cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Focal and Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a pathologic diagnosis characterized by a signature pathologic lesion, grossly defined by the pathologic finding of sclerosis in parts of the tufts involving some but not all glomeruli. It can be primary or due to secondary causes. The incidence of FSGS has been increasing for unclear reasons and now it is the commonest glomerulonephritis underlying ESRD in the USA. Genetic studies have advanced our understanding of disease pathogenesis, pointing to injury in the podocyte as central to the disease. Despite this, our therapeutic options for primary FSGS remain limited and there is a lack of rigorous studies supporting current treatment practices. The mainstay of treatment for primary FSGS is glucocorticosteroids. Individuals who relapse are challenging to treat and there is very little data to guide practice. Regimens for these individuals include cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine.
In-plane Shear Properties of High-Performance Filaments

This paper describes a novel technique under development to determine the in-plane shear strength of high-performance, polymeric filaments. Shear planes are created in filaments by machining notches into single fibers using a scanning electron microscope equipped with a focused ion beam (FIB). The notched fiber is modeled using a transversely isotropic finite element model to predict the low-strain elastic response of the notched fiber. This model is used to optimize notch position and geometry, in order to minimize stress concentrations and ensure uniform shear stress development within the shear zone of the notched fiber. Experimentally, the notched fibers are fastened to a small-scale load frame, where they are tested to failure. Emphasis is placed on minimal handing of samples throughout the experimental process.
How to achieve quality for POCT through risk management

The POCT coordination, responsible for the quality assessment, should implement risk management principles for all POCT processes within a hospital. This chapter portrays frequent errors in the course of POCT and shows how quality control measures can reduce errors and prevent the generation of incorrect test results. Thus, the whole quality assessment requires a structured risk management by applying an individualized quality control plan (IQCP). This plan provides the opportunity to bring together multidisciplinary teams, engendering a better understanding of the weaknesses and limitations inherent to the testing processes. An IQCP can reduce errors, save costs, improve staff efficiency and enhance patient care for POCT.
Genetics of anophthalmia and microphthalmia. Part 2: Syndromes associated with anophthalmia-microphthalmia.

As new genes for A/M are identified in the genomic era, the number of syndromes associated with A/M has greatly expanded. In this review, we provide a brief synopsis of the clinical presentation and molecular genetic etiology of previously characterized pathways involved in A/M, including the Sex-determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2), Orthodenticle Homeobox 2 (OTX2) and Paired box protein-6 (PAX6) genes, and the Stimulated by retinoic acid gene 6 homolog (STRA6), Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family Member A3 (ALDH1A3), and RA Receptor Beta (RARβ) genes that are involved in retinoic acid synthesis. Less common genetic causes of A/M, including genes involved in BMP signaling [Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (BMP4), Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 (BMP7) and SPARC-related modular calcium-binding protein 1 (SMOC1)], genes involved in the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex [Holocytochrome c-type synthase (HCCS), Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit 7B (COX7B), and NADH:Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase subunit B11 (NDUFB11)], the BCL-6 corepressor gene (BCOR), Yes-Associated Protein 1 (YAP1) and Transcription Factor AP-2 Alpha (TFAP2α), are more briefly discussed. We also review several recently described genes and pathways associated with A/M, including Smoothened (SMO) that is involved in Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling, Structural maintenance of chromosomes flexible hinge domain containing 1 (SMCHD1) and Solute carrier family 25 member 24 (SLC25A24), emphasizing phenotype-genotype correlations and shared pathways where relevant.
Efficacy and Safety of Ticagrelor Compared with Clopidogrel in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease with Acute Myocardial Infarction

This study investigated the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor compared with clopidogrel in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We retrospectively enrolled patients who had received regular dialysis and had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI at our hospital between January 2013 and December 2016. Outcomes analyzed included cardiovascular death, death from any cause, MI, stroke, and bleeding events. Patients were allocated to the ticagrelor group (N = 74) or the clopidogrel group (N = 116) according to the treatment they had received. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of in-hospital primary endpoint (composite of cardiovascular death, MI, and stroke: 12.2% and 15.5% for ticagrelor and clopidogrel, respectively; p = 0.518), secondary endpoint, or any bleeding events (39.2 vs. 34.5%; p = 0.511). No statistically significant differences were found for the 1-year primary endpoint (p = 0.424), secondary endpoint, and any bleeding events (p = 0.663). Risk factors for in-hospital cardiovascular death were shock and cardiopulmonary resuscitation at initial AMI presentation, lack of beta-blocker use, and in-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding. Risk factors for 1-year cardiovascular death were shock at initial AMI presentation and lack of beta-blocker use. Only respiratory failure was a risk factor for in-hospital and 1-year gastrointestinal bleeding. In patients with ESRD and AMI, ticagrelor resulted in numerically fewer but statistically nonsignificant rates of in-hospital and 1-year cardiovascular events with no significant increase in bleeding events compared with clopidogrel.
Coupling reactions between reduced intermediates of insensitive munitions compound analog 4-nitroanisole.

Abstract Explosives, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals contain toxic nitroaromatic compounds that may form even more toxic azo compounds if they encounter reducing conditions in the environment. We investigated the mechanism by which 4,4′-dimethoxyazobenzene forms in anaerobic sludge incubations of 4-nitroanisole, an analog for the insensitive munitions compound 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN). Because studies have reported the mechanism to involve the coupling of reduced nitroaromatic intermediates, specifically aromatic amines and nitrosoaromatics, by nucleophilic processes, we abiotically paired 10 mM 4-aminoanisole with 2 mM 4-nitrosoanisole in nitrogen-flushed microcosms. However, only 7 μM of 4,4′-dimethoxyazobenzene had formed after 24 h. We identified the major product to be 4-methoxy-4′-nitrosodiphenylamine. Repeating this experiment in phosphate buffer at pH 5.1, 7.1, and 8.6 demonstrated that the formation of this unexpected product is acid catalyzed. We found that 4-methoxy-4′-nitrosodiphenylamine is more toxic than 4,4′-dimethoxyazobenzene to the bioluminescent bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri, with IC50 values of 0.1 μM and 0.5 μM, respectively. Both products are several orders of magnitude more toxic than reduced 4-nitroanisole intermediates 4-aminoanisole and 4-nitrosoanisole, as well as DNAN and its aromatic amine metabolites. Six-fold more 4,4′-dimethoxyazobenzene formed when we incubated 4-nitrosoanisole with ascorbic acid, a reducing agent, than when we incubated 4-nitrosoanisole with 4-aminoanisole in the absence of ascorbic acid. We therefore suspect that 4-hydroxylaminoanisole, the first reduction product of 4-nitrosoanisole, is a better nucleophile than 4-aminoanisole and couples more readily with 4-nitrosoanisole. Slightly basic and reducing conditions can prevent the formation and persistence of toxic coupling products on sites contaminated with nitroaromatics, i.e. DNAN-contaminated firing ranges.
Staking Claims to a Continent: John A. Macdonald, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and the Making of North America. By James Laxer. (Toronto, ON: Anansi Press, 2016. Pp. 352. $29.95.)

James Laxer, a (now‐deceased) Canadian author of more than a dozen books on various topics both historical and political, set for himself a Herculean agenda. He promises a comparative political bio...
Predictive multi-hazard hurricane data-based fragility model for residential homes

Abstract Multi-hazard hurricane data-based fragility models are able to represent multiple predictor variables, be validated based on observed data, and consider variability in building characteristics and hazard variables. This paper develops predictive hurricane, multi-hazard, single-family building fragility models for ordered categorical damage states (DS) and binary complete failure/non-complete failure using proportional odds cumulative logit and logistic regression models, respectively. In addition to their simplicity, these models are able to represent multiple hurricane hazard variables and include variable interactions, thus improving model fitting and damage prediction. Surveys of physical damage in coastal Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina (2005) and high-resolution numerical hindcast hazard intensities from the Simulating WAves Nearshore and ADvanced CIRCulation (SWAN + ADCIRC) models are used as model input. Prediction accuracy is expressed in terms of cross-validation (CV) and evaluated using leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV). Thirty-nine combinations of global damage response variables were investigated. Of these models, six DS and one complete failure model met the evaluation criteria. Maximum significant wave height was the only significant hazard variable for the DS models, while maximum 3-s gust wind speed, maximum surge depth, and maximum water speed were found to be significant predictors for the complete failure model. Model prediction external accuracy ranged from 81% to 87%.
The Influence of Leaf "Windows" on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in the South African Succulent Senecio Rowleyanus (Asteraceae)

Net CO2 exchange rate (PN) of shoots and diel fluctuations in titratable acidity of leaves of Senecio rowleyanus were measured to determine whether penetration of radiant energy through leaf “windows” (narrow, translucent strips on the leaf epidermis) resulted in increased CAM. Nocturnal PN and nighttime increases in acidity were compared among plants with windows covered with reflective adhesive tape, transparent adhesive tape (to control for potential effects of the adhesive), and no tape. The windows did not significantly enhance the degree of CAM in S. rowleyanus.
Optimum Design for Flanges upon Tightness Control

The traditional design criteria for bolted flanged connections was based on the strength failure,which cannot evaluate in quantity the tightness of flange joints.This paper adopted the sealing design criteria,measures the sample PVRC gasket factors: a=0 39?G s= 0 012MPa and G b =4 57MPa by experiments,and obtained the relations of optimum gasket seat stress( S ga ) opt and change value of gasket stress ΔS at various tightness parameters,so that the optimum bolt preload of flange joints can be calculated.
Touch Well Before Use: Intuitive and Secure Authentication for IoT Devices

Internet of Things (IoT) are densely deployed in smart environments, such as homes, factories and laboratories, where many people have physical access to IoT devices. How to authenticate users operating on these devices is thus an important problem. IoT devices usually lack conventional user interfaces, such as keyboards and mice, which makes traditional authentication methods inapplicable. We present a virtual sensing technique that allows IoT devices to virtually sense user 'petting' (in the form of some very simple touches for about 2 seconds) on the devices. Based on this technique, we build a secure and intuitive authentication method that authenticates device users by comparing the petting operations sensed by devices and those captured by the user wristband. The authentication method is highly secure as physical operations are required, rather than based on proximity. It is also intuitive, adopting very simple authentication operations, e.g., clicking buttons, twisting rotary knobs, and swiping touchscreens. Unlike the state-of-the-art methods, our method does not require any hardware modifications of devices, and thus can be applied to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices. We build prototypes and evaluate them comprehensively, demonstrating their high effectiveness, security, usability, and efficiency.
Centromeric repeats of the Western European house mouse I: high sequence diversity among monomers at local and global spatial scales

Previous work found that the centromeric repeats of the Western European house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) are composed predominantly of a 120 bp monomer that is shared by the X and autosomes. Polymorphism in length and sequence was also reported. Here I quantified the length and sequence polymorphism of the centromeric repeats found on the X and autosomes. The levels of local and global sequence variation were also compared. I found three length variants: a 64mer, 112mer and 120mer with relative frequencies of 2.4%, 8.6%, and 89%, respectively. There was substantial sequence variation within all three length variants with a rank-order of: 64mer
Regulating securities analysts

Abstract We examine the effects of regulations designed to address the potential conflict of interest that arises when sell-side analyst research is not independent of investment banking. We focus on two types of regulation: (1) internal barriers between equity research and investment banking that restrict communication; and (2) disclosure requirements relating to analyst compensation. We find that information barriers can increase research effort and improve report quality by limiting an investment bank's ability to distort its analyst's incentives. However, this type of regulation can also reduce information production and lower the quality of reports if an investment bank benefits directly from research activity. Disclosure requirements, on the other hand, unambiguously lead to more informative prices and a higher report quality relative to either information barriers or no regulation.
How Completely Do Analysts Incorporate Firm-Specific and Industry Information in Their Forecasts? Evidence and Implications for Post-Forecast Revision Drift:

Prior studies find a positive relation between analyst forecast revisions and upcoming news, suggesting that analysts’ forecast revisions are incomplete with respect to available information. In th...
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Genotypes Differ between Coastal Sites and Inland Road Corridors in the Northeastern US

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a North American grass that exhibits vast genetic diversity across its geographic range. In the Northeastern US, local switchgrass populations were restricted to a narrow coastal zone before European settlement, but current populations inhabit inland road verges raising questions about their origin and genetics. These questions are important because switchgrass lines with novel traits are being cultivated as a biofuel feedstock, and gene flow could impact the genetic integrity and distribution of local populations. This study was designed to determine if: 1) switchgrass plants collected in the Long Island Sound Coastal Lowland coastal Level IV ecoregion represented local populations, and 2) switchgrass plants collected from road verges in the adjacent inland regions were most closely related to local coastal populations or switchgrass from other geographic regions. The study used 18 microsatellite markers to infer the genetic relationships between 122 collected switchgrass plants and a reference dataset consisting of 28 cultivars representing ecotypes, ploidy levels, and lineages from North America. Results showed that 84% of 88 plants collected in the coastal plants were most closely aligned with the Lowland tetraploid genetic pool. Among this group, 61 coastal plants were similar to, but distinct from, all Lowland tetraploid cultivars in the reference dataset leading to the designation of a genetic sub-population called the Southern New England Lowland Tetraploids. In contrast, 67% of 34 plants collected in road verges in the inland ecoregions were most similar to two Upland octoploid cultivars; only 24% of roadside plants were Lowland tetraploid. These results suggest that cryptic, non-local genotypes exist in road verges and that gene flow from biofuels plantations could contribute to further changes in switchgrass population genetics in the Northeast.
Reflectance spectrophotometry: balancing diffuse and specular components

Abstract Improved instrument design makes it possible to use colour-measuring instruments with an absolute precision comparable to humans' colour-difference perceptibility. Measuring techniques and the definition of standard procedures have not kept pace with the advances in instrument performance. Changes are proposed in the techniques of data-reduction and in the definition of standard procedures to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of measurements made with instruments of different designs.
Groundwater for the 21st Century: A Primer for Citizens of Planet Earth

Although the daily water needs of 2.5 billion people worldwide are met with groundwater (UNESCO 2012), only a small percentage of the world’s population has any formal education in hydrogeology. Thus, there is a profound need for educational materials that introduce hydrogeology in a manner that is accessible to a wide audience, including nonscientists. Conners (2013) recognizes and addresses this need with his book, Groundwater for the 21st Century: A Primer for Citizens of Planet Earth . In the preface, Conners describes his book as “a broad flexible resource” that “does not have pages filled with differential equations” and is also not a “‘popular science’ book, filled with human interest stories” but that does “provide a basic understanding of groundwater science . . . in a manner that is accessible to all.” (viii). To make the book both widely accessible and applicable, Conners includes chapters on basic scientific and geologic principles, global water resources issues, and applied hydrogeology, in addition to covering the fundamentals of hydrogeology. As a consequence of being broad, the book is rather long. With 614 pages, 14 chapters, and 3 appendices, I suspect some readers, particularly those without a scientific background, might be overwhelmed by the book’s size. In my opinion the book is unnecessarily broad and long. Although the basic science and geology chapters provide background for later chapters, they also cover several topics (e.g., subatomic chemistry, plate tectonics, modes of crustal deformation, and periglacial geology) that are well beyond the background necessary for a general, nontechnical understanding of hydrogeology and groundwater resources. The readability of the text and Conners’s professional yet unintimidating writing style are notable. Several case studies are presented in boxes throughout the book and these very effectively elucidate the applicability of the
Funerary Practices in the Iberian Peninsula from the Mesolithic to the Chalcolithic

The funerary record of the Iberian Peninsula from the Mesolithic through the Chalcolithic constitutes an extraordinarily rich and diverse body of information on human lifeways, which is being inten...
Threshold Setting and Performance Optimization in Adaptive Filtering

An experimental adaptive filtering system, built on the Okapi search engine, is described. In addition to the regular text retrieval functions, the system requires a complex set of procedures for setting score thresholds and adapting them following feedback. These procedures need to be closely related to the evaluation measures to be used. A mixture of quantitative methods relating a threshold to the number of documents expected to be retrieved in a time period, and qualitative methods relating to the probability of relevance, is defined. Experiments under the TREC-9 Adaptive Filtering Track rules are reported. The system is seen to perform reasonably well in comparison with other systems at TREC. Some of the variables that may affect performance are investigated.
Imagined Borders: (Un)Bounded Spaces of Oil Extraction and Indigenous Sociality in “Post-Neoliberal” Ecuador

In this paper, we analyze state practices of border-making through an ethnographic focus on Ecuadorian Amazonia and the Waorani, an Indigenous society, who, before sustained contact with the outside world began in 1958, possessed stark spatial and social borders often reinforced through warfare. Following that contact and the creation of various iterations of a legally-demarcated Waorani territory, the spatial and social borders of Waorani culture, based on a common property regime, came into conflict with the borders produced by the state in cooperation with transnational capitalism in the form of the oil industry. We discuss how these shifting borders led to cascading effects on Waorani reciprocity, their relationship to natural resources, sense of security and designation of membership in the community. Finally, we discuss how the leftist Ecuadorian state under President Rafael Correa justifies and facilitates the country’s oil-focused spatial processes through a post-neoliberal discourse.
Numerical Simulation of Weakly Magnetized Propagating Slab Jets

Simulations of weakly magnetized propagating slab jets have been performed for a range of jet velocities. The magnetic field is introduced in the form of closed field loops and a local emissivity is computed in a cross section through the infinite slab. The use of slab geometry allows study of non-axisymmetric effects. The jet is driven by a periodic sinusoidal oscillation in time of the angle of the jet’s velocity relative to the z-direction at the inlet. This driving mechansim excites the sinusoidal modes. These modes are the 2-D analog of helical modes. At early times the jet maintains approximate axisymmetry within a backflowing cocoon. At later times when the jet has penetrated farther into the external medium the symmetry is broken by sideways oscillation which destroys the jet’s directionality and the jet “flaps” within a growing lobe.
Insulin and the regulation of hepatic biosynthetic activity.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses recent experimental evidence relevant to the mechanism(s) of regulation of the highly specialized differentiated functions of the liver by insulin. Depending upon the nature and quantity of the diet, the liver can either synthesize net amounts of glycogen, lipids, and proteins or degrade these materials to provide glucose and ketone bodies to serve as fuels for the other tissues. A considerable body of evidence has now accumulated indicating that these biosynthetic activities of the liver are regulated not simply by the flux of nutrients in the blood perfusing the liver cells but also by hormones, such as insulin, glucocorticoids, glucagon, and possibly others that appear to act directly upon the liver to influence its choice of metabolic alternatives. The administration of insulin to severely diabetic rats leads to marked alterations in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids in the liver. The activities of many hepatic enzymes concerned with the intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids undergo readjustments in their levels that correspond to these new patterns of metabolism and may be instrumental in initiating and reinforcing some of them.
Independent Regulation of Transport and Biosynthesis of Arginine in Escherichia coli K-12

From an arginine auxotrophic strain, a mutant was isolated which is able to utilize d-arginine as a source of l-arginine and shows a high sensitivity to inhibition of growth by canavanine. Transport studies revealed a four- to five-fold increased uptake of arginine and ornithine in cells from the mutant strain. The kinetics of entry of arginine and ornithine evidenced elevated maximal influx values for the arginine- and ornithine-specific transport systems. A close parallel between arginine transport activity and arginine binding activity with one arginine-specific binding periplasmic protein in the mutant strongly suggests that such binding protein is a component of the arginine-specific permease. The affinity between arginine and the binder, isolated from the mutant cells, as well as the electrophoretic mobility of the protein, remain unchanged. The enhanced transport activity of arginine and ornithine with mutant cells is insensitive to repression by arginine or ornithine, whereas the biosynthesis of arginine-forming enzymes is normally repressible. When transport activity was examined in strains with mutations leading to derepression of arginine biosynthesis, the regulation of arginine transport was found to be normal. These studies support the conclusion that arginine transport and arginine biosynthesis, in Escherichia coli K-12, are not regulated in a concerted manner, although both systems may have components in common.
Effect of Dietary Exogenous Enzyme Supplementation on Enteric Mucosal Morphological Development and Adherent Mucin Thickness in Turkeys.

Anti-nutritional factors in feed ingredients (ANF) can challenge gut health and reduce nutrient utilization. Birds typically activate their innate immune system as a protective response against the adverse effects of ANF, which often involves the secretion of mucin. Although dietary supplementation of exogenous enzymes are commonly used to alleviate the adverse effects of ANF on apparent nutrient digestibility, little is known about how they affect gut health, particularly in relation to the morphological development and mucin secretion of enteric mucosa. We carried out two trials to examine the effect of dietary supplementation of different types of exogenous enzymes on gut health of by accessing the effect of jejunum morphological development and ileal enteric adherent mucin thickness layer in turkeys. Dietary β-mannanase supplementation reduced ileal adherent mucin thickness layer (804 µg/g vs 823 µg/g; p<0.05), while a commercial blend of Xylanase, Amylase and Protease (XAP) reduced ileal adherent mucin layer thickness (589 µg/g vs 740 µg/g; p<0.05); thus reducing the apparent endogenous loss of nutrients. Both enzyme supplements also affected gut morphological characteristics. In comparison to the control treatment, dietary β-mannanase supplementation improved the jejunum tip width (219 vs 161; p<0.05), base width (367 vs 300; p<0.05), surface area (509,870 vs 380, 157; p<0.05) and villi height/crypt depth ratio (7.49 vs 5.70; p<0.05), and XAP improved the crypt depth (p<0.05). In conclusion dietary supplementation of exogenous enzymes may help alleviate the adverse effects of ANF on nutrient utilization by directly or indirectly removing the mucosal irritation that stimulates enteric mucin secretion.
Abstract A50: Cyclin D1 isoforms selectively manipulate AR signaling to promote metastatic phenotypes in early and castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Cyclin D1 is a well-known inducer of cell cycle progression but has only recently been appreciated as a transcriptional regulator, controlling a milieu of transcriptional networks involved in both development and cancer. Intriguingly, while Cyclin D1 has only limited oncogenic activity, a variant that arises through oncogene induced alternative splicing (Cyclin D1b) has markedly enhanced oncogenic potential (as judged by in vitro and in vivo assays). Biochemical interrogation demonstrated that Cyclin D1b had little influence on cell cycle progression, indicating that oncogenic properties exerted by Cyclin D1b were likely transcriptionally regulated. Consonantly, it was shown that Cyclin D1b (but not full length Cyclin D1) is preferentially upregulated in malignant prostate cancers. Here, models were developed to determine the tumor-specific functions of Cyclin D1b, and unbiased analysis performed to assess cellular consequence. First, expression of Cyclin D1b was found to promote anchorage independent growth and enhance invasive potential in an androgen receptor (AR) dependent manner, while exerting no effect on cell cycle progression. Second, a large transcriptional network was determined to be uniquely under the control of Cyclin D1b, a subset of which are known AR target genes. Among this AR regulated gene set was the transcriptional regulator SNAI2 (SLUG), known to promote phenotypes associated with cancer progression and metastasis in various systems. Third, the molecular mechanisms underpinning Cyclin D1b function were revealed as Cyclin D1b enhanced AR occupancy at conserved AR bindings sites at SNAI2 regulatory loci, which correlated with chromatin modifications associated with active transcription. Fourth, molecular inhibition of SNAI2 levels was sufficient to inhibit D1b induced phenotypes both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, while both Cyclin D1b and SLUG are expressed in nearly 1/3 of primary prostate tumors, relative expression is increased in metastatic as well as castration resistant prostate cancer samples, indicating the Cyclin D1b/SLUG pathway is likely involved in disease progression. Together, the study to be presented defines a mechanism to explain Cyclin D1b-mediated effects in human disease, provides evidence of a direct AR driven gene that is induced exclusively during PCa progression, and identifies the Cyclin D1b/AR/SLUG axis as a major pathway associated with metastatic phenotypes. Citation Format: Michael A. Augello, Craig Burd, Ruth Bribe, Daniel Frigo, Jason Karch, Donald McDonnell, Tapio Visakorpi, Karen E. Knudsen. Cyclin D1 isoforms selectively manipulate AR signaling to promote metastatic phenotypes in early and castration-resistant prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2012 Feb 6-9; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(4 Suppl):Abstract nr A50.
Effect of substitution (Ta, Al, Ga) on the conductivity of Li7La3Zr2O12

Abstract Cubic garnets of composition Li 6.75 La 3 Zr 1.75 Ta 0.25 O 12 , Li 6.15 La 3 Zr 1.75 Ta 0.25 Al 0.2 O 12 , and Li 6.15 La 3 Zr 1.75 Ta 0.25 Ga 0.2 O 12 were prepared from a co-precipitated precursor and consolidated by hot-pressing to a relative density of ∼96–98%. The total Li-ion conductivities at 298 K and activation energies (in parentheses) of Li 6.75 La 3 Zr 1.75 Ta 0.25 O 12 , Li 6.15 La 3 Zr 1.75 Ta 0.25 Al 0.2 O 12 and Li 6.15 La 3 Zr 1.75 Ta 0.25 Ga 0.2 O 12 were 0.87 mS cm −1 (0.22 eV), 0.37 mS cm −1 (0.30 eV) and 0.41 mS cm −1 (0.27 eV), respectively. The above results suggest that cubic stabilizing substitutions outside of the Li-ion sub-lattice are preferable to obtain faster Li-ion conductivity.
The effect of low-velocity impact on the fatigue life of Sandwich composites

Abstract Impact properties and fatigue properties of sandwich composites after impact are addressed. Specifically, the low-velocity impact resistance of carbon fiber faced sandwich composites and how the fatigue life is affected is studied. Two and four layer face sheet carbon fiber sandwich composite samples with foam filled honeycomb core were impacted in a low velocity drop tester at 10, 20, and 30 J with varying masses and velocities of the impactor. After impact the area of damage is determined using ultrasonic techniques. The fatigue life is then determined and compared to the fatigue life of non-impacted samples in a four point bend test. At all impact energies the impactor completely penetrated the front face of the sample. At 20 and 30 J the impactor also penetrated the back face. The 30 J caused a larger penetration area where as the 20 J caused more delamination of the back face. Two different densities of foam were used for the two layer samples. The two layer high density sample failure was changed from in shear for the virgin materials to bending for the impacted samples. This shows that penetrating the top face has an affect on the fatigue properties of the two layer samples. The fatigue life of the four layer and two layer low density samples does not appear to be affected by the impact.
The old martyr of science: the frog in experimental physiology.

Regard sur le parcours historique de la grenouille en tant que modele animal dans l'etude de la physiologie generale des vertebres.En effet, c'est depuis la moitie du 17eme siecle que cet animal contribue au developpement de la biologie
Forgive to Live: Forgiveness, Health, and Longevity

This study examined multiple types of forgiveness as predictors of mortality and potential psychosocial, spiritual, and health mechanisms of the effects of forgiveness on longevity. Data from a nationally representative sample of United States adults ages 66 and older assessed forgiveness, health, religiousness/spirituality, and socio-demographics (N = 1,232). God's unconditional forgiveness and conditional forgiveness of others initially emerged as statistically significant predictors of mortality risk. However, only conditional forgiveness of others remained a significant predictor of mortality after controlling for religious, socio-demographic, and health behavior variables. Mediators of the association between conditional forgiveness of others and mortality were examined, and a statistically significant indirect effect was identified involving physical health. These findings suggest that conditional forgiveness of others is associated with risk for all-cause mortality, and that the mortality risk of conditional forgiveness may be conferred by its influences on physical health.
Conservative and positivity-preserving semi-Lagrangian kinetic schemes with spectrally accurate phase-space resolution

Summary form only given. The Convected Scheme (CS) is a family of semi-Lagrangian algorithms, most usually applied to the solution of Boltzmann's equation, which uses a method of characteristics in an integral form to project a moving cell (MC) forward to a group of mesh cells. In earlier work [1], a 4th-order version of the cell-centered CS was presented, which was based on applying an a-priori correction to the position of the MC after the ballistic move and prior to remapping to the mesh. Such corrections were calculated by means of a modified equation analysis applied to the continuity equation with a prescribed flow field. The resulting 4th-order CS showed a drastically reduced numerical diffusion, while it retained the desirable properties of the original scheme (i.e. mass conservation, positivity preservation, and simplicity). In this contribution we describe higher order versions of the CS, suited to the accurate solution of the Vlasov equation with minimum computational resources. By applying an appropriate operator splitting procedure, the solution to the Vlasov-Poisson (or Vlasov-Maxwell) system can be reduced to a succession of constant advection steps, either in configuration or in velocity space, interleaved with appropriate field updates. With this setting in mind, we specialize our analysis to the constant advection equation, and we illustrate a new procedure that extends the CS to arbitrarily high order of accuracy. We describe a nominally 22nd-order CS, in which we compute the required 20 spatial derivatives of the solution using a fast Fourier transform. For smooth profiles, this scheme shows spectral convergence to the exact solution, and hence we refer to it as “Spectral CS”. Further, adaptive filtering in Fourier space permits us to resolve non smooth profiles without introducing spurious oscillations. We show the scheme's behavior in typical 1D-1V test cases for the Vlasov-Poisson system, both in periodic and bounded domains, with one or more species. We then discuss higher dimensional problems, where the computational savings inherent to the Spectral CS would enable unprecedented phase-space resolution. Finally we consider the solution of the Vlasov-Maxwell system, as well as the inclusion of collisional processes.
Colour-blindness in Klinefelter's Syndrome

MALES with testicular hypoplasia (Klinefelter's syndrome) are of two cytological types. A minority has sex-chromatin-negative nuclei as have normal males, whereas the majority has sex-chromatin-positive nuclei as have normal females. The demonstration of the male-determining property of the mammalian Y-chromosome, proved for man1 and mouse2, had led to a clarification of the chromosomal status of sex-chromatin-positive Klinefelter individuals. They are XXY1,2
Damage-dependent regulation of MUS81-EME1 by Fanconi anemia complementation group A protein

MUS81-EME1 is a DNA endonuclease involved in replication-coupled repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs). A prevalent hypothetical role of MUS81-EME1 in ICL repair is to unhook the damage by incising the leading strand at the 3′ side of an ICL lesion. In this study, we report that purified MUS81-EME1 incises DNA at the 5′ side of a psoralen ICL residing in fork structures. Intriguingly, ICL repair protein, Fanconi anemia complementation group A protein (FANCA), greatly enhances MUS81-EME1-mediated ICL incision. On the contrary, FANCA exhibits a two-phase incision regulation when DNA is undamaged or the damage affects only one DNA strand. Studies using truncated FANCA proteins indicate that both the N- and C-moieties of the protein are required for the incision regulation. Using laser-induced psoralen ICL formation in cells, we find that FANCA interacts with and recruits MUS81 to ICL lesions. This report clarifies the incision specificity of MUS81-EME1 on ICL damage and establishes that FANCA regulates the incision activity of MUS81-EME1 in a damage-dependent manner.
The thermocapillary motion of two bubbles oriented arbitrarily relative to a thermal gradient

The interaction problem of two bubbles oriented at an arbitrary angle to a thermal gradient in the absence of gravity is studied. The problem is considered in the quasi-static limit, wherein unsteady and convective transport terms are completely neglected in the momentum and energy equations. Instead of bipolar coordinates, an approximation used in a previous analysis of the interaction effects of two bubbles moving along their line of centers in a thermal gradient is applied here to predict the interaction parameter.
Insights on Using Morphologic Data for Phylogenetic Analysis in Sedges (Cyperaceae)

Sedges are often viewed as difficult subjects for morphology-based phylogenetic analysis, due to several difficulties, including finding an adequate number of characters to yield well-resolved and well-supported trees, correctly assessing homology of characters and character states, and selecting appropriate outgroups for character state polarizations. The published literature holds only 11 papers with morphology-based phylogenetic analyses of sedges. This paper reviews those studies, and presents the phylogeny of two groups of sedges: (1) Carex section Deweyanae, and (2) Carex sections Careyanae, Granulares, and Griseae. This paper also presents recommendations for using morphologic data to reconstruct sedge phylogenies, based on comparisons of the trees resulting from the present study with the previous sedge studies and with similar studies of phylogeny of other groups of flowering plants. In the two groups of Carex examined, morphology does provide sufficient characters to infer well-resolved trees, with some nodes having good to strong support at levels consistent with those found in morphology-based analyses of other groups of flowering plants. The inclusion of micromorphologic and anatomic characters substantially enhances the resolving power of macromorphologic characters in sedge analyses, and increases the support for some clades.
TU‐EE‐A1‐01: Capabilities of a CT‐Suitable, Patient‐Adaptive HDR/PDR Intracavitary Brachytherapy Applicator for the Treatment of Cervical Cancer

Purpose: To demonstrate the capability of a prototype, high‐dose‐rate/pulsed‐dose‐rate (HDR/PDR) intracavitary brachytherapy cervical applicator to be (a) imaged using computed tomography(CT) with minimal artifacts as compared to current, clinically‐utilized applicators and (b) deliver dose to a simulated disease plane that is at least equivalent to that delivered by the FW applicator while delivering less dose to multiple, simulated rectal planes for equivalent loadings. Capability (b) demonstrates the prototype applicator's ability to adapt to varying patient anatomies utilizing a remotely adjustable shield contained within the colpostat. Method and Materials:CTimage sets were acquired of the Fletcher‐Suite‐Delclos (FSD), Fletcher‐Williamson (FW), and prototype applicators (utilizing a step‐and‐shoot technique) and artifacts generated by each were compared qualitatively. Images were acquired of the applicators positioned parallel to the table and in positions that simulated applicator placement during treatment. Using film validated MCNPXMonte Carlo(MC) models of the prototype and FW applicators, dose comparisons (min, max, average, and dose‐surface histograms) were made in simulated disease (1cm medial to colpostat) and multiple rectal (1cm distal and 0, 0.5, and 1cm medial to the colpostat) planes. Results: Preliminary results indicate that the prototype applicator is CT‐friendly; qualitatively minimizing anatomy‐obscuring artifacts compared to equivalent FW and FSD image sets. Additionally, the prototype applicator is able to deliver comparable dose levels (within +/− 5%) to a simulated disease plane while reducing dose (32% average) to varying simulated rectal planes when compared to equivalent FW treatments. Conclusion: The prototype applicator is able to be CTimaged with minimal artifacts and substantially reduce dose delivered to the rectum while maintaining dose delivered to disease when compared to current ICBT technologies. Currently, the model is being extended to include two prototype applicators and a 15° tandem so that dose‐volume histograms can be generated using specific‐patient cases of varying anatomical geometries.
Analytical techniques for the determination of phenolic amine neurotransmitter conjugates

This paper reviews methods developed in the author's laboratory for the measurement of the two sulfate conjugates of dopamine in biological material. The methods are sensitive enough for most applications relating to dopamine sulfate. Some are applicable to measurement of sulfate conjugates of other phenolic amines.
Scattered wave variational principle for atom—diatom reactive scattering: hybrid basis set calculations

Abstract The scattered wave variational principle (SWVP) with a hybrid basis is applied to the hydrogen exchange reaction. The convergence, stability and accuracy of results are comparable to those obtained with the generalized Newton variational principle — L 2 amplitude density method. They demonstrate that the SWVP with the hybrid basis is a powerful tool for the description of gas-phase reactive scattering.
Provably good approximation algorithms for optimal kinodynamic planning: Robots with decoupled dynamics bounds

We consider the following problem: given a robot system, find a minimal-time trajectory that goes from a start state to a goal state while avoiding obstacles by a speed-dependent safety margin and respecting dynamics bounds. In [1] we developed a provably good approximation algorithm for the minimum-time trajectory problem for a robot system with decoupled dynamics bounds (e.g., a point robot in ź3). This algorithm differs from previous work in three ways. It is possible (1) to bound the goodness of the approximation by an error termź; (2) to bound the computational complexity of our algorithm polynomially; and (3) to express the complexity as a polynomial function of the error term. Hence, given the geometric obstacles, dynamics bounds, and the error termź, the algorithm returns a solution that isź-close to optimal and requires only a polynomial (in (1/ź)) amount of time. We extend the results of [1] in two ways. First, we modify it to halve the exponent in the polynomial bounds from 6d to 3d, so that the new algorithm isO(cdN 1/ź)3d), whereN is the geometric complexity of the obstacles andc is a robot-dependent constant. Second, the new algorithm finds a trajectory that matches the optimal in time with anź factor sacrificed in the obstacle-avoidance safety margin. Similar results hold for polyhedral Cartesian manipulators in polyhedral environments. The new results indicate that an implementation of the algorithm could be reasonable, and a preliminary implementation has been done for the planar case.
Parent and teacher attitudes about early academics

What do mothers and preschool teachers think about the value and importance of early academics for prekindergarten children?
Challenging the Research Base of the Common Core State Standards: A Historical Reanalysis of Text Complexity

The widely adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS) call for raising the level of text complexity in textbooks and reading materials used by students across all grade levels in the United States; the authors of the English Language Arts component of the CCSS build their case for higher complexity in part upon a research base they say shows a steady decline in the difficulty of student reading textbooks over the past half century. In this interdisciplinary study, we offer our own independent analysis of third- and sixth-grade reading textbooks used throughout the past century. Our data set consists of books from 117 textbook series issued by 30 publishers between 1905 and 2004, resulting in a linguistic corpus of roughly 10 million words. Contrary to previous reports, we find that text complexity has either risen or stabilized over the past half century; these findings have significant implications for the justification of the CCSS as well as for our understanding of a “decline” within American schooling...
A nonlinear control method for resin transfer molding

In performing permeability measurements on the fiber reinforced preforms typically used in the resin transfer molding (RTM) process, two types of fluid injection are commonly utilized: constant fluid pressure and constant fluid flow rate. The constant pressure condition is often enforced by placing the test fluid within a pressure pot and supplying a constant gas pressure, thereby forcing the fluid into the mold under a constant pressure. In the case of constant fluid flow rate, the fluid is often supplied by forcing a piston through a fluid-filled cylinder at a constant rate of displacement through the use of a press or Instron machine. This paper presents a nonlinear control method for providing constant flow rate RTM processes with a pressure pot solely through the use of a regulator. Computer simulations of the control examined the effect of various parameters on the ability to maintain constant flow rate. Rectilinear flow experiments were carried out to evaluate the theoretical development. Experimental results are in good agreement with the computer simulations. Both computer simulations and experiments show significant promise for the proposed control methodology.
Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft-tissue infection in HIV-infected patients.

Background. Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has emerged as the most common cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Methods. Retrospective chart review of 43 adult HIV-infected patients with CA-MRSA SSTI was conducted. Results. Antibiotic susceptibility was as follows: vancomycin (100%), rifampin (100%), gentamicin (97.7%), tetracycline (96.5%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (95.2%), clindamycin (89.5%), levofloxacin (66.7%), and erythromycin (6.9%). At SSTI presentation, 58.5% of patients had CD4 counts greater than 200 cells/uL, 82.9% had a viral load (VL) below 100 000 log copies/mL, 6 of whom had undetectable VL. All 43 patients received empiric antibiotic therapy. Additionally, 34 patients underwent incision and drainage (I&D). For the 37 patients with follow-up data available at 4 weeks, 30 of the infections were resolved/resolving and 7 had no improvement or worsened. Conclusion. A majority of our patients with CA-MRSA SSTI did not have immunologi...