Kruppel-like factor 4 suppresses neuroblastoma growth by promoting smooth-muscle differentiation

Poster Board Number: 2105Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonic tumor and possesses a unique propensity to exhibit either a spontaneous regression or an unrestrained growth. Growing evidence suggests that NB comprises heterogeneous populations of improperly differentiated neural crest cells and a small subset of NB cells behaves as stem cells. Commitment of NB stem cells to the fibromuscular lineage may give a favorable outcome, while to the neuronal lineage results in a malignant tumor progression. Kruppel like factor 4 (KLF4) is one of the key reprogramming factors. Intriguingly, it also possesses paradoxical functions in cancers, either as an oncogene or tumor suppressor dependent of cell context. In this study, we elucidated the roles of KLF4 in the lineage determination of NB stem cells and tumor progression. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that loss of KLF4 expression ...published_or_final_versio

An effectual approach to online social networking in entrepreneurial marketing: an empirical research from small hospitality firms

Online social networking is considered a low-cost, effective and efficient approach for entrepreneurs to practice marketing. Using various types of the network has been established in the literature as crucial to the way in which entrepreneurs do business. It is suggested that small firms with limited sources can utilise the “affordable” marketing approach to enhance their competitive advantage through networking with customers which is essential for firms’ survival. While previous studies have explored how entrepreneurs use social media marketing, little evidence as to how they use effectual approach to utilise social media channels in their online networking activities. As such, our paper looks into entrepreneurial online social networks and how these networks are used among small firms to facilitate their marketing strategy. Our study has illustrated how entrepreneurs in small hospitality firms used social media as a tool to carrying out online networking activities from an effectual perspective. In doing so, we contribute to EM literature by enhancing our knowledge in entrepreneurs’ online networking activities from an effectual approach. As a working paper, we aim to further develop our work by conducting the main study stage with a more in-depth interview with entrepreneurs from a wider range of companies to explore more insightfully the effectual process toward online networking to facilitate entrepreneurial marketing

Scalar decay in a three-dimensional chaotic flow

The decay of a passive scalar in a three-dimensional chaotic flow is studied using high-resolution numerical simulations. The (volume-preserving) flow considered is a three-dimensional extension of the randomised alternating sine flow employed extensively in studies of mixing in two dimensions. It is used to show that theoretical predictions for two-dimensional flows with small diffusivity carry over to three dimensions even though the stretching properties differ significantly. The variance decay rate, scalar field structure, and time evolution of statistical moments confirm that there are two distinct regimes of scalar decay: a locally controlled regime, which applies when the domain size is comparable to the characteristic lengthscale of the velocity field, and a globally controlled regime, which when applies when the domain is larger. Asymptotic predictions for the variance decay rate in both regimes show excellent agreement with the numerical results. Consideration of both the forward flow and its time reverse makes it possible to compare the scalar evolution in flows with one or two expanding directions; simulations confirm the theoretical prediction that the decay rate of the scalar is the same in both flows, despite the very different scalar field structures

Differentiating between live and deadﾠMycobacterium smegmatisﾠusing autofluorescence

While there have been research efforts to find faster and more efficient diagnostic techniques for tuberculosis (TB), it is equally important to monitor a patient's response to treatment over time, especially with the increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively-drug resistant (XDR) TB. Between sputum smear microscopy, culture, and GeneXpert, only culture can verify viability of mycobacteria. However, it may take up to six weeks to grow Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), during which time the patient may have responded to treatment or the mycobacteria are still viable because the patient has MDR or XDR TB. In both situations, treatment incurs increased patient costs and makes them more susceptible to host-drug effects such as liver damage. Coenzyme Factor 420 (F420) is a fluorescent coenzyme found naturally in mycobacteria, with an excitation peak around 420 nm and an emission peak around 470 nm. Using Mycobacterium smegmatis, we show that live and dead mycobacteria undergo different rates of photobleaching over a period of 2 min. These preliminary experiments suggest that the different photobleaching rates could be used to help monitor a patient's response to TB treatment. In future studies, we propose to describe these experiments with Mtb as both M. smegmatis and Mtb use F420

Disparate Effects of Cu and V on Structures of Exohedral Transition Metal-Doped Silicon Clusters: A Combined Far-Infrared Spectroscopic and Computational Study

The growth mechanisms of small cationic silicon clusters containing up to 11 Si atoms, exohedrally doped by V and Cu atoms, are described. We find that as dopants, V and Cu follow two different paths: while V prefers substitution of a silicon atom in a highly coordinated position of the cationic bare silicon clusters, Cu favors adsorption to the neutral or cationic bare clusters in a lower coordination site. The different behavior of the two transition metals becomes evident in the structures of SinM+ (n = 4−11 for M = V, and n = 6−11 for M = Cu), which are investigated by density functional theory and, for several sizes, confirmed by comparison with their experimental vibrational spectra. The spectra are measured on the corresponding SinM+·Ar complexes, which can be formed for the exohedrally doped silicon clusters. The comparison between experimental and calculated spectra indicates that the BP86 functional is suitable to predict far-infrared spectra of these clusters. In most cases, the calculated infrared spectrum of the lowest-lying isomer fits well with the experiment, even when various isomers and different electronic states are close in energy. However, in a few cases, namely Si9Cu+, Si11Cu+, and Si10V+, the experimentally verified isomers are not the lowest in energy according to the density functional theory calculations, but their structures still follow the described growth mechanism. The different growth patterns of the two series of doped Si clusters reflect the role of the transition metal’s 3d orbitals in the binding of the dopant atoms

Report of the QCD Tools Working Group

We report on the activities of the ``QCD Tools for heavy flavors and new physics searches'' working group of the Run II Workshop on QCD and Weak Bosons. The contributions cover the topics of improved parton showering and comparisons of Monte Carlo programs and resummation calculations, recent developments in Pythia, the methodology of measuring backgrounds to new physics searches, variable flavor number schemes for heavy quark electro-production, the underlying event in hard scattering processes, and the Monte Carlo MCFM for NLO processes.Comment: LaTeX, 47 pages, 41 figures, 10 tables, uses run2col.sty, to appear in the Proceedings of the Workshop on "QCD and Weak Boson Physics in Run II", Fermilab, March - November 199

Abrasive Weeding as a Vehicle for Precision Fertilizer Management in Organic Vegetable Production

Abrasive weeding is a nonchemical weed control tactic that uses small, gritty materials propelled with compressed air to destroy weed seedlings. Organic fertilizers have been used successfully as abrasive grits to control weeds, but the goal for this study was to explore the effects of fertilizer grit, application rates, and background soil fertility on weeds, plant available nitrogen (N) uptake, and crop yield. Field trials were conducted in organic ‘Carmen’ sweet red pepper (Capsicum annuum) and organic ‘Gypsy’ broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and treatments included organic fertilizer grit (8N–0.9P–3.3K vs. 3N–3.1P–3.3K), grit application rates (low vs. high), compost amendments (with and without), and weedy and weed-free controls. Weed biomass was harvested at 84 days and 65 days after transplanting for pepper and broccoli, respectively. Simulated total plant available N (nitrate + ammonium) uptake was measured with ion exchange resin stakes between 7 and 49 days after the first of two grit applications. Produce was harvested at maturity, graded for marketability, and weighed. The higher grit application rate, regardless of fertilizer type, reduced the weed biomass by 75% to 89% for pepper and by 86% to 99% for broccoli. By 5 weeks after the first grit application, simulated plant N uptake was greatest following grit application with the 8% N fertilizer, followed by the 3% N fertilizer, and lowest in the weedy control. The high grit application rate of 8% N fertilizer increased pepper yield by 112% compared with the weedy control, but it was similar to that of the weed-free control. Broccoli was less responsive to abrasive grits, with yield changes ranging from no difference to up to a 36% increase (relative to the weedy control) depending on the application rate and compost amendment. This is the first evidence indicating that the nutrient composition of organic fertilizer abrasive grits can influence in-season soil N dynamics, weed competition, and crop yield. The results suggest that abrasive weeding technology could be leveraged to improve the precision of in-season fertilizer management of organic crops

Integrated human papillomavirus analysis as an adjunct for triage of atypical cervical cytology

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