cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1235: EPHA2-targeted therapy enhances the cytotoxicity of eicosapentaenoic acid against triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer. We have previously reported that mediators of inflammation, such as COX-2, promote the growth of Triple-Negative receptor (TN) IBC xenografts; therefore, inflammation in TN-IBC has a unique opportunity as a therapeutic strategy. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a non-toxic omega-3 fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties, has partially reduced tumor growth in pre-clinical models of TN-IBC. Therefore, our goal is to develop a novel non-toxic approach that enhances EPA efficacy against TN-IBC in combination with targeted therapy. Methods and Results: Using a high-throughput, siRNA screen (939 genes) in the TN-IBC cell line SUM149PT, we identified Ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EPHA2), an oncogenic cell-surface receptor tyrosine kinase, as a target that modulates the sensitivity of TN-IBC cells to EPA treatment. To determine the clinical relevance of EPHA2, we interrogated a meta-analysis of breast cancer mRNA expression data sets, and found that high EPHA2 tumor expression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival in TN-IBC patients, compared to low EPHA2 expressing tumors (P = 0.01). We observed no significant correlations to other breast cancer subtypes. Similar findings were observed in vitro were EPHA2 expression predominantly occurred in the TN-IBC subtypes (19 of 30) among 49 breast cancer cell lines. Gain/loss-of-expression studies were performed to functionally validate EPHA2 as a synergistic combinational target with EPA in two EPHA2-expressing TN-IBC models, SUM149PT and BCX010, using proliferation and apoptosis assays in vitro and established tumor xenografts in vivo. EPHA2 gene silencing significantly reduced cell growth and induced apoptosis in combination with EPA when compared with untreated control and monotherapy in vitro (P Conclusions: Our preclinical findings provide a rationale for the development of a phase 1 clinical trial investigating combination EPA and EPHA2-inhibitors in patients with EPHA2-positive TN-IBC. Citation Format: Angie M. Torres-Adorno, Heidi Vitrac, Yuan Qi, Yiwen Yang, Peiying Yang, Bedrich L. Eckhardt, Naoto T. Ueno. EPHA2-targeted therapy enhances the cytotoxicity of eicosapentaenoic acid against triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1235. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1235
Engineered microenvironments for maturation of stem cell derived cardiac myocytes

Through the use of stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes, tissue-engineered human myocardial constructs are poised for modeling normal and diseased physiology of the heart, as well as discovery of novel drugs and therapeutic targets in a human relevant manner. This review highlights the recent bioengineering efforts to recapitulate microenvironmental cues to further the maturation state of newly differentiated cardiac myocytes. These techniques include long-term culture, co-culture, exposure to mechanical stimuli, 3D culture, cell-matrix interactions, and electrical stimulation. Each of these methods has produced various degrees of maturation; however, a standardized measure for cardiomyocyte maturation is not yet widely accepted by the scientific community.
Young Women Rural Migrant Workers in China’s West: Benefits of Schooling?

This paper explores the association of rural schooling with empowerment of female rural migrant workers in remote Western China. It asks what school-related intrinsic and instrumental capabilities enhanced their urban lives and their role as “drivers for development” in urbanizing China. The analysis of a long-term observational study of the females of one cluster of villages shows that recently-arrived (2015) young rural new-migrant workers manifested enhanced capabilities associated with their schooling in four dimensions of social freedoms: protective security against early arranged marriage, enhanced occupational opportunity, constructive social arrangements founded in rural identity, and cognitive and aspirational capabilities. Lower educational attainment and achievement are associated with fewer and weaker empowerment capabilities across all dimensions. Political empowerment capabilities in the sense of civil rights and entitlements have no foundation in earlier education and are lacking in their urban lives. However, a sense of “voice” is beginning to take hold among young rural migrant women. Taking a female-centric capability perspective uncovers beneficial aspects of internal migration, contributing to a more holistically theorized understanding of associated social changes.
Efficacy of Oral Administration of Sodium Iodide to Prevent Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex.

Author(s): Shoemake, BM; Vander Ley, BL; Newcomer, BW; Heller, MC | Abstract: BackgroundThe prevention of bovine respiratory disease complex (BRD) in beef cattle is important to maintaining health and productivity of calves in feeding operations.ObjectiveDetermine whether BRD bacterial and viral pathogens are susceptible to the lactoperoxidase/hydrogen peroxide/iodide (LPO/H2 O2 /I- ) system in vitro and to determine whether the oral administration of sodium iodide (NaI) could achieve sufficient concentrations of iodine (I) in the respiratory secretions of weaned beef calves to inactivate these pathogens in vivo.AnimalsSixteen weaned, apparently healthy, commercial beef calves from the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine teaching herd.MethodsIn vitro viral and bacterial assays were performed to determine susceptibility to the LPO/H2 O2 /I- system at varying concentrations of NaI. Sixteen randomly selected, healthy crossbred beef weanlings were administered 70 mg/kg NaI, or water, orally in a blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Blood and nasal secretions were collected for 72 hours and analyzed for I- concentration.ResultsBovine herpesvirus-1, parainfluenza-3, Mannheimia haemolytica and Bibersteinia trehalosi were all inactivated or inhibited in vitro by the LPO/H2 O2 /I- reaction. Oral administration of NaI caused a marked increase in nasal fluid I concentration with a Cmax = 181 (1,420 μM I), T12 , a sufficient concentration to inactivate these pathogens in vitro.Conclusions and clinical importanceIn vitro, the LPO/H2 O2 /I- system inactivates and inhibits common pathogens associated with BRD. The administration of oral NaI significantly increases the I concentration of nasal fluid indicating that this system might be useful in preventing bovine respiratory infections.
Understanding faculty training in competency‐based curriculum development

Background: Competency-based (CBE) programs have increased significantly over the past decade in response to a changing higher education environment. This dramatic increase in CBE programs has been supported by faculty tasked with developing curriculum composed of competency statements, assessment strategies, and learning content. Yet, little is known about the types of training and support provided to faculty and faculty-perceived levels of competence in CBE curriculum development.
Assessing depression severity with a self-rated vs. rater-administered instrument in patients with epilepsy.

Abstract Rationale Up to 30–50% of individuals with epilepsy have depressive symptoms, which often complicate seizure management and reduce overall quality of life. To identify and manage depressive symptoms appropriately, clinicians need standardized instruments that can accurately identify and monitor those with clinically significant depression. The self-reported 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) has been used relatively widely to screen and monitor depression in epilepsy. The rater-administered Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is a rater-administered instrument widely used in depression treatment trials but less widely applied in epilepsy. This secondary analysis from 2 epilepsy self-management clinical trials compared depression severity ratings using the PHQ-9 and the MADRS instruments. Methods Data for this analysis were derived from pooled baseline and longitudinal data from 2 prospective epilepsy self-management randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Both RCTs assessed depression with the PHQ-9 and the MADRS. For this analysis, total depression severity scores and case classification of individuals with no/minimal, mild, moderate/moderately severe, and severe depression were assessed using both PHQ-9 and MADRS. Results The sample contained 164 individuals with epilepsy. Demographic and clinical variables between the 2 studies were generally similar. There were 107 women (64.8%), 106 African-Americans (64.2%), and 51 Whites (30.9%). Individuals had epilepsy for an average of 22.1 (SD: 15.5). Mean past 30-day seizure frequency at baseline was 3.1 (SD: 11.6). Baseline mean PHQ-9 was 10.7 (SD: 6.80) with depression severity of 32 (19.6%) not or minimally depressed, 47 (28.8%) mildly depressed, 37 (22.7%) moderately depressed, 27 (16.6%) moderately severely depressed, and 20 (12.3%) severely depressed. Baseline mean MADRS severity was 18.5 (SD: 11.3) with 30 (18.8%) not or minimally depressed, 27 (16.9%) mildly depressed, 92 (56.1%) moderately depressed, and 11 (6.9%) severely depressed. The correlation between total PHQ-9 and total MADRS was 0.843 (p Conclusions Standardized measures to evaluate depression severity in people with epilepsy can help identify cases and monitor treatment. The PHQ-9 and MADRS both perform well in assessing depression in people with epilepsy although administration burden is less with PHQ-9 thus making it likely preferable for settings where time and epilepsy specialty resources are limited.
Tribal Employment Separation: Tribal Law Enigma, Tribal Government Paradox, and Tribal Court Conundrum

This Article discusses the difficulty of employment separations in Indian Country. The central premise of this Article is that Euro-American law and jurisprudence is uniquely unsuited to Indian Tribes and Tribal Courts. The result of the implementation of employment separation law and jurisprudence by Tribes and Tribal Courts is unnecessary litigation and emotional suffering. Part I of this Article describes the characteristics of employment with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations. Tribes are usually close-knit communities that generally employ a significant percentage of Tribal Members. Part II describes the legal structures required by the Euro-American legal system as imposed on Indian Tribes and considers how these structures create significant legal problems for the Tribes and social problems for the Indian communities. Part III analyzes the Tribal law of sovereign immunity as it applies to lawsuits by discharged employees in Tribal Courts. Part IV proposes the reduction of harms associated with employment separations. Since most Tribes have adopted significant portions of Euro-American law and jurisprudence, a blanket restructuring of Tribal legal systems would be extremely difficult. This proposal cuts through much of problems associated with adjudicating Tribal employment separation disputes.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit

The rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections has increased significantly over the last years, especially from community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) sources. The true prev...
Depression and Anxiety in Persons with Parkinson's Disease With and Without “On–Off” Phenomena

“On–off” phenomena in Parkinson's disease (PD) are unpredictable motor fluctuations associated with long-term levodopa use. Mood fluctuations have been found to coincide with the motor fluctuations in that depression and anxiety increase while the person with PD is in the “off” state. What has been relatively unexplored is whether those persons with PD who have “on–off” phenomena differ psychologically in fundamental ways from those who do not have “on–off” phenomena. In the present study, depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed in 36 persons with PD (n = 14 with “on–off” phenomena, n = 22 without “on–off” phenomena). All those with “on–off” phenomena were assessed in their “on” state. Those persons with PD with “on–off” phenomena had significantly higher levels of anxiety than those without “on–off” phenomena. However, both groups, regardless of “on–off” status, were mildly depressed. Neurobiological interpretations of the results implicate the locus coeruleus in the pathogenesis of both “on–off” phenomena and anxiety, whereas psychological interpretations of the results involve the issues of learned helplessness and control over health symptoms in PD.
On Input-Output Linkage Measures

We consider six widely used input-output (IO) linkage measures in both traditional and (less used) generalized IO settings. We derive closed-form expressions for the so-called hypothetical extraction linkages, which identify the exact driving forces behind these measures. Next, we propose a net forward linkage indicator as a "counterpart" of the Oosterhaven and Stelder’s (2002) net backward linkage. It is shown that all the linkage measures are closely interrelated. Finally, we make an empirical assessment of similarity of all seven IO linkage measures.
Cyclic Formality and Index Theorems

The Letter announces the following results (the proofs will appear elsewhere). An operad acting on Hochschild chains and cochains of an associative algebra is constructed. This operad is formal. In the case when this algebra is the algebra of smooth function on a smooth manifold, the action of this operad on the corresponding Hochschild chains and cochains is formal. The induced map on the (periodic) cyclic homology is given by the formula involving the A-genus. The index theorem for degenerate Poisson structures follows from the latter fact.
Registration Accuracy of Patient-Specific, Three-Dimensional-Printed Prostate Molds for Correlating Pathology With Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objective: This investigation was performed to evaluate the registration accuracy between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathology using three-dimensional (3-D) printed molds. Methods: Tissue-mimicking prostate phantoms were manufactured with embedded fiducials. The fiducials were used to measure and compare target registration error (TRE) between phantoms that were sliced by hand versus phantoms that were sliced within 3-D-printed molds. Subsequently, ten radical prostatectomy specimens were placed inside molds, scanned with MRI, and then sliced. The ex vivo scan was used to assess the true location of whole mount (WM) slides relative to in vivo MRI. The TRE between WM and in vivo MRI was measured using anatomic landmarks. Results: Manually sliced phantoms had a 4.1-mm mean TRE, whereas mold-sliced phantoms had a 1.9-mm mean TRE. Similarly, mold-assisted slicing reduced mean angular misalignment around the left-right (LR) anatomic axis from 10.7° to 4.5°. However, ex vivo MRI revealed that excised prostates were misaligned within molds, including a mean 14° rotation about the LR axis. The mean in-plane TRE was 3.3 mm using molds alone and 2.2 mm after registration was corrected with ex vivo MRI. Conclusion: Patient-specific molds improved accuracy relative to manual slicing techniques in a phantom model. However, the registration accuracy of surgically resected specimens was limited by their imperfect fit within molds. This limitation can be overcome with the addition of ex vivo imaging. Significance: The accuracy of 3-D-printed molds was characterized, quantifying their utility for facilitating MRI-pathology registration.
Online Self-Supervised Long-Range Scene Segmentation for MAVs

Recently, there have been numerous advances in the development of payload and power constrained lightweight Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs). As these robots aspire for highspeed autonomous flights in complex dynamic environments, robust scene understanding at long-range becomes critical. The problem is heavily characterized by either the limitations imposed by sensor capabilities for geometry-based methods, or the need for large-amounts of manually annotated training data required by data-driven methods. This motivates the need to build systems that have the capability to alleviate these problems by exploiting the complimentary strengths of both geometry and data-driven methods. In this paper, we take a step in this direction and propose a generic framework for adaptive scene segmentation using self-supervised online learning. We present this in the context of vision-based autonomous MAV flight, and demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed system through extensive experiments on benchmark datasets and realworld field tests.
How do mothers manage their privacy with adolescents? Exploring mother–adolescent communication in Mexican immigrant families:

The present study seeks to understand how Mexican immigrant mothers manage private information with adolescent children activating the state of emotional parentification. “Emotional parentificiatio...
Narrowband signals recorded near a moulin that are not moulin tremor: a cautionary short note

Geophysicists that deploy seismic sensors in ablation zones of glaciers and ice sheets to record glaciogenic signatures can confront recording challenges caused by instrument melt-out or tilt. These challenges often require installing sensors in boreholes to delay melt-out, or securing sensors to structures that improve coupling. We show that some of these structures that were buried near a moulin at a snow-free site in the ablation zone of the Western Greenland Ice Sheet resonated as they became exposed, and caused their geophones to record temporally evolving, narrowband signals that mimic features of glaciogenic sources like moulin tremor. We quantify these artifacts with a mechanical model that shows instruments undergo structural resonance as they melt-out, at exposure rates that we predict from an ablation model (RACMO). These models reproduce general spectral features in our data, and enable us to estimate what instrument exposure reduces ice-to-sensor coupling enough to prevent icequake detection. Last, we use our resonance data to quantitatively measure how narrowband signals that originate from either artificial or glaciogenic sources will reduce the ability of certain waveform detectors (correlators) to capture transient seismic events, even if sensors remain coupled.
Embracing Complexity in Defensive Networks

The neural basis of defensive behaviors continues to attract much interest, not only because they are important for survival but also because their dysregulation may be at the origin of anxiety disorders. Recently, a dominant approach in the field has been the optogenetic manipulation of specific circuits or cell types within these circuits to dissect their role in different defensive behaviors. While the usefulness of optogenetics is unquestionable, we argue that this method, as currently applied, fosters an atomistic conceptualization of defensive behaviors, which hinders progress in understanding the integrated responses of nervous systems to threats. Instead, we advocate for a holistic approach to the problem, including observational study of natural behaviors and their neuronal correlates at multiple sites, coupled to the use of optogenetics, not to globally turn on or off neurons of interest, but to manipulate specific activity patterns hypothesized to regulate defensive behaviors.
Hemofilter Obstruction with Intravenous Lipid Administration

A critically ill patient requiring continuous venovenous hemofiltration therapy received parenteral nutrition through the same commonly used intravascular device. The inclusion of injectable lipid emulsion had an adverse effect on hemofilter function. This was successfully managed first by using lipid-free parenteral nutrition and then by administering the total nutrient admixture via a separate central venous access device.
Domain Adaptation with Conditional Distribution Matching and Generalized Label Shift

Adversarial learning has demonstrated good performance in the unsupervised domain adaptation setting, by learning domain-invariant representations. However, recent work has shown limitations of this approach when label distributions differ between the source and target domains. In this paper, we propose a new assumption, generalized label shift ($GLS$), to improve robustness against mismatched label distributions. $GLS$ states that, conditioned on the label, there exists a representation of the input that is invariant between the source and target domains. Under $GLS$, we provide theoretical guarantees on the transfer performance of any classifier. We also devise necessary and sufficient conditions for $GLS$ to hold, by using an estimation of the relative class weights between domains and an appropriate reweighting of samples. Our weight estimation method could be straightforwardly and generically applied in existing domain adaptation (DA) algorithms that learn domain-invariant representations, with small computational overhead. In particular, we modify three DA algorithms, JAN, DANN and CDAN, and evaluate their performance on standard and artificial DA tasks. Our algorithms outperform the base versions, with vast improvements for large label distribution mismatches. Our code is available at this https URL.
Chapter 36 – STAT2

Human STAT2 deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of innate immunity, with apparently variable clinical penetrance. It confers unique susceptibility to viral infection, including vaccine strain measles, by preventing the normal transcriptional response to innate interferon.
Learning-Enabled NoC Design for Heterogeneous Manycore Systems

As systems grow in specialization (e.g., domain specific architectures), we need the tools to handle the growing design space from increased heterogeneity and system sizes. In this paper, we investigate the specific challenges posed by heterogeneous systems on the NoC in two separate contexts: wireless- and 3D-enabled, formulate each as a separate multiobjective optimization problem, and present a machine learning based design space exploration technique, MOO-STAGE, to intelligently explore this growing design space.
A Multiple Correspondence Analysis of Patterns of CBD Use in Hemp and Marijuana Users

Background: With the passing of the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act that legalized hemp-derived products, i.e., cannabidiol (CBD), the use of CBD has increased exponentially. To date, the few studies that have characterized individuals who use CBD suggest that co-use of CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-dominant cannabis, i.e., marijuana, is highly prevalent. It is, therefore, important to investigate the relationship between CBD use and marijuana use to understand the antecedents and consequences of co-use of these two cannabis products. Methods: We conducted an online survey using structured questionnaires to determine differences in CBD users with (CBD+MJ) and without co-morbid marijuana use. Group comparisons were carried out using chi-square tests and ANOVA. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) with bootstrap ratio testing was performed to examine the relationship between the categorical data. Results: We received 182 survey responses from current CBD users. CBD+MJ had more types of CBD administration (F = 17.07, p < 0.001) and longer lifetime duration of CBD use (χ2 = 12.85, p < 0.05). Results from the MCA yielded two statistically significant dimensions that accounted for 77% of the total variance. Dimension 1 (representing 57% of the variance) associated CBD+MJ with indication of CBD use for medical ailments, use of CBD for more than once a day for longer than 2 years, applying CBD topically or consuming it via vaping or edibles, being female, and, having lower educational attainment. Dimension 2 (representing 20% of the variance) separated the groups primarily on smoking-related behaviors where CBD+MJ was associated with smoking CBD and nicotine. Conclusions: Identifying the factors that influence use of CBD and marijuana can inform future studies on the risks and benefits associated with each substance as well as the impacts of policies related to cannabis-based products.
The implications of IDH mutations for cancer development and therapy

Mutations in the genes encoding the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial forms of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1 and IDH2, respectively; collectively referred to as IDH) are frequently detected in cancers of various origins, including but not limited to acute myeloid leukaemia (20%), cholangiocarcinoma (20%), chondrosarcoma (80%) and glioma (80%). In all cases, neomorphic activity of the mutated enzyme leads to production of the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate, which has profound cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous effects. The broad effects of IDH mutations on epigenetic, differentiation and metabolic programmes, together with their high prevalence across a variety of cancer types, early presence in tumorigenesis and uniform expression in tumour cells, make mutant IDH an ideal therapeutic target. Herein, we describe the current biological understanding of IDH mutations and the roles of mutant IDH in the various associated cancers. We also present the available preclinical and clinical data on various methods of targeting IDH-mutant cancers and discuss, based on the underlying pathogenesis of different IDH-mutated cancer types, whether the treatment approaches will converge or be context dependent.
Impact of childhood maltreatment on psychosomatic outcomes among men and women with disabilities.

Purpose This project examined the impact of childhood maltreatment types on psychosomatic outcomes among adults with a range of self-reported disabilities. Materials and methods Participants (n = 643) were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk and Cloud Research. Single-item questions assessed sociodemographic information. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire measured childhood maltreatment types (emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect) and the RAND-36 Item Health Survey evaluated physical functioning, pain, and energy/fatigue. Logistic regressions determined associations between childhood trauma and psychosomatic outcomes; stratified models compared men and women. Results Multivariate-adjusted models indicated physical abuse was positively associated with poor physical functioning (OR: 2.03; 95%CI: 1.35-3.06) with this relationship being stronger for men (OR: 3.25; 95%CI: 1.42-7.43) than women (OR: 1.91; 95%CI: 1.17-3.13). Adjusted models showed that physical neglect was protective against fatigue (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.36-0.94), while emotional neglect increased the risk of fatigue (OR: 1.74; 95%CI: 1.02-2.95). Lastly, physical abuse was positively associated with pain (OR: 1.53; 95%CI: 1.01-2.33). This relationship was stronger in men (OR: 4.99; 95%CI: 1.91-12.99). Conclusions Results improve our understanding of risk factors for poor physical health outcomes and can guide the development of trauma-sensitive rehabilitation services.Implications for RehabilitationIndividuals with disabilities who report childhood maltreatment may experience poor psychosomatic outcomes in adulthood.Consequences of experiencing childhood maltreatment may manifest differently between men and women over the course of the lifespan.It is essential to integrate trauma-informed principles into treatment plans for individuals with poor psychosomatic health.Rehabilitation professionals should screen for abuse and refer individuals to the appropriate mental and physical health services.
An experiential account of phantom vibration syndrome

Previous data show a high prevalence for the experience phantom phone vibrations.An original habit-based account of phantom vibration syndrome is developed.Reflections on implications for our modern technological situation are offered. A small handful of recent studies have addressed a phenomenon known as "phantom vibration syndrome". This refers to when phone users perceive their device to vibrate, indicating that a call or text is incoming, when in fact the phone did not vibrate at all. Though these studies show that most users do not find phantom vibration hallucinations to be very bothersome, they also find that a large majority of users experience this phenomenon. This paper explores what the striking prevalence of phantom vibration syndrome means for our contemporary relationships with technology. I begin with a review of the theories purporting to explain these data, which largely rely on particular understandings of the brain. Next I develop an alternative theory of phantom vibration syndrome based on insights from the philosophical tradition of phenomenology. This account considers the ways users develop bodily and perceptual habits regarding how the phone is understood and used. By critically contrasting these different theories, we can refine our questions about what the high prevalence of phantom vibration syndrome implies about our contemporary technological situation.
Biodegradation of the Herbicide Alachlor in Liquid Culture and a Soil Slurry

Alachlor is a pre-emergence chloroacylanilide herbicide in widespread use, marketed as Lasso. In South Dakota, chemical spills amounting to nearly 9,000 gallons of pesticides and their solvents have been reported for the past two growing seasons. A large portion of this material has been alachlor; since many spills are not reported, its presence in the environment in high levels may be substantially greater than this.
Role of Caspase in a Subset of Human Platelet Activation Responses

Platelets function to protect the integrity of the vascular wall. A subset of platelet activation responses that are especially important for thrombus formation include exposure of phosphatidylserine and release of microparticles, which generate procoagulant surfaces. The resemblance of these platelet activation processes to events occurring in nucleated cells undergoing apoptosis suggests a possible role for caspases, which are major effector enzymes of nucleated cell apoptosis. We demonstrate here the presence of caspase-3 in human platelets and its activation by physiological platelet agonists. Using cell-permeable specific inhibitors, we demonstrate a role for a caspase-3-like protease in the agonist-induced (collagen plus thrombin or Ca2+ ionophore) platelet activation events of phosphatidylserine exposure, microparticle release, and cleavage of moesin, a cytoskeletal-membrane linker protein. The role of caspase-3 in platelet activation is restricted rather than global, because other activation responses, alpha granule secretion, shape change, and aggregation were unaffected by caspase-3 inhibitors. Experiments with two classes of protease inhibitors show that caspase-3 function is distinct from that of calpain, which is also involved in late platelet activation events. These findings show novel functions of caspase and provide new insights for understanding of platelet activation.
Why are You Black? Hip Hop, Cultural Resistance, and Black Feminist Ethnography in Dubai

In this paper, I develop the intellectual foundations of hip hop feminist ethnography using my political and pedagogical engagements with gender and hip hop politics and black feminism. I argue that critical political anthropology can be an important intellectual arena in which to engage questions of power, identity, and political struggle by the centering the experiences of those who exists at or near the very bottom of global social, economic, and political hierarchies and who use hip hop as a means of cultural agency and political empowerment. In this paper, I argue that blackness be understood as more than skin color. Rather, “blackness” should be understood as a transversal social identity produced by the active awareness of how people of African descent in the Middle East suffer and resist the racializing effects of neoliberalism, war, and profit seeking imperatives of city-states. Based upon ethnographic fieldwork in Newark, NJ and Dubai, UAE, and featuring the voices of Afro-Arab female hip artists of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, I present a body of black feminist political ethnographic practices that are mutually affirmative, non-hierarchical, and open-ended.
Modal auxiliaries. Verb plus infinitive

These are verbs which ‘help’ or’ supplement’ another verb. Dutch has four modal auxiliaries* which form a separate category not only by virtue of their use but also because of their formation.
Rank-Sensitive Priority Queues

We introduce the rank-sensitive priority queue -- a data structure that always knows the minimum element it contains, for which insertion and deletion take O (log(n /r )) time, with n being the number of elements in the structure, and r being the rank of the element being inserted or deleted (r = 1 for the minimum, r = n for the maximum). We show how several elegant implementations of rank-sensitive priority queues can be obtained by applying novel modifications to treaps and amortized balanced binary search trees, and we show that in the comparison model, the bounds above are essentially the best possible. Finally, we conclude with a case study on the use of rank-sensitive priority queues for shortest path computation.
Extreme longitudinal variability of plasma structuring in the equatorial ionosphere on a magnetically quiet equinoctial day

[1] We investigate the extreme longitudinal variability of equatorial scintillation under quiet magnetic conditions during 22–23 March 2002. Scintillation Network Decision Aid (SCINDA) observations show intense activity in the South American–Atlantic sector during local evening hours, whereas an absence of scintillation is seen in the far east Asian sector. Ground- and space-based measurements from SCINDA, the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI), TOPEX, and a chain of GPS receivers are used in combination with the Utah State University Global Assimilation of Ionospheric Measurements (USU-GAIM) model to explore the relationship between the large-scale ionization distribution and small-scale irregularities at low latitudes in both the scintillating and nonscintillating longitude sectors. Our analysis shows that there are significant differences in the evolution of the ionization distributions during the evening hours, which are likely the result of differences in the daytime and postsunset vertical plasma drift in the two sectors. This study demonstrates the importance of USU-GAIM as a new tool for investigating longitudinal as well as day-to-day variability that is observed in the large-scale distribution of the ionosphere and how this relates to the occurrence of scintillation.
Vitamin E protection against chemical-induced cell injury: II. Evidence for a threshold effect of cellular α-tocopherol in prevention of adriamycin toxicity

Abstract The cardiomyopathy produced by the widely used anticancer drug adriamycin (ADR) is believed to be related to the production of reaction oxygen species and consumption of reduced glutathione (GSH) during redox cycling of the drug. Protection by vitamin E against the toxicity of ADR was studied in a model of compromised isolated hepatocytes, generated by physiological alterations in the concentration of cell calcium. A decrease in cell calcium concentration leads to a greater loss of endogenous α-tocopherol and enhances the intracellular hydrolysis of exogenous α-tocopheryl esters. With this model, vitamin E (α-tocopheryl succinate) at 25 μ m protected the calcium-depleted hepatocytes against the toxicity of ADR, in association with greater cellular α-tocopherol content as compared to calcium-adequate cells. The incubation of calcium-adequate hepatocytes with increasing concentrations of α-tocopheryl succinate up to 200 μ m demonstrated that maximal protection by vitamin E was directly dependent on the α-tocopherol content of the cells, regardless of the concentration of cell calcium. The viability of the cells was closely associated with the α-tocopherol-mediated maintenance of cellular protein thiols. Viability and protein thiol content of the cells were maximal at cellular α-tocopherol levels in the range 0.6–1.0 nmol/10 6 cells in both calcium-depleted and -adequate cells. It is suggested that the potential use of vitamin E as a protective agent against ADR toxicity in vivo be reevaluated with an emphasis placed on the threshold level of intracellular α-tocopherol in the critical target tissue.
myc family oncogenes in the development of normal and neoplastic cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the structural and functional features of myc family genes and their products and discusses these properties in relation to known or suspected roles of myc in normal mammalian development and in malignant disease. The most extensive region of homology among c-myc, N-myc, and L-myc gene products is found near the carboxy-terminal portion of various proteins. This region contains two structural motifs identified in transcription and differentiation factors—namely, the leucine zipper and the helix-loop-helix/basic region motifs. These structures are found in a contiguous arrangement, with the leucine zipper located at the carboxy terminus and the helix-loop-helix just amino terminal to the leucine zipper. myc family genes are important in the regulation of normal cellular growth and differentiation. myc family genes exhibit unique expression patterns during mammalian development and the dramatic changes in their expression coincide with critical developmental transitions in many cell lineages. myc family oncoproteins are localized to the nucleus, and they possess significant homology to known sequence-specific transcription factors and for differentiation factors, thereby suggesting that myc-encoded oncoproteins may serve to regulate specific gene expression during growth and differentiation. Although myc family genes share many structural and functional features, their conservation as distinct sequences in evolution indicates important and unique biological activities.
An Investigation of Leadership Skill Differences in Chief Executives of Nonprofit Organizations

The increasing recognition of the public nature of nonprofit organizations and the changing relationships between governments and nonprofit organizations provide the context for, and underline the importance of, understanding effective executive leadership in such organizations. A study of 50 nonprofit organization chief executives revealed that reputationally effective executives engaged in more reported leadership behaviors in relationship to their boards of directors than executives not so reputed. No difference was found in reported leadership behaviors directed at staff. The results suggest that “board-regarding behaviors” are an important and distinct cluster of skills for effective leadership by nonprofit chief executives. The results are consistent with a resource-dependence perspective, and the authors argue that effective executives work with and through their boards in order to affect the constraints and dependencies in the nonprofit organization's environment.
Oral care in the adult intensive care unit

Background Nurses have not been formally trained in assessing the oral status of patients in intensive care units, and no oral care protocols for these patients are available. Objectives To assess the oral status of patients in an intensive care unit, evaluate the effects of a defined oral care protocol on the oral health status of patients in an intensive care unit, and compare oral assessments of a dental hygienist with those of intensive care nurses. Methods A nonequivalent comparison group, longitudinal design with repeated measures was used. In phase 1, oral assessment data on the comparison group were collected by a dental hygienist. In phase 2, nurses were instructed in oral assessment and an oral care protocol. In phase 3, the oral care protocol was implemented in the treatment group, and oral assessment data were collected separately by the dental hygienist and by nurses. Results The mean inflammation score was significantly lower (t test P = .03) in the treatment group (mean, 3.9; SEM, 3.0) than in the comparison group (mean, 12.4; SEM, 2.2). Although not significant, the mean scores of the treatment group were also lower than those of the comparison group on scales of candidiasis, purulence, bleeding, and plaque. Correlations between scores for individual items on the oral assessment tool obtained by the dental hygienist and those obtained by nurses were all greater than 0.6386. Conclusion Implementation of a well-developed oral care protocol by bedside nurses can improve oral health of patients in the intensive care unit.
New crater on the Moon and a swarm of secondaries

Abstract Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera images acquired both before and after the formation of an 18.8 m diameter crater on 17 March 2013 reveal intricate details of ejecta distribution and the structure of the top two meters of the regolith. Our observations indicate that (1) the regolith is mature down to several tens of cm and immature below one meter, (2) surface reflectivity properties are affected for distances greater than fifty crater radii, and (3) large numbers of secondary impacts (splotches) formed up to 30 km distant from this new primary crater. These observations provide new knowledge of the distribution of ejected materials from small impact craters on the Moon, the modification of the top few cm of the regolith by micrometeorite impacts, and potential hazards to future explorers.
Dependence Of Plasma Etch Rate And Uniformity On Resist Type And Processing

Uniformity of etch in plasma is becoming increasingly important as wafer size increases and linewidth decreases. A great deal has been written about the effects on etch rate and uniformity of the fundamental variables of system configuration, gas mixtures, gas flows, wafer loading, etc. , but little has been said about the influence of photoresist processing on etch performance. Trace residues, especially develop residues associated with a negative process, can exert a major influence on plasma etch rate and uniformity. Chemical cleaning can be used effectively to compensate for deficiencies in plasma cleaning but the use of positive resist can achieve the same uniformity and repeatability without the need for additional processing. Recognition of the extreme sensitivity of plasma etching to certain trace residues and the possible ineffectiveness of plasma cleaning opens one more door for the optimization of plasma etch uniformity and repeatability.
Ground Water as a Silica Source for Diatom Production in a Precipitation-Dominated Lake

The short-term, seasonal input of ground water to a small, precipitation-dominated oligotrophic lake in northern Wisconsin amounts to less than 10 percent of the annual water budget of the lake but accounts for nearly all the external silica loading. Silica is a necessary nutrient for diatoms. A large spring diatom bloom occurs coincident with high silica inputs from ground water when other possible silica sources are low. The mass budgets of ground water and silica in the lake system demonstrate the importance of ground-water solute inputs to the lake.
The twilight of ethnicity among Americans of European ancestry: The case of Italians*

(1985). The twilight of ethnicity among Americans of European ancestry: The case of Italians. Ethnic and Racial Studies: Vol. 8, Ethnicity and Race in the U.S.A: Toward the Twenty-First Century, pp. 134-158.
Plasma retinol-binding protein response to vitamin A administration in infants susceptible to bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

We hypothesized that changes in plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP) concentration in response to vitamin A administration might be useful for evaluating vitamin A status of very low birth weight infants susceptible to bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We prospectively studied 24 consecutively admitted neonates (birth weight 24 hours after birth), who were eligible to receive 2000 IU suplemental vitamin A by inframuscular injection on postnatal day 1 and on alternate days thereafter for 28 days. In addition to serial assessment of vitamin A status, we measured plasma RBP just before and 1, 3, and 6 hours after an intramuscular injection of vitamin A (2000 IU/kg retinyl palmitate) on days 1 and 28. The percent incrase in plasma RBP (-RBP) was high (mean±SD: 61±37%) and plasma vitamin A and RBP values were low on day 1, indicative, of vitamin A deficiency. Supplemntal vitamin A improved vitamin A status of all infants as shown by low -RBP (mean±SD: 8±9%) and normal plasma vitamin A and RBP values on day 28. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia was diagnosed in 12 of 24 infants. Infants with bornchopulmonary dysplasia had a higher mean (±SD) -RBP on day 28 than those without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (13±10% vs 3±3%, p
Analysis of DC current crowding in through-silicon-vias and its impact on power integrity in 3D ICs

Due to the large geometry of through-silicon-vias (TSVs) and their connections to the power grid, significant current crowding can occur in 3D ICs. Prior works model TSVs and power wire segments as single resistors, which cannot capture the detailed current distribution and may miss trouble spots associated with current crowding. This paper studies DC current crowding and its impact on 3D power integrity. First, we explore the current density distribution within a TSV and its power wire connections. Second, we build and validate effective TSV models for current density distributions. Finally, these models are integrated with global power wires for detailed chip-scale power grid analysis.
Some compact conformally flat manifolds with non-negative scalar curvature

In this paper we study some compact locally conformally flat manifolds with a compatible metric whose scalar curvature is nonnegative, and in particular with nonnegative Ricci curvature. In the last section we study such manifolds of dimension 4 and scalar curvature identically zero.
Electrophysiological methods for recording synaptic potentials from the NMJ of Drosophila larvae.

In this video, we describe the electrophysiological methods for recording synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of Drosophila larva. The larval neuromuscular system is a model synapse for the study of synaptic physiology and neurotransmission, and is a valuable research tool that has defined genetics and is accessible to experimental manipulation. Larvae can be dissected to expose the body wall musculature, central nervous system, and peripheral nerves. The muscles of Drosophila and their innervation pattern are well characterized and muscles are easy to access for intracellular recording. Individual muscles can be identified by their location and orientation within the 8 abdominal segments, each with 30 muscles arranged in a pattern that is repeated in segments A2 - A7. Dissected drosophila larvae are thin and individual muscles and bundles of motor neuron axons can be visualized by transillumination1. Transgenic constructs can be used to label target cells for visual identification or for manipulating gene products in specific tissues. In larvae, excitatory junction potentials (EJP’s) are generated in response to vesicular release of glutamate from the motoneurons at the synapse. In dissected larvae, the EJP can be recorded in the muscle with an intracellular electrode. Action potentials can be artificially evoked in motor neurons that have been cut posterior to the ventral ganglion, drawn into a glass pipette by gentle suction and stimulated with an electrode. These motor neurons have distinct firing thresholds when stimulated, and when they fire simultaneously, they generate a response in the muscle. Signals transmitted across the NMJ synapse can be recorded in the muscles that the motor neurons innervate. The EJP’s and minature excitatory junction potentials (mEJP’s) are seen as changes in membrane potential. Electrophysiological responses are recorded at room temperature in modified minimal hemolymph-like solution2 (HL3) that contains 5 mM Mg2+ and 1.5 mM Ca2+. Changes in the amplitude of evoked EJP’s can indicate differences in synaptic function and structure. Digitized recordings are analyzed for EJP amplitude, mEJP frequency and amplitude, and quantal content.