cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THROMBOSED URETHRAL HEMANGIOMA

Genitourinary hemangiomas are a rare entity that can affect any portion of the urinary system. The urethra is rarely involved, and most reported cases occur in the male urethra.1 We report a thrombosed urethral hemangioma occurring in a female patient. CASE REPORT An 81-year-old woman presented with a 1-week history of a painful urethral mass and difficulty voiding. The mass was reportedly reducible elsewhere 1 week previously. The patient had had no prior episodes and no other pertinent urological or medical history. On examinatio na4c merythematous, ischemic appearing mass was arising from the urethra. The mass was extremely tender and not reducible. The patient was afebrile with normal white blood cell count and serum creatinine. Excision of a presumed strangulated urethral prolapse was elected. Before excision cystoscopy was performed, showing the mass to be localized to the external meatus and nonobstructive in nature. The proximal urethra appeared somewhat ischemic with a normal bladder neck and bladder mucosa. A Foley catheter was placed without difficulty (fig. 1). The mass was then excised in its entirety and the urethral mucosa was everted circumferentially with interrupted polyglactin sutures. Final pathological examination revealed a thrombosed cavernous hemangioma. Large dilated blood vessels lined by flattened endothelial cells were identified (fig. 2). Fibrin within the vessels suggested thrombosis and ongoing organization. The Foley catheter was removed at 2 weeks and the patient was subsequently continent.
Abstract 3271: Targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 decreases prostate cancer growth and metastasis

FGFR4 up-regulation occurs in advanced prostate cancers. Multiple FGFs have been found upregulated in prostate cancers, including FGF1, FGF2, FGF6, FGF8 and FGF17, all of which can activate FGFR4. Furthermore, a SNP changing the sense codon 388 from glycine to arginine in the transmembrane domain of the human FGFR4 gene has been linked to prostate cancer initiation, progression and poor prognosis. In this study, we determined whether downregulation of FGFR4 expression using small hairpin RNA (shRNA) against FGFR4 inhibits prostate cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. We used two well-characterized prostate adenocarcinoma cell lines, PC3 and LNCaP to derive prostate cancer cells stably expressing a shRNA targeting FGFR4 (PC3-sh-FGFR4 and LNCaP-sh-FGFR4) by using lentivirus vector infection. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR shows that FGFR4 mRNA expression was decreased by 87% (PC3-sh-FGFR4) and 78% (LNCaP-sh-FGFR4) compared to scramble control shRNA cells PC3-shV and LNCaP-shV, respectively. In vitro analysis showed that the targeted knockdown of FGFR4 gene in PC3 and LNCaP cells with sh-FGFR4 resulted in significantly inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. The reduction of Akt phosphorylation on both Ser473 and Thr-308 sites detected by western blot suggests that FGFR4 signaling is implicated in Akt activation. The upregulated expression of Caspase 8 and activated Caspase 3 in FGFR4 knockdown cells measured with immunoblot indicates that FGFR4 signaling inhibits prostate cancer cell apoptosis. The prostate cancer orthotopic xenograft models established with PC3-sh-FGFR4 and scramble shRNA control PC3 cells reveal that FGFR-4 knockdown significantly inhibited tumorigenicity in this model (P=0.01). In mice with pathologically confirmed primary tumors, primary tumor weight was decreased 63% in PC3-shFRGR-4 tumors (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3271. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3271
The influence of palladium on the hydrogen-assisted cracking resistance of PH 13-8 Mo stainless steel

We compare the hydrogen-assisted cracking resistance of wrought PH 13-8 Mo stainless steel alloyed with 0.4 to 1.0 wt pct palladium to the conventional alloy when aged to yield strengths of 1170 to 1250 MPa. Intergranular hydrogen cracking is suppressed with Pd in both static load and constant extension rate tests conducted with electrochemical hydrogen charging. These results are analyzed to elucidate the role of Pd in suppressing intergranular cracking. Palladium is found both in substitutional solid solution in the martensitic phase and also in the form of randomly distributed PdAl precipitates in all Pd-modified alloys. Interfacial segregation of Pd to grain boundaries and lath boundaries is not observed at any levels above a detection limit of approximately 0.5 monolayers. Hydrogen permeation analyses indicate that hydrogen ingress is not inhibited by Pd but that apparent diffusion coefficients are lowered relative to the conventional alloy. Lower diffusion coefficients are consistent with the creation of a strong but reversible hydrogen trap, identified as the uniformly distributed PdAl phase. We hypothesize that PdAl trap sites force a redistribution of trapped hydrogen, which lowers the amount of interfacially segregated hydrogen at prior austenite grain boundaries for the electrochemical conditions applied. These assertions are supported by a simplistic trapping model for PH 13-8 Mo which shows that both the hydrogen trap binding energy and the trap density for the PdAl trapping site are greater than the hydrogen trap binding energy and density for prior austenite grain boundaries.
An Arabidopsis gene with homology to glutathione S-transferases is regulated by ethylene

A cDNA clone obtained from Arabidopsis leaf RNA encodes a 24 kDa protein with homology to glutathione S-transferases (GST). It is most homologous with a tobacco GST (57% identity). In Arabidopsis, expression of GST mRNA is regulated by ethylene. Exposure of plants to ethylene increased the abundance of GST mRNA, while treatment with norbornadiene had the reverse effect. Ethylene had no effect on the mRNA level in ethylene-insensitive etr1 plants. The abundance of this mRNA increased with the age of plants. DNA hybridizations indicate that GSTs are encoded by a large multigene family in Arabidopsis.
Activation of angiogenic signaling pathways by two human tRNA synthetases.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases establish the rules of the genetic code by joining amino acids to tRNAs that bear the anticodon triplets corresponding to the attached amino acids. The enzymes are thought to be among the earliest proteins to appear, in the transition from a putative RNA world to the theater of proteins. Over their long evolution, the enzymes have acquired additional functions that typically require specialized insertions or domain fusions. Recently, fragments of the closely related human tyrosyl- and tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetases were discovered to be active in angiogenesis signaling pathways. One synthetase fragment has proangiogenic activity, while the other is antiangiogenic. Activity was demonstrated in cell-based assays in vitro and in vivo in the chick embryo, and in the neonatal and adult mouse. The full-length, native enzymes are inactive in these same assays. Activation of angiogenesis activity requires fragment production from the native enzymes by protease cleavage or by translation ...
An adjoint sensitivity study of chlorofluorocarbons in the North Atlantic

[1] Adjoint sensitivities of CFC-11 concentrations and CFC-11/CFC-12 ratio ages in a North Atlantic general circulation model are analyzed. These sensitivities are compared with those of spiciness, T − (β/α) S, where α, β are the thermal and haline expansion coefficients, respectively. High-sensitivity fields are candidates for providing the most powerful constraints in the corresponding inverse problems. In the dual (adjoint) solutions all three variables exhibit the major ventilation pathways and define the associated timescales in the model. Overall, however, spiciness shows the highest sensitivity to the flow field. In the North Atlantic Deep Water, sensitivities of CFC properties and spiciness to the isopycnal mixing and thickness diffusion are of the same order of magnitude. In the lower subtropical thermocline, sensitivities of CFC properties to the isopycnal mixing and thickness diffusion are higher. The utility of this sensitivity is undermined by the need to reconstruct their boundary conditions. Given the influence of T, S measurements on the density field, they produce the most powerful constraints on the model on the large scale. It still remains possible, however, that transient tracers can provide a larger relative information content concerning the mixing process between the near-surface boundary layer and the thermocline but dependent upon the ability to reconstruct accurate initial and boundary conditions.
Monolithic fabrication of hollow ARROW based sensors

We have developed a fabrication method for hollow anti-resonant reflecting waveguides (ARROW) on planar silicon substrates. Our fabrication technique is a bottom-up process making use of a sacrificial core material which is removed in an acid etch, leaving a hollow channel. This method is compatible with standard silicon processing steps, enabling the production of integrated devices. Using different core materials, we have build hollow ARROW waveguides with different core geometries, and have also demonstrated the fabrication of solid-core waveguides to interface with the hollow ARROWs. By optimizing the layer structure and fabrication process, we can reduce the optical loss of these waveguides to below 0.33/cm for liquid-filled waveguides and 2.4/cm for air-core waveguides.
Generalized Alternating Projection for Weighted-$\ell_{2,1}$ Minimization with Applications to Model-Based Compressive Sensing

We consider the group basis pursuit problem, which extends basis pursuit by replacing the $\ell_{1}$ norm with a weighted-$\ell_{2,1}$ norm. We provide an anytime algorithm, called generalized alternating projection (GAP), to solve this problem. The GAP algorithm extends classical alternating projection to the case in which projections are performed between convex sets that undergo a systematic sequence of changes. We prove that, under a set of group-restricted isometry property (group-RIP) conditions, the reconstruction error of GAP monotonically converges to zero. Thus the algorithm can be interrupted at any time to return a valid solution and can be resumed subsequently to improve the solution. This anytime convergence property saves iterations on retracting and correcting mistakes, which, along with an effective acceleration scheme, makes GAP converge fast. Moreover, the per-iteration computation is inexpensive, consisting of sorting of a linear array followed by groupwise thresholding and linear tran...
Synthesis of 5-(1 -naphthylmethyl)-4-aryl-s-triazole-3-thiol/yl-thioglycolic acids as possible anti-inflammatory agents

Several 5-(1-naphthylmethyl)-4-aryl-s-triazol-3-thiols/ylthioglycolic acids were synthesized as possible anti-inflammatory agents. The interpretation of infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectra is discussed for chemical characterization of these compounds.
Nucleotide sequence of the virG locus of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens plasmid pTiC58.

Summary The nucleotide sequence of the virG locus of the nopaline type plasmid pTiC58 of Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been determined. It contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 759 nucleotides and has 77% homology to the virG sequences of octopine type plasmids. Differences between the sequences of the two types of Ti plasmids in the region of virG are located predominantly outside the ORF. The amino acid sequences inferred from the two virG genes show 80% homology to each other and each shows the same moderate homologies to amino acid sequences derived from genes in a family of two-component regulatory systems. Specific differences in nucleotide and amino acid sequences as well as a structure-function model for the gene product are discussed.
Effects of gender on neurologic and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Abstract Sipski ML, Jackson AB, Gomez-Marin O, Estores I, Stein A. Effects of gender on neurologic and functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:1826–36. Objective To assess gender differences in neurologic and functional outcome measures in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Case series. Settings Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems (MSCIS) throughout the United States. Participants People (N=14,433) admitted to an MSCIS within 30 days of injury. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Improvement in American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor index score, ASIA Impairment Scale, level of injury, and FIM instrument scores after SCI. Results When examining subjects grouped by severity of injury, changes in ASIA motor index total scores, from system admission to 1-year anniversary, were significantly greater for women than men with either complete ( P =.035) or incomplete ( P =.031) injuries. Functional comparison of men and women, using the FIM motor subscale, revealed that men had higher FIM motor scores at rehabilitation discharge among those with motor-complete injuries, except for those with C1-4 and C6 neurologic levels. Women with motor-incomplete high tetraplegia (C1-4 levels) had higher discharge FIM motor scores than did similarly afflicted men. There were no significant differences in FIM motor scores among men and women with other levels of motor incomplete SCI. Conclusions Gender differences in SCI were seen in several areas. Women may have more natural neurologic recovery than men; however, for a given level and degree of neurologic injury, men tend to do better functionally than women at time of discharge from rehabilitation. Future prospective study of the effects of estrogen on neurologic recovery and the effects of gender on functional potential are recommended.
Virus-Specific RNA in Cells Productively Infected or Transformed by Polyoma Virus

Virus-specific RNA is detected in mouse kidney cells infected by polyoma virus by means of hybridization between [3H]thymidine-labeled virus DNA and 32P pulse-labeled RNA. Small amounts of “early” RNA are observed before virus DNA synthesis begins; during the later phases of virus development, there is a sharp increase in the amount of virus-specific RNA. Synthesis of mouse RNA occurs, and is possibly stimulated, during the infection.
Why Estimates of the Impact of Public Opinion on Public Policy are Too High: Empirical and Theoretical Implications

Statistical studies often show public opinion strongly affecting public policy. But the studies may overestimate the effect because they focus on issues – those especially important to the public – on which governments are most likely to be responsive. This article considers what the opinion-policy linkage would be if less-important issues were also considered, by examining a random sample of proposals addressed by the U.S. Congress. Opinion has considerably less impact in the random sample than in the statistical studies. But this does not mean that the public is being defeated by special interests. On many issues, the public has no meaningful opinions; organized interests, therefore, can win without the public losing.
In What Sense are Errors in Philosophy ‘Only Ridiculous’?

In one of the closing paragraphs of Treatise Book 1, Hume provocatively concludes: ‘Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous’ (THN 1.4.7.13: 272). Unlike the first clause, the meaning of the second clause is far from obvious. I claim that errors in philosophy are ‘only ridiculous’ for Hume in the sense that – unlike errors in religion – they fail to disturb us psychologically or in practical life. The interesting question, however, is why they fail to disturb us. I suggest that it is their critical role in resolving the psychological instability brought on by philosophical reflection that makes errors in philosophy quite helpful to us and necessary for re-stabilising ourselves. In recognising a positive role for philosophical errors, my account challenges the standard interpretation of Hume's claim according to which ‘ridiculous’ philosophical errors play the merely negative role of being innocuous or safely dismissed.
Racial Diversity, Student Religiosity, and School Choice: An Empirical Case Study of Multi-Racial Religious Education

Abstract This article comprises an empirical case study of student religiosity in the context of urban school choice. The purpose of this study was to compare student religiosity in a racially diverse religious private school to determine whether religious faith is a unifying factor across racial categories. Insofar as school choice has been called “the civil rights issue of the 21st century,” religious private schools may provide opportunities for creating intentional multi-racial school environments in the face of rapidly re-segregating public school districts. This study was conducted in 2012 at an urban religious private PreK–12 school with a 57% poverty rate, 58% minority students, and 58% of its students utilizing state-funded tuition vouchers (N = 127). Student religiosity was not found to be significantly different across racial categories. Implications are discussed in relation to public policy and the future of school choice initiatives in relation to religious private schools. The study suggest...
Characterization of completions of excellent domains of characteristic zero

Abstract We show that a complete local ring T containing the integers is the completion of a local excellent integral domain if and only if it is reduced, equidimensional, and no integer of T is a zero divisor.
Hydrodynamic Solution of the Virtual Mass Coefficient of a Vortex Ring Moving in a Fluid

1. IntroductionA vortex ring (or as it is also called, a dipolar vortex ortoroidal bubble) can be formed by ejecting a puff of smokefrom a mouth of rounded lips. The vortex ring rises upwardwith a smoke-filled core. Two stationary vortex rings appearin the wake of the solid sphere at Reynolds number (Re) equalto eight. The rings progressively increase in size with Re untilthey become unstable and change into a spiral ring. A spherical-cap bubble can change into a vortex ring under certaincircumstances.Isolated vortex rings found applications in the chemicalengineering industry where they can be regarded as efficientmeans of transporting fluids over relatively large distances. Onthe laboratory scale, the vortex rings were found effective inmixing of stratified liquids and in agitating a liquid surface topromote gas absorption. The significant contributions in thisregard derive from the experiments and analyses done byProfessor Baird and his colleagues at the University of Mc-Master (Rao et al.,
Second-order bragg interaction in double grating couplers: TM mode

An analytical treatment of the second-order Bragg interaction is presented for the transverse magnetic mode of a dielectric film waveguide having gratings on both the film-cover and the film-substrate interfaces. Four canonical equations that describe the interactions of two guided waves propagating in the opposite directions in the film and the normally incident and radiated free waves in the cover and the substrate are deduced.
Analysis of proteins expressed at the time of murine organogenesis.

Two-dimensional electrophoreto- grams were prepared from wild-type C57BL/6J embryos from day 7.5 through day 9.0 of development. This time period encompasses a critical window of development as the embryo traverses from an egg cylinder through major organogenesis. Consequently, we term this resource MOPED (for mouse organogenesis protein electrophoresis database). By resolving and analyzing the behavior of approximately 1,000 polypeptides per time point, we were able to track many of these polypeptides through this time period in development. Of special note was a burst of induced protein synthesis that was observed on day 8.5 of development. Polypeptides observed in mouse embryos that match those identified previously in mouse fibroblasts were noted. Two of them (the intermediate filament- associated protein and tropomyosin-4) were significantly altered in 8.5 day embryos. As more polypeptides are designated, it will be possible to expand the known proteins in the database. MOPED establishes the patterns of synthesis of a large number of polypeptides during a crucial period of development. Thus MOPED is designed to analyze proteins relevant to mouse embryogenesis in the future.
Drug-induced depression of gamma efferent activity. I. Peripheral reflexogenic effect of nicotine

Abstract Nicotine in doses of 40–80 μg kg i.v. was found to produce a generalized depression of spontaneous and reflexly-evoked γ efferent and attendant spindle afferent discharge in the cat under chloralose-urethane anesthesia. This depressant action was duplicated by sebacylcholine, a peripherally-acting nicotinic stimulant, and abolished by hexamethonium, a peripherally-acting nicotine antagonist. It was reduced or abolished by bilateral vagotomy. It is proposed that nicotine depresses γ activity by a reflex action arising from sensory receptors, a portion of which are within the vagal distribution. Small amounts of nicotine or sebacylcholine injected into the carotid sinus or into the lower aorta also affected y discharge. The γ depression produced by nicotine does not appear to be secondary to the blood pressure effects of the drug. The γ depression was preceded by an inconstant brief acceleration probably also of reflex origin. After spinal transection at C1 the γ depressant effect of nicotine was abolished while the acceleratory response was still elicitable. The initiation of both reflex effects appears to be due to excitation by nicotine of cholinergic receptor sites at sensory terminals.
Physiological regulation of peptide messenger RNA colocalization in rat hypothalamic paraventricular medial parvicellular neurons

In the present study, we used subcutaneous polyethylene glycol injections to show that a physiologically relevant stimulus, hypovolemia, will selectively increase the expression of neuropeptide genes in a restricted population of parvicellular corticotropin-releasing hormonecontaining neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Our results show that a large reduction in extracellular fluid maintained over approximately 20 hours is associated with a significant increase in the level of corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA in the medial parvicellular division of the paraventricular nucleus. Additionally, there are concomitant increases in cellular levels of both neurotensin/neuromedin N and proenkephalin mRNAs. Our colocalization results show that the increases in neurotensin/neuromedin N and proenkephalin mRNAs after polyethylene glycol injection occur to a significant degree in cells that also contain corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA. Furthermore, significant numbers of cells containing proenkephalin mRNA also contain neurotensin/neuromedin N mRNA, raising the possibility that some neurons have increased levels of all three mRNAs. Finally, in the medial parvicellular division of the paraventricular nucleus, the number of identified corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons also containing vasopressin mRNA is very low in control animals and is not increased by polyethylene glycol injections, suggesting that, within this period, activation of the vasopressin gene may not be a critical event in the neuroendocrine response of corticotropinreleasing hormone neurosecretory neurons to extracellular dehydration. Considered together with the effects of adrenalectomy on peptide colocalization, our results suggest the existence of several phenotypically distinct sets of neurons within the medial parvicellular division of the paraventricular nucleus, each characterized by its ability to regulate the expression of neuropeptide genes in a stimulus-specific manner. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multiple Correlations In A Holographic Resonator

We present coupled mode equations for a holographic resonator consisting of a volume-holographic recording medium bounded by two phase-conjugating mirrors. We exhibit forms for the binary and higher order mode couplings that produce associative memory, time-sequence memory, multi-associative memory and branching behavior, and indicate how such couplings may be "programmed into" existing (or conceivable) nonlinear optical materials.
Investigation of the lithium-fluorine-hydrogen tripropellant system

Thermodynamic-kinetic analysis of fluorine/lithium/hydrogen tripropellant combustion efficiency, discussing liquid metal atomization, firings, facility and thrust chamber
Radioprotective effects of dimethyl sulfoxide vapor on mice

Versuche mit rontgenbestrahlten Mausen ergaben, dass durch Anwendung von Dimethyl Sulfoxid (DMSO gasformig) sowie 7%iger Losung von Nembutal in DMSO (ebenfalls gasformig) die Msortalita bedeutend herabgesetzt wird.
The Effects of Perceptual Transformation Experiences and Numerical Operational Experiences on Numerical Correspondence and Equivalence.

Piaget's theoretical and empirical accounts of young children's development of an understanding of numerical correspondence and equivalence has stimulated extensive research and analysis. A critical examination of a wide variety of training reports indicates that in a majority of the successful investigations, subjects have possessed some aspects of the conservation response (i.e., the ability to establish one-to-one correspondence or the ability to conserve on one but not two items) prior to their inclusion in the study. In the unsuccessful studies, subjects have been generally classified as "nonconservers" without specification of developmental status. This nonspecific classification suggests that children at lower stages of development (i.e., unable to establish one-to-one correspondence) were included in the sample. A second interesting observation is that although training sessions
Bilingual and biliteracy practices: Japanese adolescents living in the United States

In this paper, we report the findings of our qualitative inquiry conducted with two male and two female sojourner students in their early teens living in the United States. Sojourner students, an under-researched population in literacy studies, refers to expatriate children who reside and study abroad for a number of years because of their parents’ jobs and who anticipate eventual return to their home country. Our participants were Japanese sojourner students. Drawing on multiple sources of data, including the students’ literacy logs that documented their reading and writing activities in Japanese and English, interview transcripts, and literacy artifacts, we investigated what kind of literacy practices they engaged in outside school and what developing bilingual and biliterate competences meant to them as individuals. Our findings indicate that (a) although the four students spent much time on academic literacy in Japanese and English outside school, they also had active literate lives of their own; and (b) gender affected not only how they perceived their competencies in the two languages but also how they allocated their time outside school to engage in literacy practices in each language. While there is little investigation of this student population from the perspective of gender, we suggest that it is an important issue to take into account in future research.
Is the impact of managed care on hospital prices decreasing

Prior studies find that the growth of managed care through the early 1990s introduced a strong positive relationship between price and concentration in hospital markets. We hypothesize that the relaxation of constraints on consumer choice in response to a "managed care backlash" has diminished the price sensitivity of demand facing hospitals, reducing or possibly reversing the price-concentration relationship. We test this hypothesis by studying the price/concentration relationship for hospitals in California and Florida for selected years between 1990 and 2003, while addressing the potential endogeneity of concentration. We find an increasingly positive price/concentration in the 1990s with a peak occurring by 2001. Between 2001 and 2003, the growth in this relationship halts and possibly reverses.
Index sets in computable analysis

Abstract Π01 classes in a space X where X equals {0, 1}ω, ωω, [0, 1], or the real line real are given an effective enumeration Pe,X and the computably continuous functions are given an effective enumeration Fe,X. The notion of index sets associated with Π01 classes and with computably continuous functions is developed. The complexity of various problems of analysis is determined by the complexity of the associated index set.
Agile detection of framing rhetoric in social media

A frame in social theory is a schema of interpretation that individuals rely upon to understand and respond to events. Collective action frames are persuasive communications constructed during mobilization campaigns, frequently to call attention to a perceived problem or issue, itemize steps to resolve the issue, and motivate others regarding the issue's urgency and the importance of taking action [e.g. 1]. There is substantial empirical evidence that framing rhetoric influences the success or failure of social movements, and that movement members are increasingly relying upon social media to communicate their frames. Consequently, there is considerable interest within the security informatics community to develop methods for detecting framing rhetoric in social (and other) media [2]. Particularly valuable would be computational methods capable of distinguishing framing from non-framing content using only limited labeled examples of framing discourse, because generating such labels typically requires experienced analysts and is an expensive and time-consuming undertaking.
Predicting cancer drug response: advancing the DREAM.

Summary: The DREAM challenge is a community effort to assess current capabilities in systems biology. Two recent challenges focus on cancer cell drug sensitivity and drug synergism, and highlight strengths and weaknesses of current approaches. Cancer Discov; 5(3); 237–8. ©2015 AACR .
Improving Return Visits In Private Provider Offices Through Immunization Reminder/Recall. † 649

Improving Return Visits In Private Provider Offices Through Immunization Reminder/Recall. † 649
ECO-Map: Technology remapping for post-mask ECO using simulated annealing

With transistor mask costs soaring and the delays associated with full design re-spins escalating, post-mask Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) - design changes after the masks have been prepared - are increasingly carried out by keeping transistor masks intact and revising only the metal masks. In this paper, we propose a novel design flow for achieving technology remapping for post-mask ECOs. In contrast to conventional technology mapping and placement algorithms that have no notion of the quantity for each gate type and the location of placed spare/recycled cells, our flow ECO-Map provides an ideal scalable framework for achieving global optimization in a post-mask ECO scenario. Given the changed logic due to a functional ECO and a limited number of placed spare/recycled cells, ECO-Map finds a resource-feasible Boolean cover and optimally fits the changed logic into the available resources. This ensures minimal perturbation of the existing solution and keeps transistor masks intact, thus reducing non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs. Experiments performed on MCNC benchmarks show the effectiveness of our approach.
1.4.1 Preferential System Connectivity and its Impact on Performance

During the course of developing system performance requirements, the requirements engineer often refers to the connectivity between external nodes of the system in question. This connectivity is often documented in an adjacency matrix, or N2 diagram, in order to show the one or two way connections between systems. However, there is no means to show preferential connectivity if the system had an option to connect with a different system during the course of the mission, and assess the impact of the overall performance based on the connection selected. This paper develops a means to describe and quantify the impact of the preferential connection on the final outcome through an illustrative example.
Immunological and hematological consequences of deficient function of the spleen.

The following introductory remarks aim at a brief recapitulation of some anatomical and physiological data on the spleen, which might be helpful before the discussion of recent surgical problems with this organ.
Identification and differential regional expression of KOR-3/ORL-1 gene splice variants in mouse brain

KOR-3, also known as ORL-1, is a member of the opioid receptor family, encoding the murine receptor for orphanin FQ/nociceptin. In the current studies we have identified five different splice variants of KOR-3 in mouse brain, three of which have not been previously reported. In addition to variants with a 15 bp deletion at the 3′-end of the first coding exon (KOR-3d) and an 81 bp insertion between the second and third coding exons (KOR-3e), three new variants with insertions of 34 (KOR-3a), 98 (KOR-3b), and 139 bp (KOR-3c) between the first and second coding exons have been obtained. The expression of the three variants in mouse brain varies markedly among brain regions with a distribution which is quite distinct from KOR-3 itself. Of greatest interest was the presence of high levels of KOR-3a in the striatum, a region with no demonstrable KOR-3, and in the cortex. KOR-3c was seen in the periaqueductal gray and hypothalamus, regions where KOR-3 predominated. The brainstem had similar levels of KOR-3, KOR-3a, and KOR-3d. In contrast, KOR-3d was most prominent in the cerebellum. KOR-3b levels were very low throughout.
Baculovirus Transregulator IE1 Requires a Dimeric Nuclear Localization Element for Nuclear Import and Promoter Activation

Immediate-early protein IE1 is a principal regulator of viral transcription and a contributor to origin-specific DNA replication of the baculovirus Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). Since these viral functions involve interaction of dimeric IE1 with palindromic homologous region (hr) enhancer-origin elements of the AcMNPV genome within the nucleus, it is presumed that proper nuclear transport of IE1 is essential for productive infection. To investigate the mechanisms of IE1 nuclear import, we analyzed the effect of site-directed mutations on IE1 subcellular distribution. As demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy and biochemical fractionation of plasmid-transfected cells, wild-type IE1 localized predominantly to the nucleus. Substitution or deletion of amino acid residues within a positively charged domain (residues 534 to 538) adjacent to IE1's oligomerization motif impaired nuclear import and caused loss of transactivation. Moreover, upon coexpression, these import-defective mutations prevented nuclear entry of wild-type IE1. In contrast, double-mutated IE1 defective for both nuclear import and dimerization failed to block nuclear entry or transactivation by wild-type IE1. Thus, import-defective IE1 dominantly interfered with wild-type IE1 by direct interaction and cytosolic trapping. Collectively, our data indicate that the small basic domain encompassing residues R(537) and R(538) constitutes a novel nuclear localization element that functions only upon IE1 dimerization. These findings support a model wherein IE1 oligomerizes within the cytosol as a prerequisite for nuclear entry and subsequent high-affinity interaction with the symmetrical binding sites comprising AcMNPV hr enhancer-origin elements.
Potential modifier role of the R618Q variant of proα2(I)collagen in type I collagen fibrillogenesis: in vitro assembly analysis

An arginine to glutamine substitution in the triple helix of proalpha2(I)collagen (R618Q) was first reported in a patient with a variant of Marfan syndrome and later identified in conjunction with a second mutation in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The presence of the R618Q proalpha2(I)collagen allele in unaffected or mildly affected family members suggests that the R618Q allele is either a non-affecting polymorphism or a potential genetic modifier. Conservation of arginine618 across species and fibrillar collagen types suggests it is functionally significant. To investigate the functional significance of the R618Q proalpha2(I)collagen allele, we isolated type I collagen from cultured dermal fibroblasts of control and two unrelated individuals heterozygous for the R618Q proalpha2(I)collagen allele and evaluated helical stability and fibrillar assembly. Type I collagen thermal stability analyzed by protease susceptibility and CD spectroscopy demonstrated no statistical difference between control and R618Q containing collagen molecules. In vitro fibril assembly analyses demonstrated that R618Q containing collagen exhibits rapid fibrillar growth with minimal fibril nucleation phase. Further, electron microscopy demonstrated that the diameter of assembled R618Q containing collagen fibrils was approximately 20% of control collagen fibrils. These findings suggest the R618Q variant does not impact triple helical stability but has a role in collagen fibril assembly, supporting the hypothesis that the R618Q proalpha2(I)collagen variant is a modifier of connective tissue structure/function and is potentially involved in disease pathogenesis.
Gaussian fluctuations for the magnetization of Lee-Yang ferromagnets at zero external field

We consider the fluctuations of the block spin magnetization normalized by the square root of the considered number of spins in a blockΛ for Lee-Yang ferromagnets. It is established that the fluctuations are Gaussian whenΛ ↑ ℤ d at zero external field whenever the susceptibility is finite (i.e., above the critical temperature) and converges to the second derivative of the pressure at zero field. The validity of this fluctuation-dissipation condition is known to hold for a large class of Lee-Yang models, including, for instance, classical Heisenberg ferromagnets.
Experiences with a tablet PC based lecture presentation system in computer science courses

Computer science instructors frequently teach using slides displayed with a computer and a data projector. This has many advantages, e.g., ability to present prepared materials and ease of switching the display to a development environment during mid-presentation. However, existing computer-based presentation systems severely limit flexibility in delivery, hindering instructors' extemporaneous adaptation of their presentations to match their audiences. One major limitation of computer-based systems is lack of support for high-quality handwriting over slides, as with overhead projectors and other manual presentation systems. We developed and deployed Classroom Presenter, a Tablet PC-based presentation system that (1) combines the advantages of existing computer-based and manual presentation systems and (2) builds on these systems, introducing novel affordances. Classroom Presenter has been used in 25 Computer Science courses at three universities. In this paper we describe the system, summarize results from its deployment, and detail several novel uses of the system by instructors in computer science courses.
Monitoring photopolymerization reactions with optical pyrometry

This article describes the development of optical pyrometry (OP) as a new analytical technique for the continuous monitoring of the progress of both free-radical and cationic photopolymerizations. The method is rapid, reproducible, and very easy to implement. A temperature profile of a photopolymerization can be obtained. Preliminary studies have shown that the temperatures of some polymerizing monomers can easily reach temperatures in excess of 250 °C. The effects of the mass and reactivity of the monomer, light intensity, structures, and concentrations of the photoinitiators and monomers as well as the presence or absence of oxygen on various free-radical and cationic photopolymerizations were examined with this method. Coupling of real-time infrared spectroscopy with OP provides a convenient method for simultaneously monitoring both the chemical conversion and the temperature of a photopolymerization. This combined technique affords new insights into the effects of temperature-induced autoacceleration on the course of photopolymerizations.
N-methylpurine DNA glycosylase and DNA polymerase β modulate BER inhibitor potentiation of glioma cells to temozolomide

Temozolomide (TMZ) is the preferred chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of glioma following surgical resection and/or radiation. Resistance to TMZ is attributed to efficient repair and/or tolerance of TMZ-induced DNA lesions. The majority of the TMZ-induced DNA base adducts are repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathway and therefore modulation of this pathway can enhance drug sensitivity. N-methylpurine DNA glycosylase (MPG) initiates BER by removing TMZ-induced N3-methyladenine and N7-methylguanine base lesions, leaving abasic sites (AP sites) in DNA for further processing by BER. Using the human glioma cell lines LN428 and T98G, we report here that potentiation of TMZ via BER inhibition [methoxyamine (MX), the PARP inhibitors PJ34 and ABT-888 or depletion (knockdown) of PARG] is greatly enhanced by over-expression of the BER initiating enzyme MPG. We also show that methoxyamine-induced potentiation of TMZ in MPG expressing glioma cells is abrogated by elevated-expression of the rate-limiting BER enzyme DNA polymerase β (Polβ), suggesting that cells proficient for BER readily repair AP sites in the presence of MX. Further, depletion of Polβ increases PARP inhibitor-induced potentiation in the MPG over-expressing glioma cells, suggesting that expression of Polβ modulates the cytotoxic effect of combining increased repair initiation and BER inhibition. This study demonstrates that MPG overexpression, together with inhibition of BER, sensitizes glioma cells to the alkylating agent TMZ in a Polβ-dependent manner, suggesting that the expression level of both MPG and Polβ might be used to predict the effectiveness of MX and PARP-mediated potentiation of TMZ in cancer treatment.
Structure and Mechanism of E. coli Rnase.

INTRODUCTION. RNase T is one of eight distinct 3’ to 5’ exoribonucleases identified in Escherichia coli[1]. It belongs to the DEDD exonuclease superfamily[2] characterized by common motifs consisting of four invariant acidic residues, which in DNA polymerases were shown to form the exonuclease active site[3]. RNase T plays an important role in stable RNA metabolism, including tRNA end turnover and 3’ maturation of many stable RNAs[1]. RNase T proteins are small polypeptides of about 220 amino acids. They are closely related to the proofreading domains/subunits of bacterial DNA polymerase III, and interestingly, E. coli RNase T also displays strong DNA exonuclease activity[4,5]. E. coli RNase T must form a homodimer in order to function[1].
Toward automatic role identification in unannotated folk tales

This paper presents an approach for automatically identifying high-level narrative structure information, particularly character roles, from unannotated folk tales. We introduce a new representation called action matrices to encode Propp's narrative theory on character role and their "sphere of action." We tested our approach in a fully automated system (Voz) using a corpus of 10 folk tales. Our experimental evaluation shows that action matrices capture useful information for role identification, provides insight into the error introduced by individual steps, and identifies the current bottlenecks.
Handover education improves skill and confidence.

Summary Background Despite the frequency of patient-care handovers and vulnerability to errors, medical schools infrequently teach handover skills. Our study evaluated the impact of a medical school handover curriculum on students’ performance, as rated by faculty members, peers and self-assessment. Methods Nineteen fourth-year medical students participated in a handover curriculum that included a workshop and three directly observed patient handovers, with feedback from faculty members. Multivariate repeated-measures analysis evaluated faculty member, peer, and self-rated performance over time. Students’ self-assessed confidence in performing handovers prior to, at the end of, and 8–12 months after the curriculum was also analysed. Results Faculty member, peer and self-assessments showed that students’ performance significantly improved after the curriculum, on handover content, clinical judgment and overall performance (p < 0.05). Students rated the curriculum as effective and characterised themselves as more prepared to perform handovers, with these findings persisting for 8–12 months (p ≤ 0.001). Medical schools infrequently teach handover skills Discussion A handover curriculum appears to improve medical students’ handover performance, as evaluated by independent ratings from faculty members, peers and the students themselves, in addition to improving the students’ confidence.
A New Gene Affecting the Efficiency of Mating-Type Interconversions in Homothallic Strains of SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

Homothallic strains of Saccharomyes cerevisiae are able to switch efficiently from one mating genotype to another. From a single haploid spore arise both a and α mating type cells, which then self-mate to produce a colony consisting almost exclusively of nonmating a/α diploid cells. We have isolated a mutant homothallic strain that gives rise to colonies that show bisexual mating behavior. The mating reaction is always asymmetric, that is, in some colonies a mating is much stronger than α mating, while others show greater α than a mating.—This mating phenotype arises from the presence of three cell types in a colony: some a/α nonmating diploids and an unequal number of a and α haploid cells. The predominant haploid type is that of the original cell that gives rise to the colony. This mixture of cell types arises from a very reduced efficiency of homothallic mating-type interconversions in the mutant strain.—The mutation, designated switch (swi1–1), behaves as a single genetic locus. The mutation is centromere linked, but not linked to the mating type locus or to any of the homothallism genes: HO, HMa and HMα. The switch mutation does not affect the efficiency of self-mating, but rather directly affects the frequency of interconversion of mating types.
Comparison of planting stock for establishing black walnut in central Kansas

Abstract Reliability and cost of different types of planting stock under various climatic and site conditions are important. We tested three types of planting stock for survival and growth: bare-root seedlings, nuts, and container stock of black walnut. In this study, in which we had good soil fertility, weed control, and moisture, we found no difference in the success between the three types of plantings. If seed predation problems may exist, using bare-root, dormant seedlings in the spring for establishing typical forestry plantings is encouraged; otherwise seeds may be used if in an open field site.