cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preventing injury and injury-related disability in children and adolescents☆

Injury is the leading cause of death and a prevalent source of disability and excess health expenditures in children and adolescents. There are predictable patterns to injury that provide clues to prevention. Epidemiologically-based theoretical frameworks are available to guide development of injury prevention strategies, to add structure to our observations, and focus to our prevention activities. While all-cause injury mortality rates have decreased in children and adolescents over the last 20 years, large ethnic disparities persist, indicating the need for intensified efforts in high-risk communities. Strong leadership from pediatric surgeons and pediatricians operating hospital-based community injury prevention programs has produced successful reductions in child and adolescent injury rates in resource-limited and minority neighborhoods. Among the program features considered essential are: (1) an ongoing injury surveillance system; (2) well-focused, multifaceted prevention activities, including both passive and active prevention approaches; (3) education; (4) enlistment of other health professionals, local government officials, community leaders, and the public; and (5) evaluation and refinement of prevention activities.
Understanding the dynamics of illness and help-seeking: event-structure analysis and a Cambodian-American narrative of "spirit invasion".

Abstract Event structure analysis (ESA) and its computer analog, ETHNO, represent a class of relatively new methodological approaches that make it possible to capture the complexity of help-seeking interactions. Using narrative data from a study of Cambodian–American help-seeking interactions within a circumscribed illness episode, this paper demonstrates the feasibility of using ESA/ETHNO to illuminate how event sequence, operant illness beliefs, structural conditions, and human agency interpenetrate and shape the occurrence and timing of pivotal actions and the denouement of a help-seeking episode.
Associative aspects of conditioned analgesia evoked by a discrete CS

Four experiments with rat subjects assessed conditioned analgesia evoked by a discrete visual CS repeatedly paired with a shock US. In Experiment 1, rats that received CS-US pairings followed by a hot-plate test of pain sensitivity in the presence of the CS showed significantly longer response latencies than groups of rats receiving a variety of Pavlovian control procedures, including CS and US explicitly unpaired, CS-alone, US-alone, and apparatus-alone. Experiment 2 showed that two CS-US pairings were required for the CS to evoke conditioned analgesia and that additional CS-US pairings did not augment the observed analgesia. Experiment 3 demonstrated extinction of conditioned analgesia in groups that received CS-alone presentations. Experiment 4 found that conditioned analgesia established with the present procedures was unaffected by prior administration of the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone. Experiments 1 and 3 also demonstrated a number of situations in which freezing behavior (used to index conditioned fear) could be dissociated from hot-plate response latencies (used to index conditioned analgesia). These results are discussed in terms of how associative learning processes mediate acquisition of conditioned analgesia.
Genetics and the lipidoses

Formal genetic analyses of family data in cases of errors of lipid metabolism are able to distin-guish monogenic vs. multigenic and nongenetic disorders. These data, together with population data, provide criteria for the homogeneity of cases which can be useful in the interpretation of biochemical findings. The peculiarly elevated incidence of three main genotypes of sphingo-lipidoses among Ashkenasic Jews has no reason-able explanation except for heterozygote selection. This inference has strong implications for the biochemist in that it suggests a) the existence of some biochemical abnormality is common among the heterozygotes for these conditions and b) the utility of such a heterozygote abnormality in the defense of the body against some adverse en-vironmental stress, such as some specific infectious disease. The detection of heterozygous carriers by bio-chemical means could be important not only for this reason but also as a means for anticipating marriages which may produce a lethal lipidosis. Finally, as long as preventive measures are either imperfect or not practiced, major attention is directed toward therapy, which in turn requires not only more knowledge of the basic defect but awareness of the fact that such knowledge may not be helpful without the development of more advanced devices than those employed in, for ex-ample, phenylketonuria or galactosemia. The deep-seated nature of the presumed lesions in the lipidoses seems to require a different type of corrective measure, such as gene replacement or transformation.
Lattice gas cellular automation model for rippling and aggregation in myxobacteria

A lattice gas cellular automation (LGCA) model is used to simulate rippling and aggregation in myxobacteria. An efficient way of representing cells of different cell size, shape and orientation is presented that may be easily extended to model later stages of fruiting body formation. This LGCA model is designed to investigate whether a refractory period, a minimum response time, a maximum oscillation period and non-linear dependence of reversals of cells on C-factor are necessary assumptions for rippling. It is shown that a refractory period of 2–3 min, a minimum response time of up to 1 min and no maximum oscillation period best reproduce rippling in the experiments of Myxococcus xanthus. Non-linear dependence of reversals on C-factor is critical at high cell density. Quantitative simulations demonstrate that the increase in wavelength of ripples when a culture is diluted with non-signaling cells can be explained entirely by the decreased density of C-signaling cells. This result further supports the hypothesis that levels of C-signaling quantitatively depend on and modulate cell density. Analysis of the interpenetrating high density waves shows the presence of a phase shift analogous to the phase shift of interpenetrating solitons. Finally, a model for swarming, aggregation and early fruiting body formation is presented.
An electrostatic model of methyllithium tetramer, a non-nonclassical system

Abstract A collection of 4 positive and 4 negative point charges arranged as two interpenetrating tetrahedra subject only to Coulombic forces has a minimum electrostatic energy at a ratio of the two tetrahedra sides of 0.783, a value consistent with the observed LiLi to CC distance ratio of 0.73 in the structure of methyllithium tetramer.
A methionine-reversible folate deficiency in rats following the acute administration of diethylnitrosamine and α-napthylisothiocyanate

Acute doses of the hepatotoxic agents diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) to young adult male rats led to the production of a folate deficiency as determined by an elevated urinary excretion of formiminoglutamic acid (FIGLU) 2 to 4 days following administration of the compounds. High dietary levels of methionine significantly reduced the elevated levels of FIGLU produced by the 2 chemicals. Dietary folate had no significant effect on the excretion of urinary FIGLU. Although the hepatic levels of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) were significantly increased in rats fed the high dietary levels of methionine, an acute dose of DEN did not depress the hepatic levels of SAM. The results indicate that the methyl-reversible folate deficiency caused by hepatotoxic agents is not the direct consequence of altered hepatic levels of SAM.
Latin America and the global financial crisis

The current world economic crisis has hit Latin America very hard. Although financial conditions have deteriorated, particularly since September 2008, the financial shock has been less severe than during the two previous crises. Thanks to improvements in external balance sheets, there has been room for counter-cyclical credit and monetary policies. The decision to absorb large capital inflows during the boom as foreign exchange reserves is one of the major sources of the increased room to manoeuvre. However, these strengths have been insufficient in the face of a strong trade shock. The region's economies should therefore seriously think again in the domestic market, with regional integration and active production sector policies as engines of growth. Copyright The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.
Cosmic rays: 1912–2012

One hundred years ago, using balloon flights up to 5 kilometers altitude, Victor Hess demonstrated that the intensity of penetrating ionizing radiation increased with altitude, indicating that Earth is exposed to high-energy radiation from space [Hess, 1912]. Since that observation, these “cosmic rays” have enabled discoveries basic to elementary particle physics and astrophysics. This discovery earned Hess the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with Carl Anderson, who discovered the positron among the secondary cosmic rays near the ground [Anderson, 1933]. Then, the only known ionizing radiation with range in air more than about 30 centimeters was the g ray (electromagnetic radiation with energy above about 100 kiloelectron volts), so the radiation from space was assumed to be g rays and was called “cosmic rays.” That name has stuck, although the “cosmic rays” studied today are not actually rays but particles. Indeed, g rays do impinge on Earth, and g ray astronomy is a burgeoning area of astrophysics, but the term “cosmic rays” continues to apply to the charged particles that make up the bulk of the incident ionizing radiation.
Clinal Variation of Some Mammals During the Holocene in Missouri

Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), and gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) were examined for clinal variation during the Holocene. Modern samples of all three species displayed strong east-west patterns along the western edge of the eastern deciduous forest: S. floridanus and S. niger decrease and S. carolinensis increases in size. Archeological samples of S. carolinensis from Rodgers Shelter (23BE125), Benton County, Missouri, and Graham Cave (23MT2), Montgomery County, Missouri, indicated an increase in size from early to middle Holocene. Sylvilagus floridanus from Rodgers Shelter decreased in size from early to middle Holocene and then increased during the late Holocene to modern proportions. A literature survey reveals that clinal variation is a common phenomenon among modern homeotherms. In introduced species, clinal variation has developed after relatively few generations, indicating rapid adaptations to environmental conditions; often winter climatic variables are implicated. Morphological variation in the study species during the Holocene is interpreted as a response to changing climates. Studies of morphological clines may lead to another valuable data source for reconstructing past ecologies.
The total nucleated cell (TNC) fraction and dye exclusion viability cannot be used to measure the quality and potency of umbilical cord blood cells in segments and units

265 THE TOTAL NUCLEATED CELL (TNC) FRACTION AND DYE EXCLUSION VIABILITY CANNOT BE USED TO MEASURE THE QUALITY AND POTENCY OF UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD CELLS IN SEGMENTS AND UNITS IN Rich, J Patterson, CH Moore, E Palser, J Hearn, D Dumitru, HA Harper HemoGenix, Inc, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, Beth-Ell College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, Department of Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States, Department of Biology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Differential roles for NMDA and non‐NMDA receptor subtypes in baroreceptor afferent integration in the nucleus of the solitary tract of the rat

1. Microinjection studies have established that both NMDA and non-NMDA excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor subtypes are involved in the integration of baroreceptor afferent inputs within the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). The present study was undertaken to determine which EAA receptor subtypes are involved in baroreceptor afferent integration by second and higher order NTS neurones. 2. Experiments utilizing intracellular recordings or extracellular recordings with microiontophoresis were performed in pentobarbitone-anaesthetized, paralysed and artificially ventilated rats to determine the ionotropic EAA receptor subtypes involved in baroreceptor afferent integration in the NTS. NTS neurones were classified according to their responses to aortic depressor nerve (ADN) stimulation: monosynaptic neurones (MSNs), polysynaptic neurones (PSNs) and ADN-non-evoked neurones (NENs). 3. In the extracellular studies, the ADN-evoked discharge of most MSNs was selectively reduced by microiontophoretic application of the non-NMDA receptor antagonists 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; n = 8, P < 0.05) or 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-nitro-2, 3-dioxo-benzo(f)quinoxaline-7-sulphonamide (NBQX; n = 9, P < 0.01), but not by the NMDA antagonist dl-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5; n = 6, P = 0.28). ADN-evoked responses of PSNs were attenuated by microiontophoretic application of AP-5 (n = 12, P < 0. 001), CNQX (n = 13, P < 0.001) or NBQX (n = 11, P < 0.001). All EAA antagonists inhibited the spontaneous discharge of MSNs/PSNs and NENs (P < 0.01 for each group). 4. In the intracellular studies, ADN stimulation evoked faster rising and shorter duration excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in MSNs (n = 16) than in PSNs (n = 15) (P < 0.05 for each comparison). 5. Our results demonstrate that synaptic inputs from ADN to MSNs have faster rise times and shorter durations than those to PSNs, suggesting that baroreceptor inputs to MSNs and PSNs are mediated by different synaptic mechanisms. These more rapid synaptic events are selectively mediated by non-NMDA receptors. In addition, synaptic integration of ADN inputs by PSNs is mediated by both NMDA and non-NMDA receptors. Finally, the ADN-evoked discharge of some MSNs and PSNs is not attenuated by ionotropic EAA antagonists, suggesting that another receptor or transmitter system may mediate synaptic excitation in these neurones.
Spatial optimization of the pattern of fuel management activities and subsequent effects on simulated wildfires

Methods for scheduling forest management activities in a spatial pattern (dispersed, clumped, random, and regular) are presented, with the intent to examine the effects of placement of activities on resulting simulated wildfire behavior. Both operational and fuel reduction management prescriptions are examined, and a heuristic was employed to schedule the activities. The main hypothesis is that simulated wildfire effects during a severe fire season may be mitigated by scheduling activities in a pattern across the landscape. Results suggest: (1) operational management prescriptions, designed to promote the development of forest structure within a desired range of stand density, were not appropriate for mitigating wildfire effects, and (2) increased harvest levels obscure spatial patterns of activity, making patterns less clear as harvests increase. Results also suggest that fuel reduction management prescriptions may marginally minimize wildfire severity during a severe fire season, when scheduled in a spatial pattern.
A NEW SYSTEMATIC METHOD FOR EFFICIENTLY SOLVING HOLONOMIC (AND NONHOLONOMIC) CONSTRAINT PROBLEMS

A new systematic approach to holonomic constraint is presented. By holonomic we mean a constraint problem in the calculus of variations/optimal control theory where the constraints are independent of the derivative of the dependent variable. It is seen that these new methods follow from a general theory of constraint optimization previously given by the author. A major, new emphasis of this work is the necessity of properly handling the boundary values of our introduced variables. The author's previous theory allows the solution of a wide variety of general or anholonomic problems which include those identified with the areas of control, delay, stochastic, and partial differential equations in the sense that simpler constraint problems in these areas can be solved exactly by analytical means while more complex problems can be solved by efficient numerical algorithms with an a priori maximal error of O(h2), where h is the node size. Thus, our methods in this paper are immediately applicable to holonomic problems in these other diverse areas. While our new results do not involve a significant formal mathematical jump from the author's previous theory of constraint optimization, the treatment of boundary values is significant and of note. For this reason we will give several examples to illustrate these ideas. Finally, we illustrate how our methods can be used to solve a wide variety of meaningful holonomic constraint or generalized coordinate problems in the study of dynamics/classical mechanics, using the simple pendulum problem as an example.
Backbone Flexibility of CDR3 and Immune Recognition of Antigens

Conformational entropy is an important component of protein-protein interactions; however, there is no reliable method for computing this parameter. We have developed a statistical measure of residual backbone entropy in folded proteins by using the ϕ-ψ distributions of the 20 amino acids in common secondary structures. The backbone entropy patterns of amino acids within helix, sheet or coil form clusters that recapitulate the branching and hydrogen bonding properties of the side chains in the secondary structure type. The same types of residues in coil and sheet have identical backbone entropies, while helix residues have much smaller conformational entropies. We estimated the backbone entropy change for immunoglobulin complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) from the crystal structures of 34 low-affinity T-cell receptors and 40 high-affinity Fabs as a result of the formation of protein complexes. Surprisingly, we discovered that the computed backbone entropy loss of only the CDR3, but not all CDRs, correlated significantly with the kinetic and affinity constants of the 74 selected complexes. Consequently, we propose a simple algorithm to introduce proline mutations that restrict the conformational flexibility of CDRs and enhance the kinetics and affinity of immunoglobulin interactions. Combining the proline mutations with rationally designed mutants from a previous study led to 2400-fold increase in the affinity of the A6 T-cell receptor for Tax-HLAA2. However, this mutational scheme failed to induce significant binding changes in the already-high-affinity C225-Fab/huEGFR interface. Our results will serve as a roadmap to formulate more effective target functions to design immune complexes with improved biological functions.
A contribution to the mathematical biology of the rates of historical development

The paper is a second step toward a biomathematical theory of the rates of spread of new nonconformist ideas or behaviors in a society. It is intended as a preliminary and purely theoretical study of a very oversimplified case. An equation which determines the distribution function of the tendencies toward conformist and nonconformist behaviors is set up under a number of oversimplified assumptions, and a solution by successive approximations is indicated. The expression for the first approximation is given, and an estimate of the order of magnitude of the rates of changes is made. In conclusion an outline is given for further improvement of the theory.
A thermodynamically and variationally consistent class of damage-type cohesive models

Abstract A novel class of cohesive constitutive models suitable for the analysis of material separation such as that related to cracks, shear bands or delamination processes is presented. The proposed framework is based on a geometrically exact description (finite deformation) and it naturally accounts for material anisotropies. For that purpose, a Helmholtz energy depending on evolving structural tensors is introduced. In sharp contrast to previously published anisotropic cohesive models with finite strain kinematics based on a spatial description, all models belonging to the advocated class are thermodynamically consistent, i.e., they are rigorously derived by applying the Coleman and Noll procedure. Although this procedure seems nowadays to be standard for stress–strain-type constitutive laws, this is not the case for cohesive models at finite strains. An interesting new finding from the Coleman and Noll procedure is the striking analogy between cohesive models and boundary potential energies. This analogy gives rise to the introduction of additional stress tensors which can be interpreted as deformational surface shear. To the best knowledge of the authors, those stresses which are required for thermodynamical consistency at finite strains, have not been taken into account in existing models yet. Furthermore, the additional stress tensors can result in an effective traction-separation law showing a non-trivial stress-free configuration consistent with the underlying Helmholtz energy. This configuration is not predicted by previous models. Finally, the analogy between cohesive models and boundary potential energies leads to a unique definition of the controversially discussed fictitious intermediate configuration. More precisely, traction continuity requires that the interface geometry with respect to the deformed configuration has to be taken as the average of both sides. It will be shown that the novel class of interface models does not only fulfill the second law of thermodynamics, but also it shows an even stronger variational structure, i.e., the admissible states implied by the novel model can be interpreted as stable energy minimizers. This variational structure is used for deriving a variationally consistent numerical implementation.
Reading skill and language skill

Abstract To learn to read is to acquire a visual language skill which systematically maps onto extant spoken language skills. Some children perform this task quite adeptly while others encounter much difficulty, and it has become a question of both scientific and practical merit to ask why there exists such a range of success in learning to read. Obviously, learning to read places a complex burden on many emerging capacities, and in principle, at least, reading disability could arise at any level from visual perception to general cognition. Yet since reading is parasitic on spoken language, the possibility also exists that reading disability is derived from some subtle difficulty in the language domain. This article reviews some of the many studies which have explored the association between early reading skills and spoken language skills. The focus will be on findings which reveal that when the linguistic short-term memory skills of good and poor beginning readers are critically examined, considerably many, though perhaps not all, poor readers prove to possess subtle deficiencies which correlate with their problems in learning to read.
Dynamic strength evaluations for self-piercing rivets and resistance spot welds joining similar and dissimilar metals

Abstract This paper summarizes the dynamic joint strength evaluation procedures and the measured dynamic strength data for 13 joint populations of self-piercing rivets (SPR) and resistance spot welds (RSWs) joining similar and dissimilar metals. A state-of-the-art review of the current practice for conducting dynamic tensile/compressive strength tests in different strain rate regimes is first presented, and the generic issues associated with dynamic strength test are addressed. Then, the joint strength testing procedures and fixture designs used in the current study are described, and the typical load versus displacement curves under different loading configurations are presented. Uniqueness of the current data compared with data in the open literature is discussed. The majority of experimental results indicate that joint strength increases with increasing loading rate. However, the strength increase from 4.47 m/s (10 mph) to 8.94 m/s (20 mph) is not as significant as the strength increase from static to 4.47 m/s. It is also found that with increasing loading velocity, displacement to failure decreases for all the joint samples. Therefore, ‘brittleness’ of the joint sample increases with impact velocity. Detailed static and dynamic strength data and the associated energy absorption levels for all the samples in the 13 joint populations are also included.
Properties of portland cement paste reinforced with mica flakes

Abstract Results of an investigation of the use of high-aspect-ratio mica flakes in hardened portland cement matrices are reported. Increases in flexural strength by a factor of 2 and in fracture toughness by a factor of 4, depending on matrix porosity, are obtained by the addition of small amounts of mica. The dependence of these properties on matrix porosity is determined and the effect of mica flake addition on matrix characteristics discussed, e.g., porosity, surface area, non-evaporable water content.
Dose-dependent effects of a pyridoquinazoline thromboxane synthetase inhibitor on arachidonic acid metabolites and hemodynamics during E. coli endotoxemia in anesthetized sheep.

Abstract We investigated the effects of a new pyridoquinazoline thromboxane synthetase inhibitor infused before administering Escherichia Coli endotoxin into 18 anesthetized sheep with lung lymph fistulas. In normal sheep increasing plasma Ro 23-3423 concentrations were associated with increased plasma levels of 6-keto-PGF 1α , a reduced systemic vascular resistance (SVR, r = −0.80) and systemic arterial pressure (SAP, r = −0.92), the mean SAP falling from 80 to 50 mm Hg at the 20 and 30 mg/kg doses. Endotoxin infused into normal sheep caused transient pulmonary vasoconstriction associated with increased TxB 2 and 6-keto-PGF 1α levels while vasoconstriction and TxB 2 increase were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with Ro 23-3423 in a dose-dependent manner. When compared to controls, plasma and lymph levels of 6-keto-PGF 1α , PGF 2α and PGE 2 after endotoxin infusion were increased several-fold by administering Ro 23-3423 up to plasma levels of 10 μg/ml. Doses over 30 mg/kg with blood levels above 10 μg/ml reduced plasma and lymph levels of 6-keto-PGF 1α , PGF 2α and PGE 2 , suggesting cyclooxygenase blockade at this dose. The peak 6-keto-PGF 1α levels at 60 min after endotoxin infusion in sheep with Ro-23-3423 levels below 10 μg/ml were associated with the greatest systemic hypotension due to a reduced SVR (r = −0.86). After endotoxin infusion the leukotrienes B 4 , C 4 , D 4 and E 4 in lung lymph were assayed by radioimmunoassay and high pressure liquid chromatography and remained at baseline values.
Comparison of transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography with contrast and color flow Doppler in the detection of patent foramen ovale.

Abstract We directly compared the utility of agitated saline solution contrast echocardiography and color flow Doppler with both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in the detection of patient foramen ovale (PFO). Forty-three patients referred for contrast echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography were prospectively studied. Three were excluded because of technically inadequate contrast, and two were excluded because of hemodynamically significant atrial septal defect. The remaining 38 paiennts, who ranged in age from 19 to 73 years, were referred for cerebrovascular events (31), peripheral embolus (5), atrial septal aneurysm (1), and suspected atrial septal defect (1). With either contrast or color flow Doppler, PFO was detected by transthoracic imaging in 9 (24%) of 38 patients compared with 20 (53%) of 38 with transesophogeal echo. PFO was present in 1 (3%) of 38 by TTE color flow, 9 (24%) of 38 by TTE contrast, 17 (45%) of 38 by TEE color flow, and 14 (37%) of 38 by TEE contrast. Discordant findings with TEE were the result of contrast-positive, color-negative results in 3 patients and color-positive, contrast-negative results in 6. With TEE contrast used as a diagnostic gold standard, other techniques detected PFO with the following sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values: TEE color flow 79%, 75%, 65%, 86%, respectively; TTE contrast 50%, 92%, 78%, 76%, respectively; and TTE color flow 7%, 100%, 50%, 65%, respectively. Thus PFO is detected more frequently with TEE. TEE contrast and color flow Doppler yielded discordant findings in a minority of patients, probably as a result of intrinsic limitations in each technique. Compared to a TEE contrast gold standard, each of the other techniques has important limitations.
The resonance Raman spectrum of azulene

Abstract Excitation profiles have been measured for three Raman lines of azulene in CS 2 solution in the spectral range of the visible absorption system, viz. 665—570 nm. The results are unexpected in as much as the excitation profiles do not exhibit maxima at or near the absorption peaks. The results are interpreted on the basis of contributions to the A -term by other modes than the one studied in the Raman effect. These terms give rise to interferences which lower the excitation profile in some regions while causing maxima at other frequencies.
Abstract 538: IGF2 role in trastuzumab-resistance in JIMT-1 cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. Overexpression of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) is detected in 20-30% of breast cancers. Overexpression of HER2 is linked to poor prognosis, more aggressive phenotype, and resistance to chemotherapy and hormonal treatment. HER2 is part of a four member family of cell surface receptors that are implicated in transmission of signals controlling cell growth and differentiation. HER2 has an intracellular domain with tyrosine kinase catalytic activity. Dimerization of HER2 activates the MAP kinase and AKT pathways. HER2 receptor also heterodimerizes with the IGF1 receptor in trastuzumab-resistant cell lines. The insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) has an important role in fetal and cancer development signaling through the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), the insulin receptor (InsR), and cross-talk with the estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ERα, ERs). We hypothesize that IGF2 mediates trastuzumab-resistance in JIMT-1 cell line. IGF2 mRNA and protein levels were determined in trastuzumab-sensitive cell lines (BT474, SKBR3, and ZR 75-30) and trastuzumab-resistant cell line (JIMT-1) by qPCR and Western blot. We also analyzed the effect of IGF2 inhibition treatment on the phosphorylation levels of HER2. Our study showed that IGF2 increases in trastuzumab-resistant cell line, JIMT-1. Furthermore, inhibition of IGF2 decreases JIMT-1 cell viability compared to control and renders cells sensitive to trastuzumab. These findings provide a potential therapy target for trastuzumab-resistant breast cancers. Citation Format: Xousaen M. Helu, Daisy D. De Leon. IGF2 role in trastuzumab-resistance in JIMT-1 cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 538. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-538
Interplay between Covalent and Physical Interactions within Environment Sensitive Hydrogels

A systematic study is carried out to understand how physical and covalent crosslinks affect the mechanical properties of an eight-arm poly(ethyleneglycol)-based hydrogel. Heparin and heparin-binding peptide are used as a physical crosslinker, and an enzymatically cleavable peptide with a cysteine on each end serves as a covalent crosslinker. While physical crosslinks alone do not induce gelation due to the low binding affinity between heparin and heparin-binding peptide, the addition of covalent crosslinks leads to gel formation. Strikingly, the addition of the covalent crosslinks not only leads to gel formation, but also enhances the contribution from the physical crosslinks to the overall shear moduli, which are negligible in the absence of covalent crosslinks. The gels, which contain both covalent and physical crosslinks, are able to reversibly respond to external stimuli such as temperature and oscillatory shear unlike the purely covalent gel in which the moduli remain largely insensitive to such stimuli. Two explanations are provided for this striking phenomenon. First, the addition of covalent crosslinks increased the stress relaxation time of the gel enabling the physical interactions to contribute to the moduli. This is contrasted to the case of physically crosslinked material, which relaxes the stress too quickly, preventing the physical interactions from contributing to the low frequency moduli. Second, it is believed that the physical interactions within the covalent network were further enhanced by "macromolecular confinement", which favors the formation of compact conformational structures in the confined space. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used to measure the dissociation constant (K(d)) within the hydrogel and to demonstrate that the binding between heparin and heparin-binding peptide is stronger within the gel compared to that within the solution phase. Because extracellular matrix (ECM) contains both covalent and physical interactions between its constituents, and the mechanical properties of the ECM are important factors to control cell functions, the findings of this research may have important implications in various fields of tissue engineering and cell biology.
Role of 5-HT2A receptors in the stress-induced down-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in rat hippocampus

Immobilization stress decreases the expression of BDNF mRNA in the rat hippocampus, and this effect could contribute to the atrophy of hippocampal neurons. This study examines the influence of selective 5-HT, as well as norepinephrine, receptor antagonists on the stress-induced down-regulation of BDNF mRNA. Pretreatment with a selective 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, MDL100,907, significantly blocked the influence of stress on expression of BDNF mRNA. In contrast, pretreatment with either a selective 5-HT2C or 5-HT1A receptor antagonist did not influence the stress-induced decrease in levels of BDNF mRNA. The stress-induced decrease was also not influenced by pretreatment with antagonists of beta(1/2)- or alpha1-adrenergic, or CRF-R1 receptors. The results demonstrate that 5-HT2A receptors mediate, at least in part, the stress-induced down-regulation of BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus.
What drives the translocation of proteins

Abstract We propose that protein translocation across membranes is driven by biased random thermal motion. This "Brownian ratchet" mechanism depends on chemical asymmetries between the cis and trans sides of the membrane. Several mechanisms could contribute to rectifying the thermal motion of the protein, such as binding and dissociation of chaperonins to the translocating chain, chain coiling induced by pH and/or ionic gradients, glycosylation, and disulfide bond formation. This helps explain the robustness and promiscuity of these transport systems.
Input current shaping in BLDC motor drives using a new converter topology

A new converter topology is proposed for driving a permanent magnet brushless DC (BLDC) motor with unipolar currents. It is based on a single-ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC) operating in the discontinuous conduction mode. In this operation mode, it approximates a voltage follower and the line current follows the line voltage waveform to a certain extent. The reduction in low-order harmonics and improved displacement power factor is achieved without the use of any voltage or current sensors. The simplicity and reduced parts count of the proposed topology make it an attractive low-cost choice for many variable speed drive applications.
Initial Series of Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Clinical Stage I Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Testicular Cancer

Robotic technology has enabled urologists to perform a variety of laparoscopic surgeries. Robotic surgery offers enhanced optical magnification and visualization with precise surgical movements. We report the first case series of robot-assisted laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for clinical stage I nonseminomatous testicular cancer in three consecutive patients. All procedures were performed using a modified template nerve-sparing approach. The mean patient age was 31 yr. Estimated blood loss was 150-200 ml; operative time was 150-240 min. Length of stay was 2 d, and there were no perioperative complications. This early series in carefully selected and well-informed patients represented a limited experience. These results may not be applicable to all surgeons. Further long-term follow-up with a larger number of patients are warranted to validate these preliminary findings.
Growth, production, and mortality of the chemosynthetic vesicomyid bivalve, Calyptogena kilmeri from cold seeps off central California

The vesicomyid Calyptogena kilmeri is one of the most abundant bivalves inhabiting chemosynthetic environments shallower than c. 1500 m along central California. We estimated the population size structure, biomass, rates of individual growth, somatic production, and mortality for C. kilmeri, based on sampling of seep habitats and tag–recapture studies at chemosynthetic communities in Monterey Bay, California. The composite growth rate of C. kilmeri over all sites was relatively high (K = 0.25), reaching c. 80% of asymptotic length (104.7 mm) in 6.6 years. The density of C. kilmeri was estimated as 938.5 ind. m−2 and biomass density varied from 704 to 2059 g ash free dry mass (AFDM) m−2. Somatic production was also high (294–297 g·AFDM·m−2 year−1), and production/biomass ratios for C. kilmeri varied from 0.14 to 0.42 among sites, related to variation in size–frequency distributions among sites. Instantaneous mortality rates estimated from size distributions ranged from 0.17 to 0.24 year−1. Growth and somatic production by C. kilmeri are in the range reported for chemosynthetic bivalves from hydrothermal vent and seep habitats, as well as photosynthetic-based assemblages of inshore or intertidal bivalves, and greatly exceed rates reported for heterotrophic deep-sea benthos.
The Mahābhārata as national history and allegory in modern tales of Abhimanyu

During a renaissance of Hindu mythology in the late colonial period, the Mahdbharata in particular was embraced as the essential account of the nation's ancient past. In the many literary retellings of the period, epic history is often recast as national history, even as the epic narratives themselves are inscribed with allegorical significance. Such is the case in the many poems and plays on the subject of Abhimanyu and his nemesis Jayadrath, including the most famous example in Hindi, Maithilisharan Gupta's narrative poem, Jayadrath-vadh (The slaying of Jayadrath, 1910). In this essay I situate Gupta's poem within the genre of pauranik or mythological literature and read the poem against the Abhimanyu- Jayadrath episode as found in the critical edition of the Sanskrit Mahdbharata to illustrate how Gupta both modernizes the poem and imbues it with nationalist ideology. I ultimately argue that Gupta's Abhimanyu is like a freedom fighter battling an imperial goliath, and his wife, Subhadra, a model for women dedicated to the cause. I also discuss some of the subsequent literature on Abhimanyu which was inspired by Gupta's classic work, and which also re-envisions the story in terms of contemporary political circumstances. India has a long history of reimagining and retelling, in all manner of cultural production, narratives from its treasury of mythic lore. Interest in Hindu mythology surged especially in the late colonial period, here conveniently designated 1910-47, as the period saw a spate of literature and art featuring mythic themes.1 Hindi critics sometimes refer to such literature as "paurdnik", in contrast to other genres such as aitihdsik (historical) and sdmdjik (social). The same term is also used in Bengali, Marathi and Gujarati. Pauranik is typically translated as, "that which relates to the Purdnas" (a class of Sanskrit literature that tells the "old" sacred lore of the gods, especially Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, and their divine consorts). In this essay I use the term "pauranik" interchangeably with "mythological", not in the sense that it is untrue, but in the way that "mythological drama" is described in the Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre (Ananda Lai 2004: 288). That is, I use the terms adjectivally to refer to modern (since the nineteenth century) literature based on traditional Hindu lore - primarily
A rule for termination-codon position within intron-containing genes: when nonsense affects RNA abundance

Abstract `Time, that takes survey of all the world, Must have a stop.' Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part One
Brief communication: Predicting water solubility and octanol water partition coefficient for carbon nanotubes based on the chiral vector

Components of the chiral vector of carbon nanotubes have been examined in role of structural descriptors. Two-variable models of water solubility and octanol water partition coefficient calculated with components of the chiral vectors have quite good statistical characteristics. These are in case of the water solubility: n=8, r^2=0.99998, s=0.05338, F=126,611 (training set); n=8, r^2=0.9999, s=0.09329, F=674,556 (test set) and in case of octanol water partition coefficient: n=8, r^2=0.9991, s=0.3664, F=2927 (training set); n=8, r^2=0.9996, s=0.2870, F=5928 (test set).
The relation of acculturation, problem-solving appraisal, and career decision-making self-efficacy to Mexican American high school students' educational goals.

This study examined the contributions of acculturation, problem-solving appraisal, and career decisionmaking self-efficacy on 105 Mexican American high school students’ educational goals. A standard regression analysis indicated that Anglo-oriented acculturation and problem-solving appraisal accounted for significant variance in educational goals. Mexican-oriented acculturation and career decision-making self-efficacy did not contribute significant variance to students’ educational goals. The regression model accounted for 19.5% of the variance in educational goals. Results of the structure coefficients for the predictor variables indicated that Anglo-oriented acculturation and career decision-making self-efficacy were the 2 most important predictors, followed by problem-solving appraisal and Mexican-oriented acculturation, respectively. Implications of the findings are discussed, and recommendations for interventions are provided for enhancing the educational and career development among Mexican American adolescents.
A high-speed multi-dielectric capacitance-extraction algorithm for MCM interconnects

The authors report an extension of a stochastic algorithm for capacitance extraction in complex two- and three-dimensional multidielectric structures. The algorithm has applications in the area of circuit modeling of multichip modules. The extension is in the form of a simple probability rule that depends on the ratio of electric permittivities across dielectric interfaces. Computational results are presented for a two-dimensional cross-section of a wire running over a dielectric and ground plane. Results are also presented for a three-dimensional interconnect via partially embedded in a dielectric over a ground plane. All computations were performed on a personal computer. Execution times were nominally five minutes for statistical errors ranging from one to ten percent, depending on dimensionality and value of the dielectric constant. An extraction methodology was devised for large conductor arrays based on superimposing a geometrical hashing grid. >
System-level power-performance trade-offs in bus matrix communication architecture synthesis

System-on-chip communication architectures have a significant impact on the performance and power consumption of modern multi-processor system-on-chips (MPSoCs). However, customization of such architectures for an application requires the exploration of a large design space. Thus designers need tools to rapidly explore and evaluate relevant communication architecture configurations exhibiting diverse power and performance characteristics. In this paper we present an automated framework for fast system-level, application-specific, power-performance trade-offs in bus matrix communication architecture synthesis. Our paper makes two specific contributions. First, we develop energy macro-models for system-level exploration of bus matrix communication architectures. Second, we incorporate these macro-models into a bus matrix synthesis flow that enables designers to efficiently explore the power-performance design space of different bus matrix configurations. Experimental results show that our energy macro-models incur less than 5% average absolute error compared to gate-level models. Furthermore, our bus matrix synthesis framework generates a tradeoff space with designs that exhibits an approximately 20% variation in power and 40% variation in performance on an industrial networking MPSoC application, demonstrating the utility of our approach.
Shape-from-shading: a survey

Since the first shape-from-shading (SFS) technique was developed by Horn in the early 1970s, many different approaches have emerged. In this paper, six well-known SFS algorithms are implemented and compared. The performance of the algorithms was analyzed on synthetic images using mean and standard deviation of depth (Z) error, mean of surface gradient (p, q) error, and CPU timing. Each algorithm works well for certain images, but performs poorly for others. In general, minimization approaches are more robust, while the other approaches are faster.
Sketching asynchronous data streams over sliding windows

We study the problem of maintaining a sketch of recent elements of a data stream. Motivated by applications involving network data, we consider streams that are asynchronous, in which the observed order of data is not the same as the time order in which the data was generated. The notion of recent elements of a stream is modeled by the sliding timestamp window, which is the set of elements with timestamps that are close to the current time. We design algorithms for maintaining sketches of all elements within the sliding timestamp window that can give provably accurate estimates of two basic aggregates, the sum and the median, of a stream of numbers. The space taken by the sketches, the time needed for querying the sketch, and the time for inserting new elements into the sketch are all polylogarithmic with respect to the maximum window size. Our sketches can be easily combined in a lossless and compact way, making them useful for distributed computations over data streams. Previous works on sketching recent elements of a data stream have all considered the more restrictive scenario of synchronous streams, where the observed order of data is the same as the time order in which the data was generated. Our notion of recency of elements is more general than that studied in previous work, and thus our sketches are more robust to network delays and asynchrony.