cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of the Cellular Coactivator HCF-1 with the Golgi Apparatus in Sensory Neurons

HCF-1 is a cellular transcriptional coactivator that is critical for mediating the regulated expression of the immediate-early genes of the alphaherpesviruses herpes simplex virus type 1 and varicella-zoster virus. HCF-1 functions, at least in part, by modulating the modification of nucleosomes at these viral promoters to reverse cell-mediated repressive marks and promote activating marks. Strikingly, HCF-1 is specifically sequestered in the cytoplasm of sensory neurons where these viruses establish latency and is rapidly relocalized to the nucleus upon stimuli that result in viral reactivation. However, the analysis of HCF-1 in latently infected neurons and the protein's specific subcellular location have not been determined. Therefore, in this study, the localization of HCF-1 in unstimulated and induced latently infected sensory neurons was investigated and was found to be similar to that observed in uninfected mice, with a time course of induced nuclear accumulation that correlated with viral reactivation. Using a primary neuronal cell culture system, HCF-1 was localized to the Golgi apparatus in unstimulated neurons, a unique location for a transcriptional coactivator. Upon disruption of the Golgi body, HCF-1 was rapidly relocalized to the nucleus in contrast to other Golgi apparatus-associated proteins. The location of HCF-1 is distinct from that of CREB3, an endoplasmic reticulum-resident HCF-1 interaction partner that has been proposed to sequester HCF-1. The results support the model that HCF-1 is an important component of the viral latency-reactivation cycle and that it is regulated by association with a component that is distinct from the identified HCF-1 interaction factors.
Tissue engineering with biodegradable polymer matrices

The therapies of organ transplantation and tissue reconstruction are limited by the availability of tissues suitable for transplantation. A promising approach to bypass this shortage of tissue is to engineer new tissues from cultured cells. However, synthetic matrices must be fabricated to deliver cells, create potential space for tissue development, and guide the process of tissue formation. The author has investigated the potential of highly porous scaffolds fabricated from biodegradable polymers as tissue engineering matrices. Highly porous sponges have been fabricated from polymers of lactic and glycolic acid utilizing both particulate leaching technique and high pressure CO/sub 2/ gas foaming. The porosity and pore structure of sponges formed with both techniques can be regulated by the processing parameters. These sponges have been utilized to transplant hepatocytes, and engineer new liver-like tissues in experimental animals.
The Impact of Hail Size on Simulated Supercell Storms

Variations in storm microstructure due to updraft strength, liquid water content, and the presence of dry layers, wind shear, and cloud nucleating aerosol concentrations are likely to lead to changes in hail sizes within deep convective storms. The focus of this paper is to determine how the overall dynamics and microphysical structure of deep convective storms are affected if hail sizes are somehow altered in a storm environment that is otherwise the same. The sensitivity of simulated supercell storms to hail size distributions is investigated by systematically varying the mean hail diameter from 3 mm to 1 cm using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) model. Increasing the mean hail diameter results in a hail size distribution in which the number concentration of smaller hailstones is decreased, while that of the larger hailstones is increased. This shift in the hail size distribution as a result of increasing the mean hail diameter leads to an increase in the mean terminal fall speed of the hail species and to reduced melting and evaporation rates. The sensitivity simulations demonstrate that the low-level downdrafts are stronger, the cold pools are deeper and more intense, the left-moving updraft is shorter-lived, the right-moving storm is stronger but not as steady, and the low-level vertical vorticity is greater in the cases with smaller hail stones. The maximum hail mixing ratios are greater in the larger hail simulations, but they are located higher in the storm and farther away from the updraft core in the smaller hail runs. Changes in the hail size distribution also appear to influence the type of supercell that develops.
Utility of Glucose Transporter 1 in the Distinction of Benign and Malignant Thoracic and Abdominal Mesothelial Lesions

Context.—Malignant mesothelioma, of either peritoneum or pleura, is an uncommon cancer. The diagnosis is often difficult to make, in part because of the overlapping morphology of reactive and malignant mesothelial cells. Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) is a glucose transporter typically found on erythrocytes, which is aberrantly expressed in various carcinomas. It has recently been reported as specific and sensitive in discriminating malignant pleural mesothelioma from reactive hyperplasia. The application of GLUT-1 staining in peritoneal mesothelioma has not been fully explored. Objective.—To determine if GLUT-1 staining is helpful in distinguishing abdominal mesotheliomas from benign, reactive mesothelial lesions and to further study its utility in the thorax. Design.—Tissue microarrays containing 135 abdominal malignant mesotheliomas and 30 malignant pleural mesotheliomas were stained with an antibody to GLUT-1, as were 56 reactive mesothelial lesions. Results.—The overall sensitivity and specificity fo...
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in an Elderly Patient

BACKGROUND The general population is aging, and lumbar stenosis is one of the more frequent conditions observed in an orthopedic or neurosurgical practice. METHODS This case presentation is of an 86-year-old male who developed lumbar spinal stenosis with a progressive neurologic deficit that caused severe leg pain, affected bladder function, and affected gait. Relevant medical literature is reviewed. RESULTS Bladder function and gait returned after spinal surgery, and this patient's pain was greatly reduced. A multidisciplinary team applied therapy after surgery. The medical literature does not concentrate solely upon patients older than 80, but a few are included in studies of younger patients. CONCLUSIONS This case report illustrates that a patient over 80 can have a successful outcome with multidisciplinary medical coverage of medical, surgical, rehabilitative, social, and psychological areas. More studies need to be done of these patients.
A cladistic reconstruction of the ancestral mite harvestman (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi): portrait of a Paleozoic detritivore.

Two character sets composed of continuous measurements and shape descriptors for mite harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) were used to reconstruct the morphology of the cyphophthalmid ancestor and explore different methods for ancestral reconstruction as well as the influence of terminal sets and phylogenetic topologies. Characters common to both data sets were used to evaluate linear parsimony, averaging, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods on seven different phylogenies found in earlier studies. Two methods—linear parsimony implemented in TNT and nested averaging—generated reconstructions that were (i) not predisposed to comprising simple averages of characters and (ii) in broad agreement with alternative methods commonly used. Of these two methods, linear parsimony yielded significantly similar reconstructions from two independent Cyphophthalmi data sets, and exhibited comparatively low ambiguity in the values of ancestral characters. Therefore complete sets of continuous characters were optimized using linear parsimony on trees found from ‘‘total evidence’’ data sets. The resulting images of the ancestral Cyphophthalmi suggest it was a small animal with robust appendages and a lens-less eye, much like many of todays species, but not what might be expected from hypothetical reconstructions of Paleozoic vegetation debris, where Cyphophthalmi
Site-specific protein modifications through pyrroline-carboxy-lysine residues

Pyrroline-carboxy-lysine (Pcl) is a demethylated form of pyrrolysine that is generated by the pyrrolysine biosynthetic enzymes when the growth media is supplemented with D-ornithine. Pcl is readily incorporated by the unmodified pyrrolysyl-tRNA/tRNA synthetase pair into proteins expressed in Escherichia coli and in mammalian cells. Here, we describe a broadly applicable conjugation chemistry that is specific for Pcl and orthogonal to all other reactive groups on proteins. The reaction of Pcl with 2-amino-benzaldehyde or 2-amino-acetophenone reagents proceeds to near completion at neutral pH with high efficiency. We illustrate the versatility of the chemistry by conjugating Pcl proteins with poly(ethylene glycol)s, peptides, oligosaccharides, oligonucleotides, fluorescence, and biotin labels and other small molecules. Because Pcl is genetically encoded by TAG codons, this conjugation chemistry enables enhancements of the pharmacology and functionality of proteins through site-specific conjugation.
Nuchal translucency screening: How do women actually utilize the results?

Objective To examine how women use the nuchal translucency (NT) risk adjustment in decision-making for invasive prenatal diagnosis. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of 1083 consecutive NT screening exams. A screen-positive test was defined as a risk ≥ 1/300. Primary outcome was what proportion of screen-positive or screen-negative women chose to undergo chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. Results Of the women tested, 79% (858/1083) were ≥ 35-years-old and 88% (756/858) of these women had a decrease in age-related risk after NT. Of the screen-negative women, 31% (238/756) ≥ 35 years of age chose to have invasive testing as compared to only 11.2% (25/223) of those < 35 years of age (p < 0.001). Of the screen-positive women, 71% (72/102) ≥ 35 years of age and 100% (2/2) < 35 years of age chose to obtain invasive testing (p = 0.368). Conclusion First-trimester NT screening for Down syndrome (DS) enables a significant number of women over age 35 to lower the risk for DS several fold and avoid the risks of invasive testing. However, despite significant reductions in age-specific mid-trimester DS risks, a relatively high proportion of women ≥ 35 years of age still opted for invasive testing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Teaching of Ethics and the Ethics of Teaching

This article discusses psychological ethics from two perspectives. One perspective is the presentation of ethics in the psychology classroom through textbook coverage and specifically designed courses. The other perspective is the relation of ethical issues to the activity of teaching. Each of the ethical principles established by APA (1981, 1990) is addressed as it relates to teaching activities. Suggestions for future additions to these principles are offered.
Automated characterization of amoeboid motility

Cells use a variety of methods to migrate. One of these, referred to as amoeboid motion, involves alternating cycles of morphological expansion and retraction [1]. Employed by numerous mammalian cell lines including neutrophils and lymphocytes [2], [3], it is also seen in the metastatic migration of some tumor cells [4]. Amoeboid motility is best understood in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. It is a complex cellular process driven by highly-organized cytoskeletal dynamics containing numerous molecular species and regulated by an intricate signaling network. An important aspect of studying is to understand how the roles played by these molecules and signaling pathways are integrated. And a widely used approach is to characterize phenotype-specific morphological dynamics among various types of cells.
Parallelization strategies for an implicit Newton-based reactive flow solver

The solution of reactive flows using fully implicit methods on distributed memory machines is investigated in detail. Three different parallel implementations of Newton's method are described and tested on the solution of two-dimensional laminar axisymmetric coflow diffusion flames. Each implementation has different computational requirements, both in the amount of communication among the processes and in the computational overhead due to the calculation of physical quantities at the interfaces between subdomains. An effective trade-off is established between communications and calculations so that the most communication-intensive implementation results in computational speedup only if the network is sufficiently fast. Benchmark results are presented for a variety of chemical mechanisms, grid decomposition techniques, and hardware. Parallelization efficiencies of about 80% and speedups of 20–100 are reported for most test cases. The method developed here is well suited for complex chemistry problems with ...
Diuretics, calciuria and secondary hyperparathyroidism in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort

Background. Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that is associated with bone disease, cardiovascular disease and death. Pathophysiological factors that maintain secondary hyperparathyroidism in advanced CKD are well-known, but early mechanisms of the disease that can be targeted for its primary prevention are poorly understood. Diuretics are widely used to control volume status and blood pressure in CKD patients but are also known to have important effects on renal calcium handling, which we hypothesized could alter the risk of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Methods. We examined the relationship of diuretic treatment with urinary calcium excretion, parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and prevalence of secondary hyperparathyroidism (PTH � 65 pg/mL) in a cross-sectional study of 3616 CKD patients in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort. Results. Compared with no diuretics, treatment with loop diuretics was independently associated with higher adjusted urinary calcium (55.0 versus 39.6 mg/day; P < 0.001), higher adjusted PTH [67.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 65.2–70.7 pg/mL, versus 52.8, 95% CI 51.1–54.6 pg/mL, P < 0.001] and greater odds of secondary hyperparathyroidism (odds ratio 2.1; 95% CI 1.7–2.6). Thiazide monotherapy was associated with lower calciuria (25.5 versus 39.6 mg/day; P < 0.001) but only modestly lower PTH levels (50.0, 95% CI 47.8–52.3, versus 520.8, 95% CI 51.1–54.6 pg/mL, P ¼ 0.04) compared with no diuretics. However, coadministration of thiazide and loop diuretics was associated with blunted urinary calcium (30.3 versus 55.0 mg/day; P <0.001) and odds of hyperparathyroidism (odds ratio 1.3 versus 2.1; P for interaction ¼ 0.05) compared with loop diuretics alone. Conclusions. Loop diuretic use was associated with greater calciuria, PTH levels and odds of secondary hyperparathyroidism compared to no treatment. These associations were attenuated in patients who were coadministered thiazides. Diuretic choice is a potentially modifiable determinant of secondary hyperparathyroidism in CKD.
Comparison of two different PNN training approaches for satellite cloud data classification

Presents a training algorithm for probabilistic neural networks (PNN) using the minimum classification error (MCE) criterion. A comparison is made between the MCE training scheme and the widely used maximum likelihood (ML) learning on a cloud classification problem using satellite imagery data.
A Home-Visiting Diabetes Prevention and Management Program for American Indian Youth: The Together on Diabetes Trial.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a family-based, home-visiting diabetes prevention/management intervention for American Indian (AI) youth with or at risk for type 2 d...
Lineations on the Ross Sea Continental Shelf, Antarctica

Ross Sea is a broad embayment, approximately 1500 km wide and 900 km long, on the Antarctic coast (Fig. 1). Depths range from less than 300 m to greater than 1200 m and average in excess of 500 m. Bathymetry is dominated by a series of roughly northeast-southwest ridges and troughs. The continental shelf is foredeepened; the inner shelf is deeper than the outer shelf due to a combination of enhanced glacial scour and isostatic loading. Repeated expansion of the East and West Antarctic ice sheets is interpreted to have modified the continental shelf. The records of the most recent glacial expansions are preserved in the surficial features and sedimentary deposits of the Ross Sea floor.
Spatial Analysis for the Social Sciences

Part I. General Topics: 1. The social sciences and spatial analysis 2. Defining neighbors via a spatial weights matrix 3. Spatial autocorrelation and statistical inference 4. Diagnosing spatial dependence 5. Diagnosing spatial dependence in the presence of covariates 6. Spatial lag and spatial error models 7. Spatial heterogeneity Part II. Advanced Topics: 8. Time-series-cross-section (TSCS) and panel data models 9. Advanced spatial models 10. Conclusion Part III. Appendices on Implementing Spatial Analyses: 11. Getting data ready for a spatial analysis 12. Spatial software 13. Web resources for spatial analysis 14. Glossary.
Strong Metal–Support Interactions Enhance the Activity and Durability of Platinum Supported on Tantalum-Modified Titanium Dioxide Electrocatalysts

Rutile phase tantalum-modified titanium oxide (Ta0.3Ti0.7O2) was synthesized and studied using electrochemical and spectroscopic methods to evaluate its efficacy as a corrosion-resistant electrocatalyst support material. A 20 wt % Pt supported on Ta0.3Ti0.7O2 catalyst was prepared and compared in terms of activity and stability against a 20 wt % Pt supported on Vulcan XC-72R carbon catalyst (20% Pt/C; synthesized in-house) and a 46 wt % Pt/C commercially sourced catalyst (Tanaka KK). Catalysts 20% Pt/Ta0.3Ti0.7O2, 20% Pt/C, and 46% Pt/C possessed electrochemically active surface areas (ECSAs) of 60, 57, and 65 m2 g–1, respectively, and mass activities for the oxygen reduction reaction (at 0.9 V vs RHE) of 185, 148, and 224 mA mg–1Pt, respectively, as evaluated in an operating polymer electrolyte fuel cell. Accelerated stability tests (ASTs) were performed on membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in an operating fuel cell to investigate both support and platinum catalyst stability. The loss in voltage at a ...
Nonlinear Response of Metallodielectric Stacks

We report simulations of third-order response and Z-scan experiments in heterogeneous metallodielectric stacks (MDSs) where nonlinear absorption is dominant. Experimental results on two MDS samples are examined at selected frequencies and correlated with optical features.
Comparative effectiveness of one-stage versus two-stage basilic vein transposition arteriovenous fistulas

Abstract Objective Basilic vein transposition (BVT) fistulas may be performed as either a one-stage or two-stage operation, although there is debate as to which technique is superior. This study was designed to evaluate the comparative clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of one-stage vs two-stage BVT. Methods We identified all patients at a single large academic hospital who had undergone creation of either a one-stage or two-stage BVT between January 2007 and January 2015. Data evaluated included patient demographics, comorbidities, medication use, reasons for abandonment, and interventions performed to maintain patency. Costs were derived from the literature, and effectiveness was expressed in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). We analyzed primary and secondary functional patency outcomes as well as survival during follow-up between one-stage and two-stage BVT procedures using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank tests. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was used to determine cost savings. Results We identified 131 patients in whom 57 (44%) one-stage BVT and 74 (56%) two-stage BVT fistulas were created among 8 different vascular surgeons during the study period that each performed both procedures. There was no significant difference in the mean age, male gender, white race, diabetes, coronary disease, or medication profile among patients undergoing one- vs two-stage BVT. After fistula transposition, the median follow-up time was 8.3 months (interquartile range, 3-21 months). Primary patency rates of one-stage BVT were 56% at 12-month follow-up, whereas primary patency rates of two-stage BVT were 72% at 12-month follow-up. Patients undergoing two-stage BVT also had significantly higher rates of secondary functional patency at 12 months (57% for one-stage BVT vs 80% for two-stage BVT) and 24 months (44% for one-stage BVT vs 73% for two-stage BVT) of follow-up ( P P = .5) to maintain patency. These findings were confirmed in multivariate analysis, in which two-stage BVTs were associated with a significantly lower rate of failure (hazard ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.8; P Conclusions Our data show that two-stage BVTs are more durable and cost-effective than one-stage procedures, with significantly higher patency and lower rates of failure among comparable risk-stratified patients. These findings suggest that additional upfront costs and resources associated with creating two-stage BVTs are justified by their long-term outcomes.
Target Tissue Influences on Cholinergic Development of Parasympathetic Motor Neurons

The normal function of neurons in the nervous system depends upon the orderly formation and maintenance of appropriate connections with other neurons and with non-neural target tissues. Knowledge of these processes is thus basic to our understanding of the biology and physiology of the nervous system, and the sequelae to insult or dysfunction among the interacting elements.
Regulation of bone and cartilage by adenosine signaling

There is growing recognition that bone serves important endocrine and immunologic functions that are compromised in several disease states. While many factors are known to affect bone metabolism, recent attention has focused on investigating the role of purinergic signaling in bone formation and regulation. Adenosine is a purine nucleoside produced intracellularly and extracellularly in response to stimuli such as hypoxia and inflammation, which then interacts with P1 receptors. Numerous studies have suggested that these receptors play a pivotal role in osteoblast, osteoclast, and chondrocyte differentiation and function. This review discusses the various ways by which adenosine signaling contributes to bone and cartilage homeostasis, while incorporating potential therapeutic applications of these signaling pathways.
The Evolution of Alfred Marshall’s Economic Thought and Writings over the Years 1867–90

Alfred Marshall’s career between 1865 and 1890 falls into three distinct phases. First came the years of apprenticeship, 1865 to 1877, which spanned the interval between his degree and the resignation upon marriage of his College Fellowship and Lectureship in Cambridge. Second were the years 1877 to 1885 of his exile from Cambridge — spent partly in Bristol, where he became the Principal of the nursling University College, and partly in Oxford, where he succeeded Arnold Toynbee at Balliol as Tutor to the Probationers for the Indian Civil Service. The final phase followed his return to Cambridge as Professor of Political Economy in January 1885. This last phase culminated in the publication in 1890 of Marshall’s Principles of Economics, Volume One which cemented his lasting reputation and held Anglo-Saxon economics in its thrall for almost half a century.
THE OVOMUCOID GENE ORGANIZATION, STRUCTURE AND REGULATION

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the ovomucoid gene organization, structure, and regulation. The molecular mechanism by which steroid hormones regulate specific gene expression has been an area of acute interest. One attractive model system for studying this hormonal regulation has been the hen oviduct. Administration of estrogen to the newborn chick stimulates oviduct growth and differentiation and results in the appearance of a number of new specific intracellular proteins. The synthesis of one of these proteins, ovalbumin, has been studied. Ovalbumin mRNA has been purified and a full-length dsDNA copy synthesized and cloned in a bacterial plasmid. Moreover, ovalbumin genomic DNA sequences have been isolated from restriction enzyme digests of hen DNA and cloned. The chapter discusses the cloning of the ovomucoid structural gene sequence. It also describes the synthesis and cloning of a complementary DNA copy and identification of an ovomucoid structural gene clone And discusses a partial restriction map of pOM100.
Western Governors University's assessment quality rubrics: high standards for assessments in CBE programs

Background All students deserve high-quality assessments that are balanced and reliable. For CBE programs in particular, assessments serve a key function in enabling students to demonstrate their competence and thereby advance through a curriculum at their own pace. Aims This article presents two assessment quality rubrics that Western Governors University (WGU) has used effectively to guide the high-quality development and maintenance of assessments across academic fields. The rubrics are offered to be of use to others in the field, specifically to assist CBE programs in establishing and maintaining high standards of assessment quality. Methods The standards presented in the rubrics were developed by a wide range of faculty, assessment developers, psychometricians, industry experts, and others working together at WGU to establish a shared understanding of quality. Findings The two rubrics presented are similar overall, but have some differences. The first is designed for objective assessments: those whose scoring is automated in some way. The second rubric is designed for performance assessments: those whose scoring is completed by people (often with the use of a rubric), usually in relation to presentations or projects. Conclusion CBE programs have become increasingly prevalent over the past several years. As these programs continue to grow, it is crucial that the field maintain high standards of quality.
Compression-Shear Waves in Arkansas Novaculite

By far, the majority of experiments which are conducted to measure material properties at high stresses through the mechanism of shock waves involve the production of plane longitudinal type disturbances. However, these conventional techniques are insufficient to calculate the complete equation of state; they yield only those volume-energy states reachable through longitudinal shock waves, namely the Hugoniot relation, PH(V,E). Temperatures on this curve cannot presently be measured but must be calculated by assuming values of other thermodynamic parameters such as the Gruneisen parameter and the specific heat [1,2]. Acoustic wave velocities at high pressure must also be calculated indirectly under similar conditions. Perhaps most significantly, however, these type of experiments provide no simultaneous knowledge of shear wave speeds in a high pressure environment even though these velocities provide some of the most direct knowledge of the earth’s interior.
Mechanical properties and optimization of the aging of a dilute Al-Sc-Er-Zr-Si alloy with a high Zr/Sc ratio

Abstract Precipitation strengthening behavior during aging of an Al-0.014Sc-0.008Er-0.08Zr-0.10Si (at.%) alloy was investigated utilizing microhardness, electrical conductivity and scanning electron microscopy. This new composition, with a Sc/Zr ratio (in at.%) smaller than 1/5 represents a significant reduction of the alloy's cost, when compared to more usual Al-0.06Sc (at.%) based alloys with typical Sc/Zr ratios of 3. The research presented herein focuses on identifying the optimal homogenization duration at 640 °C and additionally the temperature range at which a single-step aging treatment will achieve the highest possible microhardness in the shortest time. Due to a compromise between dissolution of Er-Si rich primary precipitates, homogenization of the Zr distribution and precipitation of large Al3Zr precipitates, 8 h at 640 °C appears to be the optimal homogenization duration for this alloy, leading to an hardness of 571 ± 22 MPa after aging for 24 h at 400 °C. To study the precipitation behavior of this low-Sc concentration alloy, isochronal aging to 575 °C with two different heating rates was performed. The small Sc concentration, compensated by a high Zr concentration, permits the alloy to achieve a similar peak microhardness during isochronal aging (587 ± 20 MPa) as the corresponding Sc-richer and Zr-leaner alloys. The isochronal aging experiments permits us to identify the best aging temperature as between 350 and 425 °C.
Aged communities and health-care reform attitudes in the United States of America

Older adults and baby boomers have been more opposed than supportive of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but what about older adults living in aged communities? The aged community is a social context that is important for understanding individuals' political attitudes and behaviours. We know that social contexts often constrain the information available within the community. Also recent work indicates that this happens with the aged social context as well. Older adults living among concentrations of their peers are more politically knowledgeable than older adults without the same neighbourhood context. I hypothesise that older adults living in aged communities will be more supportive of the ACA than their peers without the same context because they know more about the ACA and its age-related benefits. To test this hypothesis, I use data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Studies for the years 2009–2012 and assess whether the aged context has had an impact on residents' attitudes towards health-care reform, the ACA, specifically. I find that older residents of aged communities are more likely to report supportive attitudes in 2010 and 2012 than older residents of communities without a significant older adult presence. There is no statistically significant aged context effect in 2009 and 2011.
Aspects of PDEs related to fluid flows

In the first part of the notes we discuss the problem of long-time behavior of some infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian system from the point of view of statistical mechanics. In the second part we discuss the issue of well-posedness of the Leray-Hopf weak solutions in the energy space in the context of recent developments concerning scale-invariant solutions.
Domain Wall Collision-Induced Spin Waves

A series of micromagnetic simulations are conducted whereby two transverse domain walls are injected into a straight magnetic nanowire under an applied field. It is found that, based on the relative orientation of the domain walls, the two may annihilate, resulting in the generation of an intense spin-wave burst. Since the applied magnetic fields for these simulations are smaller than the Walker breakdown field, these results present an extremely low-energy means of generating and controlling spin waves for engineering applications.
Interactions between empathy and resting heart rate in early adolescence predict violent behavior in late adolescence and early adulthood

Background Although resting heart rate (RHR) and empathy are independently and negatively associated with violent behavior, relatively little is known about the interplay between these psychophysiological and temperament-related risk factors. Methods Using a sample of 160 low-income, racially diverse men followed prospectively from infancy through early adulthood, this study examined whether RHR and empathy during early adolescence independently and interactively predict violent behavior and related correlates in late adolescence and early adulthood. Results Controlling for child ethnicity, family income, and child antisocial behavior at age 12, empathy inversely predicted moral disengagement and juvenile petitions for violent crimes, while RHR was unrelated to all measures of violent behavior. Interactive effects were also evident such that among men with lower but not higher levels of RHR, lower empathy predicted increased violent behavior, as indexed by juvenile arrests for violent offenses, peer-reported violent behavior at age 17, self-reported moral disengagement at age 17, and self-reported violent behavior at age 20. Conclusions Implications for prevention and intervention are considered. Specifically, targeting empathic skills among individuals at risk for violent behavior because of specific psychophysiological profiles may lead to more impactful interventions.
Carcinoma of the urethra

Primary carcinomas of the urethra are rare and poorly understood lesions; hence, their clinical and pathologic spectrum is not completely defined. We analyzed a series of 130 primary urethral tumors and classified 106 of them as primary urethral carcinomas. The age at diagnosis of patients with primary urethral carcinomas ranged from 42 to 97 years (mean, 69.4 years; median, 70 years). There were 73 male and 33 female patients with a ratio of 2.2:1. In male patients, the tumors most frequently developed in the bulbous-membranous segment of the urethra. In female patients, the entire length of the urethra was typically involved. Microscopically, they were poorly differentiated carcinomas with hybrid squamous and urothelial features and developed from precursor intraepithelial conditions such as dysplasia and carcinoma in situ, which were frequently present in the adjacent urethral mucosa. High-risk human papilloma virus infection could be documented in 31.6% of these tumors. Follow-up information was available for 95 patients. Twenty-three patients died of the disease with a mean and median survival of 39 and 21 months, respectively. Urethral carcinomas are aggressive tumors with a high propensity for regional and distant metastases with mean and median survival of 39 and 21 months, respectively. Our observations have important implications for the management of patients with primary carcinoma of the urethra by defining them as a unique entity linked to human papilloma virus infection.
Foreclosure Sale and House Value: Correlation or Causation?

Despite the financial crisis that erupted in the last decade precipitated by the unprecedented number of foreclosure sales in various parts of the world, there seem to be a paucity of machine learning literatures on this important subject. Using dataset of single family houses from the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) repository, we developed a machine learning investigation of the bubbled and busted real estate market spanning 11 years. Our anatomy of the real estate market crisis was based on the impact of foreclosure sales on the value of real estate properties. A detailed analysis will benefit homeowners, government and real estate investors. Stationarity test for the experiment was based on Augmented Dickey-Fuller, Durbin-Watson, Kwiatkowski, Philips, Schmidt & Shin (KPSS) and Portmanteau tests. Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Final Prediction Error Criterion (FPE), Hannan-Quinn Criterion (HQ) and Schwarz-Bayes Criterion (SBC) were used for optimization criteria for Granger regression model. Using Autocorrelation Function (ACF), Partial Autocorrelation Function (PACF), time series regression, and Granger Causality, we argue that there exists strong evidence that foreclosure sales have a statistical relationship with changes in standard sales, however, no evidence was found for a causal effect.
Genomic Applications in Hematologic Oncology

Molecular applications for the diagnosis and treatment of hematologic malignancies are front and center in the field of genomic medicine. Single gene and whole chromosome assays are currently used in routine clinical practice to diagnose and monitor hematologic malignancies, and newer testing modalities such as array comparative genomic hybridization, single nucleotide polymorphism arrays, and next generation sequencing are on the cusp of broad clinical implementation. This chapter focuses on traditional and cutting-edge diagnostic molecular applications in hematologic oncology and addresses some of the assay limitations and diagnostic challenges of which pathologists, laboratory directors, molecular technologists and technicians, and clinicians should be aware.
Applying the Precaution Adoption Process Model to the Acceptance of Mine Safety and Health Technologies.

Mineworkers are continually introduced to protective technologies on the job. Yet, their perceptions toward the technologies are often not addressed until they are actively trying to use them, which may halt safe technology adoption and associated work practices. This study explored management and worker perspectives toward three technologies to forecast adoption and behavioral intention on the job. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 21 mineworkers and 19 mine managers to determine the adoption process stage algorithm for workers and managers, including perceived barriers to using new safety and health technologies. Differences between workers and managers were revealed in terms of readiness, perceptions, and initial trust in using technologies. Workers, whether they had or had not used a particular technology, still had negative perceptions toward its use in the initial introduction and integration at their mine site, indicating a lengthy time period needed for full adoption. The key finding from these results is that a carefully considered and extended introduction of technology for workers in Stage 3 (undecided to act) is most important to promote progression to Stage 5 (decided to act) and to avoid Stage 4 (decided not to act). In response, organizational management may need to account for workers’ particular stage algorithm, using the Precaution Adoption Process Model, to understand how to tailor messages about protective technologies, administer skill-based trainings and interventions that raise awareness and knowledge, and ultimately encourage safe adoption of associated work practices.
Pulsed laser remelting of A384 aluminum, part II: Modeling of surface homogenization and topographical effects

Abstract A simulation model is developed for pulsed laser remelting that captures the homogenization of surface chemical composition and height variations that occur due to silicon (Si) precipitates in a hypereutectic aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) casting alloy. The model simulates remelting pulse-by-pulse with two sequential and repeated steps: it first predicts surface homogenization by areal averaging within a laser spot and then generates and adds a surface feature, due to thermocapillary flow, whose size depends on the concentration of Si within the homogenized spot. Compositional data of remelted lines was collected with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and used to verify the homogenization step of the simulation model. It was found that Si precipitates get redistributed by the laser with the peak in Si concentration occurring in the direction opposite that of beam travel. Height data from remelted lines were measured using white light interferometry to verify the accuracy of the remelting model in simulating surface topographical modifications. It was found that variations of approximately ± 1 μm are induced in the Al-Si alloy during pulsed laser remelting due to the Si proeutectic precipitates. This is attributed to differences in laser absorption of Si and Al. Because the Si precipitates absorb more energy from the laser, they experience higher temperatures and temperature gradients, which cause larger thermocapillary flow. The results provide insights into approaches to model surface compositional homogenization that occurs during laser remelting and provides an understanding of surface microstructural and topographical features often seen in laser polished Al-Si casting alloys.
Functional studies on the anti-pathoangiogenic properties of CM101

Group B streptococcus (GBS) isolated from human neonates diagnosed with sepsis and respiratory distress produces a polysaccharide exotoxin (CM101) which has been previously described as GBS toxin. CM101 infused i.v. into tumor-bearing mice causes rapid tumor neovascularitis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, inhibition of tumor growth and tumor apoptosis. CM101 has successfully completed phase I studies in refractory cancer patients with very encouraging results. We have now demonstrated a mechanism of action for CM101. Using a normal mouse tumor model, we have examined tumor and normal tissues which were harvested at 0, 5, 15, 30 and 60 min post-infusion of either CM101 or dextran. We present evidence that CM101 is rapidly (within the first 5 min) bound to the tumor neovasculature. Complement is activated by the alternative pathway (C3) and leukocytes start to infiltrate the tumor within the first 5 min. Through RT-PCR and immunohistochemical techniques, we demonstrate that proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, are up-regulated in infiltrating leukocytes and TNF receptor 2 is up-regulated in the targeted tumor neovasculature. Combined, these events constitute possible explanations for the observed pathophysiology of tumor ablation.
Concordance Between Tumor and Germline DNA

Germline DNA (e.g., blood, mouthwash) is the most readily accessible source of material for the identification of pharmacogenetic markers for therapy selection. However, the cancer genome is altered by many processes that could affect the expression of functional alleles in the tumor. Consequently the utility of the germline genome to predict the tumor genome is under question. Studies have suggested strong concordance between the germline and tumor genotype profiles for pharmacogenetic markers. However, genotype is only one factor involved in tumor response to chemotherapy and mechanisms such as chromosome amplification and loss, copy number variation, microsatellite instability, chromosome instability and epigenetic variation (methylation) need to be taken into account.
Mechanism of Radical Initiation in the Radical S-Adenosyl-l-methionine Superfamily.

ConspectusThe seeds for recognition of the vast superfamily of radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzymes were sown in the 1960s, when Joachim Knappe found that the dissimilation of pyruvate was dependent on SAM and Fe(II), and Barker and co-workers made similar observations for lysine 2,3-aminomutase. These intriguing observations, coupled with the evidence that SAM and Fe were cofactors in radical catalysis by these enzyme systems, drew us in the 1990s to explore how Fe(II) and SAM initiate radical reactions. Our early work focused on the same enzyme Knappe had originally characterized: the pyruvate formate-lyase activating enzyme (PFL-AE). Our discovery of an iron–sulfur cluster in this enzyme, together with similar findings for other SAM-dependent enzymes at the time, led to the recognition of an emerging class of enzymes that use iron–sulfur clusters to cleave SAM, liberating the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical (5′-dAdo•) that initiates radical reactions. A major bioinformatics study by Heidi Sofia and c...
Acute stress modifies oscillatory indices of affective processing: Insight on the pathophysiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Abstract Objective The current study evaluated the differential impact of acute psychosocial stress exposure on oscillatory correlates of affective processing in control participants and patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SCZ) to elucidate the stress-mediated pathway to psychopathology. Methods EEG was recorded while 21 control participants and 21 patients with SCZ performed emotional framing tasks (assessing a key aspect of emotion regulation (ER)) before and after a laboratory stress challenge (Trier Social Stress Test). EEG spectral perturbations evoked in response to neutral and aversive stimuli (presented with positive or negative contextual cues) were extracted in theta (4–8 Hz) and beta (12–30 Hz) frequencies. Results Patients demonstrated aberrant theta and beta oscillatory activity, with impaired frontal theta-mediated framing and beta-derived motivated attention processes relative to controls. Following stress exposure, controls exhibited impaired frontal theta-mediated emotional framing, similar to the oscillatory profile observed in patients before stress. Conclusions The acute stress-induced oscillatory changes observed in controls were persistently present in patients, indicating an inefficiency of fronto-limbic adaptation to stress exposure. Significance Results provide novel insight on the electrophysiological correlates of arousal and affect regulation, which are core homogeneous symptom dimensions shared across neuropsychiatric disorders, and shed light on putative mechanisms in the translation of stress into psychopathology.
Satellite Tracking of Radioactive Shipments — High Technology Solution to Tough Institutional Problems

Four troublesome institutional issues face every large-quantity radioactive materials shipment: Routing: Where is the shipment going and how is it getting there? Pre-notification: States want to know what is being shipped and when? Emergency Response: What kind of response to accidents is needed for this shipment and who will respond? Transportation Management: Optimizing use of the vehicle on packages transporting materials.
Hegemony in Social Media and the effect of recommendations

As today’s media landscape is carved by social media endorsements and built on automated recommendations, both of these are often criticized for inducing vicious dynamics, such as the filter bubble effect, echo chamber, or polarization. We introduce a new model featuring a mild version of homophily and two well-known popularity dynamics. These broadly reproduce the organic activity and the algorithmic filtering, respectively, of which the latter is now commonplace within social media or other online services. Surprisingly, we show this is all that is needed to create hegemony: a single viewpoint (or side) not only receives undue attention, but it also captures all the attention given to “top trending” items.