cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2494: A non-covalent binding platinum drug, TriplatinNC, induces a G1 phase cell cycle arrest and p53-independent mechanisms of apoptosis

TriplatinNC, is a novel trinuclear derivative of the Phase II clinical drug, BBR3464. The binding to DNA is through non-covalent (hydrogen bonding and electrostatic) interactions. The absence of substation-labile leaving groups results in insensitivity to glutathione concentration in vitro while the high (8+) charge results in enhanced cellular accumulation compared to BBR3464 and especially cisplatin. The antitumor activity of TriplatinNC was examined in vivo showing higher activity against 2008 ovarian carcinoma cells than c-DDP at the doses administered. Studies using HCT116 colon carcinoma cells have shown that TriplatinNC is cytotoxic in the presence and absence of p53. Cell cycle studies show that TriplatinNC differs from BBR3464 in inducing a G1 arrest rather than a G2 arrest in HCT116 cells. A p53-independent activation of caspase 8 and caspase 9 leading to the cleavage of caspase 3 and its downstream substrate, PARP-1, may indicate that TriplatinNC induces both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of cell death. Our study illustrates fundamental differences in the mechanisms of action between non-covalent binding drugs like TriplatinNC and related covalent binding drugs such as c-DDP, oxaliplatin, and BBR3464. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2494.
Simulation of Gas/Oil Drainage and Water/Oil imbibition in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

Methode simple de representation, en simulateur numerique, du comportement d'un systeme a porosite mixte (matrice/fissure). Des courbes de pseudo-pression capillaire sont employees a la fois dans le cas de la matrice et dans celui de la fissuration. La courbe de matrice est obtenue a partir d'une simple simulation de modele de reseau a maille fine. La courbe de fracturation est determinee a partir des dimensions des blocs de la matrice et des proprietes des roches. Le drainage gaz/huile et l'inhibition eau/huile montrent des comportements qui peuvent se caracteriser par differents facteurs de forme de la pseudo-pression capillaire
Spatial data analysis of complex urban systems

Cities are complex systems that are constantly evolving to better allow people to connect with one another. Moreover, and similar to countless natural phenomena, cities exhibit inherent orders that can be captured and expressed through complex analyses of their components. Using a variety of large datasets, this work offers a ring-buffer approach to analyze the spatial characteristics of four components of Chicago urban system, namely: roads, intersections, buildings, and population+ employment. The complex nature of these four components manifests itself in power-law relationships, represented by their fractal dimensions. Results show that road length and number of intersections, and to a larger degree, population+employment count and building gross floor area exhibit significantly similar properties. The proposed method could further be used to analyze large demographic, socio-economic, and other geospatial datasets with the aim to study their impacts on relevant urban systems characteristics, including mobility, connectivity, and accessibility to name a few.
Increased expression of novel full-length endogenous mink cell focus-forming-related transcripts in autoimmune mouse strains

We have identified a novel 8.4-kb retroviral transcript which represents an endogenous mink cell focus-forming env-related provirus containing a 190-bp cellular DNA insert in the LTR region. This RNA species was highly expressed in tissues of autoimmune mouse strains, but not in those of nonautoimmune strains.
Survival quotient as a method for investigating psychosocial aspects of cancer survival.

Terminally ill cancer patients die at different rates and some of this variance is due to psychosocial differences. In order to discover this variance we developed the Survival Quotient, an index of relative longevity which is applicable across different tumor sites with widely differing life expectancies. The Quotient is based on the difference between Observed Survival, i.e., how long a patient lived from diagnosis to death, and Expected Survival, or how long he was expected to live when compared to a large series of deceased patients with the same tumor site. To obtain an estimate of Expected Survival for six cancer sites (lung, breast, stomach, colon, cervix, lymphoma), six detailed multiple regressions were done. To illustrate the procedure, only one site (lung) is used along with case samples. The Survival Quotient can be useful in research where it is necessary to assess the velocity of dying while controlling for biological differences and similarities.
Chronic alcohol exposure differentially affects activation of female locus coeruleus neurons and the subcellular distribution of corticotropin releasing factor receptors.

Abstract Understanding the neurobiological bases for sex differences in alcohol dependence is needed to help guide the development of individualized therapies for alcohol abuse disorders. In the present study, alcohol-induced adaptations in (1) anxiety-like behavior, (2) patterns of c-Fos activation and (3) subcellular distribution of corticotropin releasing factor receptor in locus coeruleus (LC) neurons was investigated in male and female Sprague–Dawley rats that were chronically exposed to ethanol using a liquid diet. Results confirm and extend reports by others showing that chronic ethanol exposure produces an anxiogenic-like response in both male and female subjects. Ethanol-induced sex differences were observed with increased c-Fos expression in LC neurons of female ethanol-treated subjects compared to controls or male subjects. Results also reveal sex differences in the subcellular distribution of the CRFr in LC-noradrenergic neurons with female subjects exposed to ethanol exhibiting a higher frequency of plasmalemmal CRFrs. These adaptations have implications for LC neuronal activity and its neural targets across the sexes. Considering the important role of the LC in ethanol-induced activation of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, the present results indicate important sex differences in feed-forward regulation of the HPA axis that may render alcohol dependent females more vulnerable to subsequent stress exposure.
Semiclassical quantization conditions for the Coulomb and radial-harmonic-oscillator potentials

Abstract It is shown that the Langer transformation is unique for the Coulomb and radial-harmonic-oscillator potentials for arbitrary values of angular momentum.
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in pregnancy

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are excellent antihypertensive agents and are becoming widely used as first-line therapy for chronic hypertension in women of reproductive age owing to their efficacy and few side effects. Reports of adverse fetal and neonatal effects from the use of ACE inhibitors in pregnancy in both animal and human studies prompted recommendations against their use in human pregnancy by several authors. This review discusses the mechanism of action of ACE inhibitors and the use of ACE inhibitors in pregnancy both in experimental animals and use in human pregnancy. ACE inhibitors used during pregnancy may have untoward effects on the fetus. Based on reports in the literature, one should avoid starting ACE inhibitors during pregnancy and discontinue them in current users if at all possible.
The relationship between fatigue and quality of life in children with chronic health problems: a systematic review.

PURPOSE. This systematic review synthesized the literature regarding fatigue in children with chronic health problems and examined the relationship to quality of life. CONCLUSIONS. Most studies that have examined fatigue and its relationship to quality of life in children with chronic health problems have focused on children with cancer. Studies found that children often reported fatigue and that it decreased quality of life. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Quantifying fatigue in children with chronic illnesses and disabilities is critical for pediatric nursing assessment. Understanding the impact of fatigue on children with chronic health problems is a first step in improving their quality of life.
Fertility-sparing surgery in 101 women with adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix ☆

Abstract Objectives Cervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) is a precursor of invasive disease that is increasing in incidence primarily among reproductive-age women of low parity. Conization is an alternative to hysterectomy that allows future pregnancy, but has an inherent risk of residual AIS. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcomes of patients treated by this fertility-sparing strategy over an extended period of surveillance. Methods Women diagnosed with cervical AIS who underwent primary fertility-sparing surgery with either loop excision or cold knife conization between 1993 and 2001 were identified at three institutions. A retrospective medical record review was performed. Patients 40 years of age and older and those undergoing hysterectomy within 12 months of diagnosis were excluded. Results A total of 101 women underwent cone biopsy and expectant management. The median age was 29 years. Fifty-seven percent were nulliparous and 23% primiparous. Cold knife conization was most commonly performed (69 vs. 32 procedures) and had a higher efficacy of achieving negative margins (72% vs. 47%; P =0.036). Thirty-five women had a total of 49 pregnancies during a mean follow-up of 51 months. Thirty-five gestations were delivered at term. There were two preterm births, eight spontaneous miscarriages, three elective terminations, and one ectopic pregnancy. Thirty-six patients had a repeat cone biopsy. Five ultimately underwent hysterectomy. No invasive cervical adenocarcinomas were observed during the study interval. Conclusion Fertility-sparing surgery enables women with cervical AIS to achieve pregnancy with minimal risk of developing invasive disease during surveillance.
THE EFFECT OF ETHIDIUM BROMIDE ON MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SYNTHESIS AND MITOCHONDRIAL DNA STRUCTURE IN HELA CELLS

The synthesis of mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) in HeLa cells is selectively inhibited by relatively low concentrations of ethidium bromide. After exposure of cells to strongly inhibitory concentrations of the drug, the apparent superhelix density of mDNA is rapidly increased, as judged by its buoyant density in CsCl in the presence of ethidium bromide. Mitochondrial DNA synthesized in the presence of partially inhibitory concentrations of ethidium bromide is also altered in its buoyant density in the presence of the dye, but is more heterogeneous in this respect. However, the change in buoyant density of newly synthesized mDNA may be explained by changes in structure other than a change in superhelix density, as indicated by its increased resistance to digestion by pancreatic DNase.
Data analysis for a dual-channel virus counter.

A simple algorithm is presented for quantitative analysis of simultaneous events on a dual-channel flow cytometer designed specifically for virus counting. The algorithm, which is based on matrix analysis of burst lag times, was evaluated using baculovirus samples that had previously been quantified by the plaque titer method. The results indicated statistical reliability for the algorithm, with three of six samples yielding the same value, within error, for viruses per unit volume as the plaque titer. The other three samples yielded values within a factor ∼2, which was deemed acceptable given the limitations of the plaque titer method.
The Flow-Ratio Index: An Approach for Measuring the Influence of Age and Cigarette Smoking on Maximum Expiratory Flow-Volume Curve Configuration

A forced expiratory flow ratio, derived from the average slope of the maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curve over a specified volume interval, was examined in healthy asymptomatic cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. This index was developed to have the properties that it would be (1) simple to calculate, (2) less effort dependent than indices that incorporate peak flow, and (3) free of influence from the configurational detail and noise frequently occurring at higher lung volumes on MEFV curves. Forced expired vital capacity maneuvers were performed by participants in a worksite health promotion program. Data from asymptomatic individuals with normal pulmonary function were analyzed for 49 cigarette smokers and 52 nonsmokers; 25 individuals had MEFV curves collected twice over a one-year interval. The ratio of flow derived from an average MEFV slope to instantaneous flow was calculated over the lower half of the vital capacity. Flow ratios were expressed as a percentage of the instantaneous flow at 75 percent of the expired vital capacity (FR75). This ratio was reproducible from year 1 to year 2 (r = 0.86, p
Pharmacy Considerations Related to Radiolabeled Monoclonal Antibodies

Current modalities used for the detection and treatment of cancer suffer from the lack of specificity for tumor cells. Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies have been, and continue to be, actively investigated for use in this regard. Various radionuclides, cell cultures, and radiolabeling processes have been examined, aimed at producing a product with sufficient immunoreactivity to enhance the use of these agents in various radioimmunodetection, radioimmunotherapy and radioimmunoguided surgery capacities. Antibody production, radiolabeling and radionuclide selection criteria, and quality assessment techniques for radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies are reviewed.
The Impact of Electronic Communications on Qatari Family Values

Abstract Background: Our research investigates the impact of the sudden profusion of internet media and other forms of global communications on family values in Qatar. The majority of mass communications and sociological research has focused on examining the media content and the audience of the media in the United States and Europe. However, documentation on the societal consequences of the dissemination of internet media and other forms of mass communication on Arab, and in particular Gulf countries such as Qatar, remains scarce. The particular placement of Qatar at the heart of the crosscurrents of globalization affords a unique opportunity to examine this phenomenon. Objective: This paper attempts to gauge to what degree global communications are driving individualism a modern sense of citizenship and national identity, and to what degree the weakening of family solidarities may have adverse consequences for communal identities and the fabric of households and the nation as a whole. Methodology: The c...
Facets: a new algorithm for extracting 3-D surface from volume data

Three dimensional surface reconstruction from volume data is very useful in medical imaging, scientific visualization and geometric modeling. Given a set of uniform sampled 3-D volume data, the problem of surface construction is to interpolate or approximate the three dimensional surface from it. A simple and efficient method, Facets, is proposed to extract the accurate and continuous surface with consistent topology.
Thematic Apperception Test: A Note on Reliability and Situational Validity

(1955). Thematic Apperception Test: A Note on Reliability and Situational Validity. Journal of Projective Techniques: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 36-42.
Isolation potentiates the aggression-activating property of testosterone in female mice.

Abstract Adult ovariectomized mice were isolated for either 0, 2, 4, or 8 weeks, after which they received testosterone-containing Silastic implants and were tested on alternate days for intraspecific fighting. Females isolated for 8 weeks fought significantly sooner following the commencement of hormone treatment. Isolation failed to influence the proportion of animals which fought across groups. Isolation therefore potentiates the aggression-activating property of testosterone.
Inhibition of enoxacin absorption by antacids or ranitidine.

Abstract Ten normal volunteers participated in a randomized, five-way crossover study to determine the effect of concurrent enoxacin and antacid or ranitidine administration on enoxacin absorption. The bioavailability of a single oral 400-mg enoxacin dose was significantly decreased, by 73 and 49%, when Maalox TC was administered 0.5 and 2 h before enoxacin, respectively. Enoxacin bioavailability was not significantly altered when the antacid was given 8 h before or 2 h after enoxacin administration. Ranitidine, administered intravenously 2 h before enoxacin, also significantly decreased enoxacin bioavailability, by 40%. The correlation between the proximity of antacid administration and the magnitude of the decrease in enoxacin bioavailability supports complexation as the mechanism of the antacid-enoxacin interaction. However, reduction of enoxacin bioavailability by ranitidine suggests that elevated gastric pH may also play a role in the antacid-enoxacin drug-drug interaction.
Effects of tripelennamine and pentazocine alone and in combination on fixed-ratio responding of rats

The effects of tripelennamine (3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 mg/kg) and pentazocine (5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/kg), given alone and in selected combinations, were determined in rats performing under a fixed-ratio 30 schedule of food delivery. Each drug alone produced generally dosedependent decreases in response rates. Combinations typically produced effects identical in direction to, and occasionally greater in magnitude than, those predicted by a simple additive model.
Ten ways to improve IRBs.

rotection of research subjects in the United States has been vested in a decentralized peer review system, institutional review boards (IRBs), which examine research proposals to assure conformity with ethical and legal requirements for consent and risk-benefit assessment. Initiated in 1966 for Public Health Service grants, the system has been extended to all Department of Health, Education and Welfare research, and to all research, publicly or privately funded, taking place in institutions receiving DHEW research funds. Now operating in hundreds of institutions, reviewing research involving thousands of subjects, the IRB system has no doubt helped to improve research practices. It has made researchers aware of ethical norms and, because of its power to withhold the approval necessary for funding, assured that research generally meets peer norms of acceptability. As the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research concluded, in its Report and Recommendations on Institutional Review Boards, "IRBs play an essential role in the protection of human subjects."1 The IRB is an important structural innovation in the social control of science, and similar forms are likely to be developed for other such controversial areas.2 However, there are tensions within the IRB system and structural and administrative defects that may hurt subjects and hinder investigators. The IRB regulatory system is highly decentralized. It depends on institutionally run review boards to apply federal standards of risk-benefit and consent to locally conducted research. The research institutions that control the composition and most aspects of IRB practice tend to appoint researchers who dominate the board in numbers and influence. There is often some token lay or noninstitutional participation, but this does not usually offset researcher interests. The result has been scientist-dominated boards that may underprotect subjects. At the same time, some aspects of the IRB system may be unnecessarily intrusive, engendering hostility and resistance, particularly among social scientists. How effective is the system in protecting subjects? A test of efficacy would require a comparison of the ethical acceptability of risk-benefit ratios and subject consent in current research with the costs of the review process to science, researchers, and institutions. But data for these assessments are unavailable or ambiguous. However, the egregious violation of subject rights, exemplified by the Tuskegee syphilis research study and Henry Knowles Beecher's documenta-
Linkage of replication to start by the Cdk inhibitor Sic1

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, three G1 cyclins (Clns) are important for Start, the event committing cells to division. Sic1, an inhibitor of C1b-Cdc28 kinases, became phosphorylated at Start, and this phosphorylation depended on the activity of Clns. Sic1 was subsequently lost, which depended on the activity of Clns and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Cdc34. Inactivation of Sic1 was the only nonredundant essential function of Clns, because a sic1 deletion rescued the inviability of the cln1 cln2 cln3 triple mutant. In sic1 mutants, DNA replication became uncoupled from budding. Thus, Sic1 may be a substrate of Cln-Cdc28 complexes, and phosphorylation and proteolysis of Sic1 may regulate commitment to replication at Start.
An On-Line Imitative Test of Speech-Pattern Contrast Perception (OlimSpac): Developmental Effects in Normally Hearing Children

Purpose The goal was to assess the effects of maturation and phonological development on performance, by normally hearing children, on an imitative test of auditory capacity (On-Line Imitative Test...
Effect of hydrocortisone on chick duodenum cultured in chemically defined medium.

SummarySixteen- and 19-day-old embryonic chick duodenum can be cultured for at least 3 days in a chemically defined serum-free medium.No significant morphologic difference is observed whether or not serum is added to the medium.Cells in mitosis are present in all cultures and the distribution of mitoses indicates mat uration of the tissue in culture with or without serum.Invertase activity is increased in cultures without serum and the induction of invertase by hydrocortisone is greater in tissues cultured in serum-free medium.The utilization of glucose by the duodenum in organ culture is decreased in the presence of hydrocortisone.The utilization or production of the individual amino acids by the chick embryo duodenum in organ culture in the presence and absence of hydrocortisone has been described.
Taxonomic notes on Polynema eutettexi Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) and a similar species reared as an egg parasitoid of Graphocephala atropunctata (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in California

Abstract The mymarid Polynema sp. near eutettexi Girault was found to be the primary egg parasitoid of the blue-green sharpshooter, Graphocephala atropunctata (Signoret), in California. Indicated and illustrated are its morphological differences from P. eutettexi Girault, an egg parasitoid of the beet leafhopper, Neoaliturus tenellus (Baker). Host specificity studies revealed that female P. sp. near eutettexi would not parasitize eggs of the beet leafhopper under laboratory conditions, thus indicating an important biological difference that separates these two species of Polynema.
Tandem Chain Extension-Mannich Reaction: An Approach to β-Proline Derivatives

A zinc carbenoid-initiated chain extension reaction provides access to an organometallic intermediate, which can be used to capture activated imines. Deprotection of the nitrogen and reduction provides access to racemic derivatives of β-proline. The relative stereochemistry of the β-proline can be controlled through use of different activating groups on the imine nitrogen.
Gambling Politics: State Government and the Business of Betting

Gambling Politics: State Government and the Business of Betting. By Patrick A. Pierce and Donald E. Miller. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004. 240p. 19.95 paper.The traditional wisdom regarding the decision to adopt a lottery was that state policymakers turned to lotteries in an effort to avoid raising taxes. Yet at least one seminal study (Frances Stokes Berry and William Berry, “State Lottery Adoptions as Policy Innovations: An Event History Analysis,” American Political Science Review 84 [1990]: 395–415) suggests that such adoptions are most likely when the fiscal health of the state is relatively strong, among other things. These findings present some interesting and somewhat perplexing questions for those who study the gambling industry. If fiscal health of the state does not have a substantial impact on gambling adoptions, why then are the political battles surrounding those adoptions so often framed in terms of revenues? The revenues generated by even the most successful state lotteries and casinos are relatively small when compared to traditional taxes, such as sales and income tax (with the noteworthy exception of Nevada casinos, which have historically generated substantial portions of that state's total revenue). An important area for policy research is whether casinos are being viewed by states primarily as revenue generators or in some other terms. In the case of casinos, much of the discussion in some states has centered on the economic development possibilities of the casino industry.
Sp100A promotes chromatin decondensation at a cytomegalovirus-promoter-regulated transcription site.

Sp100 isoforms differentially regulate a CMV-promoter–regulated transcription site, which can be visualized in single cells. Sp100A promotes decondensation and increases lysine acetylation. However...
Estimation of the Maximum Temperature of a Swept Leading Edge for an Equilibrium Glide Entry

Maximum stagnation temperature on swept wing leading edge for equilibrium glide entry of space shuttle
A novel reordering write buffer to improve write performance of log-structured file systems

We present a novel reordering write buffer which improves the performance of log-structured file systems (LFS). While UFS has a good write performance, high garbage-collection overhead degrades its performance under high disk space utilization. Previous research concentrated on how to improve the efficiency of the garbage collector after data is written to disk. We propose a new method that reduces the amount of work the garbage collector would do before data reaches disk. By classifying active and inactive data in memory into different segment buffers and then writing them to different disk segments, we force the disk segments to form a bimodal distribution. Most data blocks in active segments are quickly invalidated, while inactive segments remain mostly intact. Simulation results based on a wide range of both real-world and synthetic traces show that our method significantly reduces the garbage collection overhead, slashing the overall write cost of LFS by up to 53 percent, improving the write performance of LFS by up to 26 percent, and the overall system performance by up to 21 percent.
Some evidence for the size-distortion explanations of illusions

Eleven male Ss evaluated five forms of the concentric-squares illusion. The results suggest that this illusion is produced primarily by distortions in the size of the test figure rather than distortions in the locations of its contours. The method employed in obtaining these data can be used to provide information about the size-distortion components of other phenomena such as figural aftereffects, time and space errors, and apparent motion.
Improvement by affinity chromatography on antiidiotypic monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) of immunoreactivity and in vivo targeting of radiolabelled anti‐HMW‐MAA MAb TP61.5 in nude mice bearing human melanoma lesions

The human high-molecular-weight melanoma-associated antigen (HMW-MAA) represents a useful marker for immunoscintigraphy in patients with melanoma. Since injection of a radiolabelled anti-HMW-MAA monoclonal antibody (MAb) visualizes only about 60% of melanoma lesions, approaches are being developed to increase the sensitivity of immunoscintigraphy. One of them aims at improving the immunoreactivity of radiolabelled anti-HMW-MAA MAbs, since this approach may improve the targeting of radiolabelled MAbs to melanoma lesions. We have previously shown that affinity chromatography on insolubilized anti-idiotypic MAbs is a useful method for purifying immunoreactive anti-HMW-MAA MAb TP61.5 from 125I-labelled MAb preparations and that not all the anti-idiotypic MAbs are useful for this purpose. Since the increasing number of available anti-idiotypic MAbs is likely to facilitate the application of this procedure in many antigenic systems, we have now tested criteria to select anti-idiotypic MAbs suitable for the purification procedure. Furthermore, we have investigated the effect of the increase in immunoreactivity of 125I-MAb TP61.5 on its in vivo targeting to human melanoma lesions transplanted into nude mice. Among the 3 anti-idiotypic MAbs tested, the most effective in purifying immunoreactive MAb TP61.5 molecules following radiolabelling is MAb TK7-110, with which 125I-MAb TP61.5 displays an immunoreactivity similar to that displayed with melanoma cells. This parameter may represent a useful criterion to identify anti-idiotypic MAbs suitable for the purification procedure, if the present results are confirmed with a large number of anti-idiotypic MAbs in different antigenic systems. We have also shown that an incubation time for up to 4 hr of 125I-MAb TP61.5 with insolubilized MAb TK7-110 is the most effective in increasing immunoreactivity and in recovering immunoreactive MAb applied to the affinity matrix. The increase in the immunoreactive fraction of 125I-MAb TP61.5 significantly increases its specific localization in human melanoma lesions transplanted into nude mice. These results suggest that purification of radiolabelled immunoreactive anti-HMW-MAA MAb TP61.5 by affinity chromatography using anti-idiotypic MAb TK7-110 represents a useful approach to increasing the sensitivity of immunoscintigraphy in patients with melanoma.
Parental-specific methylation of an imprinted transgene is established during gametogenesis and progressively changes during embryogenesis.

Abstract Genomic imprinting is a regulatory process that requires a cell to recognize the parental origin of alleles. To understand how these alleles are distinguished, we have assessed changes in the DNA methylation of an imprinted transgene as it switches from one inheritance pattern to another while moving through gametogenesis and embryogenesis. We find that both maternally and paternally inherited methylation patterns are erased in primordial germ cells and that distinctive patterns emerge during germ cell maturation. In the case of the maternal allele, the methylation pattern is fully acquired during oogenesis. In the case of the paternal allele, the methylation pattern found in sperm undergoes further modification during embryogenesis. Thus, the distinction between "erased" maternal and paternal alleles is first established during their residence in different germ cells and then may be maintained by the recognition of the distinctive patterns that each allele displays in the zygote.
Integration of ChIP-seq and machine learning reveals enhancers and a predictive regulatory sequence vocabulary in melanocytes

We take a comprehensive approach to the study of regulatory control of gene expression in melanocytes that proceeds from large-scale enhancer discovery facilitated by ChIP-seq; to rigorous validation in silico, in vitro, and in vivo; and finally to the use of machine learning to elucidate a regulatory vocabulary with genome-wide predictive power. We identify 2489 putative melanocyte enhancer loci in the mouse genome by ChIP-seq for EP300 and H3K4me1. We demonstrate that these putative enhancers are evolutionarily constrained, enriched for sequence motifs predicted to bind key melanocyte transcription factors, located near genes relevant to melanocyte biology, and capable of driving reporter gene expression in melanocytes in culture (86%; 43/50) and in transgenic zebrafish (70%; 7/10). Next, using the sequences of these putative enhancers as a training set for a supervised machine learning algorithm, we develop a vocabulary of 6-mers predictive of melanocyte enhancer function. Lastly, we demonstrate that this vocabulary has genome-wide predictive power in both the mouse and human genomes. This study provides deep insight into the regulation of gene expression in melanocytes and demonstrates a powerful approach to the investigation of regulatory sequences that can be applied to other cell types.
Sensitivity studies for imaging a spherical object embedded in a spherically symmetric, two-layer turbid medium with photon-density waves

We present analytic expressions for the amplitude and phase of photon-density waves in strongly scattering, spherically symmetric, two-layer media containing a spherical object. This layered structure is a crude model of multilayered tissues whose absorption and scattering coefficients lie within a range reported in the literature for most tissue types. The embedded object simulates a pathology, such as a tumor. The normal-mode-series method is employed to solve the inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation in spherical coordinates, with suitable boundary conditions. By comparing the total field at points in the outer layer at a fixed distance from the origin when the object is present and when it is absent, we evaluate the potential sensitivity of an optical imaging system to inhomogeneities in absorption and scattering. For four types of background media with different absorption and scattering properties, we determine the modulation frequency that achieves an optimal compromise between signal-detection reliability and sensitivity to the presence of an object, the minimum detectable object radius, and the smallest detectable change in the absorption and scattering coefficients for afixed object size. Our results indicate that 112 enhanced sensitivity to the object is achieved when the outer layer is more absorbing or scattering than the inner layer; 122 sensitivity to the object increases with the modulation frequency, except when the outer layer is the more absorbing; 132 amplitude measurements are proportionally more sensitive to a change in absorption, phase measurements are proportionally more sensitive to a change in scattering, and phase measurements exhibit a much greater capacity for distinguishing an absorption perturbation from a scattering perturbation. r 1996 Optical Society of America
The Interaction of Equatorial Kelvin Waves with Realistically Sheared Zonal Currents

Abstract We investigate the interaction of baroclinic equatorial Kelvin waves with realistically sheared background zonal currents in a linearized, continuously stratified model. The background flows are in thermal wind balance and allowed to vary continuously in the meridional and vertical directions. The governing equations for long-wave perturbations that are harmonic in time and longitude are reduced to a second-order partial differential equation for pressure on the meridional plane, then solved numerically in finite difference form. Our results indicate that the presence of a background jet can significantly modify the structures and dispersion characteristics of baroclinic Kelvin waves, depending on the speed and the spatial scales of the jet relative to those of the waves. The lowest baroclinic mode, which has a zonal phase speed much larger than typical mean flows, is the least structurally modified and Doppler-shifted. Higher baroclinic modes am more noticeably Doppler-shifted and experience str...
Foundations of Neural Networks

This chapter contains sections titled: Objectives of Neural Networks Biological Foundations of Neural Networks Early Neural Models Precursor to Current Models: Pattern Classification Resurgence of the Neural Network Approach Basic Concepts Summary This chapter contains sections titled: Exercises References
The Intramural Idea in Inter = school Competition

(1931). The Intramural Idea in Inter = school Competition. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 2, No. 10, pp. 38-39.
Therapeutic and Residual Efficacy of a Pour-On Formulation of Novaluron against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) on Infested Cattle

Abstract The effectiveness of a pour-on formulation of novaluron (Novatack Pour-on 5% Al, Clarion Biociencias LTDA, Goiania, Brazil), a benzoylphenyl urea acaricide, was evaluated by applying a low and high concentrations (1 mg/20 kg body weight and 1 mg/10 kg body weight) to cattle infested with all parasitic developmental stages (adults, nymphs, and larvae) of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini). The therapeutic percentage reduction in the number of females that reached repletion following treatment was 24.8 and 24.6% for the low and high rates, respectively. No difference in the weight of engorged females recovered from treated calves or in the index of fecundity (IF) was observed for either rate in comparison with the untreated control, and no significant difference in the overall therapeutic level of control was observed between the low and the high rates. Results obtained from the analysis of persistent (residual) efficacy of both rates showed no significant differences between the trea...
Abstract W P395: Aging Alters Vascular Stiffness in the Posterior Cerebral Artery in C57bl/6 Mice

Aging is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in part as a result of dysfunctional arteries. Arterial stiffening with age is considered to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease. Age-related artery remodeling in large conduit arteries increases the risk of stroke and dementia. Atherosclerotic elderly mice exhibit aorta outward remodeling compared to young mice. Also, peripheral resistance arteries remodel with age. Less is known on how aging alters the morphology of cerebral arteries. Historically young mice have been used in many stroke studies, however the STAIR criteria for preclinical testing clearly states that potential neuroprotective drugs need to be tested in aged mice. It is therefore important to understand how aging affects cerebral artery structure. The effects of aging have not been investigated in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA). The PCAs provide blood flow support when the middle cerebral artery is occluded or when blood flow to the brain is decreased by carotid artery stenosis. We hypothesized that aging would increase the PCA lumen diameter and wall thickness in C57BL/6 mice. PCAs were collected from 5 month (n=7) and 24 month (n=7) old mice for assessment of vessel structure by pressure myography. All results are presented as mean ± SEM, young vs old. The old mice weighed significantly more than the young mice (28.85±0.36 vs 33.27±1.04 grams p
Provider Experience and the Comparative Safety of Laparoscopic and Open Colectomy

Objective To evaluate the comparative safety of laparoscopic and open colectomy across surgeons varying in experience with laparoscopy. Data Sources National Medicare data (2008–2010) for beneficiaries undergoing laparoscopic or open colectomy. Study Design Using instrumental variable methods to address selection bias, we evaluated outcomes of laparoscopic and open colectomy. Our instrument was the regional use of laparoscopy in the year prior to a patient's operation. We then evaluated outcomes stratified by surgeons' annual volume of laparoscopic colectomy. Principal Findings Laparoscopic colectomy was associated with lower mortality (OR: 0.75, 95 percent CI: 0.70–0.78) and fewer complications than open surgery (OR: 0.82, 95 percent CI: 0.79–0.85). Increasing surgeon volume was associated with better outcomes for both procedures, but the relationship was stronger for laparoscopy. The comparative safety depended on surgeon volume. High-volume surgeons had 40 percent lower mortality (OR: 0.60, 95 percent CI: 0.55–0.65) and 30 percent fewer complications (OR: 0.70, 95 percent CI: 0.67–0.74) with laparoscopy. Conversely, low-volume surgeons had 7 percent higher mortality (OR: 1.07, 95 percent CI: 1.02–1.13) and 18 percent more complications (OR: 1.18, 95 percent CI: 1.12–1.24) with laparoscopy. Conclusions This population-based study demonstrates that the comparative safety of laparoscopic and open colectomy is influenced by surgeon volume. Laparoscopic colectomy is only safer for patients whose surgeons have sufficient experience.
Numerical Investigation of Shock-Induced Laminar Separation Bubble in a Mach 2 Boundary Layer

A numerical study of the interaction between an impinging oblique shock and a laminar boundary–layer on a flat plate is carried out. The two–dimensional separation bubble resulting from the shock/boundary–layer interaction (SBLI) at freestream Mach number of 2.0 for the approach flow is investigated in detail. The flow parameters used for the present investigation match the laboratory conditions in the experiments by Hakkinen et al. 1 The skin friction and pressure distribution from the simulations are compared to the experimental measurements and numerical results available in the literature. Our results confirm the asymmetric nature of the separation bubble as reported in the literature. In addition to the steady flow field calculations, the response to low–amplitude disturbances is investigated in order to study the linear stability behavior of the separation bubble. For comparison, both the development of two–dimensional and three–dimensional (oblique) disturbances are studied with and without the impinging oblique shock. Furthermore, the effects of the shock incidence angle and Reynolds number are also investigated. Finally, three–dimensional direct numerical simulations were performed in order to explore the laminar-turbulent transition process in the presence of a laminar separation bubble generated by an impinging shock.
Effect of Rhodium Distribution on Thermal Stability of Nanoporous Palladium–Rhodium Powders

Powders of nanoporous palladium and palladium alloy particles are of potential value for storage of hydrogen isotopes, as long as the pores remain stable over a useful range of temperatures and chemical environments. Rhodium alloys are known to have enhanced hydrogen storage and improved thermal stability versus pure palladium. However, the distribution of rhodium on pore and particle surfaces is critical to this. Pores are more ordered and thermally stable in rhodium-rich regions. Treatment of particles at elevated temperature under reducing conditions can cause rearrangement of Rh and Pd at the surface, but not a major change in Rh distribution throughout the particle. Heating in the presence of hydrogen causes more rapid pore rearrangement than heating in vacuum subsequent to hydrogen exposure, suggesting a direct chemical influence of hydrogen on mobility of surface atoms. These results provide a clear path to future improvements in the stability of nanoporous metals in reducing atmospheres.
Some Basic Sociological Postulates Underlying World Organization and Peace

T HE social theorist is an analyst of social forces and processes, social structures and functions. He, like the theoretical physicist in the realm of physical phenomena, seeks basic facts and principles. A sizeable body of substantial data and working, conclusions regarding the structures and functions essential to peace in a typical community of human beings have been accumulated. However, when the community in which peace is sought consists of the populations of the globe, the social theorist is confronted with certain situations with which he has had no previous, adequate, scientific experience. He must extend the postulates regarding the maintenance of peace in less-than-global areas so that they encompass not only the known but also the hypothetical characteristics of the world community. In so doing he discovers that no reasoning about the greater community being of precisely the same "type" as the lesser communities or "the whole being the sum of the parts" will apply to more than a limited degree. There exist certain basic characteristics of the world-community which do not apply to lesser ones. These require that we qualify and supplement the established basic principles regarding the essentials of peace. As in all standard scientific practice, we attempt to relate the "unknown" or "partially known" in a field of knowledge to the "known." Frankly, this paper will be of a theoretical nature. In this we conform to a necessary sequence, namely, that "theory" must precede "engineering" or "application." There must be, at the very outset of any constructive task, a fairly substantial agreement as to postulates or hypotheses which set forth the basic ingredients, principles, and objectives involved in the situation; then we are in a position to devise appropriate plans, procedures, and implementing machinery. The dominating general proposition, not original with the present writer,' is this: Peace between nations can be secured only through the same means by which it has been secured within nations. As the basis for such an exploration we posit four sequential postulates which are the residue of long experience. Their analysis and the relating of them to the global-community, admittedly done in an elementary and fragmentary manner, constitutes the burden of this paper. They are:
Team performance in a lean manufacturing operation: it takes the will and a way to succeed

As contemporary manufacturing companies embark upon the lean transformation, they are relying upon a more collaborative, cross-trained workforce that strives to deliver a quality product at the required time. This longitudinal study tracked five multifunctional work teams involved in a pull system implementation effort at an electronics assembly plant. This research examines the relationship between team characteristics including the inclination to collaborate, team flexibility and shared team priorities; and team performance measures that include performance to schedule, product quality and labour efficiency. Team member collaboration was positively associated with schedule performance and labour efficiency. Team flexibility was positively related to product quality. Finally, the concept of team priority consonance is introduced, which showed a positive association with schedule performance.
Examples for Global Behavior

The study of the global behavior of control systems serves two purposes. First, it describes the possible responses of the system under all admissible controls by identifying the regions of controllability and their domains of attraction. This knowledge is necessary, e.g., for control, tracking, or stabilization. This is obvious for the first two problems, and stabilization is only possible in the closures of control sets and from points in the corresponding domain of attraction. Furthermore, a study of the limit sets of controlled trajectories shows which limit sets are actually contained in the interior of control sets where the system can be steered from any point to any other point. The second benefit of global theory for control systems is the study of systems under bounded, time-varying perturbations, as explained in Chapter 2. Orbits, invariant sets, and domains of attraction describe the worst-case behavior of perturbed systems, and genericity results indicate, for “how many” perturbations the worst case behavior actually occurs.