cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lagged effects of experimental warming and doubled precipitation on annual and seasonal aboveground biomass production in a tallgrass prairie

Global climate change is expected to result in a greater frequency of extreme weather, which can cause lag effects on aboveground net primary production (ANPP). However, our understanding of lag effects is limited. To explore lag effects following extreme weather, we applied four treatments (control, doubled precipitation, 41C warming, and warming plus doubled precipitation) for 1 year in a randomized block design and monitored changes in ecosystem processes for 3 years in an old-field tallgrass prairie in central Oklahoma. Biomass was estimated twice in the pretreatment year, and three times during the treatment and posttreatment years. Total plant biomass was increased by warming in spring of the treatment year and by doubled precipitation in summer. However, double precipitation suppressed fall production. During the following spring, biomass production was significantly suppressed in the formerly warmed plots 2 months after treatments ceased. Nine months after the end of treatments, fall production remained suppressed in double precipitation and warming plus double precipitation treatments. Also, the formerly warmed plots still had a significantly greater proportion of C4 plants, while the warmed plus double precipitation plots retained a high proportion of C3 plants. The lag effects of warming on biomass did not match the temporal patterns of soil nitrogen availability determined by plant root simulator probes, but coincided with warming-induced decreases in available soil moisture in the deepest layers of soil which recovered to the pretreatment pattern approximately 10 months after the treatments ceased. Analyzing the data with an ecosystem model showed that the lagged temporal patterns of effects of warming and precipitation on biomass can be fully explained by warming-induced differences in soil moisture. Thus, both the experimental results and modeling analysis indicate that water availability regulates lag effects of warming on biomass production.
Rearrangement of the 5s Ribosomal RNA Gene Clusters During the Development and Replication of the Macronucleus in Tetrahymena thermophila

The organization of the 5s rRNA genes in the MACronuclear genome of Tetrahymena thermophila was examined during MAC development and replication. The 5s genes are arranged in several tandem arrays of alternating transcribed and spacer sequences in both MICronucleus and MAC. The number of EcoRI fragments bearing 5s gene clusters is similar in MIC and MAC. Most fragments occur in both the MIC and newly formed MAC genomes, a few being MIC-limited and a few MAC-limited. The same rearrangements are seen in the MACs of all four caryonides of a mating pair, and most rearrangements are seen in the newly formed MACs of different inbred strains. During replication of the MAC about half the fragments bearing 5s gene clusters disappear in different cell lines, and new fragments containing 5s genes appear. These fragments differ in size from those present in the MIC or newly formed MAC. These alterations occur in the MACs of all strains except strain B, which is more resistant to vegetative rearrangement. The losses and gains of fragments occur during clonal propagation of cell lines. The process begins by 35 fissions following conjugation, but once an alteration occurs, it is stably propagated. Clonal variation occurs with respect to which losses and gains occur, although a nonrandom distribution is seen among cell clones. We conclude that the alterations in MAC fragment size occur at two stages in the life cycle of Tetrahymena. The first stage occurs during conjugation, when the MAC develops from the MIC. The second stage becomes manifest during vegetative growth, when DNA replication occurs in the MAC and daughter molecules are distributed “amitotically ” to daughter nuclei. The two-stage character to MAC alterations for the 5s genes is interpreted in terms of the two steps previously described for MAC differentiation: determination and phenotypic assortment. Possible molecular mechanisms are also discussed.
Submammary Placement With Mastopexy for Implantable Pulse Generator Site Pain in Thin Women.

Objective Implantable pulse generators for neurostimulation and other indications are becoming more widespread. Pain at the generator site, erosion through the subcutaneous issues, and migration of the generator are frequent post-operative complications that result in high rates of re-operation. We report a case where a submammary combined approach with plastic surgery for improved soft tissue coverage resulted in better esthetic and functional outcomes in a thin woman. Materials and Methods A 40-year-old thin woman presented for revision of spinal cord stimulator due to pain at the bilateral infraclavicular generator sites secondary to lack of soft tissue coverage. She underwent revision of the implantable generator site with placement of the generator in the submammary location and concurrent mastopexy with plastic surgery. Results At two-year follow-up she continues to be pain-free after surgery and is very satisfied by the cosmetic outcome. Conclusion Submammary placement of implantable pulse generators in thin women combined with mastopexy may result in improved soft tissue coverage, decreased pain at the generator site, and a low rate of complications.
Genomic Survey of Bipolar Illness in the NIMH Genetics Initiative Pedigrees: A Preliminary Report

NIMH Genetics Initiative Bipolar Group: John I. Nurnberger, Jr.* (Chair), J. Raymond DePaulo,Elliot S. Gershon, Theodore Reich, Mary C. Blehar, and collaborators from Indiana University(Howard J. Edenberg, Tatiana Foroud, Marvin Miller, Elizabeth Bowman, Aimee Mayeda, N. LeelaRau, Carrie Smiley, and P. Michael Conneally), Johns Hopkins University (Francis Mc-Mahon, Deborah Meyers, Sylvia Simpson, Melvin McInnis, and O. Colin Stine), NIMH IntramuralResearch Program (Sevilla Detera-Wadleigh, Lynn Goldin, Juliet Guroff, Elizabeth Max-well, Diane Kazuba, Pablo V. Gejman, Judith Badner, and Alan Sanders), and WashingtonUniversity of St. Louis (John Rice, Laura Bierut, and Alison Goate).Four sites collaborated with the NIMH todevelop a resource for the genetic study ofbipolar (BP) illness. Common methods of as-certainment and assessment were devel-oped in 1989. A series of families with a bi-polar I (BPI) proband and at least one BPIor schizoaffective, bipolar type (SA/BP)first-degree relative has been studied. Wenow report initial data from a genomic sur-vey with an average intermarker interval of10 cM on 540 subjects from 97 families. Thisis the largest commonly ascertained and as-sessed linkage sample for bipolar illness re-ported to date; it includes 232 subjects withBPI, 32 SA/BP, 72 bipolar II (BPII), and 88unipolar, recurrent (UPR). Nonparametricmethods of analysis were employed, with allsites using affected sib pair analysis. Thestrongest findings thus far appear to be onchromosomes 1, 6, 7, 10, 16, and 22. Supporthas also been found for some previously re-ported linkages, including 21q and possiblyXq26. All these areas (as well as others) willbe followed up with additional markers andfurther analyses. No locus tested thus farmeets stringent criteria for an initial find-ing of significant linkage. Am. J. Med. Genet.74:227–237, 1997.
Zinc metabolism with special reference to its role in immunity

A major goal of many poultry producers is to attain good flock liveability. Historically, most poultry producers have manipulated environmental conditions and management to maximize bird health. In the past two decades there has been much research into nutritional regimes that improve bird health through immunomodulation. Commercial poultry environments contain ubiquitous micro-organisms that continuously challenge the immune system. Nutritional supplements that enhance immune system function may improve flock performance and be economically advantageous. This paper reviews the literature on zinc-methionine and the avian cellular immune system. Current knowledge of the effects of zinc on many animal models is reviewed and a hypothetical mechanism for the action of zinc-methionine on this system is discussed.
Evaluation of a deformable musculoskeletal model for estimating muscle-tendon lengths during crouch gait.

The hamstrings and psoas muscles are often length- ened surgically in an attempt to correct crouch gait in persons with cerebral palsy. The purpose of this study was to determine if, and under what conditions, medial hamstrings and psoas lengths estimated with a ''deformable'' musculoskeletal model accurately characterize the lengths of the muscles during walk- ing in individuals with crouch gait. Computer models of four subjects with crouch gait were developed from magnetic reso- nance ~MR! images. These models were used in conjunction with the subjects' measured gait kinematics to calculate the muscle-tendon lengths at the body positions corresponding to walking. The lengths calculated with the MR-based models were normalized and were compared to the lengths estimated using a deformable generic model. The deformable model was either left undeformed and unscaled, or was deformed or scaled to more closely approximate the femoral geometry or bone dimensions of each subject. In most cases, differences between the normalized lengths of the medial hamstrings computed with the deformable and MR-based models were less than 5 mm. Differences in the psoas lengths computed with the deformable and MR-based models were also small ~, 3m m! when the deformable model was adjusted to represent the femoral geom- etry of each subject. This work demonstrates that a deformable musculoskeletal model, in combination with a few subject- specific parameters and simple normalization techniques, can provide rapid and accurate estimates of medial hamstrings and psoas lengths in persons with neuromuscular disorders. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society. @DOI: 10.1114/1.1355277#
Louse populations of some rodents of the Great Salt Lake desert

During the period extending from February 1955 to January 1956, 192 specimens of deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus sonoriensis (LeConte), 174 specimens of white tail antelope ground squirrels, Citellus leucurus leucurus (Merriam) and 154 specimens of Ord kangaroo rats, Dipodomys ordii pallidus (Durrant & Setzer), were examined to determine louse-host associations, rate of infestation, frequency of distribution and seasonal fluctuation of louse populations. Five species of lice were recovered from three species of rodents. The dominant species on the deer mouse was Hoplopleura hesperomydis (Osborn). The dominant species on the white tail antelope ground squirrel was Neohaematopinus citellinus Ferris. The only louse species recovered from the Ord kangaroo rat was Fahrenholzia pinnata K. & F. Infestation on rodents was recorded on the basis of percentage of hosts infested, number of lice per host and number of lice per infested host. The highest number of lice per host was 27·7 Neohaematopinus citellinus per infested white tail antelope ground squirrel. The lowest value was 2·5 Polyplax auricularis per infested deer mouse. Approximately 80 % of the rodent sample had less than 25 lice per host. This grouping accounted for about one-half of the total number of recovered lice. Seasonal fluctuations of louse populations on deer mice, white tail antelope ground squirrels and Ord kangaroo rats were studied over one complete year. There appeared to be some coincidence between rodent activity, temperature and louse populations.
COGNITIVE CONTROLS AND PERSON PERCEPTION

Summary.-The Embedded-figures Test (EFT) and the Rod-and-frame Test (RFT) were used as measures of the field-dependence-field-independence cognitive control dimension in a test of the hypothesis that field-independence would be associated with greater accuracy in the discrimination of affective expression and implied meanings. The hypothesis was supported by significant correlations between the cognitive control measures and accuracy scores on Feldstein's Affect Judgment Test and Sundberg's Test of Implied Meaning. Discussion focused on the role of cognitive controls in person perception and on the implications of the results for psychotherapy. Field-dependence-field-independence is the perceptual component of a broader dimension of personality functioning called psychological differentiation (Witkin, Dyk, Faterson, Goodenough, & Karp, 1962). Compared with fieldindependent Ss, field-dependent Ss are characterized by poorer performance in
An Experimental 8x8 System Used to Characterize the Spatial Channel at 3.5 GHz

Motorola Labs has developed a 20 MHz experimental wide-area mobile multi-antenna system with which to characterize the spatial channel. This system transmits OFDM waveforms from an eight-element array in each of three sectors at the base to an eight-element mobile receive array. In addition, two carrier frequencies are simultaneously transmitted and received, thus providing both FDD and TDD data. The received waveforms are post-processed to extract various channel characteristics such as time of arrivals (TOAs), Doppler frequencies (DFs), and directions of departure (DODs) at the base. This paper describes key components and parameters of this system and describes the spatial characteristics uncovered from the collected field data.
Evidence on voter preferences from unrestricted choice referendums

From 1939 to 1968 Florida used a unique referendum system to set property tax rates for public school operating expenditures at the median millage rate selected by voters. These referendums revealed the entire distribution of voter preferences, which is not possible in the standard up or down referendum. We are the first to use the Florida referendum data. The form of the ballot played an important role in how people voted. Voting machine elections were much more likely than paper ballots to result in rejections of the recommendations of school boards, and produced much greater dispersion of expressed preferences.
Deficiency of Endogenous Acute Phase Serum Amyloid A Does Not Affect Atherosclerotic Lesions in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice

Objective— Although elevated plasma concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA) are associated strongly with increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in humans, the role of SAA in the pathogenesis of lesion formation remains obscure. Our goal was to determine the impact of SAA deficiency on atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic mice. Approach and Results— Apolipoprotein E–deficient (apoE −/− ) mice, either wild type or deficient in both major acute phase SAA isoforms, SAA1.1 and SAA2.1, were fed a normal rodent diet for 50 weeks. Female mice, but not male apoE−/− mice deficient in SAA1.1 and SAA2.1, had a modest increase (22%; P ≤0.05) in plasma cholesterol concentrations and a 53% increase in adipose mass compared with apoE−/− mice expressing SAA1.1 and SAA2.1 that did not affect the plasma cytokine levels or the expression of adipose tissue inflammatory markers. SAA deficiency did not affect lipoprotein cholesterol distributions or plasma triglyceride concentrations in either male or female mice. Atherosclerotic lesion areas measured on the intimal surfaces of the arch, thoracic, and abdominal regions were not significantly different between apoE−/− mice deficient in SAA1.1 and SAA2.1 and apoE−/− mice expressing SAA1.1 and SAA2.1 in either sex. To accelerate lesion formation, mice were fed a Western diet for 12 weeks. SAA deficiency had effect neither on diet-induced alterations in plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, or cytokine concentrations nor on aortic atherosclerotic lesion areas in either male or female mice. In addition, SAA deficiency in male mice had no effect on lesion areas or macrophage accumulation in the aortic roots. Conclusions— The absence of endogenous SAA1.1 and 2.1 does not affect atherosclerotic lipid deposition in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice fed either normal or Western diets.
Nicotinamidase participates in the salvage pathway of NAD biosynthesis in Arabidopsis

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), which is derived from NAD, have important roles as a redox carriers in metabolism. A combination of de novo and salvage pathways contribute to the biosynthesis of NAD in all organisms. The pathways and enzymes of the NAD salvage pathway in yeast and animals, which diverge at nicotinamide, have been extensively studied. Yeast cells convert nicotinamide to nicotinic acid, while mammals lack the enzyme nicotinamidase and instead convert nicotinamide to nicotinamide mononucleotide. Here we show that Arabidopsis thaliana gene At2g22570 encodes a nicotinamidase, which is expressed in all tissues, with the highest levels observed in roots and stems. The 244-residue protein, designated AtNIC1, converts nicotinamide to nicotinic acid and has a Km value of 118 +/- 17 microM and a Kcat value of 0.93 +/- 0.13 sec(-1). Plants homozygous for a null AtNIC1 allele, nic1-1, have lower levels of NAD and NADP under normal growth conditions, indicating that AtNIC1 participates in a yeast-type NAD salvage pathway. Mutant plants also exhibit hypersensitivity to treatments of abscisic acid and NaCl, which is correlated with their inability to increase the cellular levels of NAD(H) under these growth conditions, as occurs in wild-type plants. We also show that the growth of the roots of wild-type but not nic1-1 mutant plants is inhibited and distorted by nicotinamide.
Durable Dominance: Dominant Entrenchment through Open Competition

This study presents theory that shows how increased competitive entry and decreased advantages of scale in an industry can benefit and entrench incumbent dominants, when important resources are scalable and widely-available. An initial test of the proposed theory using thirty years of data on competition among mutual funds supports the theory’s predictions: While increased entrepreneurial entry reduced investment flows into incumbent funds on average, dominant mutual funds—those with orders of magnitude higher assets under management compared to competitors with similar portfolio holdings—benefited from increased competition. Heightened entrepreneurial entry increased flows into dominant funds and entrenched them in their dominant positions. The theory holds potential implications across a variety of industry and non-industry settings.
Supramolecular Assemblies of Polyoxometalate-Tethered Diblock Copolymers with Tunable Sizes in N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone/Toluene Mixed Solvents

Three diblock copolymers, each consisting of a relatively polar polyoxometalate-containing block and a nonpolar polythiophene block, were studied for their solution self-assembly behavior. Hollow spherical vesicular structures have been observed; their formation is driven by solvophobic–solvophilic interactions. The size of the vesicles can be controlled by varying the polarity of the solvent. Regular vesicles seem to form when the solvent combination is relatively polar, while reverse vesicles form when the solvent is relatively nonpolar.
Taxicab regulation in Japan

This paper proposes a model of a cruising taxicab industry under laissez faire pricing and free entry, and compares it with alternative regimes including collusive fare setting, collusive restrictions on entry, or both. In the model, under laissez faire, prices are determined by Nash bargaining with complete information and lie above marginal costs. Under laissez faire pricing and free entry the number of vacant cabs need not be efficient and could be either higher than optimal or less depending upon the relative bargaining power of individual cabs and potential customers. Under collusive control of entry, the number of vacant cabs will be set at the efficient level given the prices, which if set collusively will be above the laissez faire prices. These findings shed new light on the political success of cartelizing regulation of the cruising taxicab industry such as that observed in Japan. JEL classifications D40, L43, L51 and L92.
Review: “distant healing” is often effective for improving patient outcomes

Source Citation Astin JA, Harkness E, Ernst E. The efficacy of “distant healing”: a systematic review of randomized trials. Ann Intern Med. 2000 Jun 6;132:903-10. 10836918
Venous lake of the lip treated with a sclerosing agent: report of two cases.

BACKGROUND A venous lake is a venous ectasia that appears mostly on the lower lip and other sun-exposed areas of an older person. Treatment of lip venous lake includes surgical excision, laser therapy, infrared coagulation, and cryotherapy. Although the use of sclerotherapy on varicose veins, leg telangiectasia, hemorrhoids, and hemangiomas is well established, the use of sclerotherapy for lip venous lake has not been reported. OBJECTIVE We present two cases of lip venous lake treated with intralesional injection of 1% polidocanol. METHOD Two cases are reported, and literature is reviewed. RESULT The lesions virtually disappeared, leaving an inconspicuous scar, with two sessions of sclerotherapy. Side effects were not observed. CONCLUSION Sclerotherapy with polidocanol is effective in the treatment of lip venous lake and offers an alternative to conventional methods.
Pressure Dependence of the Critical Micelle Concentration of a Nonionic Surfactant in Water Studied by 1H-NMR

The critical micelle concentration (cmc) of the nonionic surfactant C8E5 in D2O was measured at 30 °C and pressures up to 350 MPa using 1H-NMR chemical shifts. The cmc was found to increase with pr...
Physically consistent state estimation and system identification for contacts

Successful model based control relies heavily on proper system identification and accurate state estimation. We present a framework for solving these problems in the context of robotic control applications. We are particularly interested in robotic manipulation tasks, which are especially hard due to the non-linear nature of contact phenomena. We developed a solution that solves both the problems of estimation and system identification jointly. We show that these two problems are difficult to solve separately in the presence of discontinuous phenomena such as contacts. The problem is posed as a joint optimization across both trajectory and model parameters and solved via Newton's method. We present several challenges we encountered while modeling contacts and performing state estimation and propose solutions within the MuJoCo physics engine. We present experimental results performed on our manipulation system consisting of 3-DOF Phantom Haptic Devices, turned into finger manipulators. Cross-validation between different datasets, as well as leave-one-out cross-validation show that our method is robust and is able to accurately explain sensory data.
Abstract 251: Regulator of G Protein Signaling 5 is a Novel Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR)-gamma and PPAR-delta Target Gene and Regulator of Resistance Vessel Tone

PPARγ is a ligand-activated transcription factor expressed in the vasculature. Targeted expression of dominant negative (DN) PPARγ to vascular muscle of transgenic mice (S-P467L) caused hypertension and aortic dysfunction. Recently, we demonstrated a robust increase in myogenic tone in S-P467L resistance artery and a reduced large conductance Ca 2+ -activated K + (BKCa) current in S-P467L smooth muscle cells (SMC). Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) corrected enhanced myogenic constriction and impaired BKCa channel function. Here, we tested the hypothesis that altered expression of PPARγ target genes in S-P467L resistance artery contributes to increased vessel tone. Gene expression profiling in mesenteric artery revealed a marked loss of the regulator of G protein signaling 5 (RGS5) in S-P467L compared to non-transgenic (NT) (fold change compared to NT; 0.18±0.03, p
Efficacy of a Citric Acid-based Organic Sanitizer against Salmonella enterica and Background Microflora on Fresh-cut Celery and Leeks.

The efficacy of a citric acid-based organic sanitizer (organic Chico WashTM) against Salmonella enterica serovar Newport and background microflora on fresh-cut celery and leeks was investigated. Three concentrations (1:10, 1:20 and 1:40) of Chico Wash were used. For evaluating the efficacy against background microflora, fresh-cut celery or leeks were treated with sanitizers without an initial wash. For evaluating the efficacy against Salmonella, fresh-cut produce samples were initially washed and dip inoculated with 10 7 CFU/ml S. Newport. Samples were immersed in the sanitizer solutions for 2 min. Samples were taken for enumeration of survivors immediately after treatment and after storage at 4oC for 1, 3 and 6 days. Compared to controls washed in water at day 6, Chico Wash reduced Salmonella and background microflora by 0.7-1.5 and 1.2-2.6 log CFU/g, respectively. All three concentrations of Chico Wash showed 0.2- 1.1 log additional reductions in Salmonella population compared to 200 ppm chlorine. At day 6, background microflora population on celery and leeks were 1-1.7 and 1.5-2.2 logs lower, respectively, than that on chlorine treated samples. The results showed that Chico Wash could potentially serve as an alternative for chlorine sanitizer to wash produce.
Structural and Functional Adaptations in Kinesin Motors

Kinesin-13s are members of the kinesin super-family of motor proteins that modulate microtubule (MT) dynamics in a variety of important cell processes such as mitosis, cytokinesis, axonal branching, and ciliogenesis. Like all kinesins, they have the highly conserved globular catalytic motor domain that defines the superfamily. However, distinct from most other members of the super-family, kinesin-13s are MT depolymerases with no motile activity. While motile kinesins alternate between strong and weakly bound states to the MT, in coordination with ATP hydrolysis and stepping, kinesin-13s interact weakly with the MT and undergo direction unbiased one-dimensional diffusion until reaching the MT ends where they induce depolymerization. In comparison with the more studied conventional kinesin, the kinesin-13 action mechanism and the structural basis of their functional differences with motile kinesins are less clear. To address this issue we used fluorescence polarization microscopy and electron microscopy to investigate the dynamic conformation of MT-bound kinesin constructs based on the D. melanogaster kinesin-13 KLP10A. We found that KLP10A interacts with the MT in two coexisting modes, one in which the motor domain binds with a specific orientation to the MT lattice, and another where the motor domain is very mobile and able to undergo one dimensional diffusion. Surprisingly, the KLP10A motor domain alone can undergo one dimensional diffusion and kinesin-13 class specific motifs are necessary to steer the motor domain into the typical microtubule bound configuration of motile kinesins. These results indicate that motifs located outside the motor, such as the kinesin-13 specific neck domain, are not required to set the distinct interaction modes of kinesin-13 with the MT. They also indicate that the kinesin-13 motor domain is uniquely adapted to elude forming the tight MT bound states that motile kinesins form at different points of their ATPase cycle.
Abstract 183: Loss of Bad phosphorylation and Mcl-1 expression is necessary for rapid apoptosisinduced by combination of TGFα-PE and ZSTK474 in prostate cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Advanced androgen-independent prostate cancer is notoriously resistant to conventional systemic therapies, and at the moment there is no effective protocol for hormone-refractory advanced prostate cancer affected patients. One of possible mechanisms of such resistance is activation of the anti-apoptotic signaling PI3K/Akt pathway that is constitutively active in the 60% of advanced prostate cancers. However, multiple inhibitors of PI3K are just well studied and some have just gone on to clinical trials, but unfortunately they showed limited efficacy against prostate cancer alone. Our recent experiments has shown remarkable synergy in inducing rapid and massive apoptosis when PI3K inhibitor ZSTK474 is used in combination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A fragment fused with Transforming Growth Factor Alpha (TGFα-PE38). Time lapse video microscopy of prostate cancer C4-2 cell line has shown the substantial cell death within 4-6 hours with combined administration, compared to limited cell death in single agents-treated cells. Analysis of PARP and cleaved-caspase 3 fragment by Western blotting confirmed that cell death occurs via apoptosis. Quantitation of caspase 3 and 7 activity with luminescent AFC-DEVD substrate confirmed synergy in apoptosis activation by combination of TGFα-PE38 and ZSTK474, while single agents even in higher concentration did not induce substantial apoptosis within 6 hours time period. Analysis of the mechanisms underlying this synergy has shown that PI3K inhibitor ZSTK474 triggers Bad dephosphorylation, while TGFα-PE38 reduces expression levels of Mcl-1. A slight increase of Bim protein was detected and related with ZSTK474 administration. No major variations were detected in the expression levels of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins Bax, Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. To address the role of Bad phosphorylation and Mcl-1 expression in apoptosis induction by PI3K inhibitor ZSTK474 and TGFα-PE38, we examined apoptosis in C4-2 cells that express phosphorylation-deficient mutant Bad (BAD2SA). Results indicated that the expression of BAD2SA sensitized C4-2 cells to apoptosis induced by TGFα-PE38. Experiments that address the role of Mcl-1 loss in apoptosis induced by TGFα-PE38 are ongoing. 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 183. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-183
Socialization and the graduate seminar. Response to "rethinking the graduate seminar"

PROBABLY FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, undergraduate teachers dominate the teaching literature. People who identify themselves primarily as graduate teachers or empirical researchers rarely see the pathway to academic success as paved with articles in teaching journals. Still, it may be too strong to conclude that graduate-level teachers fail to think deeply about their courses and seminars. It may be true, as the authors of "Rethinking the Graduate Seminar" argue, that "surprisingly little attention has been paid to the teaching of these graduate seminars," but only if the evidence is limited to the indices of journals such as Teaching Sociology. We would hypothesize that a survey of teachers would lead to a rather different conclusion: that as
Peripheral sphingolipids are associated with variation in white matter microstructure in older adults.

Sphingolipids serve important structural and functional roles in cellular membranes and myelin sheaths. Plasma sphingolipids have been shown to predict cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. However, the association between plasma sphingolipid levels and brain white matter (WM) microstructure has not been examined. We investigated whether plasma sphingolipids (ceramides and sphingomyelins) were associated with magnetic resonance imaging-based diffusion measures, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity, 10.5 years later in 17 WM regions of 150 cognitively normal adults (mean age 67.2). Elevated ceramide species (C20:0, C22:0, C22:1, and C24:1) were associated with lower FA in multiple WM regions, including total cerebral WM, anterior corona radiata, and the cingulum of the cingulate gyrus. Higher sphingomyelins (C18:1 and C20:1) were associated with lower FA in regions such as the anterior corona radiata and body of the corpus callosum. Furthermore, lower sphingomyelin to ceramide ratios (C22:0, C24:0, and C24:1) were associated with lower FA or higher mean diffusivity in regions including the superior and posterior corona radiata. However, although these associations were significant at the a priori p < 0.05, only associations with some regional diffusion measures for ceramide C22:0 and sphingomyelin C18:1 survived correction for multiple comparisons. These findings suggest plasma sphingolipids are associated with variation in WM microstructure in cognitively normal aging.
About Job-finding Problem of University Graduates

The employment issue of university graduates is very important.During the process of job finding, the university graduates should understand our country's policy of employment and pay special attention to the method and skill of job-finding.
Randomized controlled trial testing behavioral weight loss versus multi-modal stepped-care treatment for binge eating disorder

Introduction Binge eating disorder (BED) is prevalent, associated with obesity and elevated psychiatric co-morbidity, and represents a treatment challenge. Objective and aims A controlled comparison of multi-modal, stepped-care versus behavioral-weight-loss (BWL) for BED. Methods One hundred and ninety-one patients (71% female, 79% white) with BED and co-morbid obesity (mean BMI 39) were randomly assigned to 6 months of BWL (n = 39) or stepped-care (n = 152). Within stepped-care, patients started BWL for one month; treatment-responders continued BWL while non-responders switched to cognitive-behavioral-therapy (CBT) and all stepped-care patients were additionally randomized to anti-obesity medication or placebo (double-blind) for five months. Independent assessments were performed by research-clinicians at baseline, throughout treatment, and post-treatment (90% assessed) with reliably-administered structured interviews. Results Intent-to-treat analyses of remission rates (0 binges/month) revealed BWL and stepped-care did not differ significantly overall (74% vs 64%); within stepped-care, remission rates differed (range 40% - 79%) with medication significantly superior to placebo (P Conclusions Overall, BWL and stepped-care treatments produced improvements in binge-eating and weight loss in obese BED patients. Anti-obesity medication enhanced outcomes within a stepped-care model.
3-D treatment planning and dose delivery verification integrating a variety of state-of-the-art techniques: a case report.

Abstract A patient previously treated with radiation for base-of-tongue cancer presented with recurrent disease seven years later. The spinal cord had received tolerance dose. Using state-of-the-art treatment planning techniques, including beam’s-eye-view and volumetrics, dose-volume histograms, split field technique, mixed energies, and beam intensity modulation (with a compensator), we achieved uniform dose coverage of the target in 3-D. This was verified in vivo with thermoluminescence dosimeters positioned in the esophagus by means of a nasogastric tube that ran centrally through the target volume. The various techniques applied will be presented with a discussion of the rationale used in each step of plan optimization and verification.
Incomplete Menu Preference and Ambiguity

This paper studies a problem of choice under uncertainty in which a decision-maker's (DM) choices randomly map to consumption outcomes. The primitive is a binary relation on menus, where a menu is a set of possible ex post outcomes. After the DM selects a menu, nature (not the DM) makes a consumption choice from the menu. Nature's choice function is subject to uncertainty, so that the choice of a particular menu yields a distribution over the ex post outcomes supported by that menu. Hence, from the DM’s view, by choosing a menu it is as if he is choosing a distribution over ex post outcomes. The main result provides axiomatic foundations for a menu-choice analogue of the Bewley model of Knightian uncertainty.
Impact of inferior vena cava thrombus extension on thrombolysis for acute iliofemoral thrombosis

Background Inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis may occur in patients with iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and its impact on thrombolysis outcomes is poorly defined. This study compared outcomes of patients undergoing thrombolysis for acute iliofemoral DVT with and without IVC involvement. Methods Patients who underwent thrombolysis for iliofemoral DVT between May 2007 and March 2014 were identified from a prospectively maintained database and divided into two groups: those with IVC involvement and those without. End points were technical and clinical success (≥50% lysis or freedom from 30-day DVT recurrence), long-term DVT recurrence, and post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS; Villalta score ≥5). Multivariate regression models were used to determine predictors of anatomic and clinical failures. Results There were 102 patients (127 limbs) treated with various combinations of catheter-directed or pharmacomechanical thrombolysis. In 46 patients, thrombus extended into the IVC (54.3% extended up to the renal veins; 87% had ≥50% luminal reduction; 50% occurred in association with an indwelling thrombosed IVC filter). The caval group had fewer women and more previous DVTs but otherwise was similar to the noncaval group. Pharmacomechanical thrombolysis was used more frequently in the caval thrombus group (97.8% vs 82.1%; P = .011), and iliac vein stenting was used more often in the noncaval group (41.3% vs 62.5%; P = .033). Clinical success was similar between the two groups (88.7% for caval vs 89.3% for noncaval; P = .921). All failures in the caval group occurred in patients with an indwelling thrombosed IVC filter. Primary patency at 2 years for the caval and noncaval groups was 76.7% and 78.0%, respectively (P = .787). Valve reflux and PTS at 2 years were higher in the noncaval group (50.8% and 34.3% vs 23.3% and 11.5% in the caval group; P = .013 and P = .035). On multivariate analysis, incomplete lysis was predictive of recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 22.7; P Conclusions IVC thrombosis does not have an impact on the technical success of thrombolysis in patients with iliofemoral DVT; the presence of a thrombosed IVC filter, though, may make failure more likely. Caval thrombosis may not affect primary patency but is associated with a lower incidence of PTS after successful lysis.
US/Soviet Relations in the Gorbachev Period

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze how Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies undermined the system of enmity between the United States and the Soviet Union. In doing so, it will begin to form a chronology linking quantitative and qualitative changes in press content, namely in political cartoons, with changing Soviet policies vis-a-vis the US.
Biogas and Syngas Upgrading

Abstract Biogas and syngas can be upgraded to produce a variety of products. Biogas (primarily containing methane and CO 2 ) is generated from waste biomass via anaerobic digestion. Biogas contains a significant amount of impurities (e.g., H 2 S, NH 3 and siloxane) and therefore, a cleaning procedure is generally required prior to applications. Cleaning methods such as pressurized water scrubbing, pressure swing adsorption, amine absorption and membrane permeation can be employed alone or combined to remove impurities. Syngas (primarily containing hydrogen and CO), can be produced from gasification of biomass and coal and also can be produced from biogas reforming. Impurities such as particulate matter, H 2 S and tars have to be removed or reduced prior to upgrading. Physical approaches, mainly compression and liquefaction, have been applied to upgrade biogas to Bio-CNG (compressed natural gas) and LBG (liquefied biogas). For chemical approaches, catalytic reforming is the dominant method for converting methane to syngas and hydrogen. Methanol can be produced by either direct oxidation of methane or biological fermentation of biogas. Syngas is an important intermediate resource for the production of hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, higher alcohols, acetate and hydrocarbons. Syngas fermentation directly produces methanol, ethanol and acetate under mild operating conditions with high conversion rate, but the major challenges are the slow gas-to-liquid mass transfer and low yield. The catalytic conversion methods are able to efficiently convert syngas to alcohols and hydrocarbons, generally under high temperature and with catalysts. The selectivity of end-products and deactivation of catalysts are the two major technical hurdles.
Social and biophysical variation in regional timber harvest regimes.

In terms of adult tree mortality, harvesting is the most prevalent disturbance in northeastern United States forests. Previous studies have demonstrated that stand structure and tree species composition are important predictors of harvest. We extend this work to investigate how social factors further influence harvest regimes. By coupling the Forest Inventory and Analysis database to U.S. Census and National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) data, we quantify social and biophysical variation in the frequency and intensity of harvesting throughout a 20-state region in the northeastern United States. Among social factors, ownership class is most predictive of harvest frequency and intensity. The annual probability of a harvest event within privately owned forest (3%/yr) is twice as high as within publicly owned forests (1.5%/yr). Among private owner classes, the annual harvest probability on corporate-owned forests (3.6%/yr) is 25% higher than on private woodlands (2.9%/yr). Among public owner classes, the annual probability of harvest is highest on municipally owned forests (2.4%/ yr), followed by state-owned forests (1.6%/yr), and is lowest on federal forests (1%/yr). In contrast, corporate, state, and municipal forests all have similar distributions of harvest intensity; the median percentage of basal area removed during harvest events is approximately 40% in these three owner groups. Federal forests are similar to private woodlands with median harvest intensities of 23% and 20%, respectively. Social context variables, including local home prices, population density and the distance to a road, help explain the intensity, but not the frequency, of harvesting. Private woodlands constitute the majority of forest area; however, demographic data about their owners (e.g., their age, educational attainment, length of land tenure, retired status) show little relationship to aggregate harvest behavior. Instead, significant predictors for harvesting on private woodlands include live-tree basal area, forest type, and distance from roads. Just as with natural disturbance regimes, harvest regimes are predictable in terms of their frequency, intensity, and dispersion; and like their natural counterparts, these variables are determined by several important dimensions of environmental context. But in contrast to natural disturbance regimes, the important dimensions of context for harvesting include a combination of social and biophysical variables.
Distinct Ventral Pallidal Neural Populations Mediate Separate Symptoms of Depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) patients display a common but often variable set of symptoms making successful, sustained treatment difficult to achieve. Separate depressive symptoms may be encoded by differential changes in distinct circuits in the brain, yet how discrete circuits underlie behavioral subsets of depression and how they adapt in response to stress has not been addressed. We identify two discrete circuits of parvalbumin-positive (PV) neurons in the ventral pallidum (VP) projecting to either the lateral habenula or ventral tegmental area contributing to depression. We find that these populations undergo different electrophysiological adaptations in response to social defeat stress, which are normalized by antidepressant treatment. Furthermore, manipulation of each population mediates either social withdrawal or behavioral despair, but not both. We propose that distinct components of the VP PV circuit can subserve related, yet separate depressive-like phenotypes in mice, which could ultimately provide a platform for symptom-specific treatments of depression.
Long-term Treatment Response and Patient Outcomes for Vestibular Schwannoma Patients Treated with Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate long-term treatment outcome and toxicities among vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients treated with hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HSRT). Methods: 383 patients with unilateral VS treated with HSRT (25 Gy, 5 fractions) between 1995-2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment failure was defined as requiring salvage microsurgery. Post-treatment new/progressive clinical symptoms or increases in baseline tumor volume (BTV) due to treatment effect or progression were noted. Symptom outcomes were reported as baseline and post-treatment +/- improvement, respectively. Symptoms were grouped by cranial nerve (CN) VII or CNVIII. Audiometry assessed baseline and post-treatment hearing. Patients were stratified as > Gardner Robertson (GR) serviceable hearing (GR 1-2) or < non-serviceable hearing (GR 3-5). Results: Median follow-up was 72.0 months. Nine (2.3%) experienced treatment failure. At last follow-up, 74 (19.3%) had new/progressive symptoms, and were categorized as radiologic non-responders, whereas 300 (78.3%) had no tumor progression, and were grouped as radiologic responders. Average pretreatment BTV for treatment failures, radiologic non-responders, and radiologic responders was 2.11, 0.44, and 1.87 cm3, respectively. Pre-treatment CNVII and CNVIII symptoms were present in 9.4% and 93.4% of patients, respectively. Eight (24%) with pre-HSRT CNVII and 37(10%) with pre-HSRT CNVIII symptoms recovered CN function post-HSRT. Thirty-five (9%) and 36 (9.4%) experienced new CNVII and CNVIII deficit, respectively, after HSRT. Of these, 20 (57%) and 18 (50%) recovered CNVII and CNVIII function, respectively, after HSRT. Evaluable audiograms were available in 199 patients. At baseline and at last follow-up, 65.8% and 36.2% had serviceable hearing, respectively. Fifty-one percent had preservation of serviceable hearing at last follow-up. Conclusion: Treatment of VS with HSRT is effective with treatment success in 97.7% and an acceptable toxicity profile. Less than one-third of patients experience any new CNVII or CNVIII deficit post-treatment. Greater than 50% of patients with serviceable hearing at baseline maintained hearing function. Improved methods to differentiate treatment effect and tumor progression are needed.
Education and nation-state fragility: Evidence from panel data analysis

Abstract We empirically investigate the efficacy of current US foreign assistance policy and state-building efforts on state fragility through the effects of school enrollment levels on state fragility. This is accomplished by investigating whether levels of school enrollments (primary, secondary, or tertiary) can predict nation-state fragility; which level of enrollments has the highest effect on the levels of fragility and is subsequently the best investment for foreign assistance efforts; and whether there is a difference in levels of nation-state fragility based on changes in the average number of years of school enrollment. Results indicate education is capable of mitigating state fragility and promoting stable regimes under certain conditions.
Forensic Trends in Forensic Anthropological Humanitarian Action

The recent application of the anthropological sciences to forensic humanitarian action have made it necessary to develop methodologies and constitute multi-disciplinary teams that should take into account the availability of experts, the collaboration of the family, the time limits and the given political context in which it operates. The entry into a team of a “forensic anthropologist” with knowledge of archaeology is important and common practice, also for the fundamental role in the finding of adequate samples for successive and innovative bio-molecular analysis (DNA analysis), aimed at the identification of the person and post-mortem interval estimation, subject to the costs and the availability of certified laboratories. The future success of forensic humanitarian action thus entails the constitution of teams dedicated to particular countries, capable of supporting the contribution provided by universally credited international scientific organizations.