cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A book to make you think.

Poverty is the most important risk factor for excess morbidity and premature mortality, and it is disproportionately distributed among ethnic groups in the United States and around the world. Moreover, there are striking differences among ethnic groups in the incidence of cancer. Compared with white Americans, Asian Americans have substantially lower, and African Americans substantially higher, incidence of and mortality from prostate cancer. These are distinct issues, the first arguing forcefully for social justice, and the second allowing intriguing insights into the environmental causes of cancer. The Unequal Burden of Cancer, commissioned by the Institute of Medicine of the United States, does not adequately distinguish between the two issues, so that its recommendations, although laudable, may not be as effective as they might have been. The implementation of preventive measures depends on behavioral research that is culturally sensitive, and accessibility and use of medical services need to be studied in the context of their sociocultural environment. However, etiologic research rarely benefits from the inclusion of small groups of people of different ethnic backgrounds, such as a small group of rural Greek women in a large sample of American women. The analysis would have to adjust for ethnic background and the presence of heterogeneity, and the underlying motive of research that is ethnic-specific can rarely be substantiated. The statement of the director of the National Cancer Institute that issues of special interest to different ethnic groups regularly spring from research done in other ethnic groups is no doubt true. For example, the causation of hepatocellular carcinoma by hepatitis B and C viruses, the causation of cancer of the cervix by certain types of human papillomavirus, and poverty as a risk factor of overriding importance for stomach cancer are all findings particularly relevant to poor people and ethnic minorities and all have sprung from research on homogeneous, nonethnically mixed samples. That said, the book is more interesting than such reports usually are and provides useful information for those interested in the occurrence and control of cancer among various ethnic groups. Several recommendations, particularly those focusing on medical treatment and survival and those criticizing the accounting methods that have been used to assess the ethnic relevance of research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, are realistic and sound. The book also frequently makes a point that should never be underestimated—that ethnic minorities are minimally different groups of our one race, the human race.
Collection statistics for fast duplicate document detection

We present a new algorithm for duplicate document detection that uses collection statistics. We compare our approach with the state-of-the-art approach using multiple collections. These collections include a 30 MB 18,577 web document collection developed by Excite@Home and three NIST collections. The first NIST collection consists of 100 MB 18,232 LA-Times documents, which is roughly similar in the number of documents to the ExciteaHome collection. The other two collections are both 2 GB and are the 247,491-web document collection and the TREC disks 4 and 5---528,023 document collection. We show that our approach called I-Match, scales in terms of the number of documents and works well for documents of all sizes. We compared our solution to the state of the art and found that in addition to improved accuracy of detection, our approach executed in roughly one-fifth the time.
Calcific aortic insufficiency—a review of 26 patients

Abstract Twenty-six patients, 8.3 per cent of all patients with aortic valve disease, and 10.7 per cent of all patients with any degree of aortic insufficiency detected in our catheterization laboratory, had pure calcific aortic insufficiency (no associated stenosis). Nineteen (73 per cent) males and seven (27 per cent) females ranged in age from 25 to 75 years of age (mean 51). Twenty-three per cent were younger than 40. Sixteen (62 per cent) had rheumatic heart disease, one had luetic aortic valve disease, one had congenital bicuspid valve, and eight (31 per cent) had aortic insufficiency of undetermined etiology. Twenty-three patients (89 per cent) had an aortic systolic ejection murmur, and seven (28 per cent) had an aortic ejection click. Aortic valve calcification was detected by plain chest films in only four patients (16 per cent), and by routine image intensification fluoroscopy (before catheterization) in fifteen patients (68 per cent). The remaining 32 per cent had the calcification of the aortic valve detected during catheterization. Aortic valve calcification was severe in nine patients (35 per cent), moderate in eleven patients (42 per cent), and minimal in six patients (22 per cent). Aortic insufficiency was severe in twenty patients (77 per cent), moderate in five patients (19 per cent), and minimal in one patient (4 per cent). Nineteen patients (77 per cent) had reduced left ventricular contractility. Sixteen patients (67 per cent) had low cardiac index. Eighteen patients had normal coronary arteries and three patients had obstructive coronary artery disease. Aortic stenosis was misdiagnosed as the predominant lesion in fourteen patients (54 per cent)—prior to catheterization. This series demonstrates that all patients with calcified aortic valve disease and with ejection murmurs do not necessarily have aortic stenosis. Pure calcific aortic insufficiency is a distinct entity, more common than previously suspected.
A particle tracking transport method for the simulation of resident and flux-averaged concentration of solute plumes in groundwater models

A new numerical technique called the convolution-based particle tracking (CBPT) method is developed to simulate resident or flux-averaged solute concentrations in groundwater models. The method is valid for steady-state flow and linear transport processes such as sorption with a linear sorption isotherm and first-order decay. The CBPT method uses particle tracking to take advantage of the ability of particle-based approaches to maintain sharp fronts for advection-dominated transport problems common in groundwater modeling and because of the flexibility of the random walk method to simulate a wide range of possible forms of the dispersion tensor. Furthermore, the algorithm for carrying out the convolution and superposition calculation from particle tracking results is very efficient. We show that from a single particle tracking run, source term variability, sorption, and decay can all be simulated rapidly without rerunning the underlying transport model unless the flow field or dispersion parameters are changed. A series of verification simulations are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the CBPT method compared to more conventional particle tracking approaches.
Womanist Spirituality as a Response to the Racism-Sexism Double Bind in African American Women

Many African American women begin counseling stigmatized by race and gender and may be targets of additional discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, class, age, and other social variables. In this article, the authors discuss “womanist” spirituality as a means for African American women to cope with racism, sexism, and multiple social stigmas.
Approximate translation of screened spherical waves

We develop and discuss a Taylor-series expansion of the addition theorem for screened spherical waves, i/sup l/h/sub l/(kr)Y/sub lm/(r). The expansion is designed for orderly progression in the addition of curved--wave-front corrections to multiple scattering of electrons in solids, but it applies to any wave-scattering problem based on the addition theorem for spherical waves. We relate one of the expansion indices to a magnetic quantum number in a coordinate system rotated to align the quantization and translation axes.
Mechanism link rotatability and limit position analysis using polynomial discriminants

Etude par discriminants polynomiaux des possibilites de rotation et des positions limites des elements d'un mecanisme articule
A Query concerning the Origin of Atolls

HAVING recently visited and studied in some detail the coral mass of the Bermuda Islands, I have been impressed by one thing more than by anything else, namely, the fact so long known that the islands owe their present elevation almost exclusively to the action of the wind. The hills, which often rise to a height of 200–250 feet above the sea, from near their base to their summit, are made of blown coral sand, now consolidated into a more or less compact rock.
How do clients obtain mental health information? Commentary on "Consumer perspectives on information and other inputs to decision-making: implications for evidence-based practice".

Tannebaum’s paper (2008) reports a small-scale study of health information-seeking among clients of community mental health services. In the tradition of well-conducted qualitative research, this paper is descriptive in orientation and modest in scope. Data are collected from only two locations, which certainly restricts external validity. The study raises as many questions as it answers. That said, it offers some fresh new perspectives for thinking about the domains of client information-seeking and subsequent decision-making. This is an area of increasing interest given wider shifts in medicine away from paternalism towards innovative models of shared decision-making (Adams and Drake 2006).
Comparison of three methods for measuring locations of long range base pairing in single-stranded DNA by electron microscopy.

Abstract A comparison was made of three procedures used for measuring the locations of long range base pairing in single-stranded DNA. All three procedures gave equivalent results for the location of a transposon, Tn903, and for a loop created by pairing between the nut and operator segments on an EcoRI restriction fragment of lambda DNA. DNA molecules prepared by a T4 gene 32 protein procedure had the best contrast. The highest frequency of measurable loops resulted from a procedure which utilized ammonium acetate/formamide spreading conditions. This procedure also appeared to be the simplest and most satisfactory procedure. Only one procedure revealed the fact that the nut r and o r regions are separated by several hundred bases, but this procedure, which involves crosslinking with trioxsalen, gave generally unsatisfactory DNA morphology. None of the procedures revealed the existence of a short “bulge” loop of single-stranded DNA located between nut l and o l and a longer “bulge” loop located between nut r and o r .
Paul Gauguin in Brittany

Ever since the dawn of the 20th Century there has been a universal consensus that Alphonse Mucha launched the sensation that became known as Art Nouveau. This event was associated with the appearance of his Gismonda poster promoting the Sarah Bernhardt play of that name in Paris in 1894. At an estate sale in 1954 a small collage bearing a likeness of Mucha's Gismonda was offered. It had been fabricated by gluing slivers cut from sixty postage stamps to a 20cm ceramic tile. Digital computer image enhancement was applied to the collage design, initials on a walking stick from the same estate collection, and the Mucha poster. These geometrical analyses revealed that the collage is more detailed than the Mucha "original". This led to our hypothesis that the famous poster was a hasty photographic plagiarism of the intricate ceramic-tile collage. Image analyses of the initials on the companion walking stick revealed conformity with the famous enigmatic "P GO" monogram of Paul Gauguin. We conclude that Gauguin rather than Mucha created the Gismonda composition. Historical evidence suggests that, while Gauguin was in Brittany recovering from injuries sustained in a fistfight, Annah la Javanese stole his possessions and took them to Paris where her next lover, Mucha, copied the collage and presented it as his original poster design.
Control and Stabilization of DC/DC Buck-Boost Converters Loaded by Constant Power Loads in Vehicular Systems using a Novel Digital Scheme

Power electronics based power systems are being increasingly considered for transportation systems such as land, sea/undersea, air, and space vehicles due to their advantages in efficiency, performance, flexibility, and power density. In order to have superior performance, these multi-converter systems need to be rigorously regulated. Dynamic response of tightly regulated power electronic converters in distributed power electronic systems is similar to the dynamic response of a constant power load (CPL), which acts as negative impedance and destabilizes the DC bus and the system. In order to mitigate the instability problem in multi-converter systems, in this paper, we present a novel digital technique to control DC/DC converters driving CPLs in vehicular systems. The proposed method achieves the output voltage regulation based on generating high and low power pulses instead of conventional pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques. It is simple, straight forward, and easy to implement in specifically designed integrated circuits (IC), digital signal processors (DSP), or field programmable gate arrays (FPGA). Moreover, its dynamic response is fast and robust. Simulation results of applying the proposed method to a DC/DC buck-boost converter confirm the analytical results.
290: Association of early pregnancy hemoglobin A1c with placental lesions in diabetic pregnancy

290 Association of early pregnancy hemoglobin 1c with placental lesions in diabetic pregnancy Roman Starikov, Vrishali Lopes, Kyle Inman, Dwight Rouse, renna Anderson, Kenneth Chen, Mai He Women & Infants Hospital of RI and the Warren Alpert Medical School of rown University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal edicine, Providence, RI, Women & Infants Hospital of RI and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Department of Research, Providence, RI, Women & Infants Hospital of RI and the Warren Alpert edical School of Brown University, Department of Medicine, Providence, I, Women & Infants Hospital of RI and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Department of Pathology, Providence, RI OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between hemoglobin A1c HbA1c) levels measured during early pregnancy and histopathologcal lesions in the placentas of women with pregestational diabetes ellitus. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study conducted from 2003 to 011 at a large tertiary care center. Women included had a singleton estation, pregestational diabetes mellitus, and information about deivery and placental pathology available for review. To quantify plaental lesions, the Index of Placental Changes (IPC) was calculated: PC Total Score 100/(37 n). “Total score” is the total number f lesions identified for a group of patients, 37 is the potential number f distinct lesions (Table), and “n” is the number of placentas examned. The IPC was compared across three groups of patients with iffering HbA1c levels ( 6.5%, 6.5-8.4%, and 8.5%). A linear reression plot was created with HbA1c as the continuous variable and PC as the primary outcome. We controlled for the following conounding variables: mean fasting and two-hour post-prandial glucose alues throughout pregnancy, and type of diabetes (1 vs. 2). RESULTS: 293 placentas were examined. HbA1c was measured at a ean of 9.5 wks’ gestation. 39.9% of women had type 1 and 60.1% had ype 2 diabetes. Median HbA1c was 7.5%(interquartile range 6.5%.9%). 23% of the cohort had HbA1c 6.5%, 41.9% had HbA1c of .5%-8.4%, and 34.8% had HbA1c 8.5%. BMI varied significantly by roup (35.4 vs. 34.4 vs. 32. from lowest to highest, respectively, P 0.04), ut maternal age, gravidity, parity, or race did not. There was no assocition of the IPC with HbA1c whether assessed categorically (10.5 vs. 10.1 s.10.4, respectively, P 0.7) or continuously, P 0.85. CONCLUSION: HbA1c value in early pregnancy does not predict the frequency of placental histopathological lesions among diabetic gravidas.
Population dynamics of DNA fingerprint patterns within and between populations

DNA fingerprint is a pattern of a variable number of bands (DNA fragments) with different sizes on a Southern gel for each individual, generated by one or many VNTR loci. Genetic divergence between individuals within and between populations can be studied in terms of number of shared bands between individuals. Using a population genetic model we show that the expectations of measures of genetic distance between populations based on band sharing data from DNA fingerprint patterns are functions of composite parameters M = 4Nv, and time of divergence (t) between populations, where N is the effective size of the populations, and ν, the mutation rate. The expected genetic distance remains linear with time of divergence at least up to N generations as long as the average heterozygosity at the DNA fingerprint loci remains at or below 90%. Neither incomplete knowledge of the allele frequencies at each locus, nor the unknown number of loci underlying DNA fingerprint pattern, compromise these evolutionary dynamics of DNA fingerprint patterns. Applications of this theory to data on three human populations, and review of literature indicate that co-migration of alleles, and the presence of syntenic loci underlying the fingerprint pattern have little impact of the reliability of evolutionary conclusions from DNA fingerprint studies.
The Effect of Fast-Food Availability on Obesity: An Analysis by Gender, Race, and Residential Location

This paper employs an identification strategy based on county-level variation in the number of fast-food restaurants to investigate the effect of fast-food availability on weight outcomes by geographic location, gender, and race/ethnicity. The number of interstate exits in the county of residence is employed as an instrument for restaurant location. Using the 2004-2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and self-collected data on the number of fast-food restaurants, I find that availability does not affect weight outcomes in rural counties, but does tend to increase body mass index among females and non-Whites in medium-density counties. These results are robust to specification choices.
Defining heterogeneity as a second level of variation

Abstract. The term heterogeneity has been defined in various ways so that the meaning of heterogeneity has become ambiguous. However, heterogeneity can be defined carefully as a distinct response to multiple single types of underlying variation, that is, a secondary level of variation (or "metavariation"). Identification of heterogeneity is affected by multiple factors, including researcher decisions, and ecosystems at a specified scale can contain both heterogeneous and homogenous variables. A formalized definition may also reduce the suggestion that heterogeneity is more beneficial than homogeneity.
Barriers to participation among underrepresented populations in outdoor programs.

This study investigated the barriers to participation with outdoor programs for women and people of color, who traditionally participate in outdoor recreation at disproportionately low levels. The study begins with a synopsis of research on outdoor recreation constraints for women and people of color. A survey of students (n = 318) at a midsized public university in the Southeast provided data on differences of perceptions of constraints. Women were found to be significantly more affected by socialization/subculture barriers and economic/access barriers than men. Focus groups with women and people of color further suggest that both women and people of color are influenced by socialization/subculture barriers and economic/access barriers and that discrimination plays a role in reduced participation by students of color. Suggestions are made for ways outdoor programs may attempt to mitigate these barriers for underrepresented groups.
Stimulation of autotrophic denitrification by intrusions of the bosporus plume into the anoxic black sea.

Autotrophic denitrification was measured in the southwestern coastal Black Sea, where the Bosporus Plume injects oxidized chemical species (especially O2 and NO3-) into the oxic, suboxic and anoxic layers. Prominent oxygen intrusions caused an overlap of NOx- and sulfide at the same station where autotrophic denitrification activity was detected with incubation experiments. Several bacteria that have been proposed to oxidize sulfide in other low oxygen environments were found in the Black Sea including SUP05, Sulfurimonas, Arcobacter, and BS-GSO2. Comparison of TRFLP profiles from this mixing zone station and the Western Gyre (a station not affected by the Bosporus Plume) indicate the greatest relative abundance of Sulfurimonas and Arcobacter at the appropriate depths at the mixing zone station. The autotrophic gammaproteobacterium BS-GSO2 correlated with ammonium fluxes rather than with sulfide fluxes and the maximum in SUP05 peak height was shallower than the depths where autotrophic denitrification was detected. Notably, anammox activity was not detected at the mixing zone station, though low levels of DNA from the anammox bacteria Candidatus Scalindua were present. These results provide evidence for a modified ecosystem with different N2 production pathways in the southwest coastal region compared to that found in the rest of the Black Sea. Moreover, the same Sulfurimonas phylotype (BS139) was previously detected on >30 μm particles in the suboxic zone of the Western Gyre along with DNA of potential sulfate reducers, so it is possible that particle-attached autotrophic denitrification may be an overlooked N2 production pathway in the central Black Sea as well.
A framework for the characterization and verification of embedded phase-locked loops

With the increasing use of phase-locked loops (PLLs) embedded in FPGAs, ASICs, and system-on-chip (SOC), there is a growing need for methods to verify their operation. This paper describes a general and organized list that includes tests for lock, jitter, stability, and modulation response. The list is offered as a guide to the verification and testing of an embedded PLL. For that reason, it is presented in such a way as to allow the reader to determine the extent to which the verification will be carried out. The tests are covered from the easiest to the most complicated to perform, with the amount of information gathered increasing along with the complexity of the test.
Protein Modification by O-Linked GlcNAc Reduces Angiogenesis by Inhibiting Akt Activity in Endothelial Cells

Objective— Glucose flux through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) has been implicated in the development of diabetic vascular complications. O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification on protein is the major mechanism mediating the actions of the HBP. Impaired angiogenesis is well-recognized in diabetes; however, the mechanisms are not completely defined. Here, we investigated the role of protein O-GlcNAc modification in angiogenesis. Methods and Results— In a mouse aortic ring assay, elevated O-GlcNAc levels induced by high-fat diet, streptozotocin-induced diabetes, or in vitro glucosamine treatment were associated with impaired angiogenesis. In cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells and EA.hy926 endothelial cells, glucosamine increased protein O-GlcNAc modification and inhibited cell migration and capillary-like structure formation. Conversely, removal of O-GlcNAc by adenoviral-mediated overexpression of O-GlcNAcase improved these steps of angiogenesis. Also, high concentrations of glucose reduced capillary-like structure formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Akt was recognized by an O-GlcNAc specific lectin, and glucosamine increased the amounts of Akt protein in these lectin precipitates. Increased glycosylation paralleled reduced Akt activity in endothelial cells. Conclusion— These results suggest that elevated protein O-GlcNAc modification through the HBP impairs angiogenesis in endothelial cells, possibly by inhibiting Akt signaling.
Do licensing and accreditation matter in outpatient substance abuse treatment programs

Licensing and accreditation are widely used to improve and convey organizational quality. The objective of this study was to provide substance abuse treatment stakeholders with better evidence about how well licensing and accreditation actually correlate with staffing and treatment practices. Regressions using data from national surveys of outpatient substance abuse treatment facilities indicated that no form of licensing or accreditation was associated with better staff-to-client ratios or with one important aspect of comprehensive treatment -- the percentage of clients receiving routine medical care. There were several positive associations between licensing/accreditation and other aspects of treatment comprehensiveness. Three categories of licensure/accreditation were also positively associated with use of after-treatment plans. Post hoc analyses revealed that accreditation was associated with units' organizational contexts and referral sources as well as the nature of the competitive environment. Licensing/accreditation may reveal as much about units' institutional environments as about the quality of treatment provided.
Some aspects of groups acting on finite posets

Abstract Let P be a finite poset and G a group of automorphisms of P. The action of G on P can be used to define various linear representations of G, and we investigate how these representations are related to one another and to the structure of P. Several examples are analyzed in detail, viz., the symmetric group G n acting on a boolean algebra, GLn(q) acting on subspaces of an n-dimensional vector space over GF(q), the hyperoctahedral group Bn acting on the lattice of faces of a cross-polytope, and G n acting on the lattice Πn of partitions of an n-set. Several results of a general nature are also proved. These include a duality theorem related to Alexander duality, a special property of geometric lattices, the behavior of barycentric subdivision, and a method for showing that certain sequences are unimodal. In particular, we give what seems to be the simplest proof to date that the q-binomial coefficient k+l k has unimodal coefficients.
Strategies of arteriovenous dialysis access

According to the report from the United States Renal Data System in 2014, there were more than 600,000 patients with end-stage renal disease who were on hemodialysis (HD), and 80 % of these patients initiate hemodialysis with a central venous catheter (CVC). Although AVFs should still be considered for each patient, “fistula first at all costs” is not the current practice. Patient’s access history, life expectancy, and risks of AVF failure should be taken into consideration. The modern approach favors individualized strategy with “patient first” and “catheter last” which means sometimes a functional AVG is a better alternative than a failed AVF. This chapter discusses different strategies associated with AV dialysis access.
Reply to Comments By C. B. Moore and B. Vonnegut: Further Analysis of Two Regions of Charge During Initial Thunderstorm Electrification

In response to the comments of Moore and Vonnegut we have thoroughly re-examined the aircraft and radar measurements made in two small thunderstorms in New Mexico originally reported by Dye et al. (1988). Our conclusions remain the same. Although pressure altitude was used instead of geometric altitude in one case and distance labels were interchanged for a vertical section used to illustrate the other case, improved calculations for the particle image measurements and the ice particle collision rate show that the two regions of charge were in or near locations with appreciable supercooled liquid water, ice particle concentrations and graupel, and also near the top of reflectivity cores as originally stated. As before, we conclude that, given this spatial correlation of the inferred charge with ice particles and liquid water, the observations are consistent with what is expected from the non-inductive ice-collision charge separation mechanism of thunderstorm electrification. However, because the data are incomplete we cannot preclude the possibility that one of the regions of charge (on 15 August 1984) was the result of positive ions being attracted to the cloud by a downward-directed field, as suggested by Moore and Vonnegut.
A 1.0GHz multi-banked embedded DRAM in 65nm CMOS featuring concurrent refresh and hierarchical BIST

An embedded DRAM macro fabricated in 65 nm CMOS achieves 1.0 GHz multi-banked operation at 1.0 V yielding 584 Gbits/sec. The array utilizes a 0.1 1 mum2 cell with 20 fF deep trench capacitor and 2.2 nm gate oxide transfer gate. Concurrent refresh allows for high availability via a second bank address. At-speed test and repair is accomplished with a new hierarchical BIST architecture. Measured random cycle time exceeds 333 MHz at 1.0 V with functional operation from 750 mV to 1.5 V and densities up to 36.5 Mbits.
Bacterial Backstabbing: EF-Tu, Brute?

Bacterial type VI secretion is an offensive and defensive weapon that utilizes a molecular warhead to inject toxins into neighboring cells. In this issue of Cell, Whitney et al. report a new class of toxin that disrupts the core metabolism of recipient cells and uncover a surprising requirement for EF-Tu.
The expression of selenium-binding protein 1 is decreased in uterine leiomyoma

Selenium has been shown to inhibit cancer development and growth through the mediation of selenium-binding proteins. Decreased expression of selenium-binding protein 1 has been reported in cancers of the prostate, stomach, colon, and lungs. No information, however, is available concerning the roles of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma. Using Western Blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, we examined the expression of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma and normal myometrium in 20 patients who had undergone hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma. The patient age ranged from 34 to 58 years with a mean of 44.3 years. Proliferative endometrium was seen in 8 patients, secretory endometrium in 7 patients, and atrophic endometrium in 5 patients. Two patients showed solitary leiomyoma, and eighteen patients revealed 2 to 5 tumors. Tumor size ranged from 1 to 15.5 cm with a mean of 4.3 cm. Both Western Blot analysis and immunohistochemistry showed a significant lower level of selenium-binding protein 1 in leiomyoma than in normal myometrium. Larger tumors had a tendency to show a lower level of selenium-binding protein 1 than smaller ones, but the difference did not reach a statistical significance. The expression of selenium-binding protein 1 was the same among patients with proliferative, secretory, and atrophic endometrium in either leiomyoma or normal myometrium. Also, we did not find a difference of selenium-binding protein 1 level between patients younger than 45 years and older patients in either leiomyoma or normal myometrium. Decreased expression of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma may indicate a role of the protein in tumorigenesis. Our findings may provide a basis for future studies concerning the molecular mechanisms of selenium-binding protein 1 in tumorigenesis as well as the possible use of selenium in prevention and treatment of uterine leiomyoma.
Patient mutation in AIRE disrupts P-TEFb binding and target gene transcription

Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a transcription factor that induces the expression of a large subset of otherwise strictly tissue restricted antigens in medullary thymic epithelial cells, thereby enabling their presentation to developing T cells for negative selection. Mutations in AIRE lead to autoimmune-polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), a rare monogenetic disease. Although it has been reported that AIRE interacts with proteins involved in nuclear transport, DNA-damage response, chromatin remodeling, transcription and pre-mRNA-splicing, the precise mechanism of AIRE-induced tissue restricted antigen expression has remained elusive. In this study, we investigated an APECED patient mutation that causes the loss of the extreme C-terminus of AIRE and found that this mutant protein is transcriptionaly inactive. When tethered heterologously to DNA, this domain could stimulate transcription and splicing by itself. Moreover, the loss of this C-terminus disrupted interactions with the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb). Via P-TEFb, AIRE increased levels of RNA polymerase II on and enhanced pre-mRNA splicing of heterologous and endogenous target genes. Indeed, the inhibition of CDK9, the kinase subunit of P-TEFb, inhibited AIRE-induced pre-mRNA splicing of these genes. Thus, AIRE requires P-TEFb to activate transcription elongation and co-transcriptional processing of target genes.
Relationship of Rearing Rate of Dairy Heifers to Mature Performance

can, and L D. Brown. 1959. Preliminary studies rgarding the optimum protein level of milk replacers. J . Dairy Sci., 42: 919. (Abstr.) (19) McGilliard, A. D., J. M. Bryant, A. B. Bryant, N. L. Jacobson, and C. F. Foreman. 1969. Further studies on the proteia and energy requirements of the young dairy calf. Unpublished results. (20) Miron, A. E., D. E. Otterby, and V. G. Pursel. 1967. Effect of calf starter protein source and volatile fat ty acid additions on the performance of young calves. J . Dairy Sci., 50: 993. (21) National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. 1966. Nutrient requirements of domestic animals. No. 3. Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle. Publ. 1349. Washington, D.C. (22) Roy, J. H. B. 1958. Calves (dairy and beef), pp. 48-75. I n Scientific Principles of Feeding Farm Livestock. Farmer & Stock-Breeder Publ. Ltd., London. (23) Roy, J. H. B. 1964. The nutrition of intensively-reared calves. Vet. Record, 76 : 511. (24) Roy, J. H. B., I. J. F. Stobo, and H. J. Gaston. 1963. Nutrition of the calf. p. 47. I~ National Institute for Research in Dairying, Rep. 1963. University of Reading, Shinfield, Berkshire. (25) Sctnnutz, W. G., W. W. Cravens, W. L. Soldher, and D. L. Hughes. 1967. Evaluation of soybean protein concentrate in calf milk replacers. J. Dairy Sci., 50': 993. (26) Shillam, K. W. G., and J. H. B. Roy. 1963. The effect of heat treatment on the nutritive value of milk for the young calf. 5. A comparison of spray-dried skim milks prepared with different preheating treatments and roller-dried skim milk, and the effect of chlortetracyeline supplementation of the spray-dried skim milks. Brit. J. Nutrition, 17: 171. (27) Stobo, I. J. F., J. It. B. Roy, and H. J . Gaston. ]967. The protein requirement of the ruminant calf. I I I . The ability of the calf weaned at five weeks of age to utilize urea given as a supplement to a low-protein concentrate. Anita. Prod., 9: 155.
Cysteine 3 Is Not the Site of in Vitro Palmitoylation on Gsα

Abstract Several studies have examined the role of palmitoylation of G protein α subunits by nonenzymatic in vitro acylation using palmitoyl-CoA. Here, we investigated nonenzymatic palmitoylation of purified G sα in vitro. GDP-bound G sα was stoichiometrically autoacylated on cysteine residue(s) with micromolar concentrations of palmitoyl-CoA. The acylation led to a complete loss of steady-state GTPase activity and GTPγS binding to G sα . Mutation of Cys 3 to Ala in G sα did not prevent either palmitoylation or its consequent functional alterations. However, stoichiometric palmitoylation of His 6 -G sα did not alter its GTPase activity or GTPγS binding. Isoelectric focusing of tryptic peptides from autoacylated wild type, His 6 -tagged, and C3A mutant of G sα showed that Cys 160 is the site of in vitro palmitoylation. Therefore, we conclude that in vitro palmitoylation of G sα occurs on Cys 160 and this modification decreases the ability of the protein to exchange GTP for GDP; N-terminus elongation of G sα prevents this latter effect without altering palmitoylation.
Electrophysiological characteristics of the Ca2+-activated Cl- channel family of anion transport proteins.

SUMMARY 1. A protein isolated from the bovine tracheal epithelium behaves as a Ca2+-activated Cl– channel (CaCC) when incorporated into planar lipid bilayers. 2. An antibody raised against this protein was used to screen a cDNA expression library and resulted in the isolation of a cDNA clone that exhibited nearly identical electrophysiological characteristics to the isolated endogenous protein when expressed. 3. Recent cloning of several related proteins has revealed that the cloned bovine CaCC is one of a large and growing family. All new family members so far examined are associated with the appearance of a novel Ca2+-mediated Cl– conductance when heterologously expressed. 4. This new group of proteins may underlie the Ca2+-mediated Cl– conductance upregulated in the cystic fibrosis (CF) knockout mouse and thought to be responsible for the escape from the significant airway pathology associated with CF.
Stabilizing IκBα by “Consensus” Design

IkappaBalpha is the major regulator of transcription factor NF-kappaB function. The ankyrin repeat region of IkappaBalpha mediates specific interactions with NF-kappaB dimers, but ankyrin repeats 1, 5 and 6 display a highly dynamic character when not in complex with NF-kappaB. Using chemical denaturation, we show here that IkappaBalpha displays two folding transitions: a non-cooperative conversion under weak perturbation, and a major cooperative folding phase upon stronger insult. Taking advantage of a native Trp residue in ankyrin repeat (AR) 6 and engineered Trp residues in AR2, AR4 and AR5, we show that the cooperative transition involves AR2 and AR3, while the non-cooperative transition involves AR5 and AR6. The major structural transition can be affected by single amino acid substitutions converging to the "consensus" ankyrin repeat sequence, increasing the native state stability significantly. We further characterized the structural and dynamic properties of the native state ensemble of IkappaBalpha and the stabilized mutants by H/(2)H exchange mass spectrometry and NMR. The solution experiments were complemented with molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the microscopic origins of the stabilizing effect of the consensus substitutions, which can be traced to the fast conformational dynamics of the folded ensemble.
A framework for engaging physicians in quality and safety

Background Physicians should be engaged in quality-improvement activities to make the systems in which they work safer and more reliable. However, many physicians are still unable to contribute to patient safety initiatives that lead to safer, high-quality care for their patients. Objective To survey 10 high-performing hospitals in the USA to determine how they engage their physicians in quality and safety. Design Qualitative study that used site visits and a semistructured 20-question interview. Setting Ten high-performing US hospitals were chosen from the 2010 US News and World Report Best Hospitals and the Leapfrog Group on Patient Safety. Participants Forty two interviews were conducted with forty-six quality leaders including CEO9s, Chief Medical Officers, Vice Presidents for Quality and Safety and physicians. Measurements Site visits and in-person interviews were conducted during 2010–2011. The interviews were transcribed and coded using the constant comparative method for further analysis by the team. Results The authors developed a six-point framework for physician engagement in quality and safety as a constellation of the best strategies being used across the country. The framework consists of engaged leadership, a physician compact, appropriate compensation, realignment of financial incentives, data plus enablers and promotion. Limitation The qualitative design and the small number of hospitals surveyed mean that the results may not be generalisable. Conclusion There remain many ongoing barriers to physician engagement in quality and safety. Some high-performing hospitals in the USA have made significant improvements in engaging their physicians in quality and safety. The proposed framework can assist organisations in the development of strategies to engage physicians in quality-and-safety activities.
SNR scalability, multiple descriptions and perceptual distortion measures

SNR scalability and multiple descriptions (MD) coding are two important functionalities for speech coding applications. Previous analyses of these structures have not included frequency weighted error criteria. We present rate distortion theoretic results showing that the weighting functions in the core and enhancement layers for SNR scalable coding and in the side descriptions and the joint description for MD coding are necessarily different. We present simulation results for SNR scalable speech coding and MD speech coding to illustrate the theory.
Temporal bone findings in a case of bilateral meniere's disease treated by parenteral streptomycin and endolymphatic shunt

A patient with bilateral Meniere's disease who had progressive hearing loss and intractable vertigo was treated at ages 60 and 62 with parenteral streptomycin to ablate ves-tibular function, and at age 74 by a left endolymphatic shunt procedure. He was confined to a wheelchair because of ataxia from age 75 until the time of his death at age 81. Both temporal bones show congenitally hypoplastic endolymphatic sacs and severe endolymphatic hydrops consistent with Meniere's disease. There was atrophy of the striae vasculares and loss of cochlear neurons consistent with presbycusis. A loss of hair cells in the cristae and saccules was consistent with streptomycin ototoxicity. In the left ear the Silastic® strip that was intended to function as an endolymphatic shunt into the mastoid lies encased in fibrous tissue and failed by 4.5 mm to reach the hypoplastic endolymphatic sac.
Identification of a target in presence of ground clutter using polarisation

A polarimetric method of identification of a target in the presence of ground clutter is examined. The clutter is modeled as a two-layer random medium. The complex scattering matrix for the clutter is obtained by using Born approximations carried to the second order to extract the cross-polarized scattered fields. The test target used is a loop of conducting wire oriented arbitrarily. It is found that choice of polarization is one of the key factors if one has to identify targets in the presence of clutter. The author does not take into account the mutual coupling between the target and the cluttering body. The results are analyzed and discussed. >
Spectroscopic analysis and modeling of tungsten EBIT and Z-pinch plasma experiments11This article is part of a Special Issue on the 10th International Colloquium on Atomic Spectra and Oscillator Strengths for Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas.

Spectral tungsten data taken on an electron beam ion trap (EBIT) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are analyzed between 3 and 8 A for electron beam energies between 2.5 and 4.1 keV. The adv...
Problems in Contemporary Asian Archeology

Archeology in Asia during the past twenty years has taken great strides. The three main areas of new research have been in paleoanthropology, investigation of post-pleistocene neolithic sites, and ethnology. The population of Asia is now known to have been distributed over the entire mainland and Indonesia during the Paleolithic period which embraced the first million years of human evolution. There is growing evidence for the existence of many centers of plant domestication in Asia, each of which appears to have developed out of an indigenous “mesolithic” period of collecting and gathering. Recent research in linguistics and ethnology point the way to unravelling the separate histories of Asia's many cultures.
Abstract A75: Metabolites of ginger component [6]-shogaol remain bioactive in cancer cells and have low toxicity in normal cells: Biotransformation, chemical synthesis and biological evaluation

It is now well accepted that natural compounds provide the opportunity to interfere in early stages of cancer or prevent its development altogether. However, these types of compounds do have their limitations, such as short half-life and fast metabolism once ingested. Often, presence of the compound can only be assessed by quantification of metabolites, suggesting that these metabolites circulate in the body for a certain amount of time and potentially interact with biological processes. In the present study, we investigated the biotransformation of [6]-shogaol, a bioactive component in ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.), in cancer cells, mice and humans. Our results indicated that [6]-shogaol is extensively metabolized in cancer cells and in vivo. To further investigate whether these metabolites retain bioactivity, we synthesized the major metabolites of [6]-shogaol and evaluate their anti-cancer activities. Twelve metabolites of [6]-shogaol (M1, M2, and M4-M13) were successfully synthesized using simple and easily accessible chemical methods. Growth inhibition assays showed most metabolites of [6]-shogaol had measurable activities against human cancer cells HCT-116 and H-1299. In particular, metabolite M2 greatly retained the biological activities of [6]-shogaol. The toxicity evaluation of the synthetic metabolites (M1, M2, and M4-M13) against human normal fibroblast colon cells CCD-18Co and human normal lung cells IMR-90 demonstrated a detoxifying metabolic biotransformation of [6]-shogaol. The most active metabolite M2 had almost no toxicity to CCD-18Co and IMR-90 normal cells. TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) assay indicated apoptosis was triggered by metabolites M2, M13, and its two diastereomers M13-1 and M13-2. There was no significant difference between the apoptotic effect of [6]-shogaol and those of M2 and M13 at 6 hour time point treatment. (This project is supported by NIH grants CA138277 and CA138277-S1 to S. Sang). Citation Format: Huadong Chen, Yingdong Zhu, Dominique Soroka, Renaud Warin, Shengmin Sang. Metabolites of ginger component [6]-shogaol remain bioactive in cancer cells and have low toxicity in normal cells: Biotransformation, chemical synthesis, and biological evaluation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A75.
Algorithmic Aspects of Wave Propagation Through Stretched Unstructured Cells for Problems in Computational Electromagnetics

Attempts at accurate prediction of scattering from large targets of small radar cross-section (RCS) using Maxwell's equations have exposed significant difficulties for all current numerical methods, including fast integral equation solvers in the frequency domain and finite-difference/-volume/- element schemes in the time domain. Because interactions among features separated by many wavelengths along the target are important, methods that explicitly propagate scattered waves over the target must satisfy stringent requirements with regard to preserving their phase and amplitude, while accurately representing their interaction with each feature. Conventional time integration schemes exhibit minimum phase and amplitude errors on uniform Cartesian grids, but minimum interaction errors on clustered, body- fitted grids. Consequently, their overall accuracy becomes highly dependent on grid design. To overcome these limitations, it is proposed to develop an efficient, high order of accuracy time integration scheme for unstructured grids that can be appropriately clustered and de-clustered along a general boundary.
Method of Collision Detection about Moving Fast Models

Collision detection of moving fast model is often missed and not accuracy to each of a family of discrete times.About this problem,a method of collision detection in time function is presented based on the relative motion and space geometries.At first,an equation of movement transform matrix is calculated through theory of the relative motion.In the new path,collision detection can calculate a initial collision time and initial point.At last,the collision point is transformed to system space for computing the real position.The method detect effectively and factually the collision about moving fast models.