cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
1.15 Å resolution structure of the proteasome-assembly chaperone Nas2 PDZ domain

The 26S proteasome is a 2.5 MDa protease dedicated to the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins in eukaryotes. The assembly of this complex containing 66 polypeptides is assisted by at least nine proteasome-specific chaperones. One of these, Nas2, binds to the proteasomal AAA-ATPase subunit Rpt5. The PDZ domain of Nas2 binds to the C-terminal tail of Rpt5; however, it does not require the C-terminus of Rpt5 for binding. Here, the 1.15 A resolution structure of the PDZ domain of Nas2 is reported. This structure will provide a basis for further insights regarding the structure and function of Nas2 in proteasome assembly.
Integration of Social Marketing Elements in the Design of a Physical Activity Program for Preschoolers

As obesity rates in young children continue to rise, the need for innovative nutrition- and physical activity-focused programs is apparent. With limited preschool obesity prevention efforts, a phys...
Transit signal priority impacts along a fixed-time signalized arterial

The paper presents a simulation study evaluating the impacts of alternative transit priority strategies along the Columbia Pike arterial in Arlington, Virginia, for both the AM peak and midday travel periods. The priority logic that is considered provides simple green extensions and green recalls within a fixed-time traffic signal control environment. Depending on the scenario considered, vehicles receiving priority include express buses running along Columbia Pike only, both express and regular buses, and all buses traveling within the study corridor. The results of the study indicate that buses that receive priority typically benefit from such a scheme, but that these benefits may be obtained at the expense of the general traffic, particularly when the traffic demand is high. However, the study demonstrates that for low traffic demands the overall negative impacts are negligible due to the availability of spare capacity at the signalized intersection approaches.
Predicting the success of primer extension genotyping assays using statistical modeling

Using an empirical panel of more than 20 000 single base primer extension (SNP-IT) assays we have developed a set of statistical scores for evaluating and rank ordering various parameters of the SNP-IT reaction to facilitate high-throughput assay primer design with improved likelihood of success. Each score predicts either signal magnitude from primer extension or signal noise caused by mispriming of primers and structure of the PCR product. All scores have been shown to correlate with the success/failure rate of the SNP-IT reaction, based on analysis of assay results. A logistic regression analysis was applied to combine all scored parameters into one measure predicting the overall success/failure rate of a given SNP marker. Three training sets for different types of SNP-IT reaction, each containing about 22 000 SNP markers, were used to assign weights to each score and optimize the prediction of the combined measure. c-Statistics of 0.69, 0.77 and 0.72 were achieved for three training sets. This new statistical prediction can be used to improve primer design for the SNP-IT reaction and evaluate the probability of genotyping success for a given SNP based on analysis of the surrounding genomic sequence.
Heterogeneous phase behavior of solid carbon dioxide in light hydrocarbons at cryogenic temperatures

Solubilities of solid carbon dioxide in liquid ethane, propane, and n-butane were measured from the hydrocarbon triple point or mixture eutectic point to the triple point of carbon dioxide, and an experimental uncertainty was determined for each data point. A eutectic point was discovered in the carbon dioxide–n-butane system at approximately 134°K., with a eutectic composition of approximately 0.25 mole % carbon dioxide. A nonlinear least squares analysis was used to fit the binary solubility data and carbon dioxide-methane data from the literature to the Wilson equation for the liquid-phase carbon dioxide activity coefficient. Better agreement with experimental data was obtained by adding two empirical constants to the Wilson equation. This study shows that the Wilson equation is an excellent model for solid carbon dioxide solubility in liquid methane, ethane, propane, and n-butane, over the entire composition range, and that the Wilson equation provides a better model than do corrections based on regular solution theory. The ternary system carbon dioxide-methane-ethane was also studied, and liquid and vapor compositions were measured for each of ten ternary mixtures in solid-liquid-vapor equilibrium. Ternary phase diagrams were constructed, and an empirical correlation was derived for solid carbon dioxide solubility in methane-ethane mixtures above 166°K. An important finding was that solid carbon dioxide is more soluble in some mixtures of methane and ethane than in either of the pure components.
Lyapunov-Based Exponential Tracking Control of a Hypersonic Aircraft with Aerothermoelastic Effects

Hypersonic flightconditionsproducetemperaturevariationsthatcanalterboththestructuraldynamicsand flight dynamics. These aerothermoelastic effects are modeled bya nonlinear, temperature-dependent, parameter-varying state-space representation. The model includes an uncertain parameter-varying state matrix, an uncertain parameter-varying nonsquare (column-deficient) input matrix, and a nonlinear additive bounded disturbance. A Lyapunov-based continuous robust controller is developed that yields exponential tracking of a reference model, despite the presence of bounded nonvanishing disturbances. Simulation results for a hypersonic aircraft are provided to demonstrate the robustness and efficacy of the proposed controller.
The impact of psychiatric and extraintestinal comorbidity on quality of life and bowel symptom burden in functional GI disorders

Background Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) patients report poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and experience high rates of psychiatric and extraintestinal functional disorder (EIFD) comorbidity. The independent influence of these comorbidities on HRQOL and symptom burden remains unknown. We sought to determine whether FGID with mood or EIFD comorbidity have poorer HRQOL and greater GI symptom burdens; to determine the influence of comorbidities on HRQOL in FGID independent of bowel symptoms. Methods Subjects reported on comorbidities (anxiety, depression, somatization, EIFD), FGID criteria (irritable bowel syndrome, IBS; functional dyspepsia, FD) using ROME III Research questionnaire, GI symptom burden, and HRQOL. Differences in measures were assessed between subjects with and without ROME III criteria. Multiple regression determined the relative contribution of comorbidities to HRQOL, and mediation analysis explored whether comorbidity influences HRQOL. Key Results In a cohort of 912 GI outpatients (47.2 ± 1.5 years, 75.8% female), 606 (66.4%) met Rome III IBS and/or FD criteria. Comorbidities were common in FGID (≥1 in 77.4%), leading to lower HRQOL and greater GI symptom burden (each p < 0.05). Poorer HRQOL was predicted by both psychiatric and EIFD comorbidity (each p < 0.05) independent of GI symptoms (p < 0.001). Comorbidities together exerted a greater effect on predicted variation in HRQOL (70.9%) relative to GI symptoms (26.5%). Conclusions & Inferences Psychiatric and EIFD comorbidities are common in FGID, decrease HRQOL and are associated with greater GI symptom burdens; these factors were stronger predictors of HRQOL than GI symptoms in FGID patients.
Holo-Transferrin and Thrombin Can Interact to Cause Brain Damage

Background and Purpose— Previous studies have suggested that delayed release of hemoglobin degradation products, particularly iron, is involved in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)–induced brain injury. However, a recent study found evidence of iron-induced brain injury soon after ICH. This study, therefore, examined whether another iron-containing component of blood, holo-transferrin (holo-Tf), might also induce brain injury either alone or in combination with thrombin, another factor involved in early ICH-induced brain injury. Methods— Male Sprague-Dawley rats received an intracerebral infusion of holo-Tf, apo (noniron–loaded)-Tf, thrombin, or a combination of Tf with thrombin into the right basal ganglia. The rats were euthanized 24 hours later for measurement of brain edema and assessment of DNA damage (single- and double-strand breaks and 8-hydroxyl-2′-deoxyguanosine immunohistochemistry). Iron distribution was examined histochemically. Results— Holo-Tf, apo-Tf, and the dose of thrombin used (1 U) all f...
668: Endothelial function gene polymorphisms are associated with pregnancy outcomes, independent of placental vascular disease

PREGNANCY OUTCOMES, INDEPENDENT OF PLACENTAL VASCULAR DISEASE MONIQUE CHIREAU, DAVID CROSSLIN, ELIZABETH HAUSER, ANDREW OLSHAN, SIQUN ZHENG, CAROLYN M SALAFIA, JOHN THORP, Duke University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Durham, North Carolina, Duke University, Center for Human Genetics, Durham, North Carolina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Epidemiology, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Wake Forest University-Baptist Medical Center, Center for Human Genomics, , North Carolina, Columbia-Presbyterian Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons, Pathology, New York, New York, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chapel Hill, North Carolina OBJECTIVE: To determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in endothelial function genes are associated with timing of delivery and fetal growth, through the intermediate of placental vascular disease, measured by chronic inflammation (CI) or vascular pathology (VP) on placental histology. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a case-control study of the association between SNPs in endothelial function genes, VP or CI, and preterm birth (PTB) or smallfor-gestational-age (SGA) birth. Genotyping was carried out on 476 women from the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition Study at the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, using MALDI-TOF. Genes studied were known to be associated with adult cardiovascular disease and included Apo A1 G75A, Apo A5 T1131C, ApoC3 C482T, endothelin-1 K198N, E-selectin A561C, ICAM-1 K469E, IL-6 G174C, MTHFR A222V, VEG-F C936T, and VEG-F C2568A. Placentas were scored by a placental pathologist. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: 83% of women were White and 17% Black. 15.2% and 7% of births were preterm or SGA, respectively. VP was noted in 34% and CI in 17% of placentas. VP was associated with decreased risk for SGA independent of genotype. Among White women the ApoC3 SNP was associated with decreased risk for VP (p 0.04, OR 0.69, CI 0.483-0.989). In PTB models including genotype, placental histology and maternal characteristics, the EDT-1 K469E SNP was associated with decreased PTB risk (p 0.006, OR 0.54, CI 0.35-0.84), independent of VP or CI. CONCLUSION: VP is associated with decreased risk for SGA. The endothelin-1 K198Ar SNP appears to be associated with reduced risk of PTB, but not with VP or CI, suggesting that it does not act through the intermediate of placental vascular disease; our power to detect differences for CI was low given sample size. Geneenvironment interactions may modulate these associations. Future studies of associations between genotype and ethnicity need to more fully account for genetic variation.
A THEORETICAL INVESTIGATION OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD SEX EDUCATION

Rates of teen pregnancy in the United States are significantly higher than those in most other industrialized nations. This is troubling in light of the consequences to teen mothers, their children, and society. Some suggest that teen pregnancies can be decreased by providing sex education in the public school system, while others believe that sex education is inappropriate for public school. Little research exists, however, on predictors of attitudes toward sex education, and most existing research is dated and lacks a theoretical framework. Guided by the seminal work of Ira L. Reiss, we examine the impact of labor shortages, religiosity, militarism, gender egalitarianism, regulation of sexuality, and a naturalistic view of sexuality on attitudes toward sex education. Results suggest that Hispanics, those with high levels of religiosity, and those who supported regulation of sexuality were significantly less likely to support sex education in public schools. Implications of the findings and directions fo...
What’s the Best Exposure? Examining Media Representations of Female Athletes and the Impact on Collegiate Athletes’ Self-Objectification

Many studies offer clear evidence that exposure to glamorized and sexualized media images results in distorted body image perceptions in girls and young women. Researchers have examined the link be...
Docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid affect ovarian prostaglandin levels differently in rats.

Abstract Prostaglandins (PGs) play a key role in the regulation of ovulation. Typically, ingestion of the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been found to decrease, whereas arachidonic acid (ARA) increases PG biosynthesis in most systems. We hypothesized that DHA and EPA would decrease ovarian PGE 2 , enhancing ovulation, with combined EPA and DHA having the greatest effect, whereas ARA would increase PGE 2 , suppressing ovulation. Our objective was to determine how 0.3-g/100-g diet DHA and EPA alone or combined, or ARA would affect tissue composition, ovulation, and PG synthesis in rats. After 27 days on diet and ovulation induction, ovaries were isolated and analyzed from 22 pups per diet. Eicosapentaenoic acid alone reduced ovarian n-6 PUFA attributable to reduced ARA incorporation. Arachidonic acid ingestion reduced and EPA enhanced ovarian n-3 PUFA to levels above what was seen with DHA or DHA/EPA combinations. Docosahexaenoic acid alone increased total PGE 1.5-fold over control, whereas neither differed from the remaining treatments. Increased total PGE with DHA was attributable to elevated PGE 3 with PGE 2 unchanged by diet, and PGE 3 only increased with DHA ingestion alone. Total PGF differed from control with the highest DHA intake, alone or combined with EPA, or with ARA ingestion ( P 3α . Experimental diets did not alter ovulation from control. Results indicate that DHA and EPA consumption at human achievable doses differently alters ovarian phospholipids and PGs associated with ovulation with potential for significant 3-series PG without significantly perturbing ovulation.
Algorithms for time synchronization of wireless structural monitoring sensors

Dense networks of wireless structural health monitoring systems can effectively remove the disadvantages associated with current wire-based sparse sensing systems. However, recorded data sets may have relative time-delays due to interference in radio transmission or inherent internal sensor clock errors. For structural system identification and damage detection purposes, sensor data require that they are time synchronized. The need for time synchronization of sensor data is illustrated through a series of tests on asynchronous data sets. Results from the identification of structural modal parameters show that frequencies and damping ratios are not influenced by the asynchronous data; however, the error in identifying structural mode shapes can be significant. The results from these tests are summarized in Appendix A. The objective of this paper is to present algorithms for measurement data synchronization. Two algorithms are proposed for this purpose. The first algorithm is applicable when the input signal to a structure can be measured. The time-delay between an output measurement and the input is identified based on an ARX (auto-regressive model with exogenous input) model for the input–output pair recordings. The second algorithm can be used for a structure subject to ambient excitation, where the excitation cannot be measured. An ARMAV (auto-regressive moving average vector) model is constructed from two output signals and the time-delay between them is evaluated. The proposed algorithms are verified with simulation data and recorded seismic response data from multi-story buildings. The influence of noise on the time-delay estimates is also assessed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Foundations for specifying OWL-S groundings

OWL-Sis an ontology in theWeb Ontology Language (OWL) that is used to describe and specify semantic web services. While OWL-S provides a promising mechanism for specification, publication, discovery, integration and access, the learning curve can be steep. As such, tool support for generating OWL-S specifications is a necessary requirement for effectively using the language for complex service orchestration. One of the advantages of OWL-S is its flexibility. Specifically, it facilitates the specification of many groundings (e.g. bindings) to a semantic web service. In this paper, we characterise groundings, describe an approach for generating groundings for a semantic web service and demonstrate how the use of lightweight interactive tools can facilitate creation of groundings for a semantic web service.
Enriching Research on Marital Enrichment Programs

The existing empirical literature on the outcomes of marital and pre-marital enrichment programs is critically reviewed. While the majority of studies have used untreated control groups and appear to offer very striking evidence of meaningful change as a result of these enrichment experiences, several important methodological deficiencies are common to these investigations and, therefore, require a cautious optimism about the efficacy of these programs. Six specific issues are addressed in an effort to improve the quality and utility of further research and practice in this area.
Pharmacologic Treatment of Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children and Adolescents (Part 1)

A review is presented of the diagnosis and drug treatment of the more common psychiatric and developmental disorders in the pediatric population. Where applicable, DSM III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders, III) criteria are utilized to describe the behavioral syndromes. The indications for usage and appropriate dosages of antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, stimulants, and lithium are described. Those disorders discussed are attention deficit disorder, conduct disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, schizophrenia, autism, Tourette's syndrome, mental retardation, depressive illness, manic depressive illness, eating disorders, and enuresis.
Confidence Intervals for Gamma-Family Measures of Ordinal Association.

This research focused on confidence intervals (CIs) for 10 measures of monotonic association between ordinal variables. Standard errors (SEs) were also reviewed because more than 1 formula was available per index. For 5 indices, an element of the formula used to compute an SE is given that is apparently new. CIs computed with different SEs were compared in simulations with small samples (N = 25, 50, 75, or 100) for variables with 4 or 5 categories. With N > 25, many CIs performed well. Performance was best for consistent CIs due to N. Cliff and colleagues (N. Cliff, 1996; N. Cliff & V. Charlin, 1991; J. D. Long & N. Cliff, 1997). CIs for Spearman's rank correlation were also examined: Parameter coverage was erratic and sometimes egregiously underestimated.
Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid-dependent cerebral vasodilation evoked by metabotropic glutamate receptor activation in vivo.

Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) on astrocytes have been shown to participate in cerebral vasodilation to neuronal activation in brain slices. Pharmacological stimulation of mGluR i...
Exploratory study of a KLK2 polymorphism as a prognostic marker in prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES An association of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the KLK2 gene (rs198977; c.748C>T; R250W) with risk for developing prostate cancer has been observed. We evaluated the role of R250W SNP for prognosis in prostate cancer. METHODS The c.748C>T SNP was genotyped from blood DNA of 182 patients after completing initial cancer treatments. For evaluating prognosis of genotype groups, associations were performed with Gleason score (GS) and biochemical recurrence free survival (bRFS) in patients demonstrating PSA-recurrence after initial cancer therapy. RESULTS Overall distribution of the CC, CT and TT genotypes for the SNP was 48%, 44% and 8%, respectively. The distribution of high (8-10), moderate (5-7) and low (2-4) GS among the genotype groups was 17%, 74% and 9% for CC group compared to 25%, 74% and 1% for the CT/TT (P=0.04). Median bRFS time for CT/TT group was 36.5 months compared to 44.5 months for the CC group (P=0.16), while genotype groups combined with morphology revealed significantly different bRFS (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS This exploratory analysis in prostate cancer patients revealed the W allele of the KLK2 R250W SNP to be less likely associated with low GS morphology. Further studies will be needed to confirm this observation in larger cohorts.
Agency and Expanding Capabilities in Early Grade Classrooms: What it Could Mean for Young Children

In this essay, Jennifer Keys Adair aims to clarify the concept of agency as a tool for improving the educational experiences of young children in the early grades. She conceptualizes agency in the context of schooling as the ability to influence what and how something is learned in order to expand capabilities, drawing on economic theories of human development, agency, and capability as they might be applied to early learning in schools. An understanding of early childhood education aimed at expanding children's capabilities stands in contrast to the currently prevalent emphasis on preparing children for the knowledge and skills tested in elementary grades. Through her classroom-based examples of student agency and her call to bring cultural and varied perspectives into the discussion, Adair hopes to encourage dynamic, agentic learning experiences for all children, not just those of privilege.
Altering expectancy dampens neural response to aversive taste in primary taste cortex

The primary taste cortex consists of the insula and operculum. Previous work has indicated that neurons in the primary taste cortex respond solely to sensory input from taste receptors and lingual somatosensory receptors. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show here that expectancy modulates these neural responses in humans. When subjects were led to believe that a highly aversive bitter taste would be less distasteful than it actually was, they reported it to be less aversive than when they had accurate information about the taste and, moreover, the primary taste cortex was less strongly activated. In addition, the activation of the right insula and operculum tracked online ratings of the aversiveness for each taste. Such expectancy-driven modulation of primary sensory cortex may affect perceptions of external events.
CD40 engagement triggers switching to IgA1 and IgA2 in human B cells through induction of endogenous TGF-β : Evidence for TGF-β but not IL-10-dependent direct Sμ->Sα and sequential Sμ->Sγ, Sγ->Sα DNA recombination

IgA are major effectors of antimicrobial defense in the respiratory and digestive tracts. We have analyzed the requirements for and the modalities of switching to IgA using our recently identified monoclonal model of human germinal center differentiation, CL-01 B cells. CL-01 cells bear surface IgM (sIgM) and sIgD and switch to all seven downstream isotypes in response to physiologic stimuli. In these cells, CD40 engagement by CD40 ligand induces production of endogenous TGF-β and IL-10, expression of germline Iα1-Cα1 and Iα2-Cα2 transcripts, mature VHDJH-Cα1 and VHDJH-Cα2 transcripts, and IgA secretion. These events are associated with not only direct Sμ→Sα, but also sequential Sμ→Sγ, Sγ→Sα DNA recombination, and are ablated by neutralizing anti-TGF-β but not IL-10 Ab, and indicating that TGF-β, not IL-10, is a crucial mediator of the transcriptional activation and recombination of human Cα1 and Cα2 genes. Our findings in CL-01 cells were reproduced in freshly isolated naive sIgM+ sIgD+ B lymphocytes. Thus, engagement of CD40, in the absence of other (known) stimuli, is sufficient to effectively induce switching to IgA in human B cells. This is effected by direct and sequential DNA recombination events, which are both dependent upon endogenous TGF-β secreted by the CD40L-induced B cells.
Single p-type/intrinsic/n-type silicon nanowires as nanoscale avalanche photodetectors.

We report the controlled synthesis of axial modulation-doped p-type/intrinsic/n-type (p-i-n) silicon nanowires with uniform diameters and single-crystal structures. The p-i-n nanowires were grown in three sequential steps: in the presence of diborane for the p-type region, in the absence of chemical dopant sources for the middle segment, and in the presence of phosphine for the n-type region. The p-i-n nanowires were structurally characterized by transmission electron microscopy, and the spatially resolved electrical properties of individual nanowires were determined by electrostatic force and scanning gate microscopies. Temperature-dependent current−voltage measurements recorded from individual p-i-n devices show an increase in the breakdown voltage with temperature, characteristic of band-to-band impact ionization, or avalanche breakdown. Spatially resolved photocurrent measurements show that the largest photocurrent is generated at the intrinsic region located between the electrode contacts, with mult...
Microbiological Quality of Packaged Lunchmeat as Related to the Sell-by-date

Consumers are often confused by the product dating systems used by the food manufacturers. However, they have reported that they consider these dates when purchasing lunchmeats and other ready-to-eat foods. A study was conducted to evaluate changes of microbiological quality of packaged lunchmeat during refrigerated storage as related to the sell-by-date (SBD). Thirty packages of lunchmeat with the same lot number were tested over an extended period. The microbiological quality was satisfactory at the time of purchase. It deteriorated steadily during refrigerated storage regardless of whether the packages were opened or not, and was unsatisfactory at SBD. Food manufacturers should strive to meet the microbiological quality standards and consider the usefulness of the information to consumers when setting a product date.
Age-related decline in left ventricular filling at rest and exercise.

To determine whether the age-associated decline in resting left ventricular diastolic filling persists during aerobic exercise, rest and bicycle exercise filling indexes were measured from gated ra...
Infection surveillance systems in primary health care: A literature review

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is placing primary care at the epicenter of accountability of US health care delivery. There is a significant body of evidence characterizing the value of acute-care hospital infection surveillance systems. Given the central role primary care is beginning to play, we were interested in examining the use of infection surveillance systems in primary care practice. Our review of the literature found only 2 articles describing the influence of primary care infection surveillance systems, both providing evidence of its benefits. This area is ripe for further research.
Abstract 3001: Dysregulation of the mitotic spindle checkpoint contributes to the development of human genital tract leiomyosarcoma

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Genes involved in maintaining chromosomal stability are often aberrantly expressed in human cancers and have now emerged as potential therapeutic targets. Using cDNA microarrays, we found that 26 of the 50 most overexpressed genes in human uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) regulate centrosome structure and function. Using qPCR and Western blot, we confirmed that CDC20, TTK, TPX2, UBE2C, CENPA, and Aurora A and B kinases were markedly overexpressed when specimens of human uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) (n = 8) were compared to normal myometrium (n = 8) or benign uterine leiomyomas. Consistent with increased levels of Aurora A kinase activity, we found increased levels of phospho-Aurora A when specimens of uterine leiomyosarcoma were probed immunohistochemically. Functionally, we found that targeting Aurora A kinase expression by siRNA significantly inhibits the proliferation of an established leiomyosarcoma cell line SK-LMS as well as three cell strains (285, 505, 987) derived from metastatic human leiomyosarcomas. Similar to other cell types, inhibition of Aurora A activity resulted in a G2-M cell cycle arrest and the induction of apoptosis as measured by Caspase 3/7 expression. We also used MK5108, a novel small molecule inhibitor highly specific for Aurora kinase A, to treat leiomyosarcoma cell lines and found that increasing concentration both inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. Combining MK5108 with gemcitabine, docetaxel and cisplatin, cytotoxic agents currently used to clinically manage human uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS), significantly potentiated the ability of each chemotherapy to decrease proliferation and induce cell death. To better explore the role of Aurora kinase expression in vivo, mice were xenografted by intraperitoneally injecting 2 × 106 SK-LMS cells. We found that the oral administration of MK5108 at both 30mg/kg (n=4) and 60 mg/kg (n=4) significantly decreased the number of total implants as well as the mean size of the 5 largest intraperitoneal implants when compared to sham-treated animals (n=4). A trend toward decreased total tumor burden was also observed at both MK5108 dose levels, although no statistical difference was observed. Treatment with MK5108 was accompanied by increased intratumoral apoptosis as indexed by TUNEL assay as well as decreased proliferation as indicated by Ki-67 expression. These results are the first to demonstrate that defects in centrosomal maturation and spindle assembly could play an important role in the etiology of human genital tract leiomyosarcoma. In particular, Aurora A activity seems to be central to the development of human genital tract leiomyosarcoma. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3001. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3001
Epidemiology and risk factors for alcoholic liver disease

Development of liver damage and cirrhosis (ALD) related to alcohol consumption is complex. Studies have reported a threshold of drinking 20–30 g daily for women compared to 40–50 g daily for men. However, the absolute risk of ALD related to heavy drinking is relatively low, ranging from 6 to 15 %, so the majority of drinkers do not develop significant damage. Consuming more than 50 g of alcohol daily can accelerate progression of chronic hepatitis C and genetic hemochromatosis. Prior studies eliminated generalized malnutrition, chronic hepatitis B infection, and the type of alcoholic beverage consumed as risk factors. Obesity is an important risk factor for ALD in heavy drinkers and substantial evidence suggests genetic risks for liver damage in heavy drinkers as well as a genetic risk for drinking heavily (alcohol use disorders). A single-nucleotide polymorphism in PNPLA3 (G allele) is the most important genetic factor associated with an increase in the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis. Risk factors for obesity are also genetically determined, leading to a complex model for understanding the risk of developing ALD. Individual risk factors for ALD are potentially quantifiable within a population and will identify those populations at higher or lower risk for disease related to alcohol consumption. Careful studies of the patterns and levels of consumption of alcoholic beverages in genetically well-characterized populations are needed to understand the complex interaction between genes and the environment in the development of liver injury due to alcohol. Once these results are obtained, sound advice about the risk associated with consumption of alcoholic beverages can be provided to individuals.
Philip Wayne Powell, the Cold War, and the Conquest of Northern Mexico

The writings of the U.S. scholar Philip Wayne Powell have had an enduring influence on the historiography of colonial Mexico and the Spanish borderlands. But his writings have never been examined as a unified corpus, and so the deeply reactionary political ideology that lay behind them has never been well understood. By analyzing Powell’s political convictions, this article shows how contemporary scholarship on the conquest of northern Mexico can emerge from Powell’s long shadow. Los escritos del estudioso estadounidense Philip Wayne Powell han ejercido una influencia perdurable sobre la historiografia del Mexico colonial y las zonas fronterizas espanolas. Sin embargo, dichos escritos nunca han sido examinados como un corpus unificado, de manera que la ideologia politica profundamente reaccionaria detras de ellos nunca ha sido bien comprendida. Al analizar las convicciones politicas de Powell, el presente articulo muestra como puede surgir un conocimiento contemporaneo sobre la conquista del norte de Mexico a partir de la larga sombra de Powell.
Application of GIS to the Power Real-time Monitoring System

In addition to the introduction that explains the systematical structure and function of the Power Real-time Monitoring System,the method for combining the Power Real-time Monitoring System and Geographic Information System is illustrated in the first place.Then,the algorithm of the power-network's topological analysis and search are introduced,along with the method of auto-topology-formation.In the end the application of topological analysis and search technology to power dispatching are presented.
A newly discovered liver mass in a 65-year-old woman.

A 65-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune hepatitis presented to clinic for evaluation of a liver mass. Six months prior to presentation, workup was initiated for elevated liver enzyme levels.
Community structure of fern-affiliated endophytes in three neotropical forests

From the saprotrophs that decay plant material to the pathogens and mutualists that shape plant demography at local and regional scales, fungi are major drivers of tropical forest dynamics. Although endophytic fungi are abundant and diverse in many biomes, they reach their greatest diversity in tropical forests, where they can influence plant physiology, performance and survival. The number of quantitative studies regarding endophytes has increased dramatically in the past two decades, but general rules have not yet emerged regarding the biogeography, host affiliations, local or regional distributions, or phylogenetic diversity of endophytes in most tropical settings. Here, endophytic fungal communities associated with 18 species of eupolypod fern were compared among forest reserves in Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico. Molecular sequence data for >2000 isolates were used to determine the relationships of host taxonomy, forest (site), and environmental dissimilarity to endophyte community composition. Communities in related ferns differed significantly among forests, reflecting the interplay of geographic distance and environmental dissimilarity. Although the same phyla and classes of fungi were prevalent at each site, they differed in relative abundance. All sites were dominated by the same order (Xylariales), but sites differed in the phylogenetic clustering vs. evenness of their endophyte communities. By addressing the relationship of endophyte communities to host taxonomy, geographic distance and environmental factors, this study complements previous work on angiosperms and contributes to a growing perspective on the factors shaping communities of ecologically important fungi in tropical forests.
A Systematic Methodology for Gearbox Health Assessment and Fault Classification

A systematic methodology for gearbox health assessment and fault classification is developed and evaluated for 560 data sets of gearbox vibration data provided by the Prognostics and Health Management Society for the 2009 data challenge competition. A comprehensive set of signal processing and feature extraction methods are used to extract over 200 features, including features extracted from the raw time signal, time synchronous signal, wavelet decomposition signal, frequency domain spectrum, envelope spectrum, among others. A regime segmentation approach using the tachometer signal, a spectrum similarity metric, and gear mesh frequency peak information are used to segment the data by gear type, input shaft speed, and braking torque load. A health assessment method that finds the minimum feature vector sum in each regime is used to classify and find the 80 baseline healthy data sets. A fault diagnosis method based on a distance calculation from normal along with specific features correlated to different fault signatures is used to diagnosis specific faults. The fault diagnosis method is evaluated for the diagnosis of a gear tooth breakage; input shaft imbalance, bent shaft, bearing inner race defect, and bad key, and the method could be further extended for other faults as long as a set of features can be correlated with a known fault signature. Future work looks to further refine the distance calculation algorithm for fault diagnosis, as well as further evaluate other signal processing method such as the empirical mode decomposition to see if an improved set of features can be used to improve the fault diagnosis accuracy.
Serum insulin to predict time to castration-resistant progression and overall survival in metastatic androgen-dependent prostate cancer (mADPCa).

e16038 Background: Duration of response to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is highly variable in patients with mADPC and prognostic markers are needed. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia ma...
Device for cutting the time tail from spallation neutron pulses

The presence of long time tails in the neutron pulse produced by spallation sources is sometimes a problem in that it leads to background and can diminish the resolving power of the spectrometer. This problem is potentially severe with coupled moderators that are capable of providing increased intensity but at the cost of longer tails. The simple device we propose here is based on rocking a stack of multi-layers in the incident beam to attenuate these tails in a given band of incident wavelengths. The device and its operation are described and we present the results of Monte Carlo simulations.
Urbanization, Work and Community: The Logic of City Life in the Contemporary World

Purpose: I initiate the discussion with a statement about cognitive-cultural capitalism and its concentration in large global cities. This is followed by an argument to the effect that the specificity of the city resides in the manner in which the diverse social phenomena that it contains are brought into a composite pattern of spatial integration. With these preliminaries in mind, I examine the economic structure of the city in cognitive-cultural capitalism, with special reference to the emergence of a new division of labor and the changing configuration of intra-urban production space. This account leads directly to consideration of the restratification of urban society and its effects on neighborhood development and social life. The final section of the paper picks up on the notion of the Common in cognitive-cultural capitalism and offers some speculative remarks regarding the implications of this phenomenon for the economic and social order of cities. Methodology/Approach: Historical and geographical narrative combined with appeals to the theory of political economy. Findings: Cognitive-cultural capitalism is emerging as a dominant force of social and economic change in the twenty-first century. This trend is also evident in new patterns of urbanization that are emerging on all five continents. These patterns reflect dramatic shifts in the structure of urban production systems and the significant restratification of urban society that has been occurring as a consequence. Research Limitation/implication: The paper is pitched at a high level of conceptual abstraction. Detailed empirical investigation/testing of the main theoretical points outlined in the paper is urgently called for. Originality/Value of paper: The paper offers an overall theoretical synthesis of the interrelationships between cognitive-cultural capitalism and processes of urbanization.
The influence of low-intensity watershed development on the hydrology, geomorphology, physicochemistry and macroinvertebrate diversity of small coastal plains streams

Abstract Coastal areas are under increasing pressures from human population growth and expansion, resulting in widespread conversion of forested and agricultural lands to low-density residential development. We investigated stream response to urban land use in 13 small coastal watersheds with low-levels of impervious surface cover (IS, 1.5 − 10.9%). Specifically, we examined putative mechanistic relationships between pre-selected land-cover categories (riparian forest, agriculture and IS) and stream hydrology, geomorphology, and water-chemistries. We further examined relationships between commonly used benthic macroinvertebrate response metrics, land-cover variables and potential environmental stressors. We used partial least squares (PLS) regression, which has been shown to perform well for model selection and parameter estimation in small sample and collinear situations. Physicochemical variables total phosphorus (TP), total suspended solids (TSS), specific conductivity (SPC), pH and median water temperature were significantly associated with both% riparian forest buffer (FB) and% IS. Storm-event frequency and a baseflow index were associated with% IS alone; in contrast, % FB and IS were significantly associated with hydrologic flashiness and bankfull width. Benthic macroinvertebrate density was associated with% IS and associated hydro-geomorphic stressors, benthic diversity (richness, H ’, evenness) and taxa sensitivity/tolerance metrics (% EPT, NCBI) were more strongly associated with maximum water temperatures, gradients of organic matter and flow permanence in these streams than anthropogenic land-cover or associated stressors.
Estimates of Ionospheric Transport and Ion Loss at Mars

Ion loss from the topside ionosphere of Mars associated with the solar wind interaction makes an important contribution to the loss of volatiles from this planet. Data from NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission combined with theoretical modeling are now helping us to understand the processes involved in the ion loss process. Given the complexity of the solar wind interaction, motivation exists for considering a simple approach to this problem and for understanding how the loss rates might scale with solar wind conditions and solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance. This paper reviews the processes involved in the ionospheric dynamics. Simple analytical and semi-empirical expressions for ion flow speeds and ion loss are derived. In agreement with more sophisticated models and with purely empirical studies, it is found that the oxygen loss rate from ion transport is about 5% (i.e., global O ion loss rate of Qion ≈ 4 x 1024 s-1) of the total oxygen loss rate. The ion loss is found to approximately scale as the square root of the solar ionizing photon flux and also as the square root of the solar wind dynamic pressure. Typical ion flow speeds are found to be about 1 km/s in the topside ionosphere near an altitude of 300 km on the dayside. Not surprisingly, the plasma flow speed is found to increase with altitude due to the decreasing ion-neutral collision frequency.
Physiological, mitochondrial, and oxidative stress differences in the presence or absence of lactation in rats.

Human epidemiological data show that breastfeeding reduces the mother’s probability of developing several disease conditions, including obesity and type II diabetes compared to mothers that give birth but do not breastfeed. The goal of this investigation was to characterize how lactation changes a rat’s body composition, metabolism, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress. Ten-week old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups (n = 8 per group): 1) non-reproductive (NR), 2) those that were allowed to mate and give birth, but were not allowed to suckle their pups (PP), and 3) those that were allowed to mate and give birth, and suckled their young until weaning at 21 days (PL). All animals were sacrificed at a time corresponding to 7 days following the weaning of pups (i.e., day 28 postpartum). The body mass of PL rats was similar to NR rats, but the body mass of PP rats was higher than NR rats. Importantly, PL rats had lower retroperitoneal white adipose tissue mass compared to both NR and PP rats. The difference in fat mass was accompanied by higher protein levels of PPARδ, SOD2, and reduced oxidative damage. Furthermore, the liver of PL rats had higher mitochondrial function with NADH-linked substrates, and higher expression of PGC-1α, PPARδ, and SOD2. These acute differences observed between female rats that did and did not suckle their young could be used as the foundation for future research investigating the prolonged and sustained benefits of lactation.
Learning to see (Conference Presentation)

Human beings are born with a remarkable visual apparatus, but even if all the parts – lens, retina, optic nerve, and so on – are present in working order, seeing remains at least in large part a learned skill. This is reflected in the fact that some people can see and understand things that others find meaningless or even fail to notice. One striking example is the radiology education of medical students and residents, who over the course of their training move from not knowing what they are looking at to quickly making complex diagnoses. In this session, we consider how seeing is learned and weigh the respective contributions of science, technology, and the arts in cultivating this remarkable human capacity.
CONTINUOUS LEFT ATRIAL PRESSURE AND INVASIVE HEMODYNAMIC MONITORING VIA STEERABLE GUIDE CATHETER TO OPTIMIZE TRANSCATHETER MITRAL VALVE REPAIR WITH MITRACLIP NT SYSTEM

Left atrial pressure (LAP) and V-wave reduction are markers of successful transcatheter mitral repair but no simple method of continuous monitoring exists. We report our multicenter experience on continuous LAP monitoring during MitraClip repair. From 11/2016 to 8/2017, 74 prohibitive risk patients