cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3902: A novel biologic ADI-TRAIL fusion protein benefits from structural and functional complementarity of its components arginine deiminase and TRAIL, induces cancer cell apoptosis in vitro, and inhibits tumor growth in vivo

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor agonists have shown good safety profile and efficacy in preclinical cancer models. However, clinical success has been limited due to poor PK and/or development of resistance to death receptor-induced apoptosis. To address these issues we have conceived and produced a fusion protein of arginine deiminase (ADI) and TRAIL. ADI is an enzyme that converts arginine into citrulline. Arginine deprivation can inhibit growth of arginine auxotrophic cancers that lack key enzymes enabling normal cells to produce arginine from citrulline. ADI is currently being evaluated in clinical trials and is well-tolerated. We (and others) observed synergy between ADI and TRAIL in inducing apoptosis in a number of cancer cell lines including those that are otherwise resistant to rhTRAIL. We have explored potential mechanisms of synergy and will present our findings. Using in silico modeling we predicted structural complementarity between ADI and TRAIL with each modality stabilized when part of the fusion protein. We were able to produce multiple ADI-TRAIL fusion protein variants and have tested their activity in enzymatic and cell-based assays. Our experimental data confirmed in silico predictions of the structural advantages for ADI and TRAIL in the fusion protein. ADI enzymatic activity improved when part of the fusion protein and the fusion protein appeared to have higher potency than the combination of the two separate proteins in inducing cancer cell death. In mice ADI-TRAIL fusion protein exhibited extended half-life and was efficacious in HCT116 xenograft model, superior to rhTRAIL administered at the same molar amounts. Serum concentrations of the fusion protein had an inverse correlation with the tumor volume. ADI-TRAIL is a novel biologic that benefits from structural and functional synergies between its components and is showing promise as a cancer therapeutic in preclinical studies. Citation Format: Elena Brin, Katherine Wu, Yudou He, Wei-Jong Shia, Mario M. Kuo, Li-Chang Chen, Eleanor Dagostino, Richard Hickey, Bob Almassy, Richard Showalter, Jim Thomson. A novel biologic ADI-TRAIL fusion protein benefits from structural and functional complementarity of its components arginine deiminase and TRAIL, induces cancer cell apoptosis in vitro, and inhibits tumor growth in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3902.
Peptide signaling molecules CLE5 and CLE6 affect Arabidopsis leaf shape downstream of leaf patterning transcription factors and auxin

Intercellular signaling mediated by small peptides is critical to coordinate organ formation in animals, but whether extracellular polypeptides play similar roles in plants is unknown. Here we describe a role in Arabidopsis leaf development for two members of the CLAVATA3/ESR-RELATED peptide family, CLE5 and CLE6, which lie adjacent to each other on chromosome 2. Uniquely among the CLE genes, CLE5 and CLE6 are expressed specifically at the base of developing leaves and floral organs, adjacent to the boundary with the shoot apical meristem. During vegetative development CLE5 and CLE6 transcription is regulated by the leaf patterning transcription factors BLADE-ON-PETIOLE1 (BOP1) and ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 (AS2), as well as by the WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX (WOX) transcription factors WOX1 and PRESSED FLOWER (PRS). Moreover, CLE5 and CLE6 transcript levels are differentially regulated in various genetic backgrounds by the phytohormone auxin. Analysis of loss-of-function mutations generated by genome engineering reveals that CLE5 and CLE6 independently and together have subtle effects on rosette leaf shape. Our study indicates that the CLE5 and CLE6 peptides function downstream of leaf patterning factors and phytohormones to modulate the final leaf morphology.
Imaging Assessment of Tricuspid Regurgitation Severity.

Assessing the severity of tricuspid regurgitation remains a challenging task, and although echocardiography is the test of choice, significant limitations of the current recommendations exist. Newer methods have been used in current trials of transcatheter devices and may improve our understanding of the disease process. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography angiography may play significant roles as adjunctive imaging modalities. This paper reviews the imaging modalities currently used to quantify tricuspid regurgitation severity.
Presentation Slides for 'The Psychological Attraction Approach to Accounting and Disclosure Policy'

These slides summarize a paper which offers the psychological attraction approach to accounting and disclosure rules, regulation, and policy as a program for positive accounting research. We suggest that psychological forces have shaped and continue to shape rules and policies in two different ways. (1) Good Rules for Bad Users: rules and policies that provide information in a form that is useful for users who are subject to bias and cognitive processing constraints. (2) Bad Rules: superfluous or even pernicious rules and policies that result from psychological bias on the part of the 'designers' (managers, users, auditors, regulators, politicians, or voters). We offer some initial ideas about psychological sources of the use of historical costs, conservatism, aggregation, and a focus on downside outcomes in risk disclosures. We also suggest that psychological forces cause informal shifts in reporting and disclosure regulation and policy, which can exacerbate boom/bust patterns in financial markets. The working paper version of the paper is available at https://ssrn.com/abstract=1359967.
Surgeons’ Dilemma: Treatment of Implant-Associated Infection in the Cosmetic Breast Augmentation Patient

Augmentation mammaplasty is the most common plastic surgical procedure performed in the USA. The management of severe implant-associated infection is a challenge, and the traditional two-stage treatment is associated with significant limitations. The aim of this literature review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of all studies dealing with the management of severe infection or implant exposure following cosmetic breast augmentation. The PubMed and Cochrane databases were searched through February 2018 for studies on the management of severe infection and threatened or actual implant exposure following primary augmentation mammaplasty. Search terms used were “breast implant,” “breast prosthesis,” “breast augmentation,” “breast augmentation complications,” “infected implant,” “implant salvage” and “implant exposure.” Five articles met inclusion criteria. There was inconsistency in the reporting of several key factors, such as the antibiotic regimens employed, culture sensitivities, time from diagnosis to treatment, implant characteristics, as well as the precise treatment of the capsule and pocket. A total of 58 implants were treated, of which 37 (63.8%) were exposed in the setting of infection and 21 (36.2%) were infected without exposure. One-stage implant salvage was employed in 31 implants and was successful in all. The capsular contracture rate with this approach was 6.5%. Antibiotic-alone, non-operative treatment was employed in the salvage of 22 implants, with success and capsular contracture rates of 77.3 and 13.6%, respectively. In the setting of severe periprosthetic infection in the absence of implant exposure, antibiotic-alone treatment was successful in the salvage of 13 out of 14 implants (92.9%). The inconsistency and paucity of the data in the literature preclude definitive conclusions with regard to the optimal management of the threatened implant following augmentation mammaplasty. Given the excellent salvage rates in this setting, a more prominent role and liberal utilization of implant salvage are proposed. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Perceptions and practice behaviors regarding late-life depression among private duty home care workers: a mixed-methods study

Background: This study aimed to examine personal care aides (PCAs)’ knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards late-life depression and their experience caring for older adults with depression.Metho...
4×4 MIMO Antenna Elements Fed by Microstrip Ridge Gap Waveguide

A high gain wideband to cover 57–71 GHz antenna array using microstrip ridge gap waveguide (MRGW) is presented for indoor application. Then a 4×4 MIMO antenna with orthogonal channels is proposed. Each element in the 4×4 is represented by a 2×2 subarray. The performance of the system is evaluated by calculating the correlation coefficient.
Diagnostic value of plasma biochemistry, haematology, radiography and endoscopic visualisation for hepatic disease in psittacine birds

Background Hepatic disease in psittacine birds is common but challenging to diagnose. This retrospective study evaluates the diagnostic value of plasma biochemistry, haematology, radiography and endoscopic visualisation in psittaciforms with suspected hepatic disease that underwent endoscopic liver biopsy. Methods Clinical records of 28 companion psittaciforms from a veterinary teaching hospital (2007–2016) were reviewed. Diagnostic results were categorised as abnormal or normal and compared with histopathology for agreement or disagreement. Statistical significance was determined by kappa test for agreement and McNemar’s test for disagreement. Results 11 of 28 psittaciforms (39.3 per cent) had clinical signs considered specific for liver disease. 25 of 28 (89.3 per cent) psittaciforms had histopathological liver lesions. Gross changes radiographically and endoscopically agreed with histopathology in 57.1 per cent and 53.6 per cent of cases, respectively. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (48.1 per cent), creatine phosphokinase (73.1 per cent) and albumin by protein electrophoresis (50 per cent) showed the highest agreement. Kappa was not significant for any parameters, while McNemar’s test for disagreement was significant for radiography, endoscopy, AST, lactate dehydrogenase, bile acid, total protein (chemistry), cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid and glucose. Conclusion Overall, changes on plasma biochemistry, radiography or endoscopy are non-specific and do not consistently agree with histopathology results. Endoscopic liver biopsy is highly recommended if there is clinical suspicion of hepatic disease.
ECLIPSE utilizing gradient-modulated offset-independent adiabaticity (GOIA) pulses for highly selective human brain proton MRSI.

A multitude of extracranial lipid suppression methods exist for proton MRSI acquisitions. Popular and emerging lipid suppression methods each have their inherent set of advantages and disadvantages related to the achievable level of lipid suppression, RF power deposition, insensitivity to B1 + field and lipid T1 heterogeneity, brain coverage, spatial selectivity, chemical shift displacement (CSD) errors and the reliability of spectroscopic data spanning the observed 0.9-4.7 ppm band. The utility of elliptical localization with pulsed second order fields (ECLIPSE) was previously demonstrated with a greater than 100-fold in extracranial lipid suppression and low power requirements utilizing 3 kHz bandwidth AFP pulses. Like all gradient-based localization methods, ECLIPSE is sensitive to CSD errors, resulting in a modified metabolic profile in edge-of-ROI voxels. In this work, ECLIPSE is extended with 15 kHz bandwidth second order gradient-modulated RF pulses based on the gradient offset-independent adiabaticity (GOIA) algorithm to greatly reduce CSD and improve spatial selectivity. An adiabatic double spin-echo ECLIPSE inner volume selection (TE = 45 ms) MRSI method and an ECLIPSE outer volume suppression (TE = 3.2 ms) FID-MRSI method were implemented. Both GOIA-ECLIPSE MRSI sequences provided artifact-free metabolite spectra in vivo, with a greater than 100-fold in lipid suppression and less than 2.6 mm in-plane CSD and less than 3.3 mm transition width for edge-of-ROI voxels, representing an ~5-fold improvement compared with the parent, nongradient-modulated method. Despite the 5-fold larger bandwidth, GOIA-ECLIPSE only required a 1.9-fold increase in RF power. The highly robust lipid suppression combined with low CSD and sharp ROI edge transitions make GOIA-ECLIPSE an attractive alternative to commonly employed lipid suppression methods. Furthermore, the low RF power deposition demonstrates that GOIA-ECLIPSE is very well suited for high field (≥3 T) MRSI applications.
Can I Be Me With You at Work? Examining Relational Authenticity and Discretionary Behaviors in the Workplace:

Management scholars have long been interested in the topic of authenticity in the workplace, evidenced by the history of scholarship on authentic leadership and the many new authenticity constructs...
Cardiovascular disease in the World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Cohort.

Background Over 90,000 rescue and recovery responders to the September 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks were exposed to toxic materials that can impair cardiac function and increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We examined WTC-related exposures association with annual and cumulative CVD incidence and risk over 17 years in the WTC Health Program (HP) General Responder Cohort (GRC). Methods Post 9/11 first occurrence of CVD was assessed in 37,725 responders from self-reported physician diagnosis of, or current treatment for, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke and/or congestive heart failure from WTCHP GRC monitoring visits. Kaplan-Meier estimates of CVD incidence used the generalized Wilcoxon test statistic to account for censored data. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses estimated the CVD hazard ratio associated with 9/11/2001 arrival in responders with and without dust cloud exposure, compared with arrival on or after 9/12/2001. Additional analyses adjusted for comorbidities. Results To date, 6.3% reported new CVD. In covariate-adjusted analyses, men's CVD 9/11/2001 arrival risks were 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26, 1.56) and 1.43 (95% CI = 1.29, 1.58) and women's were 2.16 (95% CI = 1.49, 3.11) and 1.59 (95% CI = 1.11, 2.27) with and without dust cloud exposure, respectively. Protective service employment on 9/11 had higher CVD risk. Conclusions WTCHP GRC members with 9/11/2001 exposures had substantially higher CVD risk than those initiating work afterward, consistent with observations among WTC-exposed New York City firefighters. Women's risk was greater than that of men's. GRC-elevated CVD risk may also be occurring at a younger age than in the general population.
Pyclone: A Python Code Clone Test Bank Generator

Code clones are fragments of code that are duplicated in the codebase of an application. They create problems with maintainability, duplicate buggy code, and increase the size of the repository. To combat these issues, there currently exists a multitude of programs to detect duplicated code segments. However, there are not many varieties of languages among the benchmarks for code clone detection tools. Without covering enough languages for modern software development, the development of code-clone detection tools remains stunted. This paper describes a novel tool that will take a seed of Python source code and generate Type 1, 2, and 3 code clones in Python. As one of the most used and rapidly-growing languages in modern software development, our testbed will provide the opportunity for Python code-clone detection tools to be developed and tested.
Daniel H. Mintz (1930–2020): An Extraordinary Physician-Scientist and a Pioneer in Islet Transplantation

Daniel H. Mintz Fig. 1 was born in Far Rockaway, New York, in 1930 to European Jewish parents, Jacob and Fanny, and grew up on Long Island, New York, where his parents immigrated in the early 1900s. In his youth he excelled both in sports (basketball) and academically; he was accepted as a premed student at St. Bonaventure College, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree cum laude. He entered New York Medical College, which had no quotas for Jewish students (unlike many other schools at that time), and completed his medical training in 1956. (Fig. 2) While serving his internship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, he met his future wife, Dawn, a hospital nurse. In 1961, Dan entered residency at Georgetown University School of Medicine and joined the faculty, initiating his research career under the mentorship of Dr. Larry Kyle, Chairman of Medicine, studying parathyroid and bone disorders (1). Daniel Mintz in 2006. Daniel Mintz as a young student, and with his parents and sister at his medical graduation ceremony, New York Medical College, 1956. Dan’s first love was clinical medicine, so it is no surprise that he was appointed Chief of Medicine at the then District of Columbia General Hospital in 1964. He once recounted the story that kept him in academic medicine after planning to start a private practice in Leesburg, Northern Virginia. Dr. Kyle called him into his office and told him in no uncertain terms that he was making a mistake and should remain in academia. As Dan recalled years later, “In those days you did what your boss told you to do!” This career-changing decision was a testament to Dan’s primary reason for entering medicine—to be a healer of the sick. His capacity for responding to people in need strongly influenced his …
Interaction with the CCT chaperonin complex limits APOBEC3A cytidine deaminase cytotoxicity

The APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases are implicated as the cause of a prevalent somatic mutation pattern found in cancer genomes. The APOBEC3 enzymes act as viral restriction factors by mutating viral genomes. Mutation of the cellular genome is presumed to be an off-target activity of the enzymes, although the regulatory measures for APOBEC3 expression and activity remain undefined. It is therefore difficult to predict circumstances that enable APOBEC3 interaction with cellular DNA that leads to mutagenesis. The APOBEC3A (A3A) enzyme is the most potent deaminase of the family. Using proteomics, we evaluate protein interactors of A3A to identify potential regulators. We find that A3A interacts with the chaperonin-containing TCP-1 (CCT) complex, a cellular machine that assists in protein folding and function. Importantly, depletion of CCT results in A3A-induced DNA damage and cytotoxicity. Evaluation of cancer genomes demonstrates an enrichment of A3A mutational signatures in cancers with silencing mutations in CCT subunit genes. Together, these data suggest that the CCT complex interacts with A3A, and that disruption of CCT function results in increased A3A mutational activity.
Victor Montejo's Choral Testimonio: Appropriations and Critiques of Human Rights Discourses.

In this essay, I analyze certain contemporary debates about human rights discourses through a close reading of Victor Montejo's Brevisima Relacion de la Continua Destruccion del Mayab . Written by a Maya intellectual, this text uses traditional Maya narrative and modern Testimonio conventions, and intersperses the voices of sixteenth-century Maya accounts of the arrival of Spaniards to describe the experience of the 1981-82 massacres in the Kuchumatanes region of Guatemala. The text uses contemporary human rights claims as a renewed version of anti-colonial discourse, seeking to impute obligations on the modern Guatemalan state's obligations, the text suggests, that have existed and remained unfulfilled since the beginning of the Spanish colony. In other words, the text shows how certain Maya intellectuals and rights advocates appropriate and deploy human rights discourse to interpellate the Guatemalan state. At the heart of the debate about the circulation of human rights discourse is a question of voice and agency: who speaks for whom, who establishes international human rights norms, who receives knowledge and who produces it. Yet even in the formulation of these questions, there is an implicit assumption about the lack of voice and agency of those whose human rights are violated. If the discourse of human rights is justifiably criticized as hegemonic, it is also a discourse appropriated, circulated and transformed by local populations who may see in this adherence to a set of international norms a way to interpellate history, a hostile state and the unequal local and global economic relations. This is what Victor Montejo's text illustrates, and it provides an avenue for an alternative reading of the limitations and potentialities of the globalization of human rights discourse.
TU-C-201-02: Clinical Implementation of HDR: Afterloader and Applicator Selection

Recent use of HDR has increased while planning has become more complex often necessitating 3D image-based planning. While many guidelines for the use of HDR exist, they have not kept pace with the increased complexity of 3D image-based planning. Furthermore, no comprehensive document exists to describe the wide variety of current HDR clinical indications. This educational session aims to summarize existing national and international guidelines for the safe implementation of an HDR program. A summary of HDR afterloaders available on the market and their existing applicators will be provided, with guidance on how to select the best fit for each institution’s needs. Finally, the use of checklists will be discussed as a means to implement a safe and efficient HDR program and as a method by which to verify the quality of an existing HDR program. This session will provide the perspective of expert HDR physicists as well as the perspective of a new HDR user. Learning Objectives: 1. Summarize national and international safety and staffing guidelines for HDR implementation 2. Discuss the process of afterloader and applicator selection for gynecologic, prostate, breast, interstitial, surface treatments 3. Learn about the use of an audit checklist tool to measure of quality control of a new or existing HDR program 4. Describe the evolving use of checklists within an HDR program
Functioning thyroid masses in childhood and adolescence. Clinical, surgical, and pathologic correlations.

Six girls, aged 5 to 15 years, presented with thyroid masses in otherwise nonpalpable thyroid glands and with normal serum thyroxine levels. Scintiscanning before and after TSH stimulation confirmed the presence of autonomous nodules in the four adolescents, of whom two had elevated T 2 levels. Surgical exploration revealed adenomatous thyroid hyperplasia in three of the girls and papillary adenocarcinoma in the fourth. Scans in the other two girls revealed absence of the left lobe. One of them proved to have agenesis of the left lobe with enlargement of the right lobe because of lymphocytic thyroiditis. The other girl had an ectopic thyroid with chronic inflammation. A thorough diagnostic evaluation of single or multiple functioning thyroid masses in children and adolescents is essential in establishing the correct diagnosis. The possibility that carcinoma can occur in autonomous nodules as well as in hemiagenesis and ectopic thyroid tissue is discussed. An approach to the management of functioning thyroid masses in the pediatric age group is proposed.
Uninjured C-Fiber Nociceptors Develop Spontaneous Activity and α-Adrenergic Sensitivity Following L6 Spinal Nerve Ligation in Monkey

Ali, Z., M. Ringkamp, T. V. Hartke, H. F. Chien, N. A. Flavahan, J. N. Campbell, and R. A. Meyer. Uninjured cutaneous C-fiber nociceptors develop spontaneous activity and α-adrenergic sensitivity f...
The eval that men do: A large-scale study of the use of eval in javascript applications

Transforming text into executable code with a function such as Java-Script's eval endows programmers with the ability to extend applications, at any time, and in almost any way they choose. But, this expressive power comes at a price: reasoning about the dynamic behavior of programs that use this feature becomes challenging. Any ahead-of-time analysis, to remain sound, is forced to make pessimistic assumptions about the impact of dynamically created code. This pessimism affects the optimizations that can be applied to programs and significantly limits the kinds of errors that can be caught statically and the security guarantees that can be enforced. A better understanding of how eval is used could lead to increased performance and security. This paper presents a large-scale study of the use of eval in JavaScript-based web applications. We have recorded the behavior of 337 MB of strings given as arguments to 550,358 calls to the eval function exercised in over 10,000 web sites. We provide statistics on the nature and content of strings used in eval expressions, as well as their provenance and data obtained by observing their dynamic behavior.
Treating fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis C with sofosbuvir and ribavirin: a matched analysis.

Author(s): Saab, Sammy; Jimenez, Melissa; Bau, Sherona; Goo, Tyralee; Zhao, Difan; Durazo, Francisco; Han, Steven; El Kabany, Mohammed; Kaldas, Fady; Tong, Myron J; Busuttil, Ronald W | Abstract: BackgroundFibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (FCH) is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication of recurrent hepatitis C (HCV) in liver transplant recipients.MethodsWe matched the treatment outcomes of 10 liver transplant recipients who developed FCH with those of 10 recipients with recurrent HCV without FCH treated with sofosbuvir and ribavirin.ResultsBaseline mean alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin were 186 U/L, 197 U/L, 243 U/L, and 6.7 mg/dL, respectively, in the FCH recipients and 82 U/L, 60 U/L, 110 U/L, and 0.99 mg/dL, respectively, in non-FCH recipients. The sustained viral response in FCH and non-FCH recipients was 40% and 80%, respectively. One-yr patient and graft survival rates were 90% and 80%, respectively, in FCH recipients, and 100% in non-FCH recipients. Seven FCH and six non-FCH recipients were treated for anemia with blood transfusion and/or erythropoietin growth factors.ConclusionOur results suggest that the use of sofosbuvir and ribavirin is effective and tolerable in liver transplant recipients treated for recurrent FCH. There is a trend of lower sustained viral response, patient survival, and graft survival in the FCH recipients.
Wandering in the Background: A CMB Explorer

We develop and examine the principles governing the formation of distortions in the cosmic microwave background. Distortions in the frequency or spectral distribution of the background probe the thermal history of the universe whereas those in the angular temperature distribution probe its dynamics and geometry. Stressing model independent results, we show how the microwave background can be used to extract information on the mass density, vacuum density, baryon content, radiation content, expansion rate and some aspects of structure formation in the universe. To address these issues, we systematically develop relativistic kinetic and perturbation theory addressing issues such as fluctuation representation, or gauge, normal mode analysis in an open geometry, and second order effects. Through analytic and numerical results, we construct anisotropies in a critical, open, or cosmological constant universe with adiabatic and/or isocurvature initial conditions allowing for possible early reionization. We find that anisotropy formation is a simple process governed by the Compton scattering of photons and electrons and their gravitational coupling to the other particle species in the universe.
DNA-PKcs activates the Chk2-Brca1 pathway during mitosis to ensure chromosomal stability (736.4)

and BPC ChenThe catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is known to have a critical role in DNA double-strand breakrepair. We have previously reported that DNA-PKcs is activated when cells enter mitosis and functions in mitotic spindle assemblyand chromosome segregation. Here we report that DNA-PKcs is the upstream regulator of the Chk2–Brca1 pathway, which impactsmicrotubule dynamics, kinetochore attachment and chromosomal segregation in mitosis. Downstream from Chk2, Brca1 promotesmonoubiquitination of g-tubulin to inhibit microtubule nucleation and growth. We found that DNA-PKcs is essential for mitoticChk2 phosphorylation at Thr68. As in Chk2- and Brca1-deﬁcient cells, loss of DNA-PKcs resulted in chromosome misalignment andlagging during anaphase owing to elevation in microtubule dynamics. Importantly, these mitotic aberrations in DNA-PKcs-defectivecells were alleviated by the overexpression of phosphomimetic Chk2 or Brca1 mutant proteins but not their wild-type counterparts.Taken together, these results demonstrate that DNA-PKcs regulates mitotic spindle organization and chromosomal instability viathe Chk2–Brca1 signaling pathway.Oncogenesis (2014) 3, e85; doi:10.1038/oncsis.2013.49; published online 3 February 2014Subject Categories: Cell cycle and growth regulationKeywords: DNA-PKcs; Chk2; Brca1; chromosomal instability; microtubuleINTRODUCTIONChromosome instability (CIN), characterized by increased fre-quency of gain or loss of the whole chromosomes, has long beenimplicated in tumorigenesis, poor patient prognosis and drugresistance.
Performance assessment of face recognition using super-resolution

Recognition rate of face recognition algorithms is dependent on the resolution of the imagery, specifically the number of pixels contained within the face. Using a sequence of frames from low-resolution videos, super-resolution image reconstruction can form a higher resolution image, aiding the face recognition stage for improved performance. In this work, images from a video database of moving faces and people are used to assess the performance improvement of face recognition using super-resolution.
Terpene Specialized Metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana

Terpenes constitute the largest class of plant secondary (or specialized) metabolites, which are compounds of ecological function in plant defense or the attraction of beneficial organisms. Using biochemical and genetic approaches, nearly all Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) enzymes of the core biosynthetic pathways producing the 5-carbon building blocks of terpenes have been characterized and closer insight has been gained into the transcriptional and posttranscriptional/translational mechanisms regulating these pathways. The biochemical function of most prenyltransferases, the downstream enzymes that condense the C5-precursors into central 10-, 15-, and 20-carbon prenyldiphosphate intermediates, has been described, although the function of several isoforms of C20-prenyltranferases is not well understood. Prenyl diphosphates are converted to a variety of C10-, C15-, and C20-terpene products by enzymes of the terpene synthase (TPS) family. Genomic organization of the 32 Arabidopsis TPS genes indicates a...
The efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy and writing process training for alleviating writing anxiety

Fifty-one individuals were assigned to one of three treatments for writing anxiety (a fear and avoidance of writing). The three treatment conditions were (a) cognitive-behavior therapy in the form of stress inoculation training plus writing process instruction (“combination” group), (b) writing process instruction plus an attention control (“process only” group), and (c) a no-treatment control. Two therapists each conducted one combination group and one process only group. There were eight or nine subjects in each treatment group, and each group met for eight 90-min sessions. Subjects were assessed at pre-treatment and post-treatment using eight writing anxiety self-report measures and two writing performance measures. Both the combination and the writing process only treatments resulted in improvement on several self-report measures as compared with the no-treatment control group. However, only the combination treatment produced significant improvement on a performance measure, writing quality. Significantly more subjects in the combination treatment were able to pass a college freshman English equivalency examination after treatment than in either of the other two groups.
A AMÉRICA LATINA VISTA DO ALTO

SCHOULTZ, L. Beneath the United States : a History of US Policy toward Latin America. London & Cambridge : Harvard University Press, 1998 (ISBN 067492276x; paperback : US$ 19,95)
Spontaneous candida mediastinitis diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided, fine-needle aspiration

Candida mediastinitis is a rare clinical entity associated with high mortality and morbidity. It is emerging as an important clinical entity, probably due to increased recognition of candida as a significant pathogen in mediastinitis. Candida mediastinitis is usually associated with cardiothoracic surgery, esophageal perforation, and head and neck infections. Optimal therapy for candida mediastinitis remains undefined. Aggressive, combined surgical debridement and antifungal therapy appears to be the most effective of available therapies. We report a case of spontaneous candida mediastinitis diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided, fine-needle aspiration and successfully treated with oral antifungal therapy alone.
Observations of a warm-core eddy off Oregon, January to March 1978

Abstract Observations from a zonal array of current meters moored across the continental margin off central Oregon, CTD sections along the array, and a satellite infrared radiometer image all show the presence of a warm-core eddy off Oregon in January and February 1978. The satellite image, the current vectors, and the dynamic height profiles give consistent estimates of the eddy size (100 km) and position. The eddy penetrated deep into the water column (down to more than 800 m) but not to the bottom. The water in the core of the eddy was significantly warmer and more saline than surrounding water of the same density, implying it had been carried northward from a more southern origin. The eddy center apparently moved northward and offshore from a position over the 800-m isobath at 44°50′N on 5 January to a position beyond the 2000-m isobath at 45°25′N on 6 March. The eddy may have originated on the seaward flank of an unusually strong northward coastal current. Hydrographic data available for other winters suggest that such eddies are unusual off Oregon. Although the moored array was maintained between October 1977 and September 1978, the strong currents associated with the eddy and its persistent presence for at least 2 months dominated the overall estimates of the mean alongshore flow.
Exploring ion permeation energetics in gramicidin A using polarizable charge equilibration force fields.

All-atom molecular dynamics simulations have been applied in the recent past to explore the free energetics underlying ion transport processes in biological ion channels. Roux and co-workers, Kuyucak and co-workers, Busath and co-workers, and others have performed rather elegant and extended time scale molecular dynamics simulations using current state-of-the-art fixed-charge (nonpolarizable) force fields to calculate the potential of mean force defining the equilibrium flux of ions through prototypical channels such as gramicidin A. An inescapable conclusion of such studies has been the gross overestimation of the equilibrium free energy barrier, generally predicted to be from 10 to 20 kcal/mol depending on the force field and simulation protocol used in the calculation; this translates to an underestimation of experimentally measurable single channel conductances by several orders of magnitude. Next-generation polarizable force fields have been suggested as possible alternatives for more quantitative pr...
Surgery in corticosteroid-dependent asthmatics

Abstract Seventeen patients with asthma of such severity that corticosteroids were required for maintenance therapy had 21 surgical procedures. These patients were managed by a single team of physicians, and complications of the surgical procedures in this group of patients are reviewed. There was one postoperative discoid atelectasia and a case of small suture abscess. There were no fatalities and no serious pulmonary or wound complications or significant evidence of adrenocortical insufficiency. It is concluded that severe corticosteroid-dependent asthmatics can tolerate surgical procedures well provided there is adequate preoperative preparation.
Children’s paired-associate learning: Response and associative learning as a function of similarity

The response learning and associative hookup stages of paired-associate learning were studied in 8-year-old children as a function of intralist conceptual similarity. Response learning, as measured by response recall, was facilitated by the presence of similar items, while the associative stage, as measured by a matching test, was somewhat impeded by the use of category instances. These results are similar to those for young adults’ learning, and indicate the utility of the stage-analysis model in the study of paired-associate learning by children.
Quantum phase transitions in the Fermi–Bose Hubbard model

We propose a multi-band Fermi-Bose Hubbard model with on-site fermion-boson conversion and general filling factor in three dimensions. Such a Hamiltonian models an atomic Fermi gas trapped in a lattice potential and subject to a Feshbach resonance. We solve this model in the two state approximation for paired fermions at zero temperature. The problem then maps onto a coupled Heisenberg spin model. In the limit of large positive and negative detuning, the quantum phase transitions in the Bose Hubbard and Paired-Fermi Hubbard models are correctly reproduced. Near resonance, the Mott states are given by a superposition of the paired-fermion and boson fields and the Mott-superfluid borders go through an avoided crossing in the phase diagram.
Latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood (LADA): an often misdiagnosed type of diabetes mellitus

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about a frequently misdiagnosed form of diabetes, latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood (LADA), to describe its clinical and epidemiological characteristics, and to compare them to those of the more common and widely known types of diabetes, type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and type 2 DM. Data sources: A review of the pertinent literature describing the features of LADA from 2000–2007 is summarized. Conclusions: LADA is a rather common and often underrecognized form of diabetes whose clinical presentation falls somewhere between that of type 1 DM and type 2 DM. From a pathophysiological perspective, it is more closely related to type 1 DM, and some have even used the term type 1.5 diabetes to refer to it; however, it is most often misdiagnosed and treated as type 2 DM. Implications for practice: Nurse practitioners (NPs) should always consider alternate diagnoses when patients with newly or previously identified adult-onset diabetes mellitus do not fit the traditional stereotype of type 2 DM (i.e., overweight with signs of insulin resistance and a significant family history of diabetes). Statistically, strong consideration must be given to the diagnosis of LADA, especially in those who are of normal weight, show little evidence of insulin resistance, and have hardly any family history of diabetes. Knowing the patient’s exact diabetes type can give the NP a much greater understanding of the natural history of the patient’s disease, the changes that may occur as the patient ages, and how to optimally manage their diabetes to minimize complications. Likewise, when a patient is correctly diagnosed, they can be empowered to manage their diabetes with the appropriate therapies.
The Protein Kinase Domain of the ANP Receptor Is Required for Signaling

A plasma membrane form of guanylate cyclase is a cell surface receptor for atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). In response to ANP binding, the receptor-enzyme produces increased amounts of the second messenger, guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate. Maximal activation of the cyclase requires the presence of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) or nonhydrolyzable ATP analogs. The intracellular region of the receptor contains at least two domains with homology to other proteins, one possessing sequence similarity to protein kinase catalytic domains, the other to regions of unknown function in a cytoplasmic form of guanylate cyclase and in adenylate cyclase. It is now shown that the protein kinase-like domain functions as a regulatory element and that the second domain possesses catalytic activity. When the kinase-like domain was removed by deletion mutagenesis, the resulting ANP receptor retained guanylate cyclase activity, but this activity was independent of ANP and its stimulation by ATP was markedly reduced. A model for signal transduction is suggested in which binding of ANP to the extracellular domain of its receptor initiates a conformational change in the protein kinase-like domain, resulting in derepression of guanylate cyclase activity.
Teratogenic effects of phleomycin in early chick embryos.

Effects of phleomycin on chick embryos explanted at stages 4–7 and cultured for 19–21 h were studied. Concentrations of 0.1–0.8 μg/ml had marked effects on stages 4–5 embryos, but had no appreciable effects on stages 6–7 embryos. The most specific effect was progressive degeneration of neural tube tissue with increasing concentration. Neural tube closure was inhibited in most malformed embryos, especially of stage 4. Heart, foregut, somites, and blood islands were occasionally affected. Abnormalities may have been due to mitotic failure in the affected tissues, since many cells were arrested at interphase or prophase and showed nuclear enlargement. In severely affected tissues, cells showed pycnosis and nuclear fragmentation.
Age-dependent effects of zinc on the transformation response of human lymphocytes to mitogens.

Abstract The addition of zinc to human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) stimulated with mitogens demonstrated an age-dependent effect on blastogenesis. PBL from young persons showed either no change or an enhancement in the mitogenic response whereas blastogenesis by PBL from aged donors was suppressed by zinc. It is likely that the action of zinc might be due to its effects on the surface membrane of lymphocytes. Thus, zinc might serve as a useful probe for studying membrane changes associated with aging.
Ion-translocating Properties of Calcifiable Proteolipids

De novo formation of calcium hydroxyapatite in biological systems occurs on membrane surfaces through specific interactions of Ca, Pi, phospholipids, calcifiable proteolipids, and ion flux to and from the nucleating site. This paper reports an in vitro model demonstrating an ion transport function for calcifiable proteolipid. Bacterionema matruchotii proteolipid was incubated with a radiolabeled H+ -channel inhibitor, 14C-dicyclohexyl-carbodiimide, and binding characterized by displacement studies with DCCD or ethyldimethylaminopropylcarbodiimide. A carboxyl binding site was suggested by displacement of DCCD by the nucleophile, glycine ethyl ester. The displacement studies indicated that proteolipid bound DCCD via carboxyl group interaction in a hydrophobic region of the protein. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that all label was associated with a single band of 8500 Mr. No non-specific binding of 14C-DCCD to phospholipids occurred, since all bound label was associated with protein following...
The humour effect: Differential processing and privileged retrieval

The effects of humour on memory and heart rate were explored as a function of experimental design. In within-subject manipulations, original humorous cartoons were better remembered than the literal translations and weird cartoons, whereas literal and weird cartoons were equally well remembered. Good recall of humorous cartoons occurred at the expense of recall of non-humorous cartoons. Secondary heart-rate deceleration was larger in response to original cartoons than to literal and weird cartoons. Neither the memory nor the heart-rate effects were found in between-subjects comparisons. The results were consistent with differential processing resulting from within-list contrasts. However, retrieval processes also favoured good recall of humorous material.
Stoichiometric relationship between suspension-feeding caddisfly (Trichoptera: Brachycentridae) and seston

Organisms must acquire adequate amounts of carbon (C) and nutrients [i.e., nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)] from their food to support growth. The growth of organisms can be constrained by consumer-resource elemental imbalances in C:nutrient ratios, especially in aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, the elemental composition of aquatic organisms can change through ontogeny, which can impose additional challenges to growth (the growth rate hypothesis), terminal body size, and reproductive output. In streams, growth in larval aquatic insects is influenced primarily by food quality and quantity, temperature, and population density. We conducted a field study that tracked the growth of a common suspension-feeding caddisfly (Brachycentrus occidentalis) through its ontogeny by comparing the elemental composition (C:N:P) of the organism with its available food supply (suspended particulate organic matter or seston). Larvae and seston were sampled from four streams throughout 1 year. Differences in the growth of larvae among the streams were evident, even though the streams possessed similar thermal regimes. Spatial and temporal differences in the nutrient contents of B. occidentalis and seston were observed, suggesting a consumer-resource elemental imbalance. Lower C:P and N:P ratios in food were positively correlated to larval growth rate, suggesting growth was limited by P. The C, N, and P contents in B. occidentalis’ body tissue did change throughout ontogeny. C:nutrient ratios varied across sites during larval development; however, inter-site variation decreased substantially as the populations approached pupation. Ultimately, consumer-resource elemental imbalances during the larval stage did not lead to differences in pre-emergent standing stocks across sites.
Competences in contact: Phonology and lexifier targeted change

This article examines phonological changes brought about by creole-lexifier contact, with secondary focus on the distinction of these changes from those occurring in creole formation. It is argued that lexifier-targeted change involves declarative competence: knowledge of what is and isn’t part of a phonological inventory. It is further argued that such changes do not undo the past, but involve historically innovative modifications to grammatical competence, which subsequently inform productive and perceptual knowledge. A formal account of Guadeloupian vowel data is proposed, which also addresses differential outcomes such as instances of apparent hypercorrection.
MR urography for suspected upper tract urothelial carcinoma

The key components of the MR urography protocol for suspected upper tract urothelial carcinoma are coronal T2-weighted hydrographic sequences without contrast agent and coronal gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted 3D-spoiled gradient-recalled echo in nephrographic and pyelographic phases. Upper tract urothelial carcinomas can be categorized into papillary tumor, flat tumor, and infiltrative tumor based on the growth pattern and extent. Papillary lesions appear as small filling defects of soft tissue signal on T2-weighted hydrographic and T1-weighted pyelographic phase images. On nephrographic phase images, the lesions show homogeneous enhancement. A flat tumor appears as a segmental area of diffuse thickening and enhancement of the urinary tract wall on nephrographic phase images. Infiltrative tumor often appears as a large heterogeneously enhancing mass. MR urography is a promising alternative for CT urography in the evaluation of upper tract urothelial carcinoma, especially when the patient has a contraindication to iodinated contrast material.