cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of the psychological impacts of tasks related and unrelated to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on nurses.

Background This study assessed the psychological impact of the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on university hospital nurses. It provides an assessment of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, distress, and burnout of nurses dealing directly and indirectly with COVID-19. Methods In a web-based, cross-sectional study, 111 nurses from Daegu Catholic University Hospital in Korea were enrolled from August 4 to August 9, 2020. Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to assess the psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and burnout among the study participants. Results Of 111 nurses, 35 (31.5%), nine (8.1%), 26 (23.4%), and 49 (44.1%) experienced depression, anxiety, distress, and burnout, respectively. Nurses who performed COVID-19-related tasks were more likely to have moderate depression (related vs. unrelated, 52.0% vs. 25.6%; p=0.037). There were no differences in anxiety, distress, and burnout between nurses with and without COVID-19-related tasks. More than 50% of the participants showed receptive and positive attitudes toward caring for COVID-19 patients. Conclusion Nurses who performed COVID-19-related tasks had a higher risk of depression. There were no significant differences in anxiety, distress, and burnout between the two groups. Since nurses who perform COVID-19-related tasks are more prone to psychological distress, continued psychiatric interventions are required for infectious disease outbreaks with a high mortality rate for healthcare workers who are emotionally vulnerable.
Urban computing cyberinfrastructure: visualizing human sentiment using social media and augmented reality

Urban information discovery has a long history in geography and other related disciplines. Routing and Point-of-Interest (POI) searching services have been implemented in many Geographic Information Systems (GISs)-based applications, where spatial information (e.g., POI data) is projected to a digital map as a source of auxiliary data to support intelligent spatial decision-making. In recent years, Augmented Reality (AR) has become a growing trend to visualize spatial objects through digital visual elements. However, a research gap exists between GIS and AR systems in terms of computational efficiency and interoperability. This paper aims to develop a geospatial cyberinfrastructure that integrates urban information and AR to enhance spatial knowledge visualization and discovery. Our experiments demonstrate how spatial analysis and urban sentiment computing can efficiently be integrated into the AR-based framework to support real-time decision-making.
Affinity maturation of antibodies requires integrity of the adult thymus

The generation of B cell responses to proteins requires a functional thymus to produce CD4-positive T cells which help in the activation and differentiation of B cells. Because the mature T cell repertoire has abundant cells with helper phenotype, one might predict that in mature individuals the generation of B cell memory would proceed independently of the thymus. Contrary to that prediction, we show here that removal of the thymus after the establishment of the T cell compartment or sham surgery without removal of the thymus impairs affinity maturation of antibodies. Because removal or manipulation of the thymus did not decrease the frequency of mutation of the Ig variable heavy chain exons encoding antigen specific antibodies, we conclude that the thymus controls affinity maturation of antibodies in the mature individual by facilitating selection of B cells with high affinity antibodies.
A New Algorithm for Global Optimization for Parallelism and Locality

Converting sequential programs to execute on parallel computers is difficult because of the need to globally optimize for both parallelism and data locality. The choice of which loop nests to parallelize, and how, drastically affects data locality. Similarly, data distribution directives, such as DISTRIBUTE in High Performance Fortran (HPF), affects available parallelism and locality. What is needed is a systematic approach to converting programs to parallel form, based upon analysis that identifies opportunities for both parallelism and locality in one representation.
Modified Procedure for Extraction of Poliovirus from Naturally-Infected Oysters Using Cat-Floc and Beef Extract.

Methods for recovery of poliovirus type 1 (LSc2ab) from naturally-infected oysters (Crassostrea gigas) were examined. Extraction procedures analyzed included glycine-saline and polyelectrolyte (Cat-Floc) methods followed by concentration using modifications of an acid precipitation technique, Direct viral assay of shellfish homogenates, when compared to virus recovery following extraction, indicated that substantially fewer viruses were detected in initial homogenates. These data appeared to support the contention that input values based on homogenate assay were inappropriate in determining recovery efficiencies with naturally-infected shellfish. Since absolute efficiencies could not be determined, relative efficiencies using samples from pooled homogenates were used to determine the recovery efficiencies of various extraction procedures. Cat-Floc extraction followed by a beef extract-modified acid precipitation technique resulted in higher virus recoveries than a glycine-saline extraction procedure.
Endogenous myelin basic protein-serum factors (MBP-SFs) and anti-MBP antibodies in humans. Occurrence in sera of clinically well subjects and patients with multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Sera of normal subjects and patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been frequently found to contain picomolar quantities of endogenous myelin basic protein-serum factors (MBP-SFs). These serum factors, collectively representing a heterogeneous spectrum, were detected and measured by means of a competitive inhibition radioimmunoassay (RIA) designed to distinguish their respective binding affinities with anti-MBP reagent antiserum. Anti-MBP antibodies in these same normal and patient sera were also detected and their differing binding affinities determined. In general, when sera of normal subjects were found to contain free MBP-SFs, the reagent anti-MBP antibodies in the reagent antiserum used to detect them were of relatively high binding affinity (8 × 10 8 M −1 ). When normal sera were found to contain free anti-MBP antibodies, the binding affinities of such antibodies were invariably lower (0.06–0.7 × 10 8 M −1 ). In contrast, sera of patients with active MS and exhibiting clinical fluctuations in their disease, infrequently contained high or medium high affinity MBP-SFs, whereas higher affinity anti-MBP antibodies were commonly detected. These patterns of MBP-SFs and anti-MBP antibodies in normal and MS human sera resemble those previously observed in studies of normal Lewis rats and rats developing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). The findings here reported provide additional support for the view that circulating endogenous MBP-SFs may function as neuroautotolerogens that restrict expansion of MBP-reactive lymphoid cell clones having potentially injurious effector activity for central nervous system (CNS) tissue.
Does Congress Find Facts or Construct Them? The Ascendance of Politics over Reliability, Perfected in Gonzales v. Carhart

Judicial deference to Congressional fact-finding brings the flaws in that fact-finding process into sharp relief. Analysis of a number of notable Congressional hearings provides compelling reason to believe facts have little to do with findings. A review of the cynical process of fact-finding associated with the Partial Birth Abortion Ban of 2003 reveals findings which were (1) settled on before the Congressional hearings began and (2) so flatly wrong that even the Supreme Court majority upholding the statute by deferring to those findings found it necessary to admit the findings were wrong. Apparently unwilling fuly to acknolwedge its deference to manufactured findings, the Court rested its decision instead on the medical uncerainty the Court says was created by the co-existence of erroneous Congressional findings on one hand and the diametrically opposed trial court findings produced by the adversarial process, on the other hand. The Court deferred to Congressional findings which it knew were wrong, by triangulating them with the diametrically opposed trial court findings, and the Court concluded that the synthesis of the two contradictory sets of findings (one of which the Court admits was wrong) created an atmosphere of uncertainty requiring deference to Congress's erroneous findings. The Court concluded, in essence, that Congress can, by making erroneous findings, create uncertainty that justifies the Court in deferring to those findings rather than those tested in the adversarial process of trial. An analysis of Carhart highlights the need for Congress to require some level of reliabiltiy before it makes a finding and for the Court to require some level of reliability before deferring; that analysis also leads to suggestions intended to provide for such increased reliability.
Three talks in Cuautitlan under the general title: Topología algebraica basada sobre nudos

Talk 1: Open problems in knot theory that everyone can try to solve. Knot theory is more than two hundred years old; the first scientists who considered knots as mathematical objects were A.Vandermonde (1771) and C.F.Gauss (1794). However, despite the impressive grow of the theory, there are simply formulated but fundamental questions, to which we do not know answers. I will discuss today several such open problems, describing in detail the 20 year old Montesinos-Nakanishi conjecture. Our problems lead to sophisticated mathematical structures (I will describe some of them in tomorrows talks), but today's description will be absolutely elementary. Talk 2: Lagrangian approximation of Fox $p$-colorings of tangles. The talk will culminate in the introduction of the symplectic structure on the boundary of a tangle in such a way that tangles yields Lagrangians in the symplectic space. Talk 3: Historical Introduction to Skein Modules. I will discuss, in my last talk of the conference, skein modules, or as I prefer to say more generally, algebraic topology based on knots. I would like to discuss today, in more detail, skein modules related to the (deformations) of 3-moves and the Montesinos-Nakanishi conjecture but first I will give the general definition and I will make a short tour of the world of skein modules.
New and recent gully activity on Mars as seen by HiRISE

[1] Fresh-appearing gully deposits are found at tens of sites in the southern hemisphere of Mars. These deposits have latitudinal and azimuthal dependences similar to the overall preferences of southern-hemisphere gullies, suggesting that most gullies can undergo such events. Definite changes are seen at ten sites, including two previously reported. These include visible modification of gully channels and aprons. Those formation intervals constrained to better than one Mars year tend to include winter and exclude summer, suggesting seasonal activity. This seasonal activity is consistent with proposed models for gully formation driven by CO2 frost, although at least some of the new deposits are probably due to dry granular flow with no volatile involvement. As these deposits are capable of effecting distinct topographic changes to gully aprons and channels, they represent a significant component of recent gully evolution.
The norm of the Fourier series operator

We describe the norm of Fourier operator from Lp(T) to lq(ℤ), and from lp(ℤ) to Lq(T) for all p, q ≥ 1, motivated by the problem of finding sharp uncertainty principles expressed in terms of Renyi entropies.
Central coherence in adolescents with bulimia nervosa spectrum eating disorders.

Background: Weak central coherence—a tendency to process details at the expense of the gestalt—has been observed among adults with bulimia nervosa (BN) and is ap otential candidate endophenotype for eating disorders (EDs). However, as BN behaviors typically onset during adolescence it is important to assess central coherence in this younger age group to determine whether the findings in adults are likely a result of BN or present earlier in the evolution of the disorder. This study examines whether the detail-oriented and fragmented cognitive inefficiency observed among adults with BN is observable among adolescents with shorter illness duration, relative to healthy controls. Method: The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) was administered to a total of 47 adolescents with DSM5 BN, 42 with purging disorder (PD), and 25 healthy controls (HC). Performance on this measure was compared across the three groups. Results: Those with BN and PD demonstrated significantly worse accuracy scores compared to controls in the copy and delayed recall condition with a moderate effect size. These findings were exacerbated when symptoms of BN increased. Discussion: Poorer accuracy scores reflect a fragmented and piecemeal strategy that interferes with visual-spatial integration in BN spectrum disorders. This cognitive inefficiency likely contributes to broad difficulties in executive functioning in this population especially in the context of worsening bulimic symptoms. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that poor global integration may constitute a cognitive endophenotype for BN.
Three upper limb robotic devices for stroke rehabilitation: a review and clinical perspective.

Background Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Many survivors of stroke remain with residual disabilities, even years later. Advances in technology have led to the development of a variety of robotic devices for use in rehabilitation. The integration of robotics in the delivery of neurorehabilitation is promising, but still not widely used in clinical settings. Objectives The aim of this review is to discuss the general design of three typical upper limb robotic devices, and examine the practical considerations for their use in a clinical environment. Methods Each device is described, the available clinical literature is reviewed and a clinical perspective is given on the usefulness of these robotic devices in rehabilitation of this population. Results Current literature supports the use of robotics in the clinical environment. However, claims that robotic therapy is more effective than traditional treatment is not substantially supported. The majority of clinical trials reported are small, and lack the use of a control group for comparison treatment. Conclusions The use of robotics in stroke rehabilitation is still a relatively new treatment platform, and still evolving. As technological advances are made, there is much potential for growth in this field.
Use of pelvic organ prolapse staging systems in published articles of selected specialized journals

A standardized system for reporting pelvic organ prolapse is important for clinical communication, patient follow-up, and meaningful comparisons between studies. In 1996, the description of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POPQ) was published. We hypothesized that its use in published articles of specialized journals would increase over time. Articles from eight journals in 2004 and 2007 were included if any attempt to grade prolapse was mentioned. Reviews, editorials, and abstracts were excluded. Use of POPQ increased from 64.9% to 82.1% (p = 0.01) while other systems decreased. POPQ was used more frequently in the US than other countries. Urologists used POPQ less and Baden–Walker more frequently than other specialists. Use of POPQ has increased in the period studied. This trend was observed in all the subgroups analyzed, showing that POPQ is being adopted as the universal language of prolapse in the published literature.
Effects of soil moisture on the sensitivity of a climate model to earth orbital forcing at 9000 yr BP

The sensitivity of climate to orbitally-related changes in solar radiation at 9000 yr BP (before present) is examined using fixed and interactive soil moisture versions of a low resolution general circulation model. In both versions of the model increased solar radiation for June–August at 9000 yr BP (compared to present) produced enhanced northern monsoons and warmer continental interiors in comparison to present whereas decreased solar radiation at 9000 yr BP in December–February produced weaker southern monsoons. The increased rainfall in the northern tropics in summer increased soil moisture and runoff at 9000 yr BP in the interactive model; in the southern hemisphere decreased rainfall in summer led to decreased soil moisture and runoff. Conditions in summer became drier (decreased soil moisture and runoff) at 9000 yr BP in the northern extratropics. The experiments showed that the magnitude (but not the sign) of model sensitivity to 9000 yr BP radiation is altered by the effects of interactive soil moisture. Decreased soil moisture (about 20%) over northern Eurasia in the interactive model led to smaller evaporative increases, greater temperature increases and greater reduction of precipitation than for the model with fixed soil moisture. Over northern tropical lands, slightly smaller temperature increases and greater evaporation and precipitation increases in the interactive model are linked to the simulation of increased soil moisture at 9000 yr BP. The differences in sensitivity between the two versions of the model over northern Eurasia are statistically significant at the 95% level whereas those for the tropics are not. Overall, the results of the simulations are generally supported by the geologic evidence for 9000 yr BP; however, the evidence lacks sufficient precision and the model resolution is too coarse for detailed model/data comparisons and for assessment of the relative accuracy of the two 9000 yr BP experiments. The computed sensitivities of temperature and soil moisture to 9000 yr BP radiation differ from those simulated under equilibrium conditions in the various general circulation model experiments for increased atmospheric concentration of CO2. In contrast to the effects of the enhanced seasonal cycle of solar radiation at 9000 yr BP, a CO2 increase causes a broad warming of both the ocean and land with little modification of land/ocean temperature difference. The experiments for 9000 yr BP indicate a clearer signal for summer drying than is obtained in the experiments for increased CO2. The results suggest that the 9000 yr BP climate may be of limited utility as an analog to future ‘warm’ climates.
Dropped Object Impact Analysis of Subsea Tree Frame

Subsea oil and gas production involves assemblies such as trees, manifolds, and pipelines that are installed on sea floor. Each of these components is exposed to severe working conditions throughout its operational life and is difficult and expensive to repair or retrieve installed. During installation and operation, a rig/platform and several supply vessels are stationed on the waterline directly above the well and installed equipment below. If any object is to be dropped overboard, it presents a hazard to the installed equipment. A subsea tree comprises of a number of critical components such as valves and hydraulic actuators, in addition to several electrical components such as the subsea control module and pressure/temperature gauges. Their ability to operate correctly is vital to the safe production of oil and gas. If an object were to impact and damage these components, resulting in their inability to operate as intended, the consequences could be severe. In this paper, a typical subsea tree frame is analyzed to ensure its ability to withstand the impact from an object accidentally dropped overboard. This was accomplished using nonlinear dynamic Finite Element Analysis (FEA). In this study, the framework was struck by a rigid body at terminal velocity, resulting in a given impact energy. Displacements and resultant strain values at critical locations were then compared to allowable limits to ensure compliance to the design requirements.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Holocord syringomyelia secondary to tethered spinal cord associated with anterior sacral meningocele and tailgut cyst: case report and review of literature

Background and importance Anterior sacral meningoceles are lesions that are uncommonly reported and can be associated with other pathology including presacral masses, tethered spinal cord, and syringomyelia. Tethered spinal cord and syringomyelia can result in neurologic deficits, while large meningoceles and presacral masses can have gastroenterologic, urologic, reproductive, and oncologic consequences.
A New Mechanism for Surface Diffusion: Motion of a Substrate-Adsorbate Complex

Abstract : We propose a new mechanism for diffusion of surface adsorbates in which motion of the substrate atoms to which the adsorbates are attached results in the motion of the substrate-adsorbate complex. We show an experimental example - the motion of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of CH302C(CH2)15SH on gold which we have observed by recording time-lapse movies with scanning tunneling microscopy.
Structure of methemerythrin at 5 A resolution.

Methemerythrin from Themiste dyscritum crystallizes in the tetragonal system with a=b =86·58(4) A, c =80·84(4) A,A, space group P 4 and two octameric molecules of weight ≈108,000 daltons per unit cell. Since the molecules were found to lie on the 4-fold axes, the asymmetric unit is composed of two subunits from one of the molecules in the unit cell and two from the other one. The electron density map at 5 A resolution was based on phases calculated from a single mercury iodide derivative. The molecules are seen to resemble square doughnuts of dimensions 60 A× 60 A×40 A with a square central hole 20 A on a side and are made up of two layers of four subunits each. Each subunit is approximately 40 A long and 20 A across with four prominent helical sections of chain extending in the long direction. The sites of the iron pairs have been identified as the regions of highest density in the subunits.
Relations among IOP reduction, ocular disposition and pharmacology of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor ethoxzolamide

Abstract We have measured sequentially the concentrations of ethoxzolamide (6-ethoxybenzothiazole-2-sulfonamide) in ocular tissues following its intravenous or topical administration to normal albino rabbits. This was done in parallel with determinations of intraocular pressure (IOP) measured by tonometer or direct manometry. Ethoxzolamide was used because of its very high activity against carbonic anhydrase and experience showing that there is little or no other receptor in tissues. During the course of these experiments it was discovered that the lipid-soluble ethoxzolamide is converted in vivo to a water-soluble metabolite, while retaining high activity against the enzyme. Presumably this is the 6- O -glucuronide adduct. At the minimal dose for maximal effect (4 mg kg −1 i.v. at 45 min) the IOP lowering was 4·2 mmHg, the concentration in anterior uvea was 2·5 μmol kg −1 , and the fractional inhibition of the enzyme ( i ) was 0·9995. The effect declined rapidly, attributable to the very short half-life of drug in plasma, leading to depletion of free drug in the anterior uvea and other tissues. Following topical administration i was measured as a function of drug and enzyme in ciliary process. IOP lowering at 1 hr was −1·9 mmHg and i = 0·9993. By 4 hr i = 0·9980 and the pharmacological effect disappeared. At 8 hr the concentration of ethoxzolamide in the ciliary process is 0·4 μmol kg −1 , essentially that of enzyme, with no free drug present: drug is now a marker for enzyme. Ethoxzolamide also labels the red cell carbonic anhydrases in the rabbit as well as other species including man. There appears to be no ethoxzolamide receptor other than carbonic anhydrase. Contrast is provided to the sulfonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitors now being developed for topical use (cf. MK-927) which have secondary functional groups that may bind to other tissue receptors.
A classification of polynomial algebras as modules over the Steenrod algebra

Suppose that A2 is the mod-2 Steenrod algebra, and that R = F2[x1, . . . , xn] is the polynomial ring in n variables over the prime field F2. Campbell and Selick [3] observed that the equations Sqxi = x 2 i−1 for 2≤ i≤ n, and Sqx1 = x 2 n, define an action of A2 on R that makes R isomorphic as an A2-module to the A2-module defined by the standard action on R. In that paper, they also pose the following question, due to Tom Hunter: does the equation Sqxi = ∑ jmijx 2 j (where M = [mij ] is any n-by-n matrix over F2) define an action of A2 on R? In this paper we give an affirmative answer to the above question and classify the actions defined in this way. More precisely, let S(V ) be the symmetric
Response functions and spectrum of collective excitations of fractional-quantum-Hall-effect systems

We calculate the electromagnetic response functions of a fractional-quantum-Hall-effect (FQHE) system within the framework of the fermion Chern-Simons theory for the FQHE, which we developed before. Our results are valid in a semiclassical expansion around the average-field approximation (AFA). We reexamine the AFA and the role of fluctuations. We argue that, order-by-order in the semiclassical expansion, the response functions obey the correct symmetry properties required by Galilean and gauge invariance and by the incompressibility of the fluid. In particular, we find that the low-momentum limit of the semiclassical approximation to the response functions is exact and that it saturates the f-sum rule. We obtain the spectrum of collective excitations of FQHE systems in the low-momentum limit. We find a rich spectrum of modes which includes a host of quasiparticle-quasihole bound states and, in general, two collective modes coalescing at the cyclotron frequency. The Hall conductance is obtained from the current-density correlation function, and it has the correct value already at the semiclassical level. We applied these results to the problem of the screening of external charges and fluxes by the electron fluid, and obtained asymptotic expressions of the charge and current-density profiles, for different types of interactions. Finally, we reconsider the anyon superfluid within our scheme and derive the spectrum of collective modes for interacting hard-core bosons and semions. In addition to the gapless phase mode, we find a set of gapped collective modes.
Isotope effect studies of the chemical mechanism of pig heart NADP isocitrate dehydrogenase

The catalytic mechanism of porcine heart NADP isocitrate dehydrogenase has been investigated by use of the variation of deuterium and /sup 13/C kinetic isotope effects with pH. The observed /sup 13/C isotope effect on VK for isocitrate increases from 1.0038 at neutral pH to a limiting value of 1.040 at low pH. The limiting /sup 13/C isotope effect with deuteriated isocitrate at low pH is 1.016. This decrease in /sup 13/(VK/sub Ic/) upon deuteriation indicates a stepwise mechanism for the oxidation and decarboxylation of isocitrate. This predicts a deuterium isotope effect on VK of 2.9, but /sup D/(VK) at low pH only increases to a maximum of 1.08. The pK seen in the /sup 13/(VK/sub Ic/) pH profile for isocitrate if 4.5. This pK is displaced 1.2 pH units from the true pK of the acidbase functionality of 5.7 seen in the pK/sub i/ profile for oxalylglycine. From this displacement, catalysis is estimated to be 16 times faster than substrate dissociation. By use of the pH-dependent partitioning ratio of the reaction intermediate oxalosuccinate between decarboxylation to 2-ketoglutarate and reduction to isocitrate, the forward commitment to catalysis for decarboxylation was determined to be 7.3 at pH 5.4 and 3.2 at pHmore » 5.0. This gives in intrinsic /sup 13/C isotope effect for decarboxylation of 1.050. The product of oxidative decarboxylation of 3-hydroxyisocitrate by NADP isocitrate dehydrogenase is 2-hydroxy-3-ketoglutarate. This results from enzymatic protonation of the cis-enediol intermediate at C/sub 2/ rather than C/sub 3/ (as seen with isocitrate and 3-fluoroisocitrate). 2-Hydroxy-3-ketoglutarate further decarboxylates in solution to 2-hydroxy-3-ketobutyrate, which further decarboxylates to acetol. This makes 3-hydroxyisocitrate unsuitable for /sup 13/C isotope effect studies.« less
Regulation of immune responses by CD1d-restricted natural killer T cells.

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique subset of T lymphocytes that share receptor structures and properties with conventional T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. NKT cells are specific for glycolipid antigens such as the marine sponge-derived agent α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like molcule CD1d. My laboratory has evaluated the function of NKT cells by generating and analyzing CD1d-deficient mice. These studies showed that CD1d expression is required for NKT cell development, but not absolutely necessary for the generation of polarized T helper (Th) cell responses. Further, we have studied the in vivo response of NKT cells toα-GalCer stimulation and the capacity of α-GalCer to modulate innate and adaptive immune responses. Our results revealed that, quickly following administration of α-GalCer, NKT cells expand and produce cytokines, trans-activate a variety of innate and adaptive immune cells, and promote Th2 responses that are capable of suppressing Th1-dominant autoimmunity. Our findings indicate that NKT cells play a regulatory role in the immune response and that specific activation of these cells may be exploited for therapeutic purposes.
Abstract A6: microRNA sequencing of AKXD recombinant inbred panel identifies miR-216b as a candidate metastasis suppressor in a murine model of breast cancer

Abstract Metastatic disease continues to be the primary cause of mortality in cancer. Using a combination of complex genetics, mouse models of breast cancer, and human epidemiology, our laboratory has demonstrated that germline polymorphism contributes to an individual9s susceptibility to metastasis. In the current study, we have used the AKXD recombinant inbred panel, which is derived from inbred mice of metastasis resistant, DBA, and metastasis-prone, AKR, genetic backgrounds, to identify microRNAs whose expression is associated with metastasis. microRNA sequencing of tumor tissue from the progeny of AKXD x Polyoma Middle-T mice demonstrated that the expression of the miR-216/217 cluster is significantly negatively correlated with pulmonary metastases in the AKXD panel. Linkage analysis demonstrated a significant association between the miR-216/217 locus and the DBA allele, suggesting that the difference in expression is inherited rather than somatically acquired. Finally, we show that ectopic expression of miR-216b in murine mammary tumor cells suppresses pulmonary metastasis without significantly impacting primary tumor growth in vivo. These findings suggest that miR-216b is an inherited modifier of metastasis with metastasis suppressing activity in a mouse model of breast cancer. Citation Format: Farhoud Faraji, Ying Hu, Natalie Goldberger, Gang Wu, Ken H. Buetow, Jinghui Zhang, Kent W. Hunter. microRNA sequencing of AKXD recombinant inbred panel identifies miR-216b as a candidate metastasis suppressor in a murine model of breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Noncoding RNAs and Cancer; 2012 Jan 8-11; Miami Beach, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A6.
Global well-posedness for the averaged Euler equations in two dimensions

Abstract We prove global well-posedness of the two-dimensional averaged Euler, or Euler-α equations for initial potential vorticity of class L2. This model generalizes the one-dimensional Fokas–Fuchssteiner–Camassa–Holm equation which describes the propagation of unidirectional waves on the surface of shallow water. As such, it can be realized as a geodesic equation for the H1 metric on the Lie algebra of vector fields. Moreover, in two dimensions the α-model obeys an advection equation for the so-called potential vorticity in close analogy to the vorticity form of the Euler equations. We construct solutions to the weak form of the potential vorticity equation by taking the inviscid limit of solutions to a system regularized by artificial viscosity. Since the streamfunction–vorticity relation is of order four, we can show uniqueness even for potential vorticities in L2.
Paleobiology of two new species of the bivalveAnomiafrom Colombia and Venezuela and the importance of the genus in recognition of the base of the Turonian

The base of the Turonian Stage in Colombia and Venezuela contains abundant small anomiid bivalves. These anomiids are well preserved, stratigraphically restricted to the Lower Turonian and are widely distributed in northern South America. The anomiids described in this paper are excellent fossils for regional correlation because of their high potential for preservation, easy recognition, wide geographical dispersion, high abundance, and restricted vertical stratigraphic distribution. Their occurrence may have been controlled by firm substrates resulting from stratigraphic condensation related to late Cenomanian-early Turonian transgressive pulses which began in the latest Cenomanian and culminated in a lower Turonian condensed section. Three different morphotypes are recognized:Anomia minutan. sp.,A. colombianan. sp., and a species which can be compared toAnomiapapyracea.Anomia minutais a very small species that occurs at the base of the Turonian, forming bioclastic limestone beds several cm in thickness. This is a widely distributed and biostratigraphically-restricted species. The second species,Anomia colombianaoccurs tens of cm to a few stratigraphic meters aboveA. minuta; specimens are also very small but are less abundant.A. colombianashows a radially-ribbed left valve.Anomiasp. cf.A. papyraceaoccurs together withA. minutaandA. colombianabut its last occurrence lies stratigraphically aboveA. colombianain the Lower Turonian, and is a more inflated and smooth anomiid.
Management of fossa navicularis strictures

The correction of strictures involving the fossa navicularis poses a distinct reconstructive challenge. Unlike surgical repair of strictures involving other urethral segments where the primary concern is restoration of urethral patency, management of fossa navicularis strictures also requires particular attention to cosmesis. Paramount to the success of any of the described procedures is the careful selection of nondiseased tissue for substitution. If the penile skin is healthy, the preferred urethral substitute is the fasciocutaneous ventral transverse island flap. The inherent characteristics of this versatile flap (i.e., well-vascularized predictable pedicle, nonhair bearing, negligible contraction) provide for an excellent time-tested glandular urethral substitute. In rare cases in which there is a suggestion of penile skin inflammation or scarring, extragenital tissue transfer techniques should be considered. Equally important is the need to substitute the entire length of diseased urethra, preferably as an onlay, preserving the dorsal urethral wall. Persistent proximal urethral disease will eventually result in further stricture formation. Finally, the choice of glanduloplasty is particularly important in achieving a cosmetically appealing outcome. A glans-cap repair is preferred because of the limited dissection required with this relatively simple and bloodless technique. Careful selection of the most appropriate combined urethral substitution and glans reconstruction techniques, as well as meticulous attention to surgical details, are mandatory for achieving a satisfactory functional and cosmetic outcome with fossa navicularis strictures.
Survey of Turbulent Forced-Convection Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Characteristics of Low-Finned Tube Banks in Cross Flow

This paper presents a survey based on the scattered literature dealing with the heat transfer and pressure drop performance of low-finned tube banks. Only the turbulent forced-convection mode of heat transfer is considered for pure cross flow. Heat transfer and pressure drop correlations are recommended for a wide Reynolds number range of 1000 to 200,000. The necessary corrections for nonequilateral lube arrangements. temperature-dependent fluid properties, row number effects, and bundle side leakage are also identified.
Coeducational and Single-Sex Physical Education in Middle Schools: Impact on Physical Activity

(2004). Coeducational and Single-Sex Physical Education in Middle Schools: Impact on Physical Activity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 446-449.
Speeding up FPGA placement via partitioning and multithreading

One of the current main challenges of the FPGA design flow is the long processing time of the placement and routing algorithms. In this paper, we propose a hybrid parallelization technique of the simulated annealing-based placement algorithm of VPR developed in the work of Betz and Rose (1997). The proposed technique uses balanced region-based partitioning and multithreading. In the first step of this approach placement subproblems are created by partitioning and then processed concurrently by multiple worker threads that are run on multiple cores of the same processor. Our main goal is to investigate the speedup that can be achieved with this simple approach compared to previous approaches that were based on distributed computing. The new hybrid parallel placement algorithm achieves an average speedup of 25× using four worker threads, while the total wire length and circuit delay after routing are minimally degraded.
Macrotasking the singluar value decomposition of block circulant matrices on the Cray-2

A parallel algorithm to compute the singular value decomposition (SVD) of block circulant matrices on the Cray-2 is described. For a block circulant form described by M blocks with m x n elements in each block, the computation time using an SVD algorithm for general matrices has a lower bound O(M3min(m, n)mn). Using a combination of fast Fourier transform (FFT) and SVD steps, the computation time for block circulant singular value decomposition (BCSVD) has a lower bound O(Mmin(m, n)mn); a relative savings of ~ M2. Memory usage bounds are reduced from T(M2mn) to T(Mmn); a relative savings of ~ M. For M = m = n = 64, this decreases the computation time from approximately 12 hours to 30 seconds and memory usage is reduced from 768 megabytes to 12 megabytes. The BCSVD algorithm partitions well into n macrotasks with a granularity of T(mM log M) for the FFT portion of the algorithm. The SVD portion of the algorithm partitions into M macrotasks with a granularity of O(min(m, n)mn). Again, for the case where M = m = n = 64, the FFT granularity is 29ms and the SVD granularity is 428ms. A speedup of 3.06 was achieved by using a prescheduled partitioning of tasks. The process creation overhead was 2.63ms. Using a more elaborate self-scheduling method with four synchronizing server processes, a speedup of 3.25 was observed with four processors available. The server synchronization overhead was 0.32ms. Relative memory overhead in both cases was about 4% for data space and 40% for code space.
Spider Community Organization: Seasonal Variation and the Role of Vegetation Architecture

The relationships between vegetation architecture and spider community attributes were examined in a big sage ( Artemisia tridentata ) community. Spiders were separated into guilds using similarities of species' hunting behavior. Shrub architecture was experimentally manipulated in the field by either clipping 50% of a shrub's foliage to decrease foliage density or tying together a shrub's branches to increase foliage density. Shrub perturbations resulted in changes in the number of spider species, spider guilds and guild importance values. The number on spider species and guilds in the tied shrubs were significantly higher than those in the clipped or control shrubs sampled. Spider species diversity and the number of species and guilds were positively correlated with indicators of shrub volume and shrub foliage diversity. This suggests that structurally more complex tied shrubs can support a higher number of spider Species and species diversity. Temporal patterns of the number of spider species, and species diversity (H') showed midsummer peaks m both 1974 and 1975. Evenness (J') remained relatively constant through both seasons. The data suggest that architectural properties of habitat may be an important determinant of the distribution and species diversity of predatory invertebrates.
Somatic mutations, genome mosaicism, cancer and aging

Genomes are inherently unstable due to the need for DNA sequence variation in the germ line to fuel evolution through natural selection. In somatic tissues mutations accumulate during development and aging, generating genome mosaics. There is little information about the possible causal role of increased somatic mutation loads in late-life disease and aging, with the exception of cancer. Characterizing somatic mutations and their functional consequences in normal tissues remains a formidable challenge due to their low, individual abundance. Here, I will briefly review our current knowledge of somatic mutations in animals and humans in relation to aging, how they arise and lead to genome mosaicism, the technology to study somatic mutations and how they possibly could cause non-clonal disease.
Increasing Selectivity for TNT-Based Explosive Detection by Synchronous Luminescence and Derivative Spectroscopy with Quantum Yields of Selected Aromatic Amines

The detection of explosive material is at the forefront of current analytical problems. A detection method is desired that is not restricted to detecting only explosive materials, but is also capable of identifying the origin and type of explosive. It is essential that a detection method have the selectivity to distinguish among compounds in a mixture of explosives. The nitro compounds found in explosives have low fluorescent yields or are considered to be non-fluorescent; however, after reduction, the amino compounds exhibit relatively high fluorescence. We discuss how to increase selectivity of explosive detection using fluorescence; this includes synchronous luminescence and derivative spectroscopy with appropriate smoothing. By implementing synchronous luminescence and derivative spectroscopy, we were able to resolve the reduction products of one major TNT-based explosive compound, 2,4-diaminotoluene, and the reduction products of other minor TNT-based explosives in a mixture. We also report for the first time the quantum yields of these important compounds. Relative quantum yields are useful in establishing relative fluorescence intensities and are an important spectroscopic measurement of molecules. Our approach allows for rapid, sensitive, and selective detection with the discrimination necessary to distinguish among various explosives.
Phonon transport in periodic silicon nanoporous films with feature sizes greater than 100 nm

The thermal conductivities of solid silicon thin films and silicon thin films with periodic pore arrays are predicted using a Monte Carlo technique to include phonon-boundary scattering and the Boltzmann transport equation. The bulk phonon properties required as input are obtained from harmonic and anharmonic lattice dynamics calculations. The force constants required for the lattice dynamics calculations are obtained from forces calculated using density functional theory. For both solid and porous films, the in-plane thermal conductivity predictions capture the magnitudes and trends of previous experimental measurements. Because the prediction methodology treats the phonons as particles with bulk properties, the results indicate that coherent phonon modes associated with the secondary periodicity of the pores do not contribute to thermal transport in porous films with feature sizes greater than 100 nm.
Genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of cyclooxygenase-1 attenuate lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response and brain injury

Cyclooxygenase (COX) -1 and -2 metabolize arachidonic acid to prostanoids and reactive oxygen species, major players in the neuroinflammatory process. While most reports have focused on the inducible isoform, COX-2, the contribution of COX-1 to the inflammatory response is unclear. In the present study, the contribution of COX-1 in the neuroinflammatory response to intracerebroventricular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated using COX-1 deficient (COX-1(-/-)) mice or wild-type (COX-1(+/+)) mice pretreated with SC-560, a selective COX-1 inhibitor. Twenty-four hours after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, COX-1(-/-) mice showed decreased protein oxidation and LPS-induced neuronal damage in the hippocampus compared with COX-1(+/+) mice. COX-1(-/-) mice showed a significant reduction of microglial activation, proinflammatory mediators, and expression of COX-2, inducible NOS, and NADPH oxidase. The transcriptional down-regulation of cytokines and other inflammatory markers in COX-1(-/-) mice was mediated by a reduced activation of NF-kappaB and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. Administration of SC-560 prior to LPS injection also attenuated the neuroinflammatory response by decreasing brain levels of prostaglandin (PG)E(2), PGD(2), PGF(2alpha), and thromboxane B(2), as well as the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokine. These findings suggest that COX-1 plays a previously unrecognized role in neuroinflammatory damage.
URINARY BLADDER-URETHRAL SPHINCTER DYSFUNCTION IN MICE WITH TARGETED DISRUPTION OF NEURONAL NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE MODELS IDIOPATHIC VOIDING DISORDERS IN HUMANS

Idiopathic voiding disorders affect up to 10–15% of men and women. We describe bladder abnormalities in mice with targeted deletion of the gene for neuronal nitric oxide synthase which model the clinical disorders. The mice possess hypertrophic dilated bladders and dysfunctional urinary outlets which do not relax in response to electrical field stimulation or L-arginine. The mice also display increased urinary frequency.
Objective evaluation of audio analgesia effects

Audio analgesia technics produce a real clinical effect that is largely due to suggestion. The clinical effect of audio analgesia is mediated by psychological rather than physiological factors.