Coexpression of Bcl-2, c-Myc, and p53 oncoproteins as prognostic discriminants in patients with colorectal carcinoma

Lanepitant is a high-affinity, selective neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1) and is effective in the dural inflammation model of acute migraine. Lanepitant 30, 80, and 240 mg given orally was evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study to determine its effect in reducing migraine pain and severity of associated symptoms. Outpatients treated four migraine headaches of moderate or severe pain intensity with study drug according to a randomization schedule. They recorded their pain intensity and severity of migraine-associated symptoms at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min. Although 53 patients were randomly allocated to a treatment sequence, only 40 patients completed all treatments. There was no statistically significant difference in improvement in migraine pain at any time for any of the treatments. Additionally, there was no change in severity of migraine-associated symptoms associated with lanepitant therapy. No adverse events could be attributed to lanepitant. Lanepitant was ineffective orally in treating acute migraine in this trial. This may be due to poor bioavailability during a migraine attack. Alternatively, the neurogenic inflammation hypothesis may not apply to migraine.     

Characterising urban concentration and land-use diversity in simulations of future land use

This paper presents two sets of functional indicators that were implemented and tested for the assessment of spatial aspects of future land-use configurations as simulated by a land-use model. This is potentially useful for the ex-ante evaluation of spatial planning policies. The indicators were applied in a Dutch case study and relate to two important themes in Dutch spatial planning: compact urbanisation and mixing of land uses. After a short introduction of these themes, the sets of indicators are presented which are used for their evaluation. These indicators are applied to simulations based on two scenarios for land-use development in the Netherlands up to 2030. After a discussion of the results we conclude that the combined application of land-use models and indicators produces new and potentially useful information for policy makers, although both the model and the associated indicators are still in a state of development.     

Efficient polymer nanocrystal hybrid solar cells by improved nanocrystal composition

We demonstrate the importance of the nanocrystal surface treatment and the inorganic composition for hybrid solar cells. Mixtures of CdSe nanorods and CdSe quantum dots integrated in hybrid solar cells together with the conjugated polymer poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']-dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT) perform better than nanorod and quantum dot only based devices. In addition larger sized quantum dots show a similar improvement after integration in respective solar cells. Power conversion efficiency values exceeding 3% are observed. A first result on the shelf lifetime of such a device is highlighted.     

Application of reinforcement learning to the game of Othello

Operations research and management science are often confronted with sequential decision making problems with large state spaces. Standard methods that are used for solving such complex problems are associated with some difficulties. As we discuss in this article, these methods are plagued by the so-called curse of dimensionality and the curse of modelling. In this article, we discuss reinforcement learning, a machine learning technique for solving sequential decision making problems with large state spaces. We describe how reinforcement learning can be combined with a function approximation method to avoid both the curse of dimensionality and the curse of modelling. To illustrate the usefulness of this approach, we apply it to a problem with a huge state space—learning to play the game of Othello. We describe experiments in which reinforcement learning agents learn to play the game of Othello without the use of any knowledge provided by human experts. It turns out that the reinforcement learning agents learn to play the game of Othello better than players that use basic strategies.     

Effect of altering the daily herbage allowance to cows in mid lactation on the composition, ripening and functionality of low-moisture, part-skim Mozzarella cheese

A retrospective chart review was used to examine sexual behavior (hypersexual, exposing, and victimizing) and cognitive impairment in 200 youth who had serious mental illness. Lower IQ was associated with increased sexual acting-out. For more serious victimizing sexual behaviors, only Verbal IQ differences reached statistical significance. Overall, sexual behavior was strongly associated with a history of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse history was significantly associated only with lower Performance IQ. Therefore, the association between low Verbal IQ and sexual victimizing behavior is distinct from the effects of sexual abuse. Results underscore the importance of verbal cognitive abilities, regardless of overall cognitive level, in the etiology and treatment of sexual behaviors, especially among individuals without a history of sexual abuse.     

Purification of a mammalian homologue of Escherichia coli endonuclease III: identification of a bovine pyrimidine hydrate-thymine glycol DNAse/AP lyase by irreversible cross linking to a thymine glycol-containing oligoxynucleotide

We purified a homologue of the Escherichia coli DNA repair enzyme endo nuclease III 5000-fold from calf thymus which, like endonuclease III, demonstrates DNA-glycosylase activity against pyrimidine hydrates and thymine glycol and AP lyase activity (DNA strand cleavage at AP sites via beta-elimination). The functional similarity between the enzymes suggested a strategy for definitive identification of the bovine protein based on the nature of its enzyme-substrate (ES) intermediate. Prokaryotic DNA glycosylase/AP lyases function through N-acylimine (Schiff's base) ES intermediates which, upon chemical reduction to stable secondary amines, irreversibly cross link the enzyme to oligodeoxynucleotides containing substrate modified bases. We incubated endonuclease III with a 32P- labeled thymine glycol-containing oligodeoxynucleotide in the presence of NaCNBH3. This resulted in an increase in the apparent molecular weight of the enzyme by SDS-PAGE. Phosphorimaging confirmed irreversible cross linking between enzyme and DNA. Identical treatment of the most purified bovine enzyme fraction resulted in irreversible cross linking of the oligodeoxynucleotide to a predominant 31 kDa species. Amino acid analysis of the 31 kDa species revealed homology to the predicted amino acid sequence of a Caenorhabditis elegans 27.8 kDa protein which, in turn, has homology to endonuclease III. The translated amino acid sequences of two partial 3' cDNAs, from Homo sapiens and Rattus sp., also demonstrate homology to the C. elegans and bovine sequences suggesting a homologous family of endonuclease III-like DNA repair enzymes is present throughout phylogeny.