cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling Transforming Growth Factor-ß Signaling in Cancer

The discovery of TGF-s has impacted our understanding of human cancer. We find many events that become deregulated are associated with TGF-s signaling. TGF-s has been shown to be a master regulator in every human cancer type. Accordingly, antagonists of TGF-s signaling are emerging as therapies for cancer. Mouse models revealed the now assumed role of TGF-s as a tumor suppressor in normal tissue, as well as TGF-s having tumor promoting or metastatic activity once tumors progress (Muraoka et al. J Clin Invest 109:1551–1559, 2002; Pierce et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92:4254–4258, 1995; Tang et al. Nat Med 4:802–807, 1998). Mouse models have not only contributed to our understanding of TGF-s signaling, but have also identified that the diversity of TGF-s action is only compounded further as we consider the cells of the tumor and the tumor microenvironment. This review examines the diverse role of TGF-s in cancer as it has been revealed through transgenic mouse models. Due to the often apparently contrary roles of TGF-s signaling in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis, the results from the study of mouse models may suggest better ways to target therapeutics antagonizing TGF-s signaling.
Flux of4He from Carnmenellis granite: modelling of an HDR geothermal reservoir

Abstract The diffusion coefficient (D) of He in the Carnmenellis granite, recovered from the Rosemanowes hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal reservoir, is experimentally determined in the laboratory in a temperature range of 100–300°C. Temperature variation of D fits an Arrhenius plot, but yields an activation energy for He release from rock significantly lower than the value for feldspar or quartz, suggesting that most of the He in the reservoir granite resides within grain boundaries and jointing cement and may be easily released. The reservoir surface area (S) is estimated based on the laboratory determined value of D from granite and the measured4He contents of circulation fluids from RH 15 well. In the first year of reservoir circulation,4He-based reservoir surface area was about twice that based on222Rn. It increased and stabilized at about 6 times after 2 a. The excess He release from newly opened up fracture surfaces within the reservoir during its expansion is shown to be responsible for the temporal increase in the He-based reservoir surface area over that of Rn.
Hypocretin (orexin): role in normal behavior and neuropathology.

■ Abstract The hypocretins (Hcrts, also known as orexins) are two peptides, both synthesized by a small group of neurons, most of which are in the lateral hypothalamic and perifornical regions of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamic Hcrt system directly and strongly innervates and potently excites noradrenergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, histaminergic, and cholinergic neurons. Hcrt also has a major role in modulating the release of glutamate and other amino acid transmitters. Behavioral investigations have revealed that Hcrt is released at high levels in active waking and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and at minimal levels in non-REM sleep. Hcrt release in waking is increased markedly during periods of increased motor activity relative to levels in quiet, alert waking. Evidence for a role for Hcrt in food intake regulation is inconsistent. I hypothesize that Hcrt’s major role is to facilitate motor activity tonically and phasically in association with motivated behaviors and to coordinate this facilitation with the activation of attentional and sensory systems. Degeneration of Hcrt neurons or genetic mutations that prevent the normal synthesis of Hcrt or of its receptors causes human and animal narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is characterized by an impaired ability to maintain alertness for long periods and by sudden losses of muscle tone (cataplexy). Administration of Hcrt can reverse symptoms of narcolepsy in animals, may be effective in treating human narcolepsy, and may affect a broad range of motivated behaviors.
An Efficient Algrithm To Find All 'Bidirectional' Edges Of An Undirected Graph

An efficient algorithm for the All-Bidirectional-Edges Problem is presented. The All-Bidirectional-Edges Problem is to find an edge-labelling of an undirected network, G = (V,E), with a source and a sink, such that an edge [u,v] /spl epsi/ E is labelled (u,v) or (v,u) (or both) depending on the existence of a (simple) path from the source to sink that visits the vertices u and v, in the order u,v or v,u, respectively. The algorithm presented works by partitioning the graph into a set of bridges and analyzing them recursively. The time complexity of the algorithm is shown to be O(\E\ . \V\). The problem arises naturally in the context of the simulation of in MOS transistor network, in which a transistor may operate as a unilateral or a bilateral device, depending on the voltages at its source and drain nodes. For efficient simulation, it is required to detect the set of transistors that may operate as bilateral devices. Also, this algorithm can be used in order to detect all the sneak paths in a network of pass transistor.
Decrease in alveolar macrophage number during Pneumocystis carinii infection.

The alveolar macrophage is an important effector cell in the host response to Pneumocystis. The alveolar macrophage rapidly phagocytoses the organism under normal conditions, but is defective in animals infected with Pneumocystis carinii. Rats with Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) phagocytose 90% fewer radiolabeled P. carinii organisms and latex beads in vitro [4] and produce less nitric oxide [2]. As with humans [5], the number of alveolar macrophages decreases during Pneumocystis infection in hosts with defective immune systems, whereas normal animals respond to the organism by increasing their alveolar macrophage numbers [3]. Numbers of alveolar macrophages can decrease for several reasons, including increased cell death, increased cell migration out of the lung, decreased monocyte recruitment, or decreased differentiation of monocytes to macrophages. This study investigated the nature of the decrease in alveolar macrophage number in rats during PcP in the rat.
A Review of the STAR*D Trial:

Major depressive disorder is a common disorder that affects 5% to 13% of medical outpatients. The treatment of depression can be challenging, with many first-line options and even more second-line ...
Multimodale Therapieplanung (BASIC-ID)

Multimodale Therapieplanung ist eine spezifische, systematisch organisierte, diagnostische und behandlungsplanende Vorgehensweise in der Psychotherapie, die vor allem 7 Bereiche berucksichtigt. Zur Kennzeichnung dieser 7 Bereiche hat sich die Abkurzung BASIC-ID eingeburgert: Verhalten (B = „behavior“), Affekt (A = „affect“), Empfinden (S = „sensation“), Vorstellung (I = „imagery“), Kognitionen (C = „cognition“), Sozialbezuge (I = „interpersonal relationships“) und Medikamente und biologische Faktoren (D = „drugs and biological factors“). Dieser Ansatz geht von der Individualitat eines jeden Individuums aus und versucht, Behandlungsmasnahmen moglichst spezifisch auf die verschiedensten personlichen Bedurfnisse und Rahmenbedingungen abzustimmen.
Biosynthesis of the Egg-Laying Hormone (ELH) in the Bag Cell Neurons of Aplysia californica

Biosynthesis of the egg-laying hormone in the bag cell neurons of Aplysia californica was studied. Bag cells were incubated with leucine-3H in vitro for 30 min and rinsed for variable periods of time in a chase medium. The distribution of incorporated label among proteins within the cells was assayed by electrophoresis of an homogenate on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels. Results from rinse times shorter than 30 min revealed that the predominant synthetic product is a 25,000 dalton protein. With longer rinse times, this species was reduced and two species of lower molecular weight became prominent. This redistribution of radioactivity was quantitative and was not prevented by inhibition of protein synthesis during the rinse. A 10°C reduction in temperature (from 15°C) blocked the redistribution. These data are interpreted to indicate that the 25,000 dalton molecule is a precursor which is cleaved enzymatically to yield two lower molecular weight products. One product is a 12,000 dalton molecule which remains in the cell bodies. The other is a molecule of <10,000 daltons which is exported from the somata into the neurohemal regions of the connective tissue. Perfusion of these regions with high [K+] medium results in the release of this product into the medium. It is concluded that this product is the 6000 dalton egg-laying hormone (ELH).
Empirical Bayes screening of many p-values with applications to microarray studies

Motivation: Statistical tests for the detection of differentially expressed genes lead to a large collection of p-values one for each gene comparison. Without any further adjustment, these p-values may lead to a large number of false positives, simply because the number of genes to be tested is huge, which might mean wastage of laboratory resources. To account for multiple hypotheses, these p-values are typically adjusted using a single step method or a step-down method in order to achieve an overall control of the error rate (the so-called familywise error rate). In many applications, this may lead to an overly conservative strategy leading to too few genes being flagged. Results: In this paper we introduce a novel empirical Bayes screening (EBS) technique to inspect a large number of p-values in an effort to detect additional positive cases. In effect, each case borrows strength from an overall picture of the alternative hypotheses computed from all the p-values, while the entire procedure is calibrated by a step-down method so that the familywise error rate at the complete null hypothesis is still controlled. It is shown that the EBS has substantially higher sensitivity than the standard step-down approach for multiple comparison at the cost of a modest increase in the false discovery rate (FDR). The EBS procedure also compares favorably when compared with existing FDR control procedures for multiple testing. The EBS procedure is particularly useful in situations where it is important to identify all possible potentially positive cases which can be subjected to further confirmatory testing in order to eliminate the false positives. We illustrated this screening procedure using a data set on human colorectal cancer where we show that the EBS method detected additional genes rela- ted to colon cancer that were missed by other methods. This novel empirical Bayes procedure is advantageous over our earlier proposed empirical Bayes adjustments due to the following reasons: (i) it offers an automatic screening of the p-values the user may obtain from a univariate (i.e., gene by gene) analysis package making it extremely easy to use for a non-statistician, (ii) since it applies to the p-values, the tests do not have to be t-tests; in particular they could be F-tests which might arise in certain ANOVA formulations with expression data or even nonparametric tests, (iii) the empirical Bayes adjustment uses nonparametric function estimation techniques to estimate the marginal density of the transformed p-values rather than using a parametric model for the prior distribution and is therefore robust against model mis-specification. Availability: R code for EBS is available from the authors upon request. Supplementary information: http://www.stat.uga.edu/~datta/EBS/supp.htm Contact: datta@stat.uga.edu
Does This Patient Have an Acute Thoracic Aortic Dissection

ContextThe diagnosis of acute thoracic aortic dissection is difficult to make and often missed.ObjectiveTo review the accuracy of clinical history taking, physical examination, and plain chest radiograph in the diagnosis of acute thoracic aortic dissection.Data SourcesA comprehensive review of the English-language literature was conducted using MEDLINE for the years 1966 through 2000. Additional sources were identified from the references of retrieved articles.Study SelectionThe search revealed 274 potential sources, which were reviewed for pertinence and quality. Articles included were original investigations describing the clinical findings for 18 or more consecutive patients with confirmed thoracic aortic dissection. Twenty-one studies were identified that met selection criteria.Data ExtractionCritical appraisal and data extraction were performed by the author.Data SynthesisMost patients with thoracic aortic dissection have severe pain (pooled sensitivity, 90%) of sudden onset (sensitivity, 84%). The absence of sudden pain onset lowers the likelihood of dissection (negative likelihood ratio [LR], 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2-0.5). On examination, 49% of patients have an elevated blood pressure, 28% have a diastolic murmur, 31% have pulse deficits or blood pressure differentials, and 17% have focal neurological deficits. Presence of a diastolic murmur does little to change the pretest probability of dissection (positive LR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0-2.0), whereas pulse or blood pressure differentials and neurological deficits increase the likelihood of disease (positive LRs, 5.7 and 6.6-33.0, respectively). The plain chest radiograph results are usually abnormal (sensitivity, 90%); hence, the presence of a normal aorta and mediastinum decreases the probability of dissection (negative LR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.4). Combinations of findings increase the likelihood of disease.ConclusionsThe presence of pulse deficits or focal neurological deficits increases the likelihood of an acute thoracic aortic dissection in the appropriate clinical setting. Conversely, a completely normal chest radiograph result or the absence of pain of sudden onset lowers the likelihood. Overall, however, the clinical examination is insufficiently sensitive to rule out aortic dissection given the high morbidity of missed diagnosis.
Integrating Multiple Microarray Data for Cancer Pathway Analysis Using Bootstrapping K-S Test

Previous applications of microarray technology for cancer research have mostly focused on identifying genes that are differentially expressed between a particular cancer and normal cells. In a biological system, genes perform different molecular functions and regulate various biological processes via interactions with other genes thus forming a variety of complex networks. Therefore, it is critical to understand the relationship (e.g., interactions) between genes across different types of cancer in order to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of cancer. Here we propose an integrative method based on the bootstrapping Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and a large set of microarray data produced with various types of cancer to discover common molecular changes in cells from normal state to cancerous state. We evaluate our method using three key pathways related to cancer and demonstrate that it is capable of finding meaningful alterations in gene relations.
Effects of 30 Hz Theta Burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on the Primary Motor Cortex

Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS) is a relatively new form of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) used to probe neuroplasticity in the human cortex. Thirty-Hz TBS, a variation of the originally described 50 Hz TBS, has been shown to induce cortical changes in several nonmotor regions. However, its effects over the primary motor cortex have not been examined. Due to TMS device mechanical properties, 30 Hz TBS is advantageous over 50 Hz TBS in that it can be delivered at higher stimulation intensities. The goal of this pilot study is to examine the neurophysiologic effects of 30 Hz TBS on the primary motor cortex (M1) of healthy adults. Eighteen right-handed adults (33 ± 9.0 years; M:F = 8:10) completed intermittent TBS (iTBS) or continuous TBS (cTBS) over left M1. TBS was performed with Magstim® SuperRapid2 with stimulation bursts (3 pulses at 30 Hz) repeating every 200 milliseconds. For iTBS, each 2-second stimulation train was separated by 8 seconds but there was no pause between trains for cTBS. Each TBS consisted of a total of 600 pulses delivered at an intensity of 90%*Resting Motor Threshold. Motor-Evoked Potentials (MEP) in the right first dorsal interosseous muscle were measured before, and one and ten minutes after TBS. Pre/post-TBS MEP amplitudes were compared using repeated-measures ANOVA. MEP amplitudes increased after 30 Hz iTBS and decreased after 30 Hz cTBS (TBS-Type*Time effect p=0.009). In conclusion, 30 Hz TBS induced similar neurophysiologic effects over M1 as conventional 50 Hz TBS.
Mammalian Response to Cenozoic Climatic Change

Multiple episodes of rapid and gradual climatic changes influenced the evolution and ecology of mammalian species and communities throughout the Cenozoic. Climatic change influenced the abundance, genetic diversity, morphology, and geographic ranges of individual species. Within communities these responses interacted to catalyze immigration, speciation, and extinction. Combined they affected long-term patterns of community stability, functional turnover, biotic turnover, and diversity. Although the relative influence of climate on particular evolutionary processes is oft debated, an understanding of processes at the root of biotic change yields important insights into the complexity of mammalian response. Ultimately, all responses trace to events experienced by populations. However, many such processes emerge as patterns above the species level, where shared life history traits and evolutionary history allow us to generalize about mammalian response to climatic change. These generalizations provide the gr...
Using Municipal Residency Requirements to Disguise Public Policy

Municipal residency requirements require city employees to live within the city limit. Many cities enacted residency requirements attempting to attract middle-class families into the city and to prevent them from leaving. The model developed in this article suggests that a residency requirement can increase a city’s middle-class population but only if it is accompanied by a municipal wage premium. When effective, a residency requirement can also increase the likelihood that a municipal family will enroll its children in private school through a Tiebout sorting effect. Using U.S. census data, the author finds that comprehensive residency requirements are often but not always accompanied by a municipal wage premium. Furthermore, municipal families living in cities with both a residency requirement and a wage premium are significantly more likely to enroll their children in private school.
A Static Binary Instrumentation Threading Model for Fast Memory Trace Collection

In order to achieve a high level of performance, data intensive applications such as the real-time processing of surveillance feeds from unmanned aerial vehicles will require the strategic application of multi/many-core processors and coprocessors using a hybrid of inter-process message passing (e.g. MPI and SHMEM) and intra-process threading (e.g. pthreads and OpenMP). To facilitate program design decisions, memory traces gathered through binary instrumentation can be used to understand the low-level interactions between a data intensive code and the memory subsystem of a multi-core processor or many-core co-processor. Toward this end, this paper introduces the addition of threading support for PMaCs Efficient Binary Instrumentation Toolkit for Linux/x86 (PEBIL) and compares PEBILs threading model to the threading models of two other popular Linux/x86 binary instrumentation platforms - Pin and Dyninst - on both theoretical and empirical grounds. The empirical comparisons are based on experiments which collect memory address traces for the OpenMP-threaded implementations of the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Parallel Benchmarks (NPBs). This work shows that the overhead of collecting full memory address traces for multithreaded programs is higher in PEBIL (7.7x) than in Pin (4.7x), both of which are significantly lower than Dyninst (897x). This work also shows that PEBIL, uniquely, is able to take advantage of interval-based sampling of a memory address trace by rapidly disabling and re-enabling instrumentation at the transitions into and out of sampling periods in order to achieve significant decreases in the overhead of memory address trace collection. For collecting the memory address streams of each of the NPBs at a 10% sampling rate, PEBIL incurs an average slowdown of 2.9x compared to 4.4x with Pin and 897x with Dyninst.
Association of race and other potential risk factors with nonvertebral fractures in community-dwelling elderly women.

This study determined potential associations of sociodemographic, lifestyle, health, and drug use factors known to affect bone metabolism with incident nonvertebral fractures. The baseline sample consisted of 2,590 female, nonproxy subjects from the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly, which focuses on five adjacent counties in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. Information about potential risk factors was collected during a baseline in-home interview during 1986-1987. Subsequent nonvertebral fractures were reported at follow-up interviews during the annual follow-up periods (1988-1993). The authors used multivariate analyses in which weighted data were adjusted for sampling design. After controlling for other potential confounding sociodemographic, lifestyle, health, and drug use factors, they found that African American race (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31-0.58), age (adjusted OR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.06), alcohol consumption (adjusted OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.01-2.57), being underweight (adjusted OR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.13-2.34), cognitive impairment (adjusted OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.12-2.48), impaired mobility (adjusted OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.03-1.29), and phenytoin use (adjusted OR = 2.93, 95% CI 1.04-8.30) were associated with first fracture occurrence. Similar findings were observed for nonhip, nonvertebral fractures. African Americans were less likely than Whites to have nonvertebral fractures, and these differences were not related to lifestyle or health factors examined in this study. Language: en
Group 8 Metallomacrocycles – Synthesis, Characterization, and Stability

The one-step synthesis of the first homoleptic metallomacrocycle is reported. Characterization of the OsII complex, along with its FeII and RuII analogues, was accomplished by NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS, TWIM-MS, gradient tandem-MS, CV, luminescence and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Center-of-mass collision energies, derived from gradient tandem-MS, reveal that the -based structures are more stable than those of .
An Adjustable Fine-Grain Cache Assignment Scheduling Algorithm Based on Multi-core Architecture

Nowadays, there is a trend to increase the number of processors on a single chip leading to the rapid development of multi-core architecture. Threads are scheduled concurrently on multi-core processors and share the processor’s second-level (L2) cache. A major problem faced by such architectures is cache contention, where processor’s cores compete for usage of the single shared L2 cache. Uncontrolled cache allocation for threads can easily leads to serious problem, such as thread starvation, priority inversion which threaten to processor’s utilization ratio and system performance. To address this problem, an adjustable fine-grain cache assignment scheduling algorithm which allocates suitable cache to running threads is proposed. By experiment verification, the adjustable fine-grain cache assignment scheduling algorithm achieves higher performance than that adopting conventional LRU scheduling algorithm. Consequently, adjustable fine-grain cache assignment improves the operating system performance and utilization effectively.
The effect of milk products on the heat-stability and viscosity of cream-style foods.

Summary 1. The use of milk products and their relation to the problems of coagulation and viscosity development in canned, sterilized cream-style foods including cream soups and sauces were studied. Milk constituents contributed to the flavor and nutritive value of the products and increased their viscosity. 2. The ingredients used in sterilized milk foods caused rapid coagulation of the milk protein in these mixtures. Factors which contributed to the production of a smooth, heavy-bodied product were: use of optimum quantities of starch and flour binders to take up moisture expressed by the casein, comminution of inert pulp and fibrous material by homogenization, sterilization with a minimum of agitation during the period when a coagulum was forming, maintaining maximum heat stability characteristics in the milk ingredients and substitution of whey protein for milk protein when coagulation of the casein in a product was excessive.
Compatibility of Medications with Enteral Feedings

Administration of medications to patients with nasogastric tubes has traditionally been done in a bolus fashion. An alternative to this would be to mix the medications in the continuous drip enteral feeding with subsequent continuous administration. The purpose of this study was to determine the compatibility of select medications with Ensure, Ensure Plus, and Osmolite. We observed neither visible abnormalities in the mixtures nor change in pH of the enteral products after the addition of digoxin, theophylline, phenytoin, methyldopa, or furosemide. The addition of theophylline to all three enteral products caused a substantial increase in the osmolality. We also examined the concentrations of the mixtures to detect any changes occurring over the 12-hr infusion time. A wide variation in concentrations after the addition of phenytoin suspension was corrected by adding the injectable form to the enteral products. Digoxin and furosemide concentrations were essentially unchanged; however, the methyldopa concentration decreased up to 23% over the 12-hr study period. We, therefore, cannot recommend the addition of theophylline, phenytoin suspension, or methyldopa to the three enteral products tested.
Albert Rogers Crandall's Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis) from North Carolina

Abstract Opheodrys vernalis (Smooth Green Snake) is documented in North Carolina by only a single specimen collected in the western part of the state by Albert Rogers Crandall and deposited in 1871 at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Owing to a lack of additional material evidence, many authors have questioned the occurrence of the species in the state. We make the case that the museum tag on the extant Smooth Green Snake specimen was originally assigned to a Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) specimen collected by Crandall in western North Carolina, and that the tag was re-assigned between 1924 and 1941 to two Smooth Green Snake specimens. We conclude that the Harvard specimen has become disassociated from its data, and it therefore does not serve as a reliable locality record. Pending acquisition of evidence to the contrary, we recommend excluding North Carolina from the geographic range of Smooth Green Snakes.
Modulation of limbic-cerebellar functional connectivity enables alcoholics to recognize who is who

Chronic alcoholism is known to disrupt functions served by distributed brain systems, including limbic and frontocerebellar circuits involved in resting-state and task-activated networks subserving component processes of memory often affected in alcoholics. Using an fMRI paradigm, we investigated whether memory performance by alcoholics on a face-name association test previously observed to be problematic for alcoholics could be explained by desynchronous activity between nodes of these specific networks. While in the scanner, 18 alcoholics and 15 controls performed a face-name associative learning task with different levels of processing at encoding. This task was designed to activate the hippocampus, cerebellum, and frontal cortex. Alcoholics and controls were also scanned at rest. Twelve alcoholics and 12 controls were selected to be matched on face-name recognition performance. Task-related fMRI analysis indicated that alcoholics had preserved limbic activation but lower cerebellar activation (Crus II) than the controls in the face-name learning task. Crus II was, therefore, chosen as a seed for functional connectivity MRI analysis. At rest, the left hippocampus and left Crus II had positively synchronized activity in controls, while hippocampal and cerebellar activities were negatively synchronized in alcoholics. Task engagement resulted in hippocampal-cerebellar desynchronization in both groups. We speculate that atypical cerebello-hippocampal activity synchronization during rest in alcoholics was reset to the normal pattern of asynchrony by task engagement. Aberrations from the normal pattern of resting-state default mode synchrony could be interpreted as enabling preserved face-name associative memory in alcoholism.
Photochemical degradation rates of tetraphenylborate and diphenylboric acid sensitized by dissolved organic matter in stream water

The photochemical degradation of tetraphenylborate (TPB) and diphenylboric acid (DPBA) was studied in stream water and humic acid solutions. The rates of indirect photolysis of TPB and DPBA were similar and directly proportional to the concentration of stream water dissolved organic matter (DOM) and humic acid for values < 10 mg/L. Direct photolysis of both organoborates was nondetectable during a 2-h irradiation period. Indirect photolysis rates varied only slightly from pH 6.0 to 9.0, but increased markedly below pH 6.0. Removal of dissolved oxygen increased reaction rates by a factor of two, indicating that the reaction mechanism does not involve singlet oxygen oxygenation.
Does Candida albicans Als5p Amyloid Play a Role in Commensalism in Caenorhabditis elegans

Candida albicans, a dimorphic fungus and an opportunistic pathogen, possesses a myriad of adherence factors, including members of the agglutinin-like sequence (Als) family of mannoproteins. The adhesin Als5p mediates adhesion to many substrates and is upregulated during commensal interactions but is downregulated during active C. albicans infections. An amyloid-forming core sequence at residues 325 to 331 is important for Als5p function, because a single-amino-acid substitution at position 326 (V326N) greatly reduces Als5p-mediated adherence. We evaluated the role of Als5p in host-microbe interactions by using Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes as a host model and feeding them Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing Als5p on the surface. Als5p-expressing yeast had 8.5- and 3.5-fold-increased intestinal accumulation rates compared to Als5p-nonexpressing S. cerevisiae or yeast expressing amyloid-deficient Als5p(V326N), respectively. Surprisingly, this accumulation delayed S. cerevisiae-induced killing of C. elegans. The median survival time was nearly twice as long as that of nematodes fed nonexpressing or non-amyloid-forming Als5p(V326N)-expressing S. cerevisiae. Treatment with the amyloid-inhibiting dye Congo red or repression of Als5p expression abrogated the protective effect of Als5p. Furthermore, Als5p had no effect on oocyte quantity or quality, since nematodes fed either empty vector (EV)- or Als5p(V326N)-expressing S. cerevisiae had similar egg-laying and egg-hatching rates. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to show that expression of an amyloid-forming protein can attenuate pathogenicity in C. elegans.
Risky bicycling behavior among youth with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND: Injury risk from car-bicycle collisions is particularly high among youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here, we capitalized on advances in virtual environment technology to safely and systematically examine road-crossing behavior among child cyclists with and without ADHD. METHODS: Sixty-three youth (26 with ADHD, 37 non-ADHD controls) ages 10-14 years crossed 12 intersections with continuous cross-traffic while riding a high-fidelity bicycling simulator. Traffic density (i.e., temporal gaps between vehicles) was manipulated to examine the impact of varying traffic density on behavioral indices of road crossing, including gap selection, timing of entry into the roadway, time to spare when exiting the roadway, and close calls with oncoming cars. In addition, parents filled out questionnaires assessing their child's ADHD symptomatology, temperamental characteristics, bicycling experience, and injury history. RESULTS: ADHD youth largely chose the same size gaps as non-ADHD youth, although ADHD youth were more likely to select smaller gap sizes following exposure to high-density traffic. In addition, youth with ADHD demonstrated poorer movement timing when entering the intersection, resulting in less time to spare when exiting the roadway. Hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms were specifically associated with selection of smaller gaps, whereas timing deficits were specifically associated with inattention and inhibitory control. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight two related yet potentially dissociable mechanisms that may influence injury risk among youth with ADHD and provide a foundation for development of injury prevention strategies. Keywords: Driver distraction; Bicycling; Bicyclist distraction Language: en
Verifying Preferential Equivalence and Subsumption via Model Checking

We present a practical, model checking based, approach to verifying whether a set of ceteris paribus preference statements is equivalent to or is subsumed by another. We translate a given pair of sets of preference statements into a labeled transition system LTS and reduce the problem of determining whether one set of preference statements is equivalent to or is subsumed by the other to verifying the appropriate computation-tree temporal logic CTL formulas in the resulting LTS. Whenever the two sets of preference statements are not equivalent, our method outputs a dominance relationship that is induced by one and not by the other. Our approach is applicable to all preference languages based on ceteris paribus semantics including CP-nets, TCP-nets, CI-nets and CP-Theories.
Operant and Classical Conditioning

This chapter is the first of two that outlines behavioral treatment strategies for children. The behavioral approach to treating childhood problems has been characterized by some researchers as a very simplistic type of therapy (i.e., the focus is only on environmental or situational variables). Other researchers characterize the approach as quite complex (i.e., the focus encompasses not only environmental, person, and cognitive variables but also the interaction among the variables). However, a fairly clear consensus has been obtained on how the behavioral approach is different from other psychological theories of personality. Kazdin (1984) cogently summarized these differences: The behavioral approach departs from the traditional conception of behavior by rejecting inferred motives, hypothesized needs, impulses, and drives, which supposedly explain behavior. Rather, emphasis is placed upon environmental, situational, and social determinants that influence behavior. Other events within the individual, including various cognitive processes, often serve as the focus of behavioral treatment. However, these processes are specified as measurable events, and their connection to overt behavior can be evaluated empirically rather than only presumed. (pp. 13–14).
Cell fractionation and electron microscope studies of kidney folate-binding protein

The subcellular distribution of folate-binding protein (FBP) and [3H]folate in the proximal tubule was examined using cell fractionation and different electron microscope (EM) techniques. Cell fractionation of rabbit proximal tubules revealed that FBP distributed into two modes: 50% of FBP distributed with alanylaminopeptidase activity (brush border), and the remaining FBP distributed with organelles of lower density that did not show a large digitonin-induced shift to greater density. Infusion of [3H]folate into the kidney followed by isolation and fractionation of the proximal tubules revealed a time-dependent shift of [3H]folate from the heavy (brush border) mode to the lighter organelle mode. By EM immunocytochemistry, rat kidney FBP locates in the brush border, endocytic invaginations, endocytic vacuoles, and dense apical tubules of proximal tubule cells. EM autoradiography of rat kidney 10 min after intravenous infusion of [3H]folate revealed that the label was significantly concentrated only in the brush border, endocytic vesicles, and lysosomes. These data support a mechanism of receptor-mediated endocytosis for the process of FBP-mediated folate transport in the kidney.
Treatment of ameloblastoma and ameloblastic carcinoma with radiotherapy

The purpose of this study is to report our institutional experience using radiotherapy in the treatment of ameloblastoma and ameloblastic carcinoma. Three patients with ameloblastoma and 3 patients with ameloblastic carcinoma were treated with radiotherapy alone (2 patients) or surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (4 patients) at the University of Florida between 1973 and 2007. Follow-up ranged from 4.0 to 13.1 years with a median of 7.8 years. Radiotherapy complications were scored using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Local control was achieved in 4 of the 6 patients. One patient treated with RT alone for an unresectable ameloblastoma developed a local recurrence and metastases in both the cervical lymph nodes and lungs, but had excellent response to dual BRAF/MEK inhibition with dabrafenib and trametinib. Another patient treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy for an ameloblastic carcinoma recurred locally without metastasis, but was not salvaged. No significant treatment-related complications were observed. For patients with local recurrence or inadequate margins after surgery, adjuvant radiotherapy provides the potential for disease control. In the setting of metastatic disease, targeted therapies may provide an additional opportunity for salvage.
Indications for growth hormone therapy in children

Growth hormone (GH) therapy has now been available for over 5 decades, with all GH now biosynthetically produced, and administered by daily injection. Paediatric GH is currently licensed in six different conditions: growth hormone deficiency (GHD), Turner syndrome (TS), small for gestational age (SGA), Prader-Willi-syndrome (PWS), chronic renal insufficiency (CRI), and short stature due to SHOX deficiency; all of these have been ratified by the most recent (2010) NICE review. Whilst the primary purpose of paediatric GH therapy in most indications is to improve short and long-term growth, in others (eg. PWS) it has a role in improvement of body composition. Recent UK national audits indicate approximately 4700 children receiving GH therapy, with approximately 760 new starts a year, with most prescription still via historical growth centres. There are currently 7 different manufacturers of GH, and while most UK units currently offer free patient choice for GH device, with preliminary evidence indicating that this may improve adherence with therapy, the 30% price difference may limit choice in the future.
Communication: Accurate higher-order van der Waals coefficients between molecules from a model dynamic multipole polarizability

Due to the absence of the long-range van der Waals (vdW) interaction, conventional density functional theory (DFT) often fails in the description of molecular complexes and solids. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the development of the vdW correction. However, the vdW correction based on the leading-order coefficient C6 alone can only achieve limited accuracy, while accurate modeling of higher-order coefficients remains a formidable task, due to the strong non-additivity effect. Here, we apply a model dynamic multipole polarizability within a modified single-frequency approximation to calculate C8 and C10 between small molecules. We find that the higher-order vdW coefficients from this model can achieve remarkable accuracy, with mean absolute relative deviations of 5% for C8 and 7% for C10. Inclusion of accurate higher-order contributions in the vdW correction will effectively enhance the predictive power of DFT in condensed matter physics and quantum chemistry.
Seismically Induced Fluid Forces on Elevated Tanks

Seismically induced fluid forces on elevated liquid storage tanks and their supporting systems are evaluated. X-braced as well as pedestal towers are analyzed. The interaction between liquid sloshing modes, tank rotation, tank translation and tank wall flexibility is taken into consideration to assess the relative importance of such effects on the overall earthquake response of elevated tanks. Ideal liquids and elastic towers are assumed throughout the first phase of the study. A comparison between the calculated forces and those provided by applicable codes is made.
nC60 deposition kinetics: the complex contribution of humic acid, ion concentration, and valence

The demonstrated toxicity coupled with inevitable environmental release of nC60 raise serious concerns about its environmental fate and transport, therefore it is crucial to understand how nC60 will interact with subsurface materials including attached phase soil and sediment organic matter (AP-SOM). This study investigated the attachment of nC60 onto a Harpeth humic acid (HHA) coated silica surface under various solution conditions using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. The HHA coating greatly enhanced nC60 attachment at low ion concentrations while hindering attachment at high ion concentrations in the presence of both mono and divalent cations. At low ion concentrations, the HHA greatly reduced the surface potential of the silica, enhancing nC60 deposition through reduction in the electrostatic repulsion. At high ion concentrations however, the reduced surface potential became less important due to the near zero energy barrier to deposition and therefore non-DLVO forces dominated, induced by compaction of the HHA layer, and leading to hindered attachment. In this manner, observed contributions from the HHA layer were more complex than previously reported and by monitoring surface charge and calculated DLVO interaction energy alongside attachment experiments, this study advances the mechanistic understanding of the variable attachment contributions from the humic acid layer.
The 101 Conundrum: Creating a Framework to Solve Problems Surrounding Interpretation of 35 U.S.C. § 101

Section 101 cases are a particularly vexing subject for practicing patent attorneys, and are the subject of much contention and debate.1 In an effort to quell assertions of expansive, questionable patents, the Supreme Court has, in a series of landmark decisions, broadened the judicially created exclusions from patentable subject matter: abstract ideas, laws of nature, and naturally occurring substances.2 These recent efforts have spawned a “101 Conundrum,” in which courts struggle both to delineate the breadth of these categorical exclusions and preserve the integrity of the patent system. The Supreme Court has neglected to define these categories,3 and has rejected the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s (“CAFC”) attempt to provide bright-line clarity.4 With due respect, the Supreme Court’s § 101 jurisprudence is replete with inconsistencies and fails to provide practicing attorneys and judges with adequate guidance. Without guiding principles for adjudging patentable subject matter, judges and examiners may inject their personal views into deciding which patent claims5 merit protec-
Development and testing of a formalism to identify harmonized and optimized reconstructions for PET/CT in clinical trials.

563 Objectives Differing quantitative performance characteristics of PET/CT scanner models and reconstructions confound the ability to best combine and compare data. Here we develop and test a formal method for identifying quantitatively similar scanner and reconstruction specific performances through simultaneous contrast recovery coefficient (CRC) curve harmonization (CRCs aligned) and optimization (CRCs close to 1.0). Methods A NEMA IQ phantom was imaged for 30 minutes at 9.7:1 contrast using 12 sphere sizes 8.5-44mm (6 at a time). Images were reconstructed using at least 6 different clinically relevant reconstruction parameter sets per scanner. CRC curves were generated for SUVmax, SUVpeak and SUVmean. 5 PET/CT models (11 scanners) spanning major manufactures were evaluated. Summed absolute differences between all combinations of CRC curves were calculated to identify reconstruction parameter sets that were best harmonized. Summed differences for all combinations of CRC curves from the ideal CRC=1 were calculated to assess optimization. The smallest weighted combination of the two parameters determined the scanner-specific parameter sets that best aligned quantitative performance. Results A 7mm Gaussian post-reconstruction filter applied to GE and Siemens systems best drove harmonization of SUVmax CRCs across Philips, GE and Siemens systems. Generally the same parameter sets that harmonized SUVmax also harmonized SUVpeak and SUVmean. Applying additional optimization criteria favoring CRCs closer to 1.0 can be achieved, but at the expense of most favorable harmonization. Conclusions A formal method to identify PET/CT model specific reconstruction parameter sets that both harmonize and optimize quantitative performance was developed and tested using data from the NEMA IQ phantom with 5 common PET/CT platforms. The method is scalable and can be applied to the full set of available PET/CT scanner models. Research Support Research reported in this abstract was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01CA169072
MatGridGUI — A toolbox for GridLAB-D simulation platform

The aim of this paper is to present a graphical user interface (GUI) toolbox that has been developed for the GridLAB-D simulation platform. The toolbox provides the users with a friendly interface facilitating the design and simulation of experiments related to the operation of the electric power grid. The GUI, which is named MatGridGUI, integrates GridLAB-D platform with the Matlab software functions. Overall, MatGridGUI accommodates a reliable, efficient and fast way for data input and result acquisition of power grid simulation in GridLAB-D.
Modeling Eye Movements in Reading: Extensions of the E–Z Reader Model

Publisher Summary This chapter describes models of eye movements while people read text. All of the models have the core assumption that the primary “engine” that drives the eyes forward on text is the serial identification of words in text. However, the relationship among the identification of a word, the forward movement of attention, and the program to fixate the subsequent word is not completely straightforward. Silent reading is one of the most important skills humans master and it is certainly one of the most frequent complex cognitive acts most adults perform. A powerful tool for understanding reading is examining the pattern of eye movements while people silently read text for meaning. It was believed that little could be learned from eye movements in reading because it was hypothesized that the cognitive acts in reading were too slow to be responsive to the system that was generating eye movements three to four times a second. However, it is now clear that the moment-to-moment pattern of eye movements is responsive to aspects of the meaning of the text—such as the frequency of a word in the language—and therefore cognitive acts—such as recognizing a word—do influence the behavior of the eyes in a moment-to-moment fashion.