cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract IA13: Identification, validation, and therapeutic targeting of a driver gene in poor-prognosis breast cancer

Breast cancer remains a significant health concern worldwide. Integrative genomic analysis of clinical breast cancer samples identified Metadherin (MTDH) as a driver gene that promotes breast cancer initiation, progression, and treatment resistance. Using genetically engineered mouse models, we found that MTDH sustains breast cancer progression and metastasis via interacting with SND1, and acute Mtdh loss inhibits breast cancer development. Using a structure-based small-molecule screen, we obtained a serial of MTDH/SND1 inhibitors. Treatments of the compounds suppress breast tumor growth and metastasis and sensitize breast cancer to chemotherapy by sensitizing cancer cells to stress-induced apoptosis. This series of studies illustrates the use of mouse models to validate clinically relevant novel therapeutic targets for breast cancer and illustrates the functional mechanism of driver genes in cancer progression and metastasis. Citation Format: Yibin Kang. Identification, validation, and therapeutic targeting of a driver gene in poor-prognosis breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr IA13.
How the Housing Crisis Changed the Pricing Function for Residential Buyers

This study uses econometric techniques to search for discrete structural changes in residential pricing equations. The study looks specifically at house pricing during the recent financial crisis t...
Lost and Found in the Bronx

The article Comprising a dozen or so little compartments, this area is normally meant to house patients briefly in the hours following surgery. Topics discussed include this spring day in the Bronx, none of the 15-plus patients in this space were recovering from surgery;and result of COVID-19, patients have not died alone because a family member couldn't afford to miss another day of work or couldn't find or afford transportation to the hospital.
Continuity of Care Assessment Within a Vertically Integrated Care Management Organization Before and After COPD-Related Exacerbations.

Background There is currently little research describing patient experience and continuity of care immediately prior, during, and following an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). This analysis examined clinical characteristics, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)‑related medication patterns and outpatient visits before and after an AECOPD. Methods This retrospective analysis used electronic health records, medical claims, and pharmacy dispensing data for patients within the Kaiser Permanente Northwest Health System. Patients with ≥1 AECOPD between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017 were identified. The most recent AECOPD was considered the index date. An AECOPD was defined as an inpatient hospitalization with a primary diagnosis of COPD, or respiratory failure with a secondary diagnosis of COPD, or an outpatient visit with a primary diagnosis of COPD and dispensing of respiratory-related antibiotics and/or oral corticosteroids ±5 days of the visit. Eligible patients were: ≥40 years old; ≥2 encounters within 12 months of each other or ≥1 hospitalization with primary or secondary COPD diagnosis, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema prior to index; and continuously enrolled ±90 days relative to index. COPD-related inhaled maintenance medication, rescue inhalers, oral corticosteroid use, and ambulatory visits were assessed 90-days pre- and post-index. Results There were 2829 patients included (mean [standard deviation] age: 69.0 [10.5] years) who had an AECOPD (7% severe; 93% moderate). The percentage of patients on inhaled maintenance therapy increased from 60.6% pre-AECOPD to 68.8% post-AECOPD and increased from 60.0% to 87.4% among patients who experienced a severe AECOPD. COPD-related ambulatory visits increased more than four-fold for primary care and more than doubled for pulmonologist visits in the post-AECOPD period. Conclusion The low proportion of patients observed with changes to controller and rescue medication (particularly following a moderate AECOPD), yet higher utilization of COPD-related ambulatory visits before and after an AECOPD suggests that there is opportunity to improve pharmacotherapy management.
Solving the Reflection Problem in Social Interaction Models with Endogeneity

We identify peer and contextual effects in social interactions models with endogenous covariates (e.g., self-selected treatments). Unobserved individual characteristics are correlated with these endogenous covariates and affect peer outcomes in the reduced form. Our method uses instruments for endogenous covariates, but does not require additional instruments for simultaneity in outcomes, which are often hard to find in linear-in-means models. Nor does it require any exclusion restriction that some covariates have no contextual effects. The method can be applied to relax the Stable Unit Treatment Value Assumption (SUTVA) in the program evaluation literature, allowing individual treatments to influence the outcomes of other group members through both peer and contextual effects. We apply our method to estimate social effects in Grade 3 math scores of elementary school students in the State of Tennessee. Using lagged class sizes, teacher qualifications and students' self-reported motivation scores as instruments for Grade 2 scores, we find significant evidence for positive peer effects and path dependence on G2 scores.
The Enkephalin-Expressing Cells of the Rodent Globus Pallidus

Antisense riboprobes to preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA reveal that a population of neurons within rodent globus pallidus (GP) contains this sequence. Colocalization studies indicate that the neurons expressing PPE mRNA are almost entirely (>97%) distinct from those immunoreactive for parvalbumin (PV). These two neuron populations differ in their axonal projections. A majority of the PPE mRNA-expressing pallidal neurons are retrogradely labeled following FluoroGold (FG) iontophoresis into the striatum, whereas a small minority are labeled following FG iontophoresis into the subthalamic nucleus (STN). By contrast, our previous work showed that most PV immunoreactive GP neurons are retrogradely labeled following STN FG iontophoresis, while a small minority are labeled by striatal FG deposits.
A stagnationist model of economic growth

In an economy subject to persistent excess capacity, demand-related factors will play a key role in determining patterns of secular change. This thesis has a long history in econ omics, sometimes in the underworld and occasionally at the height of fashion. As recounted by Rowthorn (1982), recent manifestations in the First World are the theories of monopoly capitalism of Baran and Sweezy (1966) and Steindl (1952), who in turn follow Kalecki (1971), Hobson (1902), Luxemburg (1951) and the Marx of realisation crises and reproduction schemes in Volume II of Capital. Other radicals such as Boddy and Crotty (1975) add a profit-squeeze explanation of the cycle which underlays the dynamics of the growth model specified here. In developing countries, difficulties in both realisation and sectoral proportions are emphasised as obstacles to growth—witness Lustig's (1980) review of Latin American structuralist theory and Dutt's (1984) model which formalises an ongoing controversy in India about how income redistribution might affect prospects for industrialisation. All these authors are 'stagnationist' in assuming that both the growth rate and the level of capacity utilisation can be different under different conditions of income distribution and/or macroeconomic policy—their preferred policies will presumably lead to greater equality, increase utilisation or step up growth. They typically ask two analytical ques tions: How does output respond in the short run to shifts in the income distribution? How do output adjustments feed back into distributional dynamics, especially under conditions when price and wage inflation rates may be influenced by employment levels, productivity changes, and conflicting income claims? In what follows, we set out a simple model to address these questions and explore the implications for macroeconomic policy of the answers that arise. Since the approach is not familiar to economists with a standard training, a verbal description of the growth model is given first. Those who wish to jump directly into a formal presentation can proceed to section 1. Output X is assumed to meet demand in an 'instantaneous' short run. We measure activity as the ratio of firms' net cash inflow to the value of capital stock, i.e., the rate of profit r. During the short run, the price level P is fixed by a mark-up rule: P= (1 + x)wb, where r is the mark-up rate, w the money wage, and b the labor-output ratio. With this rule, the share of profits (or mark-up income) in the value of output is r/(l +t). Let u stand for the output-capital ratio or 'capacity utilization' XiK. By simple identity
Surprise and Computer-Mediated Learning: A Theoretical Model Based on a Darwinian Perspective

This paper discusses a variety of empirical findings suggesting that surprise is positively related with enhanced memory recall. This opens the door for the assumption that surprising stimuli can be used in a controlled way to enhance learning. A predictive model based on a Darwinian interpretation of this phenomenon is proposed. The model is coined CLEBS, which stands for "computer-based learning enhanced by surprise". A discussion on how the model can be tested is provided in the context of a finance-oriented Web-based learning task, where subjects learn about investment instruments such as stocks and bonds. Important implications are discussed, including possible applications in a variety of areas of interest to organizations in general.
Gender-Sensitive Therapy An Alternative for Women in Substance Abuse Treatment

This article examines internal and external factors that put women at risk of substance use/abuse. Gender-sensitive therapy is suggested as an effective treatment to deal with the intrapsychic causes of problems as well as societal expectations and oppression that contribute to women's thoughts and behaviors. The focus of therapy is on providing a caring, nurturing, and empowering environment for women to become independent decision makers.
Characterization of the ATP binding site on Escherichia coli DNA gyrase. Affinity labeling of Lys-103 and Lys-110 of the B subunit by pyridoxal 5'-diphospho-5'-adenosine.

Abstract We have labeled the adenosine triphosphate binding site of Escherichia coli DNA gyrase with the ATP affinity analog, [3H]pyridoxal 5'-diphospho-5'-adenosine (PLP-AMP). PLP-AMP strongly inhibits the ATP-ase and DNA supercoiling activities of DNA gyrase, with 50% inhibition occurring at 7.5 microM inhibitor. ATP and ADP compete with PLP-AMP for binding and protect the enzyme against inhibition. The labeling appears to proceed by a Schiff base complex between the 4-formyl group of the pyridoxyl moiety of PLP-AMP and a protein primary amino group, since the inhibition and reagent labeling are reversible unless the complex is treated with NaBH4. Complete inactivation is estimated to occur upon the covalent incorporation of 2 mol of inhibitor/mol of gyrase. The Km for ATP was found to be unchanged for partially inhibited enzyme samples, suggesting an all-or-none type of inhibition. A 3H-labeled peptide spanning residues 93-131 of the B protein was isolated from a V-8 protease digest. Radioactive peaks corresponding to Lys-103 and Lys-110 were found during the Edman degradation, suggesting that these amino acids form part of the ATP binding site. A comparison of the amino acid sequence in this region with the sequences of other type II topoisomerases indicates the possible location of a common ATP binding domain.
Precambrian Geological Evolution of the Teton Range, Western Wyoming

The crystalline rocks that form the core of the Teton Range are part of the Wyoming Province, which is one of the oldest portions of North America. Study of the basement of the Tetons, coupled with the results of ongoing research in similar-aged rocks exposed elsewhere in Wyoming, will provide information on how the crust evolved in the early Earth in general and in the Wyoming province in particular. In 1999 the project involved two weeks of fieldwork in Grand Teton National Park and regions to the east, including the Gros Ventre Range, deep canyons of the Buffalo Fork River near Togwotee Pass, and outcrops of basement near Dubois, Wyoming. The main goals of the fieldwork were to complete the sampling of key units in Grand Teton National Park, and to determine whether or not the next nearest outcrops of basement (Gros Ventre, Togwotee Pass and Dubois regions) share the early geologic history preserved in the rocks of Teton National Park. This field work involved four faculty members from UW and a graduate student, who is doing the study as part of her MS thesis. Several months of laboratory analysis at UW have characterized the rocks through thin section, stained slabs, and whole rock geochemical and Nd, Sr, and Ph isotopic methods and produced preliminary U-Pb dates. The principal results from this year 's efforts are that the Teton basement rocks consist of large proportions of juvenile crust, the majority of the rocks formed over a relatively narrow time span from ~2.74 to 2.68 Ga, they were deformed at about 2.67 Ga, and that rocks exposed in the Buffalo Fork River to the east are shallow level equivalents to the deep rocks exposed in the Tetons. Based on these observations and measurements, we hypothesize that the basement rocks of the Tetons formed in an offÂ­shore, island arc setting between 2.74-2.68 Ga, and they were accreted to the Wyoming province at about 2.67 Ga. Post-tectonic intrusion of distinctive peraluminous granites in both the Teton's (Mt. Owens quartz monzonite) and elsewhere in the Wyoming province at 2.55 Ga strengthens our interpretation of a shared history after 2.67 Ga. If this model for the basement rocks in the Teton's holds up, it will be the first case of crustal growth by lateral accretion for the Archean Wyoming province, and one of the earliest examples of plate tectonics style crustal growth documented from anywhere in the world. Plate tectonic growth has dominated the Earth 's evolution from ~2.5 Ga to the present, but it is unclear whether or not analogous processes operated before 2.5 Ga.
Basilar artery thrombosis after reduction of cervical spondyloptosis: a cautionary report.

Traumatic cervical spondyloptosis is a rare clinical entity typically associated with complete neurological deficit. The inherent mechanics of this fracture-dislocation pattern contorts the vertebral arteries in such a way that it may result in dissection or compromised flow through those vessels. Thus, intimal injury or thrombus from stasis of flow may result. Reduction of the spondyloptosis restores flow to the vertebral arteries, but it also may mobilize thrombus or propagate an intimal dissection within the previously contorted vessel. The authors review their experience in the care of a 43-year-old man who sustained C4–5 spondyloptosis while riding an all-terrain vehicle. On arrival, the patient demonstrated no motor function below C-4 but had sensation to the nipple line (American Spinal Injury Association Spinal Cord Injury Classification B). The patient's cranial nerve examination was unremarkable. Computed tomography of the cervical spine demonstrated complete spondyloptosis at C4–5. The patient ...
Optimum noise filtering of quantum solitons

We derive, for the first time, the solution to the matched-filter problem. In addition, we have, for the first time to our knowledge, found an analytical expression for the quantum-noise correlator of the soliton field quadrature as a function of fiber length, taking into account the complete contribution of the continuum.
Model development and inverse compensator design for high speed nanopositioning

This paper focuses on the development of constitutive models, commensurate system models, and inverse compensator construction for high speed nanopositioning in atomic force microscopes (AFM). All current AFM employ either stacked or cylindrical piezoceramic actuators for both longitudinal and transverse positioning of the sample. An inherent property of these materials is the presence of hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities, even at the low drive levels employed for angstrom-level resolution. At low frequencies, standard feedback mechanisms effectively attenuate the hysteresis, whereas noise at high frequencies diminishes the efficacy of feedback and leads to unacceptable accuracy. In this paper, we discuss modeling techniques which provide a first step toward high speed nanopositioning for applications ranging from macroscopic product evaluation to real-time imaging of biological processes.
Protein‐coding Segments: Evolution of Exon‐Intron Gene Structure

Many genes encoding proteins and other molecular elements are disrupted by noncoding DNA regions called introns. This split structure of genes, the exon–intron gene structure, is typical of most higher eukaryotic genes, some lower eukaryotic genes (of protists), and some prokaryotic genes. In general, most introns, particularly those in the nucleus of higher eukaryotes, called spliceosomal introns, have no obvious functions. The sizes and numbers of introns in genes are variable from gene to gene and from organism to organism, suggesting that there is little functional constraint on introns. That large genomes have gigantic introns (e.g. the introns in human dystrophin genes) and small genomes can host only small introns (e.g. the introns in nucleomorph, a vestigial nuclear genome in algal cells), however, indicates the constraint of genome sizes to some extent.These simple phenomenahave raised a number of issues around the significance of the existence of introns and stimulated interest in the study of the evolution of exon–intron structures.
Novice-Expert Differences in the Cognitive Representation of System Features: Mental Models and Verbalizable Knowledge

The relationship between users' mental models and their verbalizable knowledge of a system were investigated in a field study. Trained and untrained users of a new phone system rated the similarity...
Snowy Plover Nest Site Selection, Spatial Patterning, and Temperatures in the Southern High Plains of Texas

Snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus) populations have declined throughout their range, in part because of habitat degradation and poor nest success, making information regarding regionally specific nest site selection and spatial patterns important when considering habitat conservation and management guidelines. We determined nest site selection characteristics (n = 180) and examined spatial patterns (n = 215) of snowy plover nests in saline lakes in the Southern High Plains (SHP) of Texas. At 104 nests, we examined the influence of substrate type on nest temperatures and heat mitigation. Snowy plover nests were more likely to be found near an object, on pebble substrate, and with fewer plants than random sites. High use areas were generally located in areas with pebble substrate and on human-made or natural islands, berms, and peninsulas. Overall, nests placed on pebble substrate had lower temperatures during the day than nests placed on sand substrates. Nest placement on pebble substrate may be valuable to nesting snowy plovers, providing thermal advantages to incubating adults and depressing potentially high nest predation rates. Management guidelines for this region should emphasize the importance of addressing key elements of snowy plover nesting habitat including the presence of pebble substrate and reducing vegetation encroachment. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Critical ingredients of assertive community treatment: judgments of the experts.

Twenty experts on assertive community treatment (ACT) rated the importance of 73 program elements, also indicating ideal model specifications (e.g., minimum time commitment for psychiatrist) when appropriate. Interexpert agreement on ratings of importance was high (intraclass r = .94), although there was less agreement for some areas--for example, team structure (intraclass r = .70). Survey responses suggested several areas of increasing emphasis (e.g., vocational and addictions specialists) and of decreasing emphasis (e.g., the avoidance of office visits). Two subgroups of experts were identified--those who advocated large multidisciplinary teams (100 or more clients) and day and evening shifts, and those who advocated smaller, often generalist, teams (approximately 50 clients). Experts also reported ideal staffing for an ACT team. The most frequently identified disciplines were psychiatrist, nurse, and social worker. Implications for mental health policy--for example, quality assurance and program standards--are discussed.
Comparison of geochemical and distinctive mineralogical features associated with the Kinzers and Burgess Shale formations and their associated units

article i nfo Article history: Accepted 12 August 2007 This paper compares two North American occurrences of fossils that exhibit Burgess Shale-type preservation (BST): the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale Formation of southeastern British Columbia, and the Lower to Middle Cambrian Kinzers Fm of southeastern Pennsylvania. Redox-sensitive trace elements (Mo, Ni/Co, V/ Sc) indicate that palaeo-oxygenation conditions varied with respect to faunal assemblage and location. Ogygopsis-bearing fauna in both the Burgess Shale and Kinzers formations are associated with a dysoxic metal signature. Burgess Shale-type preservation in the Kinzers Fm was deposited in a fluctuating oxycline, whereas the BST-fossil beds of Fossil Ridge and Mt Stephen (Burgess Shale Fm) yield a geochemical signature that consistently indicates oxic conditions. Thus, sustained low-oxygen conditions do not correlate with higher quality of fossil preservation at these sites. Ogygopsis is associated with dysoxic conditions in both localities, and may therefore be a faunal indicator of such environments in Middle Cambrian strata. Carbonate units associated with both the Burgess Shale and Kinzers formations contain large, generally concordant, near-surface cavities that contain herringbone calcite cements that show no significant enrichment in the potential calcite inhibitor ions such as reduced Fe, Sr, S, Pb, and Zn. The abundance of micro-inclusions of dolomite suggests that Mg may have been the calcite inhibitor ion responsible for herringbone cement in these Cambrian occurrences. Another distinctive mineralogical feature is the presence of doubly-terminated, euhedral, zoned, authigenic quartz as a conspicuous part of a carbonate host- rock replacement assemblage. The association of both herringbone calcite and zoned quartz crystals in units associated with the Burgess Shale and Kinzers formations suggest a common feature in the depositional and diagenetic environment of these two regions in which Burgess Shale-type fossil preservation occur; syn- depositional brine flow is the likely cause of these distinct mineralogical features. Brine seeps in the depositional environment may have provided nutrients for stable high-abundance faunal communities in a slope setting, thereby accounting for the abundance of fossil material. Furthermore, high-salinity brine in the pore waters of carcass-bearing Cambrian muds may have further limited shallow burrowing, scavenging, and decomposition rates, accounting for the exceptional preservation in these two localities.
Fiscal exchange, collective decision institutions, and tax compliance

Abstract It is commonly believed that voluntary tax compliance is affected by the nature of the expenditures and by the manner these expenditure decisions are made. This paper reports on the results of a series of laboratory experiments designed to examine the role of fiscal exchange, the uses of tax revenues and the decision process by which these uses are selected, in individual compliance behavior. Individuals respond positively when tax proceeds are directed toward programs they approve of and when they feel they are active in the decision process.
The Transcription Factors Thpok and LRF Are Necessary and Partly Redundant for T Helper Cell Differentiation

T helper (Th) cells are critical for defenses against infection and recognize peptides bound to class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC II) molecules. Although transcription factors have been identified that direct Th cells into specific effector fates, whether a "master" regulator controls the developmental program common to all Th cells remains unclear. Here, we showed that the two transcription factors Thpok and LRF share this function. Although disruption of both factors did not prevent the generation of MHC II-specific T cells, these cells failed to express Th cell genes or undergo Th cell differentiation in vivo. In contrast, T cells lacking Thpok, which only displayed LRF-dependent functions, contributed to multiple effector responses, both in vitro and in vivo, with the notable exception of Th2 cell responses that control extracellular parasites. These findings identify the Thpok-LRF pair as a core node of Th cell differentiation and function.
Constrained estimation using judgment post-stratification

In ranked-set sampling (RSS) and judgment post-stratification (JPS), more efficient inference is obtained by creating a stratification based on ranking information. Using this stratification exactly as is done in stratified sampling or standard post-stratification leads to the standard nonparametric estimators for RSS and JPS. However, we show that strata obtained from ranking information satisfy additional constraints that need not be met by ordinary strata. Specifically, the in-stratum cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) can be no more extreme, in a certain sense, than the CDFs for order statistics from the overall distribution. The additional constraints can be used to obtain better small-sample estimates of the in-stratum CDFs using either RSS or JPS. In the JPS case, the constraints also lead to better small-sample estimates of the overall CDF and the population mean.
Enkephalin-containing neurons in substantia gelatinosa of spinal trigeminal complex: Ultrastructure and synaptic interaction with primary sensory afferents

The ultrastructural morphology and synaptic associations between enkephalin-containing neurons and sensory afferents was examined in the caudalis portion of rat trigeminal complex, the region corresponding to Rexed's layer II of the dorsal horn12,23. Specific antiserum to Met5-enkephalin was localized by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique in normal adult rats and in rats having electrolytic lesions of the trigeminal ganglia at 2, 4 and 6 days prior to sacrifice. In both normal and lesioned animals, the enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (ELI) was diffusely distributed throughout the cytoplasm of neuronal perikarya, dendrites, myelinated and unmyelinated axons, and axon terminals. The axons terminals were characterized by the presence of both small (40–60 nm) clear, and large (60–100 nm), dense-core vesicles and by the formation of predominantly axodendritic synapses. Optimal visualization of degenerating terminals occured at 4 days after lesions of the trigeminal ganglia. Approximately one-third of the degenerating afferents were in either direct contact or were separated from an enkephalin-containing process by an intervening unlabeled dendrite. The occurrence of a well defined membrane density between a degenerating and enkephalin-labeled bouton was rare. Most commonly, the processes showing ELI were either unassociated or formed a triad arrangement with the degenerating afferents. Within the triad, the degenerating bouton formed a junction with an unlabeled dendrite which in turn was synaptically connected at the same level to an enkephalin-labeled process, usually a dendrite. We conclude that an intermediary neuron may be involved in interaction between primary sensory afferents and enkephalin-containing neurons in spinal trigeminal complex.
IMPROVED THEORY OF NONLINEAR DIRECTIONAL COUPLER

We present an improved coupled mode theory of the nonlinear directional coupler based on the supermodes of the coupler and show that the predicted value of the switching intensity agrees well with recent experimental data. The theory relates to couplers constructed from semi-conductor materials and makes use of the plasma theory to express the dependence of the dielectric function on the field intensity. The analysis accounts for both the time dependence of the incident laser pulse and the spacial variation of the laser field in the direction transverse to the propagation direction.
SEX‐SPECIFIC SELECTION AND INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN SEXUAL SIZE DIMORPHISM

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is thought to evolve due to sex differences in selection on body size, but it is largely unknown whether intraspecific variation in SSD reflects differences in sex-specific selection among populations. We addressed this question by comparing viability selection between two island populations of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) that differ in the magnitude of male-biased SSD. On both islands, females experienced stabilizing selection favoring intermediate size whereas males experienced directional selection favoring larger size. Thus, sex-specific selection matched the overall pattern of male-biased SSD, but population differences in the magnitude of SSD were not associated with local differences in selection. Rather, population differences in SSD appear to result from underlying differences in the environmental potential for a rapid growth, coupled with sex-specific phenotypic plasticity. Males grew more slowly on the island with low SSD whereas growth of females did not differ between islands. Both sexes had substantially lower mass per unit length on the island with low SSD, suggesting that they were in a relatively poorer energetic condition. We propose that this energetic constraint disproportionately impacts growth of males due to their greater absolute energy requirements, thus driving intraspecific variation in SSD.
Links between Psychotropic Substance Use and Sensation Seeking in a Prevalence Study: The Role of Some Features of Parenting Style in a Large Sample of Adolescents.

Aims. The objectives of the study were to (a) investigate the prevalence risk of current drug users and (b) explore the association between parental monitoring, adolescent-parent relationship, family structure, financial status, and sensation-seeking and psychotropic substance use. Methods. Data were drawn from the 2002 Italian student population survey of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. The sample size was 10,790 adolescents, aged 15–19 years. Multivariate logistic analyses were performed. Findings. The prevalence of users was 27.3% (34.2% males; 21.6% females). Single-parent and reconstructed families were related to the greatest likelihood of substance use. A medium financial status and, for females, a satisfying relationship with father were protective factors. Probability of engaging in risk-taking behavior increased when parental knowledge decreased. Exploring deeper how parental monitoring could modify the relation between different traits of sensation seeking and substances use revealed the following: “thrill and adventure seeking,” within the case of a good monitoring, can help against the use of substances; “boredom susceptibility” is not associated with drug use, except when parental monitoring is weak. Conclusions. Specific subdimensions, associated with substance use, may be more amenable to prevention than general interventions on sensation-seeking personality. Family is the context that could promote health education.
Transient atrial fibrillation in a patient with acute ureterolithiasis

A 34-year-old woman with symptoms associated with a confirmed ureteral calculus was found to be in atrial fibrillation on arrival at the emergency department. When her symptoms had improved, it was noted that the atrial fibrillation had reverted spontaneously to a sinus rhythm. Subsequent evaluation did not reveal a common etiology of the atrial fibrillation. Transient atrial fibrillation has been associated with many diverse conditions. It has not been previously reported in association with acute ureterolithiasis.
Dislocation and displacement fields of finite bodies with given boundary tractions

Abstract The traction boundary value problem for spatially finite material bodies is examined in the context of the gauge theory of dislocations. In contrast with classical theory of dislocations in infinite bodies, the boundary conditions for the dislocation fields are shown to have pronounced effects. Expansion in the load parameter that is naturally associated with the applied loading shows that dislocation effects are essentially nonlinear. If the dislocation coupling constant is of the order of the shear modulus or larger, the dislocation density tensor vanishes throughout the body in the linear engineering approximation. A sequence of well-posed linear boundary value problems are shown to provide approximate solutions to any desired degree of accuracy in the load parameter.
Incidence of hollow viscus injury in blunt trauma: an analysis from 275,557 trauma admissions from the East multi-institutional trial

Background Blunt hollow viscus injury (HVI) is uncommon. No sufficiently large series has studied the prevalence of these injuries in blunt trauma patients. This study defines the prevalence of blunt HVI, in addition to the associated morbidity and mortality rates for this diagnosis on the basis of
Photon correlation effects in second harmonic generation

Abstract Quantitative measurements of the dependence of second harmonic signal on the photon statistical properties of the fundamental beam are reported. Using the light from a single-mode laser operating near threshold it is shown that the second harmonic signal directly measures the degree of two-photon bunching in the fundamental beam. In particular, thermal light is shown to be twice as effective in generating second harmonic signal as coherent light for the same intensity.
Geometric integration of impact during an orbital docking procedure

Simulations of orbiting bodies that experience self-impact during manuevers are known to potentially lead to numerical instability. In this paper it is demonstrated that the dynamics of an orbiting articulated body experiencing forcing and impacting can be stably simulated using variational integration. A prominent advantage of using variational integration is that conservation properties are maintained (even in the presence of external forcing) and natively can resolve impacts. Using variational integration, the configuration of the spacecraft is updated discretely to ensure that the system—subject to any applied constraints, forces, or impacts—will yield a new configuration that satisfies all conservation properties. Furthermore, variational integrators allow impacts to be easily implemented into the configuration update.
Educating young men about testicular cancer: support for a comprehensive testicular cancer campaign.

Despite the prevalence of testicular cancer among men 15–39 years of age, little has been done to increase awareness of this disease or educate males about its prevention. To fill this gap, the Standard Model of Health Communication was incorporated to design and implement a comprehensive testicular cancer campaign among male college students. To test the effectiveness of these messages, college students (N = 220) completed measures before and after the campaign. In addition, the authors obtained a control group of male college students (N = 52) who were not exposed to the messages. Survey items assessed awareness of testicular cancer and behaviors related to testicular cancer. Participants' knowledge of testicular cancer and likelihood of conducting a testicular self-exam increased significantly after being exposed to the campaign information. Men who were exposed to testicular cancer messages were more knowledgeable about testicular cancer and were more likely to conduct testicular self-examinations tha...
Accuracy of MMPI-2-RF validity scales for identifying feigned PTSD symptoms, random responding, and genuine PTSD

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-RF (MMPI-2-RF) validity scales were evaluated to determine accuracy when differentiating honest responding, random responding, genuine posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and feigned PTSD. Undergraduate students (n = 109), screened for PTSD, were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 instructional groups: honest, feign PTSD, half random, and full random. Archival data provided clinical MMPI-2-RF profiles consisting of 31 veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Veterans were diagnosed with PTSD using a structured interview and had passed a structured interview for malingering. Validity scales working as a group had correct classification rates of honest (96.6%), full random (88.9%), genuine PTSD (80.7%), fake PTSD (73.1%), and half random (44.4%). Results were fairly supportive of the scales' ability to discriminate feigning and full random responding from honest responding of normal students as well as veterans with PTSD. However, the RF validity scales do not appear to be as effective in detecting partially random responding.
Photoresponsive peptoid oligomers bearing azobenzene side chains.

N -Substituted glycine peptoid oligomers were synthesized to incorporate a photoresponsive azobenzene side chain. The ability of this side chain to undergo reversible photoisomerization was established, and the cis- to trans-azobenzene thermal isomerization of this side chain was investigated. Circular dichroism studies indicated that trans- to cis-azobenzene isomerization does not significantly alter the backbone conformation in a series of peptoids thought to have well-defined structures.
Investigation of born approximation applied to non-destructive evaluation of concrete media

The accuracy of the Born Approximation as a forward model of elastic wave scattering in the context of simulating Impact Echo tests of reinforced of concrete is investigated in this paper. The ability of a forward model to realistically simulate the physics of a system can be important when such a model is used as part of an inverse solution. Synthetic data of scattering by air void defects that are typically present in damaged civil engineering structures is generated by a two-dimensional Finite Difference in Time Domain (FDTD) model for elastic wave propagation in an infinite, homogeneous and isotropic concrete medium. Horizontal elongated cracks and air voids with compact shapes are considered in this study for comparison between the synthetic and the Born approximated data. It is observed that the Born Approximation simulates a compact air void better than a horizontal elongated one. This knowledge provides insight on Born Approximation as part of an inverse solution towards imaging of air voids of various shapes in a damaged civil engineering structure.
Receptor Autoradiographic Correlates of Deafferentation-induced Reorganization in Adult Primate Somatosensory Cortex

The primate somatosensory system provides an excellent model system with which to investigate adult neural plasticity. We have previously shown that transection of the median and ulnar nerves is followed by an expansion in the representation of radial nerve skin, and that this plasticity proceeds in stages. Immediately following nerve injury, new receptive fields are "unmasked" in a fraction of the affected cortex. The remaining deprived cortex regains responsiveness to tactile stimulation over the following days to weeks. Given these progressive changes, it has been suggested that different mechanisms might account for the earlier and later phases of reorganization. In the present experiments, we quantified receptor autoradiographic binding data for GABAA and GABAB, AMPA, and NMDA receptors in the primary somatosensory cortices of adult squirrel monkeys at four postnerve injury survival durations: immediately (1-3 hours), 3 days, 1 month, and 2 months. We found dramatic reductions in GABAA binding in layer IV within hours following nerve injury, and this reduction was maintained across all survival durations. This finding is consistent with the idea that the earliest reorganizational changes are due to a relaxation in tonic inhibitory mechanisms permitting the expression of formerly subthreshold receptive fields. GABAB receptor binding is decreased in layer IV by 1 month after nerve injury, while binding for AMPA receptors is increased in layer IV by this time. These findings are consistent with our previous suggestion that the second stage of reorganization proceeds via mechanisms comparable to those revealed to account for NMDA-dependent long-term potentiation in the hippocampus.
Identification of thermodynamically stable ceramic reinforcement materials for iron aluminide matrices

Aluminide-base intermetallic matrix composites are currently being considered as potential high-temperature materials. One of the key factors in the selection of a reinforcement material is its chemical stability in the matrix. In this study, chemical interactions between iron alu-minides and several potential reinforcement materials, which include carbides, oxides, borides, and nitrides, are analyzed from thermodynamic considerations. Several chemically compatible reinforcement materials are identified for the iron aluminides with Al concentrations ranging from 40 to 50 at. pct.
Zidovudine, lamivudine, and nelfinavir concentrations in amniotic fluid and maternal serum.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine lamivudine (3TC), zidovudine (ZDV), nelfinavir (NFV), and its active nelfinavir metabolite (M8) concentrations in paired maternal plasma and amni...
Time to recurrence of atrial fibrillation influences outcome following catheter ablation.

Background Outcome after atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after ablation remains poorly characterized. Objective To determine whether the time to recurrence of AF after catheter ablation impacts outcome. Methods Four hundred thirty-nine consecutive patients with AF after catheter ablation were categorized as early recurrence (E) (3–6 months after ablation; n=245 patients), late (L) (6–12 months; n=118), and very late (VL) (>12 months; n=76). Subsequent AF frequency (defined as rare if≤2 episodes or≤1cardioversion per 6-month window), response to antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs), and long-term outcome after repeat ablation were evaluated. Results Subsequent AF episodes were rare in 9% of E, 42% of L, and 68% of VL groups (P 1-year follow-up after repeat ablation, 49% patients of E, 70% of L, and 89% of VL groups (P Conclusions In patients with AF after ablation, time to recurrence is a major determinant of outcome. Patients with later recurrences are more likely to have sporadic episodes and respond better to AADs and repeat ablation. These results not only suggest pathophysiologic differences but also have implications for counseling patients regarding anticipated outcome.
Gander: Mobile, Pervasive Search of the Here and Now in the Here and Now

The vision of the Internet of Things (IoT) will enable networked environments populated with vast amounts of data that can be exploited by humans. The volume of digitally available data in such emerging computing spaces presents an imminent need for search mechanisms that enable humans and applications to find relevant information within their digitally accessible physical surroundings. This paper presents Gander, a search engine for these pervasive computing spaces enabled by the IoT and characterized by large volumes of highly transient data. Gander is founded on a novel conceptual model of search that resolves queries about a user’s here and now by leveraging proximally available resources in the here and now. We formally describe the model underlying Gander, describe the networking protocols that enable Gander’s search, and provide a realization of Gander via an extensible framework. Employing this Gander framework, we describe a concrete middleware implementation for wirelessly networked environments. We evaluate this implementation of Gander through a user study that examines the perceived utility of myGander, a real-world mobile application enabled by the Gander middleware, and we benchmark the performance of Gander in large pervasive computing spaces through network simulation.
Antidepressant Treatment Reduces Serotonin-1A Autoreceptor Binding in Major Depressive Disorder

Background Chronic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) administration to rodents desensitizes or downregulates raphe 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A (5-HT 1A ) autoreceptors. We previously found elevated 5-HT 1A binding in antidepressant-naive and not recently medicated major depressive disorder (MDD) and now report the effect of SSRI treatment on 5-HT 1A autoreceptors in depressed patients. Methods 5-HT 1A binding (BP F ) was quantified in medication-free subjects using positron emission tomography (PET) with [ 11 C]-WAY-100635 before and after treatment of MDD with an SSRI for 5 to 9 weeks (mean 47±8 days). Nineteen subjects without recent history of antidepressant pharmacotherapy completed both [ 11 C]WAY-100635 PET scans with a metabolite-corrected arterial input function and depression severity was rated before and after the treatment course. Results 5-HT 1A autoreceptor BP F in the raphe was reduced 18% on SSRI treatment ( df = 1,18; F = 5.12; p = .036). However, the degree of reduction in 5-HT 1A autoreceptor BP F was unrelated to improvement in depression ( df = 1,16; F = 1.27; p = .276). Conclusions Downregulation of 5-HT 1A autoreceptor binding by SSRI treatment of major depression is consistent with animal studies. This may be a necessary but insufficient requirement for clinical response to SSRIs. A PET agonist ligand that binds selectively to the high-affinity conformation of this receptor can determine whether SSRIs also cause desensitization of the autoreceptor as reported by some rodent studies and whether that effect may be related to clinical response.
Genetic control of immunoglobulin allotypes in the fowl

Eight immunoglobulin allotypic specificities have been identified in the fowl by isoimmunization. Aa1 and Aa2 are controlled as codominants at the a locus, Ab1 and Ab2 at the b locus, and Ac1, Ac2, Ac3, and Ac4 at the c locus. Column chromatography and ultracentrifugation indicate that the specificities at the a locus are located on molecules corresponding to IgG with sedimentation coefficients 7 S. Immunoelectrophoresis results also indicate that we are dealing with an immunoglobulin G molecule. Further tests are underway to resolve this beyond doubt.