cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous determination of indole- and catecholamines in tissues using a weak cation-exchange resin.

During the past decade, a number of procedures have been used for routine assay of catecholamines and the indoleamines, in various tissues. Many of these procedures do not allow simultaneous assay of the amines, or, if they do, as in the case of some solvent extraction procedures, do not allow for separation of amines from their precursor amino acids (l-6). The successful application of the weak cation-exchange resins by some authors (7-13) for one or two amines made it possible for us to adapt and improve those methods and, at the same time, to study various parameters of the procedure which have not been previously reported in order to increase the versatility of the assay method. The procedure can be used for simultaneous determination of norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) , dopamine (DA), serotonin, (5-HT) and 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MT). Basically, the methods involve the deproteinieation of the tissue with either perchloric acid or ethanol, adsorption of the amines on the weak cation-exchange resin Bio-Rex 70, elution, and spectrofluorometric determination of the amines. The advantages of the method described in this paper over other published ones are: (a) the purification steps of the amines are greatly reduced, requiring only 2.5 hr to run up to 50 samples through the columns, (b) the recovery of the amines is higher, (c) one can determine quantitatively 20 ng of any of the four amines in one tissue sample, and (d) the method is highly reproducible.
Analytic energy third derivatives for open-shell self-consistent-field wavefunctions

Abstract A theoretical formalism and its implementation are described for the analytic evaluation of energy third derivatives for open-shell, single-configuration Hartree-Fock wavefunctions. Cubic force constants and vibration-rotation interaction constants for the electronically excited states of methylene and formaldehyde are predicted using a wide range of basis sets, from minimum basis through triple zeta plus double polarization.
Multiple thermosetting of semicrystalline polymers: Polyamide 66 and poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers

Abstract Polyamide 66 fibers were thermoset in a torsion-bending deformation at various temperatures up to 240 °C. Some of the fibers were heat-set at constant length prior to the deformation at presetting temperatures of 150 °C and 200 °C to vary the structural state of the starting material. Fractional recovery was measured after various combinations of temperature and time. It was found that heat setting of PA66 is dominated by time-dependent stress relaxation exhibiting time-temperature equivalence. Increased crystallinity, and/or other molecular rearrangements occurring during presetting, impose additional constraints on molecular mobility, which delay onset of the flow regime and increase the time constant of relaxation at a given temperature. The thermosetting characteristics of PA66 fibers are very similar to those of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers. For both polymers, superposing the curves of fractional recovery vs. setting time at different temperatures produce satisfactory master curves, without the need for vertical shifting of the data. Arrhenius plots yield approximate activation energies for the thermosetting flow process of 35–65 kcal/mol in PA66 and 95–115 kcal/mol in PET.
Ornithine decarboxylase and polyamine levels are reduced in CHO cells deficient in cAMP-dependent protein kinase

Abstract A Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant with greatly reduced catalytic activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase was compared with wild type cells having normal kinase activity for differences in biosynthesis, uptake and conjugation of polyamines. The inducibility of ornithine decarboxylase in response to cAMP, serum, human chorionic gonadotropin, asparagine and phorbol esters was greatly reduced in the mutant cells. Putrescine, spermidine and spermine levels rose 2–6 fold in wild type cells but in kinase mutant cells the basal and stimulated levels were generally lower. The cellular uptake and conjugation of radiolabelled putrescine and spermidine were reduced 5–10 fold in the kinase mutant cells. These results provide further evidence of the positive regulatory control exerted by cAMP-dependent protein kinase on polyamine biosynthesis.
Systems approach to evaluating sensor characteristics for real-time monitoring of high-risk indoor contaminant releases

Rapid detection of toxic agents in the indoor environment is essential for protecting building occupants from accidental or intentional releases. While there is much research dedicated to designing sensors to detect airborne toxic contaminants, little research has addressed how to incorporate such sensors into a monitoring system designed to protect building occupants. To design sensor systems, one must quantify design tradeoffs, such as response time and accuracy, and select values to optimize the performance of an overall system. We illustrate the importance of a systems approach for properly evaluating such tradeoffs, using data from tracer gas experiments conducted in a three-floor building at the Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. We explore how well a Bayesian interpretation approach can characterize an indoor release using threshold sensor data. We use this approach to assess the effects of various sensor characteristics, such as response time, threshold level, and accuracy, on overall system performance. The system performance is evaluated in terms of the time needed to characterize the release (location, amount released, and duration). We demonstrate that a systems perspective enables selecting sensor characteristics that optimize the system as a whole.
Effects of traditional Chinese medicine on symptom clusters during the menopausal transition

AbstractAims To review controlled clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies for hot flushes and at least one other co-occurring symptom among sleep, cognitive function, mood, and pain.Methods An experienced reference librarian performed an extensive search of PubMed/Medline, CINAHL Plus, PsycInfo, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, EMBASE, AMED, and Alt-Health Watch for randomized, controlled trials reported in English between 2004 and July 2011. Of 1193 abstracts identified, 58 trials examined effectiveness of therapies for hot flushes and at least one additional co-occurring symptom.Results Eleven trials (13 publications) examined TCM therapeutics of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) or moxibustion. Acupuncture trials (eight) yielded mixed results; five trials significantly reduced hot flushes. Of those five trials, one also showed benefit for sleep and pain and two trials found benefit for mood symptoms...
How Organizational Signals, Need for Cognition, and Verbal Ability Affect Text Recall and Recognition.

Abstract This study investigated the effects of organizational signals, need for cognition, and verbal ability on recall and recognition of information from an expository text. Ninety-two undergraduate students completed the Need for Cognition scale (Cacioppo, Petty, & Kao, 1984) and read a text that either: (a) contained organizational signals in the form of an overview, headings, and a summary or (b) contained no signals. Consistent with our primary hypothesis, there was a marginal tendency for organizational signals to interact with need for cognition to influence conditional recall of expository text information. Specifically, need for cognition was related marginally to conditional recall only in the “no signals” condition. Organizational signals, need for cognition, and verbal ability contributed significantly to prediction of performance on three measures of text recall. By contrast, performance on the recognition test was influenced by an interaction between organizational signals and verbal ability. Implications of the findings are discussed.
A persistent sinus tract from the vagina to the sacrum after treatment of mesh erosion by partial removal of a GORE-TEX Soft Tissue Patch

Mesh erosion is an unfortunate complication of abdominal sacral colpopexy. A sinus tract from the vagina to the sacrum developed in a patient after partial removal of a GORE-TEX Soft Tissue Patch because of mesh erosion. Successful management eventually required complete removal of all GORE-TEX material and resection of the sinus tract.
The Reaction of Arynes with Muenchnones: Synthesis of Isoindoles and Azaisoindoles.

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of arynes derived from silyl triflates with muenchnones, generated in situ from precursors (II), affords isoindole derivatives in moderate to high yields.
Passive seismic control of cable‐stayed bridges with damped resonant appendages

A study is conducted to investigate the effectiveness of attaching to cable-stayed bridges resonant appendages with a relatively small mass and a high damping ratio as a means to reduce their response to earthquake excitations. The study is based on a previously developed formulation that shows that the use of these appendages may increase the inherent damping of building structures and, as a result, may reduce their response to seismic disturbances. It includes numerical and experimental tests that are conducted to assess the validity of such a formulation for the case of cable-stayed bridges and the extent to which such appendages can reduce their seismic response. In the numerical study, an actual cable-stayed bridge is modelled with finite elements and analysed with and without the proposed appendages under different earthquake ground motions. Appendages with damping ratios of 10, 15, 20 and 30 per cent and masses that, respectively, represent 0.67, 1.5, 2.7 and 6.0 per cent of the total mass of the bridge are considered. In the experimental test, a 3.7 m long cable-stayed bridge and an appendage consisting of a small mass, a small spring and a small viscous damper are built and the bridge tested, without and with the appendage, on a pair of shaking tables which are set to reproduce ground acceleration records from past earthquakes. The damping ratio of the appendage in this test is 32 per cent and its mass represents about 8 per cent of the total mass of the bridge model. In the numerical test, it is found that the appendages reduce the longitudinal response of the bridge deck up to 88 per cent. Similarly, in the experimental test it is found that the appendage reduces the longitudinal bridge deck response by about 41 per cent. From these studies, it is concluded that the suggested appendages may indeed be effective in reducing the seismic response of cable-stayed bridges as they are for building structures
Counterdiffusion and interaction of barium and sulfate ions in a gel

Abstract The conditions of precipitation and rate of growth of a BaSO 4 precipitate in a 1.5% agar gel were determined by a method involving the formation of Liesegang bands in a counterdiffusional system. In several experiments diffusion and precipitation were allowed to proceed for times ranging from several hours to two days after the appearance of the first BaSO 4 band. The values obtained for a calculated quantity c /Δt , which was directly related to the zeroth-order rate constant for the growth of the band, indicated that the growth of the band is diffusion-controlled rather than reaction-controlled. Data from experiments in which the gel was removed several hours prior to the appearance of the first BaSO 4 band revealed that barium ions and sulfate ions began to interact several hours before the appearance of the first band. The flux derivative ratios, calculated from the data obtained in these experiments, imply that the BaSO 4 precipitation is diffusion-controlled. The BaCl 2 and Na 2 SO 4 diffusion coefficients were determined in noncounterdiffusional systems.
On safe tractable approximations of chance constraints

Abstract A natural way to handle optimization problem with data affected by stochastic uncertainty is to pass to a chance constrained version of the problem, where candidate solutions should satisfy the randomly perturbed constraints with probability at least 1 − ∊. While being attractive from modeling viewpoint, chance constrained problems “as they are” are, in general, computationally intractable. In this survey paper, we overview several simulation-based and simulation-free computationally tractable approximations of chance constrained convex programs, primarily, those of chance constrained linear, conic quadratic and semidefinite programming.
On the equilibrium properties of locational sorting models

Abstract Important to many models of location choice is the role of local interactions or spillovers , whereby the payoffs from choosing a location depend in part on the number or attributes of other individuals or firms that choose the same or nearby locations in equilibrium. This paper develops the equilibrium properties of a broadly applicable and readily estimable class of sorting models that allow location decisions to depend on both fixed local attributes (including unobserved attributes) and local interactions, describes the conditions under which equilibria exist and are unique, and provides a test for uniqueness in empirical analyses of sorting equilibrium.
CP violation in B physics— What have we learned, and what comes next?

Abstract This talk is a personal reaction to the Osaka results from the B factories. I review the ranges of Standard Model parameters currently allowed, with the theoretical uncertainties discussed from a skeptical point of view. I comment on the improvements expected both from new measurements and from further theoretical work. My conclusion is that it is unlikely that the measurement of sin(2β) alone will present a clear challenge to the Standard Model, and that, more likely, continued work on both the experimental and theoretical fronts will be needed before we can assess whether there is new physics required to explain the CP-violating sector of B physics.
Parallel Principal Axes

Parallel principal axes are introduced and used to investigate the structure of multivariate distributions. In the class of elliptical distributions, it is shown that self-consistency of parallel principal axes characterizes normality. Parallel principal axes are used to illustrate the equivalent event fallacy in the context of self-consistency. Finally, the idea of piecewise principal component axes is introduced and related to an allometric extension model.
Structure-based inhibition of protein-protein interactions.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are emerging as attractive targets for drug design because of their central role in directing normal and aberrant cellular functions. These interactions were once considered “undruggable” because their large and dynamic interfaces make small molecule inhibitor design challenging. However, landmark advances in computational analysis, fragment screening and molecular design have enabled development of a host of promising strategies to address the fundamental molecular recognition challenge. An attractive approach for targeting PPIs involves mimicry of protein domains that are critical for complex formation. This approach recognizes that protein subdomains or protein secondary structures are often present at interfaces and serve as organized scaffolds for the presentation of side chain groups that engage the partner protein(s). Design of protein domain mimetics is in principle rather straightforward but is enabled by a host of computational strategies that provide predictions of important residues that should be mimicked. Herein we describe a workflow proceeding from interaction network analysis, to modeling a complex structure, to identifying a high-affinity sub-structure, to developing interaction inhibitors. We apply the design procedure to peptidomimetic inhibitors of Ras-mediated signaling.
Luminescently tagged 2,2'-bipyridine complex of FeII: synthesis and photophysical studies of 4-[N-(2-anthryl)carbamoyl]-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine.

The anthracene lumiphore was linked to the chelating ligand 2,2‘-bipyridine, forming 4-[N-(2-anthryl)carbamoyl]-4‘-methyl-2,2‘-bipyridine (bpyAnth). Coupling through an amide linkage provides some ...
Laparoscopic Approach to Pancreatic Disease

Minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of pancreatic disease have been revolutionary and provide clinical evidence of decreased morbidity and comparable efficacy to traditional, open surgery. Although the use of other laparoscopic solid organ procedures has outdistanced therapeutic laparoscopy of the pancreas, the advent of laparoscopic pancreatic surgery preceded the general use of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and the popularity of other solid organ procedures. This article describes four main applications of laparoscopic pancreatic procedures, which are staging of pancreatic cancer, palliative bypass procedures for pancreatic cancer, resection of benign and malignant pancreatic disease, and pancreatic drainage procedures.
NG2 cells are distinct from neurogenic cells in the postnatal mouse subventricular zone

NG2 cells express the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan NG2 and are a fourth type of glia distinct from astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia. NG2 cells generate oligodendrocytes but have also been reported to represent neuronal progenitor cells in the postnatal mouse subventricular zone (SVZ). We performed a detailed immunohistochemical analysis of NG2 cells in the mouse SVZ, rostral migratory stream (RMS), and olfactory bulb granule cell layer (OB GCL), which constitute a neurogenic niche in the postnatal forebrain. NG2 cells in the SVZ and RMS expressed the oligodendrocyte precursor cell antigen platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha but did not express antigens known to be expressed by neuronogenic cells in the SVZ, such as doublecortin, PSA-NCAM, beta-tubulin, Dlx2, or GFAP. More than 99.5% of the proliferating cells in the SVZ were NG2 negative. In the olfactory bulb, NG2 cells were found to generate primarily oligodendrocytes and a small number of astrocytes but not neurons. In the SVZ and RMS, NG2 cells were sparse and made up a much smaller fraction of the cells compared with the surrounding nonneurogenic parenchyma. Parenchymal NG2 cells were often located along the border of the SVZ and RMS. The abundance of NG2 cells increased in the distal parts of the RMS and especially in the OB GCL, where NG2 cell processes were seen in close proximity to many maturing interneurons. Our findings indicate that NG2 cells do not represent neuronal progenitor cells in the postnatal SVZ but are likely to be oligodendrocyte precursor cells.
Simplicial interpolations for path integrals

Abstract We suggest approximating path integrals by tilting spacetime with simplexes and by interpolating the fields throughout each simplex from their values on the vertices. This simplicial interpolative method uses unaltered the action of the contrinuum theory. We present several tests of the method. Both in one dimension, for the harmonic oscillator, and in two dimensions, for the free massive scalar field, it was about twice as accurate as ordinary lattice theory. We also computed Wilson loops in two dimensions for free quantum electrodynamics. By using huge lattices, we achieved an accuracy of better than 0.5% and observed a remarkable restoration of translational and rotational invariance.
Classical field theory of transport of interacting classical particles through one-dimensional channels

A classical field theory is constructed to describe the interacting classical particles in one-dimensional (1D) channels. We show the intrinsic connection between the classical field theory and the corresponding quantum theory, i.e., Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid theory, which describes the interacting fermions in 1D. As applications, we calculate the particle density function along the tube axis and the particle current through the channels by explicitly including the particle-particle and particle-wall interactions and we find quantum-classical correspondence in the conductance formula.
TNF-α inhibits SP-A gene expression in lung epithelial cells via p38 MAPK

Surfactant protein A (SP-A), the major lung surfactant-associated protein, mediates local defense against pathogens and modulates inflammation in the alveolus. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a proi...
Agency in response: The role of prefatory address terms

Abstract Although sequence-initiating or first actions normatively constrain what is done in response, there are various methods through which interactants manage to exert agency from within the sequence-responsive position. One such method operates at the level of action selection, as when interactants produce disaligning or dispreferred responses that were not solicited by the prior action. Another method operates at the level of the framing of action, as when the response (whether aligning or disaligning, preferred or dispreferred) is portrayed as motivated independently of the prior action. This paper examines prefatory address terms as a resource by which responses can be cast as independently motivated rather than sequentially occasioned, acquiescent, or coerced. It also explores how the generic sense of “independence” achievable through this practice is particularized in specific cases, how it inflects the character of the action in progress, and bears on self-presentational and relational concerns. Particular attention is devoted to request sequences and the portrayal of services as offered rather than granted, and question–answer sequences and the portrayal of claims as volitional rather than acquiescent.
A pipeline development toolkit in support of secure information flow goals

The rapid spread of viruses, worms and undesired software in commercial and private networks has been a driving factor behind computer security research. The subject of preventing rogue software and rogue network traffic has been the focus of a number of research areas, most significantly through monitoring with intrusion detection systems (IDS).These reactive systems speak to our inability as software designers to specify the information flows inherent in our systems. This lack of specification results in computer defenders deploying monitoring technologies to detect and react to known illicit software behavior and network traffic using blacklisting techniques. An opposing approach known as whitelisting is known to be more secure. Network managers are unable however to enumerate all permissible information flows in their systems in order to establish a complete whitelist.In this work we describe a novel software engineering approach to the design, implementation and management of assured software pipeline systems [2] with the specific goal of specifying and confining information flows. We aim to make information flow goals a first class component of system design, addressing and preserving them throughout development. Further we consider the expansion of our work into policy analysis techniques using established model checking and graph analysis techniques.
Wait For It! A Twin Study of Inhibitory Control in Early Childhood

Inhibitory control (IC) is a dimension of child temperament that emerges in toddlerhood and involves the ability to regulate behavior in response to instructions or expectations. In general, children with low levels of IC have more cognitive and social difficulties, and higher levels of problem behaviors. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of research on the heritability of this important behavioral dimension. The present study used a twin design to examine the extent to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in IC. Laboratory and parent assessments of IC were conducted on 294 same-sex twin pairs (133 MZ, 161 DZ) at 24 months of age. Model-fitting analyses showed that genetic factors accounted for 38 and 58% of the variance in laboratory- and parent-rated IC, respectively. Multivariate genetic analyses also revealed that the covariance between observed and parent-assessed IC could be predominantly explained by common genetic influences.
Compromised bypass graft outcomes after minimal-incision vein harvest

Background Minimal incision techniques for vein harvest may lessen wound complications after lower extremity revascularization, but long-term patency and limb salvage data are limited. Methods This retrospective case-control study used a computerized vascular registry set in an academic vascular surgical practice. All patients undergoing lower extremity revascularization using autogenous reversed great saphenous vein by a single vascular surgeon in a 10-year period were reviewed. Harvest of great saphenous vein via long single incision (SI) in 133 patients was compared with minimal incisions with endoscopy (MIE) in 85, or MI without endoscopy in 106. The main outcome measures were primary and secondary graft patency by Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis and cumulative sum failure (CUSUM). Secondary outcomes of interest were limb salvage and wound complications. Results No differences were observed between MIE, MI, and SI patients for demographic data, risk factors, or primary indications, including claudication, rest pain, ischemic ulcer, and gangrene. Endoscopic vein harvest patients were significantly more likely than MI or SI to be women and more likely to use tobacco. Primary patency at 5 years was better after SI vein harvest (59%) than with either MI (33%, P = .004) or MIE (44%, P = .045) techniques, although both MI groups had a higher proportion of bypass grafts to the popliteal artery. Similarly, cumulative secondary patency was better after SI (66%) than with MI (47%, P = .045), but not MIE (58%, P = .45). Differences in limb salvage at 5 years in SI (73%) were not statistically superior to either MI (59%, P = .24) or MIE (58%, P = .13). No learning curve for MI or MIE vein grafts was evident by CUSUM for primary patency at 12 months. No differences in wound complication rates were observed for SI (9%), MI (10%), or MIE (6%) grafts ( P = .54). Conclusions Graft patency and limb salvage deteriorated during the time when MI or MIE techniques of great saphenous vein harvest were adopted. This observation raises concern about the advisability of limiting the extent of the incision at the potential cost of compromised outcomes without an obvious advantage in limiting wound complications.
Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) function in innate immunity and infection

The hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF-1alpha) is a major regulator of energy homeostasis and cellular adaptation to low oxygen stress. Recently, HIF-1alpha has been discovered to function as a global regulator of macrophage and neutrophil inflammatory and innate immune functions, as befits these specialized phagocytic cells who must operate effectively in the hypoxic microenvironments of infected tissues. This review summarizes current knowledge of the role of HIF-1alpha in mammalian innate immunity, emphasizing insight gained from conditional gene targeting of the transcription factor in the myeloid cell lineage. Dynamic changes in HIF-1alpha expression in the course of bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections are outlined and inferences drawn regarding the consequences for pathogen and host. A better understanding of HIF-1alpha function may provide novel and rational approaches for boosting innate immune function in the therapy of certain complicated infectious disease conditions.
Perspectives on Modern China: Four Anniversaries

The conveners (the editors of this book) of the September 1989 Four Anniversaries China Conference in Annapolis, asked the contributors to look back from that point in time to consider four major events in modern Chinese history in the perspective of the rapid changes that were shaping the Chinese society, economy, polity, and sense of place in the world in the 1980s, a time when China was making rapid strides toward becoming more integrated with the outside world. With contributions by distinguished scholars in the field, the four anniversaries considered are the High Qing, the May Fourth Movement, forty years of communism in China, and ten years of the Deng era.
Low thromboembolism and pump thrombosis with the HeartMate II left ventricular assist device: analysis of outpatient anti-coagulation.

Background The HeartMate II (Thoratec, Pleasanton, CA) is an effective bridge to transplantation (BTT) but requires anti-coagulation with warfarin and aspirin. We evaluated the risk of thromboembolism and hemorrhage related to the degree of anti-coagulation as reflected by the international normalized ratio (INR). Methods INRs were measured monthly for 6 months in all discharged HeartMate II BTT patients and at an event. Each INR was assigned to ranges of INRs. Adverse events analyzed were ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, pump thrombosis, and bleeding requiring surgery or transfusion. Events were correlated to the INR during the event and at the start of the month. Results In 331 patients discharged on support, 10 had thrombotic events (9 ischemic strokes, 3 pump thromboses), and 58 had hemorrhagic events (7 strokes, 4 hemorrhages requiring surgery, and 102 requiring transfusions). The median INR was 2.1 at discharge and 1.90 at 6 months. Although the incidence of stroke was low, 40% of ischemic strokes occurred in patients with INRs 3.0. The highest incidence of bleeding was at INRs > 2.5. Conclusions The rate of thromboembolism during long-term outpatient support with the HeartMate II is low. The low number of thrombotic events appears to be offset by a greater number of hemorrhagic events. An appropriate target INR is 1.5 to 2.5 in addition to aspirin therapy. In patients having recurrent episodes of bleeding, the risk of lowering the target INR appears to be small.
Introduction of a Murine p53 Mutation Corresponding to Human Codon 249 Into a Murine Hepatocyte Cell Line Results in Growth Advantage, but Not in Transformation

The p53 gene is frequently mutated in human tumors; in hepatocellular carcinomas, there is a high frequency of a specific mutation at codon 249 in regions with significant aflatoxin exposure. To assess the role of this p53 mutation in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, a mutant murine p53 gene, p53ser246, which corresponds to human codon 249, was transfected into a differentiated, nontransformed hepatocyte cell line AML12. Expression of p53ser246 in this line resulted in a growth advantage when compared with either a control vector (which contains a large p53 deletion) or with a different p53 mutant, val135, not found in hepatocellular carcinoma. Overall, there was a threefold increase in colony formation after transfection with p53ser246 as compared with the control or p53val135 vectors, and the p53ser246 plates developed consistently larger colonies. Whereas clones expressing the control or p53val135 constructs showed no significant morphological changes, clones expressing p53ser246 showed increased heterogeneity (large multinucleated cells and areas of small crowded cells) without focus formation. In addition, the ser246 mutation imparted a growth advantage in serum-free media, suggesting less dependence on specific factors present in serum. None of the mutant p53 or control lines were capable of growth in soft agar or tumor formation in nude mice. Thus in this model, in which endogenous wild-type p53 expression is retained, a high level of mutant p53 expression is not sufficient to transform hepatocytes. Our findings indicate that p53ser246 has effects on hepatocytes that may result in a clonal growth advantage and suggest that additional factors are required for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.
First-Principles Assessment of the Reactions of Boric Acid on NiO(001) and ZrO2(1̅11) Surfaces

The present study investigates the adsorption and dissociation reaction pathways of boric acid, B(OH)3, and the reaction kinetic descriptors on NiO(001) and ZrO2(111) surfaces. Density functional theory is employed for ground-state calculations, while the nudged elastic band method is used for obtaining reaction barriers. Strong electron correlations in the case of NiO are included using the DFT + U approach. Adsorption of boric acid on clean ZrO2(111) is found to be more favorable compared with that on NiO(001), in agreement with prior experiments. Dissociative adsorption is observed to dominate over molecular adsorption in the case of ZrO2(111), whereas NiO(001) favors molecular adsorption. The most stable configuration for B(OH)3 on NiO(001) is a hydrogen-bonded molecular structure, Nis-(OH)B(OH)(OH)···Os (s = surface atom), with an adsorption energy of −0.74 eV. On ZrO2(111), a single O–H dissociated structure, Zrs-(O)B(OH)(HO)-Zrs + Os-H, with an adsorption energy of −1.61 eV, is the most stable....
Acanthamoeba castellanii contains a ribosomal RNA enhancer binding protein which stimulates TIF-IB binding and transcription under stringent conditions

Abstract The intergenic spacer (IGS) of Acanthamoeba castellanii rRNA genes contains repeated elements which are weak enhancers for transcription by RNA polymerase I. A protein, EBF, was identified and partially purified which binds to the enhancers and to several other sequences within the IGS, but not to other DNA fragments, including the rRNA core promoter. No consensus binding sequence could be discerned in these fragments and bound factor is in rapid equilibrium with unbound. EBF has functional characteristics similar to vertebrate upstream binding factors (UBF). Not only does it bind to the enhancer and other IGS elements, but it also stimulates binding of TIF-IB, the fundamental transcription initiation factor, to the core promoter and stimulates transcription from the promoter. Attempts to identify polypeptides with epitopes similar to rat or Xenopus laevis UBF suggest that structurally the protein from A.castellanii is not closely related to vertebrate UBF.
Supervised principal component analysis for gene set enrichment of microarray data with continuous or survival outcomes

Motivation: Gene set analysis allows formal testing of subtle but coordinated changes in a group of genes, such as those defined by Gene Ontology (GO) or KEGG Pathway databases. We propose a new method for gene set analysis that is based on principal component analysis (PCA) of genes expression values in the gene set. PCA is an effective method for reducing high dimensionality and capture variations in gene expression values. However, one limitation with PCA is that the latent variable identified by the first PC may be unrelated to outcome. Results: In the proposed supervised PCA (SPCA) model for gene set analysis, the PCs are estimated from a selected subset of genes that are associated with outcome. As outcome information is used in the gene selection step, this method is supervised, thus called the Supervised PCA model. Because of the gene selection step, test statistic in SPCA model can no longer be approximated well using t-distribution. We propose a two-component mixture distribution based on Gumbel exteme value distributions to account for the gene selection step. We show the proposed method compares favorably to currently available gene set analysis methods using simulated and real microarray data. Software: The R code for the analysis used in this article are available upon request, we are currently working on implementing the proposed method in an R package. Contact:chenx3@ccf.org.
A hybrid GPU/CPU FFT library for large FFT problems

Graphic Processing Units (GPU) has been proved to be a promising platform to accelerate large size Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) computation. However, GPU performance is severely restricted by the limited memory size and the low bandwidth of data transfer through PCI channel. Additionally, current GPU based FFT implementation only uses GPU to compute, but employs CPU as a mere memory-transfer controller. The computing power of CPUs is wasted. This paper proposes a hybrid parallel framework to use both multi-core CPU and GPU in heterogeneous systems to compute large-scale 2D and 3D FFTs that exceed GPU memory. This work introduces a flexible partitioning scheme that enables concurrent execution of CPU and GPU and integrates several FFT decomposition paradigms to tailor computation and communication. Moreover, our library exposes and exploits previously overlooked parallelism in FFT. Optimal load balancing is automatically achieved from effective performance modeling and empirical tuning process. On average, our large FFT library on GeForce GTX480, Tesla C2070, C2075 is 121% and 145% faster than 4-thread SSE-enabled FFTW and Intel MKL, with max speedups 4.61 and 2.81, respectively.
A Multiactivity Latent Attrition Model for Customer Base Analysis

Customer base analysis is a key element in customer valuation and can provide guidance for decisions such as resource allocation. Yet extant models often focus on a single activity, such as purchases from a retailer or donations to a nonprofit organization. These models do not consider other ways that an individual may engage with an organization, such as purchasing in multiple brands or contributing user-generated content. In this research, we propose a framework to generalize extant models for customer base analysis to multiple activities. Using the data from a website that allows users to purchase digital content and/or post digital content at no charge, we develop a flexible “buy 'til you die” model to empirically examine how the two activities are related. Compared with benchmarks, our model more accurately forecasts the future behavior for both types of activities. In addition to finding evidence of coincidence between the activities while customers are “alive,” we find that the latent attrition processes are related. This suggests that conducting one type of activity is informative of whether customers are still alive to conduct another type of activity and, consequently, affects inferences of customer value.
In Vitro Combination of Anti-Cytomegalovirus Compounds Acting through Different Targets: Role of the Slope Parameter and Insights into Mechanisms of Action

Conventional therapy for human cytomegalovirus (CMV) relies on inhibition of the viral DNA polymerase. Ganciclovir (GCV) is the first-line therapy, but when GCV-resistant strains emerge, alternative therapies are extremely limited and are associated with significant toxicities. Combination of anti-CMV agents that act on different targets or stages of virus replication has not been well studied, mostly because of the limited number of anti-CMV agents. We report our investigation of combinations of agents that inhibit CMV by targeting the viral DNA polymerase, cellular kinases, or other cell/virus mechanisms yet to be discovered. The selected compounds differed by the slopes of their dose-response curve: compounds with a slope of 1 (GCV) representing one target or noncooperativity and compounds with high slopes indicating positive cooperativity. Analysis of anti-CMV drug combinations using the Bliss model (which accounts for the slope parameter) distinguished between combinations with synergistic, antagonistic, and additive activities. The combination of GCV and foscarnet was slightly synergistic; strong synergism was found when GCV was used with artemisinin-derived monomers or dimers or the MEK inhibitor U0126. The combination of GCV and cardiac glycosides (digoxin, digitoxin, and ouabain) was additive. The monomeric artemisinin artesunate was synergistic when combined with U0126 or the multikinase inhibitor sunitinib. However, the combination of artemisinin-derived dimers (molecular weights, 606 and 838) and U0126 or sunitinib was antagonistic. These results demonstrate that members of a specific drug class show similar patterns of combination with GCV and that the slope parameter plays an important role in the evaluation of drug combinations. Lastly, antagonism between different classes of CMV inhibitors may assist in target identification and improve the understanding of CMV inhibition by novel compounds.
Can routine preoperative data predict adverse outcomes in the elderly? Development and validation of a simple risk model incorporating a chart-derived frailty score.

Background Frailty has emerged as an important predictor of operative risk among elderly surgical patients. However, the complexity of prospective frailty scores has limited their widespread use. Our goal was to develop two frailty-based surgical risk models using only routine preoperative data. Our hypothesis was that these models could easily integrate into an electronic medical record to predict 30-day morbidity and mortality. Study Design American College of Surgeons NSQIP Participant Use Data Files from 2005 to 2010 were reviewed, and patients 65 years and older who underwent elective lower gastrointestinal surgery were identified. Two multivariate logistic regression models were constructed and internally cross-validated. The first included simple functional data, a comorbidity index based on the Charlson Comorbidity Index, demographics, BMI, and laboratory data (ie, albumin 2 mg/dL). The second model contained only parameters that can directly autopopulate from an electronic medical record (ie, demographics, laboratory data, BMI, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score). To assess diagnostic accuracy, receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed. Results There were 76,106 patients who met criteria for inclusion. Thirty-day mortality was seen in 2,853 patients or 3.7% of the study population and 18,436 patients (24.2%) experienced a major complication. The c-statistic of the first expanded model was 0.813 for mortality and 0.629 for morbidity. The second simplified model had a c-statistic of 0.795 for mortality and 0.621 for morbidity. Both models were well calibrated per the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Conclusions Our work demonstrates that routine preoperative data can approximate frailty and predict geriatric-specific surgical risk. The models' predicative powers were comparable with that of established prospective frailty scores. Our calculator could be used as a low-cost simple screen for high-risk individuals who might require additional evaluation or specialized services.
Spatial and temporal patterns of global burned area in response to anthropogenic and environmental factors: Reconstructing global fire history for the 20th and early 21st centuries

Fire is a critical component of the Earth system, and substantially influences land surface, climate change, and ecosystem dynamics. To accurately predict the fire regimes in the 21st century, it is essential to understand the historical fire patterns and recognize the interaction among fire, human, and environment factors. Until now, few efforts are put on the studies regarding to the long-term fire reconstruction and the attribution analysis of anthropogenic and environmental factors to fire regimes at global scale. To fill this knowledge gap, we developed a 0.5° × 0.5° data set of global burned area from 1901 to 2007 by coupling Global Fire Emission Database version 3 with a process-based fire model and conducted factorial simulation experiments to evaluate the impacts of human, climate, and atmospheric components. The average global burned area is ~442 × 104 km2 yr−1 during 1901–2007 and our results suggest a notable declining rate of burned area globally (1.28 × 104 km2 yr−1). Burned area in tropics and extratropics exhibited a significant declining trend, with no significant trend detected at high latitudes. Factorial experiments indicated that human activities were the dominant factor in determining the declining trend of burned area in tropics and extratropics, and climate variation was the primary factor controlling the decadal variation of burned area at high latitudes. Elevated CO2 and nitrogen deposition enhanced burned area in tropics and southern extratropics but suppressed fire occurrence at high latitudes. Rising temperature and frequent droughts are becoming increasingly important and expected to increase wildfire activity in many regions of the world.
Testing the Independence Assumption in Linear Models

Abstract We propose using an existing set of statistical tools in a new way that allows one to test the independence assumption in standard normal theory linear models. The set of tools is near-replicate lack-of-fit tests. The classical lack-of-fit test requires a linear model in which some rows of the model matrix are repeated. Near-replicate lack-of-fit tests were developed to mimic the behavior of the classical test by identifying clusters of rows in the design matrix that are similar, though not necessarily exact replications. We argue that meaningful clusters can be formed more generally by constructing rational subgroups of data collected under similar circumstances. As such, observations in the same subgroup may be more highly correlated than observations in different subgroups. We investigate the behavior of these tests when used to identify lack of independence.
An Exploratory Study on Ideal Leadership Behaviour: The Opinions of American Police Managers:

This study examines the perceived ideal leadership behaviour in police organisations. It is based on a survey of 126 police managers from 23 US States who attended the Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute during the academic year 2007–2008. The questionnaire used in this investigation includes the Leader Behaviour Description Questionnaire Form XII (Stodgill, 1963). The main objectives of this exploratory analysis are to rank the importance of leadership characteristics based on police officers' perceptions, to create a typology of leadership styles preferred, and to identify the demographic factors that are most likely to influence variations in opinions regarding the behaviour of an ideal police leader. This research shows that individual characteristics can influence not only managerial styles, but also leadership preferences. In particular, results imply that gender and race play an important role in structuring leadership preferences. Female police officers do not appear to...
Nonverbal Reactions to Conversational Interruption: A Test of Complementarity Theory and the Status/Gender Parallel

The present research examined nonverbal reactions to conversational interruption (a status-organizing cue). We predicted that the nonverbal reactions to interruption (versus a control condition) would show a different pattern of results than gender differences. Participants (N = 150) were paired with one of four confederates and randomly assigned to either an interruption or control condition. Nine nonverbal behavioral reactions were coded by independent raters. Participants responded to interruption with reciprocal interruptions and increased nodding, as compared to a control condition. Gender differences diverged from those associated with condition. Women smiled, agreed, nodded, and laughed more than men, showing evidence of a greater attempt to facilitate the flow of conversation. We discuss these findings with regard to the dimensions of affiliation and verticality.
Micronutrient supplementation and infection in institutionalized elders.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to determine the effects of a low-dose (<2 times the Recommended Dietary Allowance) micronutrient supplement containing trace minerals (zinc and selenium) and/or vitamins/provitamins (vitamin C, α-tocopherol, and β-carotene) on the incidence of respiratory and urogenital infections in institutionalized elderly. After 2 years, there was a significant decrease in the mean number of infections in elders given trace elements (p < 0.01) but not vitamins.