1,078 research outputs found
Anti-tumor Mechanisms of HPV16 E6*
High-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) are the causative agents of nearly all cases of cervical cancer, as well as a significant number of head, neck, penile, vulvar and anal cancers. Like many other viruses with small genomes, HPV (~8 kb) utilizes numerous mechanisms to increase the capacity of its genome to encode the proteins necessary for successful completion of its infectious life cycle, including alternative splicing. Studies over the past few decades have focused intensively on the activities and roles of E6 proteins from HR-HPVs during the process of cellular transformation, clearly implicating E6 as a major transforming agent. In contrast, the role of the smaller splice isoform, E6*, in the carcinogenic process has not yet been established. Based on previous studies, we proposed that E6* had the potential to reduce tumor formation in vivo. To test this prediction, we injected HPV16+ SiHa and HPV16- C33A cervical cancer cells overexpressing E6* into nude mice and monitored tumor growth over several weeks while comparing them with control tumors lacking E6* overexpression. E6* was found to reduce growth in both SiHa- and C33A-derived tumors. These findings were followed up by in vitro experiments showing that E6* binds to full-length E6 and decreases the growth rate in SiHa cells. Subsequently, we sought to find the cellular pathways most influenced by E6* in attenuating SiHa and C33A tumor growth. Thus, proteomic analysis was performed on both cell lines, revealing that the β -Integrin pathway in SiHa cells and the mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative phosphorylation pathway in C33A cells were the most significantly altered. Proteomic data was confirmed using immunoblot, microscopy, and flow cytometry techniques. These findings will assist in our quest for understanding the fundamental driving forces behind HPV-mediated and non-HPV-mediated cervical cancers and introduce novel ideas for small molecule inhibitors. Our studies provide several promising leads for future analyses, specifically in the context of human cancers, and carry with them the exciting possibility of replicating the anti-oncogenic activity of E6* in such a way as to provide therapeutic benefit
Engaging Students in Authentic Mathematical Discourse in a High School Mathematics Classroom
The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the successes and challenges a teacher faces when implementing authentic mathematical discourse in a high school mathematics classroom. Nine lessons were implemented that emphasized student engagement in Common Core Mathematics Practice Three (MP3) (construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.) This was a qualitative action research study that took place in a Geometry classroom with 16 9th-11th grade students. Personal journal entries were recorded by the teacher-researcher after each lesson which included detailed summaries of the lesson and reflections on instances of students engaging in MP3 as well as observed challenges that hindered students\u27 engagement in MP3. Observational data from a building-level instructional coach and student artifacts were also collected. Data showed that the following three factors were prominent in leading to student engagement in MP3: 1) transferring responsibility from the teacher to students; 2) investing into lesson plans, time management, class structure, and relationships with students; and 3) establishing a classroom culture of safety, respect, and high expectations. The results of the study indicated that high school mathematics students are capable of engaging in authentic mathematical discourse when teachers intentionally consider these three factors and implement lessons that provide opportunities and encourage students to engage in MP3
Immigration: The Shaping of Partisan Identity and Presidential Vote Choice
Immigration as an issue is salient in U.S. politics, particularly regarding the 2016 presidential election. Building a wall on the southern border of the United States, expanding border patrol units, and deporting all unauthorized aliens are all salient immigration issues pervasive in the politics of today. The Latino population is often targeted as the population that these issues affect to the greatest extent, and thus, their vote hinges upon the issue. What impact does immigration as an issue have on Latino partisan identity, and in turn, vote choice? The author draws election data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study and conducts regression analysis to determine the issue of immigration's effect on partisan identity and vote choice. The results show that immigration directly affects both Latino partisan identity and presidential vote choice. The findings point to further research on issue salience and party identification.Political Scienc
Comcast Launches New X1 Service in Utah to Compete in Innovative Industry
SALT LAKE CITY — Many Utahns received the latest Comcast technology Tuesday in what company executives hope will revolutionize the television experience.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/huntsman_news/1138/thumbnail.jp
Action at a distance as a full-value solution of Maxwell equations: basis and application of separated potential's method
The inadequacy of Li\'{e}nard-Wiechert potentials is demonstrated as one of
the examples related to the inconsistency of the conventional classical
electrodynamics. The insufficiency of the Faraday-Maxwell concept to describe
the whole electromagnetic phenomena and the incompleteness of a set of
solutions of Maxwell equations are discussed and mathematically proved. Reasons
of the introduction of the so-called ``electrodynamics dualism concept"
(simultaneous coexistence of instantaneous Newton long-range and
Faraday-Maxwell short-range interactions) have been displayed. It is strictly
shown that the new concept presents itself as the direct consequence of the
complete set of Maxwell equations and makes it possible to consider classical
electrodynamics as a self-consistent and complete theory, devoid of inward
contradictions. In the framework of the new approach, all main concepts of
classical electrodynamics are reconsidered. In particular, a limited class of
motion is revealed when accelerated charges do not radiate electromagnetic
field.Comment: ReVTeX file, 24pp. Small corrections which do not have influence
results of the paper. Journal reference is adde
Evolutionary Signatures in the Formation of Low-Mass Protostars. II. Towards Reconciling Models and Observations
A long-standing problem in low-mass star formation is the "luminosity
problem," whereby protostars are underluminous compared to the accretion
luminosity expected both from theoretical collapse calculations and arguments
based on the minimum accretion rate necessary to form a star within the
embedded phase duration. Motivated by this luminosity problem, we present a set
of evolutionary models describing the collapse of low-mass, dense cores into
protostars, using the Young & Evans (2005) model as our starting point. We
calculate the radiative transfer of the collapsing cores throughout the full
duration of the collapse in two dimensions. From the resulting spectral energy
distributions, we calculate standard observational signatures to directly
compare to observations. We incorporate several modifications and additions to
the original Young & Evans model in an effort to better match observations with
model predictions. We find that scattering, 2-D geometry, mass-loss, and
outflow cavities all affect the model predictions, as expected, but none
resolve the luminosity problem. A cycle of episodic mass accretion, however,
can resolve this problem and bring the model predictions into better agreement
with observations. Standard assumptions about the interplay between mass
accretion and mass loss in our model give star formation efficiencies
consistent with recent observations that compare the core mass function (CMF)
and stellar initial mass function (IMF). The combination of outflow cavities
and episodic mass accretion reduce the connection between observational Class
and physical Stage to the point where neither of the two common observational
signatures (bolometric temperature and ratio of bolometric to submillimeter
luminosity) can be considered reliable indicators of physical Stage.Comment: 27 pages. Accepted for publication in Ap
NASA Marshall Impact Testing Facility Capabilities Applicable to Lunar Dust Work
The Impact Testing Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center has several guns that would be of use in studying impact phenomena with respect to lunar dust. These include both ballistic guns, using compressed gas and powder charges, and hypervelocity guns, either light gas guns or an exploding wire gun. In addition, a plasma drag accelerator expected to reach 20 km/s for small particles is under development. Velocity determination and impact event recording are done using ultra-high-speed cameras. Simulation analysis is also available using the SPHC hydrocode
The clearing of discs around late type T Tauri stars: constraints from the infrared two colour plane
We have undertaken SED modeling of discs around low mass T Tauri stars in
order to delineate regions of the infrared two colour plane (K - [8] versus K -
[24]) that correspond to discs in different evolutionary stages. This provides
a ready tool for classifying the nature of star-disc systems based on infrared
photometry. In particular we demonstrate the distinct loci followed by discs
that undergo `uniform draining' (reduction in surface density by a spatially
uniform factor) from those that clear from the inside out. We draw attention to
the absence of objects on this `draining locus' in those star forming regions
where the 24um sensitivity would permit their detection, as compared with the
~20 objects in these regions with colours suggestive of inner holes. We thus
conclude that discs predominantly clear from the inside out. We also apply our
classification of the infrared two colour plane to stars of spectral type M3-M5
in the IC 348 cluster and show that some of its members (dubbed `weak excess'
sources by Muzerolle et al 2010) that had previously been assumed to be in a
state of clearing are instead likely to be optically thick discs in which the
dust is well settled towards the mid-plane. Nevertheless, there are many discs
in a state of partial clearing in IC 348, with their abundance (relative to the
total population of disc bearing stars) being around four times higher than for
comparable stars in Taurus. However, the number of partially cleared discs
relative to the total number of late type stars is similarly low in both
regions (10 and 20 % respectively). We therefore conclude that IC 348
represents a more evolved version of the Taurus population (with more of its
discs being highly settled or partially cleared) but that the timescale for
clearing is similarly short (a few times 10^5 years) in both cases.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted, MNRA
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