cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 5080: Decursinol intercepts LNCaP human prostate cancer xenograft growth bypassing androgen receptor-prostate specific antigen axis

The slow-growing nature of most prostate cancers (PCa) provides multiple windows of opportunity to block or delay disease progression to reduce patient suffering and mortality. This is especially true following the failure of radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiation therapy (RT) of localized PCa with biochemical recurrence detectable by a rise in plasma/serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prior to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Costly aside, ADT is not curative and causes many adverse effects which negatively affect the quality of life of the patients. Currently there is no standard of care regimen for post-RP/RT patients with rising PSA to stump the trajectory. Many patients seek food or supplement-based interventions with a hope to delay ADT. The root of Korean Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) contains decursin (D) and its isomer decursinol angelate (DA) as the major pyranocoumarins. We have previously shown that daily gavage of AGN and D/DA suppressed the growth of androgen receptor (AR)+ and AR- xenograft tumors and TRAMP neuroendocrine carcinomas. We also showed that D/DA rapidly converted to decursinol (DOH) in rodents and humans, and DOH inhibited LNCaP-AR xenograft growth, therefore the likely in vivo active compound. To assess merit of DOH to intercept recurrent PCa, we tested in NSG SCID mice bearing s.c. inoculated human LNCaP PCa xenograft (a) its efficacy to inhibit tumor growth and b) serum PSA as an efficacy metric. A day prior to start of daily DOH gavage (120 mg/kg body weight) for the tumor bearing mice, blood was drawn through tail vein for baseline PSA. After 4 weeks, the mice were bled for post-PSA and their tumors/prostate were dissected and weighed. Gavage delivered DOH did not affect body weight, but significantly reduced the tumor volume and weight without decreasing the weight of the prostate, distinct from ADT drugs. The post-PSA showed a significant and tight linear correlation with the tumor weight for mice in the vehicle group (r2=0.94, n=6). Five of 7 DOH-treated mice showed post-PSA/tumor weight plot on the same regression line but two non-responders displayed exaggerated post-PSA/weight ratio. The much slower PSA rise in the DOH-responders (2.9 fold, n=5) than vehicle group (7.8 fold, n=6, p=0.031) directly reflected a reduction of tumor burden by DOH treatment. Histological (HE 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5080.
Mechanisms of nuclear content loading to exosomes

Exosome cargoes are highly varied and include proteins, small RNAs, and genomic DNA (gDNA). The presence of gDNA suggests that different intracellular compartments contribute to exosome loading, resulting in distinct exosome subpopulations. However, the loading of gDNA and other nuclear contents into exosomes (nExo) remains poorly understood. Here, we identify the relationship between cancer cell micronuclei (MN), which are markers of genomic instability, and nExo formation. Imaging flow cytometry analyses reveal that 10% of exosomes derived from cancer cells and <1% of exosomes derived from blood and ascites from patients with ovarian cancer carry nuclear contents. Treatment with genotoxic drugs resulted in increased MN and nExos both in vitro and in vivo. We observed that multivesicular body precursors and exosomal markers, such as the tetraspanins, directly interact with MN. Collectively, this work provides new insights related to nExos, which have implications for cancer biomarker development.
Fuzzy Inference System Framework to Prioritize the Deployment of Resources in Low Visibility Traffic Conditions

Tasks related to traffic and safety operations under low visibility conditions remain a challenge for transportation agencies nationwide. Transportation managers are required to model weather and road variables to make operational decisions, while simultaneously prioritizing the deployment of available resources. This research presents a fuzzy inference system (FIS) framework to assist transportation managers with prioritizing the deployment of resources to areas of low visibility originated by fog. The framework is composed of three fuzzy systems that characterize fog occurrence, road risk conditions, and deployment of resources. Fuzzy logic is considered a decision-making technique that could be effectively applied when dealing with ambiguous, imprecise and complex variables like fog in multiple domains, including but not limited to weather, transportation, and resource allocation. The main benefit of this technique is the ability to generate solutions to a problem where a rigorous analytical solution do not exist, e.g., visibility forecasting. The framework was developed using GUIDE, a user interface design environment, and the Fuzzy Logic Toolbox of MATLAB.
Care Team Integration in Primary Care Improves One-Year Clinical and Financial Outcomes in Diabetes: A Case for Value-Based Care

Despite significant treatment advances, diabetes outcomes remain suboptimal and health care costs continue to rise. There are limited data on the feasibility and financial implications of integrati...
Tax Expenditure Estimates Approximate Revenue Estimates

Tax expenditure estimates are viewed with skepticism even within the fraught business of forecasting the revenue effects of policies. As the Joint Committee on Taxation emphasizes, Unlike revenue estimates, tax expenditure estimates do not incorporate any behavioral response of taxpayers or changes in the timing of tax payments.While I agree that tax expenditure estimates and revenue estimates are not the same, I think the difference between them is overstated. Indeed, for revenue estimation purposes, tax expenditure estimates are almost as good as revenue estimates. Tax expenditure estimates do not account for important behavioral changes — taxpayers will substitute spending away from the now repealed tax expenditure toward other goods and spending. But that substitution effect is of little importance for revenue estimation purposes. Most or all of the substitute spending (on other goods instead of the good that was formerly tax preferred) would be subject to taxation. As a result, tax revenue should increase by nearly as much as the naive tax expenditure estimates predict.
Characterization of circulating and cultured Tfh-like cells in sickle cell disease in relation to red blood cell alloimmunization status

BACKGROUND People living with sickle cell disease (SCD) are prone to red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization. We hypothesized that subjects with alloantibodies (responders) would have differences in circulating T-follicular helper (Tfh)-like cells compared to subjects without alloantibodies (non-responders). MATERIALS AND METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 28 subjects, including those with SCD and controls. Circulating CD4 T-cell subsets were first evaluated at baseline. CD4 T-cell subsets were also evaluated after naive CD4 T-cells were differentiated into Tfh-like cells following in vitro culture with CD3/CD28 beads, IL-7, IL-12, and Activin A. Transfusion and alloantibody histories were extracted from the electronic medical record. RESULTS Non-responders had a lower percentage of CD45RA negative Tmemory cells than responders or controls (p<0.05). Notably, there were no differences in circulating Tfh-like cells between any group. However, naive CD4 T-cells from subjects with SCD were more likely to express CXCR5 after in vitro culture than cells from controls. After culture, CXCR5 expressing cells from responders were more likely to express PD1 and ICOS (16.43 %, sd. 20.23) compared to non-responders (3.69 %, s.d. 3.09) or controls (2.78 %, s.d. 2.04). DISCUSSION The tendency for naive CD4 T-cells from responders to differentiate into Tfh-like cells after in vitro culture may suggest these cells are prepared to assist B-cells with antibody production regardless of antigen specificity. Further studies are needed, but it is possible that these results may explain why some responders form RBC alloantibodies with multiple specificities, in addition to RBC autoantibodies and HLA alloantibodies.
Woody invaders do not alter rhizosphere microbial activity in a temperate deciduous forest

Non-native, invasive plants are often strong competitors that have large effects on ecosystem functioning. While limited experimental evidence suggests invasive species can change soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) processes, little is known about how they alter biogeochemistry in the field. We examined soils collected from beneath native and non-native, invasive woody plants in a temperate forest in central New York, USA, to test whether invaders change rhizospheric C and N processes compared to that of common native species. We hypothesized that a combination of high-quality leaf and root litter and greater rates of rhizospheric deposition of invaders would enhance the quality of soil organic matter, leading to greater measured rates of C and N mineralization. We removed soil cores from directly below the canopy of 105 individuals of 8 native and 3 invasive species of shrubs and small trees, each paired with an adjacent sample to account for site effects on soil properties. We measured inorganic N pools, percent soil C and N, and potential C and N mineralization rates with 10-day laboratory incubations. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that invaders did not significantly alter any of the measured soil traits. Instead, root biomass per sample, which did not vary by nativity, was a better predictor of potential mineralized C and N. This suggests plant tissue quantity controls available C and N pools, and plants that produce more roots are able to better stimulate microbial activity. Thus, understory invaders do not appear to alter soil biogeochemistry in this forest unless they drive large changes in forest root mass.
Abstract B52: Standardized exosome isolation and profiling for biomarker discovery

The discovery of an early detection biomarker for advancing disease like cancer is one of the major diagnostic challenges in medicine. Exosomes are microvesicles that are secreted by almost all cells and contain a cargo of DNA, RNA, and/or protein that is not only characteristic of their cell of origin but also capable of functionally impacting target cells and tissues. In this study, we utilized two sources of liquid biopsy to isolate and profile exosomes and perform molecular profiling potential relevant to cancer diagnostics. Using differential immuno-electron and atomic force microscopy, we have identified multiple structurally distinct subtypes of microvesicles and exosomes present in bronchial washings. We have also characterized the patterns of protein contained biomarkers associated with the unique class of exosomes identified in pulmonary washings. We have been able to identify at least three potential biomarkers potentially diagnostic of lung cancer from exosomes obtained with bronchial lavage. Lastly, we have used a bioinformatic approach to simulate potential functional networks of protein-protein interactions and determine how these protein cargoes of pulmonary exosomes impact adjacent pulmonary tissues and determine whether protein expression in specific subtypes of exosomes provides a predictive model of the current cancer state, remotely. Our results led us to conclude that the isolation of exosomes from liquid biopsy offers enormous potential to improve the diagnostic and prognostic capacity of liquid biopsy and their promise to revolutionize diagnostic medicine. Citation Format: Ahmed Fadiel, Nirmal Sharma, Matthew L. Anderson. Standardized exosome isolation and profiling for biomarker discovery [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Liquid Biopsies; Jan 13-16, 2020; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(11_Suppl):Abstract nr B52.
Civil War, Institutional Change, and the Criminalization of the State: Evidence from Guatemala

The relationship between war and state formation is a central topic in the social sciences. While scholarship on interstate war posits that conflict triggers extractive processes that build the state, research findings on the effects of intrastate war are more mixed, often suggesting that civil war inhibits extraction and induces state decay. This study, however, posits that the negative relationship between civil war and revenue extraction is not underpinned by institutional destruction but by the wartime introduction of undermining rules that structure behavior in ways that subvert taxation. To illustrate this claim, it traces the evolution of undermining rules within the customs administration at the height of the Guatemalan armed conflict. As the perceived escalation of the insurgent threat created institutional ambiguity, newly empowered political-military elites implemented alternative procedures for capturing customs revenues, which systematically undermined the state’s extractive capacity. Comparing this case with one of reinforcing rules that bolster extraction, I posit that the broad or narrow nature of the rule-making coalition explains divergent paths of wartime institutional development. Overall, this study uncovers the inner workings of the counterinsurgent state and illustrates how civil war dynamics induce processes of institutional change that can have long-term effects on state performance.
Sexual orientation, social support, and mental health resilience in a U.S. national sample of adults

Sexual minority mental health disparities can be attributed, in large part, to chronic exposure to stress. There is growing interest in understanding the factors associated with psychological resil...
Enhanced superconductivity in the Se-substituted 1T- PdTe 2

The two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide ${\mathrm{PdTe}}_{2}$ has recently attracted much attention due to its phase coexistence of a type-II Dirac semimetal and type-I superconductivity. Here we report a 67% enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature in 1T-PdSeTe in comparison to that of ${\mathrm{PdTe}}_{2}$ through partial substitution of Te atoms by Se. The superconductivity has been unambiguously confirmed by the magnetization, resistivity, and specific heat measurements. 1T-PdSeTe shows type-II superconductivity with large anisotropy and a nonbulk superconductivity nature with a volume fraction of $\ensuremath{\approx}20%$ estimated from magnetic and heat capacity measurements. 1T-PdSeTe expands the family of superconducting transition metal dichalcogenides and thus provides additional insights for understanding superconductivity and topological physics in the 1T-${\mathrm{PdTe}}_{2}$ system
Modeling solvation effects on absorption and fluorescence spectra of indole in aqueous solution

Modeling the optical spectra of molecules in solution presents a challenge, so it is important to understand which of the solvation effects (i.e., electrostatics, mutual polarization, and hydrogen bonding interactions between solute and solvent molecules) are crucial in reproducing the various features of the absorption and fluorescence spectra and to identify a sufficient theoretical model that accurately captures these effects with minimal computational cost. In this study, we use various implicit and explicit solvation models, such as molecular dynamics coupled with non-polarizable and polarizable force fields, as well as Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics, to model the absorption and fluorescence spectra of indole in aqueous solution. The excited states are computed using the equation of motion coupled cluster with single and double excitations combined with the effective fragment potential to represent water molecules, which we found to be a computationally efficient approach for modeling large solute–solvent clusters at a high level of quantum theory. We find that modeling mutual polarization, compared to other solvation effects, is a dominating factor for accurately reproducing the position of the peaks and spectral line shape of the absorption spectrum of indole in solution. We present an in-depth analysis of the influence that different solvation models have on the electronic excited states responsible for the features of the absorption spectra. Modeling fluorescence is more challenging since it is hard to reproduce even the correct emitting state, and force field parameters need to be re-evaluated.
European emergency politics and the question of legitimacy

Emergency politics raises theoretical questions about the legitimacy of executive authorities’ governing activities in times of crisis, and in particular whether ensuring effective outcomes (output...
Telehealth Attitudes, Training, and Preparedness Among First-Year Internal Medicine Residents in the COVID-19 Era.

Background: Telehealth, especially the use of real-time video and phone visits in ambulatory care, is increasingly important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current state of internal medicine (IM) interns' telehealth training at the start of residency is unknown. Objective: To characterize the attitudes, training, and preparedness of IM interns regarding the use of telehealth video and phone visits in ambulatory care. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of IM interns at four IM residency programs in the United States in 2020. Results: One hundred fifty-six surveys were analyzed (response rate 82%). Seventy-five percent of interns rated training in the use of real-time video and phone visits for ambulatory care as important or very important. The vast majority received no training (74%) or clinical experience (90% no prior video visits, 81% no prior phone visits) during medical school. More interns believed that primary care may be effectively delivered via video visits compared with phone visits (77% vs. 35%). Most interns (69%) missed clinical time during medical school due to the COVID-19 pandemic; 41% felt that the pandemic negatively affected their ambulatory care preparation. Overall, the majority of interns (58%) felt prepared for primary care; only 12% felt prepared to deliver primary care using either video or phone visits. Conclusions: Although IM interns had favorable attitudes toward video and phone visits, few had training or clinical experience; most felt unprepared. Residency programs may need to close training gaps for current interns in conducting telehealth video and phone visits.
The statistical characteristics of knock signal waveforms

Individual instances of the knock resonant response are easy to acquire but these are subject to noise and vary considerably from cycle to cycle due to random variations in the knock process. This ...
The Coherence of Penal Substitution: An Edwardsean Defence

Among recent evaluations of penal substitutionary atonement one significant critique is that given the necessary and sufficient conditions for punishment the doctrine is incoherent. In this essay I defend the coherence of penal substitution by providing an account of Christ’s relationship to humanity such that it is conceptually possible to meet the necessary and sufficient conditions for punishment. In order to do this, I turn to Jonathan Edwards’ understanding of creation and identity. I show that a view called ‘Edwardsean Anti-Criterialism’ provides the metaphysics necessary for a coherent account of penal substitution.
Reminiscences of Work with D.K.C. MacDonald at the National Research Council

In January 1953 the following note,1 under the heading ‘Thermoelectricity at Low Temperatures’ was sent to Acta Metallurgica: ‘It has been suggested2 that the foundations of electron theory in metals are well-established and that at best only “refinements of theory” may be looked for. However ...... it now appears that this belief may well be unfounded ...... We are at present carrying out an experimental study of thermoelectricity ...... Our experiments are already adequate to show that little detailed agreement can be found with the present theory ...... He believe that systematic experiments on thermoelectricity at low temperatures will yield much information of value on the processes of electron scattering in metals.’*
The Oxygen Sensitivity of Spinach Ferredoxin and Other Iron-Sulfur Proteins THE FORMATION OF PROTEIN-BOUND SULFUR-ZERO

In the presence of urea and molecular oxygen, spinach ferredoxin is rapidly denatured. The product of this reaction contains substantial amounts of sulfur in the oxidation state of zero covalently bound to the protein. The origin of the sulfur-zero was shown to be the labile sulfide of the native protein. The S(0) could be released from the protein as S2- with a strong reducing agent such as dithiothreitol or as S(0) with cyanide or sulfite anions. Sedimentation analysis showed the protein to be polymeric, existing as a dimer. Ferricyanide could replace oxygen as a source of oxidizing equivalents. With this oxidant the stoichiometry of the reaction was found to be 9 moles per mole of ferredoxin. This has been explained by the oxidation of 5 RSH to 5/2 RSSR and 2 S2- to 2 S(0). It is proposed that the S(0) is bound to the protein as a trisulfide (RSSSR). The ferricyanide titer of a number of iron-sulfur proteins has been determined and correlated with the S(0) content of the urea-ferricyanide denatured proteins. The oxidation stoichiometries are consistent with a generalization of the above formulation. Thus 8 to 10 moles of ferricyanide are consumed by the two-iron proteins and approximately 30 by the bacterial ferredoxins. With the two-iron proteins, 60 to 80% of the labile sulfide was found as bound S(0) while with bacterial ferredoxins about 50% of the labile sulfide was detected as bound S(0). In the case of putidaredoxin it was found that the same amount of S(0) was bound when the protein was air-denatured in the absence of urea and mercaptoethanol as when the protein was denatured in aerobic urea solution. It is proposed that the oxygen sensitivity of many non-heme iron labile-sulfide proteins finds explanation in the oxidation of their mercaptide-sulfide system.
Elementary Theory of L-functions and Eisenstein Series

The theory of p-adic and classic modular forms, and the study of arithmetic and p-adic L-functions has proved to be a fruitful area of mathematics over the last decade. Professor Hida has given courses on these topics in the USA, Japan, and in France, and in this book provides the reader with an elementary but detailed insight into the theory of L-functions. The presentation is self contained and concise, and the subject is approached using only basic tools from complex analysis and cohomology theory. Graduate students wishing to know more about L-functions will find that this book offers a unique introduction to this fascinating branch of mathematics.
Enhanced DFT for Time-Varying Harmonic Decomposition

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Sliding window recursive DFT The decomposition structure Dyadic down-sampling Simulation results Conclusions References
The Addition and Release of Magnesium in the Phosphoglucomutase Reaction II. KINETIC CONTROL OF ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS

Abstract Rate constants for release of Mg2+, glucose 1-phosphate, glucose 6-phosphate, and glucose 1,6-diphosphate from the catalytically active complex under initial velocity conditions together with rate constants for dissociation of the Mg2+ complexes of phospho- and dephosphoenzyme are used to define the order of addition and release of the above species during the phosphoglucomutase reaction. Although the reaction pathway is technically random, it is actually ordered kinetically to a very high degree. The difference between the concept of ordered versus random reaction pathways in enzymic reactions may thus be mainly a quantitative rather than a qualitative consideration. All-or-none type assays are described for measuring some of the above rate constants and for evaluating the dissociation constant of the phosphoenzyme · magnesium complex. The possibility of phosphate isomerization in the phosphoenzyme · magnesium complex was examined. Since product inhibition in the phosphoglucomutase reaction is strictly competitive at high concentrations of product, kinetic data give no support to the possibility that phosphate transfer between two different attachment sites on the enzyme occurs during the catalytic cycle. Kinetic constants measured previously were identified in terms of the appropriate dissociation steps. The rate constants for release of Mg2+ from the catalytically active enzyme · substrate · Mg complex, the phosphoenzyme · Mg complex, and the dephosphoenzyme · Mg complex are about 0.03, 0.07, and 0.22 sec-1, respectively; the release of Mg2+ from the catalytically active complex is thus about 1/25,000 of the catalytic conversion of glucose-1-P to glucose-6-P, 750 sec-1.
Teaching program development

Few introductory programming texts--and therefore few introductory programming courses-- teach the DEVELOPMENT of programs (or algorithms). Instead, they just present completed algorithms, one after the other, with little attention paid to how they were developed. This results in programmers who simply hack, who have no conscious idea about how they develop programs and why.It doesn't have to be that way. Instead, one can teach the rudiments of a theory of program correctness and then show how the ideas can be used in a PRACTICAL way in developing programs. Programming becomes a "science" --a department of practical work in which the work gets done by conscious application of principles-- as opposed to an art, where the work requires merely knowledge of traditional rules and expertise acquired by habit.Even in the first programming course, teaching the development of loops as shown above can result in increased efficiency and effectiveness in students' programming. Further, many algorithms (e.g. searching and sorting) become memorable --not because one memorizes code but because one can develop them at will.
NONLINEAR EVOLUTION EQUATIONS, INVERSE SCATTERING AND CELLULAR AUTOMATA

There is a class of nonlinear evolution equations which have solitons as special solutions. Significantly many of these equations fall into a class for which the Inverse Scattering Transform method applies. A discussion of this method of solution for certain prototype nonlinear evolution equations in continuous media in 1 + 1 and 2 + 1 dimensions is given. It also turns out that there are cellular automata which admit soliton solutions and have many similar properties, but there are significant differences as well. One of these cellular automata is discussed in some detail.
Distinctiveness maps for image matching

Stereo correspondence is hard because different image features can look alike. We propose a measure for the ambiguity of image points that allows matching of distinctive points first and breaks down the matching task into smaller and separate subproblems. Experiments with an algorithm based on this measure demonstrate the ensuing efficiency and low likelihood of incorrect matches.
Nothing more than feelings? The role of emotions in moral judgment

There is a powerful tradition that views emotions as harmful to the process of moral judgment and decision-making. Stemming from the writings of Kant and others, who viewed emotions as undependable forces that are largely outside of our control, this view has had a large influence on moral psychology. It is argued that this tradition is based on a definition of emotion that is no longer tenable given recent evidence concerning emotional processes. Rather, emotions are often reliable reflections of moral beliefs, and are open to conscious regulatory control, enabling the individual to use emotional responses to serve moral goals. In support of this, evidence is reviewed demonstrating the features of emotion-specifically the empathic response-that make it advantageous for the process of moral judgment. These features are then organized into a theoretical framework of moral judgment that describes the dialectic between affect and moral reasoning, thus allowing emotions to re-enter the arena of the study of moral reasoning and moral judgment.
Electron microscopy of viral RNA: avian tumor virus RNA.

Abstract We have investigated by electron microscopy the structure of native, partially denatured, and heated and quick-cooled RNA from avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) and Schmidt-Ruppin Rous sarcoma virus (SR-RSV). Native 60–70 S RNA has a highly folded structure, while partially denatured 60–70 S RNA is more extended but retains much secondary and tertiary structure and has multiple free ends. 60–70 S RNA that has been heated and quick-cooled appears smaller than unheated RNA and retains some secondary structure when prepared for electron microscopy under nondenaturing conditions. The appearance of 60–70 S RNA before and after heating indicates a dissociation of the 60–70 S RNA on heating rather than a change in conformation of the RNA. Molecular weight of large subunit RNA has been determined by electron microscopy of formaldehyde-formamide treated RNA. The largest RNA subunit of AMV has a molecular weight of 2.9 × 106. The largest subunit of the transforming virus SR-RSV is 20% larger with a molecular weight of 3.5 × 106.
Fixed Content of Political Obligations

An aspect of political obligations that has received little attention is the means through which their content, i.e., exactly what is required of their bearers, is determined. An adequate moral basis for political obligations must account for this requirement, which is closely linked to the concept of authority, the state's right to substitute its judgement in various areas for the subjects' own. The problems faced by theories of obligation based on gratitude and tacit consent in fixing the content of obligations are examined, while I show how a theory based on the principle of fairness is able to overcome them. As long as a cooperative enterprise supplies public goods that are indispensable to minimally acceptable lives and require ‘regulated cooperation’ for their supply, it is able to ground obligations with fixed content under the principle of fairness.
Finite value of the wave function renormalization constant in quantum electrodynamics

The existence of a class of gages which give a finite value for the electron wave function renormalization constant is discussed, and proof is given for its existence. It was found that the constant was finite in a modified Landau's gage in the second order. Proof was obtained by induction that coefficients could be chosen in such a way as to make the constant finite in every order of perturbation theory.
Two Promoters Mediate Transcription from the Human LHX3 Gene: Involvement of Nuclear Factor I and Specificity Protein 1

The LHX3 transcription factor is required for pituitary and nervous system development in mammals. Mutations in the human gene are associated with hormone-deficiency diseases. The gene generates two mRNAs, hLHX3a and hLHX3b, which encode three proteins with different properties. Here, the cis elements and trans-acting factors that regulate the basal transcription of the two mRNAs are characterized. A comparative approach was taken featuring analysis of seven mammalian Lhx3 genes, with a focus on the human gene. Two conserved, TATA-less, GC-rich promoters that are used to transcribe the mRNAs precede exons 1a and 1b of hLHX3. Transcription start sites were mapped for both promoters. Deletion experiments showed most activity for reporter genes containing the basal promoters in the context of −2.0 kb of hLHX3a and 1.8 kb of intron 1a (hLHX3b). Transfection, site-directed mutation, electrophoretic mobility shift, Southwestern blot, and chromatin immunoprecipitation approaches were used to characterize the int...
High selectivity plasma etching of InN over GaN

Etch selectivities for InN over GaN as high as 40 and 100 are achieved in BBr3/Ar and BI3/Ar, respectively, under inductively coupled plasma conditions. Previous work on Cl2-based plasma chemistries has produced selectivity in the reverse direction, i.e., GaN over InN, and therefore the introduction of these new Br2- and I2-based mixtures facilitates device fabrication involving double heterostructures of GaN/InxGa1−xN/GaN. Selectivities up to 10 for InN over the common mask materials SiO2 and SiNx were obtained in both BI3 and BBr3.
Bromeliad Catchments as Habitats for Methanogenesis in Tropical Rainforest Canopies

Tropical epiphytic plants within the family Bromeliaceae are unusual in that they possess foliage capable of retaining water and impounded material. This creates an acidic (pH 3.5-6.5) and anaerobic (< 1 ppm O2) environment suspended in the canopy. Results from a Costa Rican rainforest show that most bromeliads (n = 75/86) greater than ~20 cm in plant height or ~4-5 cm tank depth, showed presence of methanogens within the lower anoxic horizon of the tank. Archaea were dominated by methanogens (77-90% of recovered ribotypes) and community structure, although variable, was generally comprised of a single type, closely related to either hydrogenotrophic Methanoregula or Methanocella, a specific clade of aceticlastic Methanosaeta, or Methanosarcina. Juvenile bromeliads, or those species, such as Guzmania, with shallow tanks, generally did not possess methanogens, as assayed by PCR specific for methanogen 16S rRNA genes, nor did artificial catchments (~ 100 ml volume), in place 6-12 months prior to sample collection. Methanogens were not detected in soil (n = 20), except in one case, in which the dominant ribotype was different from nearby bromeliads. Recovery of methyl coenzyme M reductase genes supported the occurrence of hydrogenotrophic and aceticlastic methanogens within bromeliad tanks, as well as the trend, via QPCR analysis of mcrA, of increased methanogenic capacity with increased plant height. Methane production rates of up to 300 nmol CH4 ml tank water -1 day-1 were measured in microcosm experiments. These results suggest that bromeliad-associated archaeal communities may play an important role in the cycling of carbon in neotropical forests.
Dynamical Generation of Supersymmetry

Abstract In this letter I demonstrate that supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories can be generated as the low energy behavior of strongly coupled theories which possess no supersymmetry at high energy. Explicit examples are given for which the low energy gauge group is SU( N ), SO( N ) or Sp(2 N ).
Syntaxin 31 functions in Glycine max resistance to the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera glycines

A Glycine max syntaxin 31 homolog (Gm-SYP38) was identified as being expressed in nematode-induced feeding structures known as syncytia undergoing an incompatible interaction with the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera glycines. The observed Gm-SYP38 expression was consistent with prior gene expression analyses that identified the alpha soluble NSF attachment protein (Gm-α-SNAP) resistance gene because homologs of these genes physically interact and function together in other genetic systems. Syntaxin 31 is a protein that resides on the cis face of the Golgi apparatus and binds α-SNAP-like proteins, but has no known role in resistance. Experiments presented here show Gm-α-SNAP overexpression induces Gm-SYP38 transcription. Overexpression of Gm-SYP38 rescues G. max [Williams 82/PI 518671], genetically rhg1 −/−, by suppressing H. glycines parasitism. In contrast, Gm-SYP38 RNAi in the rhg1 +/+ genotype G. max [Peking/PI 548402] increases susceptibility. Gm-α-SNAP and Gm-SYP38 overexpression induce the transcriptional activity of the cytoplasmic receptor-like kinase BOTRYTIS INDUCED KINASE 1 (Gm-BIK1-6) which is a family of defense proteins known to anchor to membranes through a 5′ MGXXXS/T(R) N-myristoylation sequence. Gm-BIK1-6 had been identified previously by RNA-seq experiments as expressed in syncytia undergoing an incompatible reaction. Gm-BIK1-6 overexpression rescues the resistant phenotype. In contrast, Gm-BIK1-6 RNAi increases parasitism. The analysis demonstrates a role for syntaxin 31-like genes in resistance that until now was not known.
Noble gases in silicate inclusions of Kodaikanal

Abstract Analyses of the noble gases from silicate inclusion of Kodaikanal show extensive loss of the lighter cosmogenic gases. A comparison of the cosmogenic gases in the silicates with reported concentrations of cosmogenic noble gases in the metal phase indicates an exposure age between 7.5 and 40 million years if a chondritic composition is assumed for the silicates. An upper limit of 6 × 10 −13 cm 3 STP radiogenic 129 Xe per gram is almost three orders of magnitude less than the radiogenic 129 Xe in Toluca silicates. This agrees with the different K-Ar and Rb-Sr ages reported for the inclusions in these two meteorites.
Solving Truckload Procurement Auctions Over an Exponential Number of Bundles

Truckload carriers provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of services to shippers in the United States alone each year. Internet auctions provide these shippers with a fast and easy way to negotiate potential contracts with a large number of carriers. Combinatorial auctions have the added benefit of allowing multiple lanes to be considered simultaneously in a single auction. This is important because it enables carriers to connect multiple lanes in continuous moves or tours, decreasing the empty mileage that must be driven, and therefore increasing overall efficiency. On the other hand, combinatorial auctions require bidding on an exponential number of bundles to achieve full economies of scope and scale, which is not tractable except for very small auctions. In most real-world auctions, bidding is instead typically limited to a very small subset of the potential bids. We present an implicit bidding approach to combinatorial auctions for truckload procurement that enables the complete set of all possible bids to be considered implicitly, without placing the corresponding burden of an exponential number of bids on the bidders or the auctioneer. We present the models needed to solve this problem. We then provide extensive computational results to demonstrate the tractability of our approach. Finally, we conclude with numerical analysis to assess the quality of the solutions that are generated and to demonstrate the benefits of our approach over existing bidding methods in practice.
Effects of thiouracil feeding on resistance to low environmental temperature.

In 1943 Leblond and Gross observed that thyroidectomized rats failed to survive at low environmental temperatures unless administered thyroid hormone. Since thiouracil inhibits thyroxin synthesis in the body, impaired survival at low environmental temperatures might also be expected following prolonged administration of this drug. In the present experiment adult female rate were made hypothyroid by thiouracil feeding, and their length of survival determined under cold room conditions with and without thyroxin administration. procedure and results Forty-seven female rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were raised to maturity on a stock ration and selected for the present experiment at approximately 10 weeks of age and an average body weight of 170.1 g. (range 148 to 192 g.). Forty-one rats (group I) were fed a purified ration consisting of thiouracil 0.3%, casein2 22.0%, salt mixture3 4.5%, whole liver powder4 10.0%, cottonseed oil (Wesson) 10.0% and sucrose 53.2%.
Alterations of mRNA Splicing in Primary Effusion Lymphomas

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a unique form of malignant lymphoma associated with infection by the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)/human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8). The majority of PELs also contain the EBV genome. Although viral infection is believed to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of PEL, it has been suggested that additional molecular lesions are required for the development of PEL. Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA is an important mechanism in the regulation of cellular and viral gene expression. Deregulation of pre-mRNA splicing may shift the gene expression balance and lead to the development of cancer. In order to investigate mRNA splicing in PELs, we examined mRNA splicing of three genes, DNA polymerase β (pol β ), Bcl-x and CD45, in eight PEL cell lines. We found that the average variant percentage of pol β in PEL cell lines is two times higher than in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and that the variant pattern of genes bcl-x and CD45 is quite different in PEL...
Image reconstruction algorithms for a novel PET system with a half-ring insert

Breast cancer continues to be the most common malignancy of women in the United States. Nuclear imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) have been widely used for the staging of cancer. The primary limitations of PET for breast cancer diagnosis are the lack of a highly specific radiotracer and the limited resolution of imaging systems. The sensitivity for detecting small lesions is very low. Many groups are developing positron emission mammography (PEM) systems dedicated for breast imaging using high resolution detectors. Although image resolution is significantly improved compared to whole-body PET systems, the clinical value of a PEM system is yet to be proven,3.4 Most PET systems have limitations in imaging tissues near the chest walls and lymph nodes. The proposed system addresses the sampling requirements specific to breast imaging and achieves high resolution in PET images of breast and thorax.© (2006) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage in a multilevel atom

We present a general formalism for describing stimulated Raman adiabatic passage in a multilevel atom. The atom is assumed to have two ground state manifolds a and b and an excited state manifold e, and the adiabatic passage is carried out by resonantly driving the a-e and b-e transitions with time-dependent fields. Our formalism gives a complete description of the adiabatic passage process and can be applied to systems with arbitrary numbers of degenerate states in each manifold and arbitrary couplings of the a-e and b-e transitions. We illustrate the formalism by applying it to both a simple toy model and to adiabatic passage in the cesium atom.
LATENT-CLASS ITEM RESPONSE MODELS

Latent-class item response models with small numbers of latent classes are quite competitive in terms of model fit to corresponding item-response models, at least for one- and two-parameter logistic (1PL and 2PL) models. Provided that care is taken in terms of computational procedures and in terms of use of only limited numbers of latent classes, computations are relatively simple in the case of latent classes.
Comparison of type and severity of major injuries among undertriaged and correctly triaged older patients.

Abstract Background Despite the use of prehospital triage algorithms and other trauma scoring methods, a substantial proportion of older patients with life-threatening injuries are undertriaged, increasing the risk of preventable death and disability. Study Objective The primary objective of this study was to describe the injury types, injury severity, and short-term survival outcomes of undertriaged older adults injured in motor vehicle collisions, compared to a group of correctly triaged older adults. Methods This secondary analysis of records extracted from the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System for the years 2004 through 2008 compared persons aged 65 years and older who sustained maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (mAIS) 3, 4, and 5 injuries and were transported to non-trauma center hospitals to those with mAIS 3, 4, and 5 injuries who were transported to trauma center hospitals. Results Records of 66,445 patients were analyzed. Females comprised 61.8% (n = 41,085) of the total sample. There were 6846 fatalities (10.3%) within 30 days of the crash, with 5708 (83.3%) of these attributed to injuries. Most patients sustained multiple injuries. Among the 17,403 undertriaged patients, brain injuries were the most common injury (n = 5401, 31.1%), followed by thoracic fractures (n = 5167, 29.7%), lower extremity fractures (n = 4405, 25.3%), cervical spine fractures (n = 3720, 21.4%), and thoracic-lumbar spine fractures (n = 3513, 20.2%). Undertriaged patients also sustained an additional 2232 chest injuries, including contusions, vascular lacerations, diaphragm rupture, and unspecified injuries across all three AIS groups. The most common AIS 4 and 5 injuries were thoracic fractures. Conclusion The large number of undertriaged patients with AIS 3, 4, and 5 injuries underscores the need for a thorough search for life-threatening injuries among older adults who present to non-trauma center Emergency Departments after motor vehicle collisions.
Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules performed in the office.

Introduction: The majority of thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) today are performed in the office freehand by palpation. Not infrequently, patients are sent to radiology for an ultrasound-guided FNAB (USG-FNB). Real-time ultrasound (US) allows for continuous visualization of the needle during insertion and sampling. Historically, USG-FNAB has been a procedure performed by a radiologist in a designated radiology suite. In more recent years, with the development of smaller more portable US machines, there has been a push for clinicians other than radiologists to perform the procedure. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and specimen adequacy of thyroid FNAB performed in the office under US guidance by one senior otolaryngologist. Methods: Retrospective chart review of 203 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided USG-FNA of the thyroid gland between September, 2005, to February, 2007, in the office setting by one senior otolaryngologist. Specimens were reviewed onsite at the time of biopsy for cellular adequacy by a cytotechnologist. Results: A total of 203 patients, 176 females and 27 males, underwent USG-FNA of the thyroid gland. The average age of the females was 52 years, and 59.4 years for the males. A total of 271 FNA biopsies were performed. Two hundred and twenty FNAB were satisfactory specimens (81.2%), 26 were unsatisfactory (9.6%), and 25 (9.2%) were limited due to blood clotting or hypocellularity. Of the FNA specimens that had enough cells to evaluate, 159 were benign, 48 were indeterminate for malignacy, and 13 were positive for malignancy. Of the nodules biopsied, 143 were greater than 1.5 cm (average 2.59 cm, unsatisfactory rate 12.6%), and 128 were less than 1.5 cm (average 1.21 cm, unsatisfactory rate 6.3%).In 44 patients, one or more nodule was biopsied at the same office visit. Discussion: Thyroid US is an indispensable tool in the workup and diagnosis of thyroid disease. It may be used to help identify pathology and physical features suspicious for malignancy and guide FNAB of suspicious nodules. The availability of an office US machine allows the referring physician to perform a service that is normally done in a different department. This ultimately frees up time for both the patient and physician and reduces health care costs by eliminating extra office visits. More importantly, it allows the primary physician to be more knowledgeable and hands on with the patient's overall care. Conclusion: This study shows that a trained physician may perform a USG-FNA of the thyroid gland in the office with results comparable to that in the radiology literature.
Partial Correlation in Terms of Path Coefficients

where r12.34, etc. may, in turn, be expressed in terms of r12.3, etc., until simple correlations (of zero order) are reached. Moreover, the expression for r12.345 is not unique, as any two of the subscripts after the dot may be chosen to remain after the dot in the correlations of the lower order. In example (1), the subscripts 34 remain after the dot throughout the expression. The purpose of this note is to present a new expression by the use of path coefficients. The new expression remains the same for partial correlations of any order. The new expression is based on multiple correlation coefficients rather than partial correlation coefficients. Hence a few words about multiple regression are in order. The linear regression of Xi on X3, . . ., Xk may be written, assuming zero means for all variables, as