cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PO-115 HER2-amplified tumours overcome the requirement for HER3

ABSTRACT Introduction Amplification and overexpression of HER2 underlies the pathogenesis of a large subset of cancers including more than 20% of breast cancers. A considerable body of experimental evidence strongly suggests that HER2 is the oncogenic driver of these cancers, important in the genesis and progression of these tumours. Current evidence suggests that HER2 driven tumorigenesis requires HER3, the preferred heterodimerization partner of HER2. This is felt to be due to the unique ability of HER3 to activate PI3K/Akt pathway signalling, not directly accessible to HER2. We have been interested in developing deeper insights into the role of HER3 in HER2-amplified cancers. In particular, we have been interested in understanding why HER3 is required, whether the requirement is for the activation of PI3K, and whether its requirement is absolute or perhaps conditional or transient. Material and methods Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, we knocked-out HER3 (HER3KO) in HER2-amplified HCC1569 cells and assessed the transforming and tumorigenic properties of HER3KO cells in vitro and in vivo. Co-immunoprecipitation assays in HER3-KO cells and stable doxycycline-inducible HER3 shRNA cell lines were performed to detect the binding of HER2 to the regulatory subunit of PI3K through direct and indirect mechanisms. Site-directed mutagenesis in the C-terminal of HER2 was used to identify the tyrosine involved in this interaction. Results and discussions By genetic elimination of HER3 or shRNA knockdown of HER3 in HER2-amplified cancer cells we find residual HER2-driven activation of PI3K/Akt pathway signalling that is driven by HER2 through direct and indirect mechanisms. Indirect mechanisms involve second messenger pathways including Ras or Grb2. Direct PI3K binding occurs through p-Tyr1139 which has a weak affinity for PI3K that becomes significant at very high expression and phosphorylation. Mutation of Y1139 impairs the tumorigenic competency of HER2. The total elimination of HER3 expression in HER2-amplified cancer cells significantly impairs tumorigenicity, but the impairment is transient and overcome with further increases in HER2 expression and phosphorylation with binding and activation of PI3K. Effective treatment of these cancers must focus on much more potent inhibitors of HER2. Conclusion This study shows for first time the intrinsic ability of HER2 to activate PI3K that becomes more relevant with increased HER2 expression, and can supplant the requirement for HER3 in the growth of HER2-amplified cancers.
The effects of reduced hemodynamic loading on morphogenesis of the mouse embryonic heart.

Abstract Development of the embryonic heart involves an intricate network of biochemical and genetic cues to ensure its proper growth and morphogenesis. However, studies from avian and teleost models reveal that biomechanical force, namely hemodynamic loading (blood pressure and shear stress), plays a significant role in regulating heart development. To study how hemodynamic loading impacts development of the mammalian embryonic heart, we utilized mouse embryo culture and manipulation techniques and performed optical projection tomography imaging followed by morphometric analysis to determine how reduced-loading affects heart volume, myocardial thickness, trabeculation and looping. Our results reveal that hemodynamic loading can regulate these features at different thresholds. Intermediate levels of hemodynamic loading are sufficient to promote proper myocardial growth and heart size, but insufficient to promote looping and trabeculation. Whereas, low levels of hemodynamic loading fails to promote proper growth of the myocardium and heart size. These results reveal that the regulation of heart development by biomechanical force is conserved across many vertebrate classes, and this study begins to elucidate how these specific forces regulate development of the mammalian heart.
HIV-Related Stigma by Healthcare Providers in the United States: A Systematic Review.

Abstract Reducing HIV-related stigma may enhance the quality of HIV prevention and care services and is a national prevention goal. The objective of this systematic review was to identify studies o...
Data related to conformation dependence of tyrosine binding on the surface of graphene: Bent prefers over parallel orientation.

Abstract In this data article, M06-2X/6-31G(d) level optimized geometries of complexes of tyrosine conformers binding with graphene sheets are shown in top and side views with selected non-bonding distances. The images of frontier molecular orbitals from HOMO-15 to LUMO+15 of the complexes involving graphene with tyrosine conformers are presented and the isovalue is 0.003 au. For some complexes involving small graphene, the orbitals are from HOMO-5 to LUMO+5. The molecular orbitals highlighted with frames show obvious overlaps between the fragments. Total energies of small and large graphene (GS and GL) and selected tyrosine conformers in gas and aqueous phases obtained at M06-2X/6-31G(d) level are given. The data also include total energies of all complexes in the gas phase and the aqueous phase, binding energies, BSSE (basis set superposition error) correction, and BSSE-corrected binding energies in gas phase and solvation effect on the binding energies obtained at M06-2X/6-31G(d) level. Mulliken charges of tyrosine conformers in gas and aqueous phases, and the deformation energy for tyrosine and graphene in the gas phase complexes are provided. The values of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and HOMO-LUMO energy gaps for some of graphene-tyrosine complexes that were not reported in the article [1] are given. The data is related to the research article “Conformation dependence of tyrosine binding on the surface of graphene: Bent prefers over parallel orientation” [1].
Strained layer superlattices for dislocation reduction in III-V on V-groove patterned (001) silicon

We investigate the effects of $\text{In}_{\mathrm{x}}\text{Ga}_{1-\mathrm{x}}\text{As}$ -based strained layer superlattices (SLSs) on dislocation filtering for high quality GaAs and InP epitaxially grown on V-groove patterened on-axis (001) Si substrates. With the systematically optimized SLSs, a defect density of $9.1\times 10^{6}\text{cm}^{-2}$ was demonstrated using large-area electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) for characterization. The interaction between the strain field of the SLSs with threading dislocations (TDs) is evaluated by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Meanwhile, the InGaAs/InP SLSs were utilized to reduce the surface dislocation density for a larger lattice mismatched InP on V-grooved Si (IoVS) with GaAs as an intermediate buffer. A defect density $1.82\times 10^{8}\text{cm}^{-2}$ was demonstrated, which is a factor of three lower than the same thickness IoVS template without any SLS insertion.
Fiduciary Duties on the Temporal Edges of Agency Relationships

The duties that principals and agents owe each other are typically coterminous with the agency relationship itself. But sometimes temporal lines of clean demarcation do less work. The Chapter identifies situations in which an agent may owe duties-including fiduciary duties-to the principal prior to the formal start of their relationship, including any enforceable contract between the parties. Likewise, not all duties principals and agents owe each other end with the relationship. The Chapter identifies the rationales for duties at the temporal peripheries for an agency relationship and the extent to which they are derived from doctrines distinct from agency law. Issues in some contexts are amenable to resolution through bright-line determinations; others require nuanced and fact-specific inquiry. Issues that arise at the periphery of termination are complicated as a consequence of a distinct feature of agency relationships: both principal and agent hold ongoing power to terminate the relationship, albeit in breach of contract. Neither owes the other a duty of disclosure to the other concerning plans to terminate, including in most instances the agent's preparations to compete with the principal post-termination. And in the midst of agency relationships, agents, like principals, may negotiate to further their own interests, whether to continue the relationship under modified terms or bring it to an end. These structural consequences of agency require tempering either the claims to generality or the content of some theoretical accounts of fiduciary relationships more broadly, particularly those stressing the cognitive dimensions of agents' loyalty and demanding robust commitment from the agent. Agency law, which tolerates both preparations to compete post-termination as well as unilateral and undisclosed strategizing over exit, accommodates relationships between competent parties who may bargain on an interim basis to adjust the terms of their relationship. In this respect, as in others, agency relationships do not much resemble donative trusts, the assumed prototypes of many theoretical accounts of fiduciary relationships. Additionally, the quotidian and ubiquitous character of agency relationships lends these issues practical significance.
ASSOCIATION OF INTRAPULMONARY VASCULAR DILATATIONS IN LIVER TRANSPLANT CANDIDATES WITH POST-TRANSPLANT MORTALITY

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a complication of cirrhosis and is associated with increased pre-orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) mortality. Diagnosis requires intrapulmonary vascular dilatation (IPVD) and hypoxemia. The clinical significance of IPVD severity on post-OLT mortality is unknown.
The Paralogous Krüppel-like Factors 9 and 13 Regulate the Mammalian Cellular Circadian Clock Output Gene Dbp.

An intricate transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL) governs cellular circadian rhythms in mammals. Here, we report that the zinc finger transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) is regulated by this TTFL, it associates in chromatin at the core circadian clock and clock-output genes, and it acts to modulate transcription of the clock-output gene Dbp. Our earlier genome-wide analysis of the mouse hippocampus-derived cell line HT22 showed that KLF9 associates in chromatin with Per1, Per3, Dbp, Tef, Bhlhe40, Bhlhe41, Nr1d1, and Nr1d2. Of the 3514 KLF9 peaks identified in HT22 cells, 1028 contain E-box sequences to which the transcriptional activators CLOCK and BMAL1 may bind, a frequency significantly greater than expected by chance. Klf9 mRNA showed circadian oscillation in synchronized HT22 cells, mouse hippocampus, and liver. At the clock-output gene Dbp, KLF9 exhibited circadian rhythmicity in its association in chromatin in HT22 cells and hippocampus. Forced expression of KLF9 in HT22 cells repressed basal Dbp transcription and strongly inhibited CLOCK+BMAL1-dependent transcriptional activation of a transfected Dbp reporter. Mutational analysis showed that this action of KLF9 depended on 2 intact KLF9-binding motifs within the Dbp locus that are in close proximity to E-boxes. Knockout of Klf9 or the paralogous gene Klf13 using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in HT22 cells had no effect on Dbp expression, but combined knockout of both genes strongly impaired circadian Dbp mRNA oscillation. Like KLF9, KLF13 also showed association in chromatin with clock- and clock-output genes, and forced expression of KLF13 inhibited the actions of CLOCK+BMAL1 on Dbp transcription. Our results suggest novel and partly overlapping roles for KLF9 and KLF13 in modulating cellular circadian clock output by a mechanism involving direct interaction with the core TTFL.
Molecular mechanisms for the antidepressant-like effects of a low-dose ketamine treatment in a DFP-based rat model for Gulf War Illness.

Abstract Exposure to organophosphates (OP) during the First Gulf War is among one of the factors for Gulf War Illness (GWI) development in veterans and it has been challenging to treat GWI symptoms with existing therapies. Ketamine produces a rapid-onset and sustained antidepressant response, but there is no evidence whether ketamine treatment is effective for GWI depression. Repeated, low-dose exposure to diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) mimic Gulf War related OP exposures and produces a chronic depressive state in rats. In this study, DFP-exposed rats treated with ketamine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited antidepressant-like effect on the Forced Swim Test at 1-h. This effect persisted at 24-h post ketamine, a time-point by which it is eliminated from the brain suggesting involvement of mechanisms that affect long-term synaptic plasticity. Western blot analysis showed significantly lower Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels in DFP rat brains. Ketamine produced a nonsignificant increase in BDNF expression at 1-h but produced a larger, significant (2.2-fold) increase at 24-h in DFP rats. We previously reported chronic hippocampal calcium elevations ([Ca2+]i) in DFP rats. Ketamine-treated DFP rats exhibited significantly lower [Ca2+]i at 1-h but not at 24-h. Interestingly, treatment with ANA-12, a TrkB-BDNF receptor antagonist, in DFP rats blunted ketamine’s antidepressant-like effect at 24-h but not at 1-h. These experiments suggest that in a rat model of DFP-induced depression, inhibition of the NMDAR-Ca2+ contributes to the rapid-onset antidepressant effects of ketamine while the antidepressant actions that persisted at 24-h post ketamine administration involve upregulation of BDNF signaling.
Does the Initial Disclosure of Tax-related Critical Audit Matters Constrain Tax-related Earnings Management?

Does the initial disclosure of tax-related critical audit matters (CAMs) constrain tax-related earnings management? If so, it would support the PCOAB’s expectation that investors indirectly benefit from CAMs through the increased attention given to the matters underlying the CAMs. We examine auditors’ initial CAM disclosures of large U.S. accelerated filers and find that tax-related CAM disclosures are associated with a lower likelihood that the audited company uses tax expense to meet analysts’ after-tax consensus forecasts. We find that tax-related CAM disclosures are associated with subsequent increases in the length of and use of uncertain language in tax footnotes. However, we do not find tax-related CAMs are associated with increased audit fees or tax-related non-audit service fees. Our results indicate that the disciplinary benefit of CAMs appears primarily driven by management’s response to CAM disclosures.
Effects of a nutrition education intervention on fruit and vegetable consumption-related dietary behavioural factors among elementary school children:

Objective:To increase nutrition knowledge, fruit and vegetable preference, eating and cooking self-efficacy among 3rd- to 5th-grade students after a 6-week school-based nutrition education interven...
Diagnosing Systemic Amyloidosis Presenting as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Risk Nomogram to Guide Biopsy at Time of Carpal Tunnel Release.

Background As carpal tunnel syndrome often precedes other signs of systemic amyloidosis, tenosynovial biopsy at the time of carpal tunnel release may facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. However, evidence-based guidelines for amyloidosis screening during carpal tunnel release have not been established. We sought to develop a predictive model for amyloidosis after carpal tunnel release to inform screening efforts. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of adults without known amyloidosis undergoing at least 1 carpal tunnel release from 2000 to 2019 with use of the national Veterans Health Administration database. After estimating the cumulative incidence of amyloidosis after carpal tunnel release, we identified risk factors, constructed a predictive nomogram based on a multivariable subdistribution-hazard competing-risks model, and performed cross-validation. Results Among 89,981 patients undergoing at least 1 carpal tunnel release, 310 were subsequently diagnosed with amyloidosis at a median interval of 4.5 years, corresponding to a cumulative incidence of 0.55% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47% to 0.63%) at 10 years. Amyloidosis diagnosis following carpal tunnel release was associated with an increased hazard of heart failure (hazard ratio [HR], 4.68; 95% CI: 4.26 to 5.55) and death (HR, 1.27; 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.51) after adjustment for potential confounders. Age, male sex, Black race, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or multiple myeloma, rheumatoid arthritis, atrial fibrillation, spinal stenosis, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome were independently associated with increased risk of amyloidosis diagnosis and were included in the risk nomogram. Conclusions Amyloidosis diagnosis after carpal tunnel release is rare but is associated with poor outcomes. We present an amyloidosis-risk nomogram to help guide tenosynovial biopsy at time of carpal tunnel release. Level of evidence Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Working for the “warm glow”: On the benefits and limits of prosocial incentives

Abstract We study whether using prosocial incentives, where effort is tied directly to charitable contributions, may lead to better performance than standard incentive schemes. In a real-effort task, individuals indeed work harder for charity than for themselves, but only when incentive stakes are low. When stakes are raised, effort increases when individuals work for themselves but not when they work for others and, as a result, the difference in provided effort disappears. Individuals correctly anticipate these effects, choosing to work for charity at low incentives and for themselves at high incentives. The results are consistent with warm glow giving and have implications for optimal incentive design.
Descriptive-to-prescriptive (D2P) reasoning: An early emerging bias to maintain the status quo

Group norms are necessary for navigating the social world, but they also constrain how we think about individuals. This manuscript progresses in three parts, along the way integrating research from...
An Evaluation of the Strengths, Weaknesses and Uses of Voice Input Devices:

This paper examines the function of systems which are now available for voice input into computer memory. Strengths of present systems are discussed along with their weaknesses. Situations in which...
Pediatric and Adolescent Acne

Acne is one of the most common dermatologic concerns in adolescents of all skin types. The incidence of pediatric acne is also increasing with early onsets of adrenarche, especially in certain ethnic groups. Notably, there are some vital differences in the presentation of acne in children and in patients with skin of color. Despite the increasing awareness of acne in skin of color, research in this population, especially in the pediatric age group, is still sparse. Most recommendations are based on expert opinion and small studies. The principles of acne treatment are the same within age groups and skin types, but creating age-appropriate treatment plans and managing the sequelae of acne, hyperpigmentation and scarring can be the most challenging in skin of color patients.
Robustly Leveraging Collusion in Combinatorial Auctions

Because of its devastating effects in auctions and other mechanisms, collusion is prohibited and legally prosecuted. Yet, colluders have always existed, and may continue to exist. We thus raise the following question for mechanism design: What desiderata are achievable, and by what type of mechanisms, when any set of players who wish to collude are free to do so without any restrictions on the way in which they cooperate and coordinate their actions? In response to this question we put forward and exemplify the notion of a collusion-leveraging mechanism. In essence, this is a mechanism aligning its desiderata with the incentives of all its players, including colluders, to a significant and mutually beneficial extent. Of course such mechanisms may exist only for suitable desiderata. In unrestricted combinatorial auctions, where classical mechanisms essentially guarantee 0 social welfare and 0 revenue in the presence of just two colluders, we prove that it is possible for collusion-leveraging mechanisms to guarantee that the sum of social welfare and revenue is always high, even when all players are collusive. To guarantee better performance, collusion-leveraging mechanisms in essence "welcome" collusive players, rather than pretending they do not exist, raising a host of new questions at the intersection of cooperative and non- cooperative game theory.
Tropical to extratropical: Marine environmental changes associated with Superstorm Sandy prior to its landfall

Superstorm Sandy was a massive storm that impacted the U.S. East Coast on 22–31 October 2012, generating large waves, record storm surges, and major damage. The Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport modeling system was applied to hindcast this storm. Sensitivity experiments with increasing complexity of air-sea-wave coupling were used to depict characteristics of this immense storm as it underwent tropical to extratropical transition. Regardless of coupling complexity, model-simulated tracks were all similar to the observations, suggesting the storm track was largely determined by large-scale synoptic atmospheric circulation, rather than by local processes resolved through model coupling. Analyses of the sea surface temperature, ocean heat content, and upper atmospheric shear parameters showed that as a result of the extratropical transition and despite the storm encountering much cooler shelf water, its intensity and strength were not significantly impacted. Ocean coupling was not as important as originally thought for Sandy.
Optimal model-based state estimation in mechanical and structural systems

SUMMARY In many applications, such as control, monitoring, assessment, and failure detection in mechanical and structural systems, the state of the system is sought. However, in almost all cases, the full state vector is not directly measured, and it must be reconstructed from sparse measurements contaminated by noise. If in addition, the excitations are not (or cannot be) measured, such as the case with wind loads, wave loading, and others, the problem becomes more challenging and standard deterministic methods are not applicable. This paper presents a model-based state estimation algorithm for online reconstruction of the complete dynamic response of a partially instrumented structure subject to realizations of random loads. The proposed algorithm operates on noise-contaminated measurements of dynamic response, a finite element model of the system, and a spectral density description of the random excitation and noise. The main contribution of the paper is the development of a second-order estimator that can be directly implemented as a modified version of the finite element model of the system while minimizing the state error estimate covariance. The proposed observer results in a suboptimal Kalman filter that can be implemented as a modified version of the original finite element model of the system with added dampers and collocated forces that are linear combinations of the measurements. The proposed method is successfully illustrated and compared with the standard Kalman filter in a mass–spring–damper system under various ideal and nonideal conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High-dose citalopram for cocaine dependence in veteran population-a pilot project.

Cocaine dependence continues to be a highly prevalent disorder, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Numerous medications have been investigated as potential adjunctive therapeutic measures, but with minimal success. None have been given Food and Drug Administration approval for treatment of cocaine dependence. (Am J Addict 2011;00:1-2).
Procedural Due Process: The Two-edged Sword That the Untrained Should Not Unsheath

The issue of procedural due process is examined in this article by first analyzing the associated legal requirements of PL. 94-142 and then identifying the “triggers” which professionals and parent...
A Visual Search Model for Selection of Graphic Symbols

Ideally one would like to select symbols for visual displays which can quickly be identified. This paper presents a model which can help select the representation of an object which will speed sear...
Dinosaurs Dined on Grass

Grasses are among the most ecologically dominant flowering plants. Did the most dominant herbivores of the Mesozoic--the dinosaurs--evolve together with grasses? This question has been hard to answer, owing to the poor fossil record. In their Perspective, [Piperno and Sues][1] discuss results reported in the same issue by [ Prasad et al. ][2] in which phytoliths, the small silicate structures synthesized by many plants, found in coprolites (fossilized dinosaur dung) have been examined and compared. The work is the first evidence that dinosaurs ate grass and that the large grass family, known as Poaceae, had originated and diversified during the Cretaceous era. The results will have important implications for studies of evolutionary interactions between ancient plants and herbivores. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/310/5751/1126 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/310/5751/1177
Host Range and Specificity of Monoctonus paulensis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) a Parasite of Certain Dactynotine Aphids

The host range of the aphidiine parasite Monoctonus paulensis (Ashmead) was determined through numerous field collections of many aphid species found in central and coastal California. The species Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Amphorophora rubitoxica Knowlton, Macrosiphum californicum (Clarke), M. cuphorbiae (Thomas), Masonaphis grindeliae Williams, Myzus ornatus Laing, M. persicae (Sulzer), and Sitobion fragariae (Walker) are reported in this paper as hosts of the parasite. The ecology of M. paulensis is reported from a study of aphid populations occurring in a cultivated alfalfa field and an area of uncultivated floral associations. Field data indicate that S. fragariae is the principal host of this parasite in central lowland California.
Ex vivo radioactive counts and decay rates of tissues resected during radioguided parathyroidectomy.

Background Radioguided parathyroidectomy using TC-99m-sestamibi injection and the handheld gamma probe allows more precise and rapid intraoperative localization of abnormal parathyroid glands. This technique is based on the principle that hypercellular parathyroid tissues have markedly higher in vivo radiotracer counts than surrounding tissue including thyroid and lymph nodes. While in vivo radioactivity after TC-99m-sestamibi administration in various tissues has been documented, there is a lack of data regarding ex vivo radioactive properties after surgical resection. Methods During a 6-week period in June/July 2005, 21 patients underwent radioguided parathyroidectomy by a single surgeon. Fifty-four tissue samples (39 parathyroid, 15 nonparathyroid) from these patients were collected and analyzed for ex vivo radioactive counts over a 30-min period. These data were then compared with the pathologic results. Results There is a significant difference in ex vivo counts between parathyroid adenomas, hyperplastic glands, and nonparathyroid tissue immediately after resection. However, radioactive decay/slope rates do not differ between the tissues. Importantly, an ex vivo count of >20% of background is 100% specific for parathyroid tissue. These differences persisted for up to 30 min. Conclusions This is the first comprehensive study of ex vivo radioactive properties after TC-99m-sestamibi injection during radioguided parathyroidectomy. Parathyroids have a greater rate of uptake compared to nonparathyroid tissue, allowing ex vivo counts to predict tissue type. These tissues have similar decay rates, allowing these predictions to be made anytime up to 30 min after gland resection.
T Cell Receptor-Associated Actin Patches Generated by Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrom Protein

T cell activation involves massive cytoskeletal remodeling, including dynamic actin polymerization and centripetal flow proximal to T cell-antigen presenting surface synapse (IS). F-actin is required for the formation of signaling T cell receptor microclusters (MCs) and for on-going signaling. Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein (WASP) is an actin nucleation-promoting factor that is critical for appropriate T cell function. Patients with mutations in WASP experience a severe immunodeficiency and autoimmunity. The role of WASP in actin polymerization at the immunological synapse has been surprisingly cryptic as WASP deficient T cells still display dramatic increases in F-actin at the immunological synapse. Here, with the aid of live cell as well as super-resolution imaging in primary T cells, we identify WASP dependent F-actin patches closely associated with TCR microclusters. The patches also contain phosphorylated HS-1, a cortactin homolog, and phosphorylated Cas-L a mechanotransduction protein, which are recruited down-stream of WASP. Closely related proteins N-WASP and WAVE2 do not participate in TCR-associated F-actin patches. Super-resolution imaging reveals that the patches are composed of multiple actin arrays that are oriented to diverge from TCR microclusters. We conclude that F-actin patches represent a unique mode of actin polymerization in the immunological synapse that integrate the well documented functional defects in WASP deficient T cells to F-actin nucleation activity.
Riparian vegetation instream flow requirements: a case study from a diverted stream in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, USA.

A methodology is described that allows determination of instream flow requirements for maintenance of riparian trees. Tree-ring data revealed strong relationships between tree growth and stream flow volume for riparian species at Rush Creek, an alluvial stream within an arid setting; these relationships allowed development of models that predict growth rates from hydrologic variables. The models can be used to assess instream flow requirements under the assumption that certain levels of growth are necessary to maintain the population. There is a critical need for development and use of instream flow methodologies for riparian vegetation, since present methodologies focus on needs of aquatic animals (e.g., fish) and may underestimate needs of the entire riparian ecosystem.
Plasma deposition of superconducting films

Abstract Superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−x thick films were prepared on polycrystalline ZrO2 substrates by r.f. thermal plasma chemical vapor deposition with deposition rates from 0.1 to 1 μm min−1. The as-deposited films were superconducting without post annealing. Different substrate temperatures of 450, 500 and 600 °C were used for deposition. The crystal structure of the as-deposited films was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Film morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Film composition was tested by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Resistance vs. temperature of films deposited at different substrate temperatures was measured by the standard d.c. four-point technique. Critical current densities were estimated from the result of magnetization measurements.
CS/SE instructors can improve student writing without reducing class time devoted to technical content: experimental results

The Computer Science and Software Engineering (CS/SE) profession reports that new college graduates lack the communication skills needed for personal and organizational success. Many CS/SE faculty may omit communication instruction from their courses because they do not want to reduce technical content. We experimented in a software-engineering-intensive second-semester programming course with strategies for improving students' writing of black box test plans that included no instruction on writing the plans beyond the standard lecture on testing. The treatment version of the course used 1) a modified assignment that focused on the plan's readers, 2) a model plan students could consult online, and 3) a modified grading rubric that identified the readers' needs. Three external raters found that students in the treatment sections outperformed students in the control sections on writing for five of nine criteria on rubrics for evaluating the plans and on the raters' holistic impression of the students' technical and communication abilities from the perspectives of a manager and a tester.
SYMMETRIC ALGEBRAS OVER RINGS AND FIELDS

Connections between annihilators and ideals in Frobenius and symmetric algebras are used to provide a new proof of a result of Nakayama on quotient algebras and an application is given to central symmetric algebras. DOI: 10.1017/S0004972713000798
Anxiety Rating for Children — Revised: Reliability and validity

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to define the psychometric properties of the Anxiety Rating for Children — Revised (ARC-R), a clinician rating scale for the assessment of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. The ARC-R is comprised of an Anxiety subscale and a Physiological subscale. In a clinical sample ( N = 22), the test-retest reliability and interrater reliability were investigated. In a nonoverlapping clinic sample of school refusers ( N = 199), the internal reliability and convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity were evaluated. Test-retest ( r = .93) and interrater reliability ( r = .95) were excellent. There was good internal reliability of items (Cronbach's alpha = .80). The Anxiety subscale of the ARC-R correlated somewhat higher with self-report anxiety instruments ( r = .62) than with self-report depression instruments ( r = .54–.56). The Anxiety subscale of the instrument discriminated between children with and without an anxiety disorder. This new instrument was shown to be a reliable measure of clinician-rated anxiety. The validity of the ARC-R Anxiety subscale was demonstrated. The potential uses of this instrument for clinical and research purposes are highlighted.
Fusion of the ALK Gene to the Clathrin Heavy Chain Gene, CLTC, in Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare, but distinctive mesenchymal neoplasm composed of fascicles of bland myofibroblasts admixed with a prominent inflammatory component. Genetic studies of IMTs have demonstrated chromosomal abnormalities of 2p23 and rearrangement of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene locus. In a subset of IMTs, the ALK C-terminal kinase domain is fused with a tropomyosin N-terminal coiled-coil domain. In the current study, fusion of ALK with the clathrin heavy chain (CTLC) gene localized to 17q23 was detected in two cases of IMT. One of these cases exhibited a 2;17 translocation in addition to other karyotypic anomalies [46,XX,t(2;17)(p23;q23),add(16)(q24)].
Chromosomes of the Asian flying squirrelPetaurista petaurista (Pallas)

Хромосомы были изучаны летагиPetaurista petaurista из Ингии; диплоидное число (2n) было 38 и число аутосом плечи (NF) было 72. Родство между хромосомами родаPetaurista и родаGlaucomys подсемейства Petauristinae, и МеждуPetaurista иSciurus (подсемейство Sciurinae) было описывано. Находка, что диплондное числоPetauristia было 38, оказывала понятие, что родовыеSciuridae обладали 2n=38–40.
Acute respiratory distress associated with inhaled hydrocarbon.

Background Pneumonitis is a well-known complication following aspiration of ingested liquid hydrocarbons. There are few data about acute pulmonary toxicity from unintentional hydrocarbon inhalation; most human cases involve products containing a fluoropolymer in combination with hydrocarbons. Methods Case report of a 45-year-old male who presented with respiratory distress after a 15-min inhalational exposure to a canvas waterproofing spray containing liquefied petroleum gas, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and isopropanol. Results Patients had symptoms, exam findings, and chest X-ray that were consistent with an acute pneumonitis. Conclusion Acute pulmonary injury can occur after a short exposure to an inhaled hydrocarbon and associated symptoms appear to respond to supportive measures, including oxygen, corticosteroids, and bronchodilators. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:911–914, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Central Bank Independence, Disinflations, and the Sacrifice Ratio:

It is widely believed that independent central banks produce costless low inflation. Yet a few recent studies indicate that more independent central banks are associated with higher output costs during disinflations. This carries the implication that there are indeed costs associated with autonomy. The author develops and extends those analyses in two important ways. First, he shows that central bank independence (CBI) affects both the output and the unemployment costs of disinflation. Because central banks control only monetary policy, they should not exert a differential effect on the two ratios, and there should be a positive relationship between independence and both the unemployment and the output costs of disinflations. Second, by including a range of potentially significant political and institutional controls, the author demonstrates both the importance of political and institutional determinants of the costs of disinflation and that CBI is a robust predictor of those costs.
Deterioration of Visual-Perceptual Organization Ability in Alzheimer's Disease

Although deterioration of higher-order visual information processing abilities occurs in Alzheimer's disease (AD), few cross-sectional or longitudinal studies have systematically examined this deficit. The performance of 135 patients with probable AD and 97 matched normal control (NC) participants were compared on a structured test of perceptual organization ability, the Hooper Visual Organization Test (VOT). Both the standard VOT score and a derived score that corrected for anomia were significantly lower for AD patients than for NC participants, but neither score was particularly effective at distinguishing between the groups. The derived VOT score proved to be a more effective measure of visuospatial functioning than the standard VOT score as it loaded with other visuospatial tests in a principal components analysis while the standard score loaded with language tests. The VOT was sensitive to severity of dementia in the AD patients. Longitudinal assessment of 37 of the AD patients and 46 NC participants revealed significant decline over one year in the VOT scores of AD patients, but not in those of NC participants. These results indicate that higher-order visual information processing is impaired in patients with AD and gradually deteriorates with disease progression. This deficit may not be a particularly salient early marker of the disease, but it may be useful in tracking disease course.
The effect of the composition of the intergranular film in alumina on preferential adsorption and growth

Composition of the intergranular film (IGF) found between alumina crystals has been shown to affect growth. Here, we employ molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations to study the effect of the composition of calcium alumino-silicate IGFs on preferential adsorption and grain growth in α-Al2O3 at an atomistic level. The IGF is formed while in contact with two differently oriented crystals, with results showing preferential adsorption and growth along the [ \(11\overline 2 0\)] direction of the ( \(11\overline 2 0\)) surface in comparison to that along the surface normal on the (0001) surface for certain calcium alumino-silicate compositions. Such preferential growth is consistent with experimentally observed anisotropic grain growth in alumina, where platelets form because of faster outward growth of the prism orientations than the basal orientation. The simulations show the mechanism by which Ca ions in the IGF inhibit growth on the basal surface and the important role that the Ca/Al ratio in the IGF plays in the change from isotropic to anisotropic grain growth. At compositions with high or low Ca/Al ratios, growth along each surface normal is equivalent, indicating isotropic grain growth. The simulations provide an atomistic view of attachment onto crystal surfaces, affecting grain growth in alumina, and the importance of local chemistry of the IGF on local adsorption and growth behavior.
Structural Reinterpretation of Poverty by Examining Working Poverty: Implications for Community and Policy Practice

This exploratory research focused on the structural context of working poverty, thereby transcending its individual or behavioral aspects. Two major questions guided this study: (1) How are the working poor different compared to the working nonpoor? (2) How do structural conditions affect the chances of one being working poor? Central findings of the study were that four primary sets of factors—demographic, human capital, employment barriers, and labor market positions—contribute to an individual's likelihood of being among the working poor. The structural factors—employment barriers and labor market positions—significantly contributed to the effects of human capital and demographic variables. All four factors require attention in community and policy practice to improve the lot of American workers in an increasingly global marketplace.
Whosoever hath, to him shall be given

Positions theoriques sur les rapports de la perception et des structures logiques dans le developpement intellectuel du nourrisson
Student perspectives on groupwork: Findings of a school improvement initiative

The educational system has a crucial role in developing groupwork skills in children and young people which will, in time, assist in the broader use of groupwork within society. Many educational establishments have for some years routinely employed groupwork pedagogy yet there has been limited research on how students actually perceive groupwork. This paper reports on student attitudes toward groupwork (n=248) within the context of a school improvement initiative. Staff from three schools met to refl ect on their own practice of classroom groupwork. A questionnaire was subsequently developed and administered to elicit the general attitude of the students towards groupwork as well as their views on competition, interdependence, accountability, learning outcomes, group composition, teacher involvement, citizenship, and learning styles. Overwhelming support for groupwork was found within the cohort. Groupwork is viewed as enjoyable, preferable to individual work, a teaching strategy that can be engaged with, benefi cial to learning, an aid to concentration during learning, helpful for memorising learning objectives and benefi cial for life post-school. The paper discusses emerging themes and implications for the future.
Manufacturing performance of the ALTA 3000 mask laser writer

This paper describes the manufacturing performance of the ALTA 3000 laser writer at the IBM mask fabrication facility in Essex Junction, Vermont. Current mask parametric performance for feature size control (x-bar and 3-sigma), registration and defect density of 4x and 5x reticles is presented. In addition, reliability data and write-time data for typical 64 Mb and 256 Mb reticles are provided.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Structural Studies on the Similarity and Potential Interaction Between Aβ42 and Prion Peptides

The Aβ42 peptide associated with Alzheimer's Disease is derived by proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Within the Aβ sequence are three consecutive GxxxG motifs that mediate both helix interactions in APP and β-sheet interactions in Aβ42. The GxxxG motif was originally shown to mediate helix interactions in the TM domain of glycophorin A. More recent studies have shown that amyloid fibrils formed from glycophorin A fragments contain parallel and in-register β-strands, as in Aβ42, and that the β-sheets within glycophorin A fibrils are stabilized by a central ridge of methionine residues packing against grooves created by glycines of the GxxxG motif. Strikingly, sequence analysis of the human prion protein reveals three consecutive GxxxG motifs in an amyloidogenic region from 118-135.In this investigation, 13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy is used to probe the structure of amyloid fibrils formed from the human PrP(118-135) peptide. We show that fibrils of PrP(118-135) have a parallel and in-register architecture where β-sheet-to-β-sheet packing is facilitated by side chain interactions involving Met129 packing against either Gly127 or Gly131 of a GxxxG motif. Peptide inhibitors, designed with a GxFxGxF framework and previously shown to block Aβ fibril formation, were tested on PrP(118-135) and found to inhibit fibril formation and block inter-sheet packing. The data show both Aβ and PrP(118-135) form similar fibrils and can be inhibited using the same generically designed peptide.Interestingly, both Aβ and PrP form β-sheet rich aggregates that cause neurodegenerative disease. Lauren et al. (Nature 457, 1128) proposed Aβ42 might exert toxicity on neuronal cells by binding to human prion protein at residues 95-110. We have carried out FTIR and NMR studies to characterize interactions between PrP (95-136) and Aβ42, and the possible role of GxxxG sequences.
A Report on Searches for Possible Lunar Meteoric Phenomena

If the Moon were completely devoid of an atmosphere, as the textbooks assert, meteorites would strike its surface at full cosmic velocity. Both theoretical and observational evidence shows that the impact at cosmic velocity of a relatively small meteorite with the surface of the Moon would produce a flare easily visible from the Earth. Fully 65.7 hours of attentive systematic observation of the unilluminated portion of the Moon have not certainly revealed one such meteoritic impact-flare. There have been observed, however, 10 moving luminous specks of short duration, seen projected against the Moon. An analysis of the characteristics of these luminous specks and of their paths is given in this paper. None of the results obtained in this analysis precludes the possibility that the observed luminous specks were lunar meteors; and it is shown that the number of such specks so far observed is roughly equal to the expected number of lunar meteors visible under the circumstances of the observations.
Solution structure of the third extracellular loop of human thromboxane A2 receptor.

Abstract The extracellular domains of the thromboxane A 2 receptor (TP receptor) were found to be involved in the specific ligand recognition. Determination of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the extracellular loops would help to explain the mechanism of the ligand binding to its receptor with regard to the tertiary structure. Based on our previous studies on the extracellular loop of the human TP receptor, the synthetic loop peptides, whose termini are constrained to 10 to 14-A separations, are more likely to mimic the native structure of the extracellular loops. In this study, a peptide with the sequence of the third extracellular loop (eLP 3 , residues 271–289) of the TP receptor was synthesized, and its termini were constrained by the formation of a disulfide bond between the additional homocysteines located at both ends. Fluorescence spectroscopic studies showed that the fluorescence intensity of this constrained loop peptide could be increased by the addition of SQ29,548, a TP receptor antagonist, which indicated the interaction between the peptide and the ligand. The structure of this peptide was then studied by two-dimensional 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. 1 H NMR assignments of the peptide were obtained and structure constraints were derived from nuclear Overhauser effects and J-coupling constants. The solution structure of the peptide was then calculated based on these constraints. The overall structure shows a β turn from residues 278 to 281. It also shows a distance of 9.45 A between the ends of the N and C termini of the peptide, which agrees with the distance between the two residues at the ends of the transmembrane helices connecting the eLP 3 on the TP receptor working model generated using molecular modeling, based on the crystal structure of bovine rhodopsin. These results provide valuable information for the characterization of the complete 3D structure of the extracellular domains of the human TP receptor.