cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ROLE OF EDTA AND METALS IN MITOCHONDRIAL CONTRACTION

Studies comparing the state of hydration and dehydration of rat liver mitochondria to their content of ATP, Ca, and fatty acid, along with the rate of ATP hydrolysis, as well as microscopic appearance of mitochondria, have led to the following generalizations: 1. The competition between cationic translocations and water translocation for the available chemical energy (ATP) determines under many circumstances the water content of mitochondria. 2. Swelling of mitochondria by electron transport substrates is an example of the activation of the cationic translocations at the expense of water translocation. 3. Electron micrographic studies are interpreted to indicate that EDTA alone can cause condensation and dehydration of the mitochondrial matrix. However, both EDTA and substrate are necessary to remove appreciable quantities of water from mitochondrial intramembranous spaces. 4. Since the data in the accompanying report indicated that EDTA, in the absence of energy, decreased the permeability of mitochondrial membranes, it appears likely that ballooning of intramembranous spaces, following addition of EDTA, represents trapping of water between two semipermeable membranes following dehydration of mitochondrial matrix.
BRCA1 functions as a novel transcriptional cofactor in HIV-1 infection

Viruses have naturally evolved elegant strategies to manipulate the host’s cellular machinery, including ways to hijack cellular DNA repair proteins to aid in their own replication. Retroviruses induce DNA damage through integration of their genome into host DNA. DNA damage signaling proteins including ATR, ATM and BRCA1 contribute to multiple steps in the HIV-1 life cycle, including integration and Vpr-induced G2/M arrest. However, there have been no studies to date regarding the role of BRCA1 in HIV-1 transcription. Here we performed various transcriptional analyses to assess the role of BRCA1 in HIV-1 transcription by overexpression, selective depletion, and treatment with small molecule inhibitors. We examined association of Tat and BRCA1 through in vitro binding assays, as well as BRCA1-LTR association by chromatin immunoprecipitation. BRCA1 was found to be important for viral transcription as cells that lack BRCA1 displayed severely reduced HIV-1 Tat-dependent transcription, and gain or loss-of-function studies resulted in enhanced or decreased transcription. Moreover, Tat was detected in complex with BRCA1 aa504-802. Small molecule inhibition of BRCA1 phosphorylation effector kinases, ATR and ATM, decreased Tat-dependent transcription, whereas a Chk2 inhibitor showed no effect. Furthermore, BRCA1 was found at the viral promoter and treatment with curcumin and ATM inhibitors decreased BRCA1 LTR occupancy. Importantly, these findings were validated in a highly relevant model of HIV infection and are indicative of BRCA1 phosphorylation affecting Tat-dependent transcription. BRCA1 presence at the HIV-1 promoter highlights a novel function of the multifaceted protein in HIV-1 infection. The BRCA1 pathway or enzymes that phosphorylate BRCA1 could potentially be used as complementary host-based treatment for combined antiretroviral therapy, as there are multiple potent ATM inhibitors in development as chemotherapeutics.
Improving neural prosthetic system performance by combining plan and peri-movement activity

While most neural prosthetic systems to date estimate arm movements based solely on the activity prior to reaching movements during a delay period (plan activity) or solely on the activity during reaching movements (peri-movement activity), we show that decode classification can be improved by 56% and 71% respectively by using both types of activity together. We recorded from the pre-motor cortex of a rhesus monkey performing a delayed-reach task to one of seven targets. We found that taking into account the time-varying structure in peri-movement activity further improved performance by 15%, while doing the same for plan activity did not improve performance. We also found low correlations in activity between pairs of simultaneously-recorded units and across time periods within a given trial condition. These results show that decode performance can be significantly improved by combining information from the plan and peri-movement periods, and that there is nearly no loss in performance when assuming independence between units and across tune periods within a given trial condition.
A new polyphase matrix converter topology

A new topology for bidirectional sinusoidal AC-AC power conversion is proposed in this paper. The power converter topology is derived from conventional three phase-three phase matrix converters. The approach uses polyphase balanced three phase AC voltage stiff sources interfaced to three phase current stiff loads using a switching matrix. Availability of isolated balanced three phase AC sources allows the use of reduced number of switches with two quadrant switches, thereby allowing a simple realization of the converter. A set of phase shifting transformers is used to generate polyphase voltages sets to drive the converter. An analysis of the semiconductor and transformer VA rating is presented. A switch modulation technique is developed using vector representation of the converter input-output properties. Experimental results from a laboratory prototype converter are presented to verify the operation of the converter.
Neural Processing Correlates of Assaultive Violence Exposure and PTSD Symptoms during Implicit Threat Processing: A Network Level Analysis among Adolescent Girls

Abstract Assaultive violence exposure during childhood is a significant risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of the present study was to characterize the relationships of assault and PTSD severity with the organization of large-scale networks identified during emotion processing. Adolescent girls aged 12–16 with ( N =15) and without ( N =15) histories of assault underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while engaged in a task that presented images of fearful or neutral facial expressions. Independent component analysis (ICA) identified a frontocingulate network, a frontoparietal network, and a default mode network. Assault exposure was associated with significantly greater activation of the frontocingulate network for fear versus neutral faces. Within the frontocingulate network, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity was associated with weakened functional connectivity between the left amygdala and the perigenual anterior cingulate. Within the frontoparietal network, assaulted girls demonstrated weakened connectivity of the premotor cortex with the right middle frontal gyrus. Within the default mode network, assault exposure and PTSD severity were associated with strengthening functional connectivity of the parahippocampus with the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex, respectively. Individual differences in functional connections within the frontocingulate network and frontoparietal network among the assaulted group were strongly associated with caregiver-rated family disengagement. These results demonstrate associations between assault and PTSD symptoms with the functional organization of large-scale frontoparietal, frontocingulate, and default mode networks during emotion processing. The relationship with caregiver-rated family disengagement suggests the impact of family support on the neural processing correlates of assault and PTSD symptoms.
Receptor-effector coupling pathway for alpha 1-adrenergic modulation of abnormal automaticity in 'ischemic' canine Purkinje fibers.

We studied the receptor-effector coupling mechanism responsible for alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-induced increases in abnormal automaticity (AA) occurring at low membrane potentials in "ischemic" Purkinje fibers, superfused with Tyrode's solution containing [K+]o 10 mmol/L, pH 6.8, PO2 < 25 mm Hg. To exclude beta-adrenergic actions, propranolol was added to all solutions. We derived membrane slope resistance (Rsl) from the current-voltage relation obtained with two microelectrodes for intracellular current injection and transmembrane voltage recording. We also measured the membrane time constant, Tm, to assess changes in membrane resistance (Rm). Phenylephrine effects on Rsl in simulated ischemia were studied in the absence or presence of the alpha 1-subtype blockers WB 4101 (WB) or chloroethylclonidine (CEC), both 0.1 mumol/L, and in Purkinje fibers from dogs injected with pertussis toxin (PTX) (30 micrograms/kg i.v., 60 to 72 hours before study). There were no significant differences in mean values of Rsl before phenylephrine superfusion among all groups of Purkinje fibers. Tm increased by 23% during phenylephrine 0.1 mumol/L superfusion, and Rsl increased by 11%. These two results suggest a 23% increase in Rm with no concordant change in longitudinal resistance. In the presence of CEC, phenylephrine increased Rsl by 12%. In contrast, WB blocked phenylephrine effects on Rsl (0.3%). In PTX-treated Purkinje fibers, the levels of PTX-sensitive G protein as well as phenylephrine effects on Rsl (3%) were significantly reduced. In the absence of WB and of CEC, the phenylephrine effects both on Rsl and on the incidence of AA were directly related to the level of PTX-sensitive substrate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Coupled chemo-mechanics of intergranular contact: Toward a three-scale model

Mineral dissolution in the vicinity of a stressed grain contact undergoing irreversible damage strain is studied numerically at three scales: of a grain, grain assembly and macroscopic continuum. Rigid chemo-plasticity is used to simulate the phenomena in the solid phase at the micro-scale, coupled with the reactive-diffusion transport of the dissolved mineral across the grain. Dilatancy resulting from the material damage generates new free surface area around the asperity, in turn enhancing dissolution and material weakening. Extended Johnson approximation of the near-contact field is adopted. Upscaled variables at meso-scale simulate the stiffening of the grain system as a result of the subsequent mineral precipitation. The consequent redistribution of mass within the pore space, affecting soil porosity and stiffness is derived on macro-scale from the averaged micro-scale variables. Partial masses of the same mineral are shown to play different roles at macro-scale, which requires linking them to different processes (dissolution and precipitation) derivable only at a micro-scale. Cross-scale transfer formulation is investigated. The study applies to many processes of fluid–solid interdependence in soil mechanics, such as structuration and aging of natural soils, compaction and pressure solution of oil or gas bearing sediments. 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Augmented Reality Guidance for Needle Biopsies: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in Phantoms

We report the results of a randomized, controlled tnal to compare the accuracy of standard ultrasound-guided needle biopsy to biopsies performed using a 3D Augmented Reality (AR) guidance system. Fifty core biopsies of breast phantoms were conducted by a board-certified radiologist, with each set of five biopsies randomly assigned to one of the methods. The raw ultrasound data from each biopsy was recorded. Another board-certified radiologist, blinded to the actual biopsy guidance mechanism, evaluated the ultrasound recordings and determined the distance of the biopsy from the ideal position. A repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that the head-mounted display method led to a statistically significantly smaller mean deviation from the desired target than did the CRT display method. (2.48mm for control versus 1.62mm for augmented reality, p < 0.02). This result suggests that AR systems can offer improved accuracy over traditional biopsy guidance methods.
Image segmentation by nested cuts

We present a new image segmentation algorithm based on graph cuts. Our main tool is separation of each pixel p from a special point outside the image by a cut of a minimum cost. Such a cut creates a group of pixels C/sub p/ around each pixel. We show that these groups C/sub p/ are either disjoint or nested in each other and so they give a natural segmentation of the image. In addition this property allows an efficient implementation of the algorithms because for most pixels p the computation of C/sub p/ is not performed on the whole graph. We inspect all C/sub p/ and discard those which are not interesting, for example if they are too small. This procedure automatically groups small components together or merges them into nearby large clusters. Effectively, our segmentation is performed by extracting significant non-intersecting closed contours. We present interesting segmentation results on real and artificial images.
Modulation of the Cellular Junction Protein E-Cadherin in Bovine Brain Microvessel Endothelial Cells by Cadherin Peptides

AbstractCadherins are calcium-dependent glycoproteins involved in homophilic cell-cell adhesion of tight intercellular junctions. The ability of cadherin peptides to inhibit cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion of bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells (BBMECs) was investigated. This was accomplished by using two cadherin function assays, the inhibition of calcium-dependent reaggrega-tion and the dissociation of BBMECs. Peptides that exhibit inhibitory and dissociating properties are presumably bound to cadherins on the surface of BBMECs, inhibiting cadherin-cadherin interactions. We have found six peptides from the EC-1 domain of E-and N-cadherins that inhibit cell-cell adhesion of BBMECs. A very significant inhibitory activity was displayed by a 24-mer peptide (3) derived from the human-E-cadherin sequence. One hexapeptide (7) derived from the E-cadherin sequence can effectively inhibit aggregation of BBMECs. These results will improve our ability to design peptides that can modulate cell-cell adhes...
Reconstructing tumor-wise protein expression in tissue microarray studies using a Bayesian cell mixture model

Motivation: Tissue microarrays (TMAs) quantify tissue-specific protein expression of cancer biomarkers via high-density immuno-histochemical staining assays. Standard analysis approach estimates a sample mean expression in the tumor, ignoring the complex tissue-specific staining patterns observed on tissue arrays. Methods: In this article, a cell mixture model (CMM) is proposed to reconstruct tumor expression patterns in TMA experiments. The concept is to assemble the whole-tumor expression pattern by aggregating over the subpopulation of tissue specimens sampled by needle biopsies. The expression pattern in each individual tissue element is assumed to be a zero-augmented Gamma distribution to assimilate the non-staining areas and the staining areas. A hierarchical Bayes model is imposed to borrow strength across tissue specimens and across tumors. A joint model is presented to link the CMM expression model with a survival model for censored failure time observations. The implementation involves imputation steps within each Markov chain Monte Carlo iteration and Monte Carlo integration technique. Results: The model-based approach provides estimates for various tumor expression characteristics including the percentage of staining, mean intensity of staining and a composite meanstaining to associate with patient survival outcome. Availability: R package to fit CMM model is available at http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/85130.cfm Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Hopi photographs: Kate Cory

The Hopi photographs: Kate Cory: 1905-1912. (1988). Barton Wright. Martin Gaede & Marc Gaede. Alberquerque: University of New Mexico press. 156 pp.
Learning about Loss within a Health Education Program.

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to show how children's health and wellbeing are continuously influenced by violence, divorce, family transience, environmental concerns, terrorism within and outside the country's borders and, most recently, threats of and acts of war. This study investigates the perceived needs of fourth‐grade elementary schoolchildren regarding selected questions concerning loss.Design/methodology/approach – A three‐question survey was developed to collect data gathered from children through written responses, and to identify common themes or individual responses about their understanding of, and perceived needs in learning about, loss. A total of 97 fourth‐grade girls and boys at a suburban Long Island public school district participated in the study. The data were subject to qualitative data analysis.Findings – Both girls and boys defined loss in many terms other than, and including, loss through death. Relationship loss and loss of objects that held meaning for the children we...
Dynamic Anomalography: Tracking Network Anomalies Via Sparsity and Low Rank

In the backbone of large-scale networks, origin-to-destination (OD) traffic flows experience abrupt unusual changes known as traffic volume anomalies, which can result in congestion and limit the extent to which end-user quality of service requirements are met. As a means of maintaining seamless end-user experience in dynamic environments, as well as for ensuring network security, this paper deals with a crucial network monitoring task termed dynamic anomalography. Given link traffic measurements (noisy superpositions of unobserved OD flows) periodically acquired by backbone routers, the goal is to construct an estimated map of anomalies in real time, and thus summarize the network `health state' along both the flow and time dimensions. Leveraging the low intrinsic-dimensionality of OD flows and the sparse nature of anomalies, a novel online estimator is proposed based on an exponentially-weighted least-squares criterion regularized with the sparsity-promoting l1-norm of the anomalies, and the nuclear norm of the nominal traffic matrix. After recasting the non-separable nuclear norm into a form amenable to online optimization, a real-time algorithm for dynamic anomalography is developed and its convergence established under simplifying technical assumptions. For operational conditions where computational complexity reductions are at a premium, a lightweight stochastic gradient algorithm based on Nesterov's acceleration technique is developed as well. Comprehensive numerical tests with both synthetic and real network data corroborate the effectiveness of the proposed online algorithms and their tracking capabilities, and demonstrate that they outperform state-of-the-art approaches developed to diagnose traffic anomalies.
Dynamic Regulation of a GPCR-Tetraspanin-G Protein Complex on Intact Cells: Central Role of CD81 in Facilitating GPR56-Gαq/11 Association

By means of a variety of intracellular scaffolding proteins, a vast number of heterotrimeric G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) may achieve specificity in signaling through a much smaller number of heterotrimeric G proteins. Members of the tetraspanin family organize extensive complexes of cell surface proteins and thus have the potential to act as GPCR scaffolds; however, tetraspanin-GPCR complexes had not previously been described. We now show that a GPCR, GPR56/TM7XN1, and heterotrimeric G protein subunits, Gαq, Gα11, and Gβ, associate specifically with tetraspanins and CD81, but not with other tetraspanins. CD9 Complexes of GPR56 with CD9 and CD81 remained intact when fully solubilized and were resistant to cholesterol depletion. Hence they do not depend on detergent-insoluble, raft-like membrane microdomains for stability. A central role for CD81 in promoting or stabilizing a GPR56-CD81-Gαq/11 complex was revealed by CD81 immunodepletion and reexpression experiments. Finally, antibody engagement of cell surface CD81 or cell activation with phorbol ester revealed two distinct mechanisms by which GPR56-CD81-Gαq/11 complexes can be dynamically regulated. These data reveal a potential role for tetraspanins CD9 and CD81 as GPCR scaffolding proteins.
Survival and detection of blood residues on stone tools

A new field is opening up in biological archaeology, as it is found that ancient DNA and other bio-molecules may–under the right conditions–survive over the long term. Is the same true of blood residues on stone tools?
Global Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS

This review provides information on the epidemiology, economic impact, and intervention strategies for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS pandemic in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) at the end of 1999, an estimated 34.3 million people were living with HIV/AIDS. Most of the people living with HIV, 95% of the global total, live in developing countries. Examples of the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Newly Independent States provide insight into the demographics, modes of exposure, treatment and prevention options, and the economic effect of the epidemic on the global community. The epidemic in each region of the world is influenced by the specific risk factors that are associated with the spread of HIV/AIDS and the responses that have evolved to address it. These influences are important in developing HIV/AIDS policies and programs to effectively address the global pandemic.
Perceptions of Political Bias in the Headlines of Two Major News Organizations

Although claims of media bias are abundant, systematic and scientific investigations of potential biases are rare. The present study was an attempt to determine whether a perception of bias would be found in the headlines of lead or major stories taken from the Web sites of two major American news organizations, CNN and FOX News, during the final two months of the 2004 presidential campaign. Significant perceptions of bias were found. Overall, headlines taken from CNN were rated as significantly more liberal than those taken from FOX News. Headlines taken from FOX News were rated as slightly on the liberal side of neutral. With CNN's headlines slightly to the left of FOX News', instructing participants that the headlines came from a particular source did not influence the results. Although the study by no means provides the definitive answer to whether major news organizations have biases, it indicates that perceptions of bias exist.
Toward more robust infrastructure: observations on improving the resilience and reliability of critical systems

Civil infrastructure provides the range of essential services generally necessary to support a nation's economy and quality of life - arguably entire economies rely on the ability to move goods, people, and information safely and reliably. Consequently, it is of the utmost importance to government, business, and the public at large that the flow of services provided by a nation's infrastructure continues unimpeded in the face of a broad range of natural and manmade hazards. From a comprehensive vulnerability assessment and hazard mitigation standpoint, it is necessary to look beyond the effects of an event on a single system and instead seek to understand the perturbed behaviors of a complex, "system of systems". Making our infrastructure systems inherently safer when stressed also will require more than just improved engineering and technology. The events of September 11 demonstrated that these complex systems also have critical institutional and human components that need to be understood and integrated into design and operational procedures.
Simulation of microwave plasma discharge in 915 MHZ CVD reactor for single crystal diamond deposition

Despite the complexity of deposition processes in microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition, this technique is still a common choice to produce an excellent quality diamond. Recently, several simulation plasma models have been proposed in order to prescribe the complex deposition process and also to better understand the plasma -microwave energy and plasma - diamond growth surface interactions in the microwave plasma CVD reactors [1–4].
Interaction of descending spinal sympathetic pathways and afferent nerves

With the use of computer-aided techniques, the interaction of descending spinal sympathetic pathways and afferent nerve fibers (cervical dorsal roots and tibial nerve) in regulation of thoracic (T2) preganglionic nerve activity was investigated in anesthetized, vagotomized, and paralyzed cats. High-frequency activation of a sympathoinhibitory pathway (ventrolateral funiculus) depressed the evoked discharges in the T2 preganglionic nerve elicited by stimulation of a sympathoexcitatory pathway (dorsolateral funiculus) and the spinal component of the somatosympathetic reflex. Submaximal evoked responses were also inhibited through baroreceptor reflex activation (blood pressure elevations up to 225 mmHg). Facilitation of the spinal component of the somatosympathetic reflex occurred during stimulation of the excitatory pathway. Carotid occlusion (baroreceptor inactivation) facilitated the submaximal evoked discharges from stimulation of the descending excitatory pathway. These data support the contention that sympathetic nerve activity can be modified by the integration of excitatory and inhibitory impulses at the spinal level.
Robust and authorable multiplayer storytelling experiences

Interactive narrative systems attempt to tell stories to players capable of changing the direction and/or outcome of the story. Despite the growing importance of multiplayer social experiences in games, little research has focused on multiplayer interactive narrative experiences. We performed a preliminary study to determine how human directors design and execute multi-player interactive story experiences in online and real world environments. Based on our observations, we developed the Multiplayer Storytelling Engine that manages a story world at the individual and group levels. Our flexible story representation enables human authors to naturally model multiplayer narrative experiences. An intelligent execution algorithm detects when the author's story representation fails to account for player behaviors and automatically generates a branch to restore the story to the authors' original intent, thus balancing authorability against robust multiplayer execution.
Allocating Farm Resources between Farm and Nonfarm Uses

The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical foundation for explaining the rationality of allocating traditional “farm resources” to nonfarm employment. This is a first step towards including nonfarm employment of farm resources in micro and macro models of structural adjustment and production response to changes in economic stimuli. The theoretical model is developed around the use of operator's labor at the farm level. It demonstrates the conditions under which farm operators can combine farm and nonfarm employment to maximize income and explains, in a familiar theoretical context, the attractiveness of part‐time farming as a permanent or as a transitory organization of resource use.
On the Spectral Problem $${\mathcal{L} u=\lambda u'}$$ and Applications

We develop a general instability index theory for an eigenvalue problem of the type \({\mathcal{L} u=\lambda u'}\), for a class of self-adjoint operators \({\mathcal{L}}\) on the line R1. More precisely, we construct an Evans-like function to show (a real eigenvalue) instability in terms of a Vakhitov–Kolokolov type condition on the wave. If this condition fails, we show by means of Lyapunov–Schmidt reduction arguments and the Kapitula–Kevrekidis–Sandstede index theory that spectral stability holds. Thus, we have a complete spectral picture, under fairly general assumptions on \({\mathcal{L}}\). We apply the theory to a wide variety of examples. For the generalized Bullough–Dodd–Tzitzeica type models, we give instability results for travelling waves. For the generalized short pulse/Ostrovsky/Vakhnenko model, we construct (almost) explicit peakon solutions, which are found to be unstable, for all values of the parameters.
Turning Out Teachers: Collective Bargaining Laws and Citizens’ Political Engagement

The decision to become involved in politics through voting and other participatory activities is among the most studied topics in political science. A large literature focuses on the effects of resources, mobilization efforts, and registration/election laws on patterns of political participation. In comparison, far fewer studies investigate the effects of governmental policy on citizens’ subsequent political engagement by asking the question: Do policies make citizens? We examine the case of statewide public sector collective bargaining laws and consider whether variation in these policies influence levels of political participation among public school teachers. Utilizing a difference-in-differences estimation strategy that exploits variation in the time at which these bargaining laws were adopted, we find that teachers consistently report higher levels of political participation in the years immediately following the adoption of mandatory collective bargaining in their state. These findings help explain how teachers, a group that was at one time largely apathetic toward electoral politics, evolved into one of the most active and organized political constituencies in the United States. Given the recent flurry of state policymaking activity aimed at restricting or eliminating collective bargaining rights for public employees, these findings further underscore the important effects that policy decisions can have on citizens’ political engagement.
P21-Activated Kinase 1: An Emerging Therapeutic Target

The impressive amount of basic research data available on Pak1, the possibility that Pak1 is amplified or overexpressed in tumors and Pak1 ability to modulate motility and cell survival functions have generated considerable anticipation in the field of cancer research that strategies targeting Pak1 may lead to the design of target specific drugs. The identification of unique interacting proteins and the availability of the crystal structure of Pak1 provide an ideal environment to develop novel small molecules or peptides to interfere with Pak1 functions. To date no specific drug targeting Pak1 activity has been developed, althrough several companies are currently attempting to produce such drugs that inhibit Pak1 kinase activity. Similarly, althrough siRNA methods of blocking Pak1 expression is shown to work, the clinical application is still in the very early phases of development. Recent data have suggested that blocking of Pak1 upstream activators may also be benefecial by indirectly blocking Pak activity. Growth factor-induced activation of Pak1 can be inhibited by the PDGF-R-specific inhibitor AG1478 or by the EGF receptor specific inhibitors (Iressa), monoclonal antibody 225 or the HER2 blocker trastuzumab (Herceptin). Therefore these compounds may be clinically useful in regulating Pak activity in growth factor-regulated tumors [50]. Small peptide molecules blocking Pak1 interactions with its substrates could also be used to inhibit Pak1 functions. The feasibility of this approach was demonstrated using a small peptide that blocked the adaptor protein NCK from binding to Pak1 and thus interfered with angiogenesis [41], Because Pak1 promotes cell survival, and its expression is deregulated in tumors, inhibition of its functions could induce apoptosis in cancer cells. The difference in the levels of expression of the Pak1 between normal and cancer cells could provide a therapeutic opportunity to use drugs to selectively inhibit cancer cells. In addition, drugs causing Pak1 inhibition in combination with other commonly used chemotherapy drugs, may have synergistic effects. The ability of Pak1 to phosphorylate estrogen receptor [54] and induce expression of cyclin D1 [38], both of which activities are widely deregulated in breast cancer, suggests that pak1 inhibitors may be useful in managing or at least delaying hormonal resistance seen in breast cancer. Becasue Pak1 plays an important role in modulating cytoskeleton and because many pathogens use cytoskeleton to enter cells and translocate there, Pak inhibitors may have a therapeutic role in interfering with these pathogenic viral infections. Emerging studies unraveling the novel roles of Pak1 signaling and the possible clinical potential of targeting Pak1 will continue to stimulate efforts to develop Pak1 inhibitors or blockers.
Threading Jewish Identity

This essay aims to understand and contextualize the Jewish identity of the artist Sonia Delaunay, who, in 1885, was born Sara Stern to a poor family in Gradizhsk, southeast of Kiev in Ukraine, well within the Pale of Settlement, where the Russian Empire permitted Jews to live. This essay argues that her early surroundings in Ukraine affected the formation of both her aesthetic and Jewish identity. From the age of seven, she grew up in St. Petersburg, in the home of her rich maternal uncle. Rather than looking for intentional Jewish content or motifs in her art, this essay attempts to tease out the ways that her life engaged Jewish culture—from the folk culture of her early childhood in Ukraine and her sophisticated adolescence in St. Petersburg, to art school in Karlsruhe, Germany, and the worlds of avant-garde art and haute couture in Paris. Any public acknowledgement of her Jewish identity was limited by her awareness and experience of anti-Semitism in Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France. The bold self...
Biodegradability and Molecular Composition of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen in Urban Stormwater Runoff and Outflow Water from a Stormwater Retention Pond

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) can be a significant part of the reactive N in aquatic ecosystems and can accelerate eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. A bioassay method was coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) to determine the biodegradability and molecular composition of DON in the urban stormwater runoff and outflow water from an urban stormwater retention pond. The biodegradability of DON increased from 10% in the stormwater runoff to 40% in the pond outflow water and DON was less aromatic and had lower overall molecular weight in the pond outflow water than in the stormwater runoff. More than 1227 N-bearing organic formulas were identified with FT-ICR-MS in the stormwater runoff and pond outflow water, which were only 13% different in runoff and outflow water. These molecular formulas represented a wide range of biomolecules such as lipids, proteins, amino sugars, lignins, and tannins in DON from runoff and pond outflow water. This work implies t...
Wavelength-based neutron/gamma ray discrimination in CLYC

We investigated the optical components of Cs2LiYCl6:Ce (CLYC) as a possible path to particle discrimination by measuring the effects of optical filters on the shape of the waveform and comparing filtered waveforms to unfiltered ones. Crystals packaged with two optical windows were viewed by two photomultiplier tubes operated in coincidence to be certain that the signals from the same event were analyzed. We applied long-pass optical filters with cut-off wavelengths from 280 to 455 nm, and bandpass filters with cut-off wavelengths at 313, 350, 385, and 425 nm. Waveforms from gamma rays were significantly sharpened by the 313 nm bandpass filter because this filter cut out self-trapped exciton luminescence, while neutron waveforms were largely unaffected by filtering. Cumulative distribution functions generated from average filtered waveforms indicate that the neutron/gamma assignment can be made 44 ns by applying a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test comparing an acquired waveform to the average filtered waveforms.
Rapid calculation of paraxial wave propagation for cylindrically symmetric optics

When calculating the focusing properties of cylindrically symmetric focusing optics, numerical wave propagation calculations can be carried out using the quasi-discrete Hankel transform (QDHT). We describe here an implementation of the QDHT where a partial transform matrix can be stored to speed up repeated wave propagations over specified distances, with reduced computational memory requirements. The accuracy of the approach is then verified by comparison with analytical results, over propagation distances with both small and large Fresnel numbers. We then demonstrate the utility of this approach for calculating the focusing properties of Fresnel zone plate optics that are commonly used for x-ray imaging applications and point to future applications of this approach.
Protection Against Viruses

Abstract A: If something is not functioning correctly on a computer, many users blame it on a computer virus. In most cases, the possibility of viruses is exaggerated by the media, and users should not be overly concerned about them.
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation With Embolization or Obliteration for Variceal Bleeding

Variceal hemorrhage is a life-threatening sequela of liver cirrhosis that requires a careful and comprehensive approach to management. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation with or without variceal embolization or obliteration represents a minimally invasive image-guided intervention used for the management of varices. This review focuses on the role of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and embolization or obliteration in the setting of variceal hemorrhage, with an emphasis on the useful aspects of patient evaluation and selection, practical approaches to procedure planning and valuable elements of interventional technique, and clinical outcomes as they pertain to portal venous decompression and variceal embolotherapy.
Airway narrowing in asthma: does speed kill?

there is widespread agreement that shortening of airway smooth muscle is the proximal cause of excessive airway narrowing during an asthma attack, with swelling of airway wall compartments and plugging by airway liquid or mucous being important amplifying factors ([15][1], [18][2], [29][3]). But it
Thermal Conductivity of Heat Treated and Non-Heat Treated Individual Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

Thermal conductivity measurements of commercially available CVD grown individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are reported. The measurements are performed using the three-omega-based Wollaston T-Type probe method inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). An average 385% increase in thermal conductivity is measured for those MWCNTs samples which undergo a 20 hour 3000°C post annealing heat treatment. However, in most samples qualitatively characterized defects are found to negate any advantage of the heat treatment process. The highest thermal conductivity measured is 893.0 W/mK and is of a heat-treated sample. These results will help to improve the quality of MWCNT production and aid in the development of highly efficient CNT-structured thermal management devices and engineering materials.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Intracellular pH during metabolic acidosis of intracellular and extracellular origin.

SummaryIntracellular pH was determined by distribution of 5,5-dimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione (DMO) in skeletal muscle of dogs 1) infused with .3 N HCl, 2) infused with .3 N gluconic acid, 3) infused with HCl and hyperventilated to maintain extracellular fluid pH constant, 4) infused with .6 N HCO3 and given CO2 and O2 to breathe to maintain extracellular pH constant, and 5) maintained in hemorrhagic shock. After the one to two hours required to reach equilibrium distribution of DMO there was not a striking difference in the intracellular hydrogen ion-extracellular hydrogen ion gradient between animals infused with HCl and those in hemorrhagic shock. Those infused with gluconic acid did show a significant difference from the shock animals. The differences were in the direction that would be expected from slower distribution across cell membranes of H+ and/or HCO3- than CO2. The experiments in which extracellular pH was maintained constant in the face of infusion of HCl or NaHCO3 also demonstrate the primary...
Analysis of sanitation monitoring results of public places in Shijingshan district of Beijing in 2011

Objective:To investigate the sanitation status of public places in Shijingshan district of Beijing city,and to find out the main factors for providing the basis for future sanitation quality improvement at this area.Methods: The sanitation surveillance results of different public places were analyzed respectively.Results: The monitoring results of different public places in Shijingshan district had significant difference,and the lowest qualified rate was found in the swimming places.The unqualified indexes were mainly formaldehyde,the total number of bacteria,fungi,urea in swimming pool water and free residual chlorine.Conclusion: The qualification rates of public places in Shijingshan district were high overall,but feasible management measures and treatment should be improved on sanitation surveillance.
INTRACEREBRAL MICROHEMORRHAGES IN AGING: ROLE OF INCREASED OXIDATIVE STRESS AND MMP ACTIVATION

Aging exacerbates hypertension-induced cognitive decline, but the specific age-related mechanisms remain elusive. Cerebral microhemorrhages (CMHs) are associated with rupture of small intracerebral vessels and are thought to progressively impair neuronal function. To determine whether aging exacerbates hypertension-induced CMHs young (3 mo) and aged (24 mo) mice treated with angiotensin-II plus L-NAME. We found that the same level of hypertension lead to significantly earlier onset and increased incidence of CMHs in aged mice than in young mice, as shown by neurological examination, gait analysis and histological assessment of CMHs in serial brain sections. Hypertension-induced cerebrovascular oxidative stress and redox-sensitive activation of MMPs were increased in aging. Treatment of aged mice with resveratrol significantly attenuated hypertension-induced oxidative stress, inhibited vascular MMP activation and significantly delayed the onset and reduced the incidence of CMHs. Collectively, aging promotes CMHs in mice likely by exacerbating hypertension-induced oxidative stress and MMP activation. Therapeutic strategies that reduce microvascular oxidative stress and MMP activation may be useful for the prevention of CMHs, protecting neurocognitive function in high-risk elderly patients.
Respiratory gas exchange--normal and abnormal.

Proper gas exchange in the lungs requires a close integration of the independent variables, alveolar ventilation and pulmonary capillary blood flow. When these parameters are not properly regulated, arterial blood gas contents are abnormal. The transport mechanisms for CO 2 and O 2 determine the effects of these abnormalities upon Pco 2 and Po 2 .
Landscaping a Poetics of Belonging: Maps of the Imagination in Chicana/o Literature

In 1987, I published “Tradition and Mythology: Signatures of Landscapes in Chicana Literature,” in which I argued that the representation of landscapes by Chicana writers in the Southwest were attempts to formulate identity as seen in a sense of the land accompanied increasingly by a sense of female power.1 Since that chapter, published more than 20 years ago, I have continued to analyze the metaphors of both urban and rural landscapes to see how they enhance the complexities of the contemporary world. Increasingly, I see the signatures of landscapes as intrinsic to a poetics of belonging as Chicana and Chicano writers mark their places in modern society. While there are multiple approaches to analyzing landscape in literature, I want to examine here how what I will call a poetics of belonging manifests in the construction of a built landscape in texts by Pat Mora, Richard Rodriguez, Jimmy Santiago Baca, and Diana Garcia. I will briefly analyze how these authors represent their sense of belonging or not belonging by symbolically mapping the landscapes of their imaginations and including those features or signatures that best present their perspectives.
Identification of Hypotensive Emergency Department Patients with Cardiogenic Etiologies.

OBJECTIVE Identify predictors of cardiogenic etiology among emergency department (ED) patients with hypotension, and use these predictors to create a clinical tool to discern cardiogenic etiology of hypotension. METHODS This secondary analysis evaluated a prospective cohort of consecutive patients with hypotension in an urban, academic, tertiary care ED from November 2012 to September 2013. We included adults with hypotension, defined as a new vasopressor requirement, systolic blood pressure (SBP) 0.1 ng/mL (37.5, 7.1-198.2), electrocardiographic ischemia (8.9, 4.0-19.8), history of heart failure (2.0, 1.1-3.3), and absence of fever (4.5, 2.3-8.7) (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.83). The prediction score created from these predictors yielded 78% sensitivity and 77% specificity for cardiogenic etiology (AUC = 0.827). CONCLUSIONS Clinical predictors offer reasonable ED screening sensitivity for cardiogenic hypotension, while demonstrating sufficient specificity to facilitate early cardiac interventions.
What limits photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency in nature? Lessons from the oceans.

Constraining photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency in nature is challenging. In principle, two yield measurements must be made simultaneously: photochemistry, fluorescence and/or thermal dissipation. We constructed two different, extremely sensitive and precise active fluorometers: one measures the quantum yield of photochemistry from changes in variable fluorescence, the other measures fluorescence lifetimes in the picosecond time domain. By deploying the pair of instruments on eight transoceanic cruises over six years, we obtained over 200 000 measurements of fluorescence yields and lifetimes from surface waters in five ocean basins. Our results revealed that the average quantum yield of photochemistry was approximately 0.35 while the average quantum yield of fluorescence was approximately 0.07. Thus, closure on the energy budget suggests that, on average, approximately 58% of the photons absorbed by phytoplankton in the world oceans are dissipated as heat. This extraordinary inefficiency is associated with the paucity of nutrients in the upper ocean, especially dissolved inorganic nitrogen and iron. Our results strongly suggest that, in nature, most of the time, most of the phytoplankton community operates at approximately half of its maximal photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency because nutrients limit the synthesis or function of essential components in the photosynthetic apparatus. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Enhancing photosynthesis in crop plants: targets for improvement’.
Testing the Malthusian model: Population and storage at Housepit 54, Bridge River, British Columbia

Abstract Considerable debate exists concerning drivers of social change in human societies. One perspective asserts that demographic and economic conditions play a critical role in conditioning human organizational decision-making. Another argument suggests that human agency conditioned by innovative thinking outside of demographic and economic pressures is the more fundamental source of change. The Bridge River site, British Columbia is an optimal locality to explore variable effects of subsistence economy and demography on social change. Previous research indicates that Malthusian processes played important roles in demographic, socio-economic, and political change. This paper presents a test of the Malthusian model drawing data on storage capacity and population size from a single long-lived house within the Bridge River village. Results suggest that household occupants likely experienced two Malthusian periods, persisting through the first but abandoning the house and village during the second. An important implication is that economic and demographic conditions have critical impacts on social process but that specific episodes of collective action also remain dependent upon human agency.