cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges associated with application of clinical staging models to psychotic disorders.

Previously, McGorry and colleagues (1, 2) proposed the application of clinical staging models to psychiatric disorders, with a focus on psychoses and severe mood disorders. In this issue, Wood and colleagues expand on this staging model for psychotic disorders, using pathophysiological data and treatment response data to evaluate key predictions associated with a valid staging model (3). The staging model proposed uses clinical criteria to define illness severity stages that progress from relatively few, mild, and non-specific symptoms to an increasing number of more severe symptoms, including psychotic symptoms, neurocognitive impairments, comorbid conditions, and functional decline, culminating in the persistent disabling symptoms of chronic schizophrenia. Each stage is associated with an elevated risk for progression to the next stage. Although some patients progress through all of the stages, progression is not considered inevitable.
THE ASSUMPTION BY MAN OF HIS ORIGINAL FRACTURING: MARCEL GAUCHET, GLADYS SWAIN, AND THE HISTORY OF THE SELF

This essay reconstructs conceptually and situates historically contemporary French philosopher Marcel Gauchet's theory of the origins and development of modern selfhood. It argues that his history of the self as the interiorization of constitutive alienation, and of the history of self-consciousness as the progressive recognition of this alienation, originated out of a unique combination of historical factors—the radical politics of May 1968, the rise of the antipsychiatry movement, and (perhaps most surprisingly) the new psychoanalysis of Jacques Lacan. The essay considers Gauchet's study, together with his partner Gladys Swain, of the foundations of psychiatry, and investigates the connections of their narrative of origins to Michel Foucault's work. The essay concludes by turning to Gauchet's more recent contributions and considering the implications of his history of the self for Anglo-American scholarship.
The sequential hook insertion technique for universal spine instrumentation application: Technical note

A new technique of universal spine instrumentation insertion for the management of thoracic and lumbar spine instability is presented and the results in 10 patients are described. The technique involves the sequential insertion of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital (TSRH) central-post hooks, followed by hook fixation to the rod; force is then applied with correction of deformity, if needed. This allows for methodical, safe, and rapid instrumentation insertion. The new TSRH central-post hook configuration permits manipulation of the hook/rod relationships to the advantage of the surgeon (and patient) by providing more room for both hook insertion and hook/rod fixation. This technique has reduced operative time, facilitated ease of deformity correction, and provided uniformly acceptable early postsurgical results.
Intensifying Efforts to Understand Music and Psychological Well‐being: How Federal Partnerships Have Helped Us

This article discusses three federal initiatives with potential for making significant contributions to the body of research on music and psychological well-being. Each project involves creative collaborations across US government, and in each case the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has played a catalytic role. The Interagency Task Force on the Arts and Human Development, a 17-member alliance of federal agencies, has prompted a National Academies workshop sponsored by the NEA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore research gaps and opportunities for studying music and art's relationship to the aging process. A prospective “music/arts module” on the National Children's Study may bring NIH and NEA researchers closer together to study music's effects on psychological well-being at the other end of the lifespan. And the NEA's commitment to cosponsor delivery of neurological music therapy at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center will give such research a needed boost within the military health care establishment. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Planar lightwave integrated circuits with embedded actives for board and substrate level optical signal distribution

This paper explores design options for planar optical interconnections integrated onto boards, discusses fabrication options for both beam turning and embedded interconnections to optoelectronic devices, describes integration processes for creating embedded planar optical interconnections, and discusses measurement results for a number of integration schemes that have been demonstrated by the authors. In the area of optical interconnections with beams coupled to and from the board, the topics covered include integrated metal-coated polymer mirrors and volume holographic gratings for optical beam turning perpendicular to the board. Optical interconnections that utilize active thin film (approximately 1-5 /spl mu/m thick) optoelectronic components embedded in the board are also discussed, using both Si and high temperature FR-4 substrates. Both direct and evanescent coupling of optical signals into and out of the waveguide are discussed using embedded optical lasers and photodetectors.
Mutualism-disrupting allelopathic invader drives carbon stress and vital rate decline in a forest perennial herb

Invasive plants can negatively affect belowground processes and alter soil microbial communities. For native plants that depend on soil resources from root fungal symbionts (RFS), invasion could compromise their resource status and subsequent ability to manufacture and store carbohydrates. Herbaceous perennials that depend on RFS-derived resources dominate eastern North American forest understories. Therefore, we predict that forest invasion by Alliaria petiolata, an allelopathic species that produces chemicals that are toxic to RFS, will diminish plant carbon storage and fitness. Over a single growing season, the loss of RFS could reduce a plant's photosynthetic physiology and carbon storage. If maintained over multiple growing seasons, this could create a condition of carbon stress and declines in plant vital rates. Here we characterize the signals of carbon stress over a short timeframe and explore the long-term consequence of Alliaria invasion using Maianthemum racemosum, an RFS-dependent forest understory perennial. First, in a greenhouse experiment, we treated the soil of potted Maianthemum with fresh leaf tissue from either Alliaria or Hesperis matronalis (control) for a single growing season. Alliaria-treated plants exhibit significant overall reductions in total non-structural carbohydrates and have 17 % less storage carbohydrates relative to controls. Second, we monitored Maianthemum vital rates in paired experimental plots where we either removed emerging Alliaria seedlings each spring or left Alliaria at ambient levels for 7 years. Where Alliaria is removed, Maianthemum size and vital rates improve significantly: flowering probability increases, while the probability of plants regressing to non-flowering stages or entering prolonged dormancy are reduced. Together, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that disruption of a ubiquitous mutualism following species invasion creates symptoms of carbon stress for species dependent on RFS. Disruption of plant-fungal mutualisms may generally contribute to the common, large-scale declines in forest biodiversity observed in the wake of allelopathic invaders.
Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the viability of non-adherent HL-60 cells

We investigated the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the viability of non-adherent HL-60 cell line derived from leukemic cells over a high pressure range. The HL-60 cells are resistant to pressures of up to 100 MPa under pressurization for 20 min at 25°C. However, cell viability decreased markedly between 100 and 200 MPa, and almost all cells died above 200 MPa. In the case of pressures up to 25 MPa at 25°C for four days, the viability of HL-60 cells was inhibited by increasing the pressure above 20 MPa. Although high viability was observed between 1.6 and 2.0 MPa for adherent astrocytes, viability did not change over pressures up to 2.0 MPa in the case of non-adherent HL-60 cells. It is thought that the response of cells to pressure varies among cell types.
The Effects of Dispersal and Recruitment Limitation on Community Structure of Odonates in Artificial Ponds

I examined the effects of isolation on the structure of both adult and larval dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera) communities forming at physically identical artificial ponds over two years. Isolation, whether measured by distance to the nearest source habitat or by connectivity to multiple sources, was significantly negatively related to the species richness of dragonflies observed at and collected in these ponds. These results indicate that dispersal and recruitment limitation acted as filters on the richness of communities at these artificial ponds. The richness of larval recruits in artificial ponds was lower than the richness of adult dispersers observed at ponds, and distance from a source habitat explained a greater fraction of the variation in larval than adult richness (83 and 50%, respectively). These results and a male biased sex-ratio in adults observed at artificial ponds suggest that isolated habitats may be more recruitment limited than observations of dispersers would suggest. A Mantel test indicated there was a spatial component to the composition of communities forming in tanks, and that distance between tanks and community dissimilarity (1-Jaccard's) were significantly positively related (r=0.52). This pattern suggests that their position with respect to alternative source environments influenced the composition of the communities that recruited into these ponds. These results provide further evidence of recruitment limitation in this system. Results from this study highlight the importance behaviorally limited dispersal may have in taxa morphologically capable of broad dispersal and suggest that the role of dispersal and recruitment limitation may be critical in shaping community structure across habitat gradients that include variation in habitat duration.
Adult children of dysfunctional families: Treatment from a disenfranchised grief perspective

Abstract The concept of disenfranchised grief is generalized to the understanding of the recovery process for adult children Of dysfunctional families. The recovery Process of this population is described as parallel to the grief process, which can best be understood from a disenfranchised grief perspective. Two layers of unrecognized loss are identified: the loss of one's childhood and the loss of one's fantasized and idealized parent. On the basis of my clinical experiences with this population, I suggest specific therapeutic strategies and techniques that use a disenfranchised grief approach.
Discerning the Spirit in Culture: Toward Pentecostal Interculturality

In view of the ethnocultural diversity among Pentecostals, in this article I argue that Pentecostalism in Canada ought to undergo a structural and theological reconfiguration that reflects more truly its plural-cultural constituency. Along the lines of theology, other cultural groups’ theological horizons and epistemologies ought to become part of the theological education for Pentecostal ministers, in order to become more culturally competent in the diverse context of Canada.
Xi'an as an Inner China Development Model

An American geographer examines the recent economic resurgence of a historically significant city in China's interior as a result of a policy utilizing science and technology research institutions and the local labor force to "jump-start" technology-intensive growth. The study, based on a series of interviews and data gathered during field research in 2000 and 2002, reveals synergies among the city's pre-existing defense-related activities (electronics and aviation), its favorable financial and transport infrastructure, and the concentration of several large, prestigious technical universities, which have been utilized in the transformation of the city economy toward high-technology production for China's domestic market. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F23, H50, O18. 7 figures, 2 tables, 36 references.
Role of Akt Signaling in Vascular Homeostasis and Angiogenesis

Akt is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is activated by a number of growth factors and cytokines in a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-dependent manner. Although antiapoptotic activity of Akt is well known, it also regulates other aspects of cellular functions, including migration, glucose metabolism, and protein synthesis. In this review, Akt signaling in endothelial cells and its critical roles in the regulation of vascular homeostasis and angiogenesis will be discussed.
Risk communication in environmental restoration programs

The author advocates adoption of a convergence model in place of the traditional source-receiver model of communication for communicating with members of the public who have a stake in remediation of a nearby site. The source-receiver model conceives of communication as the transmission of a message from a risk management agency (sender) to a target audience of the public (receivers). The underlying theme is that the sender intends to change the perception of the receiver of either the issue or the sender of information. The theme may be appropriate for health campaigns which seek to change public behavior; however, the author draws on her experience at a DOE site undergoing remediation to illustrate why the convergence model is more appropriate in the context of cleanup. This alternative model focuses on the Latin derivation of communication as sharing or making common to many, i.e., as involving a relationship between participants who engage in a process of communication. The focus appears to be consistent with recently issued DOE policy that calls for involving the public in identifying issues and problems and in formulating and evaluating decision alternatives in cleanup. By emphasizing context, process and participants, as opposed to senders and receivers, themore » model identifies key issues to address in facilitating consensus concerning the risks of cleanup. Similarities between the institutional context of DOE and DOD suggest that a convergence model may also prove to be an appropriate conceptual foundation for risk communication at contaminated DOD sites.« less
The Impact of Vehicle Structural Components on Radiation Patterns of a Window Glass Embedded FM Antenna

The relative long wavelength of FM radio signals compared to a typical vehicle length means that a window glass-embedded FM band antenna couples strongly to vehicle structural components. Numerical simulations have been conducted to identify which key structural components in a full-size SUV have an effect on the average antenna gain patterns. In particular, it was found that the rear hatch and the seats of the SUV had a large effect on FM antenna gain patterns and thus required more careful modeling for the electromagnetic simulation. Also, it was found that the sunroof status, opened or closed, had a moderate effect on FM antenna gain patterns. Comparison with experimentally obtained FM antenna gain patterns demonstrated the importance of using the most detailed model possible when simulating patterns in the FM band.
Complete Genome Sequence of Spiroplasma kunkelii Strain CR2-3x, Causal Agent of Corn Stunt Disease in Zea mays L.

ABSTRACT Spiroplasma kunkelii causes corn stunt disease of Zea mays L. in the Americas. Here, we report the nucleotide sequence of the 1,463,926-bp circular chromosome and four plasmids of strain CR2-3x. This information will facilitate studies of Spiroplasma pathogenicity and evolutionary adaptations to transkingdom parasitism in plants and insect vectors.
Aspirin increases the risk of venous thromboembolism in surgical patients.

Abstract The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) for patients taking an antiplatelet agent is largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between antiplatelet agent use before admission with the risk of in-hospital VTE in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. A retrospective review of all patients admitted to the surgical ICU at a Level I trauma center over 30 months was performed. Patients who underwent diagnostic imaging for VTE were selected. Patients were divided based on whether or not antiplatelet agents were used before admission (APTA vs NAPTA). The primary outcome was VTE occurrence. A forward logistic regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with the primary outcome. During the study period, 461 (24%) patients met inclusion criteria: 70 (15%) APTA and 391 (85%) NAPTA. After adjusting for confounding factors, APTA patients were at a significantly higher risk for developing VTE (59 vs 40%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 3.0; adjusted P = 0.04). Whether or not antiplatelet agents were resumed during the hospital stay and the day on which they were resumed did not affect VTE risk. In conclusion, surgical ICU patients receiving antiplatelet agents before admission are at a significantly higher risk for development of VTE.
Chemical and physical controls on waters discharged from abandoned underground coal mines

Abandoned up-dip drift mines in high-sulphur coal are a major source of acid mine drainage (AMD) in Appalachia. Studies of mines in the Monday Creek watershed of southeastern Ohio show that mines are recharged by surface runoff into subsidence features that dilate the natural stress-relief fracture system. The direct connection between the ground surface and the mines leads to a rapid response in the hydrograph, with a one- to four-day lag between precipitation and corresponding peak mine discharge. Subsidence occurs in topographic depressions where overburden is presumably relatively thin. Subsidence features drain 20–36% of the surface area. Unsaturated storage appears to be volumetrically insignificant, so that far more recharge occurs than the 5% often assumed for this region. Mine storage can change rapidly due to subsidence recharge. Hydrologically, mines with subsidence features behave like karst systems, with meteoric ‘quickflow’ representing more than 50% of the total flow. Mine discharge concentrations are relatively uniform through time, suggesting either equilibrium controls on chemistry or drainage of a well-mixed pool, or both. Evidence of dilution by high flows is slight. The first high flows after a baseflow period show only a slight increase in concentrations, attributed to flushing of stored reaction products. Loadings (concentrations x flow) depend on volumetric discharge and as a consequence are highly variable. The Eh/pH environment in up-dip drift mines indicates that mine waters are in contact with the atmosphere at least part of the time, unlike a true groundwater. Iron buffering partly controls pH, which clusters around values of 3.6–5.0.
Prevention of acquired transient defect in platelet plug formation by infused prostacyclin

Cardiopulmonary bypass in baboons produced transient severe platelet dysfunction (bleeding times prolonged to 27.8 +/- 1.4 min compared with 3.9 +/- 0.7 baseline) that was associated with a parallel release of platelet alpha-granule proteins into plasma (platelet factor 4 and beta- thromboglobulin levels of 28.8 +/- 9.3 and 20.0 +/- 1.8 ng/ml, respectively) and their clearance into urine with a reciprocal depletion from circulating platelets. In contrast, platelet-dense granules did not undergo significant release. The bleeding times normalized rapidly following bypass (8.5 +/- 1.4 min at 1 hr). The infusion of prostacyclin (PGI2) into the bubble oxygenator during bypass (40--80 ng/kg/min) prevented the prolongation in bleeding time (p less than 0.01 compared with untreated control values) but did not block the release of alpha-granule proteins. Dosages outside this range were associated with prolonged bleeding times. These results show that transient platelet dysfunction occurring during cardiopulmonary bypass represents activation of platelets independent of alpha or dense granule release and is blocked by potent short-acting inhibition of platelet function using PGI2 infused into the oxygenator apparatus at optimal therapeutic doses.
Christian Gellinek, König Rother. Studie zur literarischen Deutung: Bern and Munich: Francke Verlag, 1968. Pp. 128.

(1970). Christian Gellinek, Konig Rother. Studie zur literarischen Deutung. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 229-231.
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS (ARATU UNIT, RECONCAVO SERIES, LOWER CRETACEOUS) IN THE RECONCAVO BASIN, BAHIA, BRAZIL

ABSTRACT Regression and trend-surface analyses were used to facilitate interpretation of geologic history of a stratigraphic interval of the Aratu Unit, Reconcavo Series (Lower Cretaceous) in the Reconcavo Basin, Bahia State, Brazil. The relation between sedimentary environments and tectonic history was outlined. These results then can be utilized in prospecting for petroleum.
The Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype In Multiple Myeloma

Abstract Introduction The incidence of multiple myeloma (MM) increases with age, yet some cytogenetic changes are actually more common in younger patients with MM (Avet-Loiseau J Clin Oncol 2013). This suggests that a mechanism other than chromosomal changes underlies the increased incidence with age. Senescent cells secrete a number of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and proteases resulting in the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which can promote tumor growth. Preclinical data suggests that myeloma bone marrow stromal cells express the SASP (Andre PLOS ONE 2013). We hypothesized that SASP factors correlate with age in patients with MM. Methods Peripheral blood serum and matched bone marrow aspirate plasma from patients with multiple myeloma were evaluated for selected factors associated with the SASP using quantitative multiplex immunoassay (Rules Based Medicine, Austin TX USA). SASP factors with a known role in MM [interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-15 (IL-15), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF), intercellular adhesion molecule 1(ICAM1), osteoprotegerin (OPG), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein(IGFBP-1), interleukin-1 beta (IL1b), monocyte chemotactic protein 1(MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha(MIP-1a), angiogenin, leptin, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1(VEGFR1) and stem cell factor(SCF)] were selected. The relationship between age and SASP factors were analyzed using Kendall tau rank correlation coefficient. Results Samples from 25 patients (each with peripheral blood serum and matched bone marrow aspirate plasma) were analyzed. The median age was 62 (range 47 - 74). Disease states were as follows: 36% newly diagnosed/untreated, 24% pretransplant and 40% relapsed. ISS stage included 40% stage I, 28% stage II and 32% stage III. Three of the selected SASP factors in the peripheral blood correlated with age: IL-8 (Kendall Tau 0.334, p=0.027), OPG (Kendall Tau 0.289, p=0.046) and MCP-1 (Kendall Tau 0.332, p=0.022). No SASP factors tested in the bone marrow plasma were significantly correlated with age. Conclusions We demonstrated age-associated differences in the SASP factors IL-8, OPG and MCP-1 in the peripheral blood of myeloma patients. Future research will examine differences between patients with myeloma and age-matched controls without cancer. Disclosures: Vij: Celgene : Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Onyx: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Stockerl-Goldstein: Celgene : Speakers Bureau; Celgene : Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Speakers Bureau.
Internal Conversion Processes

(1967). Internal Conversion Processes. Nuclear Science and Engineering: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 311-311.
Poster: RTDroid: A Real-Time Solution with Android

Since the introduction of the smartphone, mobile computing has become pervasive in our society. Meanwhile, Mobile devices have evolved far beyond the stereotypical personal devices and been employed in various traditional real-time embedded domains. Of the currently available mobile systems, Android has seen the most widespread deployment outside of the consumer electronics market. Its open source nature has prompted its ubiquitous adoption in sensing, medical, robotics, and autopilot applications. However, it is not surprising that Android does not provide any real-time guarantee since it is designed as a mobile system and optimised for mobility, user experience, and energy efficiency. Although there has been much interest in adopting Android in real-time contexts, surprisingly little work has been done to examine the suitability of Android for real-time systems. Existing work only provides solutions to traditional problems, including real-time garbage collection at the virtual machine layer, real-time OS scheduling and resource management. While it is critical to address these issues, it is by no means sufficient. After all, Android is a vast system that is more than a Java virtual machine and a kernel. Our work examines the internals of Android, the Android programming model, libraries and core systems services. We discuss the implications and challenges of adapting Android constructs and core system services for real-time and present a solution for each, name RTDroid, as a whole system. It is unique in that it redesigns Android's internal components, replaces Android's Dalvik/ART with a real-time Java virtual machine, FijiVM, and leverages off-the-shelf real-time OSes. RTDroid also provides an event-driven programming model for the development of real-time applications. To retain a familiar style of Android application, we make a number of changes to the Android abstractions and how they interact with the underlying system as well as each other. We aim to leave legacy Android code unaffected and expose real-time features to components which have timeliness requirements. More specifically, Our programming model consist of four parts: 1) real-time constructs for real-time expressiveness, 2) a real-time extension to Android's application manifest for the real-time configuration, 3) real-time communication channels that enable construct interactions with real-time semantics, 4) pause-less memory management with scoped memory. To validate the predictability of RTDroid's implementation, we firstly report a number of micro-benchmark results with RTDroid basic constructs. Then, we demonstrate three real-world applications implemented in RTDroid and provide statistic results. Our results illustrate that, at least in these use-cases, the modified platform delivers significantly better time predictability than stock Android and reduces the code complexity as compared to the traditional real-time programming paradigm, RTSJ.
Damage Evolution in 304L Stainless Steel Partial Penetration Laser Welds

Partial penetration laser welds join metal surfaces without additional filler material, providing hermetic seals for a variety of components. The crack-like geometry of a partial penetration weld is a local stress riser that may lead to failure of the component in the weld. Computational modeling of laser welds has shown that the model should include damage evolution to predict the large deformation and failure. We have performed interrupted tensile experiments both to characterize the damage evolution and failure in laser welds and to aid computational modeling of these welds. Several EDM-notched and laser-welded 304L stainless steel tensile coupons were pulled in tension, each one to a different load level, and then sectioned and imaged to show the evolution of damage in the laser weld and in the EDM-notched parent 304L material (having a similar geometry to the partial penetration laser-welded material). SEM imaging of these specimens revealed considerable cracking at the root of the laser welds and some visible micro-cracking in the root of the EDM notch even before peak load was achieved in these specimens. The images also showed deformation-induced damage in the root of the notch and laser weld prior to the appearance of the main crack, though the laser-welded specimens tended to have more extensive damage than the notched material. These experiments show that the local geometry alone is not the cause of the damage, but also microstructure of the laser weld, which requires additional investigation.
The Sanskrit Passive: Synchronic Behavior and Diachronic Development

(1982). The Sanskrit Passive: Synchronic Behavior and Diachronic Development. South Asian Review: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 127-137.
Non-equivalent antigen presenting capabilities of dendritic cells and macrophages in generating brain-infiltrating CD8 + T cell responses.

The contribution of antigen-presenting cell (APC) types in generating CD8+ T cell responses in the central nervous system (CNS) is not fully defined, limiting the development of vaccines and understanding of immune-mediated neuropathology. Here, we generate a transgenic mouse that enables cell-specific deletion of the H-2Kb MHC class I molecule. By deleting H-2Kb on dendritic cells and macrophages, we compare the effect of each APC in three distinct models of neuroinflammation: picornavirus infection, experimental cerebral malaria, and a syngeneic glioma. Dendritic cells and macrophages both activate CD8+ T cell responses in response to these CNS immunological challenges. However, the extent to which each of these APCs contributes to CD8+ T cell priming varies. These findings reveal distinct functions for dendritic cells and macrophages in generating CD8+ T cell responses to neurological disease.
Multilobular Tumor of Bone in the Mandible of a Dog

An 8-year-old Siberian husky dog was presented for a mass involving the rostral mandible. Intraoral radiographs demonstrated diffusely irregular bone and displacement of all mandibular incisor teeth. The mass was diagnosed as a grade I multilobular tumor of bone based on incisional biopsy. A bilateral rostral mandibulectomy was performed with tumor negative margins. Oral examination at 14-months following surgery indicated normal healing with minimal side effects and no evidence of tumor recurrence.
Basic Principles of Pharmacology

An understanding of the basic principles of pharmacology is essential to understanding how psychoactive substances exert their effects.
Synaptic Facilitation and Residual Calcium

The synapse is the point of contact between a neuron and its target organ—a muscle, a gland, or another neuron. It is the point of intercellular communication, of transfer of information within the nervous system.
Postmortem proteolysis is reduced in transgenic mice overexpressing calpastatin.

Using both in vitro and in vivo approaches, numerous studies have provided evidence that mu-calpain is responsible for postmortem proteolysis. This paper reports the effect of overexpression of calpastatin on postmortem proteolysis in transgenic mice. Transgenic mice (n = 8) with a human calpastatin gene, whose expression was driven by the human skeletal muscle actin promoter, were killed along with control nontransgenic littermates (n = 5). Hind limbs were removed and stored at 4 degrees C, and muscle samples were dissected at 0, 1, 3, and 7 d postmortem and analyzed individually. At time 0, active human calpastatin was expressed in transgenic murine skeletal muscle at a level 370-fold greater (P 0.05) by the transgene as assessed by immunoreactivity at d 0. Over 7 d, 33% of at-death 80-kDa isoform immunoreactivity of mu-calpain was lost in transgenics compared to an 87% loss in controls, indicating that autolysis of mu-calpain was slowed in transgenic mice. Desmin degradation was also inhibited (P < 0.05) in transgenics when compared to controls. Control mice lost 6, 78, and 91% of at-death native desmin at 1, 3, and 7 d postmortem, respectively; conversely, transgenic mice lost only 1, 3, and 17% at the same times. A similar trend was observed when examining the degradation of troponin-T. Interestingly, m-calpain seemed to undergo autolysis in control mice, which in postmortem tissue is indicative of proteolysis. Further investigation revealed that both mu- and m-calpain are active postmortem in normal murine skeletal muscle. In conclusion, a high level of expression of active calpastatin was achieved, which, by virtue of its inhibitory specificity, was determined to be directly responsible for a decrease in postmortem proteolysis.
The Debts That Bind: How Nonprofit Borrowers and Lenders Collaborate To Help Communities

For many nonprofit human service organizations, facilities are essential to core operations, which can entail large capital investments. Many of these organizations also operate at the margins, str...
Early Palliative Care Consultation in Glioblastoma (P1.165)

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and utility of early outpatient palliative care (PC) consultation in glioblastoma. Background: Early PC in selected malignancies improves symptom burden and depression while reducing hospitalizations, inpatient deaths and aggressive end of life care. The value of early PC in glioblastoma is not well described. Design/Methods: PC consultation (within 1 month of diagnosis) became standard of care in our outpatient neuro-oncology clinic in September 2015. Patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma were enrolled in an IRB-approved study to collect data regarding clinical characteristics, feasibility of PC, advance directives (AD), and end of life outcomes. Results: 50% (13/26) of patients had a PC consult. In those without PC consultation, 2 accepted the consultation but cancelled the visit, 4 declined, and the consultation was deferred in 7 patients due to: travel burden (5), physician concern (1), and patient time burden (1). Median time to PC consultation was 21 days (range 5–152). 7/13 had a follow-up visit scheduled; 5 attended those visits and 2 cancelled. Patients without scheduled follow-up (6) were asked to follow-up PRN, yet no PRN visits were scheduled. Goals of care/AD were discussed in 100% of visits, followed by symptom management (84%), emotional well-being/coping (32%), family support (26%), and prognosis (10%). AD were documented prior to 3 rd oncology visit for 10/13 (77%) who had PC consultation compared to 5/13 (38%) without PC. Conclusions: Only half of patients had PC consultation and even fewer attended follow-up visits. Compliance with early PC consultation is challenging due to patient, physician, and geographic barriers. Goals of care discussions and AD documentation are key accomplishments of PC visits, but only half of patients were able to realize this benefit. Future work should integrate PC principles, such as advance care planning, into neuro-oncology practice. Enrollment for this study is ongoing; additional feasibility and outcomes data will be presented. Disclosure: Dr. Hemminger has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pittman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Serventi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Korones has nothing to disclose. Dr. Holloway has received personal compensation for activities with Milliman Guideline, Inc. as a consultant. Dr. Mohile has received personal compensation for activities with Novocure as an advisor.
Stability analysis of a slope under impact of a rock block using the generalized interpolation material point method (GIMP)

The present paper presents a study of a particular instability mechanism observed in coastal ranges of southeastern Brazil. It consists of the failure of a saturated soil slope hit by a rock block detached from higher ground. In the rainy season lasting from November to March, slopes are near or at complete saturation. It is also common under these conditions, that blocks of rock masses of gneissic origins, mainly detaching from the rock mass and sliding along relief joints in higher elevations, acquire momentum to impact lower ground slopes consisting mainly by soil masses eventually saturated. The impact generates pore pressures, which can lead to failure of the slope. The present paper proposes to analyze this condition by using the generalized interpolation material point method (GIMP), a method suitable for analyzing the dynamic character of the problem as well as the generated failure mechanism and ensuing run-out of the failed mass. The paper presents details of the problem and of the coupled fluid-mechanical formulation of GIMP used in analysis. It also presents and discusses the obtained results of the analysis carried out. The paper also comments on the suitability of GIMP for analysis of this type of complex slope stability condition.
Taking It to the Next Level: A Field Experiment to Improve Instructor-Student Relationships in College:

Competing in today’s workforce increasingly requires earning a college degree, yet almost half of all enrolled undergraduates do not graduate. As the costs of dropping out of college continue to ri...
Data-Based Decision Making for Struggling Readers in the Secondary Grades:

The process of implementing intensive reading interventions using data-based decision-making (DBDM) becomes increasingly challenging as students move into the secondary grades and reading tasks cor...
Identifying trade-offs between socio-economic and environmental factors for bioenergy crop production: A case study from northern Kentucky

Abstract Bioenergy crops can provide a reliable and adequate supply of biomass feedstocks to support the bioenergy industry. However, promoting bioenergy crops would require major change in land use and management practices that can have long term socio-economic and environmental impacts. Therefore, it is important to evaluate potential opportunities and challenges presented by bioenergy crop production. We developed a multi-objective optimization model to analyze trade-offs among various components of bioenergy crop production to help make better production decisions. Our model integrated sustainability dimensions including social, economic and environmental factors for bioenergy crop production. As bioenergy crop production may incorporate various objectives, we ran the model by optimizing one objective at a time to measure the magnitude of change in one objective with respect to change in other objectives given a set of constraints. In addition, our model had the ability to assess how trade-offs would be affected by chancing preferences for different factors in the production decisions. The model was applied for a four-county study area in northern Kentucky and it provided a regional examination for the potential of bioenergy crops for energy production. The model can serve as an effective tool for making bioenergy production planning and management decisions.
Nighttime seat belt use among front seat passengers: Does the driver's belt use matter?

Abstract Introduction and Method: We explored the relationship between nighttime seat belt use of right-front passengers and their drivers using observational data from 33,310 vehicles in east Tennessee during March 2015 – May 2017. Results: Overall, nighttime passenger seat belt use varied by 50 percentage points from 92% when drivers were belted to 42% when drivers were not belted, suggesting that part-time seat belt users can be heavily influenced by the seat belt status of their traveling companions. When stratified by vehicle type and sex, passenger seat belt use by driver seat belt status varied as much as 74 percentage points from 96% to 22%. Passenger seat belt use was typically lower when riding with unbelted same-sex drivers than when riding with unbelted drivers of the opposite sex. Conclusions and Practical Applications: This finding suggests that the role of peer influence in decision-making about seat belt use may differ depending on the sex of a vehicle driver and his or her passengers. Further research is warranted to explore this finding as well as other social and cultural influences that have not been fully examined in seat belt research.
The Effect of Ethanol on the Metabolism of Prostaglandins and Related Compounds

Previous studies have shown that chronic consumption of ethanol by rats lowers the level of membrane-bound arachidonic acid (C20:4) and stimulates the in vitro measured rate of hepatic lipid peroxidation. These observations suggested that ethanol might thereby cause changes in the metabolic pathway leading to prostaglandins and related compounds. Initial studies demonstrated that chronic ethanol administration to male rats results in an impaired ability on the part of these animals to catabolize prostaglandins via renal prostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH) but no effect was observed on the synthesis of thromboxanes by blood platelets from these same animals. Experiments have now been carried out in an attempt to further assess the acute and chronic effects of ethanol on the metabolism of prostaglandins and prostacyclin. Generally, these results suggest a lack of an acute effect of ethanol and a dose dependency for the chronic effects.
Are We Speaking the Same Language? The Experiences of International Students and Scholars in North American Higher Education

AbstractMore than a million international students studied at U.S. colleges and universities in 2016–2017 (Open Doors Report, 2017), bringing close to 39 billion dollars into the U.S. economy (U.S....
Management of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause in Female Cancer Patients: A Focus on Vaginal Hormonal Therapy

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause is a condition describing the hypoestrogenic effects on the female genitals and lower urinary tract leading to symptoms such as vaginal dryness, vulvar and vaginal burning, dyspareunia and dysuria. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause is experienced by over half of postmenopausal women, and is even more pervasive in women with cancer. Due to treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal therapy, women may experience early menopause resulting in earlier and more severe symptoms. Understanding the scope of this issue in female breast and gynecologic cancer survivors and identifying treatment options for this complex patient population are paramount. Tailored patient treatments include nonhormonal therapies (vaginal moisturizers, lubricants, pelvic floor physical therapy, dilator therapy, counseling), systemic and local hormonal therapies. Consensus recommendations by medical societies and associated evidence are reviewed, with emphasis on safety and efficacy of local vaginal hormonal therapies, and management variations noted depending on cancer type and characteristics. With knowledge and understanding of the unmet need associated with under-recognition and under-treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, providers caring for women with cancer are in a position to improve the quality of life of their patients by providing safe and effective treatments.
The Renin-Angiotensin Axis Regulates the Development of a Yolk Sac-Like Hemangioblastic Progenitor of Primitive and Definitive Hematopoiesis from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Abstract We have defined serum-free (SF) culture conditions for efficiently generating clonogenic hemangioblasts from pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESC). We also report that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), a critical physiologic regulator of blood pressure, angiogenesis, and inflammation, is a novel marker for identifying and purifying hemangioblastic stem-progenitors from differentiating hESC. Using in vitro clonal assays of primitive and definitive hematopoietic potential, we demonstrated that ACE+ human embryoid body (hEB) cell populations contain a common yolk sac (YS)-like progenitor for not only endothelium, but also both primitive and definitive hematopoieses. Thrombopoietin (TPO) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) were identified as critical growth factors for expanding ACE+ hemangioblasts. ACE+CD34-CD45- human embryoid body (hEB) cells contained the highest number of these progenitors. Further maturation of ACE+ hemangioblasts in a stromal environment produced definitive-type lympho-hematopoietic progenitors, albeit with a late YS, and not AGM phenotype. The developmental kinetics of YS-like hematopoiesis generated from hEB cells was remarkably in parallel to the actual timeline of human YS development, which occurs during weeks 2–6 of human gestation. We also showed that ACE and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) axis plays a direct role in hESC-derived hemangioblastic differentiation, and is directly regulated via signaling through the two major angiotensin peptide receptors (AGTR1 and AGTR2). Moreover, directed differentiation of hemangioblasts toward either endothelium, or multipotent primitive hematopoietic progenitors was efficiently enhanced via modulation of either AGTR1 or AGTR2 signaling. RAS axis manipulation may therefore be exploited for directing the differentiation of transplantable hESC-derived hemangioblastic stem-progenitors, thus providing novel opportunities for human tissue engineering. The key molecular and cellular events of human hemato-endothelial genesis can now be delineated in a manner that was previously impossible due to inaccessibility of human embryonic tissue. Download : Download high-res image (158KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure
Caregiver–child interaction influences causal learning and engagement during structured play

The current study investigated the relation between the ways in which caregivers and children interact in a learning environment and children's learning outcomes and engagement with the learning task. We assessed caregiver-child interaction in a structured play environment in which 3- and 4-year-olds and a caregiver were tasked with learning a causal system. Children whose caregivers were more directive during their interaction learned the causal system the best and better than children whose caregivers were more hands off and allowed children to engage in unstructured exploration. These two groups of children explored for the same amount of time, indicating similar levels of engagement with the task. Children whose caregivers were more guiding, but not directive, played significantly longer than either of the other groups, suggesting deeper engagement. We discuss these findings in relation to how children engage in causal learning and how caregivers might contribute to children's learning and engagement with the learning process.
The Regulation of IGF-I Receptor Gene Expression by Positive and Negative Zinc-Finger Transcription Factors

The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-I-R) is a trans-membrane tyrosine kinase which mediates the trophic, metabolic, and differentiative effects of IGF-I and IGF-II1,2. Beginning at early organogenesis, the IGF-I-R gene is constitutively expressed by most body tissues, consistent with the putative role of IGF-I as a progression factor in the cell cycle3. Recent studies have shown that overexpression of the IGF-I-R in a fibroblast cell line abrogates all requirements for exogenous growth factors, suggesting that this receptor does, in fact, mediate a central mechanism in the cell cycle4.