bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multidecadal responses of native and introduced fishes to natural and altered flow regimes in the American Southwest
Authors: Gido Keith B. , Propst David L. , Olden Julian D. , Bestgen Kevin R.
Published: January 2013

Both theory and empirical evidence identify flow regime as a primary factor driving the structure of riverine fish communities and spatial patterns of species invasions. We used long-term fish community monitoring data to evaluate hypothesized responses to interannual variability in flow attributes across seven rivers in the American Southwest. We asked the following three questions: (1) Can annual variation in species abundances be explained by attributes that represent flow seasonality, variability, and consistency? (2) Can species responses be predicted based on their origin (native versus nonnative) or life-history strategy? and (3) Are species responses to variation in specific flow attributes consistent across river systems with modified and natural flow regimes? We found that species responses to flow attributes were best predicted by origin, suggesting responses to flows are associated with adaptations to regional hydrologic variability. Additionally, most species responded negatively to increased flow variability, particularly in systems with an altered flow regime. Our findings demonstrate site- and taxa-specific responses to flows that can guide conservation of fishes in lotic systems of the American Southwest and elsewhere.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE NUCLEAR STRUCTURES OF EVEN–EVEN NEUTRON-RICH Sr, Zr AND Mo ISOTOPES
Authors: AYTEKIN HÜSEYIN , ARTUN OZAN
Published: January 2013

Binding energies and their differences are investigated to evaluate the two-neutron separation energies (S2n), the two-proton separation energies (S2p) and the average proton–neutron interaction strengths (δVpn) of neutron-rich Sr , Zr and Mo isotopes in the mass region A = 86–110, including even–even nuclei. Calculations were performed using the Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov (HFB) method with different Skyrme force parametrizations. The obtained results are discussed and compared with the results of experimental and relativistic mean-field theory (RMFT).
AUGMENTED SUPERFIELD APPROACH TO NON-YANG–MILLS SYMMETRIES OF JACKIW–PI MODEL: NOVEL OBSERVATIONS
Authors: GUPTA SAURABH , KUMAR R.
Published: January 2013

We derive the off-shell nilpotent and absolutely anti-commuting Becchi–Rouet–Stora–Tyutin (BRST) as well as anti-BRST symmetry transformations corresponding to the non-Yang–Mills (NYM) symmetry transformations of (2+1)-dimensional Jackiw–Pi (JP) model within the framework of "augmented" superfield formalism. The Curci–Ferrari (CF) restriction, which is a hallmark of non-Abelian one-form gauge theories, does not appear in this case. One of the novel features of our present investigation is the derivation of proper (anti-)BRST symmetry transformations corresponding to the auxiliary field ρ that cannot be derived by any conventional means.
DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLEX POROUS POLYVINYL ALCOHOL SCAFFOLDS: MICROSTRUCTURE, MECHANICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS
Authors: SHUAI CIJUN , MAO ZHONGZHENG , GAO CHENGDE , LIU JINGLIN , PENG SHUPING
Published: January 2013

Complex three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds with macro-pore size of 400–800 μm based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) powder were successfully developed by selective laser sintering (SLS) technology. The PVA scaffolds had customizable shape, controlled and totally interconnected porous structure, and high porosity. The microstructure and mechanical property were performed for their suitability for tissue engineering (TE). The results showed that PVA did not decompose while the degree of crystallization decreased in a given sintering condition. Moreover, there were micro-pores with sizes of 20–100 μm in the scaffold. The actual porosity of sintered scaffolds could be up to 82.35%, which was higher than the value of the designed models. An in vitro biocompatibility test showed MG-63 cells could well spread on the scaffold surface. The presented work demonstrates the favorable potential of PVA powder as TE scaffolds fabricated via SLS.
Sequence Control of Essential Siphons for Deadlock Prevention in Petri Nets
Authors: Zhang Zhiming , Wu Weimin
Published: January 2013

Deadlock prevention is crucial to the modeling of flexible manufacturing systems. In the Petri net framework, deadlock prevention is often addressed by siphon-based control (SC) policies. Recent research results show that SC methods can avoid full siphon enumeration by using mixed integer programming (MIP) to greatly increase the computational efficiency so that it can be applied in large systems in computable time. Besides, maximally permissive control solutions can be obtained by means of iterative siphon control (ISC) approaches and MIP. Then the remaining problems are redundancy and MIP iterations. Redundant controllers make the closed-loop system more complicated and each MIP iteration increases the total computational time. This article proposes a revised ISC deadlock prevention policy which can achieve better results than the other reported methods in terms of redundancy and MIP iterations while maintaining the maximal permissiveness. Several benchmark examples are provided to illustrate the proposed approach and to be compared with the other reported methods.
Formal Specification of Medical Systems by Proof-Based Refinement
Authors: Méry Dominique , Singh Neeraj Kumar
Published: January 2013

Formal methods have emerged as an alternative approach to ensuring quality and correctness of highly critical systems, overcoming limitations of traditional validation techniques such as simulation and testing. We propose a refinement-based methodology for complex medical systems design, which possesses all the required key features. A refinement-based combined approach of formal verification, model validation using a model-checker and refinement chart is proposed in this methodology for designing a high-confidence medical device. Furthermore, we show the effectiveness of this methodology for the design of a cardiac pacemaker system.
When reviews do more than sting
Authors: Meyer Bertrand
Published: January 2013

The
Communications
Web site, http://cacm.acm.org, features more than a dozen bloggers in the BLOG@CACM community. In each issue of
Communications
, we'll publish selected posts or excerpts

.

twitter

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blogCACM

http://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm

Bertrand Meyer wonders why malicious reviews run rampant in computer science.
Life in simulation
Authors: Savage Neil
Published: January 2013

Computational models are tackling the complexity of biology, from single-celled microbes to human organs.
More sight on foresight
Authors: Neumann Peter G.
Published: January 2013

Reflecting on elections, natural disasters, and the future.
Reflections on Stanford's MOOCs
Authors: Cooper Steve , Sahami Mehran
Published: January 2013

New possibilities in online education create new challenges.
New approaches to security and availability for cloud data
Authors: Juels Ari , Oprea Alina
Published: January 2013

Extending the data trust perimeter from the enterprise to the public cloud requires more than encryption.
Mitigating multi-threats optimally in proactive threat management
Authors: Bedi Punam , Gandotra Vandana , Singhal Archana , Narang Himanshi , Sharma Sumit
Published: January 2013

In turbulent economic times, the cost effectiveness of security measures is of the utmost importance when designing safeguards or countermeasures. This paper presents an optimal approach: MMT-O, Mitigating Multi-Threats Optimally, to meet the above challenges. The proposed approach is based on an optimum mitigation path set generation algorithm that provides optimal plans for threat/vulnerability management which can be adopted at the design level of the software life cycle. In MMT-O, a multi-threat attack graph is generated by combining all of the individual threats responsible for security compromise of the system. It identifies a unique set of attacks needing mitigation by removing redundant nodes, as an attack can be a part of multiple threats. The proposed algorithm, implemented in Java, provides the minimum mitigation paths required to be blocked to avert the threat. Countermeasures using a multi-agent system are inducted in these identified mitigation paths to avert the threat optimally. The proposed approach has been applied on different test cases and the results validate its economic justification over traditional security solutions as a part of proactive threat management.
A curriculum for large scale software development
Authors: Mishra Alok , Mishra Deepti
Published: January 2013

Large scale software developments are becoming common in software development organizations. Getting exposure to work on similar projects is very significant for this course. Here, major components of large scale software development curriculum are discussed along with suggestions towards making it a successful course of software engineering curriculum.
UML modeling of load optimization for distributed computer systems based on genetic algorithm
Authors: Saxena Vipin , Arora Deepak , Mishra Nimesh
Published: January 2013

Distributed computing has now become one of the most efficient network system configurations to exhibit parallelism in loosely coupled systems. These systems are known for better reliability, availability, scalability and robustness, intended to provide high performance computing in a very efficient manner. The composition of distributed systems consists of multiple autonomous computers that can be geographically dispersed and interconnected with each other to provide optimum resource utilization. The degree of resource utilization is one of the key criteria for evaluating the performance of such systems. We propose a genetic-algorithm-based approach to load optimization in a distributed computing environment. Genetics algorithm has been adapted from the biological gene theory. Since it shows the existence of the fittest chromosome from the sample chromosomes population, it may be used to find the most optimum solution for any problem. This research work demonstrates the implication of genetic algorithms to optimize the overall waiting time for a set of processes to be executed on a set of servers. In order to understand the design complexity, we modeled the proposed approach using UML class and sequence diagrams. The results of the proposed model have been found beneficial when implemented and tested under various test scenarios using C++.
Analyzing software effort estimation using k means clustered regression approach
Authors: Nagpal Geeta , Uddin Moin , Kaur Arvinder
Published: January 2013

Software estimation is an area where more assurances have been broken than in any other area of software development. Numerous studies attempting new and reliable software effort estimation techniques have been proposed but no consensus as to which techniques are the most appropriate has been reached so far. Due to the intangible nature of "software", effort estimation with a high level of accuracy remains a dream for developers. It is unlikely to expect very accurate estimates of development effort because of the inherent uncertainty in software projects and the complex and dynamic interaction of factors that impact software development. Heterogeneity exists in software engineering datasets because data is obtained from diverse sources. This can be reduced by defining certain relationships between the data values by classifying them into different clusters. This study focuses on how the combination of clustering and regression techniques can reduce the potential problem in effectiveness of predictive efficiency due to heterogeneity of the data. Using a clustered approach creates subsets of data having a degree of homogeneity that enhances prediction accuracy. It was also observed in this study that ridge regression performs better than other regression techniques. Another key finding is that by selecting a subset of highly predictive attributes using Grey relational analysis a significant improvement in prediction can be achieved.
COMETS
Authors: Couto Cesar , Maffort Cristiano , Garcia Rogel , Valente Marco Tulio
Published: January 2013

This paper documents a time series dataset on the evolution of seventeen object-oriented metrics extracted from ten open- source systems. By making this dataset public our goal is to assist researchers with interest in software evolution analysis and modeling.
Posterior Expectation of Regularly Paved Random Histograms
Authors: Sainudiin Raazesh , Teng Gloria , Harlow Jennifer , Lee Dominic
Published: January 2013

We present a novel method for averaging a sequence of histogram states visited by a Metropolis-Hastings Markov chain whose stationary distribution is the posterior distribution over a dense space of tree-based histograms. The computational efficiency of our posterior mean histogram estimate relies on a statistical data-structure that is sufficient for nonparametric density estimation of massive, multidimensional metric data. This data-structure is formalized as statistical regular paving (SRP). A regular paving (RP) is a binary tree obtained by selectively bisecting boxes along their first widest side. SRP augments RP by mutably caching the recursively computable sufficient statistics of the data. The base Markov chain used to propose moves for the Metropolis-Hastings chain is a random walk that data-adaptively prunes and grows the SRP histogram tree. We use a prior distribution based on Catalan numbers and detect convergence heuristically. The performance of our posterior mean SRP histogram is empirically assessed for large sample sizes simulated from several multivariate distributions that belong to the space of SRP histograms.
Modeling adaptation with Klaim
Authors: Gjondrekaj Edmond , Loreti Michele , Pugliese Rosario , Tiezzi Francesco
Published: January 2013

In recent years, it has been argued that systems and applications, in order to deal with their increasing complexity, should be able to adapt their behavior according to new requirements or environment conditions. In this paper, we present an investigation aiming at studying how coordination languages and formal methods can contribute to a better understanding, implementation and use of the mechanisms and techniques for adaptation currently proposed in the literature. Our study relies on the formal coordination language Klaim as a common framework for modeling some well-known adaptation techniques: the IBM MAPE-K loop, the Accord component-based framework for architectural adaptation, and the aspect- and context-oriented programming paradigms. We illustrate our approach through a simple example concerning a data repository equipped with an automated cache mechanism.
A document-level sentiment analysis approach using artificial neural network and sentiment lexicons
Authors: Sharma Anuj , Dey Shubhamoy
Published: January 2013

The abundance of discussion forums, Weblogs, e-commerce portals, social networking, product review sites and content sharing sites has facilitated flow of ideas and expression of opinions. The user-generated text content on Internet and Web 2.0 social media can be a rich source of sentiments, opinions, evaluations, and reviews. Sentiment analysis or opinion mining has become an open research domain that involves classifying text documents based on the opinion expressed, about a given topic, being positive or negative. This paper proposes a sentiment classification model using back-propagation artificial neural network (BPANN). Information Gain, and three popular sentiment lexicons are used to extract sentiment representing features that are then used to train and test the BPANN. This novel approach combines the strength of BPANN in classification accuracy with intrinsic subjectivity knowledge available in the sentiment lexicons. The results obtained from experiments on the movie and hotel review corpora have shown that the proposed approach has been able to reduce dimensionality, while producing accurate results for sentiment based classification of text.
ECOPS: Energy-Efficient Collaborative Opportunistic Positioning for Heterogeneous Mobile Devices
Authors: Dhondge Kaustubh , Park Hyungbae , Choi Baek-Young , Song Sejun
Published: January 2013

The fast growing popularity of smartphones and tablets enables us to use various intelligent mobile applications. As many of those applications require position information, smart mobile devices provide positioning methods such as Global Positioning System (GPS), WiFi-based positioning system (WPS), or Cell-ID-based positioning service. However, those positioning methods have different characteristics of energy-efficiency, accuracy, and service availability. In this paper, we present an Energy-Efficient Collaborative and Opportunistic Positioning System (ECOPS) for heterogeneous mobile devices. ECOPS facilitates a collaborative environment where many mobile devices can opportunistically receive position information over energy-efficient and prevalent WiFi, broadcasted from a few other devices in the communication range. The position-broadcasting devices in ECOPS have sufficient battery power and up-to-date location information obtained from accurate but energy-inefficient GPS. A position receiver in ECOPS estimates its location using a combination of methods including received signal strength indicators and 2D trilateration. Our field experiments show that ECOPS significantly reduces the total energy consumption of devices while achieving an acceptable level of location accuracy. ECOPS can be especially useful for unique resource scarce, infrastructureless, and mission critical scenarios such as battlefields, border patrol, mountaineering expeditions, and disaster area assistance.
Spatial Filter Housing for Enhancement of the Shielding Effectiveness of Perforated Enclosures with Lossy Internal Coating: Broadband Characterization
Authors: Hussein Khalid F. A.
Published: January 2013

This work is concerned with studying and enhancement of the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of open metallic enclosures with openings over a wide range of the frequency including the UHF band. The suggested methods depend on the suppression of the excessive power penetrating the enclosure cavity especially at its resonances by a variety of methods that include increasing aspect ratio of the rectangular aperture, splitting the opening into a number of apertures, coating the internal walls of the metallic enclosure with a multilayered lossy material of the appropriate conductivity profile, and, finally, placing the metallic enclosure inside a spatial filter housing. A minimum value of 20 dB is achieved for the shielding effectiveness using the suggested methods. The present work also provides a study to investigate the effect of the direction and polarization of the incident plane wave on the shielding effectiveness of the enclosure.
Effect of Cobalt Fillers on Polyurethane Segmentations Investigated by Synchrotron Small Angle X-Ray Scattering
Authors: Koyvanich Krit , Sirisathitkul Chitnarong , Rugmai Supagorn
Published: January 2013

The segmentation between rigid and rubbery chains in polyurethanes (PUs) influences polymeric properties and implementations. Several models have successfully been proposed to visualize the configuration between the hard segment (HS) and soft segment (SS). For particulate PU composites, the arrangement of HS and SS is more complicated because the fillers tend to disrupt the chain formation and segmentation. In this work, the effect of ferromagnetic cobalt (Co) powders (average diameter 2 μm) on PU synthesized from a reaction between polyether polyol (soft segment) and diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate (hard segment) was studied with varying loadings (0, 20, 40, and 60 wt.%). The 300 μm thick PU/Co samples were tape-casted and then received heat treatment at 80°C for 180 min. From synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), the plot of the X-ray scattering intensity (I) against the scattering vector (q) exhibited a typical single peak of PU whose intensity was reduced by the increase in the Co loading. Characteristic SAXS peaks in the case of 0-20 wt.% Co agreed well with the scattering by globular hard segment domains according to Zernike-Prins and Percus-Yevick models. The higher Co loadings led to larger deviations from all theoretical models.
A Case of Premature Ovarian Failure in a 33-Year-Old Woman
Authors: Colao Emma , Granata Teresa , Vismara Marco F. M. , Bombardiere Francesco , Nocera Donatella , Luciano Elisa , Perrotti Nicola , Malatesta Paola
Published: January 2013

Objective. To assess aetiology of a POF in a 33-year-old woman and, if possible, plan a cure.Design. Case report.Setting. medical genetics diagnostic unit in a university hospital.Patient. A 33-year-old woman with premature ovarian failure (POF).Intervention(s). Genetic counseling, karyotyping, FISH study.Result(s). Turner-like diagnosis.Conclusion(s). Most cases of POF remain idiopathic. Turner syndrome can occur in very different phenotypes; cytogenetic and molecular profiling can provide a definitive diagnosis in cases with nonclassical phenotype.
The Magnetic/Electrical Phase Diagram of Cr-Doped Antiperovskite CompoundsGaCFe3−xCrx(0≤x≤0.9)
Authors: Lin S. , Wang B. S. , Tong P. , Shao D. F. , Huang Y. N. , Lu W. J. , Zhao B. C. , Song W. H. , Sun Y. P.
Published: January 2013

We report the effect of Cr doping on the structural, magnetic, and electrical transport properties in Cr-doped antiperovskite compoundsGaCFe3−xCrx(0≤x≤0.9). With increasing the Cr contentx, the lattice constant increases while both the Curie temperature and the saturated magnetization decrease gradually. The electrical resistivity shows different behaviors as a function ofx. Forx≤0.6, there exists a semiconductor-like behavior below a certain temperature which decreases with increasingx. In contrast, for0.7≤x≤0.9, the resistivity shows a metallic behavior in the whole temperature measured (2–350 K). In particular, the Fermi-liquid behavior is obtained below 70 K. Finally, based on the magnetic and electrical properties ofGaCFe3−xCrx(0≤x≤0.9) a magnetic/electrical phase diagram was plotted.
Two Cases of Small Cell Cancer of the Maxillary Sinus Treated with Cisplatin plus Irinotecan and Radiotherapy
Authors: Tsukahara Kiyoaki , Nakamura Kazuhiro , Motohashi Ray , Sato Hiroki
Published: January 2013

Background. Small cell carcinoma (SmCC) in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is very rare, and definitive therapies have not yet been established.Methods. Chemoradiotherapy comprised 60 Gy of external radiation, with the administration of irinotecan intravenously at 60 mg/m2on days 1, 8, and 15 and cisplatin at 60 mg/m2on day 1.Results. Case 1 involved a 66-year-old woman with stage III cancer. Adverse events included decreased white blood cells, anemia, and oral mucositis, all Grade 2. The patient remained free of cancer as of 3 years and 6 months after completing the treatment. Case 2 involved a 60-year-old man with stage IV cancer. He also experienced adverse events of decreased white blood cells, anemia, and oral mucositis, all Grade 2. He died after 11 months due to metastases throughout the body.Conclusions. The results suggest that this regimen may be tolerable as a therapy for this type of carcinoma.
Targeting the Deregulated Spliceosome Core Machinery in Cancer Cells Triggers mTOR Blockade and Autophagy
Authors: Quidville Virginie , Alsafadi Samar , Goubar Aïcha , Commo Frédéric , Scott Véronique , Pioche-Durieu Catherine , Girault Isabelle , Baconnais Sonia , Le Cam Eric , Lazar Vladimir , Delaloge Suzette , Saghatchian Mahasti , Pautier Patricia , Morice Philippe , Dessen Philippe , Vagner Stéphan , André Fabrice
Published: January 2013

The spliceosome is a large ribonucleoprotein complex that guides pre-mRNA splicing in eukaryotic cells. Here, we determine whether the spliceosome could constitute an attractive therapeutic target in cancer. Analysis of gene expression arrays from lung, breast, and ovarian cancers datasets revealed that several genes encoding components of the core spliceosome composed of a heteroheptameric Sm complex were overexpressed in malignant disease as compared with benign lesions and could also define a subset of highly aggressive breast cancers. siRNA-mediated depletion of SmE (SNRPE) or SmD1 (SNRPD1) led to a marked reduction of cell viability in breast, lung, and melanoma cancer cell lines, whereas it had little effect on the survival of the nonmalignant MCF-10A breast epithelial cells. SNRPE or SNRPD1 depletion did not lead to apoptotic cell death but autophagy, another form of cell death. Indeed, induction of autophagy was revealed by cytoplasmic accumulation of autophagic vacuoles and by an increase in both LC3 (MAP1LC3A) protein conversion and the amount of acidic autophagic vacuoles. Knockdown of SNRPE dramatically decreased mTOR mRNA and protein levels and was accompanied by a deregulation of the mTOR pathway, which, in part, explains the SNRPE-dependent induction of autophagy. These findings provide a rational to develop new therapeutic agents targeting spliceosome core components in oncology. Cancer Res; 73(7); 2247–58. ©2013 AACR.
Biological Characterization of TAK-901, an Investigational, Novel, Multitargeted Aurora B Kinase Inhibitor
Authors: Farrell Pamela , Shi Lihong , Matuszkiewicz Jennifer , Balakrishna Deepika , Hoshino Takashi , Zhang Lilly , Elliott Sarah , Fabrey Robyn , Lee Bumsup , Halkowycz Petro , Sang BiChing , Ishino Seigo , Nomura Toshiyuki , Teratani Mika , Ohta Yoshikazu , Grimshaw Charles , Paraselli Bheema , Satou Takashi , de Jong Ron
Published: January 2013

Protein kinases Aurora A, B, and C play essential roles during mitosis and cell division, are frequently elevated in cancer, and represent attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. TAK-901 is an investigational, multitargeted Aurora B kinase inhibitor derived from a novel azacarboline kinase hinge-binder chemotype. TAK-901 exhibited time-dependent, tight-binding inhibition of Aurora B, but not Aurora A. Consistent with Aurora B inhibition, TAK-901 suppressed cellular histone H3 phosphorylation and induced polyploidy. In various human cancer cell lines, TAK-901 inhibited cell proliferation with effective concentration values from 40 to 500 nmol/L. Examination of a broad panel of kinases in biochemical assays revealed inhibition of multiple kinases. However, TAK-901 potently inhibited only a few kinases other than Aurora B in intact cells, including FLT3 and FGFR2. In rodent xenografts, TAK-901 exhibited potent activity against multiple human solid tumor types, and complete regression was observed in the ovarian cancer A2780 model. TAK-901 also displayed potent activity against several leukemia models. In vivo biomarker studies showed that TAK-901 induced pharmacodynamic responses consistent with Aurora B inhibition and correlating with retention of TAK-901 in tumor tissue. These preclinical data highlight the therapeutic potential of TAK-901, which has entered phase I clinical trials in patients within a diverse range of cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(4); 460–70. ©2013 AACR.
RHOA-FAK Is a Required Signaling Axis for the Maintenance of KRAS-Driven Lung Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Konstantinidou Georgia , Ramadori Giorgio , Torti Francesca , Kangasniemi Kim , Ramirez Rachel E. , Cai Yiran , Behrens Carmen , Dellinger Michael T. , Brekken Rolf A. , Wistuba Ignacio I. , Heguy Adriana , Teruya-Feldstein Julie , Scaglioni Pier Paolo
Published: January 2013

Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often expresses mutant KRAS together with tumor-associated mutations of the CDKN2A locus, which are associated with aggressive, therapy-resistant tumors. Here, we unravel specific requirements for the maintenance of NSCLC that carries this genotype. We establish that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/RHOA/focal adhesion kinase (FAK) network is deregulated in high-grade lung tumors. Suppression of RHOA or FAK induces cell death selectively in mutant KRAS;INK4A/ARF-deficient lung cancer cells. Furthermore, pharmacologic inhibition of FAK caused tumor regression specifically in the high-grade lung cancer that developed in mutant Kras;Cdkn2a-null mice. These findings provide a rationale for the rapid implementation of genotype-specific targeted therapies using FAK inhibitors in patients with cancer.

Significance: Targeted therapies are effective for only a small fraction of patients with cancer. We report that FAK inhibitors exert potent antitumor effects in NSCLCs that express mutant KRAS in association with INK4A/ARF deficiency. These results reveal a novel genotype-specific vulnerability of cancer cells that can be exploited for therapeutic purposes. Cancer Discov; 3(4); 444–57. ©2013 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 363
Coronary Artery Dimensions in Febrile Children Without Kawasaki Disease
Authors: Muniz Juan-Carlos G. , Dummer Kirsten , Gauvreau Kimberlee , Colan Steven D. , Fulton David R. , Newburger Jane W.
Published: January 2013

Background—

Coronary artery (CA) dilatation on echocardiography is a criterion for treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin for incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD). However, CA dimensions for febrile children are unknown. We compared CA dimensions in children with febrile illnesses other than KD to those of normal afebrile children and to KD patients.

Methods and Results—

We performed echocardiograms in 43 patients who met the following inclusion criteria: (1) age 3 months to 18 years, (2) daily fever >38°C for ≥96 hours, and (3) a diagnosis other than KD. These subjects had mean CA
z
scores greater than normative values (left main CA=0.66±0.75,
P
<0.001; right CA=0.28±0.81,
P
=0.03; left anterior descending CA=0.35±1.0,
P
=0.03). Maximum CA
z
score >2 was found in 2 subjects (osteomyelitis, Mycoplasma pneumonia). Among demographic and laboratory measures, only higher platelet count was associated with greater left anterior descending CA
z
scores (
P
=0.004) and maximum CA
z
score (
P
=0.03). Non-KD febrile subjects, compared with 144 KD patients, had smaller CA
z
scores (
P
=0.04,
P
<0.001, and
P
<0.001 for left main CA, right CA, and left anterior descending CA, respectively), and lower white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and platelet count (all
P
<0.001). A maximum CA
z
score cutoff of 2.0 had specificity of 95% (95% confidence interval, 84%–99%) and sensitivity of 32% (95% confidence interval, 25%–41%) in distinguishing non-KD febrile from KD patients; for maximum CA
z
score of 2.5, specificity was 98% and sensitivity was 20%.

Conclusions—

This pilot study found that mean CA dimensions in children with non-KD febrile illnesses are larger than those in normative afebrile subjects but smaller than dimensions in patients with KD. Future studies should augment the available data on CA dimensions in children with more severe febrile illnesses.
Regions of Low Endothelial Shear Stress Colocalize With Positive Vascular Remodeling and Atherosclerotic Plaque Disruption
Authors: Phinikaridou Alkystis , Hua Ning , Pham Tuan , Hamilton James A.
Published: January 2013

Background—

Local hemodynamic factors, particularly low endothelial shear stress (ESS), play a role in the focal formation of atherosclerosis. We used in vivo MRI to investigate the role of the magnitude of ESS on vascular remodeling, plaque burden, and disruption using a rabbit model of controlled atherothrombosis.

Methods and Results—

Atherosclerosis was induced in New Zealand white rabbits by cholesterol diet and endothelial denudation. MRI was performed before (pretrigger) and after (posttrigger) inducing plaque disruption with Russell viper venom and histamine. Of the 134 vascular segments studied, 28 contained thrombus (disrupted) and 106 did not (nondisrupted). Disrupted plaques were histologically characterized by a thin, inflamed fibrous cap, a dense lipid core, and mural thrombus. Pretriggered MRI revealed that disrupted plaques clustered at regions with low mean ESS (11.55±5.3 versus 20.9±9.74 dynes/cm
2
;
P
<0.001) and low peak ESS (21.5±11.2 versus 49.2±21.5 dynes/cm
2
;
P
<0.001) compared with nondisrupted plaques. The peak ESS negatively correlated with the plaque area (
r
=−0.56,
P
<0.001) and remodeling ratio (
r
=−0.4,
P
=0.008). There was also a negative correlation between the mean ESS and the remodeling ratio (
r
=−0.55,
P
<0.001). Both the peak ESS and the mean ESS did not correlate with the % stenosis; there was a weak but statistically significant correlation with the % cross-sectional narrowing (
r
=0.3,
P
=0.002 and
r
=0.2,
P
=0.04, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that both mean (AUC=0.78; 95% CI, 0.69–0.87) and peak ESS (AUC=0.85; 95% CI, 0.78–0.93) identified disrupted plaques.

Conclusions—

We demonstrated that low ESS is associated with plaque burden, positive vascular remodeling, and plaque disruption in a rabbit model. Assessment of ESS by noninvasive MRI might be useful for assessing atherosclerotic risk.
Association Between Long-Term Air Pollution and Increased Blood Pressure and Hypertension in China
Authors: Dong Guang-Hui , Qian Zhengmin (Min) , Xaverius Pamela K. , Trevathan Edwin , Maalouf Salwa , Parker Jamaal , Yang Laiji , Liu Miao-Miao , Wang Da , Ren Wan-Hui , Ma Wenjun , Wang Jing , Zelicoff Alan , Fu Qiang , Simckes Maayan
Published: January 2013

Several studies have investigated the short-term effects of ambient air pollutants in the development of high blood pressure and hypertension. However, little information exists regarding the health effects of long-term exposure. To investigate the association between residential long-term exposure to air pollution and blood pressure and hypertension, we studied 24 845 Chinese adults in 11 districts of 3 northeastern cities from 2009 to 2010. Three-year average concentration of particles with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 µm (PM
10
), sulfur dioxide (SO
2
), nitrogen dioxides (NO
2
), and ozone (O
3
) were calculated from monitoring stations in the 11 districts. We used generalized additive models and 2-level logistic regressions models to examine the health effects. The results showed that the odds ratio for hypertension increased by 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.16) per 19 μg/m
3
increase in PM
10
, 1.11 (95% CI, 1.04–1.18) per 20 μg/m
3
increase in SO
2
, and 1.13 (95% CI, 1.06–1.20) per 22 μg/m
3
increase in O
3
. The estimated increases in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 0.87 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.48–1.27) and 0.32 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.08–0.56) per 19 μg/m
3
interquartile increase in PM
10
, 0.80 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.46–1.14) and 0.31 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.10–0.51) per 20 μg/m
3
interquartile increase in SO
2
, and 0.73 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.35–1.11) and 0.37 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.14–0.61) per 22 μg/m
3
interquartile increase in O
3
. These associations were only statistically significant in men. In conclusion, long-term exposure to PM
10
, SO
2
, and O
3
was associated with increased arterial blood pressure and hypertension in the study population.
Micromolluscs in Japan: taxonomic composition, habitats, and future topics
Authors: SASAKI TAKENORI
Published: January 2013

Studies of micromolluscs are essential in the malacology of the 21st century. Our understanding of molluscs has been chiefl y based on large-sized species, and there are little-known taxa that comprise only of small-sized species. In Japan, an obvious change occurred from classic conchology to more advanced microscopic work in the 1990s, but further research must be accelerated to reveal the entire fauna. In this review, a summary of the current state of knowledge is given for all known micromolluscan families distributed in Japan. Since the 1990s new micromolluscs have been described from various microhabitats such as the undersides of half-buried boulders, burrows of other invertebrates, submarine caves, sunken wood, deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. These are promising habitats for more intensive sampling in addition to unexplored environments. Basic taxonomy is still necessary in advancing biological studies at all levels including anatomy, molecular phylogenetics, development, ecology, and paleontology. The importance of micromolluscs is also rising in the fi eld of conservation biology, especially with regard to endangered and introduced species. The genus Lepetella (Lepetellidae) is recorded for the fi rst time from Japan.
The genus Onoba (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Rissoidae) from NW Spain, with the description of two new species
Authors: ROLÁN EMILIO
Published: January 2013

Some species of the genus Onoba were described from the Ria de Vigo. The revision shows that their identifi cation had not been correct and they are now described as new species, and are compared to similar ones. All species are illustrated by SEM, including radular preparations.
Micromolluscs of the Western Ghats, India: Diversity, distribution and threats
Authors: ARAVIND NEELAVAR ANANTHRAM , PATIL RAJASHEKHAR KHANAGOWDA , MADHYASTHA NEELAVAR ANANTHRAM
Published: January 2013

The Western Ghats, India, is one of the 34 hotspots of biological diversity in India and harbour high levels of endemism in a variety of taxa. Research on the faunistic diversity of this hotspot have focused on higher taxa such as mammals and birds and lesser taxa such as land snails have not been studied. Given the rapid land transformation occurring in the Western Ghats, there is an urgent need to study the impact of land use change on poorly known taxa such as land snails. The fi rst attempt was made here to assess the distribution patterns of the land snails of the Western Ghats in relation to land use and habitat disturbances. We assessed geographical distribution patterns of microgastropods along the Western Ghats on the basis of published literature and data from fi eld studies and the impact of land use change and habitat disturbance on microgastropods in the wet forests of the central Western Ghats: a) approximately 40% of the total 269 species of land snails recorded from the Western Ghats were microgastropods, b) the southern Western Ghats harbours high species richness for both micromolluscs as well as macromolluscs compared to the central and northern Western Ghats, c) micromolluscs occur in very high densities compared to macrospecies and d) land use changes and habitat disturbances has led to 10% increase in macrogastropods over microgastropods. The present study clearly shows that land transformation and disturbance has had a severe impact on land snail diversity. Little effort is currently made in India to include lesser known taxa such as land snails in conservation programmes. This is mainly due to our lack of knowledge on the diversity and ecology of this cryptic group. There is, therefore, an urgent need to study the distribution and landscape ecology of land snails to ensure their effective conservation.
Microgastropod population changes from the early Cretaceous to the Recent in the Gulf Coastal Plain of the USA
Authors: GARVIE CHRISTOPHER L.
Published: January 2013

A collection of over 150,000 molluscs from the Cretaceous through Recent of the Gulf Coast is analyzed to determine major changes in the abundances, diversities, and taxonomic compositions of microgastropods with a size limit of 5 mm. Five major microgastropod groups are recognized based on the relative abundances of high-order taxa of superfamilial rank and feeding types. First, an early Cretaceous assemblage dominated by Turritella, Nerinea and Nerita. Second, a Campanian Trochoidea-dominated deposit and herbivore feeding type assemblage. Third, a Maestrichtian Philinoideadominated carnivore-feeding type assemblage. Fourth, a Paleogene assemblage that is increasingly dominated by carnivores that continues until the end of the Oligocene. Fifth, a more evenly distributed late Neogene assemblage with less dominance by any feeding type. The decline of Trochoidea dominance is closely associated with the ocean thermal minimum at the beginning of the Maestrichtian. The drop in relative microgastropods abundance in the early Paleocene likely refl ects paleoenvironmental changes following the KT boundary event. The changes in composition of the carnivoredominated microgastropod populations in the Oligocene and Miocene appears similarly coeval with the ocean minimum at the end of the Oligocene. This study reveals that the relative abundances and composition of microgastropods are much more sensitive to drops in temperature than for the larger gastropods, and that these temperature drops could be a major contributing factor in the evolution of Gulf Coast microgastropod biotas.
Niku-nuki: a useful method for anatomical and DNA studies on shell-bearing
Authors: FUKUDA HIROSHI , HAGA TAKUMA , TATARA YUKI
Published: January 2013

Often only one or a few individuals of rare species are collected. How do we treat them as intact voucher specimens? The shell of the whole individual in formalin or alcohol will corrode or fade. In order to dissect the soft parts, you must crack or dissolve the shell. Niku-nuki, a traditional method that has been used by Japanese malacologists overcomes this dilemma. It is also applicable to minute molluscs. The outline is: 1. Prepare boiling hot freshwater, a small beaker, forceps (with fi ne tips), a small syringe, a petri dish, and a stereomicroscope; 2. When the live animal in the beaker crawls on the bottom, pour boiling hot water over the animal, which is killed immediately. Some seconds later take the specimen out of the hot water, hold it with two fi ngers of one hand and hold the forceps with another hand; 3. Under the microscope, grab the foot with the forceps and pull carefully to just separate the columellar muscle from the shell; 4. Pull the foot again in a petri dish fi lled with cold water as under 3. With coiled gastropods, unscrew the specimen by approximately ¼ whorls. If it is diffi cult to move the soft parts, inject water into the aperture gently with the syringe. Repeat it several times, then you will get an empty shell and the complete soft parts. With this method, we can obtain intact shells and soft parts for multiple purposes such as conchological observation and gross anatomy. DNA can also be extracted from those soft parts because DNA is stable at high temperature. The boiled animal can be dehydrated in alcohol. We can prevent the negative effect of DNase (by heat) and magnesium (by washing in freshwater) on the DNA.
3D interactive microanatomy of Omalogyra atomus (Philippi, 1841) (Gastropoda,
Authors: BAEUMLER NATALIE , HASZPRUNAR GERHARD , RUTHENSTEINER BERNHARD
Published: January 2013

Omalogyridae are minute gastropods with a shell diameter usually less than one millimeter and have a worldwide distribution. A reinvestigation of the type species, Omalogyra atomus (Philippi, 1841), should help to unravel the systematic affi nities of this family. Furthermore, direct comparisons of previous and the present results enable the evaluation of the advantages of the innovative methods applied—”semithin” serial sectioning and computer-aided 3D reconstruction. Our data provide substantial new information and show that the resolution of methods used for previous studies was insufficient. The methods applied herein provide more detailed and accurate results and in combination with interactive 3D illustrations in the electronic publication version offer many novel options for exploration of the results by the reader. The highly glandular nature of the foot and the mantle cavity, the complete lack of a gill being functionally replaced by prominent, dorsal and ventral ciliary tracts on the right side of the mantle cavity, the relative simplicity of the gut and the high complexity of the hermaphroditic reproductive system adapted for internal fertilization but lacking a copulatory verge are the most outstanding features of the snail’s anatomy. Most characteristics reflect affinities with basal heterobranchs, such as Rissoellidae and Pyramidellidae, of O. atomus and thus of Omalogyridae, while a closer relationship with Architectonicoidea appears less likely. Only a few features, e.g., the lack of any respiratory structure, can be ascribed functionally to the extreme smallness of the animals. Some characters, such as the modifi cation of the cephalic tentacles into small lobes, remain to be understood.
A new diminutive species of Allobates Zimmermann and Zimmermann, 1988 (Anura, Aromobatidae) from the northwestern Rio Madeira—Rio Tapajós interfluve, Amazonas, Brazil
Authors: SIMÕES PEDRO IVO , STURARO MARCELO JOSÉ , PELOSO PEDRO LUÍS VIEIRA , LIMA ALBERTINA P.
Published: January 2013

We describe Allobates grillisimilis from the northwestern region of the Rio Madeira—Rio Tapajós interfluve, state of Am-azonas, Brazil. The new taxon is characterized by its small snout-to-vent length (12.8–16.0 mm, the smallest among known Allobates), by the color pattern of adults (surfaces of throat, chest and abdomen unpigmented), by morphological traits of larvae (a single row of very elongate papillae on posterior labium), and by its distinctive advertisement call, formed by trills of short pulses emitted in a variable number. We also provide notes on reproductive behavior of the new species.
A new species of arboreal iguanid lizard, genus Stenocercus (Squamata: Iguania), from central Peru
Authors: VENEGAS PABLO J. , DURAN VILMA , GARCIA-BURNEO KARLA
Published: January 2013

We describe a new species of Stenocercus from an interandean valley of the upper Río Huallaga on the Amazonian slope of central Peru (Región Huánuco), at an elevation of 1700–1900 m. The new species differs from other Stenocercus, except S. boettgeri, S. haenschi, S. humeralis, and S. varius, by the combination of the following characters: presence of granular scales on the posterior surface of the thighs, enlarged vertebrals, three caudal whorls per autotomic segment, a medially complete antegular fold, non-spinose caudals, and by males lacking a black transverse band on the ventral surface of the neck. However, the new Stenocercus differs from these, with the exception of S. humeralis, by having more scales around the midbody (104–107, =105.66) than S. boettgeri (79–104, Mean= 88.61), S. haenschi (57–64, Mean=60.50), and S. varius (74–88, Mean=82.35); and from S. humeralis by having the scales in the frontonasal region nearly equal in size to the scales in the occipitoparietal region, while in S. humeralis the scales on the frontonasal region are twice or three times longer than the scales on the occipitoparietal region.
A new species of Chirocephalus (Crustacea: Anostraca) from Iran
Authors: ROGERS D. CHRISTOPHER , SOUFI MAHMOUD
Published: January 2013

Chirocephalus soulukliensis, an insular new species of fairy shrimp, is described from the Soulukli Wetland in Golestan National Park in northeastern Iran. The new species shares several characters with the loosely organized "Pristicephalus" group. It is readily separated from all congeners by the short, monolamellar form of the antennal appendage, which is un-armed, the distally expanded form of the apophyses, and the sinuate form of the second antennal distal antennomere.
Holothuria (Selenkothuria) parvispinea n. sp. (Echinodermata, Hololthuroidea, Holothuriidae) with key to the sub-genus Selenkothuria
Authors: MASSIN CLAUDE
Published: January 2013

Description of a new species from Australia, belonging to the subgenus Selenkothuria (Holothuria, Aspidochirotida). A dichotomous key of the thirteen valid species included in the subgenus is also given. The species H. perrieri Thandar, 1977 and H. spinea Cherbonnier, 1988 are considered as non valid.