cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A molecular mechanism for circadian clock negative feedback

Circadian rhythms in mammals are generated by a feedback loop in which the three PERIOD (PER) proteins, acting in a large complex, inhibit the transcriptional activity of the CLOCK-BMAL1 dimer, which represses their own expression. Although fundamental, the mechanism of negative feedback in the mammalian clock, or any eukaryotic clock, is unknown. We analyzed protein constituents of PER complexes purified from mouse tissues and identified PSF (polypyrimidine tract-binding protein-associated splicing factor). Our analysis indicates that PSF within the PER complex recruits SIN3A, a scaffold for assembly of transcriptional inhibitory complexes and that the PER complex thereby rhythmically delivers histone deacetylases to the Per1 promoter, which repress Per1 transcription. These findings provide a function for the PER complex and a molecular mechanism for circadian clock negative feedback.
Focal Increases in Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 and Intimal Macrophages at Atherosclerosis-Susceptible Sites in the Rabbit Aorta After Short-Term Cholesterol Feeding

Abstract —We tested the hypotheses that vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression on endothelium at lesion-prone sites in the rabbit aorta correlates with exposure to plasma cholesterol and that macrophage accumulation is associated with endothelial cells expressing VCAM-1. After rabbits were fed 0.25% cholesterol for 2 weeks, VCAM-1 expression was selectively increased at the distal and lateral portions of the major abdominal branches. In the arch and the celiac, superior mesenteric, and renal artery branches, VCAM-1 expression was positively correlated with the plasma cholesterol integrated over the duration of the experiments. After 2 weeks of cholesterol feeding, more macrophages were present around distal and lateral portions of the intercostal arteries and major abdominal branches relative to nonbranch regions. In the arch and around the intercostals and major abdominal branches, macrophage densities were positively correlated with the integrated plasma cholesterol. VCAM-1 and macrophage levels were correlated in lesion-prone regions. In normocholesterolemic rabbits, 23±4% (mean±SEM) of the macrophages were directly associated with VCAM-1–positive endothelium. After 2 weeks of 0.25% cholesterol feeding, the association increased to 37±4% ( P <0.015). Associations were highest around the lateral and distal regions of the major abdominal branches. These results suggest that (1) VCAM-1 expression and intimal macrophage densities are influenced by plasma cholesterol and regional factors such as arterial fluid dynamics and (2) VCAM-1 plays a significant role in the localization of macrophages.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry as a tool for use in quality improvement

The US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) began in 1955 with a mission to support the development of new drugs to fight the disease, improve the quality of life for those with cystic fibrosis (CF), and ultimately to find a cure for this disease.1 The CFF does this by supporting basic science and clinical research in CF, supporting the care of CF patients through accredited CF centres nationwide and advocating for CF patients at the state and national level. Recognising the critical role of data collection and measurement of outcomes to better understand the natural history of CF, the CFF created a patient registry in 1966, the CFF Patient Registry (CFFPR).2 The CFFPR has evolved over the years from a few demographic variables including vital status to a comprehensive database that gives healthcare providers, researchers, policy makers and change agents data to support epidemiological and clinical research as well as efforts to improve quality of care. The specific purpose of this commentary is to describe the CFFPR and primarily to focus on how the CFFPR and its associated tools are being used for quality improvement (QI) activities, with the hope that it may help CF healthcare teams in the USA who are not familiar with the registry's capabilities, CF providers outside the USA with registries at various stages of development, and others interested in how a patient registry has been used to improve care. The CFFPR contains detailed demographic and diagnostic data dating back to 1986 with current annual and encounter-based data on over 300 unique variables including outcomes (eg, microbiology, lung function and nutritional metrics, CF complications) and care processes (eg, hospitalisations, medications, surveillance measures) for each of its more than 27 000 participants in 2012; in all, there are over 46 000 unique individuals’ data in the registry.3 …
Receiver operating characteristic curves of ultrasonographic estimates of fetal weight for prediction of fetal growth restriction in prolonged pregnancies.

Abstract Objective: Recent studies have documented increased perinatal morbidity and mortality rates in the growth-restricted postterm fetus. Our purpose was to evaluate the receiver operating characteristic curve of ultrasonographically estimated fetal weight as a predictor of fetal growth restriction in prolonged pregnancies. Study Design: Fetal weight was estimated ultrasonographically within 9 days of delivery (mode 1 day) in members of a cohort of 410 patients with prolonged pregnancies (>41 weeks). Estimated fetal weights were compared with birth weights in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting birth weights Conclusions: Ultrasonographic estimation of fetal weight is a useful test for predicting fetal growth restriction in prolonged pregnancies. Future studies should evaluate whether intervention on the basis of this identification results in improved perinatal outcome. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:1133-8.)
New views of multi-ion channels.

Thus, most site-directed mutagenesis data render it untenable to consider that two or more roughly equivalent high affinity sites govern selectivity in multi-ion pores. The papers by Dang and McCleskey and Kiss et al. respond to this challenge by showing that a model with a single high affinity site, flanked by two binding sites of lower affinity close to the pore entrances, can generate much of the classical multi-ion behavior. The sites need not interact, and the two flanking sites could arise from one of several mechanisms: a featureless charged vestibule, a dehydration step, or a specific weak binding site. The multi-ion pore remains a cornerstone of permeation theory, but the new theory features only a single high affinity site and no mutual repulsion. The high flux rate occurs because ions pause at the flanking sites and reequilibrate thermally, gaining enough energy to move over the next barrier.
Survival benefit with imatinib mesylate therapy in patients with accelerated-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia--comparison with historic experience.

BACKGROUND The effect of imatinib mesylate on survival in the accelerated phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is unknown. The objectives of this study were to update the long-term experience with imatinib in patients who had accelerated-phase CML and to compare outcomes with historic experience. METHODS The outcomes of 176 patients who received treatment with imatinib were reviewed and compared with the outcomes of 213 historic control patients with accelerated-phase CML who received treatment with interferon-α or with other modalities. RESULTS With imatinib, the complete hematologic response rate was 82% versus a rate ≤ 50% for others, and the complete cytogenetic response rate was 43% versus rates of 0–6% for others. The estimated 4-year survival rates were 53% with imatinib, 42% with interferon-α, and 0–21% for others. A multivariate analysis of the total population of 389 patients indicated that imatinib therapy (vs. other therapies) was an independent, favorable prognostic factor for survival (P < 0.0001; hazard rate, 0.62). A subset analysis that included only patients who were treated with imatinib and interferon-α (276 patients) also identified imatinib as an independent favorable prognostic factor (P < 0.0001; hazard rate, 0.65). The 3-month cytogenetic response to imatinib was associated with significantly different survival outcomes (P < 0.0001). A multivariate analysis that included pretreatment characteristics and 3-month cytogenetic response among 150 patients who received imatinib and were alive at 3 months identified only 2 adverse independent prognostic factors: lack of a cytogenetic response at 3 months (P < 0.001) and anemia (hemoglobin < 10 g/dL; P = 0.003). Patients who had neither factor (41%) had an estimated 4-year survival rate of 88%; in the other patients, the 4-year survival rate was ≤ 60%. This may have implications in relation to subsequent therapy, because, according to the outcomes of patients who underwent allogeneic transplantation in accelerated phase at the authors' institution and from literature reports, the estimates of 5-year survival were 25–30%. CONCLUSIONS The current results suggest that imatinib improved survival compared with other therapies in patients with accelerated-phase CML. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Representation of finite cracks by dislocation pileups: An application to atomic simulation of fracture

The elastic displacement field solution of a semi-infinite crack in an anisotropic body, calculated using a complex variable approach due to Sih and Liebowitz, is usually used by atomistic simulations of fracture. The corresponding expression for the displacement field of a finite crack is numerically cumbersome since it involves multiple square roots of complex numbers. In this study, displacement field of the crack is calculated by superposing the displacements of dislocations in an equivalent double pileup, equilibrated under mode I conditions. An advantage of this method is its extensibility to atomistic studies of more complex systems containing multiple cracks or interfaces. The pileup representation of the finite crack is demonstrated as being equivalent to its corresponding continuum description using the example of a double ended crack in α-Fe, loaded in mode I. In these examples, the interatomic interaction in α-Fe is described by an empirical embedded atom (EAM) potential.
Low frequency of alpha-synuclein mutations in familial Parkinson's disease

A mutation in exon 4 of the alpha-synuclein (NACP) gene has been reported to explain the chromosome 4 linkage to autosomal dominant Parkinson's disease. We developed primers and methods for exonic sequencing of this gene and sequenced the entire coding region of the gene in 6 families with autosomal dominant disease and in 2 cases of lytico and bodig from Guam. In addition, we have sequenced exon 4 of this gene in 5 cases of familial disease and have screened for the specific mutation (A53T) in a 40 cases of idiopathic Parkinson's disease, 3 cases of multisystem atrophy, and 15 cases of Lewy body dementia. We have found no genetic variation in the gene. We discuss these findings with respect to both the epidemiology of Parkinson's disease and the possibility that NACP is not the chromosome 4 locus for disease.
Aggressively Scaled P-Channel Mosfets With Stacked Nitride-Oxide-Nitride, N/O/N, Gate Dielectrics

Ultrathin (tox, eq < 2.0 nm) Si3N4/SiO2(hereafter N/O) gate dielectrics with improved interface characteristics compared to devices with thermal oxides have been formed by remote plasma enhanced CVD of Si3N4onto oxides. If the Si-Si02 interface is intentionally nitrided prior to the Si3N4deposition, the increased physical thickness of the N/O stack combined with the interfacial nitridation reduces the direct tunneling current by more than two orders of magnitude. The ensuing device structure can then be characterized as N/O/N. The top nitride layer is also an effective boron diffusion barrier improving short channel characteristics in p+-poly PMOSFETs. In addition, nitrogen can also be transported to the silicon/dielectric interface during post-deposition RTAs, and this reduces degradation of transconductance during hot carrier stressing.
Transgenic and gene-targeted mice as models for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Animal models play an important role in the understanding of the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The applicability of findings to human COPD depends upon several factors, including the disease model, and similarities in mouse structure and function between species. There are many examples in the literature of transgenic mice that have contributed to the understanding of COPD. Several studies demonstrate the complexity of inflammatory networks and how unexpected findings in animal models have led to the search for new potential mediators in human disease. Gene-targeting studies into α 1 -antitrypsin (α 1 -AT) and emphysema in mice have demonstrated that the genetic locus for α 1 -AT in mice is very complex and that the loss of one gene is lethal in embryo lung development. This underlines the differences between mice and humans that limit the ability to translate between systems in some instances. Gene targeting has also highlighted complex roles for transforming growth factor-β in COPD and has been used to determine important molecules and pathways in COPD. Both transgenic and gene-targeted models suffer limitations and their applicability to human chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be dependant on several factors, some of which are still being learnt. The more that is known about similarities and differences, the better the knowledge will be that is gained to develop for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Strength, strain, energy, and toughness of silicone breast implant shells

Leakage and rupture are established problems associated with aging breast implant shells. The effects of time in the body on the mechanical properties of these shells were investigated. Tensile tests were performed on 573 specimens cut from 5 new and 40 used implant shells. Correlations were observed between shell condition, implantation time, and maximum stress. Maximum strain, which is easily measured, correlated stronger with both condition and implantation time than stress did, suggesting that maximum strain can be used as a convenient and representative measure of implant durability. Fold flaws do not appear to affect the tensile strength of shell material, but are often sites for pinholes that may lead to leakage and rupture.
An optimally convergent discontinuous Galerkin‐based extended finite element method for fracture mechanics

The extended finite element method (XFEM) enables the representation of cracks in arbitrary locations of a mesh. We introduce here a variant of the XFEM rendering an optimally convergent scheme. Its distinguishing features are as follows: (a) the introduction of singular asymptotic crack tip fields with support on only a small region around the crack tip (the enrichment region), (b) only one and two enrichment functions are added for anti-plane shear and planar problems, respectively and (c) the relaxation of the continuity between the enrichment region and the rest of the domain, and the adoption of a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method therein. The method is provably stable for any positive value of a stabilization parameter, and by weakly enforcing the continuity between the two regions it eliminates ‘blending elements’ partly responsible for the suboptimal convergence of some early XFEMs. Moreover, the particular choice of enrichment functions results in a surprisingly sparse stiffness matrix that remains reasonably conditioned as the mesh is refined. More importantly, the stress intensity factors can be extracted with a satisfactory accuracy as primary unknowns. Quadrature strategies required for the optimal convergence are also discussed. Finally, the DG method was modified to retain stability based on an inf-sup condition. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electron and Hole Transport in a-SiH at High Field and Low Temperature

Low temperature, high field properties of electron and hole transport are investigated by time-of-flight (TOF), steady-state and transient space charge limited current (SCLC) experiments on intrinsic a-Si:H. Charge collection and TOF experiments performed at T= 80 K reveal hole μτ-products of = 8 × 10 -10 cm 2 /V and hole mobilities μ ≤ 9×10 -3 cm 2 /Vs. The field effect on hole thermalization is demonstrated by evaluation of the post transit current decay. SCLC experiments on p + -i-n + (electron transport) and p + -i-n + (hole transport) configurations are introduced and interpreted in terms of field enhanced conductivity and mobility. The experiments demonstrate the overwhelming field effect on carrier hopping in the band tail regions of a-Si:H. Considerably higher fields have to be applied in the case of hole transport than electron transport to achieve comparable conductivities; this is discussed on the basis of the different tail state distributions and localization lengths.
A Little Bit of Sugar Makes Polycomb Better

Transcriptional repression by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins is now sweetened by the discovery of the essential role of O-GlcNAc glycosylation in the process. PcG protein polyhomeotic may be the key target, but alternative or additional functions including repression of transcription through glycosylation of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II are also possible.
Phase‐field modelling of solidification microstructure formation using the discontinuous finite element method

This paper presents a discontinuous Galerkin finite element computational methodology for solving the coupled phase-field and heat diffusion equations to predict the microstructure evolution during solidification. The phase-field modelling of microstructure formation is briefly discussed. The discontinuous Galerkin finite element formulation for the phase-field model systems for solidification microstructure formation is described in detail. Numerical stability is performed using the Neumann method. The accuracy of the discontinuous model is verified by the analytic solution of a simple 1-D solidification problem. Numerical calculations using the discontinuous finite element phase-field model have been performed for simulating the complex 2-D and 3-D dendrite structures formed in supercooled melts and the results are compared well with those in literature using the finite difference methods. Parallel computing algorithm is presented and results show that the minimization of the intercommunication between microprocessors is the key to increase the effectiveness in parallel computing with the discontinuous finite element phase-field model for solidification microstructure formation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Naming as social practice: The case of Little Creeper from Diamond Street

Proper names have often been discussed by philosophers of language without the benefit of anthropological insights. This article combines research from these two fields in order to move toward a theory of naming as social practice – emphasizing the nature of naming and nicknaming as it is crucially attached to cultural history, social context, and individual experience. To exemplify this notion, the article outlines naming and its various functions as described by and used in the narratives of one young man from the “Diamond Street” gang who goes by the nickname “Little Creeper.” A discussion of outsiders' interpretations of gang names indicates how the meaning of a name can be transformed in different social contexts without losing its association with the initial referent. (Naming practices, proper names, ideology and language, at-risk youth)
Mining the Gene Wiki for functional genomic knowledge

Ontology-based gene annotations are important tools for organizing and analyzing genome-scale biological data. Collecting these annotations is a valuable but costly endeavor. The Gene Wiki makes use of Wikipedia as a low-cost, mass-collaborative platform for assembling text-based gene annotations. The Gene Wiki is comprised of more than 10,000 review articles, each describing one human gene. The goal of this study is to define and assess a computational strategy for translating the text of Gene Wiki articles into ontology-based gene annotations. We specifically explore the generation of structured annotations using the Gene Ontology and the Human Disease Ontology. Our system produced 2,983 candidate gene annotations using the Disease Ontology and 11,022 candidate annotations using the Gene Ontology from the text of the Gene Wiki. Based on manual evaluations and comparisons to reference annotation sets, we estimate a precision of 90-93% for the Disease Ontology annotations and 48-64% for the Gene Ontology annotations. We further demonstrate that this data set can systematically improve the results from gene set enrichment analyses. The Gene Wiki is a rapidly growing corpus of text focused on human gene function. Here, we demonstrate that the Gene Wiki can be a powerful resource for generating ontology-based gene annotations. These annotations can be used immediately to improve workflows for building curated gene annotation databases and knowledge-based statistical analyses.
Eyelid dermatitis: Experience in 203 cases

Allergic contact dermatitis has been considered the most common of the many dermatologic conditions found with eyelid dermatitis. This is a retrospective study of 203 patients who presented with persistent or recurrent eyelid dermatitis with or without dermatitis elsewhere. Almost all underwent patch testing and, when indicated, radioallergosorbent test, skin prick and intradermal tests, and in many cases, usage tests as part of the workup. Relevant allergic contact dermatitis was found in 151 of 203 patients (74.%): 46 (23.%) had protein contact dermatitis, but only 7% had protein contact dermatitis without concurrent allergic contact dermatitis. Less than 1% had irritant dermatitis alone. Twenty-three patients had atopic eczema, of whom 16 also had allergic contact dermatitis, protein contact dermatitis, or both. Other conditions included seborrheic dermatitis (n = 11), psoriasis (n = 7), dry eyes (n = 9), and dermatomyositis or overlapping connective tissue disease (n = 7). Important sources of contact sensitivity include cosmetics, metals, topical medications including corticosteroids, eye medications, dust mites, animal dander, and artificial nails; only 5 cases were caused by nail lacquer. Eyelid dermatitis is a multifaceted clinical problem, but in this group of patients, allergic contact dermatitis was a common cause, even among those with atopic eczema.
Development of the Endochondral Skeleton

Much of the mammalian skeleton is composed of bones that originate from cartilage templates through endochondral ossification. Elucidating the mechanisms that control endochondral bone development is critical for understanding human skeletal diseases, injury response, and aging. Mouse genetic studies in the past 15 years have provided unprecedented insights about molecules regulating chondrocyte formation, chondrocyte maturation, and osteoblast differentiation, all key processes of endochondral bone development. These include the roles of the secreted proteins IHH, PTHrP, BMPs, WNTs, and FGFs, their receptors, and transcription factors such as SOX9, RUNX2, and OSX, in regulating chondrocyte and osteoblast biology. This review aims to integrate the known functions of extracellular signals and transcription factors that regulate development of the endochondral skeleton.
ED crowding and the use of nontraditional beds.

Background and Objectives In an effort to compensate for crowding, many emergency departments (EDs) evaluate and treat patients in nontraditional settings such as gurneys in hallways and conference rooms. The impact of this practice on ED evaluation time is unknown.
The moral imperatives of geographies of school failure: Mobilizing market‐based reform coalitions

School reform efforts in the United States often declare the entire institution irreparably unresponsive to student needs and in need of a fundamental overhaul. Consequently, coalitions that incorporate business and philanthropic actors have advocated strongly for the introduction of market logics into the public system. I argue that these movements are facilitated by creating a sense of obligation that is mapped onto the space of the urban or metropolitan area. I draw on archival research and open-ended interviews to demonstrate the degree to which this moral obligation dominates reform efforts in the Seattle area through two coalitions: the first, made up of local business, philanthropic, and citizen groups that advocate for introducing market logics of choice and accountability, and the second, made up of parents who advocate for a network of alternative schools that meet the needs of students not served by the public system. Based on these differences, I argue that the former coalition's greater influence is in part due to its ability to mobilize an image of urgency around school reform that is geographically specific even as it glosses over differences in the spaces of education quality within the larger Seattle area. Les imperatifs moraux des geographies de l’echec scolaire: La mobilisation des coalitions pour la reforme du marche Les mesures de reforme scolaire etablies aux Etats-Unis attestent souvent que l’institution tout entiere est irremediablement inadaptee pour repondre aux besoins des etudiants et necessite une restructuration majeure. Par consequent, les coalitions au sein desquelles se retrouvent des acteurs issus des milieux d’affaires et philanthropiques defendent avec fermete l’adoption par le systeme public de logiques marchandes. Je fais valoir que ces mouvements s’appuient sur le sentiment de responsabilite morale qui est cartographie dans l’espace des centres urbains ou metropolitains. Au moyen d’un traitement de documents d’archive et d’entretiens en profondeur, je montre combien la preponderance est donnee a cette responsabilite morale dans les mesures de reforme etablies par deux coalitions dans la region de Seattle. La premiere d’entre elles reunit des representants d’entreprises, d’associations philanthropiques et de groupes de citoyens qui preconisent l’adoption de logiques marchandes en matiere de choix et d’imputabilite. La seconde est composee de parents en faveur de l’etablissement d’ecoles alternatives qui repondent aux besoins d’etudiants ne beneficiant pas du systeme public. Je constate qu’en vertu de ces differences l’influence plus ample qu’exerce la premiere coalition est en partie attribuable a sa capacite de faire prevaloir le caractere d’urgence de la reforme scolaire qui est bien definie sur le plan geographique, bien que cette image dissimule des differences au niveau des espaces de la qualite de l’enseignement dans la grande region de Seattle.
Blood pressure disorders in the neonate: Hypotension and hypertension

Blood pressure (BP) disorders are a common problem in neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Additionally, there is an association between systemic hypotension and neonatal morbidities such as intraventricular hemorrhage [1]. Hypertension, while less common, can also lead to significant short and long-term morbidities. There remains, however, no standard definition of hypotension or hypertension in the neonatal period. Indeed, there is convincing evidence that wide variations exist among NICUs in both practice styles and approaches to blood pressure disorders. Barrington notes “The treatment of shock and hypotension in the preterm infant may be the area of neonatology where there is the greatest “intervention/data imbalance”; more babies receive more treatments with less supportive evidence than in virtually any other domain” [2].
Selecting fiber materials to improve mist filters

As a filter captures droplets and retains liquid, the efficiency of the filter declines while the pressure drop rises. Making filters that drain more effectively and retain less liquid may minimize efficiency losses and pressure drop increases. Glass, polyester, and polyaramid fibers were observed microscopically as they collected droplets. Liquid spread much more readily on the polyaramid fibers than on the other kinds. Complete filters were then formed from glass and polyaramid fibers and tested for efficiency, pressure drop, and liquid retention as they collected droplets. Although the filters made from polyaramid fibers exhibited less liquid retention and pressure drop increase, the reduction in efficiency between filters made from the two fiber types was not statistically different. These findings suggest that using higher surface energy fibers in mist filters may allow lower levels of liquid retention that result in wet filters with a lower pressure drop.
Stem cell technology for neurodegenerative diseases.

Over the past 20 years, stem cell technologies have become an increasingly attractive option to investigate and treat neurodegenerative diseases. In the current review, we discuss the process of extending basic stem cell research into translational therapies for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. We begin with a discussion of the burden of these diseases on society, emphasizing the need for increased attention toward advancing stem cell therapies. We then explain the various types of stem cells utilized in neurodegenerative disease research, and outline important issues to consider in the transition of stem cell therapy from bench to bedside. Finally, we detail the current progress regarding the applications of stem cell therapies to specific neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, Alzheimer disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and spinal muscular atrophy. With a greater understanding of the capacity of stem cell technologies, there is growing public hope that stem cell therapies will continue to progress into realistic and efficacious treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. ANN NEUROL 2011;70:353–361
Kinematic numerators and a double-copy formula for N = 4 super-Yang-Mills residues

Recent work by Cachazo et al.arXiv:1309.0885 shows that connected prescription residues obey the global identities of $\mathcal{N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills amplitudes. In particular, they obey the Bern-Carrasco-Johansson (BCJ) amplitude identities. Here we offer a new way of interpreting this result via objects that we call residue numerators. These objects behave like the kinematic numerators introduced by BCJ except that they are associated with individual residues. In particular, these new objects satisfy a double-copy formula relating them to the residues appearing in recently discovered analogs of the connected prescription integrals for $\mathcal{N}=8$ supergravity. Along the way, we show that the BCJ amplitude identities are equivalent to the consistency condition that allows kinematic numerators to be expressed as amplitudes using a generalized inverse.
The application of multi-model ensemble approach as a prognostic method to predict patient health status

Prognostic methods promise to improve patient healthcare if predictions of adverse disease and medical complications for each patient can be predicted in advance. Prognostics and prediction of patients' physiological health status are getting attention in medicine because they provide insight that can be used for medical interventions that prevent adverse medical complications. While various predictive analytics have been developed for detection and prediction of certain diseases, efforts to combine the predictive power of multiple algorithms have gone mostly unnoticed. This study proposes a prognostics engine using multiple models to predict patient physiological status. Given the diversity of clinical data and disease conditions, no single model can be the ideal prediction algorithm to cover all medical cases. Certain algorithms are more accurate than others depending on input data available, the type, amount and diversity of possible outcomes. In this study four different neural network algorithms were used for the prognostics engine and their accuracy on a dataset were compared. The study proposes using an ensemble of algorithms and an oracle, an overseer program to select the most accurate combination of the predictive models that is most suited for a particular disease prediction. The feasibility of this approach is tested using a clinical data set of 1,073 patient cases including 255 patients presented with Deep Vein Pulmonary Embolism. The study compared accuracy of five different schemas for constructing ensembles of various neural networks. The multiple schema approach combined with multi-model ensembles showed to improve accuracy of prediction for this case and promises to be a robust approach to other clinical prediction problems.
Function Words for Chinese Authorship Attribution

This study explores the use of function words for authorship attribution in modern Chinese (C-FWAA). This study consists of three tasks: (1) examine the C-FWAA effectiveness in three genres: novel, essay, and blog; (2) compare the strength of function words as both genre and authorship indicators, and explore the genre interference on C-FWAA; (3) examine whether C-FWAA is sensitive to the time periods when the texts were written.
Neutrophil Elastase-Generated Fragment of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A Stimulates Macrophage and Endothelial Progenitor Cell Migration

Elastase released from neutrophils as part of the innate immune system has been implicated in chronic diseases such as emphysema and cardiovascular disease. We have previously shown that neutrophil elastase targets vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) for partial degradation to generate a fragment of VEGF (VEGFf) that has distinct activities. Namely, VEGFf binds to VEGF receptor 1 but not to VEGF receptor 2 and shows altered signaling compared to intact VEGF. In the present study we investigated the chemotactic function of VEGF and VEGFf released from cells by neutrophil elastase. We found that endothelial cells migrated in response to intact VEGF but not VEGFf whereas RAW 264.7 macrophages/monocytes and embryonic endothelial progenitor cells were stimulated to migrate by either VEGF or VEGFf. To investigate the role of elastase-mediated release of VEGF from cells/extracellular matrices, a co-culture system was established. High or low VEGF producing cells were co-cultured with macrophages, endothelial or endothelial progenitor cells and treated with neutrophil elastase. Elastase treatment stimulated macrophage and endothelial progenitor cell migration with the response being greater with the high VEGF expressing cells. However, elastase treatment led to decreased endothelial cell migration due to VEGF cleavage to VEGF fragment. These findings suggest that the tissue response to NE-mediated injury might involve the generation of diffusible VEGF fragments that stimulate inflammatory cell recruitment.
Hearing voices: FDA seeks advice from patients.

No doubt can remain as to the growing importance of the patient’s voice in biomedical research and regulatory science after U.S. President Barack Obama clearly stated that people would not be treated as subjects in the Precision Medicine Initiative but would be partners in the process. He said
X-ray speckle contrast variation at sample-specific absorption edges

We measured static x-ray speckle contrast variation with the incident photon energy across sample-specific absorption edges. We propose that the variation depends strongly on the spectral response function of the monochromator.
Abstract LB-241: Cancer-associated fibroblasts modulate growth- and metastasis-promoting pathways in human pancreatic cancer cells and augment orthotopic tumor growth in mice

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Background: The role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the development, progression, and metastasis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is not completely understood. We sought to better characterize the role of CAFs by evaluating the effect of co-culturing CAFs and pancreatic cancer cells on growth and metastasis pathways. Methods: Resected human PDACs were grown orthotopically in mice. From these tumors, human pancreatic cancer cells and mouse CAFs were isolated and grown in culture. Three cell culture environments were created: 1) pure (>99%) human pancreatic cancer cells, 2) pure (97%) mouse CAFs, and 3) co-culture of both cell types. IHC and FACS were used to confirm cell type and species of origin. Phospho-receptor tyrosine kinase (pRTK) and cytokine arrays were performed on the three groups. Additionally, the effect of CAFs on PDAC growth was evaluated in nude mice by orthotopically injecting cancer cells (1 × 106 cells) with and without CAFs (1 × 106 cells). Results: CAFs stained positively for -smooth muscle actin (-SMA) but were negative for E-cadherin, while cancer cells stained positively for E-cadherin, but not -SMA. FACS for MHC-I confirmed mouse origin of the CAFs (negative) and human origin of the cancer cells (positive). Co-culture of mouse fibroblasts and human tumor cells led to significant upregulation of cell proliferation pathways (evidenced by increased human pRTKs and cytokines, including EGFR1, EGFR2, c-Met, Ron, IGF-1R, and thrombospondin-2), angiogenic pathways (evidenced by increased secretion of VEGF, IL-8, and angiogenin) and matrix degradation and remodeling pathways (increased secretion of MMPs 8 and 9, TIMPs 1 and 4, and uPA). Orthotopic mouse injection of human pancreatic cancer cells in combination with mouse CAFs (1:1 ratio) led to larger tumors at 3 weeks as compared to injection with cancer cells alone (1129 mm3 vs. 443 mm3, p < 0.005). Conclusions: Using co-culture of CAFs and pancreatic cancer cells we have recapitulated the modulation of pathways responsible for cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and matrix remodeling thought to occur in vivo during tumor progression. Further, we show that co-injection of CAFs and pancreatic cancer cells significantly augments orthotopic tumor growth in mice. These studies lay the groundwork for future studies to define the critical factors produced by stromal fibroblasts and the role of such factors in PDAC progression, allowing new insights into improving patient therapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-241.
Ca2+-Induced Sporulation in Achlya bisexualis: Reserve 1,3-beta-glucans Provide Both Carbon and Phosphorus

Reserve water-soluble 1,3-3-glucans represent some 13% (wt/wt) of the mycelial dry weight of Achlya, and consist of a small neutral form and a very large phosphorylated one. The phosphoglucan appears to be formed via aggregation of neutral molecules by phosphodiester linkages. Asexual sporulation in Achlya bisexualis, induced by 0.5 mM Ca2+, was accompanied by a 43% reduction in total glucan after 4 h, and the ratio of neutral glucan to phosphoglucan changed between 4 and 12 h. Phosphate content of the phosphoglucan declined by 50%, but the molecular size remained large and the ratio of monoand diester linkages changed only slightly. Appropriate enzyme activities of {3-glucanase and phosphoesterases capable of releasing both glucose and phosphate were found, and are described.
Cryptococcal Meningitis Treatment Strategies Affected by the Explosive Cost of Flucytosine in the United States: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis

Background. In the United States, cryptococcal meningitis causes approximately 3400 hospitalizations and approximately 330 deaths annually. The US guidelines recommend treatment with amphotericin B plus flucytosine for at least 2 weeks, followed by fluconazole for a minimum of 8 weeks. Due to generic drug manufacturer monopolization, flucytosine currently costs approximately $2000 per day in the United States, with a 2-week flucytosine treatment course costing approximately $28 000. The daily flucytosine treatment cost in the United Kingdom is approximately $22. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to determine the value of flucytosine relative to alternative regimens. Methods. We estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 3 cryptococcal induction regimens: (1) amphotericin B deoxycholate for 4 weeks; (2) amphotericin and flucytosine (100 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks; and (3) amphotericin and fluconazole (800 mg/day) for 2 weeks. Costs of care were calculated using 2015 US prices and the medication costs. Survival estimates were derived from a randomized trial and scaled relative to published US survival data. Results. Cost estimates were $83 227 for amphotericin monotherapy, $75 121 for amphotericin plus flucytosine, and $44 605 for amphotericin plus fluconazole. The ICER of amphotericin plus flucytosine was $23 842 per quality-adjusted life-year. Conclusions. Flucytosine is currently cost-effective in the United States despite a dramatic increase in price in recent years. Combination therapy with amphotericin and flucytosine is the most attractive treatment strategy for cryptococcal meningitis, though the rising price may be creating access issues that will exacerbate if the trend of profiteering continues.
A novel inheritable color space with application to kinship verification

Anthropology studies discover that some genetic related facial features, which are inherited by children from their parents, can be used for kinship verification. This paper investigates an important inheritable feature — color and presents a novel inheritable color space (InCS) and a generalized InCS (GInCS) framework with application to kinship verification. Specifically, a novel color similarity measure (CSM) is first defined. Second, based on this similarity measure, a new inheritable color space (InCS) is derived by balancing the criterion of minimizing the distance between kinship pairs and the criterion of maximizing the distance between non-kinship pairs. Unlike conventional color spaces, e.g. the RGB color space, the proposed InCS, which is learned automatically from the data, captures the inheritable information between parent and child. Third, theoretical and empirical analysis show that the proposed InCS exhibits the decorrelation property, which is positively related to the performance of kinship verification. Robustness to the illumination variation is also discussed. Fourth, a generalized InCS framework is presented to extend the InCS from the pixel level to the feature level for improving the performance and the robustness to illumination variation. The proposed InCS is evaluated on several popular datasets, namely the KinFaceW-I dataset, the KinFaceW-II dataset, the UB KinFace dataset, and the Cornell KinFace dataset. Experimental results show that the proposed InCS is able to (i) improve the conventional color spaces such as RGB, YUV, YIQ color spaces by a large margin, (ii) achieve robustness to the illumination variation, and (iii) outperforms other popular methods.
Preclinical models of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin malignancy, yet the biological and molecular characteristics of the disease remain only poorly understood. One of the many reasons for this is that there are so few animal or human laboratory models of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer rarely arises spontaneously in animals, and the human cancer is unusually hard to grow in culture or as xenografts even short-term. The prostate cancer models that do exist are basically rodent models, human cell lines, human xenografts, and gene transfer and transgenic models. Many laboratories have put great effort into developing prostate cancer models, without much success. These efforts recently have been forced to be curtailed, primarily due to a lack of funding. There is good reason to believe, however, that propagation of metastatic tissue will be much more successful. At the University of Washington, the Prostate Cancer Donor Program, organized in a manner similar to existing methods for cadaver organ harvest, has been instituted to help recruit patients for these approaches. Prospects for success of model development also have been improved because of advances in techniques for the maintenance of severe combined immunodeficiency disease mice or nude mice.
Aqueous Emulsion Droplets Stabilized by Lipid Vesicles as Microcompartments for Biomimetic Mineralization.

Mineral deposition within living cells relies on control over the distribution and availability of precursors as well as the location and rates of nucleation and growth. This control is provided in large part by biomolecular chelators, which bind precursors and regulate their availability, and compartmentalization within specialized mineralizing vesicles. Biomimetic mineralization in self-assembled lipid vesicles is an attractive means of studying the mineralization process, but has proven challenging due to vesicle heterogeneity in lamellarity, contents, and size across a population, difficulties encapsulating high and uniform precursor concentrations, and the need to transport reagents across an intact lipid bilayer membrane. Here, we report the use of liposome-stabilized all-aqueous emulsion droplets as simple artificial mineralizing vesicles (AMVs). These biomimetic microreactors allow the entry of precursors while retaining a protein catalyst by equilibrium partitioning between internal and external ...
Out of Oblivion: The Later Fortuna Critica of Titian’s “St. Peter Martyr Altarpiece”

In the sixteenth century, Titian’s “St. Peter Martyr Altarpiece” was considered his greatest work and the exemplar of the Venetian style of painting. Because of its accidental destruction by fire in 1867, its importance for artists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has been nearly forgotten. Study of its later fortuna critica reveals that ensuing commentators were, like Titian’s contemporaries, equally convinced of the painting’s pre-eminence in his oeuvre. Although the earlier topoi regarding the “Peter Martyr” were dropped from the commentaries, and the analyses became diverse in their acclaim for the picture, it continued to play an important role in the consciousness of critics and painters, serving as a “school” for artists. Indeed, the later critics praised the picture for the very qualities for which Titian is appreciated today, including, especially, his color. The “Peter Martyr Altarpiece” played a crucial role in our modern estimation of Titian. Excellent painted copies of it serve to illuminate Titian’s famed colorito and brush stroke far better than the black-and-white linear engraving that usually suffices.