cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Historical background and evaluation of mandatory item selections for GPO depositories

Abstract With the adoption of GPO depository guidelines in 1976, depository libraries were asked to select all titles in Appendix A, a list of publications deemed essential for reference use. While GPO's General Counsel has said such action is inconsistent with laws governing the depository system, there is little information in legislative histories with which to determine congressional intent. A study of circulation and in-library use indicates that certain titles receive heavy use, and their required selection may be justified. However, some heavily used titles are not in Appendix A. The methodology used is discussed to allow similar studies to be performed in different types of libraries, to determine the composition of a list of mandatory item selections best suited for the needs of the depository library program as a whole.
Hearing Preservation Cochlear Implantation

Electric-acoustic stimulation or hybrid cochlear implantation was originally developed for patients with residual low-frequency hearing detection and profound high-frequency hearing loss. Typically, these patients achieve limited benefit from conventional amplification but are often not considered cochlear implant candidates. However, thanks to modified electrodes and optimized surgical techniques, many patients featuring these audiometric configurations have successfully undergone cochlear implantation with preservation of residual hearing. The subsequent combination of electric and acoustic hearing has been demonstrated to provide a performance benefit especially in noise. This article will briefly summarize the key developments, clinical data and future developments.
Integrated sensing for circuit board insertion

To automate tasks like assembly, disassembly, repair and maintenance, the issues arising from environmental uncertainties must be addressed. An integrated sensing approach which addresses uncertainties is presented for two robot systems equipped with multiple sensors. The target tasks involve the insertion of printed circuit boards into cages. Sensors are used to calibrate the robot to the workspace, locate the supply of printed circuit boards and the destination insertion slots. A fingertip lightbeam sensor is used to refine the location information to the precision required for a successful insertion. Two plausible approaches are explored to test some of the sensing concepts. One approach examines blind system sensing strategies; the other examines vision sensing in conjunction with fuzzy reasoning. A controller which is based on fuzzy logic is used to interpret the forces and torques generated by the wrist-mounted force-torque sensor during the insertion process. These explorations represent the first steps which lead toward the development of integrated sensing skills to perform generic activities such as insert and locate.
Enucleate or replicate? Ask the cytoskeleton.

In this issue of Blood , Sui and colleagues have identified novel and interesting roles for Tropomodulin (Tmod)-3, a protein involved with actin filament organization, in erythroid proliferation, survival, and enucleation.[1][1] ![Figure][2] (A) Different stages of erythroid cell
Vasovagal syncope and blood/injury fear.

Abstract The relationship between vasovagal syncope (fainting) and fear of blood and injuries (B/I) was investigated in 378 college students. Significantly more females (17%) than males (7%) reported having fainted in the presence of B/I stimuli. Females also reported more B/I fear, as assessed by the Mutilation Questionnaire, than males and fainters reported more fear than non-fainters. A greater proportion of fainters, relative to non-fainters reported family members who also fainted to B/I stimuli. The results are discussed in terms of implications for understanding the acquisition of B/I fears, phobias and fainting.
Dietary Intakes of Registered Dietitians

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To determine if registered dietitian's knowledge of nutrition had an effect on their personal dietary behaviors. Although registered dietitians counsel and educate society on the importance of healthy eating, it is often questioned whether their knowledge and expertise in the area of food and nutrition has affected their personal eating behaviors. A food frequency questionnaire and selected questions regarding eating habits were adapted from the Nutritionist III Computer Program. The survey instruments were distributed to 114 members of the Delaware Dietetic Association (DDA). A total of 27 (24%) responded. Analysis of the food frequency questionnaires showed that the average dietary intake of the respondents was 58% carbohydrate, 17% protein, and 24% fat. Analysis of the nutrition evaluation form revealed that the majority of DDA members consume breakfast 6-7 days each week, snack between meals daily, consume a medium size evening meal, drink 3-5 cups of water each day, and refrain from salting food items. Daily activity primarily involves standing and engaging in exercise 3-5 times each week. The results of this study indicate that registered dietitians maintain a well balanced diet by choosing a variety of healthy food items and engaging in a physical activity several times each week.
The Nazi Ethnographic Research of Georg Leibbrandt and Karl Stumpp in Ukraine, and Its North American Legacy

Scholars have recently debated the topic of German academics who directly or indirectly served the Nazi machinery of death and who then went on to successful professional careers after the war. This article examines the activities of two prominent emigre scholars, Drs. Georg Leibbrandt (1899-1982) and Karl Stumpp (1896-1982). These Ukrainian Germans emigrated to Germany after World War 1. In America, most members of the Russian-German ethnic community never knew that Leibbrandt had represented Alfred Rosenberg's Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories, or that under his supervision Stumpp led a Sonderkommando in Ukraine. This unit classified hundreds of villages, indirectly documenting the annihilation of Jews and others. The authors conclude that one consequence of Leibbrandt's and Stumpp's "return to normalcy" after the war was the growing fascination with genealogical research that affected the Russian-German ethnic community in North America-research partly based on 1930s and 1940s Nazi racial record-keeping.
A tetracycline-repressible transactivator approach suggests a shorter half-life for tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA

Long-term increases in catecholamine release result in elevated levels of the mRNA for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of these compounds. This increase is due, in part, to increased transcription. However, recent evidence suggests that increased stability of TH mRNA may also play a role. One of the problems in studying the stability of the TH message is the limitation of current methods for assessing transcript half-life. In this study the regulation of the expression of the rat TH gene was placed under the control of a tetracycline (Tet)-repressible transactivator (tTA). In the absence of doxycycline (Dox), an analogue of Tet, TH mRNA was synthesized. However, when Dox was present, transcription of TH message was essentially totally suppressed, and the resulting degradation of the TH mRNA provided an index of the half-life of this message. With this approach the computed half-life of TH mRNA was significantly shorter than that determined following actinomycin D administration. This effect was not due to some unique feature of the chimeric gene used to synthesize TH mRNA or to an untoward effect of the Tet analogue used to suppress TH transcription.
Rotary shadowing with platinum‐carbon in biological electron microscopy: A review of methods and applications

Rotary shadowing when combined with such specimen preparation techniques as quick freezing and deep etching, critical point drying, and glycerol spraying is a highly versatile method of visualizing cell and macromolecular ultrastructure. This review outlines the procedures commonly used to prepare specimens for rotary shadowing and evaluates the relative merits of rotary shadowing when compared to unidirectional shadowing and negative staining.
Phospholipase C-Epsilon Couples cAMP Production and Epac2 Activation to the Facilitation of Calcium-Induced Calcium Release (CICR) in Pancreatic Beta Cells

We provide the first report that a novel phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-epsilon (PLC-epsilon) is expressed in the islets of Langerhans, and that the knockout (KO) of PLC-epsilon gene expression in mice disrupts the action of GLP-1 receptor agonist Exendin-4 to facilitate CICR in the beta cells of these mice. Thus, in the present study in which wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mouse beta cells were loaded with the photolabile Ca2+ chelator NP-EGTA, the UV flash photolysis-catalyzed uncaging of Ca2+ generated CICR in only 9% of the beta cells tested, whereas CICR was generated in 82% of the beta cells pretreated with Exendin-4. This action of Exendin-4 to facilitate CICR was reproduced by cAMP analogs that activate PKA (6-Bnz-cAMP-AM) or Epac2 (8-pCPT-2’-O-Me-cAMP-AM) selectively. However, in beta cells of PLC-epsilon KO mice, and also Epac2 KO mice, these test substances exhibited differential efficacies in the CICR assay such that Exendin-4 was partially effective, 6-Bnz-cAMP-AM was fully effective, and 8-pCPT-2’-O-Me-cAMP-AM was without significant effect. Importantly, transduction of PLC-epsilon KO beta cells with recombinant PLC-epsilon rescued the action of 8-pCPT-2’-O-Me-cAMP-AM to facilitate CICR, whereas a K2150E PLC-epsilon with a mutated Ras Association (RA) domain, or a H1640L PLC-epsilon that is catalytically dead, were both ineffective. Since 8-pCPT-2’-O-Me-cAMP-AM failed to facilitate CICR in WT beta cells transduced with a GTPase activating protein (RapGAP) that down-regulates Rap activity, the available evidence indicates that a signal transduction “module” comprised of Epac2, Rap, and PLC-epsilon exists in beta cells, and that the activities of Epac2 and PLC-epsilon are key determinants of CICR in this cell type.
Parallel processing in the elastic nonlinear analysis of high-rise frameworks

Abstract The method of substructuring and the parallel processing technique of multitasking are applied in the analysis of high-rise structural frameworks. The performance of the proposed method is measured in both wall-clock time and connect time when run in a batch environment on a Cray Y-MP C90 supercomputer. An attempt is made to quantify the optimum number of processors that should be used in the analysis of rectangular frameworks based on the partitioning algorithm employed. Several high-rise planar structures are analyzed and the load-deformation response when subject to proportional and nonproportional loads is given.
Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery: Lessons and Challenges

Pediatric epilepsy surgery has come of age, from being considered as a last resort in medically refractory focal epilepsy, after failure of numerous antiepileptic drug trials spanning many years, to a preferred treatment option in carefully selected candidates. There have been certain key developments that have catalyzed this change. First, we are able to predict medical intractability earlier during the course of epilepsy. Second, improved understanding of how the maturing brain recovers from neurologic insults has led to earlier consideration of surgical intervention during a window of developmental plasticity. Finally, improved diagnostic and surgical capabilities now enable us to identify more candidates suitable for surgery. At the same time, as the surgical frontier has been rapidly pushed to new horizons, we have also unearthed new challenges. In this review, several pediatric epilepsy syndromes are discussed to highlight these important developments.
Ethnic Otherness Versus Cultural Assimilation: U.S. Latino Comedians and the Politics of Identity

Comedy is an interesting site to investigate the symbolic articulations of U.S. Latino identity in the context of a genre that is emblematic of television in the United States. Through discourse analysis of the television texts, this article examines the articulation of Latino ethnicity on the work of three prominent Latino comedians: George Lopez, Carlos Mencia, and Freddie Prinze, Jr. This article argues that Latino television comedians articulate an implicit tension between ethnic otherness and desire for assimilation for U.S. Latinos. The analysis is conceptually grounded on an understanding of the social role of comedy and the relationship between media and Latino identity.
Susceptibility of penicillin-sensitive and -resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae to new antimicrobial agents, including daptomycin, teicoplanin, cefpodoxime and quinolones

The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of nine antibiotics were determined by agar dilution on 123 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (65 penicillin sensitive, 42 intermediate resistant and 16 resistant). The antimicrobial agents tested were penicillin G, clindamycin, trospectomycin, daptomycin, teicoplanin, cefpodoxime, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and vancomycin. Of these, daptomycin, teicoplanin and vancomycin demonstrated the greatest in-vitro activity against penicillin-resistant strains (MIC90s less than or equal to 0.25 mg/l). Ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and trospectomycin had equivalent activities unaffected by penicillin-susceptibility (MIC90 of both quinolones 2.0 mg/l, and of trospectomycin 4.0 mg/l). Cefpodoxime was also active in vitro against all strains (MIC90 2.0 mg/l), but MICs increased with increasing penicillin-MICs. Most penicillin-susceptible strains were susceptible to clindamycin, but many penicillin intermediate resistant and resistant strains were resistant to this drug. Results of this study indicate that several newly introduced and experimental antibiotics have potential in the treatment of infections caused by resistant strains of Str. pneumoniae.
Well-approximated points on linear extensions of elliptic curves

We employ a result on linear forms in logarithms of algebraic points on commutative algebraic groups, a study initiated by Philippon and Waldschmidt, a so-called "local nullstellen inequality" of Brownawell, and some elementary analytic estimates to study the approximation properties of coordinates of non-generic points on a linear (algebraic) group extension of an elliptic curve.
Identifying genetic variants that contribute to chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity

Patients treated with anticancer chemotherapy exhibit variation, both in terms of tumor response and the incidence and severity of adverse effects. The etiology of this variation is multifactorial with genetic factors likely contributing to a significant extent. Pharmacogenetic and genomic studies can be used to identify the genetic variants that contribute to interindividual variation in susceptibility to chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity. This review will describe candidate and whole-genome approaches, describe the advantages and disadvantages of each, and illustrate how they can be used to obtain clinically relevant information. Specific emphasis is given to recent advances emerging from the International HapMap Project and to the development of genetic signatures, as opposed to expression signatures, to explain drug sensitivity and resistance.
DNA-modified ITO surfaces for affinity MALDI-MS

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coated surfaces were compared with fused silica and aluminium probes for conventional MALDI-MS of proteins, followed by experiments to determine if the advantages of ITO over the poorly conducting fused silica surface would carryover to affinity MALDI-MS, in which the probe surface is modified with DNA for protein capture and detection. Improved precision of m/z values and increased detectability by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude were observed for capture and detection of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 2 at surfaces modified with sequences from the insulin-linked polymorphic region (ILPR) of the human insulin gene that have previously been shown to bind with high affinity to these proteins. Results also indicate capture and detection of the insulin β-chain from DTT-treated human serum at the DNA-modified ITO surfaces. The improved performance is accompanied by the same ease of covalent DNA attachment and indefinite reusability of the DNA-modified surfaces previously demonstrated for fused silica probes. The use of ITO-coated surfaces is an important advance toward the routine use of DNA-modified surfaces in affinity MALDI-MS for rapid screening of DNA–protein interactions for applications such as biomarker discovery and detection of low abundance proteins in complex biological samples.
Perceptions of Physicians on the Barriers and Facilitators to Integrating Fall Risk Evaluation and Management Into Practice

BACKGROUND: Falls are common, treatable, and result in considerable morbidity in older adults. However, fall risk factor evaluation and management targeted at high-risk patients is largely neglected in clinical practice.
Insulating gene circuits from context by RNA processing

Two studies find that programmable RNA-processing tools counter the problem of context-dependence in the construction of synthetic biology circuits.
Surviving cervical cancer: does health-related quality of life influence survival?

Abstract Objective This study investigates the association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes and survival status among a population-based cohort diagnosed with invasive cancer of the cervix uteri. Methods This study is based on data from 353 multiethnic cervical cancer survivors (CCS) recruited through the California Cancer Surveillance Program. The independent variable is HRQOL measured by the FACT-CX (FACT-G plus additional items) and the SF-12. The dependent variable is survival from date of the HRQOL survey. Kaplan–Meier estimates and univariate and multivariate Cox Proportional Hazards Regression models were used to examine the relationship between HRQOL and survival. Results In the Kaplan–Meier analyses, the FACT-CX functional well-being score equal to or above the median score was significantly associated with improved overall survival ( X 2 =7.19; p =0.007). Significant differences in survival were observed for the SF-12 physical and mental health component scores. In the multivariate Cox regression analyses, the final model indicated that the FACT-CX total scores, functional well-being, and additional cervical cancer concerns subscales, and the SF-12 physical and mental component summary scores significantly influenced survival, after controlling for medical characteristics. However, the FACT components that do not include cervical cancer specific items including mean standardized FACT-G and physical, emotional, and social/family well-being subscales were not predictors of survival before and after adjustment for covariates. Conclusions The results of this study advance the current scientific knowledge by confirming that HRQOL outcomes, in particular the physical, function and mental health dimensions are associated with survival for CCS. These findings highlight the utility of cancer site specific HRQOL data to inform the psychosocial and symptom management aspects, as well as the medical follow-up care practice and research that may extend life.
Inferring, Validating, and Coordinating the Commitments in aWorkflow

A workflow can be represented as a set of Web services and a specification for the control and data flows among these services. It can also be represented as a colored Petri net (CPN), which is a graphical and mathematical modeling tool. In multiagent systems (MAS), a workflow is a dynamic set of tasks performed by a set of agents to reach a shared goal. We show herein that commitments among agents can be used to model a workflow and coordinate their execution of it. This paper presents methodologies to map an OWL-S model for a workflow to a CPN, and then to infer commitments and causal relationships from the CPN graph. With our methodologies, agents can collaboratively enact a workflow through commitment-based formalisms.
Explicitly Teaching for Transfer: Effects on Third-Grade Students' Mathematical Problem Solving.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of explicitly teaching for transfer by (a) broadening the categories by which students group problems requiring the same solution methods and (b) prompting students to search novel problems for these broad categories. This transfer treatment was combined with instruction on solution methods. The effectiveness of a combined treatment (transfer-plus-solution instruction) was contrasted to solution instruction alone and to teacher-designed instruction. Twenty-four 3rd-grade teachers, with 375 students, were assigned randomly to conditions. Treatments were conducted for 16 weeks. Improvement on immediate- and near-transfer measures supported the utility of solution instruction. Improvement on near- and far-transfer measures revealed the added contribution of explicitly teaching for transfer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Nutrient Transport Within a Tissue Engineered Liver System

For bioartificial organ devices containing cells packed at high density, establishing suitable nutrient transport pathways is an important engineering challenge. In the case of a tissue engineered liver densely packed with entrapped hepatocytes, the limited transport distance of the nutrient oxygen, restricts the dimensions of the device’s cellular space. This study focuses on improving the functional performance of such devices by enabling enhanced oxygen transport. This enhanced O2 transport is achieved using a technique we developed for increasing the porosity of extracellular matrix (ECM) [1–3]. By combining computational and experimental approaches, the results predict and test the effectiveness of our technique in improving nutrient (e.g., oxygen) flow and cell performance within densely packed liver tissue engineering systems.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The Logic of Disorder: The Sculptural Materialism of Abraham Cruzvillegas*

Two models of object experience dominate definitions of sculpture today. One argues that commodification is a universally uniform experience of relentless violence that frames all materialities everywhere within the demands of the globalized market. The second argues that the "unruliness of things" can still disrupt the "rule of the commodity." The autoconstruccion sculptural practice of Abraham Cruzvillegas, argues Greeley, marks a third position. Derived from the "self-building" architecture of the squatter settlement on the edge of Mexico City where he grew up, Cruzvillegas’s work is located in the dialectic between object experience in developing countries and object experience in the hegemonic 'centers' of developed countries and the market-driven international art circuit. Under the rubric of autoconstruccion, Cruzvillegas exploits this dialectic, not to claim any utopian redemptive space outside the world market system, nor to insist on a universally uniform experience of commodification within it,...
Vascular Injury, Repair, and Restenosis After Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty in the Atherosclerotic Rabbit

Background Several nonatherosclerotic animal models of restenosis exist and are used for the evaluation of the vascular response to angioplasty-induced injury. However, few studies have evaluated the response of an atherosclerotic vessel to angioplasty. The present study examined the radiographic, histological, immunohistochemical, and morphometric responses over time of atherosclerotic rabbit femoral arteries after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Methods and Results Rabbits (n=94) underwent arterial desiccation and were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet for 3 weeks, and then PTA was performed. Arteries were obtained before PTA and 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 28 days after PTA. PTA caused radial stretching of the artery, medial compression, intramural hemorrhage, injury to normal arterial segments, and dissection within the intima and media. Thrombus filled and cellular accumulation repaired the dissection. Peak smooth muscle cell and macrophage DNA synthesis was noted at 3 to 5 days after angioplasty, generally at the dissection but also in normal sections of the artery. Adventitial injury and subsequent adventitial cellular proliferation and collagen production were observed. A rapid decrease in the radiographic minimal luminal diameter was noted at 3 days, resulting from vascular recoil or thrombus filling the dissection. At 7 to 14 days, only 24% to 33% of the luminal loss was accounted for by an increase in the intimal area, and 22% to 28% of the intima was neointima. Conclusions Restenosis in an atherosclerotic artery results from a variable combination of intimal proliferation, vascular remodeling/wound contraction, and recoil of the normal section of the artery. The variability of an atherosclerotic artery to PTA injury results from variable dissection, thrombus formation, and cellular response to injury as well as variable scar contraction and elastic recoil.
Clinical, CT and evoked potential manifestations inWilson's disease with cerebral white matter involvement

Four patients with Wilson's disease had CT manifestations of cerebral white matter lesions involving frontal lobes in two patients but extending to other cerebral areas in the remaining two. Two patients with extensive white matter involvement were bed-ridden with generalized flexion rigidity and spasticity, but the other 2 patients led an independent life with minimal extrapyramidal symptoms. Three patients developed tonic focal seizures with or without secondary generalization. Scalp-recorded somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) over the affected hemispheres were absent but the spinal SEPs and brain stem auditory evoked potentials were preserved. The evoked potential data support the CT findings that the white matter involvement in Wilson's disease was primarily confined to the cerebral hemispheres.
Directional Channel-Separation Filters

A class of frequency-selective networks is described that combines the properties of a directional coupler and a conventional filter. These networks, which will be called "directional filters," are particularly suited for combining or separating signals of different frequencies in communication systems, for multiplexing several equipments connected to a single antenna, etc. A signal entering one arm of the network will be transferred with essentially zero loss to a second arm over a desired channel of frequencies, while at other frequencies the signal will emerge with little loss from a third arm. Over the entire frequency range the fourth arm is isolated and the first arm is nonreflecting. Many new types of directional filters have been found and are described in this paper. Several of these are particularly easy to design and build in strip or coaxial line, while others lead to compact, economical structures in waveguide. Several lumped-constant circuits are also given. Design information and experimental data are included in this paper.
America Discovers Columbus: How an Italian Explorer Became an American Hero

Looks at popular representations of Columbus throughout two hundred years of American history in an examination of the historical and cultural context in which Columbus emerged as an American symbol.
Spotlight on nematode mitochondria in RNAi mega-screen.

An article in the current Advance Online Publication section of Nature Genetics reports the results of a large-scale RNA interference (RNAi) screen for genes that, when down-regulated, produce enha...
Choice behavior in transition: Development of preference in a free-operant procedure

Twenty acquisition curves were obtained from each of 8 pigeons in a free-operant choice procedure. Every condition began with a phase in which two response keys had equal probabilities of reinforcement, and, as a result, subjects’ responses were divided fairly evenly between the two keys. This was followed by a phase in which one key had a higher probability of reinforcement than the other, and the development of preference was observed. In all but a few cases, response proportions increased for the key with the higher probability of reinforcement. In most conditions, the two probabilities differed by .06, but the actual probabilities varied (from .16 and .10 in one condition to .07 and .01 in another). Development of preference for the key with the higher probability of reinforcement was slower when the ratio of the two reinforcement probabilities was small (.16/.10) than when it was large (.07/.01). This finding is inconsistent with the predictions of several different quantitative models of acquisition, including the kinetic model (Myerson & Miezin, 1980) and the ratio-invariance model (Horner & Staddon, 1987). However, the finding is consistent with a hypothesis based on Weber’s law, which states that the two alternatives are more discriminable when the ratio of their reinforcement probabilities is larger, and, as a result, the acquisition of preference is faster.
Measuring health beliefs in Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes: adapting an existing instrument.

Mexican Americans bear a disproportionate burden of type 2 diabetes, and although clinicians and researchers are beginning to develop culturally competent interventions, few instruments are available for measuring variables relevant to health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of a diabetes-related health belief instrument translated for use with Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans. Three hundred and twenty-six Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans from Starr County, a Texas–Mexico border community, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes participated in the study. Factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of the instrument, and reliability testing was conducted to determine the internal consistency of the resulting factors. The final instrument had 25 items with four subscales—Barriers, Social Support for Diet, Impact of Job on Therapy, and Benefits of Therapy—and one item to measure, Control. Internal consistency coefficients for these subscales were .56, .62, .86, and .90, respectively. The translated instrument needs to be tested over time with other Hispanic populations. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 25:145–158, 2002
Abstract 1031: Protein kinase c ∈ regulates tumor necrosis factor-α induced nuclear factor-κB signaling in prostate cancer

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Protein Kinase C epsilon (PKC∈), a member of the PKC family of phorbol ester/diacylglycerol receptors, has been shown to be up-regulated in human prostate cancer specimens. As PKC∈ plays an important role in prostate cancer cell survival and cooperates with other oncogenic insults, we hypothesized that PKC∈ may regulate NF-κB signaling pathway, known to be highly dysregulated during prostate tumorigenesis. Similar to human tumors, we observed high PKC∈ overexpression in prostate cancer cell lines compared to normal immortalized RWPE-1 cells. PKC∈ depletion using siRNA or its pharmacological inhibition in LNCaP cells resulted in decreased TNFα-induced IκBα phosphorylation and degradation, as well as decreased NF-κB nuclear translocation and transactivation of NF-κB reporter activity. Conversely, significant enhancements in these TNFα-induced responses were observed in LNCaP cells upon PKC∈ overexpression using an adenoviral approach. Interestingly, TNFα treatment led to activation of PKC∈ in LNCaP cells, as analyzed by enhanced translocation from cytosolic to membrane fractions. Furthermore, TNFα-mediated PKC∈ translocation and IκBα phosphorylation were found to be dependent on phosphatidylcholine- but not phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. As determined by co-immunoprecipitation, PKC∈ associates with TNF receptor-1 (TNFR1) in response to TNFα and has important regulatory consequences in the assembly of TNFR-1 signaling complex. PKC∈ depletion by siRNA decreased the TNFα- mediated recruitment of receptor interacting protein (RIP) and TNFR-associated factor-2 (TRAF2), which are both known to mediate NF-κB activation. In accordance with the co-immunoprecipitation results, siRNA-mediated PKC∈ depletion inhibits TNFR1, TRADD, TRAF2, IKK-β- mediated NF-κB reporter activity. Furthermore, effects of PKC∈ overexpression on NF-κB transcriptional activity correlated well with the increased mRNA levels of known NF-κB regulated genes involved in cell survival, inflammation, invasion and angiogenesis (Cox2, VEGF, MMP9, and IL8). Finally, we found that in preneoplastic lesions from transgenic mice overexpressing PKC∈ in the prostate there is enhanced NF-κB activation. In summary, our study established a molecular link between PKC∈ and NF-κB in prostate cancer and suggests a prominent role for this pathway in prostate cancer cell survival. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1031. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1031
Comparative carbonate complexation of yttrium and gadolinium at 25 °C and 0.7 mol dm−3 ionic strength

Abstract Stability constants for yttrium and gadolinium complexation by carbonate ions have been measured by solvent extraction procedures at 25 °C and 0.7 mol dm −3 ionic strength. The results of six experiments indicate that log CO 3 β 1 ′( Y ) = 5.71, log CO 3 β 2 ′( Y ) = 10.34, log CO 3 β 1 ′( Gd ) = 5.65 and log CO 3 β 2 ′( Gd ) = 10.12 where CO 3 β n ′( M ) = [ M ( CO 3 ) n 3 − 2 n ][ M 3+ ] −1 [ CO 3 2− ] T − n , [ ] represents concentrations and [CO 3 2− ] T = [CO 3 2− ] + [NaCO 3 − ]. When compared with previous complexation results for Eu 3+ , Gd 3+ and Tb 3+ obtained using identical procedures, excellent agreement is observed for Gd 3+ complexation, and the solution complexation of Y 3+ in seawater is seen to closely resemble that of Tb 3+ . In spite of closely linked solution chemistries of Y 3+ and Tb 3+ , the shale normalized concentrations of these elements in seawater should be distinct due to their differing reactivities with organic ligands on particle surfaces. Model calculations indicate that while shale normalized Y 3+ concentrations in seawater may exceed the shale normalized concentrations of all rare earths, similarities in Y 3+ and Tb 3+ solution chemistries may produce substantial coherence in the oceanic distributions of these elements.
Quantification of regional myocardial perfusion with generator-produced 62Cu-PTSM and positron emission tomography

BACKGROUNDNoninvasive assessment of regional myocardial perfusion at rest and after stress is important for the objective evaluation of the effects of coronary artery disease and its response to therapy. Centers that do not have cyclotrons rely on generator-produced radioisotopes for assessment of regional myocardial perfusion with positron emission tomography (PET). The aim of the present study was to develop and implement an approach to quantify regional myocardial perfusion using copper(II) pyruvaldehyde bis-(N4-thiosemicarbazone) (PTSM) labeled with the generator-produced, positron-emitting radionuclide 62Cu (t1/2 = 9.7 minutes).METHODS AND RESULTSRegional perfusion was estimated from dynamic PET scans after intravenous administration of 62Cu-PTSM in 21 studies in 13 intact dogs evaluated over a wide range of myocardial flow values. In 15 interventions in nine dogs, regional perfusion was also estimated with H2(15)O. Regional perfusion with 62Cu-PTSM was estimated from dynamic blood and tissue time-ac...
Student and Faculty Perceptions of E-Feedback:

This article presents student and faculty ratings of electronic editing (EE) functions (i.e., track changes, insert comments, highlighting) as used for e-feedback on written assignments. Students reported increased convenience, clarity of expectations, amount of feedback, and writing ability as well as substantial improvement in EE skills compared to paper-based methods. Also, ratings and use of e-feedback were positively correlated with final report grades. To further explore the role of e-feedback in psychology education, a survey indicated that faculty rated e-feedback as similar to paper-based methods for time and effort but potentially more beneficial for learning. In addition, faculty with more e-feedback experience reported higher educational value for EE skills. Advantages and disadvantages from the student and instructor perspectives are discussed.
Geostatistical Reconstruction of Gaps in Near-Surface Electrical Resistivity Data

This study was motivated by the need to reduce the effects of various types of noise observed in geophysical field data. We focused on assessing the impact of noise and data gaps on electrical resistivity data and on evaluating whether geostatistical methods (in this case kriging) can be successfully used for restoring missing data before inversion. We used electrical resistivity forward and inverse modeling with a simple fault earth model to produce and invert synthetic datasets. We examined the effects of random background noise, data density deletion, and data gap and noise structure scenarios to study the influence of these factors on the inversion of resistivity data and the subsequent interpretability of the geologic structure. Our results suggest that geostatistical methods are potentially very useful for restoring data points deleted from noisy resistivity field data. Clearly, the efficacy of kriging depends on the level of noise and the amount of data deleted. The inversion RMSE of the kriged files is less than that of the original random background noise files containing all data. The magnitude of the improvement increases as random background noise increases. Even for cases where 80% of the original data were randomly eliminated and there was 10% random background noise, the kriging procedure resulted in significant improvement in the ability to resolve the basement and overburden structure, correctly place the orientation and location of the fault, and identify the downthrown block. At random background noise levels of 20 and 30%, kriging was effective at recovering the major geological features but to a lesser degree. The efficacy of the kriging procedure performed on the noisiest data appears to be a function of the location and magnitude of data gaps induced by editing or missing strings. Finally, the effect that coherent noise has on the efficacy of our approach was studied and contrasted to random deletion. Our study suggested that the geostatistical restoration approach improved the interpretability of electrical resistivity data that had been degraded by noise or data loss problems.
Inhibition of malonaldehyde formation from lipids by an isoflavonoid isolated from young green barley leaves

The inhibitory effect of 2″-O-glycosylisovitexin (2″-O-GIV), isolated from young green barley leaves, on malonaldehyde (MA) formation from lipids was determined by gas chromatography. Two μmol of 2″-O-GIV inhibited MA formation from 0.2 mmol of squalene by almost 100% upon ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Only 1 μmol of 2″-O-GIV inhibited 90% of MA formation from 0.2 mmol of ethyl linoleate upon UV irradiation. The effective quantities of 2″-O-GIV were much lower than those of either butylated hydroxytoluene or α-tocopherol. When ethyl linoleate, ethyl linolenate and ethyl arachidonate were oxidized by Fenton’s reagent in the presence of 2″-O-GIV or α-tocopherol, both compounds showed similar activity toward MA formation. Both compounds gave maximum inhibition at doses of 0.1–0.3 μmol for ethyl linoleate, 0.1–0.5 μmol for ethyl linolenate and 0.1–0.5 μmol for ethyl arachidonate.
The utility of intraoperative bilateral internal jugular venous sampling with rapid parathyroid hormone testing.

Surgical intervention remains the only curative therapy for patients with hyperparathyroidism. For many years, bilateral neck exploration with resection of enlarged parathyroid gland(s) was the standard operation performed for HPT and is associated with a greater than 95% cure rate and minimal morbidity in the hands of an experienced endocrine surgeon.1–3 Although there are several perioperative adjuncts including Tc-99m sestamibi scanning,4,5 radioguided surgery,2,6–9 and selective venous sampling for parathyroid hormone (PTH) to localize hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland,3,10,11 there is a variation in the quoted sensitivity of each of these techniques.12 Of these, selective venous sampling was found to be useful to localize recurrent or persistent hyperparathyroidism.11 With the development of intraoperative peripheral PTH testing (ioPTH),13–15 PTH can be measured during parathyroid surgery. Some surgeons have reported internal jugular PTH sampling with ioPTH testing to guide operative localization was feasible.16,17 However, the accuracy of bilateral internal jugular (BIJ) PTH for patients with hyperparathyroidism is unclear because of the lack of data in a large group of patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the utility of routine perioperative bilateral internal jugular venous sampling of PTH (BIJ PTH) for localization during parathyroid surgery.
Denominational Differences in Self-Reported Delinquency

SUMMARY How much does religion help to preserve societal order, especially in terms of preventing crime and delinquency? If religion promotes law-abiding behavior, it is reasonable to ask whether some denominations are more effective in doing so than others. To explore this question, the present study compared the self-reported delinquency of more than 11,000 United States and Canadian college students belonging to 18 different religious groups (henceforth called denominations). With analyses performed separately for males and females, only about half of the offense categories yielded significant denominational differences. Particularly surprising was a failure to find any significant denominational differences for either gender regarding violent offenses. The most definitive differences were found with respect to illegal drug use, with atheists/agnostics reporting the highest rates. Otherwise, some property offense categories exhibited significant differences, with female atheists/agnostics being particu...
A cost-driven fracture heuristics to minimize external sliver length

In optical lithography, mask pattern is first fractured into basic trapezoids, and then fabricated by the variable shaped beam mask writing machine. Ideally, mask fracture tools aim at both suppressing the trapezoid count to speed up the write time, and minimizing the external sliver length to improve CD uniformity. However, the increasing transistor density, smaller feature sizes, and the aggressive use of resolution enhancement techniques pose new challenges to write time and CD uniformity. In this paper, we propose a fracture heuristics to improve the sliver performance of current commercially available fracturing tools. In the proposed approach, the mask layout is first decomposed into elemental rectangles by the rays emitted from each concave corner. Then, a rectangle combination technique is applied to search and eliminate the external slivers from the polygon boundaries by moving them to the center. This approach guarantees that the resulting trapezoid count approaches the theoretical lower bound. Compared to a current commercially available fracturing tools, our proposed approach effectively reduces the external sliver length by 8% to 13%.
Multiple-precision arithmetic and the exact calculation of the 3-j and 9-j symbols

Described in this paper is a system of general-purpose multiple-precision fixed-point routines and their use in subroutines which calculate exactly the quantum-mechanical 3-j, 6-j and 9-j symbols of large arguments.
Matrix elements for spin‐adapted configurations

It is shown that the turn-over rule which is used to simplify matrix elements between spin-projected Slater determinants may also be used to simplify formation of matrix elements between any orthonormal set of spin-coupled Slater determinants. The coefficients for the spin-coupling may then be chosen freely to reduce the number of important configurations in the secular equation.
Preschool Classroom Processes as Predictors of Children's Cognitive Self-Regulation Skills Development.

This research focuses on the associations between interactive processes of early childhood classrooms and gains in children's cognitive self-regulation (CSR) across the preschool year. Data from 803 children (45.8% female; M = 54 months; 39.1% Caucasian, 26.3% African American, 24.6% Hispanic, 9.9% Other) were collected at fall and spring of the preschool year, and classroom observations were conducted three times throughout the year. Multilevel models tested associations between classroom behaviors of teachers and students using the Classroom Observation in Preschool and the Teacher Observation in Preschool and gains children made in a CSR composite score (Dimensional Change Card Sort, Peg Tapping, Head Toes Knees Shoulders, Copy Design, and Corsi Blocks) across the preschool year. After controlling for demographic covariates and children's pretest scores, both affective and cognitive classroom processes were associated with gains. More teacher behavior approving, less disapproving, and more positive emotional tone were associated with gains. The proportion of observed time teachers spent delivering instruction as well as the proportion of time children were involved with mathematics and literacy were also related to CSR gains, as was the quality of teacher instruction. Although exploratory, these results highlight the potential for modifications in classroom practices to aid in children's CSR development.
Competency-Determined Curriculum as an Instructional Technology

Competency-based approaches to curriculum design are beginning to have an impact on the health sciences where competence is requisite and mandatory to professional practice and which is purportedly...
Alteration in Bacterial Morphology by Optochin and Quinine Hydrochlorides

Incubation of washed bacterial and ribosomal suspensions with optochin or quinine hydrochloride caused an increase in the turbidity of the suspensions and the appearance of electron-dense cytoplasmic aggregates in the treated cells. These effects were more pronounced with optochin hydrochloride than with quinine hydrochloride, and they did not correlate with the relative sensitivities of different bacteria to growth inhibition by optochin or quinine.
Regulation of the expression of whiB1 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: role of cAMP receptor protein.

The wbl (whiB-like) genes encode putative transcription factors unique to actinomycetes. This study characterized the promoter element of one of the seven wbl genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whiB1 (Rv3219c). The results reveal that whiB1 is transcribed by a class I-type cAMP receptor protein (CRP)-dependent promoter, harbouring a CRP-binding site positioned at −58.5 with respect to its transcription start point. In vivo promoter activity analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays suggest that the expression of whiB1 is indeed regulated by cAMP-dependent binding of CRPM (encoded by the M. tuberculosis gene Rv3676) to the whiB1 5′ untranslated region (5′UTR). β-Galactosidase gene fusion analysis revealed induction of the whiB1 promoter in M. tuberculosis on addition of exogenous dibutyric cAMP (a diffusible cAMP analogue) only when an intact CRP-binding site was present. These results indicate that M. tuberculosis whiB1 transcription is regulated in part by cAMP levels via direct binding of cAMP-activated CRPM to a consensus CRP-binding site in the whiB1 5′UTR.
Ultrasonic Measurement of Lateral Pharyngeal Wall Displacement

A technique employing diagnostic ultrasound to evaluate lateral pharyngeal wall motion during connected discourse is described. The validity and reliability of the procedure are discussed. Typical displacement patterns are shown for normal speakers and applications to cleft palate and laryngectomized speakers discussed.