cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuronal differentiation factors/cytokines and synaptic plasticity

As in the hematopoietic system, the enormous variety of phenotypes in the nervous system arises, in part, through the action of instructive differentiation signals. Such signals include secreted and cell-bound proteins as well as steroid hormones. Since these agents have broad effects on cell proliferation and gene expression in many different tissues, the term cytokines is being adopted for the proteins. The original meaning of that term refers to cell movement, an activity that the present proteins could turn out to share (Cohen et al., 1974; see also Nathan and Sporn, 1991). Our focus here is on the regulation of neuronal gene expression by these factors, particularly the genes that code for neuropeptides and the enzymes that synthesize neurotransmitters, because these are the molecules directly responsible for transmission of information at synapses. We highlight parallels between the control of phenotypic expression in the nervous and hematopoietic systems and between the cytokines involved in the immune response and the response of the nervous system to injury. Attention is also drawn to a potential role for cytokines in synaptic plasticity. For instance, changes in transmission at particular synapses that underlie distinctive behavioral states are often associated with alterations in the expression of the neurotransmitters and neuropeptides employed at those synapses. Such changes in expression can also occur during daily or monthly physiological changes in the body. Moreover, certain paradigms widely used to study the phenomena of learning and memory have, in a few cases, suggested an involvement of cytokines in the plasticity of synaptic transmission.
Pathologic stage III endometrial cancer treated with adjuvant radiation therapy.

Gerszten K, Faul C, Huang Q. Pathologic stage III endometrial cancer treated with adjuvant radiation therapy. Int J Gynecol Cancer 1999; 9: 243–246. This study was undertaken to evaluate the outcome of pathologic stage III endometrial carcinoma treated with adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). A retrospective review was performed on 32 patients receiving adjuvant RT following abdominal hysterectomy for stage III endometrial carcinoma (19 IIIA, 2 IIIB, 11 IIIC) between 1980 and 1996. Papillary-serous and clear cell adenocarcinomas were excluded. Pathologic nodal sampling was performed on 25 patients (78%). All patients received postoperative external beam RT to the pelvis and 25 of 32 received an additional brachytherapy boost to the vaginal apex. Three patients with involved para-aortic nodes received extended field RT. Mean follow up was 70 mos. Twenty-four patients remain disease-free at mean follow-up of 68 mos. Distant recurrence (DR) occurred in 7 patients at mean of 38 mo. Two local failures were associated with DR. Six patients died of disease after recurrence despite salvage systemic therapy. One patient developed isolated local failure (vaginal apex) and remains disease-free 37 mo after surgical/chemotherapeutic salvage. 5 of 8 (45%) stage IIIC patients developed recurrence vs. only 2 of 19 (10%) stage IIIA cases. 2 of 3 patients treated with extended field RT for positive para-aortic nodal disease remain disease-free at 128 and 56 mo. Long-term survival can be achieved in stage III endometrial carcinoma. Few patients with either adnexal metastases or positive cytology alone develop recurrence. However, patients with stage IIIC disease fare poorly with local therapy alone.
Cognitive Strategies as Determinants of School Achievement.

This study was designed to test Cohen's hypothesis that students who develop the school-preferred information-processing approach will perform better than other students. Using six instruments designed to identify preferred cognitive strategies, 135 students stratified by achievement were tested. Results suggest that achievement is significantly related to the acquisition of a particular cognitive style.
An empirical excess volume model for estimating liquefied natural gas densities

Abstract Hiza, M.J., 1978. An empirical excess volume model for estimating liquefied natural gas densities. Fluid Phase Equilibria , 2: 27–38. The mathematical model presented herein was developed to represent excess volumes at saturation for multicomponent liquid mixtures of nitrogen and the low molecular weight alkanes between 105 and 120 K. Parameters of the model were determined from experimental excess volumes for binary liquid mixtures of nitrogen, methane, ethane, propane, isobutane, and normal butane. Comparisons made with selected experimental excess volumes reported in the literature for multicomponent liquid mixtures of the above components demonstrate the predictive capability of the model in two simple forms. An extension of the model to include mixtures containing isopentane and normal pentane is also proposed. Pure component molar volumes are given at 0.5 K intervals from 105 to 116 K to facilitate the use of the present model in estimating liquefied natural gas (LNG) densities.
Deamination by the diazotization-deazotization method.

The diazotization-deazotization method for deaminating proteins in fixed tissue section, as originally described by Stoward (1963), has been investigated further with the following results. Blocking of arginine was confirmed by the Sakaguchi method and with anionic dyes. What appeared to be staining of lysine by anionic dyes was blocked but the dinitrofluorobenzene reaction was not. Blocking of histidine could not be demonstrated. Tyrosine was blocked to Millon's reagent but not to the coupled tetrazonium reaction. Staining of sulphydryl groups by Barrnett & Seligman's dihydroxydinaphthyldisulphide method was reduced but not obliterated. The colour of the reaction product between tryptophan residues and dimethylaminobenzaldehydenitrite was altered. Explanations for these findings are suggested.
Cobalt silicide formation on 6H silicon carbide.

Cobalt films (1, 25 and 100 A) have been directly deposited on top 6H-SiC(0001) wafers by molecular beam epitaxy and annealed at 500-800°C in UHV. The structure of the metal-semiconductor interface was investigated by XAFS. The results show that Co-Si bonds were preferentially formed in the 1 A Co films. In the 25 and 100 A Co films only Co-Co bonds were identified. The XRD pattern of the 100 A Co film exhibits a Co (200) peak confirming the presence of unreacted metal even after annealing at 800°C.
Impact of actin glutathionylation on the actomyosin-S1 ATPase.

Glutathionylation of intracellular proteins is an established physiological regulator of protein function. In multiple models, including ischemia-reperfusion of the heart, increased oxidative stres...
Just War against Barbarians: Revisiting the Valladolid Debates between Sepúlveda and Las Casas

Contemporary just war theory is experiencing a period of renegotiation as scholars grapple with the dimensions the war on terror places on the relationship between justice and war. A closer examination of the history of the tradition reveals that such intellectual moments have occurred before, and represent a philosophical heritage which can be probed for insight into current questions. We turn to the 1550–1 Valladolid debates between Sepulveda and Las Casas to gain insight into some of the questions facing just war theorists today because the debates lay bare the logic for expanding jus ad bellum in the case of those perceived to be barbarians, and a compelling counter-argument. Sepulveda proposes that a more expansive understanding of jus ad bellum is necessary in the case of barbarians, defining just cause in terms of identity and the natural law, balanced by humanitarian ends such as saving the innocent and spreading the natural law. Las Casas illustrates the dangers of Sepulveda's position and offers...
Trench capacitor leakage in Mbit DRAMs

The limitations on trench capacitors imposed by leakage mechanisms in high density DRAMs has been studied through simulations. The primary purpose of the work has been to investigate all possible leakage mechanisms and to determine the optimum substrate doping profile for which the trench capacitor leakage is sufficiently suppressed. The effect of all relevant structural, process and electrical parameters on the required substrate doping profile is also fully investigated. The substrate doping density at which impact ionization causes avalanche breakdown at the trench capacitor junction has also been estimated. It is shown that for trench spacing of 0.75 µm or more. an intermediate range of substrate doping concentrations can always be found for which both the trench leakage and the junction breakdown can be avoided.
Effects of gallbladder function on human bile: compositional and structural changes.

Water and electrolyte absorption leading to increased intraluminal concentrations of lipids and other solutes comprise the primary physiologic effect of the gallbladder. The dynamics of entero-hepatic circulation can lead to confinement of up to 60% of the bile acid pool within the gallbladder during prolonged fasting. This bile acid sequestration markedly reduces both the bile salt secretory rate and total solute concentration in comparison with the nonfasting state producing hepatic bile that is more than normally dilute especially in comparison with gallbladder bile. These conditions favor formation of small low-density vesicles in hepatic bile which are more buoyant than the concentrated biliary micelles found in anatomically dependent regions of the gallbladder. Vesicle formation in hepatic bile may explain the “stratification” phenomenon often noted within the gallbladder. This observation could be accounted for by inhomogeneous mixing of the dissimilar lipid particles, i.e., vesicles and micelles. If vesicles are present and stratified as presumed, the overall cholesterol transporting capability of the total lipid particles, including these regionalized vesicles, would be considerably enhanced. The net effect of this process would lead to an overestimation of the true degree of metastable cholesterol supersaturation for the biliary micellar system within the gallbladder on the incorrect assumption of homogeneous mixing of lipids.
Wholesome Foods and Wholesome Morals?: Organic Foods Reduce Prosocial Behavior and Harshen Moral Judgments

Recent research has revealed that specific tastes can influence moral processing, with sweet tastes inducing prosocial behavior and disgusting tastes harshening moral judgments. Do similar effects apply to different food types (comfort foods, organic foods, etc.)? Although organic foods are often marketed with moral terms (e.g., Honest Tea, Purity Life, and Smart Balance), no research to date has investigated the extent to which exposure to organic foods influences moral judgments or behavior. After viewing a few organic foods, comfort foods, or control foods, participants who were exposed to organic foods volunteered significantly less time to help a needy stranger, and they judged moral transgressions significantly harsher than those who viewed nonorganic foods. These results suggest that exposure to organic foods may lead people to affirm their moral identities, which attenuates their desire to be altruistic.
Spontaneous Delayed Migration/Shortening of the Pipeline Embolization Device: Report of 5 Cases

Five patients were found to have spontaneous delayed migration/shortening of their Pipeline Embolization Devices on follow-up angiography. The device migrated proximally in 4 patients and distally in 1 patient. One patient had a subarachnoid hemorrhage and died as a result of migration of the Pipeline Embolization Device, and another patient presented with complete MCA occlusion and was left severely disabled. Mismatch in arterial diameter between inflow and outflow vessels was a constant finding. Migration of the Pipeline Embolization Device was managed conservatively, with additional placement of the device, or with parent vessel occlusion. Obtaining complete expansion of the embolization device by using a longer device, increasing vessel coverage, using adjunctive aneurysm coiling, and avoiding dragging and stretching of the device are important preventive measures. Neurointerventionalists should be aware of this potentially fatal complication and take all necessary preventive measures.
DISTRIBUTION OF BLOOD IN THE AROUSING HIBERNATOR

Abstract : The distribution of circulating blood has been studied in the arousing hibernator following the method of fractional distribution of radioactive indicators (Sapirstein, 1958). The results indicate a conspicuous differential vasoconstriction of the posterior part of the animal during the most active phase of arousal. The blood flow to skeletal muscle in the front part of the arousing animals is more than 16 times greater than in the awake non-hibernating animals. The perfusion rate to the myocardium is twice as large in the arousing animal. Likewise the lungs, diaphragm, and brown fat show a substantial increase in blood flow. Blood flow to gastrointestinal tissues is greatly reduced in the arousing animals, whereas flow to the skin, liver, and thyroid shows insignificant differences. (Author)
Supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme: The role of surgical resection versus biopsy among older patients

Background The peak incidence of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) occurs in those aged 65 years and older. However, studies on this patient group remain limited. The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of surgery versus biopsy for older patients with these lesions.
Engineered Dielectric Pattern Nanoantenna: A Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) Device Application

The concept and modeling of a dielectric pattern nanoantenna integrated with a quantum cascade laser (QCL) source are presented, where a directive emission performance is achieved. A periodic dielectric configuration with optimized and different periodicities in transverse and propagating directions is created to engineer a band-edge dispersion diagram at a specific k-vector. In addition, QCL source with directive emission of gain and vertical and horizontal narrow beamwidths of 14° and 12°, respectively, is achieved. This indicates about 2.5 and 4.5 times improvement in the vertical and horizontal beamwidths of the original QCL radiation. Highly-efficient power output is determined. A full wave analysis based on finite difference time domain (FDTD) technique is applied to comprehensively characterize the device and determine its physical parameters. The obtained nanoantenna can be integrated in THz, IR, and visible spectrums (scaling the geometry properly), and it has the potential for efficient long-range THz and optical energy communications.
Gender and human chronic renal disease

Abstract Background: Gender affects the incidence, prevalence, and progression of renal disease. In animal models of the disease, female sex appears to modify the course of progression. Hormonal manipulation by male or female castration also changes the course of renal disease progression, suggesting direct effects of sex hormones in influencing the course of these maladies. Objective: This review examines the pertinent animal and human studies assessing the role of gender, and strives to shed light on the possible physiologic mechanisms underlying the effect of gender, on renal disease progression. Methods: A summary and evaluation of past and recent studies describing the rate of renal disease progression in animal models and humans as it pertains to gender is provided. In addition, studies elucidating the factors involved in the more modest renal progression rate in females are reviewed and conclusions drawn. Relevant English-language publications were identified by searching the PubMed database from January 1990 until November 2007 using the search terms gender, sex, renal disease, and kidney. Results: In polycystic kidney disease, membranous nephropathy, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, and “chronic renal disease of unknown etiology,” men progress at a faster rate to end-stage renal failure than do women. In type 1 diabetes mellitus, there is evidence that males are more likely to manifest signs of renal disease, such as proteinuria. The factors involved in this gender disparity may include diet, kidney and glomerular size, differences in glomerular hemodynamics, and the direct effects of sex hormones. In many, but not all, animal models of renal disease, estrogens slow progression rate. Several studies have recently evaluated the effect of selective estrogen receptor modulators on renal function in humans. Conclusion: Further studies assessing the factors involved in the gender disparity in renal disease progression and the effects of hormonal treatments are warranted.
Beam-energy and system-size dependence of dynamical net charge fluctuations

We present measurements of net charge fluctuations in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } $ = 19.6, 62.4, 130, and 200 GeV, Cu + Cu collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } $ = 62.4, 200 GeV, and p + p collisions at $\sqrt s $ = 200 GeV using the net charge dynamical fluctuations measure ν+ −,dyn. The dynamical fluctuations are non-zero at all energies and exhibit a rather modest dependence on beam energy. We find that at a given energy and collision system, net charge dynamical fluctuations violate 1/N ch scaling, but display approximate 1/N part scaling. We observe strong dependence of dynamical fluctuations on the azimuthal angular range and pseudorapidity widths.
Pulmonary blood supply in patients with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect.

The heart and lung specimens in 31 cases of pulmonary valve atresia and ventricular septal defect were studied at autopsy. Three types of natural arterial blood supply to the lungs were identified: 1) ductus arteriosus (patent or ligamentous) (12 cases); 2) major collateral arteries (20 cases); and 3) diffuse small pleural arterial plexus coexisting with either ductus arteriosus or major collateral arteries (17 cases). The ductus arteriosus and major collateral arteries did not coexist in the same lung in these cases. Confluent central pulmonary arteries were present in 22 (71%) of the 31 cases, involving 7 (58%) of the 12 cases of ductus arteriosus, 14 (70%) of the 20 cases with major collateral arteries and 1 case with an aorticopulmonary window. The pulmonary trunk (atretic or patent) was identifiable in 24 (77%) of the 31 cases. A lung or lungs that connected to a ductus (or ligamentum) had a complete and unifocal intrapulmonary arterial distribution (without arborization abnormalities). Major collateral blood supply was frequently multifocal and associated with arborization abnormalities. The size of the central pulmonary arteries was not related to the type of arterial blood source but seemed to be related to the amount of blood flow actually reaching the vessels. This study demonstrated a complex systemic arterial system supplying the lungs in these cases. The size, sources and relation among the ductus, the pulmonary artery confluence, the large and small collateral vessels and the intrapulmonary system are far more varied than has ever been reported previously. Careful and thorough premortem studies are crucial if surgical intervention is contemplated.
Winning Games in Canadian Football: A Logistic Regression Analysis

(2002). Winning Games in Canadian Football: A Logistic Regression Analysis. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 215-220.
Inducing immune tolerance: a focus on Type 1 diabetes mellitus

SUMMARY Tolerogenic strategies that specifically target diabetogenic immune cells in the absence of complications of immunosuppression are the desired treatment for the prevention or even reversal of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Antigen (Ag)-based therapies must not only suppress disease-initiating diabetogenic T cells that are already activated, but, more importantly, prevent activation of naive auto-Ag-specific T cells that may become autoreactive through epitope spreading as a result of Ag liberation from damaged islet cells. Therefore, identification of auto-Ags relevant to T1D initiation and progression is critical to the design of effective Ag-specific therapies. Animal models of T1D have been successfully employed to identify potential diabetogenic Ags, and have further facilitated translation of Ag-specific tolerance strategies into human clinical trials. In this review, we highlight important advances using animal models in Ag-specific T1D immunotherapies, and the application of the preclinical finding...
Functional analysis of the aquaporin gene family in Caenorhabditis elegans

Aquaporin channels facilitate the transport of water, glycerol, and other small solutes across cell membranes. The physiological roles of many aquaporins remain unclear. To better understand aquaporin function, we characterized the aquaporin gene family in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Eight canonical aquaporin-encoding genes (aqp) are present in the worm genome. Expression of aqp-2, aqp-3, aqp-4, aqp-6, or aqp-7 in Xenopus oocytes increased water permeability five- to sevenfold. Glycerol permeability was increased three to sevenfold by expression of aqp-1, aqp-3, or aqp-7. Green fluorescent protein transcriptional and translational reporters demonstrated that aqp genes are expressed in numerous C. elegans cell types, including the intestine, excretory cell, and hypodermis, which play important roles in whole animal osmoregulation. To define the role of C. elegans aquaporins in osmotic homeostasis, we isolated deletion alleles for four aqp genes, aqp-2, aqp-3, aqp-4, and aqp-8, which are expressed in osmoregulatory tissues and mediate water transport. Single, double, triple, and quadruple aqp mutant animals exhibited normal survival, development, growth, fertility, and movement under normal and hypertonic culture conditions. aqp-2;aqp-3;aqp-4;aqp-8 quadruple mutants exhibited a slight defect in recovery from hypotonic stress but survived hypotonic stress as well as wild-type animals. These results suggest that C. elegans aquaporins are not essential for whole animal osmoregulation and/or that deletion of aquaporin genes activates mechanisms that compensate for loss of water channel function.
Pin1 regulates TGF-β1 production by activated human and murine eosinophils and contributes to allergic lung fibrosis

Eosinophilic inflammation is a cornerstone of chronic asthma that often culminates in subepithelial fibrosis with variable airway obstruction. Pulmonary eosinophils (Eos) are a predominant source of TGF-beta1, which drives fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition. We investigated the regulation of TGF-beta1 and show here that the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) Pin1 promoted the stability of TGF-beta1 mRNA in human Eos. In addition, Pin1 regulated cytokine production by both in vitro and in vivo activated human Eos. We found that Pin1 interacted with both PKC-alpha and protein phosphatase 2A, which together control Pin1 isomerase activity. Pharmacologic blockade of Pin1 in a rat asthma model selectively reduced eosinophilic pulmonary inflammation, TGF-beta1 and collagen expression, and airway remodeling. Furthermore, chronically challenged Pin1(-/-) mice showed reduced peribronchiolar collagen deposition compared with wild-type controls. These data suggest that pharmacologic suppression of Pin1 may be a novel therapeutic option to prevent airway fibrosis in individuals with chronic asthma.
RE: Differential influence of vemurafenib and dabrafenib on patients' lymphocytes despite similar clinical efﬁcacy in melanoma

The recent article by Schilling et al. relates to an issue of increasing importance to the melanoma community, as it ponders rational strategies for combination or sequential application of the modalities of BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) therapy and immunotherapy [1]. In their analysis of 277 vemurafenib- and 65 dabrafenib-treated patients, the authors report a reduction in peripheral blood (PB) lymphocyte counts in the vemurafenib, but not dabrafenib cohorts. Flow cytometric analysis suggest that CD4+ (and to a lesser extent, CD8+) T cells were preferentially affected compared with B cells or NK cells. Multiplex cytokine assays on the CD4+ subset of vemurafenib-treated patients revealed reduced levels of interferon-γ/interleukin (IL)-9 but unchanged levels of IL-2/4/10/17A. The authors concluded that vemurafenib, but not dabrafenib, adversely affects CD4+ T cells both numerically and functionally. There are several methodological and statistical issues that merit discussion in this work.
Chimpanzees used for medical research shed light on the pathoetiology of leprosy

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disorder caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which mainly affects skin and peripheral nerves. It is classified as either paucibacillary or multibacillary based upon clinical manifestations and slit-skin smear results. It is speculated that leprosy develops after a long latency period following M. leprae infection. However, the actual time of infection and the duration of latency have never been proven in human patients. To date, four cases of spontaneous leprosy have been reported in chimpanzees who were caught in West Africa in infancy and used for medical research in the USA and Japan. One of these chimpanzees was extensively studied in Japan, and single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis for the M. leprae genome was conducted. This analysis revealed that the chimpanzee was infected with M. leprae during infancy in West Africa and the pathognomonic signs of leprosy appeared after at least 30 years of incubation. Analysis of leprosy in chimpanzees can contribute not only to medi...
Microvascular effects of atrial natriuretic peptide in rat cremaster.

Experiments utilized the open cremaster preparation to test the hypothesis that atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)-induced volume changes result from microvascular resistance alterations. Atrial natriuretic peptide (25, 100, and 500 ng/kg/min, IV) or vehicle was infused into anesthetized rats. At the two highest ANP infusion rates, mean arterial pressure was significantly reduced from 104 ± 3 (control) to 87 ± 2 and 77 ± 2 mmHg, respectively. Hematocrit was 41.0 ± 0.8 and 45.6 ± 0.9% (p < 0.05) at the end of vehicle and ANP infusions, respectively. Despite these effects of ANP, there were no significant arteriolar or venular diameter alterations. Thirty μM nitroprusside significantly dilated all vessel segments except large venules. These observations suggest that resistance alterations in the skeletal muscle microvasculature are not the cause of ANP-induced fluid movement.
Barrier Island Morphodynamic Classification Based on Lidar Metrics for North Assateague Island, Maryland

Abstract In order to reap the potential of airborne lidar surveys to provide geological information useful in understanding coastal sedimentary processes acting on various time scales, a new set of analysis methods are needed. This paper presents a multi-temporal lidar analysis of north Assateague Island, Maryland, and demonstrates the calculation of lidar metrics that condense barrier island morphology and morphological change into attributed linear features that may be used to analyze trends in coastal evolution. The new methods proposed in this paper are also of significant practical value, because lidar metric analysis reduces large volumes of point elevations into linear features attributed with essential morphological variables that are ideally suited for inclusion in Geographic Information Systems. A morphodynamic classification of north Assategue Island for a recent 10 month time period that is based on the recognition of simple patterns described by lidar change metrics is presented. Such morphod...
Cytoplasts and Mo1-deficient neutrophils pretreated with plasma and LPS induce lung injury

We hypothesized that neutrophil adhesion and lung injury could occur independent of the surface receptor glycoprotein, Mo1 (C3bi receptor). We investigated whether preincubation of human neutrophil...
Abstract 2003: C-terminal binding protein (CtBP): An emerging oncogene and small molecule drug target in solid tumors

C-terminal binding proteins 1 and 2 (CtBP) are transcriptional coregulators whose overexpression has been linked to poor prognosis and/or chemoresistance in most common solid tumor types. CtBP exerts oncogenic activities through modulation of gene expression programs governing cell survival, epithelial/mesenchymal transitions, migration/invasion, and cell cycle, and is also required for colon cancer tumor initiating cell function. CtBP, however, has never been formally characterized as an oncogene. We now show that Ctbp2 exhibits transforming activity in immortalized NIH 3T3 as well as mouse and human primary cells. Ctbp2 alone, or in cooperation with SV40 large T antigen (LT) transformed NIH 3T3 cells and MEF’s, respectively, to anchorage independence with similar efficiency to mutant H-Ras. Human BJ foreskin fibroblasts were also transformed to anchorage independence by CtBP2 in cooperation with LT, SV40 small T antigen, and h-TERT with efficiency similar to H-Ras, indicating that CtBP overexpression, as found in the majority of human colon, ovary, breast, and prostate cancers, may be a key oncogenic driver gene. To confirm the physiologic role of Ctbp2 in a mouse tumor model with Ctbp overexpression, we bred Apcmin/+ mice to Ctbp2 hemizygote (Ctbp2+/-) mice, which are otherwise healthy. CtBP is a known target of the APC E3 ligase and is thus stabilized in APC mutated human colon cancers and is found in high levels in APCmin polyps. Remarkably, survival to humane endpoint at 37 weeks for Apcmin/+ vs. Apcmin/+-Ctbp2+/- mice was 0% vs. 100% (p Citation Format: Evan T. Sumner, Sudha Korwar, Benjamin L. Morris, Martin M. Dcona, Brendan J. Hilbert, William E. Royer, Keith C. Ellis, Steven Grossman. C-terminal binding protein (CtBP): An emerging oncogene and small molecule drug target in solid tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2003.
High throughput profiling of leukemia and lymphoma cell lines using small molecules: In search of conserved and novel chemical scaffold signatures effective for specific diseases

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4636 Hematopoietic malignancies are associated with recurrent molecular abnormalities that confer or contribute to cellular transformation. Among the associated mutations, point mutations in signaling molecules and balanced translocations involving transcription factors are among the most common and specific. Immortalized cell lines with such aberrations are widely used in the laboratory to model different aspects of both leukemogenesis and lymphomagenesis. We reasoned that specific mutations should be associated with discrete profiles of drug sensitivities. To test this hypothesis, we developed a sensitive proliferation assay suitable for high-throughput screening using Alamar blue reduction as an indicator of cellular viability. The assay was miniaturized and validated for 384-well microtiter plates. We have begun screening established leukemia and lymphoma cell lines against the Sloan-Kettering Institute small molecule library which includes 200,000 compounds from both synthetic and natural origins. Our results indicate that several of the tested cell types can be distinguished by their sensitivity to specific classes of small molecules. We are now extending our screening to an expanded repertoire of cell lines representing several different types of leukemia and lymphoma. We expect this approach will aid in the development of tailored treatment strategies and novel drug discovery for these common hematopoietic malignancies.
Measuring Faith Development

James Fowler's theory of faith development has had a significant influence on religious education, pastoral care, and developmental psychology. Since he introduced the notion of faith “stages,” the...
Very Early Salvage Radiotherapy Improves Distant Metastasis-Free Survival

Purpose: Early salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer is commonly advocated in place of adjuvant radiotherapy. We aimed to determine the optimal definition of early salvage radiotherapy.Materials and Methods: We performed a multi-institutional retrospective study of 657 men who underwent salvage radiotherapy between 1986 and 2013. Two comparisons were made to determine the optimal definition of early salvage radiotherapy, including 1) the time from radical prostatectomy to salvage radiotherapy (less than 9, 9 to 21, 22 to 47 or greater than 48 months) and 2) the level of detectable pre-salvage radiotherapy prostate specific antigen (0.01 to 0.2, greater than 0.2 to 0.5 or greater than 0.5 ng/ml). Outcomes included freedom from salvage androgen deprivation therapy, and biochemical relapse-free, distant metastases-free and prostate cancer specific survival.Results: Median followup was 9.8 years. Time from radical prostatectomy to salvage radiotherapy did not correlate with ...
Compiler Transformations Meet CPU Clock Modulation and Power Capping

The HPC community is striving to achieve exascale computing within a power cap of 20 Megawatts. This paper studies the impact of power capped environments on compiler transformed programs. The impact of CPU clock modulation (a mechanism for reducing CPU frequency) on program variants of several Polybench benchmarks is studied. Our evaluation shows at least one scenario where a compiler transformed program is sped up by 16% under a power cap. Further, CPU clock modulation is seen to impact program variants differently depending on their underlying memory characteristics.
Erythropoietin Protects Cardiac Myocytes Against Anthracycline-Induced Apoptosis by PI3K-Akt-Mediated Phosphorylation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β.

Anthracycline antibiotics are an important component of chemotherapy regimens for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors despite their well-documented potential for adverse cardiac effects. Identification of mechanisms of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity has been important to develop strategies to prevent the cardiotoxic effects of anthracyclines without interfering with their anti-tumor effects. The hematopoietic cytokine erythropoietin (EPO), frequently used in anemic cancer patients, exhibits significant tissue-protective effects in various non-hematopoietic organs. Recent studies of EPO variants that retain tissue-protective properties of EPO in non-hematopoietic tissues without stimulating erythropoiesis suggested fundamental differences between EPO-mediated cellular signaling in hematopoietic versus non-hematopoietic cells as well as novel clinical applications for recombinant EPO and its derivatives in disorders other than anemia. In the isolated, Langendorff-perfused heart, we previously showed that EPO improves left ventricular function and reduces infarct size during ischemia-reperfusion injury. These protective effects were associated with preservation of myocardial ATP and EPO-mediated activation of specific signal transduction pathways in the isolated, perfused heart. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of EPO-mediated protection of cardiac myocytes against apoptotic cell death induced by doxorubicin (DOX). Cultures of primary cardiac myocytes isolated from neonatal rat ventricles (NRVM) were established and cells were treated with DOX in the presence or absence of EPO. Using immunofluorescence microscopy of cardiomyocytes double-labeled with TUNEL and DAPI to quantify apoptotic nuclei, we found that EPO treatment significantly reduced by 35% DOX-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner (p
Is Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) Safe for All Cases

Before surgery, the surgeon comforts his anxious patient, “I can do this (choose one: biopsy, face lift, endoscopy, hand procedure) with local anesthesia and a little sedation.” The surgeon reassures the patient, “No, I never use general anesthesia, that would be far too risky for such a simple procedure. You’ll be in and out before you know it.”
441 Use of a patient-reported outcome measure, the lupusqol to refer patients for further support – a preliminary study

Background and aims Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem disease and patients may benefit from non-pharmacological interventions. We explored the utility of the LupusQoL in identifying patients who may benefit from physical, occupational or psychological support. Methods The LupusQoL is a disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire with eight domains (physical health, pain, planning, intimate relationship, burden to others, emotional health, body image and fatigue). For each domain the scores range from 0 to 100 (higher score better health). SLE patients sequentially attending an outpatient clinic over a 6 month period, who were able to complete the questionnaire in English, were asked to complete the questionnaire. Patients who scored Results 40 patients (97.5% females, 75% Caucasians; 17.5% South-Asians; 5% Afro-Caribbean; mean age 52.2 years) completed the LupusQoL over 6 months. Table 1 shows the number of patients who were eligible, the numbers who were referred and the numbers who attended the different support services. All domains of the LupusQol were impaired, with fatigue (45.19) being the worst affected and emotional health (68.60) being the least. Conclusions Following attendance for physical, occupational and psychological support, we intend to re-administer the LupusQoL to determine if these non-pharmacological interventions have improved HRQoL. The appropriateness of the LupusQoL threshold used to identify the intervention need will also be evaluated.
An Approach to the Study of Electron Transport Systems

Metabolic pathways, in order to fulfill their role in biological organisms, must provide a continuing net conversion of available substrate into products which are required by the organism and are otherwise unavailable. As such, the overall metabolic conversion of substrate to product must be associated with a negative free energy change and will not be at equilibrium. Analysis of the reactants in various enzymic reactions has established, however, that the cellular metabolic pathways contain many enzymic steps which are near equilibrium. The overall metabolic processes are not at equilibrium because a few reactions are essentially irreversible and serve to control kinetically the net flow of metabolites through the pathway. Krebs and Veech (1969) have stated, “This network [of near equilibrium processes] is one of thermodynamic equilibria whereas living cells, of course, do not represent equilibria but steady states. But the fact that thermodynamic equilibrium of a cell is synonymous with death does not imply that equilibria cannot play an important part in the Organization of the chemical cell dynamics. Equilibria form a basic framework upon which virtually irreversible processes are superimposed.”
Graph Planarization Problems

In this Chapter a near-optimum parallel planarization algorithm is introduced. The proposed system composed of an N x N neural network array not only generates a near maximal planar subgraph from a nonplanar graph or a planar graph but also embeds the subgraph on a single plane within O(l) time. The algorithm can be used in designing printed circuit boards and routing very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits. This Chapter is based on a paper published in Science (Takefuji and Lee 1989).
Bee Contribution to Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) Pollination in Florida

Abstract Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) is a common annual legume that has many important uses for humans and wildlife. During the growing season, partridge pea produces numerous flowers that are visited by many bee and wasp species. However, which bees/wasps act as the principle pollinators of partridge pea has not been explored thoroughly. We used mesh cages with different hole sizes (2.5, 0.64, 0.32, and 0.16 cm2) to screen out different sized pollinators and collected data on pod length, seed number, and percentage of pods formed per flower number (pod set). We also collected partridge pea flower insect visitors and estimated pollen loads on their bodies to determine the amount of pollen available for pollination services. Overall, partridge peas in cages with larger holes produced longer pods and more seeds compared to those in cages with smaller holes. However, no significant difference in pod set was observed among plants grown in the various size cages. Thirteen flower visitors were obse...
Missing ingredients for a lifestyle recipe to treat hypertension

Two decades ago, the DASH-Sodium study examined the impact of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and three different levels of sodium consumption on clinic blood pressure (BP) in a sample of 421 overweight or obese adults >21 years old with high normal BP and hypertension (1). Participants were randomized either to a control diet, typical of what is consumed by many Americans, or to the DASH diet, which is high in low fat dairy products and emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts, fish and poultry, and smaller amounts of red meat and sweets compared to the typical American diet.
Two New Species and Revised Species Status for Two Species of Ueana Distant, 1905 (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae)

Abstract. Two new cicadas, Ueana cambiangulata Sanborn, new species and Ueana mesogramma Sanborn, new species, are described and illustrated. Ueana polymnia Kirkaldy, 1905 revised status is removed from junior synonymy of U. harmonia Kirkaldy, 1905 and lectotypes are designated for the two species.
Incorporating GIS as an Interdisciplinary Pedagogical Tool Throughout an MPA Program

Geographical information system (GIS) technology is an interdisciplinary tool used extensively throughout the fields that typically comprise a public affairs education. However, to date GIS has not...
3PC-031 Current state of the anti-infective ophthalmic compounding formulation in pharmacy services: a national survey

Background and importance The ophthalmic formulation has for decades been postulated as the only alternative for the treatment of serious infective ocular diseases, since commercial presentations are not available. For this reason, most of these compounded formulas are made in hospital pharmacy services. Aim and objectives To summarise the current state and processing variability of anti-infective ophthalmic compounded formulas through survey to pharmacists from different hospitals in the country. Material and methods A survey was developed with questions related to anti-infective ophthalmic compounding formulations: facilities, stockage, use of freezing/preservatives, packaging, vehicles and validity periods. The questionnaire was developed through Google Forms and sent by email to hospital pharmacists nationwide in September 2019. Results A total of 163 pharmacists from different hospital pharmacy departments answered the survey. Only 80% has installations that met the requirements of the Good Pharmacy Practice manual: 34% prepared anti-infective formulations on demand, while the rest had a stock. The median of the maximum eye drops/batch was 9.9 (IQR 3–10), and the median of the maximum intravitreal injections/batch was 10 (IQR 2–25). Related to eye drops, 49% used freezing on a regular basis, 26% under exceptional conditions and 25% never; while for intravitreal injections, the values were 47%, 13% and 40%, respectively. Eighty per cent never used ophthalmic preservatives while 20% used them under exceptional conditions. For the packaging of vancomycin eye drops, 82% used plastic, 15% glass and 3% both. As a vehicle for vancomycin eye drops, 36% used 0.9% NaCl, 25% DW 5%, 31% balanced salt solution, 7% artificial tears and 1% water for injection. Validity period was established according to: 53% bibliography, 40% risk matrix in the Good Pharmacy Practice manual, 6% both and 1% according to reference hospital standardised work procedures. Conclusion and relevance Great variability was observed regarding the methodology used for the preparation of ophthalmic compounded formulas in hospitals throughout the country, highlighting the differences in the elaboration, packing and conservation of the same anti-infective ophthalmic compounding formulations. References and/or acknowledgements Good Pharmacy Practice: https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/farmacia/documentacion.htm Thanks to the pharmacists who completed the survey. No conflict of interest.
Role of Processing Temperature and Time on the Hydrothermal Alteration of K-Feldspar Rock in Autoclave

Potassium fertilizers (potash) are mined in a handful of countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Potash is either expensive or unavailable to the farmers of the Southern Hemisphere. Alkaline alteration of K-feldspar rock (ultrapotassic syenite) in autoclave in the presence of Ca2+ generates a mixture of K-bearing calcium-aluminum-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) minerals that potentially can be used as an alternative local fertilizer. This work investigates the effect of processing temperature (200 °C, 220 °C, and 230 °C) and time (from 0.5 to 3.0 h) on pH, mineralogy, and elemental availability of the C-A-S-H mineral mixture. Increasing temperature results in an increased conversion of K-feldspar and increased content of both the mineral tobermorite (Ca5Si6O16(OH)2·4H2O) and amorphous phase in the resulting C-A-S-H mixture; increasing time results in an increased conversion of α-dicalcium silicate hydrate into tobermorite. The amount of K leached from the mixture is relatively constant across all processing conditions. Hydrothermal alteration in autoclave of K-feldspar-bearing rocks such as ultrapotassic syenite permits the synthesis of a potential potassium fertilizer which alkalinity and mineralogy can be tailored according to soil requirements.
DNA Reaction–Diffusion Attractor Patterns

Living systems can form and recover complex chemical patterns with precisely sized features in the ranges of tens or hundreds of microns. We show how designed reaction-diffusion processes can likewise produce precise patterns, termed attractor patterns, that reform their precise shape after being perturbed. We use oligonucleotide reaction networks, photolithography, and microfluidic delivery to form precisely controlled attractor patterns and study the responses of these patterns to different localized perturbations. Linear and "hill"-shaped patterns formed and stabilized into shapes and at time scales consistent with reaction-diffusion models. When patterns were perturbed in particular locations with UV light, they reliably reformed their steady-state profiles. Recovery also occurred after repeated perturbations. By designing the far-from-equilibrium dynamics of a chemical system, this study shows how it is possible to design spatial patterns of molecules that are sustained and regenerated by continually evolving towards a specific steady state configuration.
The impact of cow size on cow-calf and postweaning progeny performance in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Optimizing beef production system efficiency requires an understanding of genetic potential suitable for a given production environment. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective analysis was to determine the influence of cow body weight (BW) adjusted to a common body condition score (BCS) of 5 at weaning-influenced cow-calf performance and postweaning steer and heifer progeny performance. Data were collected at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whitman, NE, on crossbred, mature cows (n = 1,607) from 2005 to 2017. Cow BCS at calving, prebreeding, and weaning were positively associated (P 0.67) by dam BW. Hot carcass weights of steers were increased (P = 0.01) by 6.48 kg with every additional 100-kg increase in cow BW. In a hypothetical model using the regression coefficients from this study, regardless of pricing method, cow-calf producers maximize the highest amount of profit by selecting smaller cows. Overall, larger-sized cows within this herd and production system of the current study had increased reproductive performance and offspring BW; however, total production output and economic returns would be potentially greater when utilizing smaller-sized cows.