cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The anatomy and transcription of a monocistronic expression site for a metacyclic variant surface glycoprotein gene in Trypanosoma brucei.

African trypanosomes evade the immune response of their mammalian hosts by switching the expression of their variant surface glycoprotein genes (vsg). The bloodstream trypanosome clone MVAT4 of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesienseexpresses a metacyclic vsg as a monocistronic RNA from a promoter located 2 kilobases (kb) upstream of its start codon. Determination of 23 kb of sequence at the metacyclic variant antigen type 4 (MVAT) vsg expression site (ES) revealed an ES-associated gene (esag) 1 preceded by an ingiretroposon and an inverted region containing an unrelatedvsg, short stretches of 70-bp repeats and a pseudoesag 3. Nuclear run-on experiments indicate that the 18-kb region upstream of the MVAT4 vsg promoter is transcriptionally silent. However, multiple members of differentesag families are expressed from elsewhere in the genome. The MVAT4 vsg promoter is highly repressed in the procyclic stage, in contrast to the known polycistronic vsg ESs which undergo abortive transcription. Activation of the MVAT4 vsgES occurs in situ without nucleotide sequence changes, although this monocistronic ES undergoes a pattern of base J modifications similar to that reported for the polycistronic ESs. The relative simplicity of the MVAT4 vsg ES and the uncoupled expression of the vsg and esags provide a unique opportunity for investigating the molecular mechanisms responsible for antigenic variation in African trypanosomes.
Doppler Radar Profilers as Calibration Tools for Scanning Radars

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Aeronomy Laboratory has modified a standard 915MHz profiler for use as a precipitation profiler in support of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ground validation field campaigns. This profiler was modified to look vertically with a fixed dish antenna. It was operated during the Texas and Florida Underflights Experiment (TEFLUN) A in south Texas in April‐May 1998 and during TEFLUN B in central Florida in August‐September 1998. Collocated with the profiler was a Distromet, Inc., RD-69 Joss‐Waldvogel disdrometer in Texas and Florida and a two-dimensional video disdrometer in Florida. The disdrometers are used to calibrate the profiler at the lowest range gates. At higher altitudes, the calibrated profiler reflectivities are compared with observations made by scanning radars such as the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler in Dickinson, Texas, and Melbourne, Florida, and the S-band Doppler dualpolarization radar in Florida. The authors conclude that it is possible to use profilers as transfer standards to calibrate and to validate the reflectivities measured by the scanning radars.
Functional Analysis: The Use of Analogues in Applied Settings

For more than 15 years, functional assessment has been increasingly used by practitioners and researchers to link specific environmental events identified as affecting challenging behavior to the s...
Designs and Analyses of Psychotropic and Behavioral Interventions for the Treatment of Problem Behavior among People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

A combination of behavioral and medication-based interventions has been the most effective form of treatment for reducing problem behavior in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Evaluating the 2 types of interventions in combination and separately may require that researchers adapt methods traditionally used to evaluate drug interventions for individuals without disabilities. Some methodological difficulties that arise when evaluating drug treatments with this population include the withholding of treatment from control groups, identifying large homogeneous samples of participants, predicting individual clinical responsiveness, and many others. The purpose of this article is to summarize the methodological problems that arise when studying drug-behavior interactions among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to suggest alternative methods that may ameliorate these issues.
Optimization of a tactile feedback system to aid the rehabilitation of lower-limb amputees

A tactile feedback system, featuring pneumatically-controlled silicone balloon actuators and piezoresistive force sensors, has been developed to provide augmentative sensory feedback to lower-limb amputees. This system may potentially improve the rehabilitation of lower-limb amputees by transferring otherwise absent force information from the base of the prosthesis to pressure stimuli at the upper leg. Prior to clinical trials, various formulations of the tactile feedback system components were first tested to determine the effect of fabrication processes to system performance and reliability. A systematic evaluation of the actuatorpsilas membrane thickness, uniformity, consistency, and elasticity was conducted, and an optimized balloon actuator was formulated with robust performance based on this study.
Tailoring properties of microsphere-based poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds.

Biodegradable polymer scaffolds are being extensively investigated for uses in tissue engineering because of their versatility in fabrication methods and range of achievable chemical and mechanical properties. In this study, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) was used to make various types of microspheres that were processed into porous scaffolds that possessed a wide range of properties. A heat sintering step was used to fuse microspheres together around porogen particles that were subsequently leached out, allowing for a 10-fold increase in mechanical properties over other PLGA scaffolds. The sintering temperature was based on the glass transition temperature that ranged from 43 to 49°C, which was low enough to enable drug loading. Degradation times were observed to be between 30 and 120 days, with an initial compressive modulus ranging from 10 to 100 MPa, and after 5 days of degradation up to 10 MPa was retained. These scaffolds were designed to allow for cell ingrowth, enable drug loading, and have an adjustable compressive modulus to be applicable for soft or hard tissue implants. This study combined well-established methods, such as double emulsion microspheres, polymer sintering, and salt leaching, to fabricate polymer scaffolds useful for different tissue engineering applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 348–357, 2014.
Ethnicity and self-employment in Trinidad and Tobago: an empirical assessment

In Trinidad and Tobago, the Chinese, Syrian-Lebanese and White ethnic groups have the highest levels of self-employment, while Indians have emerged as the new business class. However, relatively few black Trinidadians are self-employed. Using survey data, this study examines whether these apparent differences in self-employment rates can be explained by differences in attributes, or must be explained by other factors like ethnic inclination/disinclination due to historical/sociological factors. We find substantial differences in the self-employment rates of the various ethnic groups, with black Trinidadians having the lowest rates, Indians and mixed Trinidadians have the second highest, and the Chinese, Syrian-Lebanese and whites having the highest probability of being self-employed of all ethnic groups. These differences in the probability that members of a given ethnic group will be self-employed persist even after controlling for individual characteristics that also affect the self-employment choice. We conclude with a discussion of the various historical/sociological factors that might explain differences in ethnic self-employment rates including the effects of colonisation, the importance that each group places on family ties, and each groups’ appraisal of its status and opportunities relative to the other ethnic groups in the country.
An Exact and Efficient Analytical Model For the ON/OFF Burst Traffic

This paper introduces an efficient analytical model to evaluate the system performance in a finite buffering queueing node by considering homogenous Markov modulated ON/OFF input sources. We formulate the MMPP/M/c models with finite buffer size and multi-servers, then we introduce an efficient tridiagonal LU factorization method to compute the quantities of interest. As we will show, applying the block tridiagonal LU factorization algorithm considerably reduces the computational complexity involved. The proposed approach can be used to determine the traffic congestion and other performance parameters in teletraffic networks and is useful in evaluating the resources needed in a network node given the loss probability as the quality of service requirement. This model may be applied to analyze performance of a optical burst switch node and other cases where burst traffic and multi-server with finite buffer size are considered.
An Integrated Path Integral and Free-Energy Perturbation−Umbrella Sampling Method for Computing Kinetic Isotope Effects of Chemical Reactions in Solution and in Enzymes

An integrated centroid path integral and free-energy perturbation−umbrella sampling (PI-FEP/UM) method for computing kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) for chemical reactions in solution and in enzymes is presented. The method is based on the bisection sampling in centroid path integral simulations to include nuclear quantum effects to the classical potential of mean force. The required accuracy for computing kinetic isotope effects is achieved by coupled free-energy perturbation and umbrella sampling for reactions involving different isotopes. The use of FEP with respect to different masses results in relatively small statistical uncertainties, whereas if KIEs are computed directly by the difference in free energies obtained from the quantum mechanical potentials of mean force for different isotopes, the statistical errors are significantly greater. The PI-FEP/UM method is illustrated in two applications. The first reaction is the decarboxylation of N-methyl picolinate in water, for which the primary 13C and...
Transforming growth factor β: potential autocrine growth inhibitor of estrogen receptor-negative human breast cancer cells

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), a two-subunit Mr 25,000 polypeptide, inhibits growth of several epithelial human cancer cell lines and has been proposed as an autocrine growth inhibitor. TGF beta activity has been found in conditioned media from some breast cancer cell lines, and TGF beta mRNA has been detected in breast cancer cell lines and human breast cancer specimens. In the present study we attempted to characterize the interaction of TGF beta with breast cancer cells by examining the biological activity, receptor binding, and secretion of this polypeptide by a panel of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and ER-negative human breast cancer cell lines. Growth of the four ER-negative lines, MDA231, MDA330, HS578T, and BT20, was exquisitely sensitive to TGF beta. Dose-dependent inhibition of monolayer growth, anchorage-independent growth, and of [3H]thymidine incorporation was observed with TGF beta concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 pM. Growth of the four ER-positive lines, T47D, ZR75-1, and two MCF7 lines from different laboratories, was unaffected by similar concentrations of TGF beta. In receptor-binding studies using 125I-TGF beta, the four ER-negative lines exhibited specific high affinity TGF beta receptors. Binding was a time- and temperature-dependent process. Scatchard analysis of the binding data showed between 2800 and 12900 receptor sites per cell and a Kd between 29 and 160 pM. Epidermal growth factor, insulin, insulin-like growth factors I and II, and transforming growth factor alpha did not compete for 125I-TGF beta binding. Chemical cross-linking studies with ER-negative breast cancer cells revealed three specific TGF beta receptors with molecular weights approximating 400,000, 92,000, and 69,000. The four ER-positive lines had no detectable TGF beta binding. Using a radioreceptor assay with A549 cells and a NRK bioassay, TGF beta activity was detectable in the conditioned media from the four ER-negative cell lines; media from the ER-positive lines had low levels of TGF beta activity. In summary, ER-negative, estrogen-independent cultured human breast cancer cells have receptors for, are inhibited by, and secrete TGF beta activity, suggesting the possibility that this polypeptide may function as an autocrine growth inhibitor or as a paracrine growth factor for tumor stromal cells.
Native bark beetles and wood borers in Mediterranean forests of California

Several species of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), and to a much lesser extent wood borers (primarily Coleoptera: Buprestidae and Cerambycidae), are capable of causing conifer mortality in Mediterranean forests of California, U.S. This mortality is an important part of the ecology of these ecosystems, but the economic and social implications can be significant when outbreaks occur. I review the ecology, impact and management of the more notable species, including western pine beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte, mountain pine beetle, D. ponderosae Hopkins, Jeffrey pine beetle, D. jeffreyi Hopkins, red turpentine beetle, D. valens LeConte, California fivespined ips, Ips paraconfusus Lanier, pine engraver, I. pini (Say), pinyon ips, I. confusus LeConte, fir engraver, Scolytus ventralis LeConte, cedar bark beetles, Phloeosinus spp., and several wood borers.
The need for public engineering

It is very clear that the paper ‘Liberal Studies in Engineering – A Design Plan’ by Professors Louis Bucciarelli and David Drew11Bucciarelli and Drew, “Liberal Studies in Engineering – A Design Pla...
The Changing Colors of Maple Hills: Intersections of Culture, Race, Language, and Exceptionality in a Rural Farming Community.

This case describes Maple Hills Elementary, a K-8 school in a rural farming community of the Midwest. As a community, Maple Hills has historically experienced a narrow range of diversity across rac...
Cognitive Control Principles: An Addendum:

The cognitive control principles of leveling-sharpening and scanning are modified somewhat with respect to the interfering effects on some types of performances of the sharpener's verbal interests,...
Abstract 5727: Competitive inhibition of mTOR results in tumor specific radiosensitization

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Translational control of gene expression has been implicated as a component of the cellular response to ionizing radiation (IR). The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a critical kinase in the regulation of translation. mTOR exists in two distinct complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. mTORC1 regulates 4E-BP1 and p70-s6k, whereas mTORC2 regulates several AGC kinases including AKT. Most studies of mTOR have focused on the use of the allosteric inhibitor rapamycin and its analogs, which incompletely inhibit mTORC1 and do not inhibit mTORC2. In contrast, newly developed competitive mTOR inhibitors (e.g. PP242) inhibit mTORC1 output more completely and inhibit mTORC2. In the study described here, we compared the effects of rapamycin and PP242 on cellular radiosensitivity using a clonogenic assay. In two tumor cell lines originating from different histologies, U251 and MDA-MB-231, PP242 treatment 1h before irradiation increased radiosensitivity with DEFs (dose enhancement factors at 0.1 surviving fraction) of 1.52 and 1.34 respectively, whereas rapamycin had no effect. However, PP242 had no effect on the radiosensitivity of the normal human fibroblast cell line, MRC9. PP242 treatment of U251 cells resulted in a dose-dependent increase in radiosensitivity. Furthermore, addition of PP242 immediately, 1, or 6h after IR resulted in increased radiosensitivity with DEFs of 1.60, 1.50, and 1.26, respectively. To investigate the mechanism of this radiosensitization U251 cells were treated with PP242, irradiated (2Gy) and stained for γH2AX, a marker of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). PP242 exposure significantly delayed the dispersal of radiation-induced γH2AX foci, consistent with an inhibition of DSB repair. Under conditions of clonogenic survival, exposure of U251 or MDA-MB-231 cells to 2Gy resulted in no detectable increase in mTOR output. PP242 treatment of both tumor lines resulted in complete inhibition of mTORC1/2 output whereas rapamycin only partially inhibited mTORC1 and did not inhibit mTORC2. m7-GTP batch chromatography showed PP242 induced a decrease in cap-bound eIF4G and an increase in cap-bound 4E-BP1, while rapamycin slightly increased 4E-BP1 binding and had no effect on eIF4G binding. Consistent with the effects on cap-complex formation, PP242 treatment caused a considerably greater decrease in polysome abundance than rapamycin. These results suggest that competitive inhibitors of mTOR, in contrast to rapalogs, induce tumor selective radiosensitization. Moreover, the mechanism appears to involve the inhibition of DSB repair and the suppression of translation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5727. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5727
Cycling without cyclins.

Complex oscillations in the activation and inactivation of cyclin-dependent kinase complexes propel mammalian cells through the cycle. A recent spate of studies seems to indicate that many, if not most, of these seemingly essential molecules may, in some senses, be dispensable. If true, that would mean the essential components of the mammalian cell cycle are not much different from those found in prokaryotes. That, in turn, would imply a fair amount redundancy exists in the system which may call into question current cancer treatment strategies designed to target some of these "dispensable" cell cycle control molecules.Key Words: cyclin-dependent kinases, cyclin E, knockout, S phase, cell cycle
Abstract 1723: The BH4 domain of Bcl-2 is sufficient to induce RNA expression profile changes in human prostate cancer cell lines.

Bcl-2 is the archetypal gene and first characterized member of the family bearing its name. Prostate cancer was the first solid tumor malignancy in which an elevation of cellular Bcl-2 levels was associated with advanced disease. It is thought that the anti-apoptotic activity of Bcl-2 contributes to the uniformly lethal nature of castration-resistant advanced prostate cancer. Bcl-2 is a validated target for cancer therapies. Current small molecule drug inhibitors mimic the BH3 domain of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, binding to a pocket composed mainly of Bcl-2 homology (BH) domains 1-3, and only partially BH4. Surprisingly, while these agents are effective inducers of apoptosis, they do not inhibit the oncogenic functions of the BH4 domain. The BH4 domain is essential for the antiapoptotic functions of Bcl-2, and appears to mediate interactions with proteins not part of the Bcl-2 family. This explains the small but significant body of evidence supporting an oncogenic signaling role for Bcl-2 driven by the BH4 domain. The full extent of the non-apoptotic roles of Bcl-2, including the contribution of the BH4 domain, has yet to be clarified. Our work aims to address this in prostate cancer cells, developing and utilizing a system that will implicate both the full length gene product and the BH4 domain. Eukaryotic expression constructs were designed to contain the full length Bcl-2 gene built to co-express with GFP, or a fusion gene composed of the Bcl-2 BH4 domain, GFP, and the Bcl-2 C-terminal transmembrane domain. These plasmids were then transfected into the 22Rv1, LNCaP, and LAPC4 human prostate cancer cell lines to generate stable expression clones. The clones were validated for protein expression by western blot prior to a determination of classical functionality by treatment with apoptosis-inducing agents. RNA was then isolated from the clones for expression array analysis. We successfully generated human prostate cancer cells stably overexpressing Bcl-2 and the Bcl-2 BH4 domain. These clones displayed enhanced resistance to apoptosis induction. Bcl-2 overexpression also induced expression profile changes in these clones. This was mimicked by expression of the BH4 domain alone. We have developed a useful system to help enhance our understanding of Bcl-2 by highlighting changes in RNA expression profiles induced by the gene9s overexpression. We also show that the BH4 domain drives much of this function. The mechanisms responsible for these Bcl-2/BH4-induced changes warrant further investigation. Citation Format: Jennifer R. Cohen, PhD, Simon A. Williams, PhD. The BH4 domain of Bcl-2 is sufficient to induce RNA expression profile changes in human prostate cancer cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1723. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1723
Renal Tubular Apoptosis after Partial Ureteral Obstruction

AbstractPartial ureteral obstruction in the weanling rat leads to hydronephrosis of the ipsilateral kidney and renal cell deletion through the process of programmed cell death known as apoptosis. The apoptotic response following partial ureteral obstruction in weanling Sprague-Dawley rats was studied using the traditional markers of apoptosis, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) laddering pattern on agarose gel electrophoresis, in situ gap labeling of fragmented DNA for quantitative apoptotic body determination, polyadenylated messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of sulfated glycoprotein-2, and polyadenylated mRNA expression of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-β. Partial ureteral obstruction resulted in a progressive increase in the intensity of DNA fragmentation associated with apoptosis during the initial 3 weeks. Quantitative apoptotic body counting revealed a 3-fold increase by week 3 of partial obstruction. This increase represented a level of apoptosis, which is 65% o...
Cystometric Variations During Postural Changes and Functional Electrical Stimulation of the Pelvic Floor Muscles

AbstractPostural changes did not affect the cystometric curves of bladder function that were hyperreflexic, flaccid or secondary to bladder wall changes (fibrosis and inflammation). However, postural changes did affect normal curves in some patients with a history of micturition disorders and resulted in detrusor instability when the patient was standing or walking. Functional electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles during the cystometrogram inhibited detrusor instability of these patients in all positions. Use of postural changes and functional electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles is suggested to determine actual bladder function and to exclude possible artifacts in the curve.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Biliary Stones

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is a noninvasive technique for treatment of patients with gallbladder and bile duct stones. Selected patients with gallbladder stones can be treated on an outpatient basis without general anesthesia and may return to full activity within 1 or 2 days. Stone-free rates of 40% to 60% at 6 months have been achieved in most reported series with minimal morbidity. Bile duct stone lithotripsy has achieved stone clearance in 80% of patients in whom conventional methods were unsuccessful and therefore constitutes a valuable second-line treatment for these patients.
Health Spending For Low-, Middle-, And High-Income Americans, 1963–2012

US medical spending growth slowed between 2004 and 2013. At the same time, many Americans faced rising copayments and deductibles, which may have particularly affected lower-income people. To explore whether the health spending slowdown affected all income groups equally, we divided the population into income quintiles. We then assessed trends in health expenditures by and on behalf of people in each quintile using twenty-two national surveys carried out between 1963 and 2012. Before the 1965 passage of legislation creating Medicare and Medicaid, the lowest income quintile had the lowest expenditures, despite their worse health compared to other income groups. By 1977 the unadjusted expenditures for the lowest quintile exceeded those for all other income groups. This pattern persisted until 2004. Thereafter, expenditures fell for the lowest quintile, while rising more than 10 percent for the middle three quintiles and close to 20 percent for the highest income quintile, which had the highest expenditures ...
Alpha1-Antitrypsin and Alpha-Fetoprotein: Protein Markers in Endodermal Sinus (Yolk Sac) Tumors

A combined immunocytochemical and quantitative serum and tissue study was performed on a group of endodermal sinus (yolk sac) tumors, localizing and measuring both alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in tumor tissue and patient sera. Utilizing indirect immunofluorescent and triple-sandwich immunoperoxidase methods, both proteins were demonstrated within intra- and extracellular periodic acid-Schiff-positive hyaline globules characteristic of the tumor, as well as within the cytoplasm of tumor epithelial cells lining endodermal sinuses, where AAT deposition predominated. Tumor tissue extracts confirmed the presence of significant quantities of both proteins, and pretreatment serum elevations of both showed a parallel decline during therapy. In this study, AAT is characterized as a tumor protein marker for the first time, and a parallelism between AAT and AFP is demonstrated in both serum and tumor tissue. These findings represent additional supportive evidence for the yolk sac origin of endodermal sinus tumors in man.
Association between mitotic rate and lymph node metastasis in thin melanoma in the general population..

e20039 Background: Mitotic rate was incorporated into the AJCC 7th edition staging system for cutaneous melanoma because of its prognostic impact on melanoma-specific survival in patients with thin...
Negative Phototaxis Results from Avoidance of Light and Temperature in Stream Salamander Larvae

Abstract Forest removal is a global threat to amphibian diversity. Declines occur within these areas, but many amphibians also avoid moving into or through disturbed areas. Understanding which cues result in avoidance may provide targets for preservation of amphibian occupancy and population connectivity. Negative phototaxis is known from many amphibians, but light can serve as a cue or as a proxy for other environmental cues like temperature. This study sought to evaluate whether larval salamander habitat selection was influenced most by light or temperature cues. Because some individuals choose to remain in deforested habitat, we also assessed whether differences in habitat selection existed between individuals from forested and deforested habitat. Using a laboratory experiment, we found that salamanders use both light and temperature cues for habitat selection. Although salamanders demonstrated larger responses to temperature, they were willing to move into warmer habitats to avoid light. Individuals f...
On the Multiple Scattering of Neutrons in Hydrogen-like Substances

The spatial moments , , and are calculated exactly for all energies below the source energy, for a point, isotropic source in an infinite, homogeneous medium in which there is no absorption and in ...
Abstract 1620: Oral IL-10 suppresses colon carcinogenesis via elimination of pathogenic CD4+ T-cells and induction of antitumor CD8+ T-cell activity

An oral sustained-release formulation of Interleukin-10 suppressed tumor growth and enhanced survival in the APCmin/+ / Bacteroides fragilis spontaneous colon cancer model. Therapeutic benefit was associated with a 5-fold reduction in CD4+RORγt+Foxp3-IL-17+ T-helper cell, CD4+RORγt+Foxp3+IL-17+ pathogenic T-regulatory cell (pgTreg) and CD4+RORγt-Foxp3+IL-17- conventional T-regulatory cell (cTreg) numbers; and a concurrent enhancement of CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity in the colonic lamina propria. Selective subset depletion and functional blockade studies demonstrated that CD4+RORγt+IL-17+ T-cell subsets and CD4+Foxp3+ cTreg supported tumorigenesis/tumor progression whereas CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes suppressed tumor growth. These findings establish the utility of oral particulate IL-10 as a potential new therapeutic in the management of colon cancer and shed light on the cellular mechanisms that underlie its antitumor activity. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: TAO GU, Magdia DeJesus, Thomas P. Burris, Nejat K. Egilmez. Oral IL-10 suppresses colon carcinogenesis via elimination of pathogenic CD4+ T-cells and induction of antitumor CD8+ T-cell activity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1620. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1620
From our Second 5 years : Men in Cloaks and High-heeled Boots, Men Wielding Pink Umbrellas: Witchy Masculinities in the Harry Potter novels

J. K. Rowling has been accused of perpetuating patriarchal social structures by relying on traditional male-centered heroic narratives, and she has been lauded for creating feminist fairy tales; she has been vilified for championing feminist-inspired witchcraft, while being praised for getting reluctant boys to read; the characters who populate the fictional world of her novels have been described as sexist and stereotypical, or, conversely, as feminist role models. This article argues that these contradictory readings by critics of portrayals of gender in the Harry Potter series coexist because, as is the case with many of the better children's texts, these complex novels function in a space between, where dominant ideology is simultaneously re-enforced, challenged, and negotiated. Ultimately, these books are popular with so many child and adult readers, not because they didactically advocate either feminist or patriarchal ideals, but because, through their complex portrayals of characters, gender, and relationships, they depict the anxieties, tensions, and uncertainties about contemporary gender roles that readers of all ages are continuously working to define and to negotiate.
The co-occurrence of adverse childhood experiences among children investigated for child maltreatment: A latent class analysis

Children investigated for maltreatment are particularly vulnerable to experiencing multiple adversities. Few studies have examined the extent to which experiences of adversity and different types of maltreatment co-occur in this most vulnerable population of children. Understanding the complex nature of childhood adversity may inform the enhanced tailoring of practices to better meet the needs of maltreated children. Using cross-sectional data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (N=5870), this study employed latent class analysis to identify subgroups of children who had experienced multiple forms of maltreatment and associated adversities among four developmental stages: birth to 23 months (infants), 2-5 (preschool age), 6-10 (school age), and 11-18 years-old (adolescents). Three latent classes were identified for infants, preschool-aged children, and adolescents, and four latent classes were identified for school-aged children. Among infants, the groups were characterized by experiences of (1) physical neglect/emotional abuse/caregiver treated violently, (2) physical neglect/household dysfunction, and (3) caregiver divorce. For preschool-aged children, the groups included (1) physical neglect/emotional abuse/caregiver treated violently, (2) physical neglect/household dysfunction, and (3) emotional abuse. Children in the school-age group clustered based on experiencing (1) physical neglect/emotional neglect and abuse/caregiver treated violently, (2) physical neglect/household dysfunction, (3) emotional abuse, and (4) emotional abuse/caregiver divorce. Finally, adolescents were grouped based on (1) physical neglect/emotional abuse/household dysfunction, (2) physical abuse/emotional abuse/household dysfunction, and (3) emotional abuse/caregiver divorce. The results indicate distinct classes of adversity experienced among children investigated for child maltreatment, with both stability across developmental periods and unique age-related vulnerabilities. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Arthroscopic Diagnosis of the Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Foveal Tear: A Cadaver Assessment.

Purpose To determine whether the arthroscopic hook and trampoline tests are accurate and reliable diagnostic tests for foveal triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) detachment. Methods Wrist arthroscopy was performed on 10 cadaveric upper extremities. Arthroscopic hook and trampoline tests were performed and videos recorded (baseline). The deep foveal TFCC insertion was then sharply detached. Arthroscopic hook and trampoline tests were repeated. Subsequently, the foveal detachment was repaired via an ulnar tunnel technique and the hook test was repeated for a third time. Videos were independently reviewed at 2 time points by 2 fellowship-trained hand surgeons and 1 hand surgery fellow in a randomized and blinded fashion. Hook and trampoline tests were graded as positive or negative. Proportions of categorical variables were compared via 2-tailed Fisher exact test. Inter- and intraobserver reliabilities were assessed via Cohen kappa coefficient. Results The sensitivity and specificity of the hook test for foveal detachment diagnosis were 90% and 90%, respectively. There was 90% agreement among all 3 observers for the baseline and foveal detachment hook tests. Cohen kappa coefficients for the inter- and intraobserver reliabilities of the hook test were 0.87 and 0.81, respectively. Seventeen percent of trampoline tests were positive at baseline versus 43% after foveal detachment. The trampoline test had 45% agreement between the 3 observers. Cohen kappa coefficients for the inter- and intraobserver reliabilities of the trampoline test were 0.16 and 0.63, respectively. Following ulnar tunnel repair, 20% of hook tests were positive. Conclusions The hook test is highly sensitive, specific, and reliable for the diagnosis of isolated TFCC foveal detachment. The trampoline test has insufficient reliability to assess foveal detachment. A TFCC foveal repair using an ulnar tunnel technique returns the hook test to baseline. Clinical relevance The hook test is a sensitive, specific, and reliable test for the diagnosis of isolated TFCC foveal detachment.
Trauma and Growth: Impact of AIDS Activism

Introduction. Our goal was to assess the long-term impact of AIDS activism of ACT UP/New York on the current adjustment of those who were members during its peak years (1987–1992), including assessment of trauma sequelae as well as posttraumatic growth. Methods. A 90-minute semistructured interview and 6 validated self-report scales were administered. We relied on purposive and snowball sampling to recruit potential participants. Areas covered include demographics, ACT UP participation, and psychiatric problems. Self-report scales provided approximate diagnoses of PTSD and depression, as well as coping, optimism, and related concepts. Results. Participants included 102 men (40% HIV-positive) and 23 women. Seventeen percent reported current symptoms suggesting PTSD, slightly above the range in general population studies. Symptoms consistent with depression were reported by 8% overall, with higher rates for HIV+ men. Enhanced sense of self, belief in change, and empowerment were reported by 93% of respondents, independent of concurrent PTSD or depression. Conclusions. Twenty-eight years later, ACT UP study participants recall their activist days during the AIDS epidemic as the peak experience of their lives. While some continue to have symptoms of stress and depression, most found that their activism has enriched their subsequent lives.
Radium-223 Dichloride in Combination with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Targeting Therapy in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma with Bone Metastases.

Purpose: This study investigates the biologic activity of radium-223 with VEGF-targeted therapy in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) and bone metastases.Patients and Methods: Fifteen treatment-naive patients (n = 15) received pazopanib 800 mg orally once daily, and 15 previously treated patients received sorafenib 400 mg orally twice daily. Radium-223 55 kilobecquerel/kg was administered concurrently every 4 weeks for up to six infusions in both cohorts. The primary endpoint was decline in bone turnover markers (Procollagen I Intact N-Terminal, N-telopeptide, C-telopeptide, osteocalcin, and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase) compared with baseline. Secondary endpoints included safety, rate of symptomatic skeletal event (SSE) and time to first SSE, objective response rate, change in analgesic use, and quality of life. Exploratory analysis of tumor genomic alterations was performed.Results: Of the 30 patients enrolled, 83% had IMDC intermediate- or poor-risk disease, 33% had liver metastases, and 83% had a history of SSE prior to enrollment. No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. All bone turnover markers significantly declined from baseline at week 8 and 16. Forty percent of patients experienced treatment-related grade ≥3 adverse events. Response rates were 15% and 18% per RECIST v1.1 and bone response was 50% and 30% per MD Anderson criteria, in the pazopanib and sorafenib cohort, respectively. Median SSE-free interval was 5.8 months and not reached, respectively. Analgesic use remained stable over the study time.Conclusions: Radium-223 combined with VEGF-targeted therapy is biologically active and safe. Randomized-controlled trials are needed to define the role of radium-223 in aRCC with skeletal metastases. Clin Cancer Res; 24(17); 4081-8. ©2018 AACR.
A basis for the Cycle Space of a 3-Connected Graph

Let G be a 3-connected non-hamiltonian graph with minimum degree d. We prove that the cycles of length at least 2d-l generate the cycle space of G.
Nutritional Surveillance: Developed Countries

Nutrition surveillance is defined as a system established to continuously monitor the dietary intake and nutritional status of a population or selected population groups using a variety of data-collection methods whose ultimate goal is to lead to policy formulation and action planning. Continuous monitoring varies among countries such that annual, bi-annual, or other data-collection timeframes are determined by the funding and commitment of national governments. Increasingly, countries have come to recognize the need to collect dietary information in a systematic manner to make science-based policy decisions related to diet and health. Nutrition surveillance systems in developed countries are described in this chapter. Emerging nutrition and health issues informed by these systems are reviewed. Examples of surveillance systems in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States are described.
The Impact of the Space Environment on Material Remains

This chapter provides the scientific introduction to environments which are exo-atmospheric and removed from Earth’s protective blanket (our own magnetosphere) and the effects of space on human material culture from the perspective of an aerospace engineer. Given the need to design for space environments, the chapter examines the effects of non-terrestrial conditions on the various materials used for spacecraft design and on actual humans in space. It presents descriptive data on various historic spacecraft.
Adaptive Preferences, Autonomy, and Extended Lives

An agent’s preferences are sometimes formed as a result of her options or, more precisely, her beliefs about her options. It is sometimes claimed that such adaptive preferences are not autonomous, and that, therefore, actions on the basis of such preferences are not autonomous either. Through the examination of some accounts of autonomy and adaptive preferences, I show that the claim that adaptive preferences are not autonomous is highly ambiguous.
Changing Views of Knowledge and Practice in American Higher Education

In this chapter, we examine the changing views of knowledge and practice within the American academy, looking closely at what has been said to be a gap between knowledge and practice. Adopting a longitudinal approach, we first examine changing notions of knowledge and practice in discussions of undergraduate education with a specific focus on what it means to be liberally educated. Next, we shift to examine changing notions of knowledge and practice through an examination of research. Typically, the study of liberal education and the research university is distinct. In this chapter, we will not only review changing views of knowledge and practice in each of these two areas, but also raise the question of whether trends in each area are related and whether these can be tied to new theory and research in the area of the developmental and learning sciences during the same time period. It will be argued that both the conceptual frameworks and strategies guiding the organization of American higher education have yet to fully draw upon emerging perspectives from the development and learning sciences.
A Simplified Index of Fast Evaluation of Commutation Failure Risk in Multi-infeed HVDC Systems

Considering the actual operation conditions and the general conditions of simulation calculations, this paper presents a simplified critical AC-DC system voltage interaction factor (SCADVIF) index and a method to fast evaluate the commutation failure risk of multi-infeed HVDC systems. The method still does not require modeling power system components in detail for dynamic simulation. By calculating and comparing all the ADVIFs and SCADVIFs of an AC/DC system, the receiving-end AC buses at which faults are applied may cause commutation failure of multi-infeed HVDC system can be found quickly: if $ADVIF_{jm} \geq SCADVIF_{jm}$, a fault occurring at receiving-end system AC bus m would result in commutation failure at HVDC j. In this way, it is possible to quickly identify all AC buses where a three phase fault would cause single or multiple commutation failures. The validity and accuracy of the proposed approach are demonstrated by comparing with simulations results using an actual planning large power grid. The proposed method instead of time-domain simulation analysis tool greatly reduces the computing time of researchers, and improves their work efficiency. The proposed index and method can be widely used in the planning, design and operation of AC/DC power grids.
Gate-Modulated Conductance of Extended Conjugation in Atomically Arrayed Molecular Assemblies

Within molecular electronics, the molecular-scale transistor provides a compelling and central device. While substantial efforts have been expended on this subject, current embodiments typically involve cumbersome gating with nonintuitive routes for integration. In this theoretical study, we examined the efficacy of combining a new molecular architecture with the well-established atomic resolution of the Si(100)2 × 1 hydride-terminated surface to provide a molecular-scale modulation scheme that is conceptually easier to integrate. A series of alkyl-substituted carbazoles: ethylcarbazole, butylcarbazole, hexylcarbazole, and decylcarbazole, operating in the σ–π motif provided the transport conduit through extended conjugation of π–π stacking upon assembly along the Si(100)2 × 1 dimer row. It was found that alkyl substituent lengths greater than four methylene units (butylcarbazole) effectively isolated the extended π-conjugation from the underlying substrate by preventing tunneling due to breakdown at termi...
Characterization of Botrytis cinerea from commercial cut flower roses.

Botrytis cinerea Pers. infects cut flower roses (Rosa × hybrida L.) during greenhouse production and gray mold symptoms are often expressed in the postharvest environment, resulting in significant economic losses. Disease management is based on cultural practices and preventative chemical treatments; however, gray mold outbreaks continue to occur. Rose tissues from six commercial shipments from two greenhouses in Colombia were evaluated to determine the Botrytis species composition as well as identify other pathogens present, gray mold incidence and severity, and fungicide resistance profiles. Botrytis isolates (49 total) were grouped into six morphological phenotypes, and all were identified to be B. cinerea sensu stricto. Disease incidence was higher in the petals than in the stem, stamen, ovary, sepal, or leaf tissues. Other fungi were isolated infrequently and included Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Epicoccum nigrum, Penicillium citrinum, Aspergillus brasiliensis, and Diplodia sp. Fungicide resistance profiles were determined using previously established discriminatory doses. Isolates resistant to thiophanate-methyl, iprodione, boscalid, and cyprodinil were found frequently in all shipments and in both greenhouses. The frequency of resistance to penthiopyrad, fenhexamid, fluopyram, isofetamid, and fludioxonil varied between shipments and greenhouses. No resistance to pydiflumetofen was observed at the discriminatory doses tested. Isolates with resistance to multiple chemical classes were commonly found. These results indicate that fungicide resistance management practices may improve preharvest and postharvest gray mold control of cut flower roses.
ECONOMIC STUDY OF CONSUMER EXPENDITURE PATTERNS IN EGYPT

The study of consumption is of great importance in the formulation of economic policies, whether production or distribution, and identification of consumer behavior and its impact on the quantities required of each commodity or service, and thus determined the objectives of the economic development plans to satisfy the needs of the population of different goods and services, The study of the consumption pattern reflects the economic and social situation of the society, through achieved development, especially human development and raising the standard of living of the members of society. Recent economic changes, which have directly affected the incomes and level of expenditure of individuals and their consumption of different goods and services, and demand for these items, which resulted changes in the structure of the Egyptian individual's expenditure on all its items. It is necessary to study these changes, and to take those results in the formulation of production and consumption policies under the current expenditure and income levels of the Egyptian economy, and put economic plans that are interest of the consumer, and work to satisfy his desires, needs and necessities of his life on the optimal situation. Therefore, the research aimed to study and analyze the pattern of Egyptian consumption expenditure, estimate expenditure elasticity and study the impact of region variation, and economic policies on the pattern of individual expenditure in Egypt. The study relied on primary data from the income, expenditure and consumption research available at the central Agency for public mobilization and statistics for 2005, 2015 The results show that economic policies have a statistically significant impact on most items of expenditure, as the pattern of consumer expenditure per capita in Egypt changed from 2005 to 2015, with many goods and services transformed from semi-luxury in 2005 to necessary in 2015, such as food and, Alcoholic, Housing and necessities, restaurants and hotels, others shifted from luxury in 2005 to semi-luxury in 2015 as clothing, fabrics, foot coverings, furniture and fittings, communications, various goods and services, and the variation of the region has a statistically significant impact on The Egyptian individual's consumption pattern, where some items of per capita expenditure were semi-luxury in urban areas and at the same time was a luxury for the individual in the rural such as alcoholic, furniture and fittings, restaurants and hotels, and various goods and services.