cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Involvement of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases 1/2 in Cardiac Hypertrophy and Cell Death

In response to pathophysiological stress, the adult heart undergoes hypertrophic enlargement characterized by an increase in the cross-sectional area of individual myofibers. Although cardiac hypertrophy is initially a compensatory response, sustained hypertrophy is a leading predictor for the development of heart failure. At the molecular level, disease-related stimuli invoke endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine regulatory circuits, which directly influence cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, in part, through membrane bound G protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases. These membrane receptors activate intermediate signal transduction pathways within the cytoplasm such as mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), protein kinase C (PKC), and calcineurin, which directly modify transcriptional regulatory factors promoting alterations in cardiac gene expression. This review will weigh an increasing body of literature implicating the intermediate signaling pathway consisting of MEK1 and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) as important regulators of cardiac hypertrophy and myocyte survival. The MEK1-ERK1/2 pathway likely occupies a central regulatory position in the signaling hierarchy of a cardiac myocyte given its unique ability to respond to virtually every characterized hypertrophic agonist and stress stimuli examined to date and based on its ability to promote myocyte growth in vitro and in vivo.
Autocrine and Exogenous Transforming Growth Factor β Control Cell Cycle Inhibition through Pathways with Different Sensitivity

Human colon carcinoma cells HCT116 that lack transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) type II receptor (RII) demonstrated restoration of autocrine TGF-β activity upon reexpression of RII without restoring inhibitory responses to exogenous TGF-β treatment. RII transfectants (designated RII Cl 37) had a longer lag phase relative to NEO-transfected control cells (designated NEO pool) before entering exponential growth in tissue culture. The prolonged growth arrest of RII Cl 37 cells was associated with markedly reduced cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)2 activity. Our results demonstrate that p21 induction by autocrine TGF-β is responsible for reduced CDK2 activity, which at least partially contributes to prolonged growth arrest and reduced cell proliferation in RII Cl 37 cells. In contrast to RII transfectants, HCT116 cells transfected with chromosome 3 (designated HCT116Ch3), which bears the RII gene, restored the response to exogenous TGF-β as well as autocrine TGF-β activity. Autocrine TGF-β activity in HCT116Ch3 cells induced p21 expression as seen in RII Cl 37 cells; however, in addition to autocrine activity, HCT116Ch3 cells responded to exogenous TGF-β as decreased CDK4 expression and reduced pRb phosphorylation mediated a TGF-β inhibitory response in these cells. These results indicate that autocrine TGF-β regulates the cell cycle through a pathway different from exogenous TGF-β in the sense that p21 is a more sensitive effector of the TGF-β signaling pathway, which can be induced and saturated by autocrine TGF-β, whereas CDK4 inhibition is a less sensitive effector, which can only be activated by high levels of exogenous TGF-β
Unionization of teaching assistants.

In her News Focus article “UC teaching assistants win first union contract” (26 May, p. [1311][1]), Constance Holden quotes an anonymous University of California (UC) scientist as saying, “The [teaching assistant]-faculty relationship has been good; there wasn't much of anything that really needed to be fixed.” This is true overall. The teaching assistant (TA)-faculty relationship was never the catalyst for formation of the union nor for recent contract negotiations. Most TAs at UC Berkeley, certainly in my fields, have excellent working relationships with faculty. Steven Olswang, vice provost of the University of Washington, is mistaken to suggest as he did in the article that union membership undermines the collegial relationship. The concern on my campus is undergraduate class size, which is not controlled by faculty, most of whom would rather we have manageable workloads in order to do the best job we can as TAs. The union contract agreement is with the university administration; it provides controls and arbitration means to address matters that do not involve academic relationships with faculty, but rather such employee protections as the article reports (for example, health, safety, and discrimination issues). In my mind, we are students first, but this does not warrant unfair labor practices. Ideally, this contract will now require the university administration and the TA body to behave professionally rather than arbitrarily. TAs will have an avenue of professional redress for legitimate workplace grievances, and we no longer have to experience the (admittedly sometimes random) strike mobilizations that disrupt undergraduate learning as well as graduate student teaching. There is no reason the union contract will adversely affect the TA-faculty relationship. Perhaps this more level playing field can contribute to the development of the professional, collegial relationships that my classmates and I expect of university careers. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.288.5470.1311a
Genetically Augmenting Aβ42 Levels in Skeletal Muscle Exacerbates Inclusion Body Myositis-Like Pathology and Motor Deficits in Transgenic Mice

The pathogenic basis of inclusion body myositis (IBM), the leading muscle degenerative disease afflicting the elderly, is unknown, although the histopathological features are remarkably similar to those observed in Alzheimer's disease. One leading hypothesis is that the buildup of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide within selective skeletal muscle fibers contributes to the degenerative phenotype. Aβ is a small peptide derived via endoproteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). To determine the pathogenic effect of augmenting Aβ42 levels in skeletal muscle, we used a genetic approach to replace the endogenous wild-type presenilin-1 (PS1) allele with the PS1 M146V allele in MCK-APP mice. Although APP transgene expression was unaltered, Aβ levels, particularly Aβ42, were elevated in skeletal muscle of the double transgenic (MCK-APP/PS1) mice compared to the parental MCK-APP line. Elevated phospho-tau accumulation was found in the MCK-APP/PS1 mice, and the greater activation of GSK-3β and cdk5 were observed. Other IBM-like pathological features, such as inclusion bodies and inflammatory infiltrates, were more severe and prominent in the MCK-APP/PS1 mice. Motor coordination and balance were more adversely affected and manifested at an earlier age in the MCK-APP/PS1 mice. The data presented here provide experimental evidence that Aβ42 plays a proximal and critical role in the muscle degenerative process.
Stealth measurements for cheat detection in on-line games

As a result of physically owning the client machine, cheaters in network games currently have the upper-hand when it comes to avoiding detection by anti-cheat software. To address this problem and turn the tables on cheaters, this paper examines an approach for cheat detection based on the use of stealth measurements via tamper-resistant hardware. To support this approach, we examine a range of cheat methods and a number of measurements that such hardware could perform to detect them.
Field host-specificity of the mile-a-minute weevil, Rhinoncomimus latipes Korotyaev (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract The safe practice of biological control relies, in part, on an accurate evaluation of a potential agent’s host-specificity via testing through a “filter of safety”. The results of laboratory tests may differ from those obtained in open field host-specificity tests, where agents are able to use their full range of host-selection behaviors. It was hypothesized that Rhinoncomimus latipes (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the biological control agent released against mile-a-minute weed, Persicaria perfoliata (Polygonaceae), would not feed or oviposit on nontarget plants in a two-phase, open field setting. Ten weevils were placed at the base of each of 13 test plant species in a randomized complete block design with six replicates. Weevils placed at the base of mile-a-minute weed were marked with yellow fluorescent dust, and yellow weevils were subsequently found only on mile-a-minute. Weevils placed at the base of nontarget plants (marked with red fluorescent dust) rapidly colonized mile-a-minute weed. Three hours after release, the number of R. latipes found on mile-a-minute weed was significantly higher than predicted by a random distribution of weevils on all test plants. The likelihood of finding more weevils on mile-a-minute compared to nontarget plant species was 31.0% at 3 h and increased to 96.5% at 44 h after release. Whereas prerelease studies showed feeding at low levels on 9 of the 13 plant species tested here, under open field conditions R. latipes did not feed on any nontarget plant species and dispersed from these plants. In an open field setting, where the weevil was able to use its full range of host-selection behaviors, there was no observed risk of nontarget effects for any species tested.
Designing features for both genders in end-user programming environments

Previous research has revealed gender differences that impact females' willingness to adopt software features in end users' programming environments. Since these features have separately been shown to help end users problem solve, it is important to female end users' productivity that we find ways to make these features more acceptable to females. In this paper, we draw from our ongoing work with users to help inform our design of theory-based methods for encouraging effective feature usage by both genders. This design effort is the first to begin addressing the gender differences in the ways that people go about problem solving in end-user programming situations.
Ecology of urban arthropods: a review and a call to action.

Abstract A review of the entomological literature revealed relatively few general studies on arthropods in urban environments, excluding those in the context of pest control or epidemiology, and all were limited in scope and duration. Most studies documented the presence and abundance of species in a variety of poorly quantified urban categories. There also were a number of studies on the effects of urban pollution and changes in arthropod community composition over time (particularly in urban green areas). From these studies, three groups of arthropods could be identified: (1) “rural” taxa not present (or at lower abundance) in urban settings, (2) “urban” taxa present only (or at higher abundance) in urban settings, and (3) taxa present in both rural and urban settings with no particular affinity for either. The lack of a basic understanding of the mechanisms accounting for distributional and abundance patterns of urban arthropods illustrates the many opportunities for entomological research that exist i...
Pheochromocytoma metastatic to the mandible presenting as a large jaw mass

In this case report of an unusual presentation of a metastatic pheochromocytoma as a large jaw mass, the anesthetic management of the resection of a vasoactive tumor in close proximity to the airwa...
Media Determinism and the Social Design of Web Based Computing

New information technologies, and the ongoing digitalization of different media forms have intensified questions about the effect of media upon social life. From as early as the Ancient transposition of speech into writing, critics have maintained that media has a determining effect upon culture. This project does not seek to endorse or reject or reshape this thesis in relation to any particular medium or historical epoch. Instead, I hope to reframe the debate by doing a survey of the different arguments about the ways media shapes culture, organize an archive of those positions, and then do a conceptual topology of those arguments. By using a team of graduate students to gather together the many ways media determinism has been thought-about different media, in different media, and within very different epochs- the project will seek a fresh cross disciplinary perspective upon an age-old issue. It is hoped that this study will enable me to understand the role of the media determinism thesis within a culture's complex "negotiation" with the new media technologies. More specifically and urgently, it will develop terms with which to challenge those who use arguments about media determinism (whether it is supposed to be for good or ill) to win the authority, outside any political negotiation, to shape the global information network and computing interfaces.
Measuring the Cost of Aid Volatility

Flows of official development assistance (ODA) to recipient countries have been highly volatile and this reduces their value. At the macro level, empirical evidence suggests that volatile ODA can negatively impact growth through several channels. At the micro level, volatility can affect fiscal planning and the level and composition of investment. This working paper develops a simple financial metric that policy makers can use to estimate (and reduce) the cost of aid volatility. Unlike other estimates, our measure does not depend on parameter estimates from cross-country regressions, nor on country-specific model simulations. We treat aid flows as the uncertain return on an unobserved asset of global goodwill held by developing countries. We then calculate the certainty equivalent value of the volatile aid flows as well as an associated dead weight loss, using a capital asset pricing model. Our measure of the deadweight loss per dollar provided in aid permits a comparison of costs across donors and over time. We find that the costs of volatility rose steadily until 2002, and have since fallen. Aid volatility is similar for low and middle income countries; weak states and strong states; aid dependent and low-aid countries; and across regions. Aid volatility differs substantially, however, by donor. We infer that donor policies contribute to volatility and that they should make reducing volatility a strong priority.
Characterization and in vitro activity of a branched peptide boronic acid that interacts with HIV-1 RRE RNA.

Abstract A branched peptide containing multiple boronic acids was found to bind RRE IIB selectively and inhibit HIV-1 p24 capsid production in a dose-dependent manner. Structure–activity relationship studies revealed that branching in the peptide is crucial for the low micromolar binding towards RRE IIB, and the peptide demonstrates selectivity towards RRE IIB in the presence of tRNA. Footprinting studies suggest a binding site on the upper stem and internal loop regions of the RNA, which induces enzymatic cleavage of the internal loops of RRE IIB upon binding.
Passive Wireless Sensor Applications for NASA's Extreme Aeronautical Environments

NASA aeronautical programs require rigorous ground and flight testing. Many of the testing environments can be extremely harsh. These environments include cryogenic temperatures and high temperatures (>1500 °C). Temperature, pressure, vibration, ionizing radiation, and chemical exposure may all be a part of the harsh environment found in testing. This paper presents a survey of research opportunities for universities and industry to develop new wireless sensors that address anticipated structural health monitoring and testing needs for aeronautical vehicles. Potential applications of passive wireless sensors for ground testing and high-altitude aircraft operations are presented. Some of the challenges and issues of the technology are also presented.
Geometric and Discrete Path Planning for Interactive Virtual Worlds

Path planning and navigation are indispensable components for controlling autonomous agents in interactive virtual worlds. Given the growing demands on the size and complexity of modern virtual worlds, a number of new techniques have been developed for achieving intelligent navigation for the next generation of interactive multi-agent simulations. This course reviews the evolution of the several related techniques, from classical planning algorithms and computational geometry techniques to more advanced topics with focus on recent developments from the work of the authors. The covered topics range from discrete search and geometric representations to planning under different types of constraints and harnessing the power of graphics hardware in order to address Euclidean shortest paths and discrete search for multiple agents under limited time budgets. The use of planning algorithms beyond path planning is also discussed in the areas of crowd animation and whole-body motion planning for virtual characters.
Optical Imaging of Targeted β-Galactosidase in Brain Tumors to Detect EGFR Levels

A current limitation in molecular imaging is that it often requires genetic manipulation of cancer cells for noninvasive imaging. Other methods to detect tumor cells in vivo using exogenously delivered and functionally active reporters, such as β-gal, are required. We report the development of a platform system for linking β-gal to any number of different ligands or antibodies for in vivo targeting to tissue or cells, without the requirement for genetic engineering of the target cells prior to imaging. Our studies demonstrate significant uptake in vitro and in vivo of an EGFR-targeted β-gal complex. We were then able to image orthotopic brain tumor accumulation and localization of the targeted enzyme when a fluorophore was added to the complex, as well as validate the internalization of the intravenously administered β-gal reporter complex ex vivo. After fluorescence imaging localized the β-gal complexes to the brain tumor, we topically applied a bioluminescent β-gal substrate to serial sections of the brain to evaluate the delivery and integrity of the enzyme. Finally, robust bioluminescence of the EGFR-targeted β-gal complex was captured within the tumor during noninvasive in vivo imaging.
LAND USE AS A FACTOR IN COASTAL WATER QUALITY

Recognition of coastal and estuarine waters as a part of the overall water resources of a nation is a development that became evident only in quite recent years in the United States. To a significant degree it is associated with an aroused public concern for the quality of something currently described loosely as "the environemnt" — a concern which initially reached a critical mass in about the year 1969. To be sure, the oceans have always fascinated men of all sorts from adventurers to scientists, but the emergence of a broad public interest in the quality of ocean water, particularly in the coastal zone, is the result of several factors, not all of which are scientifically defensible. One such factor is the notion that the oceans are teeming with life which may well become man's final source of food when he has overwhelmed by sheer numbers the physical and biological carrying capacity of the land. Such an estimate of the potential of the sea seems to have been obtained by multiplying the volume of the oceans by the biomass concentration typical of the continental shelves. That it is a vast exaggeration in no way detracts from its potential to energize public reaction. However, the truth that aquatic life is most abundant in the coastal zones, and the prospect that man must manage this zone in a better manner if that life is to continue to contribute to his well being, only makes it the more important that the quality of coastal waters be a matter of concern and of purposeful management. To this end a considerable degree of public overestimation of the role of the sea in sustaining human life is a force that can be harnessed to productive programs of intelligent action. In fact, an appreciable amount of purely emotional concern for such catchwords as "ecosystems," "endangered species," "habitat,1,1 etc. can be tolerated and often used productively without any debating of its validity as long as it does not impose a serious constraint upon society without generating any corresponding benefit to either man or his fellow creatures.
Total Synthesis and Biological Studies of TMC-205 and Analogues as Anticancer Agents and Activators of SV40 Promoter

TMC-205 is a natural fungal metabolite with antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines. The light- and air-sensitivity prevented in-depth exploitation of this novel indole derivative. Herein, we report the first synthesis of TMC-205. On the basis of its reactivity with reactive oxygen species, we developed air-stable analogues of TMC-205. These analogues are 2–8-fold more cytotoxic than TMC-205 against HCT-116 colon cancer cell line. Importantly, at noncytotoxic dose levels, these analogues activated the transcription of luciferase reporter gene driven by simian virus 40 promoter (SV40). Further, these small molecules also inhibit firefly luciferase, presumably by direct interaction.
Spatiotemporal Models of the Asymmetric Division Cycle of Caulobacter crescentus

The spatial localization of proteins within the cytoplasm of bacteria is an underappreciated but critical aspect of cell cycle regulation for many prokaryotes. In Caulobacter crescentus-a model organism for the study of asymmetric cell reproduction in prokaryotes-heterogeneous localization of proteins has been identified as the underlying cause of asymmetry in cell morphology, DNA replication, and cell division. However, significant questions remain. Firstly, the mechanisms by which proteins localize in the organelle-free prokaryotic cytoplasm remain obscure. Furthermore, how variations in the spatial and temporal dynamics of cell fate determinants regulate signaling pathways and orchestrate the complex programs of asymmetric cell division and differentiation are subjects of ongoing research. In this chapter, we review current efforts in investigating these two questions. We describe how mathematical models of spatiotemporal protein dynamics are being used to generate and test competing hypotheses and provide complementary insight about the control mechanisms that regulate asymmetry in protein localization and cell division.
Applying Game Theory to Balance Risk and Cost for Security Inspection Systems

The emergence of asymmetric threats, whether terrorist or insurgent, suggests a need to reexamine analytic methods applied to the design of risk mitigation systems. Emerging threats have shown ability to adapt strategies rapidly, suggesting that threat characterization must account for the response of the threat to defensive measures. We examine policies of targeting and random selection within checkpoint inspection systems, such as those used for seagoing containers. Specifically, we account for the effects of the transparency of targeting rules on the threat's strategy preferences and ultimately on the requisite balance of targeted and random inspections. Static risk analysis fails in this case, because it does not take into account the effects of policy design on the threat's strategy. We analyze inspection policy and process from the perspective of mathematical game theory. From this perspective we gain important insights into the role of targeting and are able to identify design factors that critically impact the balance between sunk cost and risk. We further extend the analysis by addressing the allocation of inspection resources over multiple checkpoints.
Holmul y la hegemonía del reino Kaanul en el este de Petén

En los ultimos 15 anos se han logrado contestar algunas de las interrogantes principales sobre Holmul: cual era la extension real de la ciudad, cuales sus antecedentes en el Preclasico y sus relaciones externas en el Clasico. Por su parte, Cival fue una ciudad de entre 5 000 a 10 000 habitantes durante el Preclasico Tardio, y es una de las verdaderas ciudades perdidas de la selva maya.
Artificial Neural Network Model for Estimating Temporal and Spatial Freeway Work Zone Delay Using Probe-Vehicle Data

Highway lane closures due to road reconstruction and the resulting work zones have been a major source of nonrecurring congestion on freeways. It is extremely important to calculate the safety and cost impacts of work zones: the use of new technologies that track drivers and vehicles make that possible. A multilayer feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) model is developed in this paper to estimate work zone delay by using the probe-vehicle data. The probe data include the travel speeds under normal and work zone conditions. Unlike previous models, the proposed model estimates temporal and spatial delays, which are applied to a real world case study in New Jersey. The work zone data (i.e., starting time, duration, length, and number of closed lanes) were collected on New Jersey freeways in 2014 together with actual probe-vehicle speeds. A comparative analysis was conducted; the results indicate that the ANN model outperforms the traditional deterministic queuing model in terms of the accuracy in est...
Drivers of phytoplankton dynamics in old Tampa Bay, FL (USA), a subestuary lagging in ecosystem recovery

Abstract In the past four decades, consistent and coordinated management actions led to the recovery of Tampa Bay, FL (USA) – an estuary that was declared dead in the 1970s. An exception to this success story is Old Tampa Bay, the northernmost subestuary of the system. Compared to the other bay segments, Old Tampa Bay is characterized by poorer water quality and spring and summer blooms of cyanobacteria, picoplankton, diatoms, and the saxitoxin-producing dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. Together, these blooms contribute to light attenuation and lagging recovery of seagrass beds. Yet, studies of phytoplankton dynamics within Old Tampa Bay have been limited – both in number and in their spatiotemporal resolution. In this study, we used field sampling and continuous monitoring to (1) characterize temporal and spatial variability in phytoplankton biomass and community composition and (2) identify key drivers of the different phytoplankton blooms in Old Tampa Bay. Overall, temporal variability in phytoplankton biomass (using chlorophyll a as a proxy) and community composition surpassed spatial variability of these parameters. We found a base community of small diatoms and flagellates, as well as certain dinoflagellates, that persisted year round in the system. Seasonally, freshwater runoff stimulated phytoplankton growth, specifically that of chlorophytes, cyanobacteria and other dinoflagellates -- consistent with predictions based on ecological theory. On shorter time scales, salinity, visibility, and freshwater inflows were important predictors of phytoplankton biomass. With respect to P. bahamense, environmental drivers including salinity, temperature and dissolved nutrient concentrations explained ∼24% of the variability in cell abundance, indicating missing explanatory parameters in our study for this taxon, such as cyst density and location of cyst beds. Spatially, we found differences in community trajectories across north–south and west–east gradients, with the northernmost sampling station being the most unique in the region. This work contributes to the knowledge of phytoplankton biomass and community composition in Tampa Bay by generating spatially and temporally rich phytoplankton community and environmental data for the Old Tampa Bay subestuary. Moreover, it enhances our understanding of bloom drivers and provides recommendations for ecosystem management. Specifically, our findings support continued nutrient reduction measures as a way to mitigate seasonal blooms of diatoms, cyanobacteria and chlorophytes, but not necessarily blooms of P. bahamense. Prediction and mitigation of P. bahamnese blooms should incorporate first order drivers such as cyst location and abundance.
Asymptotic approach to singular solutions for nonlinear elliptic equations involving critical Sobolev exponent

Abstract We study the asymptotic behavior of positive solutions of semilinear equations with nearly critical nonlinearity. The solutions are shown to blow up at exactly one point. The exact rate and location of blowing up are studied.
Case 2: Fever and Back Pain in 13-year-old Girl

1. Reem Shawar, MD* 2. Pisespong Patamasucon, MD* 3. Shawn Rowles, MD* 1. *Pediatrics, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV A previously healthy 13-year-old girl who plays hockey presents with fever of 6 days’ duration accompanied by lower back pain and generalized myalgia. She initially went to an urgent care facility, where she had normal findings on urinalysis and a negative flu antigen test. She was diagnosed with a viral illness, but her symptoms persisted. Today she is experiencing a severe throbbing frontal headache and nausea. She has no history of furuncles, intravenous drug use, or recent blunt spinal trauma. Review of symptoms is negative. Initial vital signs show temperature of 99.2°F (37.3°C), heart rate of 130 beats/min, and blood pressure of 126/67 mm Hg. Physical examination of the girl, who is sitting uncomfortably in bed, reveals localized tenderness to palpation in the lower lumbar region. A nonradiating grade 2/6 systolic ejection murmur is best heard at the apex. There are no skin lesions or rashes. The patient is alert and oriented to person, place, and time, with intact short- and long-term memory. Cranial nerves II through XII are intact. Strength is 5/5 in all extremities, with normal tone and sensations to pain, temperature, and light touch. She has normal gait with intact finger-to-nose touch and aligned ankle-over-tibia. Her deep tendon reflexes are 2+ throughout and Brudzinski and Kernig signs are both negative. Laboratory evaluation reveals a white blood cell (WBC) count of 10,200/μL (10.2 × 109/L) with 79.9% …
Abstract 105: Free Cholesterol Determines the Phospholipid Domain Size and Stability of rHDL

Background: Microsolubilization of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) by human apolipoprotein A-I is a frequently used model system for the identification of determinants of macrophage choleste...
Characterizing Interfacial Sliding of Through-Silicon-Via by Nano-Indentation

In this paper, an experimental method is proposed to determine the shear sliding behavior of the interface between a copper through-silicon-via (TSV) and silicon. This interface was loaded in a nano-indentation experiment on specimens that were fabricated using focused-ion-beam milling. The elastic and plastic properties of the copper via were first characterized by micro-pillar compression experiments. The interfacial sliding is described by a cohesive zone model with a traction-separation relation including a linearly elastic part followed by frictional sliding at a constant shear traction. Both analytical and numerical models were developed for extracting the parameters of the traction-separation relation for the shear behavior of the interface. The average critical shear traction required to initiate interfacial sliding was found to be 77.2 MPa and the corresponding relative displacement across the interface was 182.7 nm, while the frictional shear strength was 25 MPa. The traction-separation relation with the extracted parameters may be used to study via extrusion and associated reliability analysis for integrated TSV structures.
Pulmonary embolism response teams

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common thrombotic event that is variable in its presentation. Depending on the patients' risk for mortality, guidelines provide several treatment strategies including thrombolysis, catheter-directed therapies, pulmonary embolectomy, anticoagulation, and inferior vena cava filters. However, there is considerable disagreement between guidelines regarding the optimal treatment strategy for patients, particularly for those with intermediate-risk PE. In order to provide rapid and individualized care, PE response teams (PERT) have been developed. These teams consist of members from different specialties with a particular interest in PE, varying technical skills, and clinical experience, thereby allowing for a multidisciplinary approach. PERT allows for consensus decision making, and for rapid intervention in patients whose conditions worsen. In this review, we provide an overview of treatment guidelines for PE, and of results from recent clinical trials involving patients with submassive PE. In addition, we discuss an outline of our approach and use of PERT.
Abstract 256: Delta tocopherol inhibits urothelial tumorigenesis in the UPII mutant Ha-ras transgenic mouse model and induces apoptosis via activation of the ATF4/CHOP-DR5 pathway

Epidemiological studies have reported that Vitamin E intake was inversely related to the risk of multiple cancers including human urinary bladder cancer. Tocopherols (T) are the major forms of vitamin E in the U.S. diet, exist as α-T, β-T, γ-T and δ-T. Compared to α-T, the anti-cancer effect of other Ts and their mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. We have shown that δ-T is the most effective one among the Ts in reducing the viabilities of bladder cancer cell lines with IC50s of under 10 μM, whereas there is no or minimal effect of α-T at a concentration of up to 50 μM on the viability of bladder cancer cell lines. δ-T treatment of bladder cancer cell lines, RT4 and UMUC-3, resulted in apoptosis via marked induction of death receptor-5 (DR5) expression and then activation of caspase 3, 8, and 9 leading to PARP cleavage and apoptotic morphology. siRNA knockdown of DR5 expression significantly attenuated the apoptotic effects of δ-T in bladder cancer cells. Consistent with the above results, δ-T treatment significantly upregulated the expression of ER stress sensors PERK and IRE1α, as well as downstream components GRP78, ATF4, and CHOP. These results suggested that δ-T can induce endoplasmic reticulum stress and the Unfolded Protein Response, triggering its apoptotic effect. Furthermore, homozygous male UPII mutant Ha-ras transgenic mice that mimic the development and progression of human urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) with H-ras activation were fed with vehicle control diet (n=20) or diet supplemented with δ-T (0.2% in diet) for 150 days (n=18). The δ-T diet significantly decreased the mean bladder weights (serves as a surrogate of tumor weight) of survived Ha-ras mutant mice by 56% (control vs δ-T, 0.259 ± 0.015 gram vs. 0.114 ± 0.012 gram, P Citation Format: Christopher A. Blair, Maggie Wu, Tim Huynh, Hanze Hu, Arman Walia, Chung S. Yang, Xiaolin Zi. Delta tocopherol inhibits urothelial tumorigenesis in the UPII mutant Ha-ras transgenic mouse model and induces apoptosis via activation of the ATF4/CHOP-DR5 pathway [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 256. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-256
Delineating the Interplay of Personality Disorders and Health.

The nexus of personality and health is a challenging and, at times, vexing issue in behavioral medicine. While the integration of psychiatric, psychological and psychosocial factors into healthcare...
Cell Surfaces in Neoplastic Transformation

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the properties, and the chemical and physiological aspects of cell surfaces in neoplastic transformation. Immunological surface disparities between normal and tumor cells have been studied for decades, while attempts to bring them into the realm of biochemistry have been extremely rare. It can be assumed that firm biochemical knowledge regarding the structure and formation of the surface antigens of the tumor cell would contribute significantly to an understanding of neoplastic transformation. The chapter describes two types of chemical changes that occur in the transformed surface membrane: (1) changes in the overall composition and (2) changes in macromolecular structure. Several reports point to a decrease of total carbohydrates in transformed membranes, which may involve glycolipids and glycoproteins, which are primarily lacking their terminal carbohydrate portions. A rearrangement of the surface layers leading to a state in which cells become agglutinable or adsorb various types of antibodies occurs at the same time.
Consumption and the Country House. By Jon Sobart and Mark Rothery. (Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2016. Pp. xi, 304. $110.00.)

With keen historiographic insights and a wealth of interesting detail, the authors of this book have produced an insightful account of consumption and class in eighteenth‐century England. Using est...
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ASSOCIATED HOSPITALIZATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2004 - 2014

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia among hospitalized patients. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for AF with an increasing prevalence in the US population. We used the 2004 - 2014 National Inpatient Sample to identify DM hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of AF
Teaching Students a Systematic Approach to Debugging: (Abstract Only)

This lightning talk presents new free, online material to provide new programmers with a solid foundation in debugging. Nearly every instructor who teaches programming notices that students have weak debugging skills. Faced with a failing program, many students make random changes and hope things improve. Or they shrug their shoulders, say "I have no idea what/s wrong", and ask an instructor for help. Most textbooks and websites provide insufficient coverage or training of debugging. This new material teaches a basic systematic process for debugging: Create a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, repeat. Seems obvious, but it/s not to most students. The material first teaches a general troubleshooting process using everyday systems, like smartphones can cars. With a solid foundation of the basic systematic process, the material then teaches basic debugging using a generic programming language. The material starts from the basics, following that adage that one must walk before they can run. Students typically don/t have the concept of "Hypothesize / Test". But after repeated examples that stress those items, they will hopefully have developed a habit of thinking of troubleshooting more systematically. The material is targeted at the fifth week of a CS1 course, when students have some programming experience and are beginning to face harder debugging challenges, but is also beneficial for any programming class beyond CS1, where it could be used in the first week. The material is delivered as free two-chapter online book available with sign in at http://www.zybooks.com/catalog/troubleshooting-basics/.
The Effect of Pore Pressure on Hydraulic Fracture Growth: An Experimental Study

Laboratory experiments are conducted in this study to investigate hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation in porous test specimens in the presence of multiple fluid injection sources and anisotropic far-field stresses. Numerous laboratory observations of fracture growth are documented via clear, high resolution images and digital image correlation analyses. It is clearly shown that injection-induced stresses can appreciably affect hydraulic fracture trajectories and fracturing pressures. We show that induced hydraulic fractures, under our laboratory conditions, are attracted to regions of high pore pressure. Induced fractures tend to propagate towards neighboring high pore pressure injection ports. The recorded breakdown pressure in the fracturing experiments decreases significantly as the number of neighboring injectors increases. When a hydraulic fracture is induced near an injection port that is maintained at a relatively high injection pressure, a secondary fracture can grow at a markedly lower fluid pressure than that of the main fracture. The influence of an adjacent fluid injection source on the hydraulic fracture trajectory can be minimized or suppressed when the applied far-field differential stress is relatively high. Multiple fractures induced from closely spaced injection ports tend to grow towards neighboring ports and perpendicularly to the applied maximum far-field stress. The experimental observations in this paper can serve as benchmark evidence for numerical hydraulic fracturing simulators that are used for modeling field applications.
Stress-controlled direct shear testing of geosynthetic clay liners II: Assessment of shear behavior

Abstract This paper is the second of a two-paper set on stress-controlled direct shear testing of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). Design of the apparatus, preliminary experiments, and shear deformation mechanisms in heat-treated and non-heat treated needle-punched (NP) GCLs were discussed in Part I. The objective of Part II (this paper) was to evaluate the effects of physical factors (i.e., peel strength and initial normal stress, σni), environmental factors (i.e., temperature and hydration solution), and creep on the internal shear behavior of NP GCLs. In addition, failure conditions of GCLs in the stress-controlled direct shear tests were compared to displacement-controlled direct shear tests to verify results. An increase in internal shear strength developed from increased GCL peel strength or increased normal stress. Elevated temperatures were observed to decrease internal shear strength for both non-heat treated and heat-treated NP GCLs. Specimens hydrated with a calcium-rich synthetic mining solution experienced increased internal shear strength due to cation exchange in the bentonite, whereas specimens hydrated with a highly alkaline synthetic mining solution experienced decreased internal shear strength. Creep tests revealed an increase in time-to-failure with decrease in applied shear stress. Finally, stress states at failure from stress-controlled and displacement-controlled shear tests corresponded to a unique failure envelope, which validates the efficacy of using stress-controlled direct shear tests to assess internal shear behavior and shear strength of NP GCLs.
Geodetic evidence for interconnectivity between Aira and Kirishima magmatic systems, Japan

It is not known whether clustered or aligned volcanic edifices at the Earth surface have connected magmatic systems at depth. Previously suggested by geological records of paired eruptions, volcano interconnectivity still lacks proper geodetic evidence. Here we use GPS time-series and deformation modeling to show how Aira caldera and Kirishima, two adjacent volcanic centers in Kagoshima graben (southern Japan), interacted during Kirishima unrest in 2011. Whereas Aira caldera had been inflating steadily for two decades, it deflated during the eruption of Kirishima which started with a large-volume lava extrusion. This deflation, which cannot be explained by stress changes, is interpreted as the result of magma withdrawal from the Aira system during the Kirishima replenishment phase. This study highlights the behavior of connected neighboring volcanic systems before and after a large eruption, and the importance of taking into account volcano interactions in eruption probability models.
Attitudinal and Behavioral Aspects of Environmental Problems

Psychology has not been at the forefront of the disciplines that have converged on the analysis and on the alleviation of the pressing problems of environmental pollution, conservation, and quality more generally. Yet the study of environmental attitudes represents a natural subject of inquiry for social psychologists interested in the psychology of attitudes, and in such classic problems as the relationships between attitudes and behavior. There has been a scattering of studies by psychologists in this field, along with a considerably larger body of attitudinal literature contributed by sociologists (and rural sociologists in particular), as well as certain other disciplines, such as political science.
Targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expressing bladder cancer using combination photoimmunotherapy (PIT).

e16026Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is heterogeneous, expressing various cell surface targets, such as EGFR and Her2. Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) involves antibodies (Abs) conjugated to a photoabsor...
Development of asialoglycoprotein receptor directed nanoparticles for selective delivery of curcumin derivative to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract Hepatocellular cellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most challenging liver cancer subtypes. Due to lack of cell surface biomarkers and highly metastatic nature, early detection and targeted therapy of HCC is an unmet need. Galactosamine (Gal) is among the few selective ligands used for targeting HCCs due to its high binding affinity to asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPRs) overexpressed in HCC. In the present work, we engineered nanoscale G4 polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers anchored to galactosamine and loaded with the potent anticancer curcumin derivative (CDF) as a platform for targeted drug delivery to HCC. In vivo targeting ability and bio-distribution of PAMAM-Gal were assessed via its labeling with the clinically used, highly contrast, near infrared (NIR) dye: S0456, with testing of the obtained conjugate in aggressive HCC xenograft model. Our results highlighted the targeted dendrimer PAMAM-Gal ability to achieve selective high cellular uptake via ASGPR mediated endocytosis and significantly enhance the delivery of CDF into the studied HCC cell lines. Cytotoxicity MTT assays in HCC cell lines, interestingly highlighted, the comparative high potency of CDF, where CDF was more potent as a chemotherapeutic anticancer small molecule than the currently in use Doxorubicin, Sorafenib and Cisplatin chemotherapeutic agents. In conclusion the proof-of-concept study using nanoscale PAMAM-Gal dendrimer has demonstrated its competency as an efficient delivery system for selective delivery of potent CDF for HCC anticancer therapy as well as HCC diagnosis via NIR imaging.
Multiphysics Modeling of Voice Coil Actuators With Recurrent Neural Network

In order to accurately model the behaviors of a voice coil actuator (VCA), the three-dimensional (3-D) method is preferred over a lumped model. However, building a 3-D model of a VCA is often very computationally expensive. The computation efficiency can be limited by the spatial discretization, the multiphysics nature, and the nonlinearities of the VCA. In this paper, we propose incorporating the recurrent neural network (RNN) into the multiphysics simulation to enhance its computation efficiency. In the proposed approach, the multiphysics problem is first solved with the finite element method (FEM) at full 3-D accuracy within a portion of the required time steps. An RNN is then trained and validated with the obtained transient solutions. Once the training completes, the RNN can make predictions on the transient behaviors of the VCA in the remaining portion of the required time steps. With the proposed approach, it avoids solving the 3-D multiphysics problem at all time steps such that a significant reduction of computation time can be achieved. The training cost of the RNN model can be amortized when a longer duration of transient behaviors is required. A loudspeaker example is used to demonstrate the enhancement of the computation efficiency by using RNN in the multiphysics modeling. Various structures of neural networks and tunable parameters are investigated with the numerical example in order to optimize the performance of the RNN model.
LEFT ATRIAL MYXOMA: A 3-DIMENSIONAL CAUSE OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

Congestive heart failure (CHF) rarely presents due to atrial myxomas. We present such a case with utilization of multiple echocardiographic imaging techniques prior to surgical resection. A 70 year-old with no significant past medical history presented to the hospital with several weeks of