cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of cytochrome P450 enzymes critical for lung tumorigenesis by the tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK): insights from a novel Cyp2abfgs-null mouse

Cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes encoded by the mouse Cyp2abfgs gene cluster are preferentially expressed in the respiratory tract. Previous studies have demonstrated that pulmonary P450-mediated bioactivation is necessary for lung tumorigenesis induced by the tobacco-specific lung procarcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and that CYP2A5 mediates a noteworthy fraction, but not all, of NNK bioactivation in the lung. The aim of this study was to determine whether other P450s encoded by the Cyp2abfgs gene cluster also play significant roles in NNK lung tumorigenesis. A novel Cyp2abfgs-null mouse was generated, in which all Cyp2a, 2b, 2g, 2f and 2s genes are deleted. The Cyp2abfgs-null mouse was viable, fertile and without discernible physiological abnormalities or compensatory increases in the expression of other P450s. NNK bioactivation in vitro and NNK-induced DNA adduction and lung tumorigenesis in vivo were determined for wild-type (WT) and Cyp2abfgs-null mice; the results were compared with previous findings from Cyp2a5-null mice. The Cyp2abfgs-null mice exhibited significantly lower rates of NNK bioactivation in lung and liver microsomes, compared with either WT or Cyp2a5-null mice. The levels of lung O6-methyl guanine DNA adduct were also substantially reduced in Cyp2abfgs-null mice, compared with either WT or Cyp2a5-null mice. Moreover, the Cyp2abfgs-null mice were largely resistant to NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis at both low (50mg/kg) and high (200mg/kg) NNK doses, in contrast to the WT or Cyp2a5-null mice. These results indicate for the first time that, collectively, the CYP2A, 2B, 2F, 2G, and 2S enzymes are indispensable for NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis.
Effects of acronycine on cell-surface properties of murine leukemia cells.

Abstract The alkaloid acronycine interacts with cell-surface components of the murine leukemia cells resulting in inhibition of nucleoside transport. Other consequences of this interaction are altered binding of fluorescent probes, and altered cell behavior in a two-phase aqueous polymer system. Amino acid transport was not affected by acronycine, but high levels of the drug inhibited synthesis of protein.
Language features that aid the development of reliable, maintainable control system software

Abstract Today there exist several high-level languages with features that make them convenient and effective in control systems. These features include high-level control structures, user-defined data types, and machine-level programming. We discuss several of these features, focusing attention on our experience with the language C, developed by Bell Laboratories.
Pulsating Jet Impingement Heat Transfer Enhancement

This article presents results from a numerical study of pulsating jet impingement heat transfer. The motivation is to seek conditions offering a significant enhancement compared to steady flow impingement drying. The CFD software package FLUENT was used for simulating slot-type pulsating jet impingement flows with confinement. The parameter study included velocity amplitude ratio, mean jet velocity, and pulsation frequency. The distance from nozzle exit to surface was three times the hydraulic diameter of the nozzle. The Reynolds number based on the nozzle hydraulic diameter and jet temperature was 2,460 with a mean jet velocity of 30 m/s, which is the base case of the numerical experiments. Results showed that time-averaged surface heat transfer increased with increasing velocity amplitude for the same mean jet velocity. Large velocity amplitudes helped enhance heat transfer by two mechanisms: high jet velocity during the positive cycle and strong recirculating flows during the negative cycle. For the ca...
Apparent relative motion from a checkerboard surround

To better understand the Ouchi illusion in which a stationary picture generates illusory relative motion, the spatial properties of the constituent elements of the rectangular checkerboard background were examined. Results of experiment 1 revealed that the largest illusion was obtained with elements of approximately 20-30 min in width and 4-6 min in height, an orientation of the constituents that was orthogonal to that of the test grating, and a phase shift of the alternate stripes that was close to 180 degrees. In experiment 2 it was found that the illusion increased in magnitude with increasing achromatic contrast but was minimal with a pattern of high chromatic contrast near isoluminance. In experiment 3, two test patches were presented simultaneously in the checkerboard background and were varied independently in their orientation to explore whether or not their motions were perceived as coherent (common fate). Patches having identical orientations, and nearly orthogonal to the surround, were synchronized more strongly than those having reflected orientations. Hysteresis related to the gain control of spatially overlapping visual units differing in their polarity (ON/OFF) was discussed as a possible cause of this phenomenon.
Plastic deformation of Mo and MoRe single crystals from 100 to 425 astrain-rates from 10−4 to 10+2 sec−1

Abstract Pure molybdenum and molybdenum −8 and −15 at.% rhenium alloy single crystals were tested in direct shear on the {110} 〈111〉 over the strain-rate range of 10−4 to 10+2 sec−1 in the temperature range of 100–425 K. Activation parameters were measured and found to obey an arrhenius type equation within certain bounds of the testing conditions. For pure molybdenum, at small strains, the activation volume was found to be stress, strain-rate and temperature independent up to 300 K. Above 300 K, activation volume is stress and strain-rate independent, but temperature dependent. Rhenium additions cause the activation volume to become temperature dependent, while not altering its stress or strain-rate independence. The magnitude of the activation volume was also increased, as was the strain prior to fracture. These results are found to be compatible with previous work on the same materials, in which some basic hypotheses on the effect of rhenium alloying were advanced. An analysis of these and previous results is made and interpreted with respect to current theories of plastic deformation, and some ideas on the relationship between solid solution alloying and plastic deformation mechanisms are advanced.
Cloning of the Human Claudin-2 5′-Flanking Region Revealed a TATA-less Promoter with Conserved Binding Sites in Mouse and Human for Caudal-related Homeodomain Proteins and Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-1α

Claudin-2 is a structural component of tight junctions in the kidneys, liver, and intestine, but the mechanisms regulating its expression have not been defined. The 5′-flanking region of the claudin-2 gene contains binding sites for intestine-specific Cdx homeodomain proteins and hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1, which are conserved in human and mouse. Both Cdx1 and Cdx2 activated the claudin-2 promoter in the human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2. HNF-1α augmented the Cdx2-induced but not Cdx1-induced transcriptional activation of the human claudin-2 promoter. In mice, HNF-1α was required for claudin-2 expression in the villus epithelium of the ileum and within the liver but not in the kidneys, indicating an organ-specific function of HNF-1α in the regulation of claudin-2 gene expression. Tight junction structural components, which determine epithelial polarization and intestinal barrier function, can be regulated by homeodomain proteins that control the differentiation of the intestinal epithelium.
Genetic regulation of antibody responses to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 in breast cancer.

Abstract Host genetic factors responsible for the interindividual differences in naturally occurring antibody responses to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) in human beings have not been identified. The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether immunoglobulin gamma heavy-chain marker (GM) and kappa light-chain marker (KM) allotypes, which are genetic markers of IgG heavy chains and κ-type light chains, respectively, contribute to these differences. A total of 152 Estonian women with breast cancer were characterized for IgG antibodies to HER-2 and allotyped for several GM and KM markers. IgG3 determinant GM 13 was significantly associated with higher HER-2 IgG levels (median IgG titer 800 vs 400, p = 0.007). Other GM allotypes, known to be in linkage disequilibrium with GM 13, were also associated with higher anti–HER-2 antibody levels, albeit not as strongly. These results show that GM allotypes are associated with humoral immunity to HER-2, a finding with potentially significant implications for immunotherapy of breast cancer.
IR absorption, photoinduced IR absorption, and photoconductivity of polyaniline

Abstract The infrared spectra, photoinduced infrared spectra, and photoconductivity of polyaniline are reported. Oxidative doping of leucoemeraldine base yields changes that are consistent with breaking the symmetry of the polymer and an overlap of the vibrational modes with a continuum of states. Small photoinduced changes in the vibrational modes of emeraldine base also indicate this symmetry breaking and the creation of polarons. The absence of significant photoconductivity suggests that the photoexcited polarons have low mobility. Calculations based on the amplitude mode formalism give a very large polaron mass in emeraldine base, consistent with low polaron mobility.
Gender, class, and the structure of intersectionality: working-class women and the Pittston Coal strike

In the context of a working-class movement, how do sex, gender, and class intersect to effect mobilization, participation, voice, and outcome? When working-class communities engage in strikes, what are the participatory consequences for working-class women? Employing the case of the United Mine Workers of America's strike against Pittston Coal Group (1989–1990) to examine working-class women's activist participation, this article considers the gendered aspects of decision-making and strike resolution by analyzing the legal and union constitutional contexts within which the strike developed and the gendered constraints these imposed upon activist women. In the US working class, opportunities for activism and for advancing specific class and gender issues are structured by law, legal contracts, and court decisions, and enforced by state and other authorities. Inclusive discourse, political will, community identity, and concerted leadership may serve to create community solidarity around gendered and class i...
The prey of the Barn owl (Tyto alba alba) in East Norfolk

Some 5000 Barn owl pellets, collected from sites in East Norfolk during the past decade, have been examined. The most important prey species, by weight, were the Field vole (Microtus agrestis) 52%, the Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) 17%, and the Common shrew (Sorex araneus) 12%. The prey varies over different habitats; Wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) and Bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) forming a higher proportion in localities with hedges, scrub and woodland than in open grasslands. These results are comparable with those of other recent work. However, when compared with studies conducted over 30 years ago, it would appear that the Field vole now constitutes a higher proportion, and the Brown rat a lower proportion, of the prey taken.
Neural tube defects: an analysis of neighbourhood- and individual-level socio-economic characteristics

Several studies have reported that neural tube defects (NTD) occur more frequently among children born to women of lower socio-economic status (SES). This study investigated the relationship between individual- and neighbourhood-level SES and the risk of an NTD-affected pregnancy. Data were drawn from a population-based case-control study of fetuses and infants among a cohort of California births between July 1999 and June 2003. Information on individual SES was obtained via telephone interviews with mothers of 337 (76% of eligible) cases and 626 (79% of eligible) non-malformed liveborn controls. Respondents' addresses were linked to the 2000 US Census to characterise six measures of neighbourhood SES (education, poverty, unemployment, occupation, crowding and rental occupancy). The analyses indicated that relative to women with a high school education, those with less than a high school education had a 1.7-fold increased risk of delivering infants with NTDs [95% CI 1.2, 2.6]. Twofold elevated risks for NTDs were observed for women with less than a high school education who lived in neighbourhoods where a majority of residents had not graduated from high school [95% CI 1.3, 3.1]. No consistent risk gradients were observed between NTD-affected pregnancies and indicators of lower neighbourhood SES. Results for phenotype subgroups were similar to those for all cases. Low maternal education was associated with an elevated risk of NTD in offspring. This risk varied by the education profile of the neighbourhood: women who did not graduate from high school and lived in less educated neighbourhoods exhibited a higher risk.
Chicano English and the Nature of the Chicano Language Setting

Little consensus exists about the status of language varieties heard in the speech of Chicanos, and in particular, the linguistic status of Chicano English. This criticism can be extended to many ethnic sociolinguistic settings. Critical commentary on certain controversies about the dialects of Chicanos is presented in this article. A model of the languagesldialects setting used by Chicanos that goes beyond recent typologies is proposed, made on the basis of explicit assumptions about the nature of the speech setting of Chicanos. On the basis of these assumptions, Chicano English is characterized as the autonomous vernacular dialect of native-English-speaking Chicanos. Four examples of this Chicano language setting model are presented, using recent national and three statewide demographic figures.
Hierarchical oxide nanostructures

A variety of hierarchical oxide nanostructures, including ZnO nanonails on nanowires/nanobelts, ZnO nanorods on nanobelts, comb-like ZnO nanostructures, hierarchical MgO nanowires, etc., have been synthesized by thermal vapor evaporation and condensation. Observation of these nanostructures demonstrates the diversity of the geometry of these oxides in the nanoscale range. These nanostructures may be helpful in studies of nanostructure growth mechanisms and may find applications in nanoelectronics, opto-electronics, catalysts, displays, etc.
Reversible topology of a bifunctional transmembrane protein depends upon the charge balance around its transmembrane domain

Hybrid genes were constructed to express bifunctional hybrid proteins in which staphyloccal nuclease A with or without an amino-terminal OmpA signal sequence was fused with TEM beta-lactamase (at the carboxyl terminal side) using the signal peptide of the major outer membrane lipoprotein of Escherichia coli as an internal linker. The hybrid proteins were found to be inserted in the membrane. Orientation of the hybrid protein with the OmpA signal peptide showed that the nuclease was translocated into the periplasm and the beta-lactamase remained in the cytoplasm. This indicates that the cleavable OmpA signal peptide served as a secretory signal for nuclease and the internal lipoprotein signal served as the transmembrane anchor. In the absence of the OmpA signal sequence the topology of the hybrid protein was reversed indicating that the internal lipoprotein signal peptide initially served as the signal peptide for the secretion of the carboxy terminal beta-lactamase domain across the membrane and subsequently as a membrane anchoring signal. The role of charged amino acids in the translocation and transmembrane orientation of membrane proteins was also analysed by introducing charged amino acids to either or both sides of the internal lipoprotein signal sequence in the bifunctional hybrid proteins in the absence of the amino-terminal signal sequence. Introduction of two lysine residues at the carboxy-terminal side of the internal signal sequence reversed the topology of the transmembrane protein by translocating the amino-terminal nuclease domain across the membrane, leaving the carboxyl terminal beta-lactamase domain in the cytoplasm. When three more lysine residues were added to the amino-terminal side of the internal signal sequence of the same construct the membrane topology flipped back to the original orientation. A similar reversion of the topology could be obtained by introducing negatively charged residues at the amino-terminal side of the internal signal sequence. Present results demonstrate for the first time that a bifunctional transmembrane protein can be engineered to assume either of the two opposite orientations and that charge balance around the transmembrane domain is a major factor in controlling the topology of a transmembrane protein.
A strategy for adjusting combination weights over adaptive networks

This work proposes a strategy to adjust the combination weights of an adaptive network in order to attain both faster convergence during the transient phase and lower mean-square-error during the steady-state phase. Optimal combination weights are designed for both phases, and a procedure for detecting the transition from one phase to the other is also described. Simulation results illustrate the operation of the proposed strategy.
Tunable narrow linewidth laser source for a methane lidar

A high efficiency, narrow linewidth tunable laser source is developed for greenhouse trace gas remote sensing. It features broad, continuous tuning range at 1570–1655 nm and 3291 nm with narrow linewidth (500 MHz) and high spectral purity. This laser is based on seeded optical parametric generator (OPG) technology. Several trace gas species were continuously detected for 72 hours in an open path environment. We also present our recent airborne experiment result based on this laser technology.
Augmentation with cognitive behavioural therapy has superior efficacy to augmentation with risperidone for treating adults with treatment-resistant OCD

For adult patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) resistant to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), American Psychological Association practice guidelines1 recommend adding either behavioural therapy based on exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) or a second-generation antipsychotic. Factors mentioned in the guidelines1 that might lead patients and clinicians to prefer the antipsychotic option includes local availability of properly trained cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) therapists, treatment costs and the patient's ability to comply with CBT (willingness to do the time-intensive and emotionally challenging work of CBT over several weeks). Among antipsychotics, risperidone has been most effective in small trials.2–4
Psettarium anthicum sp. n. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) from the heart of cobia Rachycentron canadum (Rachycentridae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Psettarium anthicum sp. n. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) infects the myocardium and atrial wall of the cobia Rachycen- tron canadum (Linnaeus, 1766) (Rachycentridae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico off Mississippi, USA. It is the first member of Psettarium Goto et Ozaki, 1930 reported from other than the Indian Ocean or Pacific Ocean and the second species of the genus reported from cobia. It differs from its congeners by the combination of having posterior caeca with lateral projections appearing as thorns in lateral view and the male pore anterior to the ootype. The species of Psettarium, P. japonicum (Goto et Ozaki, 1929) (type species), P. tropicum Manter, 1940, P. sebastodorum Holmes, 1971, P. rachycentri (Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972) comb. n. (syn. Psettarioides rachycentri Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972) and P. anthicum sp. n., differ from other sanguinicolids by the com- bination of having an elongate body with a sinistral posterolateral protuberance, minute, straight tegumental body spines in ven- trolateral transverse rows, posterior caeca greater than seven time the anterior caeca length, the ootype near the posterior end of the body, a uterus primarily between the ovary and ootype and an oviduct and vitelline duct extending posteriad primarily be- tween the uterus and dextral body margin. We emend Psettarium and provide a diagnostic key to the species. Psettarioides is regarded as a junior synonym of Psettarium because herein we return its type species, P. tropicum, to Psettarium. Regarding the three other sanguinicolids formerly of Psettarioides, we suspect that P. pseudupenei Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972 belongs to Pset- tarium but include it only tentatively pending an examination of type or other material; we tentatively place P. kurochkini Pa- rukhin, 1976 in Cardicola Short, 1952; and we designate P. grandis (Lebedev et Mamaev, 1968) as incertae sedis pending ex- amination of type or other appropriate material.
Field-emission cathodes for television displays: Electron optics

Field-emission cathodes are a potential alternative to thermionic cathodes in electron tubes. The constraints placed on the use of field-emission cathodes in modulated electron-beam display tubes by the electron optics of the focusing lenses are established in this work. These constraints, which include a sensitivity to spherical aberrations in the electron lenses, a large cathode magnification, and the necessity of modulating the electron beam, require the use of an array of field-emitters. They also require that an electron lens must be associated with each field-emitter of the array, i.e., the cathode must be an emitter-lens array. The cathode magnification of this emitter-lens array is evaluated and compared to the cathode magnification of a field-emission cathode with a single lens and that of a thermionic cathode. The definition of these constraints narrows the selection of field emission cathodes for potential use in electron tubes.
Study of interactions in PVC‐plasticizer systems using low‐molecular‐weight analogs

Because PVC mixes very slowly with plasticizer, analogs of PVC were used to obtain heats of mixing via direct calorimetry. Initial studies were done with DBP, DOP, and DOS plasticizers and chloroform, 1,3-dichloropropane, and 2,4-dichloropentane as the analogs. Simultaneous calculations for the enthalpy of mixing were done using the UNIFAC-FV model. Both the propane and the pentane derivatives behaved according to the predictions of UNIFAC. Both experiments and calculations suggested that 1,3-dichloropropane is a better model for PVC than 2,4-dichloropentane.
A service framework for Temporal Link Analysis with historical segments integration

Link analysis is a widely applied technique for unveiling the social network structure among individuals, either in a Web setting or mobile environment. However, usability and efficiency for link analysis are hard to be obtained through prevailing frameworks. In this paper, we present IOHS (integration-of-historical-segments), a service framework for temporal link analysis (TLA). With IOHS, a TLA task is summarized into three subtasks, i.e. fitting the linkages of data in chronicle time intervals, assigning different weights to historical linkages of data and entities involved, and integrating the weights of linkages of data in the main analysis task, such as scoring or searching The main contribution of IOHS is factoring out the non-variant part of a TLA task into the framework to give researchers much freedom to concentrate on model and parameter fitting. Another advantage of using IOHS is that the difficulty in implementing the trial-and-error process is greatly reduced so that optimized models could be obtained with much ease. Our experimental results show that IOHS is of high usability and efficiency.
Evidence for Follicle Wall Involvement in Ovulation and Progesterone Production by Frog (Rana pipiens) Follicles in vitro

Involvement of different cellular investments of the amphibian ovarian follicle wall in the ovulatory process, progesterone production, and oocyte maturation was investigated. Following microdissection, to selectively remove one or more layers (surface epithelium, theca, follicle cells) of the follicle wall, dissected and undirected ovarian follicles were treated with frog pituitary homogenate (FPH) or progesterone. Intact follicles ovulated in response to pituitary homogenate and this was associated with contractions of the follicle wall. Ovulation and follicular contractions were not observed following removal of the surface epithelium without removing the thecal layer. Oocyte maturation occured in response to FPH following removal of the surface epithelium alone or together with the theca, but not in the absence of the follicle cells. Intact follicles were most responsive to FPH with respect to progesterone production, and removal of all somatic cells from oocytes obliterated FPH stimulated progesterone production. Oocytes, regardless of wether any or all follicular wall layers were removed, matured but did not ovulate following exposure to progesterone. The results suggest that the surface epithelium, but not the theca, is required for FPH-induced extrusion (ovulation) of the oocyte from ovarian follicle wall. Additionally, the somatic tissue rather than the oocyte appears to be the cells producing progesterone following FPH treatment. The results indicate that separate cellular layers (individually and/or as a result of interactions) of the follicle wall carry out different functions during follicular differentiation and mediation of ovulation. Data provide functional evidence for a role of the surface epithelium in controlling the process of ovulation and follicular contraction.
19F NMR study of ligand dynamics in carboxylate-bridged diiron(II) complexes supported by a macrocyclic ligand

A series of asymmetrically carboxylate-bridged diiron(II) complexes featuring fluorine atoms as NMR spectroscopic probes, [Fe2(PIM)(Ar4F-PhCO2)2] (10), [Fe2(F2PIM)(ArTolCO2)2] (11), and [Fe2(F2PIM)(Ar4F-PhCO2)2] (12), were prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and VT 19F NMR spectroscopy. These complexes are part of a rare family of syn N-donor diiron(II) compounds, [Fe2(X2PIM)(RCO2)2], that are structurally very similar to the active site of the hydroxylase enzyme component of reduced methane monooxygenase (MMOHred). Solution characterization of these complexes demonstrates that they undergo intramolecular carboxylate rearrangements, or carboxylate shifts, a dynamic feature relevant to the reactivity of the diiron centers in bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases.
A Survey of 1-D Problems of Dynamic Contact or Damage

We survey four of our recent results on one-dimensional dynamic contact with or without friction or with damage. We present the classical models, the weak or variational formulations and state our results. Тhe purpose of considering one-dimensional problems is to gain insight into the behavior of dynamic models for contact, without having to address the considerable mathematical complications that arise in two or three dimensions.
A key means to signaling the evaluative component in storytelling : The sentential representation of variable temporal passage

Though scholars interested in ESL writing pedagogy would like to believe otherwise, most students in high school and college English language courses are not, in fact, required to write academic prose. Rather they are, by and large, asked to write the personal narrative, a genre of prose similar in very fundamental way to the prototype story. The personal narrative is a challenge because, like the prototype story, it is more than a mere report of events in past time. It is a report of events in past time infused with, what has been identified as the defining component of the story, the evaluative component. The evaluative component enables the writer to represent the dissimilar impact of successive narrative events to the developing theme. In this paper, I will address one significant means of signaling the dissimilar impact of successive narrative events, and the problems learners have with its proper use. In the prototype personal narrative/story, the temporal movement effected by successive narratuve events is not the same. There is non-uniformity in the pace and quality, of the temporal movement, from one narrative event to the next. I will provide a description of the sentence-level mode of implementing this particular means of evaluationin the prose of skilled writers and examine a representative sample of ESL data to show the difficulty learners face with its implementation. This understanding will be used to generate suggestions for pedagogy which specifically address this area of difficulty.
Inflori illumini

Before pursuing visual arts, I trained as a dancer. I found I was drawn to body adornment because there seemed to be a seamless transition between positioning the body to achieve beauty and creation of an external element that supplements human form. This engagement with the body breathes life into an object, elevating it into an extension of a living being. I create forms I find beautiful and combine them in accordance with my aesthetic, which is inseparably connected to my experiences, generation, and environment. I take into consideration that my work is intended to be worn, and the size and shape of the human form dictates scale and functionality.
Vowel Intelligibility in Children With and Without Dysarthria An Exploratory Study

Children with dysarthria due to cerebral palsy (CP) present with decreased vowel space area and reduced word intelligibility. Although a robust relationship exists between vowel space and word intelligibility, little is known about the intelligibility of vowels in this population. This exploratory study investigated the intelligibility of American English (AE) vowels produced by children with dysarthria and typically developing children (TD). Three CP and five TD repeated words with contrastive vowels /i-ɪ/, /ae-ɛ/, /ɑ-ʌ/, /o-u/ produced by a native AE adult. Adult listeners transcribed the utterances orthographically and rated their ease of understanding. Overall, CP presented with less-intelligible vowels than TD. For CP, a trend was found with the lowest intelligibility for /ɑ/ (CP = 7%, TD = 66%), /ɪ/ (CP = 30%, TD = 82%), and /ʌ/ (CP = 38%, TD = 99%), and more heterogeneous vowel confusions; however, intelligibility differences between vowels did not reach statistical significance. Clinical implicatio...
Abstract A50: The identification of an Ets1-driven gene signature in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous disease of significant mortality and morbidity and with limited treatment options. This highlights the urgent need for a better understanding of the underlying biology of HNSCC. Recent genomic analysis of HNSCC tumors has identified four distinct molecular classes, of which the mesenchymal subtype is particularly aggressive in nature and associated with poor survival. We have discovered that Ets1, a prototypic oncogenic transcription factor, is selectively enriched in the mesenchymal HNSCC tumors along with other key drivers of Epithelial to Mesenchymal transition (EMT). Further analysis of gene expression datasets reveals that Ets1 expression, while low in normal epithelium, increases in pre-malignant and malignant tissues, suggesting a possible role for Ets1 during early tumorigenesis. Strikingly, Kaplan Meier analysis shows that Ets1 expression is associated with both poor survival in HNSCC and high incidence of tumor recurrence. We have performed hierarchical clustering of 33 HNSCC cell lines to show that these cell lines exhibit gene expression profiles that are representative of the four tumor subtypes. To better understand the Ets1-driven molecular processes in EMT high tumors, we have utilized SCC25, a mesenchymal HNSCC cell line to perform global transcriptomic analysis of effects of Ets1 knockdown. Additionally, we have also performed ChIP-seq experiments to identify genome wide transcriptional targets of Ets1 in SCC25. Taken together, these studies have uncovered an Ets1 intrinsic core gene signature that can serve as a valuable tool for further tumor classification and cancer-specific pathway discovery. Interestingly, by cross-referencing with the Cancer Genome Atlas HNSCC RNA-Seq dataset, we demonstrate that Ets1 expression is highly correlated with the majority of the Ets1 signature target genes thus reinforcing a functional relationship. Collectively, our findings not only identify several Ets1 dependent genes that are key to initiating and maintaining EMT in HNSCC, but also unearth novel targets that can be exploited for future therapeutics against this deadly cancer. Citation Format: Christian Gluck, Isha Sethi, Maria Tsompana, Satrajit Sinha. The identification of an Ets1-driven gene signature in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Sep 24-27, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A50.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Purpose of review Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare malignancy of the thyroid with a high mortality rate. Conventional therapy has not been effective. Several biological agents are being investigated. The purpose of the review is to highlight the current standards for treatment and review new targets for treating ATC. Recent findings Retrospective studies have led to formulation of guidelines for management, including those by the American Thyroid Association. An expansion in the understanding of the genetic mutations has led to several newer biological agents being tested to treat ATC. Aurora kinase inhibitors, PPAR γ agonists, and vascular targeting agents are some of the latest therapeutic agents that have shown promise and could become standard of therapy with further supporting research. Summary Further well coordinated preclinical and clinical research is needed to support the emerging treatments for ATC.
Observing Reactions via Flow Injection Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is used to view conductive and semiconductive surfaces to obtain topographic and structural information. A number of literature reports describe molecules absorbed on surfaces. We describe a flow injection system which allows imaging before, during, and after a surface reaction. The flow injection system consists of a flow cell in which a solution is pumped over a sample via a flow injector and a peristaltic pump during STM imaging. Results indicate that atomic imaging can be maintained under a rapidly-flowing solution stream. This system can provide a way to observe reactions occurring on surfaces. Preliminary applications of the system that include the etching of a metal surface, attachment of thiols on a gold surface, and attachment of polymers onto highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) step defects are described.
Spondylodiscitis After Ingestion of a Lithium Button Battery: A Case Report.

Ingestion of a foreign body is a common problem in the pediatric population. Disc or button batteries represent an important category of foreign body ingestion because of the potential for serious complications if they are not removed promptly. Although the incidence of ingestions involving button batteries has leveled off, the frequency of serious complications from these ingestions has continued to rise1. Orthopaedic sequelae, however, remain rare1. We present the case of a nineteen-month-old girl who developed spondylodiscitis after ingesting a lithium button battery. The patient’s family was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and they provided consent. A nineteen-month-old girl presented to the emergency department as a transfer from another hospital after chest radiographs showed a 20-mm disc-shaped foreign body lodged in the esophagus (Figs. 1-A and 1-B). The parents reported that the child had decreased oral intake and increased salivation over the twenty-four hours before presentation. The patient was urgently taken to the operating room and underwent the uncomplicated removal of a lithium button battery under direct visualization with a rigid esophagoscope. During the procedure, it was noted that there was substantial coagulative necrosis around the esophagus and around the foreign body, suggesting that it had been present for a prolonged period of time. The area of necrosis appeared to be less than full thickness in extent. On the first postoperative day, the patient underwent an esophagogram that was consistent with esophageal inflammation; there was no leakage of contrast. She was slowly advanced from a clear liquid diet, as recommended by the National Battery Ingestion Hotline of the National Capital Poison Center, and was discharged to home uneventfully. Fig. 1 Anteroposterior ( Fig. 1-A ) and lateral ( Fig. 1-B ) radiographs at initial presentation showing the button battery lodged in the esophagus. The patient initially …
Site of recurrence of cervical cancer after radical hysterectomy

Of 564 patients who underwent radical hysterectomies for cervical cancer, 104 had recurrences. Twenty (3.5%) had recurrence in the central pelvis, and in nine (1.6%), this was the only site of recurrence. Of the patients who had lymph node metastases at the time of radical hysterectomy, 40% subsequently had recurrence compared with 14% who had negative nodes and recurrence. The site of recurrence, however, had no relationship to lymph node involvement, size of the lesion, stage of disease, cell type or grade, or previous pelvic irradiation.
A Professional Development Model for Math and Science Educators in Catholic Elementary Schools: Challenges and Successes

Catholic elementary schools must continue to invest in the professional development of math and science teachers in order to prepare students for the challenging work that lies ahead of them. The purpose of the study was to examine the degree to which the Initiative for Catholic Schools (ICS), a 2-year professional development program for science and math teachers, demonstrated positive outcomes within the context of Catholic elementary education across the five levels of impact for a professional development program: participants’ reactions, participants’ learning, organization support and change, participants’ use of new knowledge and skills, and student learning outcomes. The results provide evidence of positive outcomes in the participants’ reactions, participants’ learning, organization support and change, and participants’ use of new knowledge and skills. The impact on student learning outcomes was less consistent and varied by grade level.
Polysaccharide Fabrication Platforms and Biocompatibility Assessment as Candidate Wound Dressing Materials

Wound dressings are critical for wound care because they provide a physical barrier between the injury site and outside environment, preventing further damage or infection. Wound dressings also manage and even encourage the wound healing process for proper recovery. Polysaccharide biopolymers are slowly becoming popular as modern wound dressings materials because they are naturally derived, highly abundant, inexpensive, absorbent, non-toxic and non-immunogenic. Polysaccharide biopolymers have also been processed into biomimetic platforms that offer a bioactive component in wound dressings that aid the healing process. This review primarily focuses on the fabrication and biocompatibility assessment of polysaccharide materials. Specifically, fabrication platforms such as electrospun fibers and hydrogels, their fabrication considerations and popular polysaccharides such as chitosan, alginate, and hyaluronic acid among emerging options such as arabinoxylan are discussed. A survey of biocompatibility and bioactive molecule release studies, leveraging polysaccharide’s naturally derived properties, is highlighted in the text, while challenges and future directions for wound dressing development using emerging fabrication techniques such as 3D bioprinting are outlined in the conclusion. This paper aims to encourage further investigation and open up new, disruptive avenues for polysaccharides in wound dressing material development.
Examining the validity of the rheumatoid arthritis magnetic resonance imaging score according to the OMERACT filter-a systematic literature review.

Objective To examine whether the RA MRI score (RAMRIS) for RA of the wrist/hand meets the OMERACT filter criteria-truth (validity), discrimination and feasibility. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review in PubMed and Scopus, from 1970 through June 2014, focused on MRI measures of synovitis, osteitis/bone marrow oedema, erosions and/or joint space narrowing in RA randomized controlled trials and observational studies with cohort size ⩾10. Strength of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook criteria. Results Of 634 MRI titles/abstracts, 202 met the review criteria, with 92 providing at least 1 type of validity. Four articles provided criterion validity, and 26 articles utilized RAMRIS to assess 1.5 T MRI images. Histopathology data showed inflammation corresponding to MRI of synovitis and osteitis. MRI erosions corresponded to those identified with CT. Content and construct validity for RAMRIS synovitis, osteitis and erosions were documented by correlations with clinical, laboratory and/or radiographic data. Each measure was sensitive to change and responsive to therapy. RAMRIS synovitis and osteitis were able to discriminate between the efficacy of treatments vs placebo in 12-week studies, whereas RAMRIS erosions required studies of ⩾24 weeks. Conclusion RAMRIS synovitis, osteitis and erosions imaged with 1.5 T MRI are valid and useful for evaluating joint inflammation and damage for RA of the wrist/hand, according to the OMERACT filter.
Federalism and the End of Obamacare

Federalism has become a watchword in the acrimonious debate over a possible replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Missing from that debate, however, is a theoretically grounded and empirically informed understanding of how best to allocate power between the federal government and the states. For health reform, the conventional arguments in favor of a national solution have little resonance: federal intervention will not avoid a race to the bottom, prevent externalities, or protect minority groups from state discrimination. Instead, federal action is necessary to overcome the states’ fiscal limitations: their inability to deficit-spend and the constraints that federal law places on their taxing authority. A more refined understanding of the functional justifications for federal action enables a crisp evaluation of the ACA—and of replacements that claim to return authority to the states.
Evaluation and Management of Pediatric Constipation

Constipation is one of the most common problems evaluated by pediatricians, pediatric gastroenterologist, and pediatric surgeons alike. A clear and concise management algorithm is needed to appropriately treat patients and avoid unnecessary outpatient and emergency department visits. Once organic causes of constipation have been ruled out, treatment should progress in a stepwise fashion until success, defined as daily bowel movements without encopresis or overflow pseudoincontinence. Therapy should begin with diet modification and progress through the use of polyethylene glycol, stimulant laxatives, daily enemas, and even formal inpatient fecal disimpaction. For those patients who fail to successfully evacuate their colons or those who have persistent incontinence secondary to severe constipation, surgical options such as appendicostomy should be explored. Ultimately, we must all accept that constipation can be a severe, life-altering problem which should be addressed with an aggressive management strategy.
General relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations of prompt-collapse neutron star mergers: The absence of jets

Inspiraling and merging binary neutron stars are not only important source of gravitational waves, but also promising candidates for coincident electromagnetic counterparts. These systems are thought to be progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs). We have shown previously that binary neutron star mergers that undergo delayed collapse to a black hole surrounded by a weighty magnetized accretion disk can drive magnetically powered jets. We now perform magnetohydrodynamic simulations in full general relativity of binary neutron stars mergers that undergo prompt collapse to explore the possibility of jet formation from black hole-light accretion disk remnants. We find that after t - tBH ~26(MNS/1.8 M⊙) ms (MNS is the ADM mass) following prompt black hole formation, there is no evidence of mass outflow or magnetic field collimation. The rapid formation of the black hole following merger prevents magnetic energy from approaching force-free values above the magnetic poles, which is required for the launching of a jet by the usual Blandford-Znajek mechanism. Detection of gravitational waves in coincidence with sGRBs may provide constraints on the nuclear equation of state (EOS): the fate of an NSNS merger-delayed or prompt collapse, and hence the appearance or nonappearance of an sGRB-depends on a critical value of the total mass of the binary, and this value is sensitive to the EOS.
The functional and comparative anatomy of the forelimb muscles in the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)

The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest extant member of the Ursidae, inhabiting the tropical mainland forests of Southeast Asia and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. This study provide...
Anthropogenic enrichment of mercury greater than that of vanadium.

Schlesinger et al. (1), in quantifying the global biogeochemical cycle of vanadium (V), argue that the human perturbation of V atmospheric cycling may exceed that of mercury (Hg). However, best available knowledge suggests that the human impact of Hg far exceeds that of V. For Hg, Schlesinger et al. (1) use the global biogeochemical cycle of Selin (2, 3), combined with estimates from Sen and Peucker-Ehrenbrink (4) to calculate an anthropogenic:natural ratio of 1.52, less than their upper bound for V (0.59–1.71). There appear to be some minor errors in the Hg analysis in table 1 of Schlesinger et al. (1), which double-count some natural sources. … [↵][1]1Email: selin{at}mit.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Draft Genome Sequence and Brief History of Rhodovulum sp. Strain BSW8

Rhodovulum is a marine Gram-negative purple photosynthetic bacterial genus that is a member of the Alphaproteobacteria. Strain BSW8 is a variant that does not appear to make a polysaccharide slime capsule, and its genome sequence further contributes to the diversity of sequenced genomes belonging to this genus.