cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cancer stem cell markers are enriched in normal tissue adjacent to triple negative breast cancer and inversely correlated with DNA repair deficiency

We hypothesized that cells present in normal tissue that bear cancer stem cell markers may represent a cancer cell of origin or a microenvironment primed for tumor development, and that their presence may correlate with the clinically defined subtypes of breast cancer that show increased tumorigenicity and stem cell features. Normal tissues sampled at least 5 cm from primary tumors (normal adjacent tissue) were obtained from 61 chemotherapy-naive patients with breast cancer treated with mastectomy. Samples were stained simultaneously with immunofluorescence for CD44/CD49f/CD133/2 stem cell markers. We assessed the association between CD44+CD49f+CD133/2+ staining in normal adjacent tissue and breast cancer receptor subtype (defined by the expression of the estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), or human epidermal growth factor-2 (Her2) receptors). We also examined the correlation between CD44+CD49f+CD133/2+ immunofluorescence and each of two previously published gene signatures, one derived from stem-cell enriched tissue and one from BRCA mutated tissue expected to have defective DNA repair. Patients with triple negative breast cancer (ER–/PR–/HER2–) expressed CD44+CD49f+CD133/2+ in 9 of 9 normal adjacent tissue samples compared with 7 of 52 ER+ and/or Her2+ tumors (P < 0.001). Further, expression of CD44+CD49f+CD133/2+ by normal adjacent tissue correlated positively with a stem cell-derived tumorigenic signature (P <0.001) and inversely with a defective DNA-repair signature (P <0.001). Normal cells bearing cancer stem cell markers are associated with the triple negative receptor subtype of breast cancer. This study suggests stem cell staining and gene expression signatures from normal breast tissues represent novel tissue-based risk biomarkers for triple negative breast cancer. Validation of these results in additional studies of normal tissue from cancer-free women could lay the foundation for future targeted triple negative breast cancer prevention strategies.
A method for the detection of erythrocyte-bound interleukin-8 in humans during interleukin-1 immunotherapy.

Abstract Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been recently shown to bind to human erythrocytes with high affinity and is therefore potentially difficult to detect in serum or plasma. IL-8 is transiently elevated in the serum of baboons after the administration of interleukin-1α (IL-1α). The objective of this study was to investigate whether IL-8 can be detected in the plasma or in detergent-lysed erythrocytes from cancer patients undergoing treatment with IL-1α. Using a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA), plasma IL-8 was detected within 1–2 h after the first IL-1α infusion. Thereafter, the levels declined rapidly and after 4–8 h were undetectable. Erythrocyte-bound IL-8 was detectable 1–2 h after the increase in plasma levels. The erythrocyte-bound IL-8 levels were higher than those measured in plas,a and remained elevated long after the plasma levels had become undetectable. Erythrocyte membranes accounted for all of the erythrocyte-associated IL-8, as IL-8 was undetectable in the cytosol after erythrocyte lysis. The assay used in these studies detects IL-8 in erythrocyte lysates when it cannot be measured in plasma and may therefore be useful in monitoring IL-8 production in vivo.
Screening for major depression among alcoholics: an application of receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Abstract When comparing several screening tests designed to detect the same disease, methodological problems arise in determining which is most accurate. We have previously demonstrated that receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methodology can provide a set of statistical procedures which allow for objective comparisons of screening tests. In this report, ROC methodology is brought to a different substantive area: the detection of clinical depression among treated alcoholics. In a sample of hos pitalized alcoholics, we compared the accuracies of several commonly used screening tests for depressive disorders, as well as comparing each of these with a screening test for anxiety disorders. No test offered a statistically significant advantage over any other, and all did poorly in detecting clinically diagnosed major depression. The performance of the screening tests was worst when the non-depressed comparison group included subjects with remitted disorder, but was still poor when the comparison group did not include such potentially ‘noisy’ subjects. Factors contributing to the difficulty of screening for clinical depression are discussed, as well as suggestions for improvements in future screening efforts.
The News Framing of the 2004 Olympic Games

An examination of the framing of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in the online version of The New York Times finds that news coverage tended to follow usual news practices, which are usually connected with daily news coverage but not with mega events such as the Olympic Games. Ordinary news practices, which dominate this coverage, tend to lead to conflict-oriented news and snapshots of reality with usually little context. In this case, the coverage of the Athens Olympics primarily focused on the issues security and readiness related to Olympic venues.
Distribution of sacral afferent axons in cat urinary bladder.

Terminal axon density was examined in five selected regions of the urinary bladder in five cats. The trigone region had more terminal axons than other bladder regions. Extra-terminal axons in the trigone were outside muscle fascicles and thought to be afferent axons related to the hypogastric nerve. In four of the cats, afferent axons of the pelvic nerve were identified by degeneration following sacral spinal ganglionectomy. The afferent axons were distributed equally to all regions of the bladder, implying that micturition sensitivity is not preferentially organized in the bladder. One-third of the sacral afferent axons crossed to the contralateral side of the bladder. This bilateral redundancy constitutes a safety feature. Afferent terminal axons were more numerous outside than inside muscle fascicles. Morphologically, afferent terminations outside muscle fascicles appeared to be tension receptors, while terminations inside the fascicles are candidates for volume receptors. The greatest number of degenerating terminal axons was found 14 days after ganglionectomy. Thirteen percent of degenerating axons contained agranular vesicles, and these were presumed to be autonomic postganglionic neurons with cell bodies in spinal ganglia.
Cohesin and CTCF: cooperating to control chromosome conformation?

The cohesin complex is best known for its role in sister chromatid cohesion. Over the past few years, it has become apparent that cohesin also regulates gene expression, but the mechanisms by which it does so are unknown. Recently, three groups mapped numerous cohesin-binding sites in mammalian chromosomes and found substantial overlap with the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF).1–3 CTCF is an insulator protein that blocks enhancer–promoter interactions, and the investigators found that cohesin also contributes to this activity. Thus, these studies demonstrate at least one mechanism by which cohesin can control gene expression. BioEssays 30:715–718, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antagonism of CRF2 receptors produces anxiolytic behavior in animal models of anxiety

Abstract Two pharmacologically distinct CRF receptors are distributed in different brain regions and peripheral tissues. Studies suggest that CRF1 receptors play an important role in mediating the anxiety provoking effects of CRF. In contrast, far less functional information is available on CRF2 receptors. Therefore, we conducted dose response studies using antisauvagine-30 (anti-SVG-30, 0–20 μg, 20-min pretreatment, i.c.v.), a potent CRF2 peptide antagonist, and tested rats in three models of anxiety — the conditioned freezing, the elevated plus maze, and the defensive-withdrawal test. Anti-SVG-30 produced a significant dose-dependent reduction in conditioned freezing. In the elevated plus maze test, administration of anti-SVG-30 effectively increased the number of entries and time spent in the open arms. In the defensive-withdrawal test, anti-SVG-30 treatment facilitated exploratory activity in a large illuminated open field. Thus, in all three animal models, administration of anti-SVG-30 was consistent in producing an anxiolytic-like behavioral effect. In addition, a dose of anti-SVG-30 (10 μg) that produced anxiolytic-like behavior had no significant effects on locomotor activity measured in an automated activity box. This latter finding suggests that antagonism of CRF2 receptors is not associated with a non-specific increase in behavioral movements. These results provide evidence that, in addition to CRF1 receptors, CRF2 receptors may play an important role in the mediation of anxiety behavior.
Geometrical tradeoffs in graphene-based deeply-scaled electrically reconfigurable metasurfaces

In this work we study the terahertz light propagation through deeply-scaled graphene-based reconfigurable metasurfaces, i.e. metasurfaces with unit-cell dimensions much smaller than the terahertz wavelength. These metasurfaces are analyzed as phase modulators for constructing reconfigurable phase gradients along an optical interface for the purpose of beam shaping. Two types of deeply-scaled metacell geometries are analyzed and compared, which consist of: (i) multi split ring resonators, and (ii) multi spiral resonators. Two figures of merit, related to: (a) the loss and (b) the degree of reconfigurability achievable by such metamaterials -when applied in beam shaping applications-, are introduced and discussed. Simulations of these two types of deep-subwavelength geometries, when changing the metal coverage-fraction, show that there is an optimal coverage-fraction that gives the best tradeoff in terms of loss versus degree of reconfigurability. For both types of geometries the best tradeoff occurs when the area covered by the metallic region is around 40% of the metacell total area. From this point of view, reconfigurable deeply-scaled metamaterials can indeed provide a superior performance for beam shaping applications when compared to not deeply-scaled ones; however, counterintuitively, employing very highly-packed structures might not be beneficial for such applications.
Altered UV absorbance and cytotoxicity of chlorinated sunscreen agents.

Sunscreens are widely utilized due to the adverse effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on human health. The safety of their active ingredients as well as that of any modified versions generated during use is thus of concern. Chlorine is used as a chemical disinfectant in swimming pools. Its reactivity suggests sunscreen components might be chlorinated, altering their absorptive and/or cytotoxic properties. To test this hypothesis, the UV-filters oxybenzone, dioxybenzone, and sulisobenzone were reacted with chlorinating agents and their UV spectra analyzed. In all cases, a decrease in UV absorbance was observed. Given that chlorinated compounds can be cytotoxic, the effect of modified UV-filters on cell viability was examined. Chlorinated oxybenzone and dioxybenzone caused significantly more cell death than unchlorinated controls. In contrast, chlorination of sulisobenzone actually reduced cytotoxicity of the parent compound. Exposing a commercially available sunscreen product to chlorine also resulted in...
A RAPID TEST FOR PREGNANCY GONADOTROPINS ON THE BASIS OF INDUCED OVULATION IN MICE

EVER since Smith and Engle (1927) showed that ovulation could induced be in mice by transplants of pituitaries, numerous investigators have reported this response in several species of animals following injections of various gonadotropins. Practically all of the observations on the induction of ovulation in rats and mice, however, have been made following a series of injections over a period of days, although Cole and his co-workers (Cole, et al., 1932; Saunders and Cole, 1936; Cole, 1936, 1937, 1940) caused ovulation in late immature rats by single injections of an extract of pregnant mare serum. But this ovarian response was delayed until 72 or more hours after the injection. Subsequently, Burdick and Whitney (1941) reported that a single subcutaneous injection of human chorionic gonadatropin caused ovulation in the non-pregnant adult mouse within 18 hours after the injection. Similar injections of untreated human pregnancy urine also induced ovulations in pregnant and late immature mice.
Engineering application of experimental uncertainty analysis

Publication in late 1993 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) of the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement in the name of ISO and six other international organizations has, in everything but name only, established a new international experimental uncertainty standard. In this article, an analysis of the assumptions and approximations used in the development of the methods in the ISO guide is presented, and a comparison of the resulting equation with previously published uncertainty analysis approaches is made. Also discussed are the additional assumptions necessary to achieve the less complex large sample methodology that is recommended in AIAA Standard S-071-1995, Assessment of Wind Tunnel Data Uncertainty, issued in 1995. It is shown that these assumptions are actually less restrictive than those associated with some previously accepted methodologies. The article concludes with a discussion of some practical aspects of implementing experimental uncertainty analysis in engineering testing.
Sensitivity of Monthly Cloud Statistics to Space and Time Considerations

A monthly mean is calculated for MODIS high cloud top pressures (CTP≥440 hPa) at 1.0 degree spatial grid. Results indicate sensitivity to sample size, a function of both time and space. Three threshold methods are compared.
The Atomic Heat of Silicon below 100°K

The atomic heat of Si containing less than 0.01 percent $P$-type impurities has been measured between 1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Below 5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, the atomic heat can be represented by the sum of a cubic term with Debye $\ensuremath{\theta}=658$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and a linear term equal to that of a highly degenerate "hole gas" with concentration about ${10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. This is also the hole concentration calculated from Hall constant measurements on this material. The Debye $\ensuremath{\theta}$ calculated from elastic constants is 653\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, using a simplified procedure (described in Appendix II) based on the Hopf-Lechner method. The atomic heat is in reasonable agreement with measurements of Nernst and Schwers above 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and of Anderson above 60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Above 5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, $\ensuremath{\theta}$ decreases to a minimum of 456\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K at $T=40$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and then rises to 580\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K at $T=100$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K.The specific heat of glyptal lacquer, which was used to secure the heater and thermometer wires to the samples, was also measured. Below 15\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, it can be represented by $c=2.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}{T}^{2} \frac{\mathrm{joules}}{\mathrm{g}\mathrm{deg}},$ and a table is given of values above this temperature.
Perfluorocarbon exposure, gender and thyroid function in the C8 Health Project.

Perfluorocarbons from common household products such as food containers, stain- resistant protection for clothing, furniture and carpets, paints, and fire-fighting foams are found in soil, water, plants, animal and human serum worldwide. Previous research has shown a significant association between these chemicals and thyroid disease in women. The present data from the C8 Health Project assessed thyroid function in a cross-sectional analysis of 52,296 adults with a year or more of exposure to perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) from drinking water. Outcomes were: thyroxine, T3 uptake, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Analyses were stratified by gender and age group ( 50). Both PFOA and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were associated with significant elevations in serum thyroxine and a significant reduction in T3 uptake in all participants. There were also significant gender/PFOS interactions for T3( )uptake and thyroxine, as well as gender/PFOA interactions for T3 uptake. Results provide evidence for disruption of thyroid function related to these common chemicals and possible mechanisms are discussed.
Collaborating with Librarians to Develop Lower Division Political Science Students' Information Literacy Competencies

Studies suggest that course-integrated information literacy instruction is an effective way to enhance the quality of student research. However, many political science professors are unfamiliar with the growing information literacy movement in higher education today, with strategies for integrating information literacy into their courses and assignments, and with opportunities to collaborate with librarians beyond requesting a 50-minute library instruction session for their classes. This paper addresses these issues, beginning with a discussion of the emergence of information literacy as an important discourse in higher education today and a description of the Association of College and Research Libraries' “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.” It then reviews relevant literature on library instruction and librarian/course faculty collaboration, illustrating that effective information literacy instruction requires that librarians and course faculty work together beyond “one-shot...
An unusual homostyle inHedyotis caerulea (Rubiaceae)

Hedyotis caerulea, a spring flowering herb widely distributed in eastern North America, has distylous flowers that differ by a number of morphological and physiological traits. The presence of a strong incompatibility system is indicated by the fact that intramorph crosses or self-pollinations produced little or no seed and intermorph crosses produced copious seed. An unusual homostyle was located that had most floral characters intermediate between pin and thrum flowers, although its pollen size was that of pin. The homostyle was only moderately self-compatible, and its pollen did not behave as pin pollen on thrum stigmas. It appears that, despite their intermediate position and morphology, the homostyle stigmas were fundamentally pin. Although the exceptional rarity of the homostyle suggests that it is an inadaptive failure, workers should watch for its further occurrence since additional study of it may provide insights into the genetic and physiological basis of heterostyly in theRubiaceae.
Testing the temporal characterisation of the differential urbanisation model in western Germany, 1939–2010

This paper tests the temporal characterisation of the differential urbanisation model in Western Germany. A time series of high–quality regional demographic data is available for the period 1939–2010; similar data are not available for Eastern Germany. The differential urbanisation model characterised regional population development tendencies as a sequence of evolutionary stages, for urban Western Germany as well as for the Rhine–Ruhr and the Rhine–Main–Neckar polycentric metropolitan regions. The progression from urbanisation to polarisation reversal and then to counter–urbanisation did not occur in lock step fashion, but was evident as a consistent tendency in a general direction. The model accommodated abrupt change by capturing the regional impacts of the Second World War and the reunification of Germany.
Analog Transients in the National VIP-10 and VIP-50 Process

The ASET responses of several designs utilizing vertical structures on SOI were evaluated. The devices chosen were the LMH6654, LMH6654, and the LMP7711 operational amplifiers.
Top‐down proteomics in health and disease: Challenges and opportunities

Proteomics is essential for deciphering how molecules interact as a system and for understanding the functions of cellular systems in human disease; however, the unique characteristics of the human proteome, which include a high dynamic range of protein expression and extreme complexity due to a plethora of PTMs and sequence variations, make such analyses challenging. An emerging "top-down" MS-based proteomics approach, which provides a "bird's eye" view of all proteoforms, has unique advantages for the assessment of PTMs and sequence variations. Recently, a number of studies have showcased the potential of top-down proteomics for the unraveling of disease mechanisms and discovery of new biomarkers. Nevertheless, the top-down approach still faces significant challenges in terms of protein solubility, separation, and the detection of large intact proteins, as well as underdeveloped data analysis tools. Consequently, new technological developments are urgently needed to advance the field of top-down proteomics. Herein, we intend to provide an overview of the recent applications of top-down proteomics in biomedical research. Moreover, we will outline the challenges and opportunities facing top-down proteomics strategies aimed at understanding and diagnosing human diseases.
Disk performance enhancement through Markov-based cylinder remapping

A scheme for disk subsystem performance enhancement that is based on (virtual) cylinder remapping is proposed. A natural workload on a real system is measured, and statistical tests are used to determine that disk accesses are appropriately modeled by a first order Markov chain. Maximum likelihood estimators of the Markov model parameters are used in a simulated annealing algorithm to find a permutation of the (virtual) cylinders that substantially reduces expected seek distance. This permutation is then installed in a real system and tested under a workload that is stochastically generated from the Markov model. The proposed scheme is seen to offer a 25.6% reduction in mean service time when compared to the original (unmapped) cylinder arrangement.
Comparison of influenza B virus strains from the 1950 epidemic with strains from earlier epidemics.

SummaryCross serological reactions indicated that egg strains of influenza B virus obtained in different years were dissimilar in antigenic composition. The extent of the differences in antigenic pattern was analyzed. All strains studied were antigenically different from the mouse adapted Lee strain. The implication of these findings on the problem of immunization in man was discussed.
An Accurate and Efficient Link Analysis Methodology for High Speed I/O Design

This paper describes an accurate and efficient analysis methodology that enables circuit optimization directly guided by platform-level metric such as link eye margin. Prior to this work, such analysis was not feasible due to significant compute time required by complex circuit simulations. A new method of developing highly abstracted behavioral models of complex circuit blocks is a critical element of this analysis methodology. The method uses statistical signaling analysis and optimization capabilities coupled with behavioral modeling of I/O clocking, transmitter and receiver circuitry that are based on accurate circuit simulations. We also present measured data from products and test chips that show correlation between measured and modeled data within 10–15%. Finally, we describe how the methodology was used to optimize the design of a high speed serial link and achieve approximately 70% improvement in eye margins with limited design iterations.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Production of antibodies to Manduca sexta cerebral neurosecretory cells

Understanding the neuroendocrine regulation of insect development depends upon having antibody probes to the neurohormones involved, which are usually present at trace levels, making antibody generation difficult. This report describes a simple method for producing antibodies specific to cerebral neurosecretory cells (NSC) of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, and to the neurohormone(s) they produce. The method involves the isolation of only a few hundred NSC somata (∼ 0.3 μg of protein) that serve as the immunogen. The cerebral NSC used were the L-NSC III, the prothoracicotropes, that produce the prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), the principal neuroendocrine effector of insect molting and metamorphosis. A PTTH-containing extract of microsurgically isolated somata of the L-NSC III was injected intraperitoneally into a Balb/c mouse. The antiserum produced specifically immunostained the L-NSC III in wholemounts of brains from different developmental stages. This antiserum also contained antibodies directed against PTTH, as shown by its ability to inhibit the neurohormone's biological activity in an in vitro prothoracic gland bioassay. Such antiserum can be used to investigate the ontogeny and phylogeny of NSCs. With the hybridoma technique, monoclonal antibodies to individual NSC proteins (PTTH) could be obtained, circumventing the need to purify them for antibody production. This method should be applicable to comparable neurosecretory cell systems in other insect species.
Chemically induced migration in low and high angle calcite grain boundaries

Chemically induced grain boundary migration (CIGM) occurs in the CaCO3-SrCO3 system at 680°C, producing microstructures similar to those observed in metals systems. Forty calcite bicrystals with varying misorientation were examined. CIGM was usually observed along the entire length of high angle boundaries, and along very small lengths of boundary with misorientation magnitudes (θm) as low as 0.7° ± 0.35°. Percentage of the boundary which migrated, migration rate, node spacing, and Sr concentration correlate with θm below ≈ 14–18°. Sr concentrations were heterogenous and well beneath values expected for chemical equilibrium, and were not measurable by electron microprobe or secondary ion mass spectroscopy when θm was below 3°. At θm ≈ 14–18° there may be a change in behavior associated with the transition to high angle boundary structure. Extrinsic factors probably complicate the experiments, but the observations suggest CIGM in calcite may be regarded as a two-stage process of nucleation and growth. Existing theories for CIGM do not explain many of the results.
Electrophysiological Imaging of the Right Atrium Using a Noncontact Multielectrode Cavitary Probe: Study of Normal and Abnormal Rhythms

Cavitary electrograms previously were measured from multiple directions simultaneously in the canine left ventricle with the use of noncontact multielectrode probes. The objective of the present study was to measure cavitary electrograms in the canine right atrium (RA) and describe the corresponding global activation sequences during normal and abnormal atrial rhythms. A 64-electrode custom probe was inserted into the RA of six dogs. Probe position and orientation were guided by fluoroscopy. Probe unipolar electrograms were acquired simultaneously during sinus rhythm, RA pacing, and ventricular pacing. Vagally mediated atrial fibrillation (AF) was induced in four dogs. Probe electrograms were acquired during AF induced at baseline and after intravenous infusion of ibutilide (0.075 mg/kg followed by 0.075 mg/kg infusion over 10 minutes). Isochrone maps were derived from noncontact probe electrograms and were displayed on a beat-by-beat basis during normal and paced rhythms. During AF, maps were displayed for 10 consecutive 100-ms windows. Isochrone maps of normal and paced beats revealed regions of early activation that were consistent with sites of wavefront initiation. During AF, multiple varying activation wavefronts were observed. At baseline, AF cycle length was 110 +/- 15 ms and the number of wavefronts was 1.72 +/- 0.25 per 100-ms window. After ibutilide, AF cycle increased to 182 +/- 36 ms (P = 0.018) and the number of wavefronts decreased to 0.82 +/- 0.14 per 100-ms window (P = 0.009). In conclusion, global electrophysiological imaging with a noncontact multielectrode probe delineates RA anatomy. Furthermore, images of AF activation depict multiple wandering wavefronts. Ibutilide reduces the number of these wavefronts and organizes AF.
High pressure optical studies of doped YAG

Abstract The effect of pressure on the emission spectra of Tm 3+ : YAG and Cr 3+ : Tm 3+ : YAG was studied. Shifts in emission peaks ranging from - 0.14 to 0.54A˚/kbar were observed in Tm 3+ : YAG. The ability of pressure to resolve competing absorption of overlapping Cr 3+ ( 4 T 1 ) and Tm 3+ ( 1 G 4 ) levels has allowed us to identify previously unreported Tm 3+ ( 1 G 4 → 3 H 5 ) emission.
NCBI Epigenomics: a new public resource for exploring epigenomic data sets

The Epigenomics database at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is a new resource that has been created to serve as a comprehensive public resource for whole-genome epigenetic data sets (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/epigenomics). Epigenetics is the study of stable and heritable changes in gene expression that occur independently of the primary DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms include post-translational modifications of histones, DNA methylation, chromatin conformation and non-coding RNAs. It has been observed that misregulation of epigenetic processes has been associated with human disease. We have constructed the new resource by selecting the subset of epigenetics-specific data from general-purpose archives, such as the Gene Expression Omnibus, and Sequence Read Archives, and then subjecting them to further review, annotation and reorganization. Raw data is processed and mapped to genomic coordinates to generate 'tracks' that are a visual representation of the data. These data tracks can be viewed using popular genome browsers or downloaded for local analysis. The Epigenomics resource also provides the user with a unique interface that allows for intuitive browsing and searching of data sets based on biological attributes. Currently, there are 69 studies, 337 samples and over 1100 data tracks from five well-studied species that are viewable and downloadable in Epigenomics.
New techniques in small area population estimates by demographic characteristics

The increasing demand for small area population estimates calls for both innovative ways of using existing data and new techniques suitable for small area estimates. This paper explores the methods for population estimates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin at the census tract level for Multnomah County, Oregon. New techniques include employing building permits to indirectly estimate migration and examining the changes in age/sex structure using the American Community Survey (ACS). A practical method for bridging the race categories is also devel- oped. Finally, the paper discusses some reflections on small area estimates and the potentials of using ACS to track the changes of the demographic characteristics for the sub-county level.
Evaluation of cerebral blood flow and hemodynamic reserve in symptomatic moyamoya disease using stable xenon-CT blood flow

Moyamoya disease is a vascular abnormality seen in children and adults characterized by progressive narrowing of the internal carotid, middle, anterior, and posterior cerebral arteries and the development of leptomeningeal and proximal internal carotid artery collaterals, which appear diaphanous on angiogram. Although adults tend to present with subarachnoid hemorrhage and children with ischemic events, the clinical sequelae in these two populations overlap. Expanding upon work done at this institution using stable xenon computer tomographic blood flow determinations with acetazolamide and carbon dioxide challenge to predict which population of patients with severe carotid disease and hemodynamic compromise would benefit from surgical intervention, we used similar rationale to determine which patients with moyamoya disease would likely benefit from revascularization. Data and outcome concerning four such patients make up the body of this report.
Biotechnology in Brazil: An Industry Overview

Recently becoming the sixth largest economy in the world, Brazil has relied, in large part, on its comparative advantages of resource extraction and agriculture. Sustained long-term growth will require Brazil moves into higher value industries that build of off its comparative advantage. Biotechnology has surfaced as a sector of strategic importance, and government involvement in finance, education and research and development has created an industry on the cusp of global significance. By examining sources of finance, human capital accumulation, research and development, intellectual property rights and supporting institutions, we seek to provide a broad overview of Brazilâ€™s nascent biotechnology sector. Spotlights of the agriculture, human health and reagent industries as well as an analysis of the Minas Gerais biotechnology cluster flesh out biotechnologyâ€™s place in Brazilâ€™s economy. An antiquated intellectual property rights regime, an insufficient number of qualified researchers and dearth of venture capital firms and private sources of finance are key bottlenecks that must be addressed in order to promote industry growth and consolidation.
Migraine With Aura and Ischemic Stroke Which Additional Factors Matter

See related article, pages 2438–2445. Migraine with aura has been consistently associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke.1–3 Most studies suggest that this association is particularly strong for younger women. Although several potential biological mechanisms have been proposed to explain the migraine-stroke association, the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Because migraine is particularly prevalent in an age group in which ischemic stroke, even among migraineurs with aura, is very rare, it seems likely that factors in addition to migraine with aura must be present to lead to an increased risk of stroke. In this issue of Stroke , MacClellan and colleagues4 evaluate several additional features that may help to identify patients with migraine with aura who are at particular increased risk of ischemic stroke. In this population-based case-control study of 386 women aged 15 to 49 with a first- ever ischemic stroke event and 614 age and ethnicity-matched controls, migraine and visual aura symptoms were ascertained using a standardized headache questionnaire. Participants could be classified into patients with probable migraine with visual aura (PMVA), probable migraine without visual aura, and patients without migraine. Compared with nonmigraineurs, …
Leu-8/CD7 antigen expression by CD3+ T cells: Comparative analysis of skin and blood in mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome relative to normal blood values

Deficiencies of Leu-8 and CD7 antigens are exhibited by CD3+ T cells in the skin lesions of most patients with mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome. To determine whether these antigenic abnormalities are limited to involved skin, we studied Leu-8/CD7 expression in 21 skin lesions of mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome obtained from 16 patients and compared them with their peripheral blood leukocytes obtained concurrently. There was no correlation between Leu-8/CD7 values in skin lesions versus blood. Blood values were relatively uniform; most patients had 50% or greater of CD3+, Leu-8+ T cells and CD3+, CD7+ T cells. In contrast, skin values were highly heterogeneous; most patients lacked expression of Leu-8 or CD7 by the majority of lesional CD3+ T cells. Furthermore, Leu-8/CD7 antigen deficiency was present in lesional skin in one patient with mycosis fungoides but not in her concurrently sampled pityriasis lichenoides chronica or blood. These findings suggest that Leu-8/CD7 antigen deficiencies in skin lesions of mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome do not represent generalized antigenic abnormalities of CD3+ T cells in other body compartments and that within the skin, these deficiencies are disease specific within individual patients with more than one dermatosis. Comparative peripheral blood immunophenotyping of the patients with mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome and of the control subjects indicated that the control ranges of CD3+/Leu-8+ and CD3+/CD7+ T cells (33% or greater) extend lower than reported previously (60% or greater) and suggested that leukemic involvement in patients with mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome may correlate with percentages of CD3+, Leu8+ and/or CD3+, CD7+ T cells that fall below the revised control range.
Piezoelectric-Wafer Active-Sensor Embedded Ultrasonics in Beams and Plates

In this paper we present the results of a systematic theoretical and experimental investigation of the fundamental aspects of using piezoelectric wafe active sensors (PWASs) to achieve embedded ultrasonics in thin-gage beam and plate structures. This investigation opens the path for systematic application of PWASs forin situ health monitoring. After a comprehensive review of the literature, we present the principles of embedded PWASs and their interaction with the host structure. We give a brief review of the Lamb wave principles with emphasis on the understanding the particle motion wave speed/group velocity dispersion. Finite element modeling and experiments on thin-gage beam and plate specimens are presented and analyzed. The axial (S 0) and flexural (A 0) wave propagation patterns are simulated and experimentally measured. The group-velocity dispersion curves are validated. The use of the pulse-echo ultrasonic technique with embedded PWASs is illustrated using both finite element simulation and experiments. The importance of using high-frequency waves optimally tuned to the sensor-structure interaction is demonstrated. In conclusion, we discuss the extension of these results toin situ structural health monitoring using embedded ultrasonics.
CULTURE OF HUMAN MAIN PANCREATIC DUCT EPITHELIAL CELLS

Attempts to grow human pancreatic duct epithelial cells in long-term culture have proven difficult. We have developed a system of growing these cells for several passages by adapting methods used to culture dog pancreatic duct cells. Epithelial cells were enzymatically dissociated from the main pancreatic duct and plated onto collagen-coated culture inserts suspended above a human fibroblast feeder layer. After primary culture, the cells were either passaged onto new inserts or plastic tissue culture plates in the absence of collagen. Cells grown on the latter plates were maintained in a serum-free medium. Primary pancreatic duct epithelial cells grow steadily to confluence as a monolayer in the feeder layer system. After primary culture, cells passaged onto new inserts with fresh feeder layer or plastic plates and fed with serum-free medium continued to develop into confluent monolayers for up to four passages. The cells were columnar with prominent apical microvilli, sub-apical secretory vesicles, and lateral intercellular junctions resembling the morphology of normal in vivo epithelial cells. These cells were also positive for cytokeratin 19, 7, and 8 and carbonic anhydrase II, as measured by immunohistochemistry. Metabolically, these cells synthesized and secreted mucin, as measured by incorporation of tritiated N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. In conclusion, we demonstrated that human pancreatic epithelial cells from the main duct can be successfully grown in culture and repeatedly passaged using a feeder layer system, with serum-free medium, and in organotypic cultures.
The Fur Homologue in Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi contains a gene that codes for a Fur homologue. The function of this Fur protein is unknown; however, spirochetes grown at 23 or 35°C expressed fur as determined by reverse transcriptase PCR. The fur gene (BB0647) was cloned and overexpressed as a His-Fur fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein was purified by zinc-chelate chromatography, and the N-terminal His tag was removed to generate recombinant Fur for use in mobility shift studies. Fur bound DNA containing the E. coli Fur box sequence (GATAATGATAATCATTATC) or Bacillus subtilis Per box sequence (TTATAAT-ATTATAA) with an apparent Kd of ∼20 nM. Fur also bound the upstream sequences of three Borrelia genes: BB0646 (gene encoding a hydrolase of the α/β-fold family), BB0647 (fur), and BB0690 (napA). Addition of metal ions was not required. Binding activity was greatly decreased by either exposure to oxidizing agents (H2O2, t-butyl hydroperoxide, cumene hydroperoxide, or diamide) or by addition of Zn2+. B. burgdorferi NapA is a homologue of Dps. Dps functions in E. coli to protect DNA against damage during periods of redox stress. Fur may function in B. burgdorferi as a repressor and regulate oxidative stress genes. Additional genes (10 chromosomal and 15 plasmid) that may be Fur regulated were identified by in silico analysis.
High Resolution Optical Phase Response Measurement Using Single Sideband Modulation

A high-resolution measurement to characterize the optical amplitude and phase is presented that uses single sideband modulation, a swept-wavelength tunable laser, and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer for frequency offset accuracy.
The Influence of Demographics, Experience, and Expertise on the Destination Image of Ski Resorts

AbstractThis study examines the effects of demographics, experience, and expertise on destination image formation in the ski resort context. It aims to propose an intervening variable – expertise – as a function of both the effects of demographics (gender, age, and income) and experience, on destination image assessments. The data were collected as part of a larger survey of ski resort images and ski vacation behavior. The findings use various statistics to support relationships between three demographic factors, experience, and expertise, and confirm their linkages with image assessments. Using MANOVA, it was found that affective comfort image is differentiated more by the expertise levels of skiers than by cognitive image, indicating that expertise influences affective image formation.
Competitive Coexistence in Antiviral Immunity

Abstract Adaptive immunity to viruses in vertebrates is mediated by two distinct but complementary branches of the immune system: the cellular response, which eliminates infected cells, and the humoral response, which eliminates infectious virus. This leads to an interesting contest, since the two responses compete, albeit indirectly, for proliferative stimuli. How can a host mount a coordinated antiviral campaign? Here we show that competition may lead to a state of “competitive coexistence” in which, counterintuitively, each branch complements the other, with clinical benefit to the host. The principle is similar to free-market economics, in which firms compete, but the consumer benefits. Experimental evidence suggests this is a useful paradigm in antiviral immunity.
Response of Fructan to Water Deficit in Growing Leaves of Tall Fescue

Changes in dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrate components, especially fructan, were examined in the basal 25 mm of expanding leaf blades of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) to assess their roles in plant response to water deficit. Water was withheld from vegetative plants grown in soil in controlled-environment chambers. As stress progressed, leaf elongation rate decreased sooner in the light period than it did in the dark period. The decrease in growth rate in the dark period was associated with a decrease in local relative elongation rates and a shortening of the elongation zone from about 25 mm (control) to 15 mm. Dry matter content of the leaf base increased 23% during stress, due mainly to increased water-soluble carbohydrate near the ligule and to increased water-soluble, carbohydrate-free dry matter at distal positions. Sucrose content increased 258% in the leaf base, but especially (over 4-fold) within 10 mm of the ligule. Hexose content increased 187% in the leaf base. Content of total fructan decreased to 69% of control, mostly in regions farther from the ligule. Fructan hydrolysis could account for the hexose accumulated. Stress caused the osmotic potential to decrease throughout the leaf base, but more toward the ligule. With stress there was 70% less direct contribution of low-degree-of-polymerization fructan to osmotic potential in the leaf base, but that for sucrose and hexose increased 96 and 67%, respectively. Thus, fructan metabolism is involved but fructan itself contributes only indirectly to osmotic adjustment.
Resolving the Assembly State of Herpes Simplex Virus during Axon Transport by Live-Cell Imaging

Neurotropic herpesviruses depend on long-distance axon transport for the initial establishment of latency in peripheral ganglia (retrograde transport) and for viral spread in axons to exposed body surfaces following reactivation (anterograde transport). Images of neurons infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), acquired using electron microscopy, have led to a debate regarding why different types of viral structures are seen in axons and which of these particles are relevant to the axon transport process. In this study, we applied time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to image HSV-1 virion components actively translocating to distal axons in primary neurons and neuronal cell lines. Key to these findings, only a small fraction of viral particles were engaged in anterograde transport during the egress phase of infection at any given time. By selective analysis of the composition of the subpopulation of actively transporting capsids, a link between transport of fully assembled HSV-1 virions and the neuronal secretory pathway was identified. Last, we have evaluated the seemingly opposing findings made in previous studies of HSV-1 axon transport in fixed cells and demonstrate a limitation to assessing the composition of individual HSV-1 particles using antibody detection methods.
A Differentially Private Graph Estimator

We consider the problem of making graph databases such as social network structures available to researchers for knowledge discovery while providing privacy to the participating entities. We show that for a specific parametric graph model, the Kronecker graph model, one can construct an estimator of the true parameter in a way that both satisfies the rigorous requirements of differential privacy and is asymptotically efficient in the statistical sense. The estimator, which may then be published, defines a probability distribution on graphs. Sampling such a distribution yields a synthetic graph that mimics important properties of the original sensitive graph and, consequently, could be useful for knowledge discovery.