cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neural Plasticity: For Good and Bad

The brain’s ability to change its organization and function is necessary for normal development of the nervous system and it makes it possible to adapt to changing demands but it can also cause disorders when going awry. This property, known as neural plasticity, is only evident when induced, very much like genes. Plastic changes may be programmed and providing a “midcourse correction” during childhood development. If that is not executed in the normal way severe developmental disorders such as autism may results. Normal development of functions and anatomical organization of the brain and the spinal cord depend on appropriate sensory stimulation and motor activations. So-called enriched sensory environments have been shown to be beneficial for cognitive development and enriched acoustic environment may even slow the progression of age-related hearing loss. It is possible that the beneficial effect of physical exercise is achieved through activation of neural plasticity. The beneficial effect of training after trauma to the brain or spinal cord is mainly achieved through shifting functions from damaged brain area to other parts of the central nervous system and adapting these parts to take over the functions that are lost. This is accomplished through activation of neural plasticity. Plastic changes can also be harmful and cause symptoms and signs of disorders such as some forms of chronic pain (central neuropathic pain) and severe tinnitus. We will call such disorders “plasticity disorders”.
Chemical and electric transmission in the carotid body chemoreceptor complex

Carotid body chemoreceptors are complex secondary receptors. There are chemical and electric connections between glomus cells (GC/GC) and between glomus cells and carotid nerve endings (GC/NE). Chemical secretion of glomus cells is accompanied by GC/GC uncoupling. Chemical GC/NE transmission is facilitated by concomitant electric coupling. Chronic hypoxia reduces GC/GC coupling but increases G/NE coupling. Therefore, carotid body chemoreceptors use chemical and electric transmission mechanisms to trigger and change the sensory discharge in the carotid nerve.
Measuring the human factor of cyber security

This paper investigates new methods to measure, quantify and evaluate the security posture of human organizations especially within large corporations and government agencies. Computer security is not just about technology and systems. It is also about the people that use those systems and how their vulnerable behaviors can lead to exploitation. We focus on measuring enterprise-level susceptibility to phishing attacks. Results of experiments conducted at Columbia University and the system used to conduct the experiments are presented that show how the system can also be effective for training users. We include a description of follow-on work that has been proposed to DHS that aims to measure and improve the security posture of government departments and agencies, as well as for comparing security postures of individual agencies against one another.
Shoulder pain in stroke patients and its effects on rehabilitation.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether prompt diagnosis and management of shoulder pain is beneficial in decreasing pain and increasing range of motion and functional recovery. Among 116 stroke patients receiving outpatient rehabilitation, 48 had shoulder pain. Twenty-eight of the patients with shoulder pain received occupational therapy and physiatric management. Five of the 28 patients had specific diagnoses. Etiology of the pain in the remaining 23 patients (Group 1) was not known, and these patients were treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The remaining 20 (Group 2) received only occupational therapy and were used as the control group. Pain relief, range of motion (ROM) in flexion, and abduction and functional recovery were compared in the two groups. Results show that a significantly higher percentage of Group 1 was found to have pain relief; 91% versus 15% with p < 0.00001 for the difference. A significant number of patients improved ROM for flexion and abduction in Group 1 versus Group 2 (p < 0.006 and p < 0.055 for the difference for flexion and abduction, respectively). Functional recovery was highly significant for Group 1,100% compared to 55% for Group 2, with p < 0.0001 for the difference. These results emphasize the importance of management of shoulder pain with NSAIDs along with ROM exercises for successful rehabilitation of hemiplegic patients.
Background in channel electron multiplier detectors due to penetrating radiation in space

Penetrating radiation in the Earth's space environment can induce substantial backgrounds in electron multiplier detectors used on space instruments. Background count rates from the Magnetospheric Plasma Analyzer (MPA) on LANL satellites in geosynchronous orbit are calculated and compared to the ambient penetrating particle radiation environment to develop a basis for estimating and predicting detector background count rates throughout the magnetosphere. For several solar energetic proton events and, separately, relativistic electron events, it is shown that background counts in the largely unshielded channel electron multiplier (CEM) detectors on MPA are highly correlated with fluxes of greater than 50 MeV protons or greater than 1.1 MeV electrons. The energetic proton and electron measurements used to characterize the penetrating radiation come from the EPS instrument on the GOES satellites and the SOPA instrument on the LANL satellites, respectively. The high-energy spectrum at geosynchronous orbit during these events can be compared with the AP/AE-8 models of the inner magnetosphere fluxes. Based on the correlation between CEM background and ambient penetrating radiation at geosynchronous, we extrapolate the background response to the inner magnetosphere, a highly relevant instrument design parameter for future missions to this region.
The Making of a Dealer Market: From Entry to Equilibrium in the Trading of Nasdaq Stocks

This paper provides an analysis of the nature and evolution of a dealer market for Nasdaq stocks. Despite size differences in sample stocks, there is a surprising consistency to their trading. One dealer tends to dominate trading in a stock. Markets are concentrated and spreads are increasing in the volume and market share of the dominant dealer. Entry and exit are ubiquitous. Exiting dealers are those with very low profits and trading volume. Entering market makers fail to capture a meaningful share of trading or profits. Thus, free entry does little to improve the competitive nature of the market as entering dealers have little impact. We find, however, that for small stocks, the Nasdaq dealer market is being more competitive than the specialist market.
How Literature Informs Notions of Leadership

Novels, short stories, plays, and poetry can help us understand the character traits, abilities, and contexts of leadership in ways that didactic methods cannot. I present examples of the use of literature in its several forms to stimulate thought and discussion and to enrich the understanding of the characteristics and dynamics of leadership. I consider the character traits of honesty, courage, adherence to principles, respect, ego, humility, calmness, and perseverance, and the abilities to listen, to select good people, and to know oneself. I also identify some of the conditions and contexts of leadership, such as chance, environment, interdependence, and the roles of heroes, mentors, and peers. These examples from literature are not intended to be authoritative but rather illustrative, with the intent that they will encourage others to seek and use their own examples in the process of understanding leadership and becoming good leaders.
Transient Force Atomic Force Microscopy: A New Nano-Interrogation Method

Atomic force microscopes (AFMs) are the primary investigation systems at the nanoscale. In existing dynamic mode AFM methods steady-state response of microcantilever is monitored for imaging tip-surface interaction forces at the nano-scale. In these methods microcantilevers with high quality factor are employed for high force sensitivity but at the cost of speed due to dependence on steady-state signals. In this paper, a novel methodology for fast interrogation of material that exploits the transient part of the cantilever response is presented. This method effectively addresses the perceived fundamental limitation on bandwidth due to high quality factors. Analysis and experiments show that the method results in significant increase in bandwidth and resolution as compared to the steady-state-based methods. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of a systems perspective to the field of imaging at the nano-scale and for the first time reports real-time imaging at the nanoscale using the transient method with scan speed 40 times faster than conventional methods.
Device therapy in the elderly heart failure patient: what is the evidence?

As the population ages, an increasing number of cardiac devices are being implanted in older patients. In the USA, for example, over 50% of pacemaker recipients are 70 years of age or older [1], and more than 40% of implantable cardio verter–defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices are inserted in patients in this age group, while 15–20% of ICD and CRT recipients are 80 years of age or older [2]. However, despite the high utilization of these devices in elderly patients, data from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to support their use in octogenarians are sparse (in the case of ICDs) to nonexistent (in the case of CRT). Moreover, it has recently been shown that, perhaps not surprisingly, morbidity and mortality related to device implantation are substantially higher in patients 80 years or older than in younger device recipients [3]. It is thus appropriate to take a step back and pose the question: what is the current evidence base regarding the benefits and risks of ICDs and CRT in octogenarians and beyond? Implantable cardioverter–defibrillators The efficacy of ICDs, in terms of the capacity of the devices to recognize and successfully terminate life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias, is similar in older and younger patients. However, since the incidence and prevalence of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation, increase strikingly with age, elderly patients are at increased risk for ‘inappropriate’ ICD shocks triggered by non-life-threatening arrhythmias [4]. This is clinically important, since patients who experience one or more ICD shocks, whether appropriate or inappropriate, report reduced quality of life [5]. Moreover, whereas younger patients may accept a modest reduction in quality of life in exchange for prolonged survival, older patients often (although not invariably) consider quality of life to be of equal or greater importance than length of life [6].
Astressin B, a Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Antagonist, Accelerates the Return to Normal Luteal Function after an Inflammatory-Like Stress Challenge in the Rhesus Monkey

Endogenous release of CRH in stress has been associated with a dysfunctional reproductive endocrine axis. In the rhesus monkey, an inflammatory-like stress challenge in the luteal phase decreases luteal secretory function. Here, we tested the effectiveness of astressin B, a nonspecific CRH receptor antagonist, in constraining the deleterious impact of a 10-d lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge on the menstrual cycle. Two protocols were carried out in nine animals. In the first, the animals, after showing two normal consecutive control cycles, were injected daily for 10 days with LPS (75-125 mug/d) during the luteal phase of the cycle. The animals were followed through the two postchallenge cycles. The second protocol, carried out in the following year, was identical with protocol 1, except that the animals were treated with astressin B (0.45 mg/kg) 1 h before each daily LPS challenge during the luteal phase. Blood samples were obtained daily to document cyclic hormones levels. The LPS challenge significantly decreased luteal progesterone and LH release during the challenge cycle. Inhibition of luteal progesterone extended to the two successive postchallenge cycles. Astressin B treatment prevented luteal LH but not luteal progesterone decrease during the treatment cycle and restored normal progesterone secretion during the two posttreatment cycles. We conclude that the deleterious impact of a short-term inflammatory stress challenge on luteal function is far longer than the stress period itself. Systemic administration of astressin B accelerates the return to normal luteal function, presumably by restoring normal neuroendocrine regulation of gonadotropin secretion.
Vibrational studies of the disulfide group in proteins. VII. Normal mode analysis of the Raman spectra of erabutoxin, γ-II crystallin and immunoglobulin

Normal mode calculations have been made on the known structures of disulfide bridges in erabutoxin b, a form of y-I1 crystallin, and fragments (Fab, variable-domain of Bence-Jones proteins) of immunoglobulins. Previously obtained Raman spectra of these molecules are analyzed in terms of general correlations derived from normal mode calculations and also the results of calculations on these particular structures. This results in more specific conclusions about these disulfide bridge structures and their changes than was possible on the basis of previous empirical correlations.
Vector dissipativity theory for discrete-time large-scale nonlinear dynamical systems

In analyzing large-scale systems, it is often desirable to treat the overall system as a collection of interconnected subsystems. Solution properties of the large-scale system are then deduced from the solution properties of the individual subsystems and the nature of the system interconnections. In this paper we develop an analysis framework for discrete-time large-scale dynamical systems based on vector dissipativity notions. Specifically, using vector storage functions and vector supply rates, dissipativity properties of the discrete-time composite large-scale system are shown to be determined from the dissipativity properties of the subsystems and their interconnections.
Molecular Consequences of Silencing Mutant K-ras in Pancreatic Cancer Cells: Justification for K-ras–Directed Therapy

Mutation of the K-ras gene is an early event in the development of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and, therefore, RNA interference (RNAi) directed toward mutant K-ras could represent a novel therapy. In this study, we examine the phenotypic and molecular consequences of exposure of pancreatic tumor cells to mutant-specific K-ras small interfering RNA. Specific reduction of activated K-ras via RNAi in Panc-1 and MiaPaca-2 cells resulted in cellular changes consistent with a reduced capacity to form malignant tumors. These changes occur through distinct mechanisms but likely reflect an addiction of each cell line to oncogene stimulation. Both cell lines show reduced proliferation after K-ras RNAi, but only MiaPaca-2 cells showed increased apoptosis. Both cell lines showed reduced migration after K-ras knockdown, but changes in integrin levels were not consistent between the cell lines. Both cell lines showed alteration of the level of GLUT-1, a metabolism-associated gene that is downstream of c-myc, with Panc-1 cells demonstrating decreased GLUT-1 levels, whereas MiaPaca-2 cells showed increased levels of expression after K-ras knockdown. Furthermore, after K-ras RNAi, there was a reduction in angiogenic potential of both Panc-1 and MiaPaca-2 cells. Panc-1 cells increased the level of expression of thrombospondin-1, an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis, whereas MiaPaca-2 cells decreased the production of vascular endothelial growth factor, a primary stimulant of angiogenesis in pancreatic tumors. We have found that silencing mutant K-ras through RNAi results in alteration of tumor cell behavior in vitro and suggests that targeting mutant K-ras specifically might be effective against pancreatic cancer in vivo.
Fluvial history of the Rio Ilave valley, Peru, and its relationship to climate and human history

Fluvial strata and landforms in the Rio Ilave valley (Peru) document a history of Holocene aggradation and downcutting that is correlative with regional climatic events and provides an environmental context for human occupation of the river valley. Periods of aggradation correspond to periods of high (or rising) level in Lake Titicaca and elsewhere on the Altiplano, and increased sediment accumulation in the Rio Ilave valley. Downcutting episodes correspond to periods of low level in Lake Titicaca and low or rapidly decreasing sedimentation rates in the Ilave delta. There are five terrace tracts (T1 through T5) present in this southwestern Lake Titicaca tributary. These tracts occur as both paired and unpaired terraces and have average heights from 1.4 to 24.3 m above the valley floor. The major part of the fluvial sequence was deposited during the time period from prior to the Last Glacial Maximum until about 8300 calendar years Before Present (cal BP) ^ a period of generally high (but variable) precipitation on the Altiplano and high water level in Lake Titicaca. Initial deposition (aggradation) was followed by successive downcutting to the T4 and T3 terrace surfaces. Initial downcutting began immediately after precipitation, runoff, and sediment load decreased while base level dropped. It was followed by a period of episodic equilibrium and minor downcutting that included a prolonged period of soil formation between V8350 and 6780 cal BP. The major pulses of downcutting likely occurred between V6000 and 4500 cal BP and were coincident with periods of decreased precipitation on the Altiplano and decreasing levels of Lake Titicaca. Two final periods of infilling, resulting in deposition of the T2 and T1 terrace sediments at V4000 to 2500 cal BP and V2000 to 1600 cal BP (during periods of rising water level in Lake Titicaca, lacustrine sedimentation in the Rio Desaguadero valley, and increased sedimentation offshore the Ilave delta), were separated by brief equilibrium stages and a brief downcutting event. This fluvial history, when coupled with regional paleoclimatic data, relates to the region’s preceramic through Tiwanakuperiod archeological records. Archeological evidence indicates that humans occupied the Ilave valley as early as 10 000 cal BP. The higher terraces (T3, T4 and T5) were occupied for at least 5000 years, but humans did not utilize the lower terraces (T1 and T2) until after V4400^3700 cal BP. Our results confirm that these lower terraces would not have been available for either occupation or agriculture until after V4000 cal BP. ; 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Use of the generalized integral transform method for solving equations of solute transport in porous media

Abstract The generalized integral transform technique (GITT) is applied to solve the one-dimensional advection–dispersion equation (ADE) in heterogeneous porous media coupled with either linear or nonlinear sorption and decay. When both sorption and decay are linear, analytical solutions are obtained using the GITT for one-dimensional ADEs with spatially and temporally variable flow and dispersion coefficient and arbitrary initial and boundary conditions. When either sorption or decay is nonlinear the solutions to ADEs with the GITT are hybrid analytical–numerical. In both linear and nonlinear cases, the forward and inverse integral transforms for the problems described in the paper are apparent and straightforward. Some illustrative examples with linear sorption and decay are presented to demonstrate the application and check the accuracy of the derived analytical solutions. The derived hybrid analytical–numerical solutions are checked against a numerical approach and demonstratively applied to a nonlinear transport example, which simulates a simplified system of iron oxide bioreduction with nonlinear sorption and nonlinear reaction kinetics.
The role of Food and Drug Administration regulation of in vitro diagnostic devices--applications to genetics testing.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been involved in the regulation of in vitro diagnostic devices (IVDs or laboratory tests) since the introduction of the Medical Device Amendments of 1976. IVDs developed as kits or systems intended for use in multiple laboratories require review by the FDA before being marketed to ensure appropriate performance and labeling. IVDs developed as in-house, or so-called “home-brew”, tests or laboratory test services are considered medical devices, but historically have not been subject to premarket review as a matter of enforcement discretion. FDA recently established a new regulatory paradigm for in-house tests based on classification of the active ingredients or building blocks of these tests as analyte-specific reagents (ASRs). ASRs are exempt from premarket review but subject to both manufacturing and labeling controls. Currently, genetic tests are received and reviewed by the FDA in the same manner as other in vitro diagnostic tests. The FDA currently is in the process of chartering a new genetics advisory panel to provide the agency with outside expertise to deal with genetic testing issues. We are also continuing to work with other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services to determine how we can cooperatively help foster this important new area of testing.
Ni2+ Inhibition Induces Asymmetry in Axonemal Functioning and Bend Initiation of Bull Sperm

Bull sperm extracted with 0.1% Triton X-100 can be reactivated to full motility with 0.33 mM Mg-ATP (sperm models). When motile sperm models are treated with 0.66 mM NiSO4, spontaneous motility is lost. During the transition to motility arrest, the beat becomes progressively more asymmetric, finally arresting at one extreme of the beat cycle. After spontaneous motility has been lost, the flagellum retains the ability to respond to mechanical stimulation. If a microprobe is used to bend the flagellum in the direction opposite to its own prevailing curvature and released, the recoil is rapid and overshoots the equilibrium position. When the same flagellum is manipulated in the opposite direction (into a tighter bend of the existing curve), the recoil is slower and does not exceed the initial bend. If a microprobe is used to carefully bend the whole flagellum into a curve, the flagellum will resume continuous beating, but only if the imposed bend is in the direction opposite the natural curvature. The reinstated beating activity (mechanical reactivation) is sustained as long as the flagellum is held by the microprobe. The rate of change of the shear angle in these mechanically reactivated, Ni(2+)-inhibited sperm suggests an impaired rate of sliding on one side of the axoneme compared to similarly restrained control sperm. It appears that Ni2+ has a selective inhibitory effect on the dynein arms that bend the flagellum in one direction. Furthermore, the remaining functional arms activate only when the flagellum is bent in the direction opposing their own action.
Military cultural competency: Understanding how to serve those who serve

The aim of this essay is to define and describe the different constituents of the military population, and present the challenges this demographic faces when pursuing higher education. The essay also discusses key aspects higher education professionals must understand in order to better serve military populations, such as federal regulations and military structures. After reviewing several reports from the government and organizations that support military populations, the authors found more research is needed in order to better understand the unique challenges of civilian male spouses of active duty service members, and both male and female spouses of disabled veterans and military retirees, as research and reports have historically excluded these populations. The authors conclude by presenting best practices higher education institutions can put into practice to better serve military populations. DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v5i2.226
Kenyan women medical doctors and their motivations to pursue international research training.

Context: There is a need to understand the factors that influence African women medical doctors to pursue international health research training because they remain under-represented in research fields but increasingly represented in medicine. Methods: We conducted a program study with Kenyan women ( N = 12) who participated in a US funded AIDS International Training and Research Program implemented by the University of Washington. Interviews were conducted to understand their clinical research career motivations and training pathways into global health research. The transcripts were analyzed for themes using predefined code areas. Results: The findings outline entry into research, professional and career balance motivations, and two stages of a career path into research. Discussion: Kenyan women medical clinical researchers shared similar motivations as US women but differed as well. Kenyan medical doctors pursued health research within a context of limited resources, but the ability to balance work and family while contributing to public health through research and leadership was highly valued. International training programs can effectively engage women in research training by developing women's health research areas, supportive family policies, and aligning program design with local training to develop career pathways for women.
US penal-reform catalysts, drivers, and prospects:

Most recent analyses of US penality describe and explain the exceptional harshening of punishment over the previous three decades. This article challenges and qualifies these accounts by identifyin...
P-SAM: a post-simulation analysis module for agent-based models

Agent-Based Models (ABMs) can produce large volumes of textual output, often in the range of hundreds of gigabytes. To understand the simulation results and patterns exhibited by ABMs, it is crucial to be able to analyze this voluminous output, and to produce the desired visualization. In this paper, we describe a software module, called P-SAM (Post-Simulation Analysis Module), developed for post-simulation output analysis and visualization. As a case study, we describe its application to a biological simulation model. The P-SAM architecture and its major strengths are discussed. We also describe its performance improvements, achieved iteratively over three phases. We conclude with future directions to generalize P-SAM for other biological simulations.
Activation of intracellular calcium signaling in osteoblasts colocalizes with the formation of post-yield diffuse microdamage in bone matrix

Previous studies demonstrated that extracellular calcium efflux ([Ca(2+)]E) originates from the regions of bone extracellular matrix that are undergoing microdamage. Such [Ca(2+)]E is reported to induce the activation of intracellular calcium signaling ([Ca(2+)]I) in MC3T3-E1 cells. The current study investigated the association between microdamage and local activation of intracellular calcium signaling quantifiably in MC3T3-E1 cells. Cells were seeded on devitalized notched bovine bone samples to induce damage controllably within the field of observation. A sequential staining procedure was implemented to stain for intracellular calcium activation followed by staining for microdamage on the same sample. The increase in [Ca(2+)]I fluorescence in cells of mechanically loaded samples was greater than that of unloaded negative control cells. The results showed that more than 80% of the cells with increased [Ca(2+)]I fluorescence were located within the damage zone. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that there are spatial proximity between diffuse microdamage induction and the activation of intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)]I) signaling in MC3T3-E1 cells. The downstream responses to the observed activation in future research may help understand how bone cells repair microdamage.
Identification of Stem Cells in the Secretory Complex of Salivary Glands

Salivary glands have an essential secretory function for maintaining oral and overall health. The epithelial compartment of the gland is composed of several highly specialized cell types that cooperate to secrete and deliver saliva to the oral cavity. The mouse submandibular gland has been used as a model for major salivary glands in human. The secretory complex in this model is composed of 2 secretory compartments, including acini and granular ducts connected by intercalated ducts. Contractile myoepithelial cells surround the secretory complex to facilitate salivary flow. Whether differentiated cells in the secretory complex are maintained by self-duplication or contribution from stem cells has remained an open question. Here, in analyzing the expression of basal cytokeratin (K) 14 in the secretory complex, we discovered a subset of K14(+) ductal cells in the intercalated ducts of the adult gland. These cells are distinct from the K14-expressing basal/myoepithelial cells, proliferate at a significantly higher rate than any other epithelial cell type in the gland, and reside in a spatially defined domain within the intercalated duct. Using inducible genetic lineage tracing, we show that K14(+) ductal cells represent a long-lived yet cycling population of stem cells that are established during development and contribute to the formation and maintenance of the granular ducts throughout life. Our data provide direct evidence for the existence of stem cells contributing to homeostasis of salivary glands, as well as new insights into glandular pathobiology.
Abstract 2100: Role of pocket proteins in HPV-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL High-risk human papillomaviruses(HPVs) are associated with a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) as well as most of cervical cancers. HPV type 16 (HPV-16), which is found in the vast majority of HPV-positive HNSCC, encodes for three oncogenes: E5, E6, and E7. Previously, we learned that HPV-16 E7 is the dominant oncoprotein in head and neck cancer in mice. More recently, we learned that tissue specific inactivation of the retinoblastoma-susceptibility gene, pRb, a well known cellular target of HPV E7 and a member of the “pocket protein’ family, was not sufficient to account fully for the oncogenic properties of E7 in HNSCC. E7 is known to inactivate not just pRb, but also other related cellular proteins, specifically p107 and p130. This led to our current study in which we have observed that the combined loss of pRb and p130, or pRb and p107 leads to increased susceptibility to head and neck cancers in comparison to mice conditionally disrupted only for pRb, yet are not sufficient to account fully for E7's oncogenic potential in HPV-associated head and neck carcinogenesis. Additionally, combinatorial loss of pRb and p130, or pRb and p107 partially mediates E7-induced acute phenotypes in head and neck epithelia. Taken together, our results indicate that the combined inactivation of two pocket proteins are not sufficient to fully recapitulate E7 oncogenic properties in HNSCC. We conclude that inactivation of all three pocket proteins is necessary to account for E7's carcinogenic properties in HNSCC or that other targets of E7 contribute to its carcinogenic potential in HNSCC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2100. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2100
Thermodynamics of very concentrated aqueous electrolytes: LiCl, ZnCl2, and ZnCl2-NaCl at 25°C

The effectiveness of extended ion-interaction equations in the treatment of activity and osmotic coefficients for very concentrated electrolytes is explored for the examples LiCl-H2O, ZnCl2-H2O, and NaCl-ZnCl2-H2O. For the two pure electrolytes the results are very satisfactory. Although satisfactory agreement was also obtained for the solubility of NaCl in the ternary system, this is too limited a data base to justify general conclusions.
Parametric analysis of a shape memory alloy actuated arm

Using a pair of antagonistic Shape Memory Allow (SMA) wires, it may be possible to produce a mechanism that replicates human musculoskeletal movement. The movement of interest is the articulation of the elbow joint actuated by the biceps brachii muscle. In an effort to understand the bio-mechanics of the arm, a single degree of freedom crankslider mechanism is used to model the movement of the arm induced by the biceps brachii muscle. First, a purely kinematical analysis is performed on a rigid body crank-slider. Force analysis is also done modeling the muscle as a simple linear spring. Torque, rocking angle, and energy are calculated for a range of crank-slider geometries. The SMA wire characteristics are experimentally determined for the martensite detwinned and full austenite phases. Using the experimental data, an idealized actuator characteristic curve is produced for the SMA wire. Kinematic and force analyses are performed on the nonlinear wire characteristic curve and a linearized wire curve; both cases are applied to the crankslider mechanism. Performance metrics for both cases are compared, followed by discussion.
Safe Preoperative Use of Penehyclidine Hydrochloride in Infants

Objective To evaluate safe use of Penehyclidine Hydrochloride in infants as a preoperative treatment.Methods Randomized,double-blind,parallel-controlled observation were used.96 patients were randomly divided into three groups;preoperative intramuscular injection of Atropine group(n=32),Penehyclidine Hydrochloride group(n=32)and water for injection group(n=32).Saliva secretion was determined 30 min after treatment,visual analogue scale(VAS)method was used to determine dry mouth level and SBP,DBP and MAP and HR change was observed and analyzed before and after treatment.Results 30 min after administration,saliva secretion volume in Atropine group and Penehyclidine Hydrochloride group decreased significantly with statistical difference when compared with that of the water for injection group and with that after treatment(P0.05).VAS in Atropine and Penehyclidine Hydrochloride groups increased significantly after treatment.30 min after administration,there was no obvious HR change in Penehyclidine Hydrochloride and water for injection groups with no statistical significance when compared with that before treatment(P0.05).There was obvious change in HR after treatment in Atropine group when compared with that before treatment and with that of the other two groups with significant difference(P0.05);SBP,DBP and MAP in Penehyclidine Hydrochloride and water for injection groups showed no significant difference before and after treatment(P0.05);MAP in Atropine group showed significant difference when compared with that after treatment and that of the other 2 groups(P0.05).Conclusion Penehyclidine Hydrochloride as infant preoperative medication is safe and can significantly reduce saliva secretion,without increasing HR and obvious adverse reactions.
Evolving therapeutic paradigms for advanced prostate cancer: what's needed to make optimal use of the new treatments.

The article by Ruch and Hussain provides a comprehensive overview of the progress that has been made in translating basic science findings in prostate cancer biology to clinical trials.
Counseling on sexual side effects from TURP

INTRODUCTION We designed a pilot study to measure preoperative sexual dysfunction risk counseling between sexual medicine experts (SME) and general urologists between monopolar/bipolar transuretheral resection of the prostate (TURP) and laser TURP (LT). MATERIALS AND METHODS An emailed electronic survey was distributed to members of the North Central Section (NCS) of the American Urologic Association and the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA). Overall, 260 (12.3%) completed the survey. Counseling for ejaculatory disorder (EjD), erectile dysfunction (ED), stricture formation and incontinence was assessed. Additional subset analysis between those SME's versus general urologist was done. RESULTS Overall, 82% (224) identified as general urologists and 18% (49) as SME. Two-thirds were in private practice versus academic. Over 90% of all practitioners 'almost always' counsel about the possibility of EjD, with varied risk rate for LT. Overall, 62%(140) for monopolar TURP (MBT) and 60% (110) for LT 'almost always' counsel about ED. There was no statistical difference between groups counseling on incontinence, strictures, EjD or ED between SME and general urologists. CONCLUSIONS Sexual side effects of treatment for LUTS/BPH are appreciated by urologists. Most practitioners counsel about EjD, however the incidence varies between MBT and LT. Practitioners counsel their patients on ED less often than EjD. Counseling rates are not improved with those specializing in sexual medicine independent of TURP technique.
Notes From The Field: Juan Bautista And The Importance Of History

E.E. Evans-Pritchard once wrote that anthropology is history if nothing at all. Past and present are forever linked, inseparable components of a larger social whole. “When an anthropologist writes about a society developing in time he writes a history book; different, it is true, from the ordinary narrative and political history but in all essentials the same as social history” (1950: 122). Evans-Pritchard’s words became especially apparent to me on the shores of Llingua, a tiny but densely-forested island that rises sharply out of the glassy waters of the Archipelago of Chiloe.1 It was an early fall morning in 2006, three months into my fieldwork, and although I had traveled to Chiloe to examine the effects of industrialization on rural parts of the archipelago, I had arrived with only a vague sense of the influence of the region’s history on the collective identity of islanders. My perceptions were soon to change. The sun was just breaking over the horizon that morning, its rays streaming across the lead-colored ocean beneath a layer of dark clouds. Tiny waves lapped the stony beach where I stood, their rhythmic swish broken only by the crowing of a rooster and the shrill cry of seagulls in the distance. Juan Bautista was up early too. The eighty year-old fisherman lived in a weather-beaten but sturdy seaside wooden house on the south face of the island. He was standing next to his beached rowboat, his back arched over a black net in his hands. As I walked over to him, he greeted me with a toothless smile and a gurgle of words, pointing his stubbled chin at the crab that he was trying to untangle from the net. He was holding the crab upside down, working the nylon strands around the slow moving pincers with his leathery fingers. We stood there silently for what seemed like a long time, perched on the edge of water and space, engrossed in the task at hand. Finally, Juan untangled the crab. Cradling the helpless crustacean in his palm, he glanced at me and made a passing reference to fishing on Llingua over the generations. His comment piqued my curiosity, and I pressed him further on the subject. He grinned broadly in response, invit-
Are oral prostaglandins effective in preventing nephrotoxicity from NSAIDs and cyclosporin

Prostaglandins are modulators of renal excretory function via alterations of intrarenal perfusion pressures and the distribution of blood flow. The predominant renal prostaglandins are prostacyclin (PGI2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and PGF2α Medullary synthesis exceeds cortical synthesis five to ten fold, although PGI2 appears to be maximally produced in the cortex [1-3]. The regulation of basal prostaglandin production is still poorly understood, but renal injury readily augments output. This appears to be true independent of the mechanism of injury, whether by ischaemia, obstructive uropathy, toxic exposure or immunological disturbance [4,5]. Renal vasoconstriction markedly accelerates prostaglandin synthesis and release, and chronic renal damage is usually characterized by an elevation in renal vascular resistance. In addition, the infusion of exogenous vasoconstrictors such as angiotensin II or norepinephrine elicits release of the vasodilator PGE2 [4]. Under normal volume replete conditions renal function is to a very limited, if any extent dependent on endogenous prostaglandin synthesis. When maintenance of renal circulation is stressed by vasoconstricting hormones or by diminished circulating volume, then endogenous prostaglandin production becomes critically important in the maintenance of a normal renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
Patterns of care in women with high-intermediate risk endometrioid adenocarcinoma in the PORTEC-2 era: A SEER database analysis.

Purpose We examined the radiotherapy patterns of care over an 8-year period during which the PORTEC-2 trial and other series were published. Methods and Materials Patients diagnosed with Stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EA) between 2004 and 2011 were identified in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Adjuvant radiation treatments were analyzed by year. Patterns of care from 2004 to 2008 were compared to those from 2009 to 2011 using the χ2 test. Results Analysis included 31,688 patients with Stage I EA. Among those diagnosed in 2004, 9.3% received adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and 5.0% received adjuvant brachytherapy. In 2011, 4.5% received EBRT and 9.3% received brachytherapy. In those diagnosed with high-intermediate risk (H-IR) EA in 2004, 58.8% received no adjuvant treatment, 28.3% received EBRT, and 12.9% received brachytherapy. In 2011, 57.8% of patients with H-IR disease received no adjuvant treatment, 14.3% received EBRT, and 27.9% received brachytherapy. There was a significant difference in the proportion of patients with H-IR EA treated with EBRT vs. brachytherapy alone before and after 2008 (p < 0.0001) with an increase in use of brachytherapy and a decrease in the use of EBRT. Conclusions The use of brachytherapy alone after hysterectomy has increased over time in all women with Stage I EA and in those with H-IR disease. In almost all subsets, the proportion of women being treated with brachytherapy increased and the proportion treated with EBRT decreased. Less than 30% received adjuvant brachytherapy and over 50% of women were treated without adjuvant radiotherapy.
Complete mitochondrion genome of the endangered Mohave tui chub Siphateles bicolor mohavensis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae).

The Mohave tui chub (Siphateles bicolor mohavensis) is an endangered cyprinid fish endemic to the Mojave Desert region of southeastern California, USA. Here, we describe the complete 16,607 base pair (bp) mitochondrial genome of S. b. mohavensis. The mitogenome has a nucleotide base composition of A (29.08%), T (26.91%), G (17.58%), and C (26.43%), and encodes 13 protein subunits, 22 tRNAs, a 12S rRNA of 956 bp and 16S rRNA of 1691 bp, and a 929 bp D-loop control region, each located in the conserved mtDNA structure typical for cyprinid fishes. All protein-coding genes have initiation codons of ATG or GTG, and only the ND1, CO1, ATPase8, NDL4, ND4, ND5, and ND6 genes have complete stop codons. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the relationship of S. b. mohavensis to several genera of cyprinids (e.g. Gila, Acrocheilus) also endemic to western North America. This characterized mitogenome may help inform management practices for S. b. mohavensis by facilitating future studies on how allopatric populations of this imperiled species are evolving across refuge habitats.
Collision avoidance in multi-vehicle cooperative missions using speed adjustment

This paper presents a speed adjustment method for avoiding obstacles during multi-vehicle cooperative missions. The algorithm assumes knowledge of a nominal trajectory for the obstacle and takes into account bounded deviations in the speed profile. Observing such changes, the algorithm varies the pace of the mission accordingly. Rigorous theoretical results guarantee that the collision is avoided under the cooperative mission scenario.
Leadership According to Proverbs 31

This chapter reviews the characteristics of the Proverbs 31 women and how she managed her household and worked to support the husbands standing in the community. The lessons from Proverbs 31 are applied to the contemporary organization.
The risk factors of abusive relationships for nontraditional students.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of nontraditional student status on abusive relationships, namely emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. PARTICIPANTS The 2011-2014 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) II data (N = 102,563) were utilized for the analysis. METHODS Logistic regression models were employed as the outcome variables were dichotomous. RESULTS Non-traditional students compared to traditional ones indeed had higher odds ratios of having abusive relationships. Nontraditional students compared to traditional students, however, were more likely to experience emotional and physical abuse, but not sexual abuse. CONCLUSIONS The prevention programs and policies related to abusive relationships need to be address differently based on the results of this study, which is also essential for nontraditional students to adjust and succeed in higher education and further their careers.
Ecdysteroid Levels in Eggs and Larvae of ToxorhynchitesAmboinensis

Toxorhynchites are mosquitoes that prey upon larvae of other mosquito species or small aquatic arthropods (Steffan and Evenhuis, 1981). As adults they do not bloodfeed. During the last 4 years, research in this laboratory has focused on various aspects of the predatory behaviour of Toxorhynchites larvae. Surplus killing, a behaviour exhibited during the last larval instar, has been of particular interest. The surplus killing behaviour involves the attack and killing of a prey larva by the predator, but the prey is not consumed.
Vaccination with induced pluripotent stem cells confers protection against cancer.

“ … I’m just a kid again doing what I did again… ” The old lyric (from “ When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along ”) might be used to describe the origins of many types of cancer. In this case, the kid might be a mutated stem cell and cancers arising from it may replay many events in embryogenesis including the formation of trophoblasts, the associated development of a dedicated (if somewhat chaotic) vasculature and migration (metastasis). Now it is becoming likely that early embryonic gene products—absent in adult organisms—might be useful for the production of broad spectrum prophylactic cancer vaccines.