cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased glutamate uptake in astrocytes via propentofylline results in increased tumor cell apoptosis using the CNS-1 glioma model

Glioblastoma multiform is one of the most common and aggressive primary brain tumors in adults. High glutamate levels are thought to contribute to glioma growth. While research has focused on understanding glutamate signaling in glioma cells, little is known about the role of glutamate between glioma and astrocyte interactions. To study the relationship between astrocytes and tumor cells, the CNS-1 rodent glioma cell line was used. We hypothesized increased glutamate uptake by astrocytes would negatively affect CNS-1 cell growth. Primary rodent astrocytes and CNS-1 cells were co-cultured for 7 days in a Boyden chamber in the presence of 5 mM glutamate. Cells were treated with propentofylline, an atypical synthetic methylxanthine known to increase glutamate transporter expression in astrocytes. Our results indicate astrocytes can increase glutamate uptake through the GLT-1 transporter, leading to less glutamate available for CNS-1 cells, ultimately resulting in increased CNS-1 cell apoptosis. These data suggest that astrocytes in the tumor microenvironment can be targeted by the drug, propentofylline, affecting tumor cell growth.
Wnt/Frizzled signaling in angiogenesis

The roles of growth factors such as angiopoietin (Ang) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in angiogenesis have been known for some time, yet we have just an incipient appreciation for the contribution of Wnts to this process. Cellular proliferation and polarity, apoptosis, branching morphogenesis, inductive processes, and the maintenance of stem cells in an undifferentiated, proliferative state are all regulated by Wnt signaling. The development and maintenance of vascular structures are dependent on all these processes, and their orchestration has, to some extent, been revealed in studies of VEGF and Ang receptors. Recent evidence links the Wnt/Frizzled signaling pathway to proper vascular growth in mammals but our knowledge of Wnt function in the vasculature is rudimentary. Further insight into vascular development and the process of angiogenesis depends on evaluating the function of novel endothelial regulatory pathways such as Wnt/Frizzled signaling.
Hemoglobin F‐Cincinnati, α2Gγ2 41(C7) Phe → Ser in a newborn with cyanosis

A term infant presented with mild cyanosis without evidence of hypoxia. Cardiopulmonary disease, polycythemia, and methemoglobinemia were excluded. Standard hemoglobin electrophoresis, including isoelectric focusing, were normal. However, by reverse-phase C4 HPLC, an abnormal globin chain was detected. Analysis of tryptic peptides and amino acid sequence showed that the patient had an amino acid substitution Phe-->Ser at residue 41(C7) in the G gamma chain. This was confirmed by DNA sequencing that demonstrated a point mutation at the expected site in exon 2 of the G gamma gene, accounting for the appropriate change in the codon. This substitution, hemoglobin F-Cincinnati, alpha 2 gamma 2 41(C7) Phe-->Ser, not previously described, presumably decreased oxygen affinity of the hemoglobin. This substitution is very near the heme group and the alpha 1 beta 2 interface and, hence, in a crucial area of the globin chain. Abnormalities of gamma globin chains tend to be overlooked due to their transient presence and trivial clinical symptomatology, or due to "in utero" selection when physiologically abnormal. Mutant hemoglobins with altered oxygen affinity should be included in the differential diagnosis of newborns presenting with cyanosis, in whom all common causes have been excluded.
Rayleigh wave study of surface diffusion and stress relaxation in glass

Abstract Surface wave propagation on ion-exchanged glass surfaces has been systematically studied. The glass system was an alkali-alumino silicate glass, and the ion-exchange involved the replacement of lithium ions by sodium ions. Accurate velocity measurements were carried out on systems ion-exchanged for various times and at various temperatures. The effects of density and modulus changes on the velocity have been separated. Stress build-up and relaxation have been observed which correlate well with shear viscosity measurements. In addition, the diffusion coefficient for the Na+ ⇆ Li+ exchange has been determined at a variety of temperatures.
Dynamical Systems and Control: Visualization of strange attractors

This paper discusses the development of the Dynamic Modeling System (DMS), a tool which can be used on a Sun 360 scientific workstation for the visualization of strange attractors.
Web-based weight loss in primary care: a randomized controlled trial.

Evidence is lacking regarding effective and sustainable weight loss approaches for use in the primary care setting. We conducted a 12-week randomized controlled trial to evaluate the short-term efficacy of a web-based weight loss intervention among 101 primary care patients with obesity and hypertension. Patients had access to a comprehensive website that used a moderate-intensity weight loss approach designed specifically for web-based implementation. Patients also participated in four (two in-person and two telephonic) counseling sessions with a health coach. Intent-to-treat analysis showed greater weight loss at 3 months (−2.56 kg; 95% CI −3.60, −1.53) among intervention participants (−2.28 ± 3.21 kg), relative to usual care (0.28 ± 1.87 kg). Similar findings were observed among intervention completers (−3.05 kg; 95% CI −4.24, −1.85). High rates of participant retention (84%) and website utilization were observed, with the greatest weight loss found among those with a high frequency of website logins (quartile 4 vs. 1: −4.16 kg; 95% CI −1.47, −6.84). The intervention's approach promoted moderate weight loss at 12 weeks, though greater weight loss was observed among those with higher levels of website utilization. Efficacious web-based weight loss interventions can be successfully offered in the primary care setting.
Characterization of extended width optical dipole antennas

Optical dipole antennas with varying length and width are fabricated using e-beam lithography. Antennas with wider width are shown to exhibit stronger scattering while preserving the same resonance frequency.
A Vicious Oval: Why Women Seldom Reach the Top in American Harness Racing

This article explores the gendered contradictions of visibility for self-employed women in male-dominated occupations. It provides a link between the extant literature on women’s workplace issues w...
Magnetic circular dichroism of non-aromatic cyclic π-electron systems. 2. [1] The perimeter model for high-symmetry ‘unaromatic’ and ‘ambiaromatic’ molecules derived from 4N-electron [n]annulenes

Abstract The effects on ππ * electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) produced by structural perturbations that convert biradical (antiaromatic) parent 4 N -electron [ n ]annulene perimeters into molecules with a closed-shell ground state and 3-fold or higher axis of rotational symmetry are analyzed in terms of an algebraic solution for singlet states of the LCAO version of the perimeter model with overlap through second order. Simple rules are derived for predicting the MCD signs of low-energy transitions in this class of molecules from the knowledge of relative magnitudes of MO energy differences, which can be frequently deduced by inspection of molecular formulas.
The concept of global tipping points is flawed

We should be focusing on local biomes, not global, as we battle to preserve our planet, says ecologist Erle C. Ellis
Binomial sequential sampling methods for cereal aphids in small grains

Seventy-one samples of 200 to 400 tillers each were taken from small grain fields. An equation used to relate the proportion of infested tillers to the mean number of aphids per tiller fit the data well ( r 2 = 0.98). Although the equation was developed from pooled counts of four species of cereal aphids ( Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), Sitobion avenae (F.), Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), and R. maidis (Fitch)), it described the relationship between the proportion of infested tillers and mean number of aphids per tiller adequately for each species individually. When predictions from the equation were compared with independent data, the predicted and actual numbers of aphids per tiller were similar. Required sample sizes for estimation of the mean number of aphids per tiller with fixed average levels of precision (standard error /mean) were determined. Required sample sizes to achieve a precision level of 0.15 ranged from a low of approximately 110 tillers for intermediate aphid populations to >500 tillers for low and high aphid populations. A truncated sequential sampling plan was developed. Using this plan, from 25 to 100 tillers are inspected for the presence or absence of cereal aphids. The average number of tillers inspected to arrive at a control decision ranged from 25 to 76 tillers depending on aphid population density. The frequency of decision errors was high (approximately 0.9) for populations near the action threshold (12.5 aphids/tiller), but was otherwise acceptable.
IL-1 beta increases abundance and activity of the negative transcriptional regulator yin yang-1 (YY1) in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes.

Current research from both clinical and basic science perspectives indicates that cytokines play an important role in the genesis of cardiovascular pathology. Specifically, levels of cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor- alpha (TNF- alpha), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been found to be elevated in both acute myocardial injury as well as situations of chronic dysfunction. Further, therapies directed primarily at interfering with cytokine action have suggested that such an immunomodulatory approach may be beneficial in some of these circumstances of myocardial injury. We recently reported that IL-1 beta induces a hypertrophic state in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes that differs from other well described hypertrophic phenotypes in terms of myocardial gene expression (such as skeletal alpha -actin, sACT), an effect that appeared to co-localize with that of the negative regulator yin yang-1 (YY1).(1)In the present study, we further localize the area in the sACT promoter responsible for the IL-1 effect. These investigations indicate that sequences in and around the third upstream serum response element (SRE3) bind YY1 and are required for IL-1 beta mediated repression. This element is also capable of transferring both IL-1 beta and YY1-mediated transcriptional repression to a heterologous promoter. In support of an IL-1 beta induced post-translational modification of YY1 that results in an increase in DNA-binding activity,(32)P-labeling experiments reveal an increase in phosphorylated YY1 in IL-1 beta treated cells and phosphatase-treated myocyte nuclear proteins lose their ability to bind to the YY1 site. In summary, these results provide evidence that sequences within the SRE3 of the skeletal actin promoter represent an IL-1 beta response element and suggest that IL-1 beta activates the negative transcription factor YY1 by both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms.
Analogy between Holography and Interferometric Image Formation

An analogy is drawn between holographic imaging with coherent light and interferometric imaging with incoherent light. By means of a spatially offset incoherent reference source, the amplitude and phase of the complex coherence factor of an incoherent object may be encoded as amplitude and phase modulations of a function derived from classical visibility measurements. This imaging technique shares several properties with holography, including the ability to image through a distorting medium and the ability to form three-dimensional images.
Global monthly averaged CO2 fluxes recovered using a geostatistical inverse modeling approach: 2. Results including auxiliary environmental data

[1] Geostatistical inverse modeling has been shown to be a viable alternative to synthesis Bayesian methods for estimating global continental-scale CO2 fluxes. This study extends the geostatistical approach to take advantage of spatially and temporally varying auxiliary data sets related to CO2 flux processes, which allow the inversion to capture more grid-scale flux variability and better constrain fluxes in areas undersampled by the current atmospheric monitoring network. Auxiliary variables are selected for inclusion in the inversion using a hypothesis-based variable selection method, and are then used in conjunction with atmospheric CO2 measurements to estimate global monthly fluxes for 1997 to 2001 at a 3.75° × 5° resolution. Results show that the inversion is able to infer realistic relationships between the selected variables and flux, with leaf area index and the fraction of canopy-intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) capturing a large portion of the biospheric signal, and gross domestic product and population densities explaining approximately three quarters of the expected fossil fuel emissions signal. The extended model is able to better constrain estimates in regions with sparse measurements, as confirmed by a reduction in the a posteriori uncertainty at the grid and aggregated continental scales, as compared to the inversion presented in the companion paper (Mueller et al., 2008).
TEM in situ deformation study of the interaction of lattice dislocations with grain boundaries in metals

Abstract The passage of dislocations across grain boundaries in metals has been studied by using the in situ TEM deformation technique. A detailed analysis of the interaction of glissile matrix dislocations with grain-boundary dislocations has been performed. The results show that the dislocations piled-up at the grain boundary can: (1) be transferred directly through the grain boundary into the adjoining grain; (2) be absorbed and transformed into extrinsic grain-boundary dislocations; (3) be accommodated in the grain boundary, followed by the emission from the grain boundary of a matrix dislocation; and (4) be ejected back into their original grain. To predict which slip system is favourable for slip transfer, three criteria have been considered, namely: (1) the angle between the lines of intersection of the incoming and outgoing slip planes with the grain boundary, this should be as small as possible; (2) the resolved shear stress acting on the possible slip systems in the adjoining grain, this should ...
Large‐scale modeling of localized dissipative mechanisms in a local continuum: applications to the numerical simulation of strain localization in rate‐dependent inelastic solids

This paper presents a general framework for the formulation of constitutive models that incorporate a localized dissipative mechanism. The formalism of strong discontinuities is employed, allowing for the decoupling of the constitutive characterization of the continuum and localized responses of the material. A procedure for incorporating the localized small-scale effects of the material response in the large-scale problem characterized by the standard local continuum is described in detail. The resulting large-scale model is able to capture objectively the localized dissipation observed in localized failures of solids and structures. A localized viscous slip model is presented as a model example. The finite element implementation of the proposed formulation arises naturally as a local element enhancement of the finite element interpolations, with no regularization of the discontinuities. The above considerations are formulated first in the infinitesimal range, and then extended to the finite strain regime. Furthermore, it is shown that the proposed framework allows for the development of effective finite element methods capturing in the large scale the localized dissipation observed in the failure of rate-dependent materials, avoiding the resolution of small length scales associated to the localization bands in these regularized models. Several representative numerical simulations are presented to illustrate these ideas. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A relation between the activation energy for self diffusion and the partial molar energy in interstitial solid solutions

Abstract Within the framework of the lattice gas as a model for the thermodynamic and transport properties in interstitial solid solutions, we point out an approximate relationship between the partial molar energy and the activation energy for solute diffusion. As an example of the relation, an application is made to austenite. It is found that the compositional dependence of the tracer carbon diffusion coefficient is reasonably well represented using the partial molar enthalpy of carbon as input to the equation for the tracer diffusion coefficient.
Increased microsatellite instability and epigenetic inactivation of the hMLH1 gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The study is designed to elucidate the relationship between epigenetic silencing of the hMLH1 (human MutL homologue 1) gene and microsatellite instability (MSI) and the prognostic values...
Effect of Sclerotium Density and Irrigation on Disease Incidence and on Efficacy of Coniothyrium minitans in Suppressing Lettuce Drop Caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

ABSTRACTField experiments were conducted over 2 years in Yuma, AZ, and Holtville, CA, to establish the relationship between soil sclerotium density of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and the incidence of lettuce drop on different lettuce (Lactuca sativa) types under different irrigation systems, and to determine the efficacy of the biocontrol agent Coniothyrium minitans (Contans) against S. sclerotiorum on crisphead lettuce at varied sclerotium densities under different irrigation systems. There was no significant interaction of irrigation (overhead sprinkler versus furrow) with either sclerotium density or with biocontrol treatment. Lettuce drop incidence was lowest in romaine lettuce compared with crisphead or leaf lettuce at all soil sclerotium densities. There was a significant positive correlation between the sclerotial density and the percent disease incidence. Disease incidence in plots infested with 2 sclerotia/m2 of bed was not significantly higher than in control plots regardless of lettuce type. Howev...
Same day surgery for radical retropubic prostatectomy: Is it an attainable goal?

Abstract Objectives Economic forces are stimulating a re-evaluation of various management strategies. Recent critical pathways for radical prostatectomy have resulted in reduced length of stay to as low as 2.9 days. Methods The time in the operating room and recovery room, average blood loss, length of hospitalization, patient charges, and estimated hospital costs were compared for 20 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy up to 1 year before and for 27 men after initiation of a critical pathway. Under the protocol, patients receive an education booklet and preoperative teaching in preparation for early discharge and an epidural for anesthesia. An anonymous questionnaire was mailed to all patients treated by the pathway after catheter removal. Results The new pathway resulted in a significant reduction in average time in the operating room (3.7 ± 0.4 hours versus 4.9 ± 1.2 hours), estimated blood loss (1204 ± 527 cc versus 1948 ± 740 cc), and length of hospitalization (1.7 ± 0.6 days versus 4.6 ± 1.5 days). In addition, patient charges and hospital costs were reduced by 32% and 35%, respectively. Thirty-seven percent of the study group was discharged after 1 night compared with 0% in the group treated before the pathway was initiated. Forty-one percent of the study group was not transfused and did not donate blood. Outcome surveys completed by 25 of 27 study patients revealed an overall satisfaction of 96% with 0 of 10 patients who were discharged after one night indicating they would have preferred to be hospitalized longer. Conclusions Conventional management of men undergoing radical prostatectomy can be safely modified while preserving patient satisfaction without increasing morbidity. Avoiding peripheral narcotics and emphasizing preoperative teaching has enabled us to reduce length of stay greatly, with same day discharge now an attainable goal.
Interactive effects of ethanol and silver on sodium transport across toad skin.

Both ethanol and silver ions have been shown to affect ion transport across various epithelia. This investigation was principally undertaken to further define mechanisms of silver ions and ethanol, and their possible interactions, on sodium transport across toad skin. Isolated toad skin, mounted between identical oxygenated amphibian bicarbonate Ringer solutions, maintained stable transepithelial potential differences (serosa positive) and short-circuit currents for several hours at 25/sup 0/C. It was observed that (1) ethanol inhibited the active transcellular component of sodium absorption and this effect was reversible; (2) inhibition of sodium transport by ethanol was directly proportional to the applied concentration; (3) pretreatment with silver ions prevented any ethanol effects; and (4) pretreatment with ethanol prevented any silver ion effects. It was concluded from these results that ethanol induced its inhibitory effects on membrane phospholipids thereby perturbing the function of a sulfhydryl ligant, while silver ion or silver chloride complex binding to this ligand would maintain its function in sodium transport despite the presence of ethanol.
Cautious Reflections on a Data-Archiving Policy for Political Science

rent practices on archiving data sets. For 40 years now, political scientists have grumbled about the lack of availability of major data sets (with the McClosky (1960) data being perhaps the most prominent example), so it is high time that the profession as a whole adopts some guidelines and standards. King's article in this journal is an important way to start the discussion. Yet King's position should stand as only the beginning of the debate, not the conclusion. Consensus has not been reached on the issues
Principal component analysis of genetic data.

Principal component analysis (PCA) has been a useful tool for analysis of genetic data, particularly in studies of human migration. A new study finds evidence that the observed geographic gradients, traditionally thought to represent major historical migrations, may in fact have other interpretations.
Effects of elevated Po2 upon tracheal explants

Time-dependent effects of elevated PO2 upon hamster tracheal rings in culture were examined. Ciliary activity of rings in 0.20 and 0.40 O2 remained stable for 144 h. Ciliary activity decreased 25% following 120 h exposure to 0.60 O2 and 50% within 72 h exposure to 0.95 O2. Ciliostasis occurred by 144 h at 0.95 O2. [3H]Leucine uptake progressively decreased during 24 to 144 h exposure to 0.40, 0.60, and 0.95 O2 when compared to 0.20 O2. Tracheal explants incubated for 6 days under 0.20 and 0.40 O2 had intact epithelial surface with abundant cilia, and no mucus present (scanning electron microscopy). Explants incubated under 0.60 O2 contained mucus globules by 3 days. Incubation in 0.95 O2 resulted in mucus globules within 3 days and epithelial sloughing, loss of cilia, and increased mucus globules within 6 days. Time and O2 dependent increases in nuclear atypia, leukocytic infiltration into submucosal area, and focal flattening of pseudostratified ciliated epithelium were observed (light microscopy). These changes progressed following 6 days' exposure to 0.95 O2 to complete loss of normal epithelium, with broken-up, epithelial cells along the tracheal lumen.
Elizabeth Fong: Creating the SQL Database Standards

Elizabeth Fong describes the standards behind SQL. The first Web extra at http://youtu.be/rLUm3vst87g is a video interview in which author Charles Severance speaks with Elizabeth Fong about how the standards were created for the Structured Query Language (SQL) database. The second Web extra at http://youtu.be/hrx32RJiCnk is an audio recording of author Charles Severance reading his Computing Conversations column, in which he discusses his interview with Elizabeth Fong about how the standards were created for the Structured Query Language (SQL) database.
Gravitational Effects on Liquid FlameThermite Systems

We study the structure and propagation of combustion waves in thermite systems in which the heterogeneous mixture of solid reactants initially forms a solid matrix. This solid matrix is destroyed by the combustion wave as one of the reactants melts, producing a bath of one reactant in which particles or droplets of the other reactant are suspended. Gravity can lead to relative motion and hence separation of the reactants. We formulate a simplified mathematical model of this process in order to gain insight into how relative motion and separation affect the characteristics of the combustion wave. We analytically determine the structure of one dimensional uniformly propagating combustion waves and show that depending on the characteristics of the system, such solutions may fail to exist or may be nonunique. We also investigate the dependence of the combustion velocity on gravity.
Characteristic polynomials of spirographs

A class of graphs called spirographs is defined. It is shown that the characteristic polynomials of spirographs can be obtained in terms of the characteristic polynomials of smaller graphs by pruning the spirographs at the spiral points. Elegant recursive relations are derived for many spirographs. Characteristic polynomials of branched spirographs are also obtained.
Romesh Chunder Dutt’s Indian-English epics and epochs

At the turn of the last century, the Indian poet, novelist, economist, historian, and civil servant Romesh Chunder Dutt published two English-language “condensations” and translations of the authoritative Sanskrit tellings of the ancient epics: the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. This essay argues that, for Dutt, the epics document the past, its social mores and its artefacts, while simultaneously serving as historical artefacts of, as well as living organisms from, that past. The epics are excavated treasures that embody not the dead weight of a now inanimate object but a living, breathing, speaking voice. In transposing the Sanskrit sloka into the English trochaic octametre in his translations, Dutt measures out “India” in verse, transposing the material, metrical, and spoken form of the once-known to the once-again nation. Thus, his translations of the ancient epics simultaneously establish and blur the epochal time of a supposedly historically and geographically stable and singular entity known as “Indi...
Developmental morphology in the genus Nocardia.

The growth patterns ofN. asteroides, N. brasiliensis, andN. madurae had certain distinctive morphological features. 1. The branching filaments ofN. asteroides produced an abundance of coccoid bodies and these germinated to form branching filaments. 2. The branching filaments ofN. brasiliensis fragmented into bacillary elements that stained deeply and sometimes contained granules. 3. Young cultures ofN. madurae produced strands of parallel hyphae and older cultures produced a small number of attached terminal coccoid or club-shaped bodies as well as swellings in the hyphae.
Hybrid Statistical Testing for Nuclear Material Accounting Data and/or Process Monitoring Data in Nuclear Safeguards

The aim of nuclear safeguards is to ensure that special nuclear material is used for peaceful purposes. Historically, nuclear material accounting (NMA) has provided the quantitative basis for monitoring for nuclear material loss or diversion, and process monitoring (PM) data is collected by the operator to monitor the process. PM data typically support NMA in various ways, often by providing a basis to estimate some of the in-process nuclear material inventory. We develop options for combining PM residuals and NMA residuals (residual = measurement − prediction), using a hybrid of period-driven and data-driven hypothesis testing. The modified statistical tests can be used on time series of NMA residuals (the NMA residual is the familiar material balance), or on a combination of PM and NMA residuals. The PM residuals can be generated on a fixed time schedule or as events occur.
Relationship between gangliosides and doubling times in cultured human brain and brain tumor cells

Cells cultured in vitro from normal human white matter and 3 individual brain tumors exhibited the following population doubling times: cells from normal human white matter, 64 +/- 22 h, glioblastoma multiforme, 43 +/- 11 h; malignant astrocytoma, 98 +/- 19 h; and anaplastic oligodendroglioma, 81 +/- 24 h. Cells were seeded at subconfluent density, pulse-labelled for 24 h with the ganglioside precursor D-[1-14C]glucosamine and harvested. Radioactive patterns of extracted gangliosides showed that incorporation of label into disialoganglioside was significantly higher in the samples with longer population doubling times than in samples with shorter population doubling times. These findings suggest gangliosides may play a role in regulation of cell growth.
The Network Architecture of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Genome

We propose a network-based approach for surmising the spatial organization of genomes from high-throughput interaction data. Our strategy is based on methods for inferring architectural features of networks. Specifically, we employ a community detection algorithm to partition networks of genomic interactions. These community partitions represent an intuitive interpretation of genomic organization from interaction data. Furthermore, they are able to recapitulate known aspects of the spatial organization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome, such as the rosette conformation of the genome, the clustering of centromeres, as well as tRNAs, and telomeres. We also demonstrate that simple architectural features of genomic interaction networks, such as cliques, can give meaningful insight into the functional role of the spatial organization of the genome. We show that there is a correlation between inter-chromosomal clique size and replication timing, as well as cohesin enrichment. Together, our network-based approach represents an effective and intuitive framework for interpreting high-throughput genomic interaction data. Importantly, there is a great potential for this strategy, given the rich literature and extensive set of existing tools in the field of network analysis.
Lichens: a promising source of antibiotic and anticancer drugs

Lichens are symbiotic associations between fungi and a photosynthetic alga and/or cyanobacteria. Lichenized fungi have been found to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites, most of which are unique to the lichenized condition. These secondary metabolites have shown an impressive range of biological activities including antibiotics, antifungal, anti-HIV, anticancer, anti-protozoan, etc. This review focuses primarily on the antibiotic and anticancer properties of lichen secondary chemicals. We have reviewed various publications related to antibiotic and anticancer drug therapies emphasizing results about specific lichens and/or lichen compounds, which microbes or cancer cells were involved and the main findings of each study. We found that crude lichen extracts and various isolated lichen compounds often demonstrate significant inhibitory activity against various pathogenic bacteria and cancer cell lines at very low concentrations. There were no studies examining the specific mechanism of action against pathogenic bacteria; however, we did find a limited number of studies where the mechanism of action against cancer cell lines had been explored. The molecular mechanism of cell death by lichen compounds includes cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, necrosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis. Although lichens are a reservoir for various biologically active compounds, only a limited number have been tested for their biological significance. There is clearly an urgent need for expanding research in this area of study, including in depth studies of those compounds which have shown promising results as well as a strong focus on identifying specific mechanisms of action and extensive clinical trials using the most promising lichen based drug therapies followed by large scale production of the best of those compounds.
Giant quadrupole resonance in deformed nuclei

With use of the ordinary quadrupole-quadrupole (Q-Q) interaction, a total splitting of the $K=0, 1, 2$ components in the giant quadrupole resonance (GQR) of about 6 MeV is predicted for deformed $^{154}\mathrm{Sm}$. A 0.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3-MeV broadening of the GQR is observed for $^{154}\mathrm{Sm}$ relative to spherical $^{144}\mathrm{Sm}$ with inelastic $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ scattering. A model requiring rigorous self-consistency is proposed which modifies the Q-Q interaction, reduces the predicted splitting to about 2 MeV, and removes inconsistencies in the strength of the interaction for $K=0$ and $K=2$ components in low-lying $\ensuremath{\beta}$ and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ bands.
The pIV-otal class II transactivator promoter regulates major histocompatibility complex class II expression in the thymus.

Recognition of antigen by CD4+ T cells requires presentation of short peptide fragments in the context of heterodimeric MHC class II molecules ([1][1])([2][2]). Antigen presentation by MHC class II molecules is pivotal to the induction of adaptive immune responses, peripheral tolerance, and central
Equivalence of the Kallosh and Carlip quantizations of the Green-Schwarz action for the heterotic string

Abstract We show that a particular choice of gauge fermion in the quantization of the Green-Schwarz action presented by Kallosh is equivalent to the Fermi-light-cone quantization of Carlip, and is anomaly-free. The technique circumvents recently discovered (and currently unresolved) ambiguities inherent in the use of the Neveu-Schwarz-Ramond form of the string action. Although the method of Carlip may in principle be used to compute amplitudes to arbitrary order in the string loop expansion, for most practical calculations no simplification over the use of ordinary light-cone gauge is observed.
Childhood injuries and deaths due to falls from windows.

Background Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children, and falls are the most common type of unintentional injury in the US. The incidence of falls from windows, a common cause of death in urban areas, has not been described outside major cities such as New York and Chicago, and rates in urban and suburban areas have not been compared.
Fabrication of Gold Nano‐Structures with Azopolymer Templates

Fabrication of gold nano‐patterns has been demonstrated employing surface relief structures created on films of an azobenzene‐functionalized polymer as templates. The surface relief templates were photoinscribed on the azopolymer films in one‐step with two laser beams. Thin layers of gold were over‐coated on the polymer templates by thermal evaporation. Gold lines of a few hundred nanometer width were successfully fabricated by pyrolyzing the azobenzene polymer. Sub‐micron gold dots were also created. The resulting gold structures exhibited the same periodicity as the polymer templates.
Chemistry of SO2, H2S, and CH3SH on Carbide-Modified Mo(110) and Mo2C Powders: Photoemission and XANES Studies

The chemistry of SO2, H2S, and CH3SH on carbide-modified Mo(110) and powders of bulk Mo2C was studied using synchrotron-based high-resolution photoemission and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES). These studies reveal that molybdenum carbide is very reactive toward sulfur-containing molecules, being able to break S−O, S−H, and S−C bonds at temperatures below 300 K. Upon adsorption of sulfur dioxide on molybdenum carbide at 150 or 300 K, there is dissociation of the adsorbate into S and O, and also formation of SO3 or SO4 by reaction with O adatoms or disproportionation of SO2. The adsorbed SO3 and SO4 species decompose upon heating to 500 K leaving a heavily sulfided and oxidized carbide. In the case of H2S adsorption, the cleavage of the first H−S bond occurs at 80−100 K and the resulting HS intermediate transforms into S at temperatures below 250 K. Finally, for CH3SH on MoCx, the breaking of the C−S bond takes place at temperatures between 250 and 400 K. From 100 to 350 K, CH3S and a second...
Assessing the Grammar of Spanish-Speaking Children: A Comparison of Two Procedures

The present investigation compared two testing instruments for evaluating the grammatical skills of Spanish-speaking preschool children. The Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test-Prescho...
Fictive Religion: Rhetoric and Play

T hat the very shape of religion in modern society is undergoing radical change is widely acknowledged by scientists, historians, and philosophers of religion. Institutionally specialized and socially objectivated forms of religion which establish and impose an "official" sacred cosmos are passing away. The monopoly on reality definition and personality formation long enjoyed by the official models of religion in Western culture has been broken up by the far-reaching changes in modern thought and life that are summed up in the umbrella terms "secularization" and "pluralization."/1/ The redistribution of the sources of human meaning and obligation among a variety of institutions and outlooks, some religious and some not, is altering both the form and the content of modern religion. In this transitional situation, a variety of responses to the "official" models of religion are detectable. At the extremes are unreflective affirmation and thoroughgoing rejection of the traditional sacred cosmos with its "objective" hierarchy of significance and "subjective" system of relevance. There are those individuals, particularly in marginal psychological and social groups, who still internalize the official model seriously and more or less successfully. There are others, particularly in educated and advantaged circles, who have abandoned all religious roles and representations in favor of a purely secular value system. But most people neither uncritically accept nor categorically reject the interpretive schemes and behavioral recipes of traditional religion. They search for ways of recombining religious and secular sensibilities. One move is to restrict the relevance of religious roles to domains that are free from secular jurisdiction. Another move is to loosen the connection between religious representations and domains of secular explanation. But finally these delimiting and deliteralizing strategies save traditional religious roles and representations at the price of their systematic coherence and social authority. They finally reduce modern religiosity to private and fragmented systems of ultimate meaning (Luckmann:69-106).
Average Joes: Men's relationships with media, real bodies, and sexuality

Although numerous studies have examined women’s body attitudes in relation to media and sexuality, fewer studies have explored these relations among men. Accordingly, the authors investigated the contributions of media to men’s body attitudes and examined how such attitudes relate to sexual decision making. One hundred eighty-four male undergraduates reported media use, body attitudes, and sexual behaviors. Regular media use was related to greater acceptance of the shape and performance of one’s body but decreased comfort with aspects of one’s real body, such as hair and sweat. Comfort with these aspects of one’s real body predicted greater sexual assertiveness and risk-reduction behaviors. Furthermore, comfort with similar aspects of female partners’ real bodies was related to greater intimacy in sexual relationships.
Physiological indicators of stress in African forest elephants ( Loxodonta africana cyclotis ) in relation to petroleum operations in Gabon, Central Africa

Aim Human activities are major determinants of forest elephant ( Loxodonta africana cyclotis ) distribution in Gabon, but the types and intensity of disturbance that elephants can tolerate are not known. We conducted dung surveys within the Gamba Complex of Protected Areas in SW Gabon to examine (1) the feasibility of noninvasive faecal analyses for monitoring stress physiology, and (2) the influence of petroleum operations on stress levels in forest elephants.
Abstract 1410: Gnaq/11 mutant uveal melanoma is susceptible to Brd4 inhibition by JQ1

Uveal melanoma (UM) represents the most common intraocular malignancy in the United States, and there are no effective treatments for this aggressive disease. Uveal melanoma is characterized by oncogenic mutations in Gnaq and Gna11, which activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK). Furthermore, both primary and metastatic UM are characterized by genetic abnormalities, including the amplification of the chromosomal arm 8q and monosomy of chromosome 3, which are significantly associated with poor prognosis. The oncogene MYC, which is located on 8q24.1, is amplified in nearly 70% of uveal melanoma, and is also regulated by the MAPK pathway. Chromatin regulators have become attractive targets for cancer therapy. In particular, the BET-bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 has shown selective inhibition of c-Myc expression, followed by the suppression of c-Myc-dependent target genes. We examined the effects of JQ1 in a panel of 8 UM cell lines, including cell lines with Gnaq/Gna11 mutations (92.1, Omm1.3, Mel270, Mel202, Omm1), a cell line with MYC amplification (Mel290), and cells without either mutation or amplification (C918, Mel285). The Gnaq/Gna11 mutant cells were the most sensitive to growth inhibition at nanomolar concentrations of JQ1 (IC 50 =200nM), followed by the cell line with amplified MYC (IC 50 =1μM), while the cells without mutation or amplification exhibited little inhibition. We also examined the biochemical effects of JQ1 treatment, which caused a dose- and time-dependent suppression of c-Myc as well as survivin, XIAP, ERK1 and E2F1, while p21and the pro-apoptotic protein Bim were induced in all the cell lines. Interestingly, JQ1 also suppressed the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL and induced PARP cleavage only in the Gnaq/Gna11 mutant cells. Flow cytometric analysis indicated a cell cycle arrest in G1 in all the cell lines and an apoptotic population in sub-G1in the mutant cells. Furthermore, treatment with JQ1 resulted in significant antitumor activity in mouse xenograft models of uveal melanoma with Gnaq mutation. All together, these observations support the evidence that JQ1 represent a promising therapeutic approach for uveal melanoma with Gnaq/Gna11 mutations. Citation Format: Grazia Ambrosini, Gary K. Schwartz. Gnaq/11 mutant uveal melanoma is susceptible to Brd4 inhibition by JQ1. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1410. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1410
Megavolt and cryo electron microscopy of diamond knife edges

Abstract As part of a comprehensive research program, observations of the primary cutting edge and facets of representative types of diamond knives have been made by low-temperature electron microscopy at 100 keV, and by HVEM at 1 MeV. Standard knives prepared from selected Venezuelan alluvial diamonds, which were subjected to cryogenic microirradiation techniques, show improved ultrasharp cutting edges (radii of 2–4 nm) and characteristic layered period structures of the facets. At 1 MeV the higher penetration power reveals novel features of the wedge-shaped facet and edge. Dark field images show equal-thickness fringes and previously undetected diffraction contrast patterns of imperfections in the crystalline lattice introduced during the sharpening process. These correlated studies are essential for rational control and improvement of diamond edge quality which is a critical element for ultramicrotomy and precision machining of optical surfaces. They also illustrate the potential utilization of other unique properties of diamond by related synergistic techniques.
Accelerators in biology and medicine

The advantages and potentialities of an accelerator for the production of electrons and protons to be used in radiation effects studies in biology and medicine are discussed. (C.J.G.)
Measurement Selection for Engine Transients by Parameter Signatures

A method of measurement selection is introduced that relies on parameter signatures to assess the identifiability of dynamic model parameters by different outputs. A parameter signature is a region in the time-scale plane wherein the sensitivity of the output with respect to one model parameter is much larger than the rest of the output sensitivities. Since a parameter signature can be extracted when the corresponding output sensitivity is independent of the others, the ability to extract parameter signatures is indicative of parameter identifiability by the output and used here for output/measurement selection. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a strategy for measurement selection by parameter signatures and to demonstrate its applicability to the transient decks of turbojet engines. The validity of the selected outputs in providing observability to all the engine model parameters is independently verified by successful estimation of parameters by nonlinear least-squares estimation.
Predictors of residual carcinoma or carcinoma-in-situ at hysterectomy following cervical conization with positive margins

Abstract Objectives Identify predictors of residual carcinoma or carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) at hysterectomy following cervical conizations with CIS and positive margins or endocervical curettage (ECC) or microinvasive cervical cancer. Methods Patients with cervical conization with CIS and positive margins, ECC or microinvasive carcinoma who underwent hysterectomy within 6months of conization were identified. Conization and hysterectomy specimens were re-reviewed to assess volume of disease, ECC and margin status and residual carcinoma. Standard statistical tests were used. Results 83 patients were included. 34 (41%) had residual carcinoma in the hysterectomy specimen: 23 CIS, 9 microinvasive and 2 invasive disease. In patients with squamous histology predictors of residual disease included a positive ECC (p=0.04), combined endocervical margin and ECC (69% if both positive, 38% either positive, 11% if both negative, p=0.01) and volume of disease ≥50% (p=0.01). In patients with glandular histology no factor predicted residual disease. Type of conization, >2 involved quadrants, and the presence of microinvasion in the conization specimen did not predict residual disease. No patient with squamous histology had >Stage IA1 disease at hysterectomy, whereas 2 (2.4%) with adenocarcinoma had >Stage IA1 disease at hysterectomy. Conclusions Residual carcinoma or CIS is present in nearly half of hysterectomies after conization with CIS and positive ECC, margins or microinvasion. Patients with squamous histology may not require repeat conization prior to definitive therapy. No factors predict residual disease with adenocarcinoma. In women with AIS with negative margins and ECC and no microinvasion, it appears reasonable to proceed with simple hysterectomy.
Computing Economic Equilibria on Affine Networks with Lemke's Algorithm

Consider a multicommodity transhipment problem where the prices at each location are an affine function of the supplies and demands at that location and the shipping costs are an affine function of the quantities shipped. A system of prices, supplies, demands, and shipments is defined to be an equilibrium, if there is a balance in the shipments, supplies, and demands of goods at each location, if local prices do not exceed the cost of importing, and if shipments are price efficient. Lemke's algorithm is used to compute an equilibrium.