cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tuning the Tunability in Epitaxial Barium Strontium Titanate Film via Internal Stresses

The tunability of epitaxial barium strontium titanate films is analyzed theoretically for the first time using a modified phenomenological Landau-Devonshire approach taking into account the formation of unusual ferroelectric phases that cannot form in bulk and single-crystal ceramics. It is shown that enhanced tunability can be achieved by adjusting the misfit strain especially in the vicinity of a structural phase transformation. The internal stresses in epitaxial films as characterized by the misfit strain can be controlled by changing the substrate material and/or varying the film thickness. The latter is due to the possibility of stress relaxation by formation of misfit dislocations that relieve epitaxial stresses at film growth temperature. Based on the thermodynamic model, we provide quantitative estimations of tunability of (001) Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 films on (001) LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO) as a function of film thickness. The analysis indicates that films on STO substrates should be as thick as possible in order to achieve optimum tunability. To obtain maximum tunability on LAO substrates, the thickness of films should be as close as possible to a critical film thickness (∼120 nm).
Sparse coprime sensing with multidimensional lattice arrays

Consider two uniform samplers operating simultaneously on a signal, with sample spacings MT and NT where M and N are coprime integers, and T has time or space dimension. It can be shown that the difference coarray of this pair of sampling arrays has elements at all integer multiples of T, regardless of how large M and N are. This implies that any application which depends only on second order statstics, such as angle of arrival estimation, beamforming, and multiple frequency detection, can be carried out at high resolution with the help of sparse sampling arrays. One manifestation is that two sensor arrays withM and N sensors can actually identify O(MN) independent sources. This paper extends these results to the case of multidimensional signals. The multidimensional sampling arrays operate on a lattice geometry. The coarray of such a system is studied. Even though the two lattice arrays are sparse (with respect to the integer grid), the coarray contains all integer vectors. It is also shown how to achieve the effect of a high resolution multidimensional DFT filter bank by combining coprime low resolution filter banks.
Fidelity of two retroviral reverse transcriptases during DNA-dependent DNA synthesis in vitro.

We determined thefidelity ofavianmyeloblastosis virus andMoloney murineleukemia virus reverse transcriptases (RTs) during DNAsynthesis invitro using theM13mp2lacZageneasamutational target. Both RTscommit anerror approximately onceforevery 30,000 nucleotides polymerized. DNA sequence analysis of mutants generated inaforward mutation assay capable ofdetecting manytypes oferrors demonstrated that avian myeloblastosis virus RTproduced avariety ofdifferent mutations. Themajority (58%) weresingle-base substitutions, all ofwhich resulted fromthemisincorporation ofeither dAMPordGMP.Minus-one frameshifts werealso common,composing about 30%ofthemutations. Inaddition tosingle-base events, eight mutants contained sequence changes involving from2to59bases. Thefrequency ofthese mutanats suggests that, atleast during DNAsynthesis invitro, RTsalso commit errors bymechanisms other thanclassical basemiscoding and misalignment. We examined theability ofRTstosynthesize DNA fromamismatched primer terminus ata sequence wherethemismatched basewascomplementary tothenextbaseinthetemplate. Unlike cellular DNA polymerases whichpolymerize fromthemismatched template-primer, RTspreferred topolymerize froma rearranged template-primer containing amatched terminal basepairandanunpaired baseinthetemplate strand. Theunusual preference forthissubstrate suggests thattheinteractions betweenRTsandthe template-primer aredifferent fromthose ofcellular DNA polymerases. Theoverall error rateofRTinvitro is sufficient toaccount fortheestimated mutation rateofthese viruses. Retroviral reverse transcriptases (RTs)(EC2.7.7.7) are DNA polymerases thattranscribe retroviral genomic RNA into double-stranded DNA.RTwasfirst identified invirions ofmurine leukemia virus (MuLV)byBaltimore (1)andRous sarcomavirus byTeminandMizutani (54). Theseenzymes
A culturally adapted family intervention for African American families coping with parental cancer: outcomes of a pilot study.

Objectives The primary objective of this 2-year pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally adapted family intervention in improving family communication among African American parents coping with cancer and their school-age children. A secondary objective was to determine its impact on other symptoms of psychosocial distress (depression and anxiety). The third objective was to assess for acceptability and feasibility. Methods Using a two-arm pre-intervention and post-intervention prospective design, 12 African American families received five bi-monthly sessions of either a culturally adapted family intervention (n = 7 families) or psycho-education treatment (n = 5 families). Parents and their children completed pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires assessing perceptions of family communication, quality of their relationship, and symptoms of depression. School-age children additionally completed a questionnaire assessing their levels of anxiety. Consumer satisfaction was also evaluated at post-intervention. Results Parents and school-age children who completed the culturally adapted family intervention reported significantly better communication with each other and were more satisfied compared with the psycho-education control group. No changes were noted in symptoms of anxiety or depression. The culturally adapted family intervention was acceptable based on our findings, families' feedback, and rates of retention. Feasibility is uncertain because our oncology clinic approach to recruitment was slower than expected. Conclusions Providing culturally adapted family intervention programs to African American families who are coping with parental cancer may result in improved family communication. This pilot study serves as the first step in the development of culturally adapted family intervention programs to help African American families cope with parental cancer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Dream of a Cyberpunk Future? Entelechy, Dialectical Tension, and the Comic Corrective in William Gibson's Neuromancer

We argue the comic frame, as described by Kenneth Burke, can serve as a vehicle for critical self-reflection and social critique. William Gibson's Neuromancer is a work of cyberpunk science fiction that details a future that closely resembles the present. The book exemplifies this process of encouraging self-reflection because it calls the trends of the present into question by imagining what kind of future they will construct. Gibson's future is simultaneously exciting and devastating. The dialectical tension between these oppositional ideas opens up a discursive space for audiences to begin the process of critical self-reflection about the technological trends of contemporary society. Gibson rhetorically constructs this tension through incongruity, irony, and casuistic stretching, thus fostering a corrective perspective.
Vasopressin in Preeclampsia A Novel Very Early Human Pregnancy Biomarker and Clinically Relevant Mouse Model

Preeclampsia, a cardiovascular disorder of late pregnancy, is characterized as a low-renin hypertensive state relative to normotensive pregnancy. Because other nonpregnant low-renin hypertensive disorders often exhibit and are occasionally dependent on elevated arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion, we hypothesized a possible use for plasma AVP measurements in the prediction of preeclampsia. Copeptin is an inert prosegment of AVP that is secreted in a 1:1 molar ratio and exhibits a substantially longer biological half-life compared with AVP, rendering it a clinically useful biomarker of AVP secretion. Copeptin was measured throughout pregnancy in maternal plasma from preeclamptic and control women. Maternal plasma copeptin was significantly higher throughout preeclamptic pregnancies versus control pregnancies. While controlling for clinically significant confounders (age, body mass index, chronic essential hypertension, twin gestation, diabetes mellitus, and history of preeclampsia) using multivariate regression, the association of higher copeptin concentration and the development of preeclampsia remained significant. Receiver operating characteristic analyses reveal that as early as the sixth week of gestation, elevated maternal plasma copeptin concentration is a highly significant predictor of preeclampsia throughout pregnancy. Finally, chronic infusion of AVP during pregnancy (24 ng per hour) is sufficient to phenocopy preeclampsia in C57BL/6J mice, causing pregnancy-specific hypertension, renal glomerular endotheliosis, proteinuria, and intrauterine growth restriction. These data implicate AVP release as a novel predictive biomarker for preeclampsia very early in pregnancy, identify chronic AVP infusion as a novel and clinically relevant model of preeclampsia in mice, and are consistent with a potential causative role for AVP in preeclampsia in humans.
Feminist Theology and Bioethics

The aim of this essay is to explore the connections between feminist theology and issues in the field of bioethics. I have construed the task largely as a descriptive one; that is, I shall try to indicate some basic contours of feminist theology and some ways in which the values it emphasizes bear on the vast network of ethical issues related to the biological sciences, technology, and medicine. In addition, and in order to press the question of possible contributions by feminist theology to bioethics, I shall focus on the particular implications of feminist theology for the development and use of reproductive technology.
BIOGEOCHEMICAL AND METABOLIC RESPONSES TO THE FLOOD PULSE IN A SEMIARID FLOODPLAIN

Flood pulse inundation of riparian forests alters rates of nutrient retention and organic matter processing in the aquatic ecosystems formed in the forest interior. Along the Middle Rio Grande (New Mexico, USA), impoundment and levee construction have created riparian forests that differ in their inter-flood intervals (IFIs) because some flood- plains are still regularly inundated by the flood pulse (i.e., connected), while other flood- plains remain isolated from flooding (i.e., disconnected). This research investigates how ecosystem responses to the flood pulse relate to forest IFI by quantifying nutrient and organic matter dynamics in the Rio Grande floodplain during three years of experimental flooding of the disconnected floodplain and during a single year of natural flooding of the connected floodplain. Surface and subsurface conditions in paired sites (control, flood) established in the two floodplain types were monitored to address metabolic and biogeochemical responses. Compared to dry controls, rates of respiration in the flooded sites increased by up to three orders of magnitude during the flood pulse. In the disconnected forest, month-long experimental floods produced widespread anoxia of four-week duration during each of the three years of flooding. In contrast, water in the connected floodplain remained well ox- ygenated (3-8 ppm). Material budgets for experimental floods showed the disconnected floodplain to be a sink for inorganic nitrogen and suspended solids, but a potential source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Compared to the main stem of the Rio Grande, flood- water on the connected floodplain contained less nitrate, but comparable concentrations of DOC, phosphate-phosphorus, and ammonium-nitrogen. Results suggest that floodplain IFI drives metabolic and biogeochemical responses dur- ing the flood pulse. Impoundment and fragmentation have altered floodplains from a mosaic of patches with variable IFI to a bimodal distribution. Relatively predictable flooding occurs in the connected forest, while inundation of the disconnected forest occurs only as the result of managed application of water. In semiarid floodplains, water is scarce except during the flood pulse. Ecosystem responses to the flood pulse are related to the IFI and other measures of flooding history that help describe spatial variation in ecosystem function.
The Transfer of Flame-Retardant Effects

Burning-rate measurements on double layers of the same fabric having one layer treated with flame retardant reveal that effects of the retardant can be transferred to the untreated layer. A system consisting of a layer of cotton sheeting treated with a phosphate flame retardant placed underneath a layer of untreated material burns at about the same rate as two identically treated layers with the same net average add-on. When this average is low, the combination bums more rapidly than two untreated layers, in accordance with evidence that inorganic phosphate retardants can increase the flame-propagation rate of cotton at low add-on levels. For the double layers of synthetic fabrics studied thus far, it was found that treating only one of the layers results in almost as good and sometimes better reduction of burning rate as treating both layers to the same net add-on. Such transfer effects need to be recognized and understood by those using flame retardants in practical heterogeneous textile systems.
VirtualWire: a fault injection and analysis tool for network protocols

The prevailing practice for testing protocol implementations is direct code instrumentation to trigger specific states in the code. This leaves very little scope for reuse of the test cases. In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of VirtualWire, a network fault injection and analysis system designed to facilitate the process of testing network protocol implementations. VirtualWire injects user-specified network faults and matches network events against anticipated responses based on high-level specifications written in a declarative scripting language. With VirtualWire, testing requires no code instrumentation and fault specifications can be reused across versions of a protocol implementation. We illustrate the effectiveness of VirtualWire with examples drawn from testing Linux's TCP implementation and a real-time Ethernet protocol called Rether. In each case, 10 to 20 lines of script is sufficient to specify the test scenario. VirtualWire is completely transparent to the protocols under test, and additional overhead in protocol processing latency it introduces is below 10% of the normal.
Stimulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) release and phospholipid breakdown by guanosine triphosphate in permeabilized pituitary gonadotropes: antagonist action suggests association of a G protein and gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor.

The stimulation of gonadotropin release from pituitary cell cultures by GnRH has been linked to inositol phospholipid breakdown to diacylglycerols and subsequent activation of protein kinase C as well as Ca2+ mobilization. In order to examine the means of receptor coupling to a phospholipase C-type reaction, we evaluated the role of guanine nucleotides in inositol phospholipid breakdown. In these studies ATP (50 μM) was used for cell permeabilization to allow guanine nucleotides access to the intracellular compartment. Under these conditions GTP and the GTP analog, guanylylimidodiphosphate (GMP-PNP), stimulated a time- and dose-dependent increase in LH release and inositol phosphate accumulation. These actions of GTP and GMP-PNP were not observed unless ATP was included in the treatment media. Other closely related nucleotides and nucleosides alone, or in the presence of ATP, did not elevate LH release above basal levels. We also evaluated the actions of pertussis toxin and cholera toxin on mediating the ...
Targeting Breast and Prostate Cancers Through Their Hormone Receptors

A targeted treatment that effectively destroys human breast, prostate, ovarian, and testicular cancer cells that express luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (LH/CG) receptors has been developed. The treatment consists of a conjugate of a membrane-disrupting lytic peptide (Hecate, Phor14, or Phor21) and a 15-amino acid segment of the beta chain of CG. Because these conjugates act primarily by destroying cell membranes, their effects are independent of cell proliferation. The conjugates are relatively small molecules, are rapidly metabolized, and are not antigenic. In a series of independent experiments conducted in three different laboratories, the validity of the concept has been established, and it has been shown that the LH/CG receptor capacity of the cancer cells is directly related to the sensitivity of the lytic peptide conjugates. Sensitivity to the drugs can be increased by pretreating prostate or breast cancer cells with FSH or estradiol to up-regulate LH/CG receptors. A series of 23 in vivo experiments involving a total of 1630 nude mice bearing xenografts of human prostate or breast cancer cells showed convincingly that all three lytic peptide-betaCG compounds were highly effective in destroying tumors and reducing tumor burden. Hecate-betaCG was less effective in mice bearing ovarian epithelial cancer cell xenografts, but was highly effective in treating granulosa cell tumors in transgenic mice. In addition, Hecate-betaCG and Phor14-betaCG were highly effective in targeting and destroying prostate and breast cancer cell metastases in the presence or absence of the primary tumors. Although effective in vitro, neither Hecate nor Phor14 alone were effective in reducing primary tumor volume or burden in nude mice bearing prostate or breast cancer xenografts.
AFR1 acts in conjunction with the alpha-factor receptor to promote morphogenesis and adaptation.

Abstract Mating pheromone receptors activate a G-protein signaling pathway that induces changes in transcription, cell division, and morphogenesis needed for the conjunction of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The C terminus of the alpha-factor pheromone receptor functions in two complex processes, adaptation and morphogenesis. Adaptation to alpha-factor may occur through receptor desensitization, and alpha-factor-induced morphogenesis forms the conjugation bridge between mating cells. A plasmid overexpression strategy was used to isolate a new gene, AFR1, which acts together with the receptor C terminus to promote adaptation. The expression of AFR1 was highly induced by alpha-factor. Unexpectedly, cells lacking AFR1 showed a defect in alpha-factor-stimulated morphogenesis that was similar to the morphogenesis defect observed in cells producing C-terminally truncated alpha-factor receptors. In contrast, AFR1 overexpression resulted in longer projections of morphogenesis, which suggests that this gene may directly stimulate morphogenesis. These results indicate that AFR1 encodes a developmentally regulated function that coordinates both the regulation of receptor signaling and the induction of morphogenesis during conjugation.
Physician judgment in cardiology: the art of medicine lives on.

The randomized clinical trial has become the apotheosis of our endeavor to determine the efficacy of different therapies. Probably no other field in medicine has embraced clinical trials as has cardiovascular medicine, the home of the megatrial. The overall success of the modern clinical trial has
Effect of direct-fed microbial supplementation on lactation performance and total-tract starch digestibility by midlactation dairy cows

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of direct-fed-microbial addition to a TMR on lactation performance by midlactation dairy cows. A total of 112 Holstein cows (28 primiparous and 84 multiparous; 139 ± 47 DIM at trial initiation) were stratified by parity and DIM and randomly assigned to 14 pens of 8 cows each. Pens were then randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments in a continuous-lactation trial consisting of a 2-wk covariate adjustment period with cows fed the basal TMR followed by a 10-wk treatment period with cows fed their assigned treatment diets. The 2 treatments were basal TMR plus either 1 g/cow per day of a direct-fed microbial (BOV, 1 × 10 9 cfu/g Lactobacillus acidophilus NP51 and 2 × 10 9 cfu/g Propionibacterium freudenreichii NP24) or placebo (control). Milk yield was similar between treatments and averaged 44.9 kg/d. There was a trend (P 0.10) by treatment. Milk fat, protein and urea nitrogen concentrations were unaffected (P > 0.10) by treatment and averaged 3.75%, 3.11%, and 15.2 mg/dL, respectively. Likewise, BW change and condition score did not differ (P > 0.10). Under the conditions of this study, with midlactation cows fed a 54% forage TMR (DM basis), there was no improvement in lactation performance from the inclusion of a direct-fed microbial in the diet.
Can the post-colonial be post-religious? Reflections from the secular metropolis

If, following Masuzawa, Fitzgerald and others we assume that “the religious” is a category produced by Western colonial regimes in tandem with that of “the secular,” then consequently the post-secular would need to be post-religious, as well. Here I demonstrate how in one metropolitan case, Germany, the religious and secular divide is evoked to produce a particular exclusivist narrative of national identity. A substantial part of German civil society, media, and legal establishment mobilize an imagined culturally Christian vision of Germany in order to exclude from public visibility and political participation German born Muslims of Turkish descent. The colonial twin categories of secular-religious still operate in the shaping of the German polity. Decolonizing it would thus require not only to enter a post-secular dialogue with religious presentations in the public sphere, as Habermas contends; rather a post-secular polity would require the post-religious.
Expression of an AQP2 Cre recombinase transgene in kidney and male reproductive system of transgenic mice

A transgenic mouse approach was used to examine the mechanism of principal cell-specific expression of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) within the renal collecting duct. RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry revealed that murine AQP2 was expressed in principal cells in the renal collecting duct, epithelial cells of the vas deferens, and seminiferous tubules within testis. The vas deferens expression was confirmed in rats. RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry showed that 14 kb of the human 5'-flanking region confers specific expression of a nucleus-targeted and epitope-tagged Cre recombinase in the principal cells within the renal collecting duct, in the epithelial cells of the vas deferens, and within the testis of transgenic mice. These results suggest that cell-specific expression of AQP2 is mediated at the transcriptional level and that 14 kb of the human AQP2 5'-flanking region contain cis elements that are sufficient for cell-specific expression of AQP2. Finally, renal principal cell expression of Cre recombinase is the first step in achieving cell-specific gene knockouts, thereby allowing focused examination of gene function in this cell type.
Mechanistic Insight into Receptor-Mediated Delivery of Cationic-β-Cyclodextrin:Hyaluronic Acid-Adamantamethamidyl Host:Guest pDNA Nanoparticles to CD44(+) Cells.

Targeted delivery is a key element for improving the efficiency and safety of nonviral vectors for gene therapy. We have recently developed a CD44 receptor targeted, hyaluronic acid-adamantamethamidyl based pendant polymer system (HA-Ad), capable of forming complexes with cationic β-cyclodextrins (CD-PEI+) and pDNA. Complexes formed using these compounds (HA-Ad:CD-PEI+:pDNA) display high water solubility, good transfection efficiency, and low cytotoxicity. Spatial and dynamic tracking of the transfection complexes by confocal microscopy and multicolor flow cytometry techniques was used to evaluate the target specificity, subcellular localization, and endosomal escape process. Our data shows that cells expressing the CD44 receptor undergo enhanced cellular uptake and transfection efficiency with HA-Ad:CD-PEI+:pDNA complexes. This transfection system, comprised noncovalent assembly of cyclodextrin:adamantamethamidyl-modified hyaluronic acid via host:guest interactions to condense pDNA, is a potentially usef...
Insurance Denial of Coverage for Patients Enrolled in Cancer Clinical Trials Is Still a Problem in the Affordable Care Act Era.

Improved understanding of cancer biology has led to important advances in cancer therapeutics. The three pillars of twentiethcentury cancer treatment—surgery, radiotherapy, andcytotoxic chemotherapy—have been augmented bymore effective and less toxic pathway-targeted systemic therapies and by various forms of immunotherapy. As a result of recent advances, more patients with cancer are achieving better outcomes and living longer. For certain cancer types, such as chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant lung cancer, and melanoma, drug therapies that were Food and Drug Administration-approved in recent years have changed the natural history of disease. None of this exciting progress would have been possible without patient participation in clinical trials. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines appropriately state that “the bestmanagement of any cancer patient is in a clinical trial,” yet, interventional clinical trial participation rates for adult patients remain dismal, with less than 3% of adult patients diagnosed with cancer enrolling in clinical trials. This disturbingly low rate of participation has been attributed to multiple factors. Barriers to trial participation include a prevailing perception that patients enrolled in clinical trials are “guinea pigs” subject to the experimental whims of research teams and trial sponsors; fear of being assigned to an ineffective treatment or a placebo; socioeconomic obstacles (eg, long distance to centers that conduct clinical research, with the associated costs of travel, lodging, and food); narrowly restrictive protocol eligibility criteria that exclude a high proportion of potential trial candidates (eg, performance status, organ function, comorbid conditions); and the need for frequent blood and imaging tests, with adherence to a rigid protocol schedule. Among the economic barriers to clinical trials in the United States have been insurance denials of payment for care of patients enrolled in trials. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and precursor legislation was supposed to have eliminated the insurance barrier. Efforts to overcome this obstacle have been ongoing for more than 15 years. In 2000, the Clinton administration mandated that Medicare programs reimburse providers for the cost of routine patient care associated with participation in clinical trials and called for additional actions to promote the participation ofMedicare beneficiaries in clinical trials foralldiseases.A June 7, 2000,White House press release noted, “clinical trials serve as the first step towards providing new clinical innovations to the forefront of medical practice.” This directive followed an Institute of Medicine report recommending policies to encourage greater use of clinical trials.
Selective Epitaxial Growth on Germanium Nanowires via Hybrid Oxide-Stabilized/Vapor–Liquid–Solid Growth

The introduction low levels of oxygen during the vapor–liquid–solid growth (VLS) of germanium nanowires causes an oxide sheath to form at the catalyst/nanowire/vapor interface during growth. This results in extremely high aspect ratio nanowires due to the removal of homoepitaxial deposition and the finite energy required for heterogeneous nucleation of germanium on its oxide. With the removal of oxygen, the catalyzed oxide sheath terminates and conventional growth with finite sidewall deposition dominates subsequent growth. The successful transition between oxide-stabilized and conventional VLS regimes can be deliberately manipulated to grow finite conical nanowire segments with discontinuous changes in diameter.
Abstract A34: Nonmelanoma skin cancer and the risk of second primary cancers: A systematic review

Context: Based on empirical evidence, the hypothesis has been set forth that a personal history of non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) may be a marker of a high cancer‐risk phenotype. Others hypothesize that NMSC may be a marker of high vitamin D synthesis and therefore inversely associated with risk of other malignancies. Objective: To reconcile these divergent views, we carried out a systematic review to determine the overall association between nonmelanoma skin cancer and subsequent risk of other cancers. Data Sources: PubMed and Ovid/MEDLINE databases were searched through March 2009. The formal search was supplemented by hand searches. Study selection: Articles were included if sufficient information was presented to estimate the risk of developing other cancers following NMSC. Data extraction: Articles were reviewed and data abstracted independently in duplicate with disagreements decided by consensus. Results: Of the 21 included articles, 15 presented on NMSC in relation to risk of all other cancers combined. NMSC was associated with a 17% increased future risk of another malignancy (summary random‐effects RR (SRR) 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11–1.22). This association held true for both squamous cell carcinoma (SRR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14–1.28) and basal cell carcinoma (SRR 1.15, 95% CI 1.07–1.24), and both men (SRR 1.15, 95% CI 1.09–1.20) and women (SRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04–1.15). Conclusions: Strong, consistent evidence indicates that a personal history of NMSC is associated with an increased risk of developing other malignancies. For reasons that are presently unknown, nonmelanoma skin cancer may be a marker of a high cancer‐risk phenotype. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):A34.
Effects of trichloroethylene toxicity on normal human liver cells and hepatocytes with CYP2E1 gene overexpression

Objective To investigate the effects of trichloroethylene (TCE) toxicity on the normal human liver cells (L02 cells) and hepatocytes with CYP2E1 gene overexpression which was constructed through molecular cloning technology in our laboratory,then to explore the roles of CYP2E1 gene in TCE toxicity.Methods L02 cells and hepatocytes with CYP2E1 overexpression were treated with various doses of TCE (0,0.25,0.5,1.0,2.0,4.0 mmol/L) for 12h,the expression of apoptosis genes (Bcl-2、Caspase-3、Caspase-8、Caspase-9) and oncogenes (c-fos、c-myc 、k-ras 、p53) were determined by real-time fluorescent PC R.Results Bcl-2 mRNA expression levels increased significantly in normal liver cells and CYP2E1-overexpressing cells after TCE treatment,Bcl-2 levels were 20％～50％ higher in CYP2E1-overexpressing cells than in L02 liver cells at doses of 0.25～2.0 mmol/L TCE.Caspase-3,Caspase-8 and caspase-9 mRNA expression increased by 30％～600％ in CYP2E1-overexpressing cells at doses of 0.5～4.0 mmol/L TCE when compared with L02 cells (P＜ 0.01).Additionally,c-fos、k-ras and c-myc mRNA expression levels were 25％ ～120％ higher in CYP2E1-overexpressing cells than in L02 cells (P＜0.01),p53 mRNA expression levels were lower 10％～50％ in CYP2E1-overexpressing cells than in L02 cells (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusions There were significant differences for apoptosis gene and oncogene expression levels between normal liver cells and CYP2E1-overexpressing cells after they were treated with TCE,these findings indicated that CYP2E1 might play an important role in TCE metabolism in vivo. Key words: Trichloroethylene; Hepatocytes; Cytochrome P-450; Gene expression
Inflamation Leads to an Increase of Cholesterol's Chemical Potential in Plasma Membranes of Cultured Cells

Our laboratory has developed a method to measure the chemical potential of cholesterol in cell membranes. We have begun to use the procedure to explore the consequences of cell inflammation on chemical potential. The chemical potential of membrane cholesterol in non-inflamed primary dermal human fibroblasts is ≈ −2.3 kBT relative to crystalline cholesterol. Treating these cells with tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) for 72 hr results in an increase of the chemical potential. This increase occurs in a dose-dependent manner: modest for 10 ng/ml TNF-α, about 0.8 kBT greater for 20 ng/ml, and only slightly greater for 40 ng/ml. Simultaneous treatment with TNF-α and 50 nM of the anti-inflammatory agent dexamethasone abolishes the increase in the chemical potential of cholesterol caused by TNF-α alone. Using 5 ng/ml of interleukin-1β, instead of TNF-α, as a pro-inflammatory agent also resulted in a rise of chemical potential. But the effect was less than that induced by TNF-α; the increase was ≈ 0.5 kBT. These results indicate a possible causative relation between cell inflammation and the chemical potential of plasma membrane cholesterol. Supported by R01 GM101539.
Modeling the flow regime near the source in underwater gas releases

Recent progress in calculating gas bubble sizes in a plume, based on phenomenological approaches using the release conditions is a significant improvement to make the gas plume models self-reliant. Such calculations require details of conditions Near the Source of Plume (NSP); (i.e. the plume/jet velocity and radius near the source), which inspired the present work. Determining NSP conditions for gas plumes are far more complex than that for oil plumes due to the substantial density difference between gas and water. To calculate NSP conditions, modeling the early stage of the plume is important. A novel method of modeling the early stage of an underwater gas release is presented here. Major impact of the present work is to define the correct NSP conditions for underwater gas releases, which is not possible with available methods as those techniques are not based on the physics of flow region near the source of the plume/jet. We introduce super Gaussian profiles to model the density and velocity variations of the early stages of plume, coupled with the laws of fluid mechanics to define profile parameters. This new approach, models the velocity profile variation from near uniform, across the section at the release point to Gaussian some distance away. The comparisons show that experimental data agrees well with the computations.
TCT-230 Rotational Atherectomy vs Orbital Atherectomy in Calcified Coronary Artery Disease: A Contemporary Retrospective Comparative Analysis (ROCC study)

Severe coronary calcification adversely influences success of percutaneous coronary intervention. Lesion modification with Rotational atherectomy (RA) (Boston Scientific) and Orbital atherectomy (OA) (Diamondback 360® (CSI)) help facilitate stent delivery and improve clinical outcomes. We sought to
Parallel and Distributed Network Operations

The chapter is devoted to solving some known theoretical graph and network problems where each graph or network node may be in a separate location/computer, with links connecting nodes in the same or in different computing facilities. Fully distributed and parallel solutions in SGL are shown for different paths between nodes, shortest path trees and shortest paths that can be used for different purposes including optimal delivery of physical substance between two points, weak and strong components (like articulation points and cliques) with measures to modify networks influenced by them, different strategies of forming templates for finding arbitrary graph structures in arbitrary networks, also some specific structures that may be of particular interest. The presented scenarios can effectively involve into operation and cooperation all network resources which may be in great numbers and spread worldwide.
Entry and exit flows in curved pipes

Solutions are presented for both laminar developing flow in a curved pipe with a parabolic inlet velocity and laminar transitional flow downstream of a curved pipe into a straight outlet. Scalings and linearized analyses about appropriate base states are used to show that both cases obey the same governing equations and boundary conditions. In particular, the governing equations in the two cases are linearized about fully developed Poiseuille flow in cylindrical coordinates and about Dean’s velocity profile for curved pipe flow in toroidal coordinates respectively. Subsequently, we identify appropriate scalings of the axial coordinate and disturbance velocities that eliminate dependence on the Reynolds number and dimensionless pipe curvature from the governing equations and boundary conditions in the limit of small and large . Direct numerical simulations confirm the scaling arguments and theoretical solutions for a range of and . Maximum values of the axial velocity, secondary velocity and pressure perturbations are determined along the curved pipe section. Results collapse when the scalings are applied, and the theoretical solutions are shown to be valid up to Dean numbers of . The developing flows are shown numerically and analytically to contain spatial oscillations. The numerically determined decay of the velocity perturbations is also used to determine entrance/development lengths for both flows, which are shown to scale linearly with the Reynolds number, but with a prefactor larger than the textbook case of developing flow in a straight pipe.
Abstract B13: High-content imaging to quantitate colorectal cancer associated fibroblast heterogeneity

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an important component of the tumor microenvironment known to influence various aspects of tumor progression, including response to therapy. However, this stromal cell subtype is extremely heterogeneous, both between and within individual tumors. Targeting of the CAF population has not been successful in the clinical setting, which could be due in part to the myriad of functions of different CAF subpopulations. In order to elucidate the overall implications of CAF heterogeneity, we gathered quantitative phenotypic data using a novel high-content imaging platform. Specifically, we calculated several morphological parameter values and estimated birth and death rates of individual populations of CAFs isolated from colorectal cancer patients. We also performed co-culture experiments with tumor cells and characterized the influence of different CAF populations on tumor evolutionary dynamics (i.e. birth and death rates) in response to drug treatment. Further, these features were correlated to molecular analyses (i.e. -smooth muscle actin and fibroblasts activated protein expression) and patient outcome (i.e. sites of metastasis). We observed high levels of heterogeneity in cell area and cell roundness as well as altered rates of growth in response to perturbations in oxygen levels. This quantitative method for investigating multiple cellular phenotypes provides novel insight into patient-level heterogeneity and its possible implications on response to drug. Citation Format: Colleen M. Garvey, Oscar Chen, Roy Lau, Shannon M. Mumenthaler. High-content imaging to quantitate colorectal cancer associated fibroblast heterogeneity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology; 2016 Jun 25-28; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B13.
Coordinating Tall Building Development

A key issue in tall building development is how far decision-makers should or could move beyond the traditional view of a building as a final product in its own right. Massive structures such as the World Trade Center in New York City significantly affect the surrounding environment in a variety of ways. How to coordinate the public sector with the private sector through advanced planning of public needs requires more attention than has heretofore been the case. A case study of the planning and development of the World Trade Center provides useful insights and methods which could be emulated elsewhere. Particularly pertinent is the strategy of negotiating trade-offs between public and private decision-makers.
An Update on Non-CB1, Non-CB2 Cannabinoid Related G-Protein-Coupled Receptors.

Abstract The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been shown to be of great importance in the regulation of numerous physiological and pathological processes. To date, two Class A G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been discovered and validated as the main therapeutic targets of this system: the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), which is the most abundant neuromodulatory receptor in the brain, and the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), predominantly found in the immune system among other organs and tissues. Endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligands (endocannabinoids) and the enzymes involved in their synthesis, cell uptake, and degradation have also been identified as part of the ECS. However, its complex pharmacology suggests that other GPCRs may also play physiologically relevant roles in this therapeutically promising system. In the last years, GPCRs such as GPR18 and GPR55 have emerged as possible missing members of the cannabinoid family. This categorization still stimulates strong debate due to the...
L’attività della Scuola Archeologica Italiana di Cartagine 2016-2017

Report of 2016-2017 activity of the Italian Archaeological School of Carthage.Attached is a 3D model (by Salvatore Ganga) of the altar of the Gens Iulia conserved at the Bardo Museum (Tunis), produced with a photogrammetric technique of the structure from motion type. 149 photos were taken using a Sony Nex-5 digital camera with a 16 mm wide-angle lens. For processing, the "Agisoft Photoscan" software was used, which returned a dense point cloud made up of 14 315 667 points (medium quality). The 946 320 faces mesh is based on 478 375 vertices. The texture is contained in two images of 8192x8192 pixels. The short film of a complete rotation of the object was made with Blender software.
Pre-specialization - Considerations for more focused and personalized educational modules in the twenty-first century.

AbstractBackground: This essay provides a multidisciplinary discussion of the current medical education curriculum and the increasing need to adapt it to our rapidly evolving and expanding healthca...
A parallel framework for ab initio transcript-clustering

Clustering is used to partition genomic data into disjoint subsets to streamline further processing. Since inputs can contain billions of nucleotides, performance is paramount. Consequently, clustering software is typically developed as a tightly coupled monolithic system which hinders software reusability, extensibility and introduction of new algorithms as well as data structures. Having experienced similar issues in our own clustering software, we have developed a flexible and extensible parallel framework called peace. The objective of the framework is to ease design, implementation, and use of various clustering methods without compromising performance. This paper presents the peace framework, its software architecture, parallel infrastructure, and distributed data structures along with a case study of developing a clustering algorithm. Case studies of developing filters, heuristics, and comparison algorithms are also discussed to illustrate modularity and extensibility of peace which enables software reuse in unique ways that may not have been foreseen when individual components were developed.
Matrix Metalloproteinases in Tumor Progression

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are well established as mediators of tumor invasion and metastasis. The classic view that these enzymes simply provide a mechanism for the breakdown of connective tissue barriers led to development of synthetic MMP inhibitors for cancer therapy. The lack of understanding of the complex roles of MMPs in cancer accounts for the failure of this strategy to significantly impact cancer therapy. It is now recognized that members of the MMP family function at all stages of cancer development to both promote and inhibit tumor progression. This overview summarizes recent evidence to support the emerging roles for MMP in all aspects of cancer progression, including tumor cell growth, programmed cell death, and tumor angiogenesis in addition to their classic role in cell invasion and metastasis. The MMP-dependent stimulation of tumor cell growth, stimulation of cell migration, and generation of cryptic sites and signals from within the extracellular matrix (ECM) are reviewed.
b-Functions and p-adic Integrals

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some results on complex-valued p-adic zeta functions which are related to b-functions. The chapter also explains a role of such zeta functions in the adelic situation.
Floating Treatment Wetlands for Nutrient Removal in a Subtropical Stormwater Wet Detention Pond with a Fountain

Abstract Floating treatment wetland (FTW) is one of the emerging best management practices (BMPs) for stormwater treatment where macrophytes provide a suitable root-zone environment for microorganisms that allow the plants to remove nutrients through direct uptake into their tissue. In this study, four floating mats with native Florida aquatic macrophytes were deployed in a 340-m 2 subtropical stormwater wet detention pond. A fountain in the pond and peat moss used to hold the substrate for plant species on the floating mats are both assumed to add nutrients to the water column. This chapter presents the basic performance evaluation of nutrient removal through the four floating mats and explores associated effects of simultaneous hydrological and biological controls related to various hydrobiogeochemical processes for nutrient removal in a multimedia pond environment. Nutrient concentrations in both inlet and outlet were monitored continuously over 13 months, with episodic (storm events) and routine (nonstorm events) sampling plans carried out in parallel to justify the efficacy of the FTWs.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Induces Primary Response Gene Expression in Lacrimal Gland

The transcription of the proto-oncogene c-fos represents an initial event in the response of diverse tissues to physiologic stimulation. The product of translation of c-fos mRNA is a nuclear phosphoprotein that functions as an activator of transcription by forming a c-fos, c-jun protein heterodimer that possesses DNA binding activity. Activation of the c-fos proto-oncogene and the subsequent cascade of sequential gene expression is initiated by stimulus-transcription coupling events that may involve interactions of ligands with cell-surface receptors and signal transduction by known second messenger pathways (Morgan and Curran, 1991). Many stimuli that are associated with differentiation, proliferation or specific cellular processes that require regulated biosynthesis are capable of eliciting induction of c-fos mRNA and protein.