cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adolescent Girls in Out-of-Home Care: Associations Between Substance Use and Sexual Risk Behavior

ABSTRACTSubstance use and sexual risk behaviors continue to be major concerns for today's youths, and are particularly problematic for those who have been placed in out-of-home care settings. The purpose of this study was to explore these associations in a sample of 120 girls placed in a residential treatment setting and attending an on-site school in a major metropolitan area in the Midwest. A modified Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was administered including questions relating to the youths' foster care or adjudicated status. The substance use variables targeted were alcohol and drug use. The sexual risk behavior variables were age of onset of first sexual intercourse, virginity status, contraceptive use, age of first sexual partner, and experience with ever having been forced to have sex. Results indicate that earlier onset and greater frequency of substance use were both correlated with number of sexual partners. Frequency of substance use was a significant and consistent contributor. Age of sexual...
Effects of Phase Impurity on Stability and Security of Aluminum Hydride

α′,β,γ-Aluminum hydride(AlH3) is often seen alone in generation of α-AlH3 with aether.Effects of these polymorphs on the thermal stability and safety of AlH3 were studied.At room temperature stored 650 d,the existence of γ-AlH3 increases the decomposition rate of AlH3 from 2.13% to 5.15%.The existence of the impurity polymorphs increases the fricition sensitivity and impact sensitivity.Furthermore,the influence to the electrostatic sensitivity is much more than the others,and the numerical value of E50 is five to ten times than the that of pure α-AlH3 polymorphs.
OSU SMOOTH in a Smart City

As the city infrastructure becomes more intelligent, individuals will have access to many different flavors of transportation. As this growth continues, problems in the current structure are found. Particularly in the U.S., the first mile and the last mile of an individual's commute can be the weakest links due to the distance from their home to a public transportation acces point and from another access point to their final destination. This is especially true for those with impaired mobility, e.g. injury or disability. In this paper, a system called SMOOTH (Smart Mobile Operation: OSU Transportation Hub) will be discussed. The primary goal of SMOOTH is to augment current public transportation infrastructure by providing users with access to a heterogeneous network of on-demand autonomous vehicles. A mobile-first web application is used to schedule the pickup and drop-off locations of the trip. The system has been designed to maximize scalability for future city-wide deployments. Initial testing on the Ohio State University Campus has been completed with two vehicle platforms, a single passenger mobility scooter and a four passenger golf cart.
Network Congestion: An Example of Non-Linear Extrapolation

As more and more people use computers to communicate, network congestion becomes a more and more serious problem. Ideally, we should be able to prevent congestion by predicting its possibility and undertaking the appropriate actions. For predicting, we need extrapolation. It turns out that for network congestion, the linear extrapolation tools that we have considered so far (i.e., extrapolation tools based on families of functions {C1 · f1 (x) +...+ C m · f m (x)} that linearly depend on the parameters Ci do not work very well. In this lesson, we show that continuous mathematics helps to select non-linear extrapolation tools that lead to a better congestion control. Mathematical methods used in the design of these non-linear extrapolation tools will be used in the following lessons to describe neural networks and fuzzy control.
Tessellations and Symmetry

In Chapter I we covered the plane with a set of identical irregular quadrilaterals. In general, a surface which is entirely covered by polygons without overlap or spaces in between is said to be tessellated, a term derived from the Greek word tessella, or tessera, a tile. Principally, we shall concern ourselves here with the problem of covering a plane with mutually identical tiles; in Chapter XX we shall deal with a particular pair of tiles.
Activation energies for conduction in polymers

The electrical conductance properties of an ideal polymeric insulation are shown in Figure 1. The ac conductance, resulting from oscillation of polar structures or bound ions in the polymer, is frequency dependent, attaining a constant level at some frequency which is high with respect to the relaxation time for the polymer. Direct-current conduction is time dependent and decays to a value of zero for an ideal polymer with no free ions available for carrying the current.
The effect of pressure on the prebreakdown events in toluene

Optical studies of the events leading to electrical breakdown in dielectric materials have suggested that the initiation of this process takes place at the metal dielectric interface [1,2]. From high-speed photographs of these prebreakdown events it has been suggested that at selected metal sites electrons are injected into the material or extracted from it depending on the local electrical field conditions [3]. Consequently, streamers are formed that propagate through the dielectric. The photographs obtained with image — converter cameras permit the study of the growth rate, but they indicate only the existence of a region of different refractive index near the injection sites and do not reveal the cause of that region. It has been suggested that these streamers represent regions of lower density than that of the surrounding material, possibly even a vapor phase or a void [2,4]. To check these possibilities studies were initiated of the effect of pressure on these processes. It was reasoned that if these regions were indeed of lower density and contained a vapor phase, their formation might be inhibited by increasing the ambient pressure. In a preceding paper [5], it was shown that, in n-hexane, pressure indeed caused the disappearance of these primary streamers. To check the broader validity of these observations a study was undertaken of the effect of pressure on the prebreakdown process in toluene which with its aromatic structure represents a quite different molecular species than the linear saturated hydrocarbon, n-hexane. The results of this study are presented in this paper.
Fundamentals of Heat Treatment and Sintering

So far in this book we have had little interest at the microscopic level in the structure of the solids that we have encountered. Exceptions have been in Chapter 3, where we recognized that a reacting solid might be porous (and the pores affect the rate of reaction), and in Chapter 4, which was concerned with the shape and size of the small particles that we frequently encounter in ceramic or powder metallurgical processing.
Pipeline Embolization Device in Treatment of 50 Unruptured Large and Giant Aneurysms.

Introduction Treatment of large (≥20 mm) and giant (≥25 mm) intracranial aneurysms is challenging and can be associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) has been used effectively for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms achieving a high rate of complete occlusion. However, its safety and efficacy in treatment of large and giant aneurysms has not been evaluated fully. Methods A retrospective analysis of consecutive aneurysms treated with PED between 2009 and 2016 at 3 academic institutions within the United States was performed. Large (≥20 mm) and giant aneurysms (≥25 mm) were selected for evaluation of occlusion and complication rates following treatment with PED. Results A total of 50 large and giant aneurysms were individually treated using PED. Aneurysms were fusiform (74%) or saccular (26%) in morphology. PED alone was used for treating 78% of the aneurysms, whereas PED with adjunctive coiling was used for treating 22%. The median length of angiographic follow-up was 13 months (mean follow up 20.4 months). At last follow-up, complete or near-complete occlusion (90–100%) was achieved in 76.9% of aneurysms. Symptomatic thromboembolic complications were encountered in 12% of procedures and symptomatic hemorrhagic complications in 8%. Conclusions The use of PED for the treatment of large and giant intracranial aneurysms is associated with good occlusion rates, but also a greater complication rate compared to aneurysms of smaller size. There was no significant difference in occlusion rate based on aneurysm shape or size, number of PEDs placed, or adjunctive coiling.
Abstract P116: Valuing Improvement in Value-Based Purchasing

Background Medicare will soon implement hospital value-based purchasing (VBP) nationwide, with a scoring system that values both achievement (absolute performance on measures) and improvement (perf...
Discordance between imaging and immunohistochemistry in unilateral primary aldosteronism.

Objective Correct subtyping of primary aldosteronism (PA) is essential for good surgical outcomes. Adrenal vein sampling (AVS) and/or computed tomography (CT) are used for PA sub-classification. Clinical and/or biochemical improvement after surgery, however, is not always achieved in patients with presumed unilateral PA. We aimed to identify the pitfalls in PA sub-classification leading to surgical treatment failures. Patients and Design We retrospectively studied 208 patients who underwent adrenal vein sampling (AVS) for PA sub-classification in a tertiary referral centre, between January 2009 and August 2016. Simultaneous bilateral AVS was performed before and after cosyntropin administration. We implemented immunohistochemistry for aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) and 17α-hydroxylase/17,20 lyase (CYP17A1) in adrenal glands resected from patients without improvement of PA after surgical treatment and from those with limitations in AVS interpretation. Results Of 55 patients who underwent adrenalectomy, three (5.5%) had no improvement of PA. All three patients underwent partial adrenalectomy to remove a CT-detected nodule present on the same side with AVS lateralization. Immunohistochemistry revealed a CYP11B2-negative nodule in both cases available. All patients who underwent total adrenalectomy based on AVS lateralization benefitted from surgery, including three patients with unilateral unsuccessful AVS and aldosterone suppression in the catheterized side vs. inferior vena cava. Conclusions Radiographically identified adrenal nodules are not always a source of PA, even when ipsilateral with AVS lateralization. These data caution against reliance on imaging findings, either alone or in conjunction with AVS, to guide surgery for PA. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Otoplasty for Congenital Auricular Malformations

Among the less common congenital auricular anomalies are cryptotia, Stahl ear, constricted ear, and macrotia. The vast majority of these occur spontaneously without accompanying syndromes or other deformities. This article provides a comprehensive overview of these anomalies, as well as common techniques to correct these anomalies.
Non-Invasive Monitoring of Ocular Health in Space

The eye is a window to the body. Fully utilizing the opportunities provided by this fact promises insights into easily and accurately assessing health, and diagnosing departures from health early in the natural history of disease. Regarding the rigors of deep space travel, this capability will create opportunities to detect a number of potentially debilitating diseases before the onset of irreversible damage.
Role of Blade Flexibility on Cycloidal Rotor Hover Performance

In this paper, the aeromechanics of a cycloidal rotor (or cyclorotor) is investigated to understand the effect of blade flexibility on the performance of the rotor in hover. Toward this, experiment...
Designing Natural Wood Log Structures with Stochastic Assembly and Deep Learning

Advances in contemporary 3D scanning and bespoke robotic technologies have enabled architectural structures to be directly constructed from naturally grown wood. However, design precedents using natural wood logs are still dominated by design approaches using predefined geometric models. The limit of this approach lies in the necessity to model the form of every structural member based on the captured geometries of all the materials before design begins. Moreover, human designed rules for joining irregular components are limited and solutions are prone to be limited by empirical knowledge. In this paper, we introduce a method for assembling natural wood log structures with higher goals autonomously using robotic stochastic assembly and deep learning. The novelty of this method is that the design of structures does not rely on prior-knowledge of the to-be-assembled materials but is generated by assembling materials iteratively. A vision system with a position suggestion network based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) was implemented and trained to drive an industrial robotic arm for negotiating between the topological changes from potential connections and the local assembly constraints of the log. A robotic hand-eye coordination database recording the assembly of birch logs has been established and small-scale wood structures were built by the trained robot. Results show that our robot can find desired structural configurations autonomously and can assemble unfamiliar batches of wood logs. The cost and gain of using stochastic assembly and deep learning as a design strategy are discussed and future research on using different learning strategies and large-scale implementations are laid out.
Environmentalism, norms, and identity

Although environmental justice emerged as a research area in the 1970s, those facing environmental risk had analyzed their problems and mobilized for redress long before that time (1, 2). In the United States, ample research shows that the marginalized and the less affluent are more exposed to environmental threats than others. Pearson et al. (3) offer analyses that link the environmental justice literature to environmental social psychology and, in doing so, raise important issues for both research and engagement. Pearson et al.’s (3) analysis provides insight into the environmental concerns of those most at risk. They replicate long-standing findings that in the United States, Asians, blacks, and Latinos all have higher levels of concern for the environment than whites, even when other aspects of position in the social structure (age, gender, income, etc.) are controlled. This greater concern contrasts with the relative dearth of minorities in environmental organizations and agencies and in the environmental sciences (4). Many factors contribute to the disparity between level of concern and engagement. Pearson et al. (3) offer an important insight: the environmental belief paradox. In a US national survey, they find that Asians, blacks, and Latinos are more environmentally concerned than whites, but they perceive their communities as less concerned than whites. The same patterns exist for those with lower incomes: they perceive themselves as less concerned than they actually are. The finding is robust; it applies to both environmental concern and identification as an environmentalist. It also holds when the issue is framed as general environmentalism or concern with climate change. The environmental belief paradox forms a bridge between the environmental justice literature and work in environmental … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: tdietzvt{at}gmail.com. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
A prospective randomized clinical trial to evaluate the impact of intraoperative ventilation with high oxygen content on the extent of postoperative pneumocephalus in patients undergoing craniotomies.

Purpose of the article: To determine whether intraoperative ventilation with pure oxygen during the last stage of surgery reduces the occurrence and volume of postoperative pneumocephalus when comp...
Problem Solving and Reasoning

A major goal of education is to help students become effective problem solvers, that is, people who can generate useful and original solutions when they are confronted with problems they have never seen before. This article covers definitions of problem solving and reasoning, types of problems, cognitive processes and types of knowledge in problem solving, rigidity in thinking, problem-solving transfer, the distinction between productive and reproductive thinking, the nature of insight, problem space and search processes, and problem solving in realistic situations.
The Effect of Genetically Guided Mathematical Prediction and the Blood Pressure Response to Pharmacotherapy in Hypertension Patients.

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a simple algorithm to mathematically predict a patients’ response to blood pressure (BP) therapy using functional genes in th...
Effectiveness of Medicare cost-sharing elimination for Cancer screening on utilization

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) eliminated the cost-sharing requirement for several preventive cancer screenings. This study examined the cancer screening utilization of mammogram, Pap smear and colonoscopy in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) under the ACA. The primary data were the 2007–2013 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey linked to FFS claims. The effect of the cost-sharing removal on the probability of receiving a preventive cancer screening test was estimated using a logistic regression, separately for each screening test, adjusting for the complex survey design. The model was also separately estimated for different socioeconomic and race/ethnic groups. The study sample included beneficiaries with Part B coverage for the entire calendar year, excluding beneficiaries in Medicaid or Medicare Advantage plans. Beneficiaries with a claims-documented or self-reported history of targeted cancers, who were likely to have diagnostic tests or have surveillance screenings were excluded. The screening measures were constructed separately following Medicare coverage and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations. We measured the screening utilization outcome drawing from claims data, as well as using the self-reported survey data. After the cost-sharing removal policy, we found no statistically significant difference in a beneficiary’s probability of receiving a colonoscopy (transition period: OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.90–1.29; post-policy period: OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.83–1.42), a mammogram (transition period: OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.91–1.17; post-policy period: OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.88–1.30), or a biennial Pap smear (transition period: OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.69–1.09; post-policy period: OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.51–1.03) in claims-based measures following Medicare coverage. Similarly, we found null effects of the policy change on utilization of colonoscopy among enrollees 50–75 years old, biennial mammograms by women 50–74, and triennial Pap smear tests among women 21–65 in claims-based measures according to USPSTF. The findings from survey-based measures were consistent with the estimates from claims-based measures, except that the use of Pap smear declined since 2011. Further, the policy change did not increase utilization in patients with disadvantaged socioeconomic characteristics. Yet the disparate patterns in adjusted screening rates by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity persisted over time. Removing out-of-pocket costs for screenings did not provide enough incentives to increase the screening rates among Medicare beneficiaries.
Pharmacoepigenetics in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common disease resulting from multiorgan insulin resistance and inadequate pancreatic insulin production. Lifestyle modifications can often reduce glycemia in individuals with recent T2D onset; however, for patients who are significantly insulinopenic, pharmacological intervention is necessary to treat the disease. The repertoire of oral and injected antidiabetic agents has expanded greatly during the past decade; however, the effects of oral antihyperglycemic agents are highly variable, and factors such as age, sex, disease, drug and food interactions, comorbidity, and genetic factors contribute to interindividual differences in drug response. Emerging evidence also suggests that epigenetic factors modulate pharmacological response to antidiabetes drugs. In this chapter we provide an overview of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical management of T2D and review the current state of pharmacoepigenetics research of antidiabetes medications. Combined with pharmacogenomics, pharmacoepigenetics may lead to the development of individualized approaches in the treatment of T2D.
Asymmetric division yields progeny cells with distinct modes of regulating cell cycle-dependent chromosome methylation

The cell cycle-regulated methylation state of Caulobacter DNA mediates the temporal control of transcriptional activation of several key regulatory proteins. Temporally controlled synthesis of the CcrM DNA methyltransferase and Lon-mediated proteolysis restrict CcrM to a specific time in the cell cycle, thereby allowing the maintenance of the hemimethylated state of the chromosome during the progression of DNA replication. We determined that a chromosomal DNA-based platform stimulates CcrM degradation by Lon and that the CcrM C terminus both binds to its DNA substrate and is recognized by the Lon protease. Upon asymmetric cell division, swarmer and stalked progeny cells employ distinct mechanisms to control active CcrM. In progeny swarmer cells, CcrM is completely degraded by Lon before its differentiation into a replication-competent stalked cell later in the cell cycle. In progeny stalked cells, however, accumulated CcrM that has not been degraded before the immediate initiation of DNA replication is sequestered to the cell pole. Single-molecule imaging demonstrated physical anticorrelation between sequestered CcrM and chromosomal DNA, thus preventing DNA remethylation. The distinct control of available CcrM in progeny swarmer and stalked cells serves to protect the hemimethylated state of DNA during chromosome replication, enabling robustness of cell cycle progression.
Randomized Algorithms Accelerated over CPU-GPU for Ultra-High Dimensional Similarity Search

We present FLASH (F ast L SH A lgorithm for S imilarity search accelerated with H PC), a similarity search system for ultra-high dimensional datasets on a single machine, that does not require similarity computations and is tailored for high-performance computing platforms. By leveraging a LSH style randomized indexing procedure and combining it with several principled techniques, such as reservoir sampling, recent advances in one-pass minwise hashing, and count based estimations, we reduce the computational and parallelization costs of similarity search, while retaining sound theoretical guarantees. We evaluate FLASH on several real, high-dimensional datasets from different domains, including text, malicious URL, click-through prediction, social networks, etc. Our experiments shed new light on the difficulties associated with datasets having several million dimensions. Current state-of-the-art implementations either fail on the presented scale or are orders of magnitude slower than FLASH. FLASH is capable of computing an approximate k-NN graph, from scratch, over the full webspam dataset (1.3 billion nonzeros) in less than 10 seconds. Computing a full k-NN graph in less than 10 seconds on the webspam dataset, using brute-force (n2D), will require at least 20 teraflops. We provide CPU and GPU implementations of FLASH for replicability of our results.
Cause-specific mortality in individuals with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinaemia, 2000-2016.

Data on cause-specific mortality after lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) and Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia (WM) are lacking. We identified causes of death amongst 7289 adults diagnosed with incident first primary LPL (n = 3108) or WM (n = 4181) during 2000-2016 in 17 USA population-based cancer registries. Based on 3132 deaths, 16-year cumulative mortality was 23·2% for lymphomas, 8·4% for non-lymphoma cancers and 14·7% for non-cancer causes for patients aged <65 years at diagnosis of LPL/WM, versus 33·4%, 11·2% and 48·7%, respectively, for those aged ≥75 years. Compared with the general population, patients with LPL/WM had a 20% higher risk of death due to non-cancer causes (n = 1341 deaths, standardised mortality ratio [SMR] 1·2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1·1-1·2), most commonly from infectious (n = 188; SMR 1·8, 95% CI 1·6-2·1), respiratory (n = 143; SMR 1·2, 95% CI 1·0-1·4), and digestive (n = 80; SMR 1·8, 95% CI 1·4-2·2) diseases, but no excess mortality from cardiovascular diseases (n = 477, SMR 1·1, 95% CI 1·0-1·1). Risks were highest for non-cancer causes within 1 year of diagnosis (n = 239; SMR<1year 1·3, 95% CI 1·2-1·5), declining thereafter (n = 522; SMR≥5years 1·1, 95% CI 1·1-1·2). Myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukaemia deaths were notably increased (n = 46; SMR 4·4, 95% CI 3·2-5·9), whereas solid neoplasm deaths were only elevated among ≥5-year survivors (n = 145; SMR≥5years 1·3, 95% CI 1·1-1·5). This work identifies new areas for optimising care and reducing mortality for patients with LPL/WM.
Intra- and Inter-Specific Investigations of Skeletal DNA Methylation Patterns and Femur Morphology in Nonhuman Primates

Abstract Epigenetic mechanisms influence the development and maintenance of complex phenotypes and may also contribute to the evolution of species-specific phenotypes. With respect to skeletal traits, little is known about the gene regulation underlying these hard tissues or how tissue-specific patterns are associated with bone morphology or vary among species. To begin exploring these topics, this study evaluates one epigenetic mechanism, DNA methylation, in skeletal tissues from five nonhuman primate species which display anatomical and locomotor differences representative of their phylogenetic groups. First, we test whether intra-specific variation in skeletal DNA methylation is associated with intra-specific variation in femur morphology. Second, we identify inter-specific differences in DNA methylation and assess whether these lineage-specific patterns may have contributed to species-specific morphologies. Specifically, we use the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip to identify DNA methylation patterns in femur trabecular bone from baboons (n=28), macaques (n=10), vervets (n=10), chimpanzees (n=4), and marmosets (n=6). Significant differentially methylated positions (DMPs) were associated with a subset of morphological variants, but these likely have small biological effects and may be confounded by other variables associated with morphological variation. Conversely, several species-specific DMPs were identified, and these are found in genes enriched for functions associated with complex skeletal traits. Overall, these findings reveal that while intra-specific epigenetic variation is not readily associated with skeletal morphology differences, some inter-specific epigenetic differences in skeletal tissues exist and may contribute to evolutionarily distinct phenotypes.
The selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) verdinexor exhibits biologic activity against canine osteosarcoma cell lines.

Verdinexor (KPT-335) is a novel orally bioavailable selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound that inhibits the function of the nuclear export protein Exportin 1 (XPO1/CRM1). In the present study, we sought to characterize the expression of XPO1 in primary canine osteosarcoma (OS) tumour samples, OS cell lines and normal osteoblasts and evaluate the in vitro activity of verdinexor alone or in combination with doxorubicin. Canine OS cell lines and a subset of primary OS tumours showed increased XPO1 transcript and protein expression as compared with normal canine osteoblast cells. All canine OS cell lines exhibited dose-dependent growth inhibition and increased caspase 3,7 activity in response to low nanomolar concentrations of verdinexor (IC50 concentrations ranging from 21 to 74 nM). Notably, growth inhibition of normal canine osteoblast cell lines treated with verdinexor was observed at high micromolar concentrations (IC50 = 21 μM). The combination of verdinexor and doxorubicin resulted in potent inhibition of cell viability and demonstrated synergetic activity in three canine OS cell lines. Concordantly, OS cell lines showed increased γH2A.X foci following treatment with doxorubicin and recovery in verdinexor compared with cells treated with doxorubicin and recovered in normal media for 24 hours. These findings demonstrate that verdinexor has biologic activity against canine OS cell lines at physiologically relevant doses and suggest that XPO1 inhibition in combination with standard doxorubicin treatment offers promising potential for chemotherapeutic intervention in canine OS.
Focal Adhesion Kinase Activity and Localization is Critical for TNF-α-Induced Nuclear Factor-κB Activation

While sustained nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation is critical for proinflammatory molecule expression, regulators of NF-κB activity during chronic inflammation are not known. We investigated the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) on sustained NF-κB activation in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-stimulated endothelial cells (ECs) both in vitro and in vivo. We found that FAK inhibition abolished TNF-α-mediated sustained NF-κB activity in ECs by disrupting formation of TNF-α receptor complex-I (TNFRC-I). Additionally, FAK inhibition diminished recruitment of receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) and the inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) kinase (IKK) complex to TNFRC-I, resulting in elevated stability of IκBα protein. In mice given TNF-α, pharmacological and genetic FAK inhibition blocked TNF-α-induced IKK-NF-κB activation in aortic ECs. Mechanistically, TNF-α activated and redistributed FAK from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, causing elevated IKK-NF-κB activation. On the other hand, FAK inhibition trapped FAK in the nucleus of ECs even upon TNF-α stimulation, leading to reduced IKK-NF-κB activity. Together, these findings support a potential use for FAK inhibitors in treating chronic inflammatory diseases.
Reimagining Senior Centers for Purposeful Aging: Perspectives of Diverse Older Adults.

Senior centers must re-envision their programs to appeal to today’s increasingly older and more diverse older adults. Using a purposeful aging framework, this study aims to inform senior center pro...
Neural control of ventilation in the shore crab, Cardnus maenas - I. Scaphognathite motor neurons and their effect on the ventilatory rhythm

1. Intracellular recordings were obtained from the scaphognathite motor neurons ofCarcinus maenas in an isolated ganglion preparation. The ability of intracellular current injection to perturb the ventilatory motor pattern was investigated. 2. Intracellular injection of current pulses and steady current into all motor neurons penetrated could perturb the ventilatory rhythm. The observed effects included resetting of the ventilatory rhythm (Figs. 2, 4 and 6), starting and stopping the motor pattern (Fig. 5) and increasing or decreasing the frequency of the rhythm (Table 1). 3. The resetting effect is not dependent upon the production of action potentials in the motor neurons (Figs. 2, 3).
Inspection Error Effects on Performance Measures of a Multistage Sampling Plan

Abstract The effects of inspection error on performance measures of single and double sampling by attributes are well known for certain combinations of sample by lot dispositions. This paper generalizes previous work on double sampling to multistage sampling. It provides expressions for the O.C. curves, average outgoing quality and average total inspection in the presence of inspection error for all combinations of sample by lot dispositions. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis is carried out from a more general algebraic standpoint.
Slight changes in conditions influence the family of non-B-DNA conformations of the herpes simplex virus type 1 DR2 repeats.

Abstract The segment inversion site of herpes simplex virus type 1 contains a series of tandem repeats with a purine bias on one strand and high G + C content (DR2 repeats) capable of adopting a non-B-DNA structure under a variety of conditions. Plasmids carrying eight contiguous copies of DR2 sequences undergo a series of supercoil-driven conformational transitions resulting in different extents of relaxation at pH 5.0. These transitions depend on the presence of an appropriate concentration of divalent cations (Mg2+ and Ca2+) which seem to interact specifically with the alternate structure(s). The transitions occurred at approximately the same superhelical density for all lengths of inserts studied. However, the onset of the transition can be shifted to lower negative superhelical densities by increasing NaCl concentrations. This leads to a reduction of the cooperativity of the transition, which takes place over a range of linking isomers under these conditions. Extrapolating from these results, we established physiological conditions where the alternate DNA structure is found at negative superhelical densities as low as -0.035. The existence of non-B-DNA conformations and/or the structural transitions of these sequences located in this region of intense biological activity implies their involvement in the life cycle of the virus.
STAPHYLOCOCCAL ANTIBODY PRODUCTION IN RESPONSE TO INJECTIONS WITH LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

Antibody levels after contact withspecific antigens havebeenreported torise inresponse tostimuli fromunrelated antigens (Perla and Marmorston, Natural Resistance andClinical Medicine, Little, BrownandCo.,Boston, 1941; Schultz andSwift, J.Exptl. Med.,60,323, 1934). TheworkofJohnson, Gaines, andLandy (J.Exptl. Med.,103,225,1956) demonstrated theenhancement ofantibody responsetoprotein antigens by simultaneously injecting purified lipopolysaccharide ofSalmonella typhosa with theantigens. Johnson etal.failed topromote nonspecific anamnestic responsesupon injection oftheir lipopolysaccharide intoanimals previously immunized withotherantigens. Thispaper reportsthe anamnestic-like production ofstaphylococcal antibodies evoked byinjecting rabbits withListeria monocytogenes. Antigens ofStaphylococcus epidermidis and L.monocytogenes (serotype 1)were prepared by treatment ofthecells withformalin. Onesetof rabbits was given a series offourintravenous injections ofthestaphylococcal antigen over a period of10to12days. Fiveto7daysafter the last injection, agglutinin titers were determined bytesting eachserum withantigens fromboth S.epidermidis andL.monocytogenes. Blood was drawnapproximately 100dayslater andagglutination tests were performed employing the antigens ofbothorganisms. Therabbits then were given a single intravenous injection ofthe formalin suspension ofListeria andtheir agglutinin levels forS.epidermidis andL.monocytogeneswere determined 5dayslater. Another setofrabbits was treated as above; however, first they were given a series ofListeria injections andlater a single injection ofthe staphylococcal preparation.
Comments on “Financial Regulatory Structure and the Resolution of Conflicting Goals”

Larry Wall and Bob Eisenbeis provide a useful framework for thinking about the trade-offs involved in alternative regulatory structures. Specifically, they examine the relative merits of consolidating regulation in a single agency or dispersing it among multiple agencies. They also describe various institutional devices that mitigate against the disadvantages associated with each structure of regulation. The paper should be of great help to policy makers as they consider changes to the existing structure of financial regulation. Notwithstanding my favorable view of the paper, I do have a few suggestions.
A SURVEY OF UNIFIED FAMILY COURTS: An Assessment of Different Jurisdictional Models

The American Bar Association Coordinating Council on Unified Family Courts, with the assistance of Hofstra University's Center for Childre. Family and the Courts, recently conducted a survey of various courts and jurisdictions that either implemented or experimented with a unified family court structure. The purpose of the project was to get a sense of the state of unified family courts with the goal of building more support for the unified family court concept based on demonstrated effectiveness. The findings of the survey have been summarized in this article. The survey, survey data, and list of survey respondents can be found in the article's appendices.
Using Syndromic Surveillance to Investigate Tattoo-Related Skin Infections in New York City.

In response to two isolated cases of Mycobacterium chelonae infections in tattoo recipients where tap water was used to dilute ink, the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducted an investigation using Emergency Department (ED) syndromic surveillance to assess whether an outbreak was occuring. ED visits with chief complaints containing the key word “tattoo” from November 1, 2012 to March 18, 2013 were selected for study. NYC laboratories were also contacted and asked to report skin or soft tissue cultures in tattoo recipients that were positive for non-tuberculosis mycobacterial infection (NTM). Thirty-one TREDV were identified and 14 (45%) were interviewed to determine if a NTM was the cause for the visit. One ED visit met the case definition and was referred to a dermatologist. This individual was negative for NTM. No tattoo-associated NTM cases were reported by NYC laboratories. ED syndromic surveillance was utilized to investigate a non-reportable condition for which no other data source existed. The results were reassuring that an outbreak of NTM in tattoo recipients was not occurring. In response to concerns about potential NTM infections, the department sent a letter to all licensed tattoo artists advising them not to dilute tattoo ink with tap water.
Visual and auditory learning processes in normal children and children with specific learning disabilities.

The study was intended to describe and compare the psychosensory functioning of normal children and children with specific learning disabilities. Each of these children was given an automated battery of 13 psychosensory tests representing various combinations of auditory and visual intra and intersensory conditions for verbal, nonverbal-nonsocial, and nonverbal-social stimuli. On the psychosensory evaluation the learning disability groups made significantly more errors on the verbal psychosensory functions, regardless of the sensory conditions. The learning disability group also performed these tasks more slowly than normal children in nearly every comparison.
Mapping of replication initiation sites in mammalian genomes by two-dimensional gel analysis: stabilization and enrichment of replication intermediates by isolation on the nuclear matrix.

Two complementary two-dimensional gel electrophoretic techniques have recently been developed that allow initiation sites to be mapped with relative precision in eukaryotic genomes at least as complex as those of yeast and Drosophila melanogaster. We reported the first application of these mapping methods to a mammalian genome in a study on the amplified dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) domain of the methotrexate-resistant CHO cell line CHOC 400 (J.P. Vaughn, P.A. Dijkwel, and J.L. Hamlin, Cell 61:1075-1087, 1990). Our results suggested that in this 240-kb domain, initiation of nascent DNA strands occurs at many sites within a 30- to 35-kb zone mapping immediately downstream from the DHFR gene. In the course of these studies, it was necessary to develop methods to stabilize replication intermediates against branch migration and shear. This report describes these stabilization methods in detail and presents a new enrichment protocol that extends the neutral/neutral two-dimensional gel mapping method to single-copy loci in mammalian cells. Preliminary analysis of replication intermediates purified from CHO cells by this method suggests that DNA synthesis may initiate at many sites within a broad zone in the single-copy DHFR locus as well.
Contamination levels assessment of heavy metals in road dust deposited in various types of urban traffic: a case study of Hassi Messaoud City (Algeria)

This study identified the levels and sources of heavy metal contamination in road dust from busy traffic areas in Hassi Messaoud, Algeria. A total of 13 sampling sites, including three traffic rotaries, tow highways, three downtown areas, four circulation roads and one background area, were selected for this study. The contamination levels of the heavy metals in the road dust were evaluated using the contamination factor and the degree of contamination. The contamination levels of the heavy metals in the road dust were highly dependent on traffic volume and atmospheric dispersion from traffic rotaries. The varied contamination levels of heavy metals in the road dust from the downtown were highly dependent on traffic volume and the road environment. Vehicle speed was also a strong contributing factor to the degree of contamination of heavy metals in the road dust from the different types of roads.
Adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia: what is the optimal surgical approach?

Background The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia is rising in Western countries. This study evaluates prognostic factors associated with surgical management of this cancer. Study design Medical records of consecutive patients with gastric cardial cancer treated by surgical resection from 1991 through 2001 were reviewed. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were evaluated using log-rank test and Cox regression. Mean followup period was 34 months. Results Eighty-two patients met study inclusion criteria. Median patient age was 65 years (range 86 to 22). Fifty-nine (72%) patients had type II tumors and 23 (28%) patients had type III tumors, according to the Siewert classification for gastroesophageal junction tumors. Twenty-seven (33%) patients underwent total esophagectomy, 24 (29%) patients underwent extended gastrectomy with thoracotomy, and 31 (38%) patients underwent extended gastrectomy without thoracotomy. Overall postoperative 5-year survival rate was 30%. On multivariate analysis, patient age 65 years and older, absence of lymph node metastasis, and R0 resection emerged as factors independently associated with improved postoperative survival. Frequency with which proximal resection margin was infiltrated with cancer was a function of gross margin length and T stage. Proximal gross margin length of at least 6 cm was required to achieve a microscopically negative proximal margin for T3 and T4 cancers. Conclusions Achieving R0 resection should be the goal of surgical therapy for the gastric cardial cancer. The surgical approach should be tailored to individual patients to achieve this goal. (J Am Coll Surg 2004;199:880-886.
Intracranial compliance in infants: evaluation with Doppler US.

PURPOSE: To test graded fontanelle compression during Doppler ultrasound (US) scanning to identify and monitor infants with altered cranial compliance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ophthalmodynamometer exerted pressure on the anterior fontanelle during Doppler US scanning of the middle cerebral artery. Sixty examinations were performed in 43 infants--13 full-term and 11 premature healthy control subjects, 10 with increased intracranial volume, and nine with suspected abnormal cranial compliance but without increased intracranial volume. Resistive index (RI) and angle-corrected time-averaged mean velocities (TAV) of blood flow were compared at three different pressures. RESULTS: Baseline RI values in healthy full-term infants were significantly lower than in healthy premature infants and infants with abnormal compliance (P .5). Neither RI nor TAV changed significantly in healthy infants, but both chan...
Hemodynamic effects of supplemental oxygen administration in congestive heart failure

Objectives. This study sought to determine the hemodynamic effects of oxygen therapy in heart failure. Background. High dose oxygen has detrimental hemodynamic effects in normal subjects, yet oxygen is a common therapy for heart failure. Whether oxygen alters hemodynamic variables in heart failure is unknown. Methods. We studied 10 patients with New York Heart Association functional class III and IV congestive heart failure who inhaled room air and 100% oxygen for 20 min. Variables measured included cardiac output, stroke volume, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance, mean arterial pressure and heart rate. Graded oxygen concentrations were also studied (room air, 24%, 40% and 100% oxygen, respectively; n = 7). In five separate patients, muscle sympathetic nerve activity and ventilation were measured during 100% oxygen. Results. The 100% oxygen reduced cardiac output (from 3.7 ± 0.3 to 3.1 ± 0.4 liters/min [mean ± SE], p < 0.01) and stroke volume (from 46 ± 4 to 38 ± 5 ml/beat per min, p < 0.01) and increased pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (from 25 ± 2 to 29 ± 3 mm Hg, p < 0.05) and systemic vascular resistance (from 1,628 ± 154 to 2,203 ± 199 dynes's/cm5, p < 0.01). Graded oxygen led to a progressive decline in cardiac output (one-way analysis of variance, p < 0.0001) and stroke volume (p < 0.017) and an increase in systemic vascular resistance (p < 0.005). The 100% oxygen did not alter sympathetic activity or ventilation. Conclusions. In heart failure, oxygen has a detrimental effect on cardiac output, stroke volume, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and systemic vascular resistance. These changes are independent of sympathetic activity and ventilation.
Use of cancer screening practices by Hispanic women: analyses by subgroup.

Abstract Objectives. This study compares the use of three cancer screening practices (Pap smear, mammogram, and clinical breast examination) 3 years prior to interview among five subgroups of Hispanic women, and examines whether sociodemographic; access; health behavior, perception, and knowledge; and acculturation factors predict screening practices for any subgroup. Methods. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted with data pooled from the 1990 and 1992 National Health Interview Surveys on women who reported that they were Hispanic. The study sample includes 2,391 respondents: 668 Mexican-American, 537 Mexican, 332 Puerto Rican, 143 Cuban, and 711 other Hispanic women. Results. Subgroup profiles reveal differences in education, health insurance, use of English language, and screening use. Mexican women were the least likely to be screened with any procedure. Logistic regression results for each screening practice show that having a usual source of care was a positive predictor for obtaining each of the three screening practices within the last 3 years. Being married, being more than 50 years of age, and having knowledge of breast self-examination were all predictors of having a Pap smear. Having health insurance and ever having had a clinical breast examination and Pap smear were predictors of having a mammography, while age, knowledge of breast self-examination, ever having had a Pap smear and mammogram, and being a nonsmoker all predicted having a clinical breast examination. Conclusions. We conclude that access factors and prior screening are more strongly associated with current screening than are language and ethnic factors. Our data confirm that a disproportionate percentage of Hispanic women are low income and at risk of being underscreened. Our findings from a nationally representative sample of Hispanics have implications for provider practices, ethnic-specific community interventions, and future development of measures and data collection approaches.