivery date between April and December 2020 consented to enroll and complete an online questionnaire on their pregnancy and childbirth expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic; a subset of respondents (n = 18) participated in semi-structured phone interviews. Survey data were analyzed quantitatively while interview data were analyzed using a thematic content analysis until a consensus on key themes was achieved. Respondents reported substantial stressors related to shifting policies of health care facilities and rapidly changing information about COVID-19 disease risks. As a result, respondents considered modifying their prenatal and childbirth plans, including the location of their birth (25%), health care provider (19%), and delivery mode (13%). These findings illuminate the concerns and choices pregnant individuals face during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer recommendations to engage in compassionate, supportive, and person-centered care during a time of unprecedented risk and uncertainty.
High-Photovoltage All-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells for Photovoltaic-Electrolysis Water-Splitting Applications

Monolithic perovskite/perovskite tandem solar cells have attracted substantial attention owing to their promise for high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and low fabrication cost. Conventional all-perovskite tandem solar cells employ a mixed tin (Sn)-lead (Pb) low-bandgap subcell, which suffers from instability issues in the ambient air. Here, we fabricate two-terminal perovskite/perovskite tandem solar cells consisting of two solution-processed perovskite subcells based on the more airstable pure Pb-based perovskites. The champion perovskite tandem cell exhibits a PCE of 19.2% with a high open-circuit voltage of 2.15 V. We further demonstrate photovoltaicelectrolysis (PV-EC) water-splitting applications using these high-photovoltage all-perovskite tandem solar cells.
Visualizing Disease and ‘Depravity’ in the Weimar Republic: The Film Roles and Dance Performances of Anita Berber and Otto Dix’s Bildnis der Tänzerin Anita Berber

During Germany’s Weimar Republic (1918–33), women who did not conform to conventional expectations for “proper” female behaviour were met with suspicion and criticism. Due to their embrace of sexua...
Optical and electrical properties of bandgap engineered gallium-doped MgxZn1−xO films

Abstract In this study, the optical and electrical properties of heavily gallium-doped MgxZn1−xO films were investigated. Films were epitaxially grown on c -plane sapphire substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Film transparency was shown to be greater than 90% in the visible spectrum. Absorption was shown to be extended to lower wavelengths in films with higher magnesium concentration values. Although transparency in the ultraviolet wavelength range was improved, conductivity was decreased. In MgxZn1−xO films with 0.5 at.% gallium, resistivity was increased from 1.9 × 1 0 − 3 Ω cm to 3.62 × 1 0 − 2 Ω cm as the magnesium concentration was increased from five atomic percent to fifteen atomic percent. These efforts will facilitate the development of zinc oxide-based ultraviolet–blue light emitting diodes, ultraviolet–blue light laser diodes, and other optoelectronic devices.
I Don’t Cry, but I Remember: A Mexican Immigrant’s Story of Endurance

Joyce Lackie’s I Don’t Cry, But I Remember broadens our understanding of history and oral history in three key ways. As its title suggests, the book is most obviously an immigrant’s story. It tells...
The Role of Calcium in the Phototactic Response of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular green flagellate, displays two kinds of photomovements in response to a blue-green stimulus light: an oriented swimming toward or away from the light source (phototaxis), and a non-oriented stop response (photophobic response) at the onset of high-intensity illumination.
Staff Suggestions on the Nursing Shortage. Nurses' Recommendations on Short- And Long-Term Solutions

The current nursing shortage has been with us in lesser forms for years, yet only now is attention being paid to possible solutions. To elucidate those solutions, the authors interviewed twenty-five New York City staff nurses, who eagerly gave their views on short- and long-term answers to the shortage, such as the use of temporary nurses and the need for autonomy and respect.
Noise Classification in the Aluminum Reduction Process

Cell “noise” is monitored by virtually all reduction cell control systems, and is generally used as one of the control variables for anode movement. High noise levels are thought to reduce cell current efficiency and are generally combated by increasing anode-cathode distance. However, exactly what constitutes “noise” and how noise is measured varies from controller to controller. Cell control algorithms are universally proprietary and little has been published on the correlation between voltage noise and current efficiency. In this study, three types of frequently observed cell noise are presented, and corresponding noise metrics are proposed. The characteristics and possible causes of the three types of noise are discussed. We show that not all types respond to anode movement, and posit that a better understanding of noise type is necessary for effective control of the cell.
A comment on random versus non-random defect placement in polyacetylene

Abstract : The dependence of electrical transport of doped polyacetylenes on conjugation length has been a topic of debate in recent years. We do not wish to comment on this issue specifically, but rather on the synthetic approach of introducing sp(3) defects into polyacetylene through protonation or alkylation of the n-type derivative. Specifically, we address the question of the randomness of the placement of defects and its implications for carrier transport and other electronic properties. Our principal conclusion is one defect for every 10 carbons in polyacetylene. We base this conclusion on experimental results reported in the literature of our theoretical study. Keywords: Synthesis (chemistry), Doping, Alkylation.
An Effect of Selenium and Cystine on Lipide Peroxidation in Tissues Deficient in Vitamin E

TWO vitamin E deficiency syndromes in the chick are preventable by nutrients other than α-tocopherol. Exudative diathesis does not occur when the deficient diet contains trace amounts of selenium. With diets simultaneously low in tocopherol and sulphur amino-acids, muscular dystrophy occurs which can be prevented by cystine, methionine, or vitamin E; trace amounts of selenium (<0.5 p.p.m.) are ineffective. The mechanism by which selenium and sulphur amino-acids replace vitamin E is unknown. Since the only established biochemical action of tocopherol is that of an antioxidant, it appeared that possibly these other nutrients may in some way affect peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. Thiobarbituric acid has been shown to be a sensitive reagent for determining the extent of peroxidation in autoxidizing tissues1,2. Using this test as described by Tappel and Zalkin2, we have found that dietary selenium and cystine significantly reduce peroxidation in certain tissues of vitamin E-deficient chicks.
Sketching software in the wild

This paper argues that understanding how professional software developers use diagrams and sketches in their work is an underexplored terrain. We illustrate this by summarizing a number of studies on sketching and diagramming across a variety of domains, and arguing for their limited generalizability. In order to develop further insight, we describe the design of a research project we are embarking upon and its grounding theoretical assumptions.
Directional Sensitivity of Cylindrical Hot-Film Velocity Sensors

Directional sensitivities of alumina and quartz-coated cylindrical hot-film velocity sensors with ls /ds ratios near 20 were investigated in air and liquid Refrigerant-113 flows. The well-known effective cooling velocity relation Ueff 2 (α) = U2 (0)[cos2 α+k2 sin2 α] represents the experimental data well. Values for the parameter k as well as heat transfer relations are presented.
Interaction of elastic waves with a penny-shaped crack

Abstract The problem of the diffraction of normally incident longitudinal and torsional elastic waves by a penny-shaped crack located in an infinite isotropic elastic medium is considered. The associated integral equations are solved numerically for a range of values of the frequency of the incident waves. The dynamic stress intensity factors are computed as functions of the frequency. The displacement fields on the crack as well as at points far away from the crack are presented graphically.
The RCS of a microstrip antenna on an in-plane biased ferrite substrate

The numerical solutions for the RCS of a microstrip patch on an in-plane biased ferrite substrate are presented. The peaks in the RCS can be moved with respect to frequency by changing the magnetic bias field. We consider a monostatic RCS with various incident angles and examine all four elements of the cross-section matrix. For the case of an unmagnetized ferrite substrate the cross-polarized RCS components are zero. When the ferrite is magnetized, the cross-polarized RCS components become as significant as do the copolarized RCS components. It is also shown that a loaded patch has the effect of significantly reducing RCS at resonances. The analysis used is based on a full-wave moment method with the exact spectral-domain Green's function.
Subcarrier multiplexed signals: a tool for optical fiber system characterization

The study of subcarrier-multiplexed lightwave systems has led to the understanding of numerous linear and nonlinear effects in fiber systems. We present two examples, cross-polarization modulation with polarization-dependent loss, and intensity noise caused by stimulated Brillouin scattering.
Spatiotemporal variation in flow-dependent recruitment of long-lived riverine fish: Model development and evaluation

Natural flow regimes can play a major role as an overarching ecosystem driver in reproduction and recruitment of riverine fishes. Human needs for freshwater however have altered hydrology of many riverine systems worldwide, threatening fish population sustainability. To understand and predict how spatiotemporal dynamics of flow regimes influence reproductive and recruitment variability, and ultimately population sustainability of shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), we develop a spatially explicit (1D) individual-based population model that mechanistically (via energetics-based processes) simulates daily activities (dispersal, spawning, foraging, growth, and survival). With field observations of sturgeon and habitat conditions in a major tributary of the Missouri River system (USA), we calibrate and evaluate the model via pattern-oriented modeling. Model simulation experiments using 17-year environmental time series data showed that seasonal and interannual variation in hydrological conditions plays a major role in timing, location, and magnitude of spawning and recruitment success of sturgeon. During droughts, consecutive weak year-classes resulted in a steady population decline. While low flow and subsequent low prey production limited foraging opportunities and slowed gonad development, these conditions were not severe enough for adults to abort the reproductive cycle. Post-settlement larval sturgeon were however unable to feed efficiently to grow out of a size-dependent ‘predation window’, resulting in high mortality. Slow growth and low survival of larval sturgeon thus likely play a larger role in recruitment failures during droughts than low or lack of spawning events.
A Short, Highly Active Photoreceptor-Specific Enhancer/Promoter Region Upstream of the Human Rhodopsin Kinase Gene

Purpose Rhodopsin kinase (Rk or GRK1) is a photoreceptor-specific enzyme that mediates adaptation of photoreceptors to light and protects these cells against light-induced injury. This study examined the transcriptional mechanisms that maintain physiologic levels of this essential enzyme in photoreceptors. Methods The 2.0-kb region flanking the 5' end of the human Rk gene was isolated, mapped, and sequenced. The sequence was fused upstream of the luciferase gene and was tested for promoter activity in retinoblastoma cells by transient transfection. Transcriptionally active segments were identified by deletion and site-directed mutagenesis. Transgenic mice were generated that carried the immediate 5' flanking segment linked upstream of the enhancerless green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene. GFP expression was analyzed by RT-PCR, fluorescence microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. Results Mapping and sequence analysis uncovered a TATA-less promoter with several recognizable elements concentrated proximally. A conserved putative homeodomain response element H1 and a GC- and a GA-rich motif were noted within a 0.11-kb region. Another putative homeodomain binding site, H2, and a stretch of C-rich repeats were present distally. Mutagenesis in conjunction with transient transfection in retinoblastoma cells identified the 0.11-kb region and H1 sequence as the key active enhancer-promoter sequences. The distal sequences were inhibitory. Transgenic mice that carried the 0.11-kb DNA segment with the GFP gene linked downstream showed GFP transcript, fluorescence, and immunoreactivity that were restricted to photoreceptors. Conclusions The experiments defined a short, highly active photoreceptor-specific enhancer-promoter region upstream of the Rk gene. The H1 element contributed substantially but not exclusively to the transcriptional activity of the region. The findings support a transcriptional basis for photoreceptor-specific expression of Rk.
Measurement of emitted power in the divertor region in PBX

In strongly indented PBX plasmas, radiated power profiles are calculated by combining data obtained from two bolometer arrays in order to study poloidal asymmetries arising from plasma indentation and characterize emission from the divertor region. A compact, 15-channel bolometer array that views the plasma tangentially along the midplane complements a 19-channel array that scans the plasma vertically in a poloidal plane. Assuming that radiated power density is constant along a magnetic flux surface, the contributions to the irradiance viewed by the poloidal array from the region inside the separatrix can be calculated from the midplane measurements. The difference between this contribution and the measured poloidal distribution is assumed to originate in the expanded boundary divertor. In general, the total radiated power loss constitutes 40% of the total input power, and is independent of beam geometry. However, the radiation profiles in the main plasma and divertor region depend on operating conditions such as beam geometry and gas puffing rates. Radiation from the main plasma accounts for 20% of the input power and radiation from the divertor region accounts for 20%. Accumulation of impurities during neutral-beam-heated discharges can cause peak radiation levels to exceed 1 W/cm/sup 3/, leading to a thermal collapsemore » of the plasma.« less
Study of the Description Model of Equipment Mission Process Based on IDEF3

According as the practical demand of equipment mission description, this paper studied time order relation and reliability logical relation between equipment mission process, using Petri-Net process description method. On the basis of IDEF3 process modeling method, this paper extended its junction point types, and established several typical IDEF3 description models of equipment mission process, and analyzed mission success probability models of equipment. The research of these models can support capability evaluation and resource optimization allocation of equipment.
Low power and metallic CNT tolerant CNTFET SRAM design

A study of an eight-transistor (8-T) SRAM cell and its implementation in carbon nanotube FET (CNTFET) technology is presented. CNTFETs have shown great potential as post-silicon CMOS technology due to their superior transport properties, improved current density and excellent robustness to process, voltage and temperature variations. HSPICE simulations demonstrate great advantages for this cell design over the traditional 6-T structure in terms of static power, dynamic power and noise margin. In current synthesis processes metallic CNTs are grown along with semiconductor CNTs, a metallic tolerant scheme is used to overcome the presence of metallic CNT. The reliability of a large-sized memory is also improved by having memory modules with spare columns.
Retention characteristics of porous graphitic carbon in reversed-phase liquid chromatography with methanol-water mobile phases.

The solvation parameter model is used to study the retention mechanism of neutral organic compounds on porous graphitic carbon with methanol–water mobile phases containing from 0–100% (v/v) methanol. The dominant contribution to retention is the cavity formation–dispersion interaction term, composed of favorable interactions in the mobile phase (hydrophobic effect) and additional contributions from adsorption on the graphite surface. Electron lone pair and dipole-type interactions in the adsorbed state result in increased retention. Hydrogen-bonding interactions are more favorable in the mobile phase resulting in lower retention. The changes in the system constants of the solvation parameter model for cavity formation–dispersion interactions and hydrogen-bond interactions are linearly related to the volume fraction of water in the mobile phase. The system constants for electron lone pair interactions and dipole-type interactions are non-linear and go through a maximum and minimum value, respectively, at a specific mobile phase composition. The solvation parameter model poorly predicts the retention properties of angular molecules. This is probably due to the failure of the characteristic volume to correctly model the contact surface area for the interaction of angular molecules with the planar graphite surface. General factors affecting the quality of model fits for adsorbents are discussed.
Chemical stability of (99m)Tc-DTPA under aerobic and microbially mediated Fe(III)-reducing conditions in porous media.

Abstract 99m Tc–DTPA has been used as a conservative tracer to quantify water transport through porous media. However, more information on the reactivity of this 99m Tc compound under varying geochemical conditions is desirable to better understand its potential uses. We measured the speciation of Tc following amendment of 99m Tc–DTPA to batch systems spanning a range of controlled biogeochemical conditions. Our results suggest that 99m Tc–DTPA is stable under the reducing conditions tested. However, freshly precipitated Al–ferrihydrite may displace Tc(IV) from DTPA in the absence of Fe(III)-reducing conditions.
Development of Androgen Receptor Antagonists with Promising Activity in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Androgen receptor (AR) continues to play a central role in prostate cancers that relapse after androgen deprivation therapy, but these tumors are refractory to available AR antagonists. In a recent issue of Science , Tran et al. describe an antagonist that prevents AR recruitment to chromatin and shows efficacy in relapsed prostate cancer.
Moored Observations of Deep Low-Frequency Motions in the Central Pacific Ocean: Vertical Structure and Interpretation as Equatorial Waves

Abstract Two-year time series of current and temperature collected in the deep equatorial central Pacific 0cean as part of the Pacific Equatorial Ocean Dynamics (PEQUOD) project indicate that motions with vertical scales comparable to those of low baroclinic modes dominate motions from annual to fortnightly frequencies. Properties of equatorial waves are consistent with many aspects of the observed spectra and coherences. In particular, the hypothesis of a spectrum of long Rossby and Kelvin waves at periods longer than about 40 days and Rossby, mixed Rossby-gravity, and Kelvin waves at periods between about 14 and 40 days is consistent with the observations. Neither vertically propagating rays nor randomly phased baroclinic modes can explain coherence phases uniformly, but forced phase-locked baroclinic modes provide a possible explanation. Sea level in the central Pacific is coherent with deep motions at periods of months or shorter. In particular, the quasi-annual sea level signal associated with the 19...
The viscosity of miscible blends

The WLF relation connecting viscosity to temperature is used as the basis for a formal description of the compositional variation of blend viscosities. An algebraic manipulation and the use of the cognate pure-constituent Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) factors provide a means of introducing composition and pure-constituent viscosities explicitly. Further progress follows through the use of a predictive theory of the compositional variation of glass-transition temperatures for random, single-phase blends. Particular versions of a general relation so obtained are explicated. The theory gives as the simplest case the bench-mark linear rule of mixtures, from which it is clear that both positive and negative deviations can arise.
Evidence against parenchymal metabolites directly promoting pial arteriolar dilation during cortical spreading depression in rabbits.

The role of parenchymal metabolic factors in directly promoting pial arteriolar dilation during cortical spreading depression (CSD) in anesthetized rabbits was examined by direct measurement of periarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of a representative metabolite (i.e., K+) or superfusion of the cerebral cortical surface with artificial CSF. CSD was induced by KCl microinjection or tissue puncture and its movement was monitored electrophysiologically. Pial arteriolar diameter was determined using a closed cranial window and intravital microscopy. CSD propagated across the cortex under the window with a velocity of 2.9 +/- 0.2 mm/min, and caused pial arteriolar diameter to increase from 87 +/- 9 microns to 133 +/- 11 microns (53%, n = 23) for 1.6 +/- 0.1 min. At the same time, K+ concentration increased from 3.0 +/- 0.2 mM to a maximum of 4.6 +/- 0.3 mM. Topical application of 6 mM K+ increased pial arteriolar diameter by only 8%. Continuous superfusion of the cortical surface with aCSF at a rate of 3.0-4.5 ml/min (window volume = 0.5 ml) did not affect pial arteriolar dilation during CSD, but virtually abolished pial arteriolar dilation during inhalation of 10.2% CO2. These results suggest that pial arterioles dilate via a mechanism which does not involve diffusion of vasoactive metabolites released from the parenchyma during CSD.
Insect satiety: Sulfakinin localization and the effect of drosulfakinin on protein and carbohydrate ingestion in the blow fly, Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract Sulfakinins, which are satiety factors in invertebrates, have previously been shown to inhibit feeding in the German cockroach and desert locust. This study examines the occurrence of sulfakinin immunoreactivity and the role of sulfakinin as a feeding satiety factor in the black blow fly, Phormia regina . Specifically, this study examines the effect of sulfakinin on two of the blow fly's nutrient requirements (i.e., carbohydrates and proteins). We observed sulfakinin immunoreactive cells in the brains of both male and female flies. We found that drosulfakinin I (DrmSKI, FDD Y[SO 3 H] GHMRFa) significantly inhibited carbohydrate feeding by 44% at the most effective dose (10 nmol) in female flies. Statistically, there was no significant effect on males; however, injections of 10 nmol DrmSKI reduced carbohydrate feeding by 34% compared to the sham. Drosulfakinin had no effect on protein feeding and no significant inhibition was detected in females or males. The results of this study lend further support to the idea that carbohydrate and protein feeding are regulated by separate control mechanisms, especially in Calliphoridae.
Predictive factors of mortality in bariatric surgery: data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Background Understanding predictors of mortality in bariatric surgery enables surgeons to use these factors for analysis of risk-adjusted mortality and aids in the surgical decision making and informed consent process. Objectives To evaluate the effect of patient characteristics (age, gender, race, and payer type), preoperative comorbidities, and operative technique (laparoscopic versus open, gastric bypass versus gastric band) on mortality in patients who underwent bariatric operations. Methods Using the National Inpatient Sample database, clinical data of patients with morbid obesity who underwent bariatric surgery from 2006 to 2008 were examined. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results A total 304,515 patients underwent bariatric surgery over the 3-year period. The majority of patients were female (80%) and Caucasian (74%). Their mean age was 44 years and 31.6% were >50 years old. The most common payer type was private (73.5%). Laparoscopic approach was utilized in 86.2% of cases. The overall in-hospital mortality was 0.12%. Using multivariate regression analysis, male gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.7), age >50 years (AOR, 3.8), congestive heart failure (AOR, 9.5), peripheral vascular disease (AOR, 7.4), chronic renal failure (AOR, 2.7), open procedure (AOR, 5.5), and gastric bypass operation (AOR, 1.6) were factors associated with greater mortality. Ethnicity, hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, chronic lung disease, sleep apnea, alcohol abuse, and payer type had no association with mortality in this study. Conclusion Modifiable risk factors predictive of mortality include open surgery and gastric bypass procedure; nonmodifiable risk factors include older age, male gender, and a history of congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, and chronic renal failure. Surgeons should consider these factors in selection of patients to undergo bariatric operations, providing informed consent, and selection of the procedural type.
Radiation damage production in stage II; Temperature and impurity effects

Abstract A simple kinetic scheme is proposed to describe the concentration, dose rate, and temperature dependence of the Stage II radiation damage production rate in impure metals.
Abstract 1603: Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of lipophilic cation conjugated photosensitizers for targeting mitochondria.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Mitochondria-specific photosensitizers were designed by taking advantage of the preferential localization of delocalized lipophilic cations (DLCs) in mitochondria. Three conjugates, CMP-Rh, CMP-tPP, and CMP-(tPP)2, were successfully synthesized by linking the hydroxy core modified porphyrins (CMP-OH and CMP-(OH)2) to either rhodamine B (Rh B) or one or two triphenyl phosphine (tPP) cations respectively via a saturated hydrocarbon linker. Their ability for delivering photosensitizers to mitochondria was evaluated using dual staining fluorescence microscopy and staining pattern was compared with a mitochondrial specific probe. Fluorescence imaging study suggested that CMP-Rh specifically localized in mitochondria. On the other hand, CMP-tPP and CMP-(tPP)2 showed less significant mitochondrial localization. The conjugation of CMP to Rh and tPP did greatly improve intracellular uptake and in vitro photodynamic activity compared to CMP-OH. In addition, to evaluate the efficiency of the conjugates as photosensitizers, their photophysical properties and in vitro biological activities were studied in comparison to those of CMP-OH. All conjugates were capable of generating singlet oxygen at rates comparable to CMP-OH. This improved photodynamic activity might be primarily due to an enhanced cellular uptake. Our study suggests that Rh B cationic group is better at least for CMP than tPP as a mitochondrial targeting vector. Citation Format: Pallavi Rajaputra, Gregory Nkepang, Ryan Watley, Youngjae You. Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of lipophilic cation conjugated photosensitizers for targeting mitochondria. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1603. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1603