cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential Therapeutic Applications of Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides in the Treatment of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cell growth may be inhibited by exposure to antisense (AS) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN). Our initial studies targeted the c-myb protooncogene and were carried out on cells derived from patients in CML blast crisis. Subsequently, we extended these studies to cells isolated from patients in chronic disease phase. We found that c-myb AS ODN inhibited growth of CML CFU-GM in a dose dependent, sequence specific manner in approximately 75% of cases evaluated. Bcr-abl expression was either greatly decreased or nondetectable in the residual colonies and no residual leukemic CFU were demonstrable upon re-plating of treated cells. AS ODN that target the c-kit protooncogene also inhibit CML CFU and lead to downregulation of bcr-abl in responding cells in approximately 50% of cases. Therefore, AS ODN may prove to be useful purging agents. Most recently, we have treated SCID mice engrafted with bcr-abl expressing human K562 cell leukemia with phosphorothioate modified AS ODN. We have found that treated mice survive three to eight times longer than their untreated or sense treated controls. In aggregate, these results suggest that AS ODN may prove useful for both ex vivo and in vivo treatment of patients with CML.
The Impact of Counselor Recovery Status Similarity on Perceptions of Attractiveness With Members of Alcoholics Anonymous: An Exception to the Repulsion Hypothesis

This study explores the impact of counselor alcoholism recovery status on perceptions of recovering alcoholics who are active members of Alcoholics Anonymous. The participants (n = 116) were given a description of an analogue counselor and rated this counselor using the Counselor Rating Form—Short. There were three forms of the analogue counselor description: similarly perceived recovering, dissimilarly perceived non-recovering, and control. The similarly perceived recovering counselor was viewed more positively than the control. No statistically significant differences were found between the dissimilarity and control conditions. These results are discussed in terms of support for Rosenbaum's repulsion hypothesis of interpersonal relationship development.
Dilute solution properties of flexible polymers in toluene: A comparison of commercially available photometers

Dilute solution properties of polystyrene and poly(α-methylstyrene) in toluene have been measured using several of the commercially available instruments for intensity light scattering. Results are compared among the instruments used and with literature values. Relative advantages and disadvantages of the instruments are discussed.
The Antioxidant Functions of Tocopherol and Tocotrienol Homologues in Oils, Fats, and Food Systems

This review paper is focused on the relative antioxidant activities of tocopherols and tocotrienols in oils and fats and certain food systems. α-Tocopherol generally showed better antioxidant activity than γ-tocopherol in fats and oils, but at higher concentrations γ-tocopherol was found to be a more active antioxidant. The results of studies on the optimum antioxidant concentrations of tocopherols in oils and fats indicated that the optimal level for α-tocopherol is usually lower than other tocopherols, meaning less α-tocopherol is needed for maximum antioxidant protection. There are comparatively very few studies related to the antioxidant activities of tocotrienols in oils and fats. It has been stated that generally γ-tocotrienol has higher antioxidant effect than α-tocotrienol, and tocotrienols may be better antioxidants than their corresponding tocopherols in certain oils and fats systems. Studies on the antioxidant activity of various tocopherols in food systems are varied and cannot be uniformly evaluated because experiments have generally focused on different foods and used various methods for the detection of antioxidant activities. Depending on the food system, in certain cases tocopherols were better antioxidants than synthetic antioxidants such as butylhydroxy toluene (BHT) or butylhydroxy anisole (BHA). However, in certain other food systems the synthetic antioxidants were more effective to increase the shelf life and the stability of foods than those containing tocopherols.
Unspliced Rous Sarcoma Virus Genomic RNAs Are Translated and Subjected to Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay before Packaging

Retroviruses package full-length, unspliced RNAs into progeny virions as dimerized RNA genomes. They also use unspliced RNAs as mRNAs to produce the gag and pol gene products. We asked whether a single Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) RNA can be translated and subsequently packaged or whether genomic packaging requires a nontranslated population of RNAs. We addressed this issue by utilizing the translation-dependent nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway. NMD is the selective destruction of mRNAs bearing premature termination codons (PTCs). The pathway has been shown to be associated with splicing in higher eukaryotes. Here, we demonstrate that both translation and the cellular factor Upf1 are required for the decay of unspliced, PTC-bearing RSV RNA by the NMD pathway. To address the relationship between RNA translation and packaging, we examined virus produced in cells cotransfected with PTC-bearing retroviral clones and wild-type viral clones. We observed that PTC-bearing transcripts are packaged into viral particles at levels three- to fivefold less than those of control RNAs. Since PTC-mediated degradation requires translation, we conclude that RSV can package progeny virion particles using previously translated RNAs.
Lack of Enhanced Spinal Regeneration in Nogo-Deficient Mice

The failure of regeneration of severed axons in the adult mammalian central nervous system is thought to be due partly to the presence of endogenous inhibitors of axon regeneration. The nogo gene encodes three proteins (Nogo-A, -B, and -C) that have been proposed to contribute to this inhibition. To determine whether deletion of nogo enhances regenerative ability, we generated two lines of mutant mice, one lacking Nogo-A and -B but not -C (Nogo-A/B mutant), and one deficient in all three isoforms (Nogo-A/B/C mutant). Although Nogo-A/B-deficient myelin has reduced inhibitory activity in a neurite outgrowth assay in vitro, tracing of corticospinal tract fibers after dorsal hemisection of the spinal cord did not reveal an obvious increase in regeneration or sprouting of these fibers in either mouse line, suggesting that elimination of Nogo alone is not sufficient to induce extensive axon regeneration.
Is oxytocin-induced grooming mediated by uterine-like receptors?

Abstract In this study, we examined whether the mechanisms mediating the induction of grooming behavior by oxytocin (OT) is similar to mechanisms mediating the effects of OT on uterine contractility. Sprague-Dawley strain female rats were injected intracerebroventricularly (ICV) with OT or OT analogues and then were observed for grooming behaviors 25 minutes later for 30 minutes. The uterotonic analogue deamino-OT injected ICV at equimolar doses to 1 μg OT significantly elevated grooming scores although less than did OT. Other agonist analogues were not effective in inducing an increase in grooming behavior. The simultaneous ICV injection of the analogue [Pen 1 , Phe 2 , Thr 4 , Δ 3 , 4 Pro 7 , Orn 8 ]-OT, which blocked the effects of OT on uterine contractility, also blocked the effect of OT on grooming behavior. Injection of the same dose of this antagonist analogue did not affect the increased grooming behavior after AVP injection. Pretreatment with 5 mg/kg of the prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor indomethacin significantly inhibited OT-induced grooming. We have concluded from these data that the mechanism underlying the effect of OT on grooming is similar to its effects on uterine contractility in some respects. However, observations that the OT antagonist analogue blocked OT-but not AVP-induced grooming may suggest that more than one receptor or mechanism exists by which nonapeptides initiate excessive grooming.
From LCME probation to compliance: the Marshall University Joan C Edwards School of Medicine experience

The Joan C Edwards School of Medicine (Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA) was placed on probation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) in June 2011. In the following 2 years, extensive changes were made to address the numerous citations that resulted in this probation. In October 2013, the LCME lifted probation. In this article, we detail the challenges and solutions identified relevant to our struggle with compliance.
Monolithic piezoelectric in-plane motion stage with low cross-axis-coupling

We present a rotary dither stage that can provide rotation stimulus to objects mounted on it. The stage is in planar form-factor allowing compatibility with planar packages that can house both the stage and the inertial sensor. We used laser micromachining of bulk PZT-4 plates to form PZT beams to achieve monolithic integration of lateral actuators and flexures. This process enables high-aspect ratio PZT beams (500μm thick, 150μm wide) resulting in high out-of-plane stiffness, helping in reducing the out-of-plane motion to parts-per-thousand of the inplane motion. The micro stage technology opens up a new design space of 100-micron scale lateral bimorphs for mm-scale stages with large motion. A dither stage was designed and fabricated that can achieve in plane dither of ~ 1.2 millidegree/V and dither rates up to 1800 degree/s. Low dither rates of 20-60 millidegree/s are demonstrated and measured.
Anthrax: modern exposure science combats a deadly, ancient disease

We now have the technology to detect and quantify anthrax toxin levels. This technology has tremendous promise for diagnosis at very early stages of disease and monitoring the efficacy of treatments, including those for disease arising from anthrax-related terrorist events.
Reaction of sulfur dioxide with Ni(1 0 0) and Ni(1 0 0)-p(2 × 2)-O

Abstract XPS, TPD, LEED and STM have been used to probe the interaction between sulfur dioxide and the Ni(1 0 0) and Ni(1 0 0)-p(2 × 2)-O surfaces. On Ni(1 0 0) at 300 K SO 2 disproportionates according to 2SO 2 → S(a) + SO 3 (a) + O(a). Sulfur and sulfite occupy sites in a p(2 × 2) arrangement, while oxygen adsorbs into c(2 × 2) domains amid Ni chains of ( n √2 × 2√2) R 45°/(2√2 × n √2) R 45° ( n = 7–12) periodicity that are presumed to be due to segregation of oxygen to the subsurface. On Ni(1 0 0)-p(2 × 2)-O at 300 K SO 2 (a) reacts with O(a) to form SO 3 (a). Sulfite adsorbs into p(2 × 2) islands encompassed by c(2 × 2)-O. TPD measurements with 18 O are suggestive of a monodentate sulfite binding configuration.
Environmental influences on drinking by college students in a college pub: Behavioral observation in the natural environment☆

Abstract Eighty-two men and women were observed while they were drinking beer at the Douglass-Cook pub, a University-sponsored beer parlor. Males drank significantly more than females; drinkers, male and female, drank more in groups than in dyads. Males and drinkers in groups drank faster than females or drinkers in dyads. Same-sexed dyads were associated with less rapid beer consumption than mixed-sex dyads. These data suggest strongly that the environment within which drinking occurs plays an important role in the nature and extent of that drinking.
A new heuristic algorithm for capacity planning in a manufacturing facility under learning

In this paper, a new and efficient heuristic algorithm is presented to determine the production capacity in a new facility under the effect of learning. Different demand patterns are studied while deciding the capacity requirements. Further, the learning effects due to human-machine interaction often found in a manufacturing system are considered during the development of the model. A computer program is developed and interfaced with XMP software on a Sun 3/60 workstation. Several numerical examples are presented to illustrate the heuristic algorithm.
An electron spin resonance probe method for the understanding of petroleum asphaltene macrostructure

Molecularly, petroleum asphaltenes are induced dipoles, which agglomerate into nanometer-sized colloids of different aggregation states. The electron spin resonance (ESR) vanadyl probe method is used to investigate the asphaltene macrostructures under different temperatures and microwave powers. Oxovanadium complexes native to an asphaltene isolated from Boscan crude oil, Venezuela, function as tracers to examine the behavior of micelle agglomerates when subjected to a microwave field. Both mobile and bounded oxovanadium compounds in colloidal asphaltene solution are in a state of equilibrium. It is noted that a greater amount of mobile vanadyl complexes can be stabilized in a dispersing medium (single-aromatic ring solvent series) with a higher-valued Hansen hydrogen bonding solubility parameter. We found that conversion of ESR vanadyl hyperfine lines occurs from anisotropic to isotropic as the temperature of a 4% Boscan asphaltene solution in o-xylene increased from 25°C to 100°C. Free tumbling of total vanadyl complexes in organic solvent signifies dissociation of micelles at packing imperfections prior to their release from aromatic hosts. Coupling of petroleum asphaltenes with microwave power can overcome charge transfer and charge balance interactions within micelle agglomerates. The relative content of mobile to bounded vanadyl complexes in 4% Boscan asphaltene solution of o-xylene was found to increase with microwave power at 45°C. Microwave energy will enable effective dispersion of colloidal asphaltene in heavy oil refining and upgrading.
Nonparametric regression with heteroscedastic long memory errors

Abstract This paper discusses the estimation of regression and variance functions in nonparametric heteroscedastic regression models with long memory moving average errors and uniform nonrandom design on the unit interval. The consistency and the finite dimensional weak convergence of these estimators are established. For the regression function estimators, the asymptotic normality is established for all values of the long memory parameter 1 2 H 1 ; while for the variance function estimators, the asymptotic normality is proved for 1 2 H 3 4 , nonnormality for 3 4 H 1 . The paper also establishes the uniform convergence rate of the regression function estimators to be ( nb ) 1 - H / log n for all 1 2 H 1 and for a large class of innovations, including bounded and Gaussian innovations, where n is the series size and b is the bandwidth used in estimating the regression function. Additionally, the local Whittle estimator of H based on standardized nonparametric residuals is shown to be log ( n ) -consistent and the finite dimensional distributions of the studentized versions of the regression function estimators are shown to be asymptotically normal. These results thus generalize some of the results of Robinson to heteroscedastic regression models with long memory moving average errors.
A Review of Recent Results on Superhydrophobic Materials Based on Micro-and Nanofibers

Recent developments of superhydrophobic materials in which fibrous structure plays a critical role are reviewed. The role of the fibers with diameters on the length scale of nanometers to micrometers to create a surface of suitable topography is emphasized. Superhydrophobic fibrous materials are first illustrated by analogy to common plant structures in nature. Examples from the synthetic world are drawn predominantly from the literature on electrospinning. These include examples of nonwoven fibrous membranes, membranes comprising both beads and fibers, and hierarchically structured fibers. The role of "re-entrant" geometry of electrospun fibers in making robust superhydrophobic as well as oleophobic fabrics is discussed. Instances where the decoupling of fiber composition from surface chemistry permits the development of multifunctional membranes in combination with superhydrophobicity are highlighted. Finally, some examples of vertically aligned fiber arrays, excluding the extensive literature on carbon...
CAPITAL FLOWS AND EXPORT EXTERNALITIES: AN EAST ASIAN CURE FOR THE DUTCH DISEASE?*

Summary The analysis so far suggests several conclusions regarding policy under externalities in tradables production. It shows that conventional profit-maximizing solutions lead to too much investment, too much “up front” consumption, high period 1 real exchange rates, and underproduction of tradables. In this setting, it is possible that an improvement in an economy's access to foreign capital will lead to welfare losses. These distortions are most efficiently corrected by a tradables output subsidy, equal to the externality. This subsidy should be increased if the economy's access to foreign capital markets improves. In the absence of such subsidies, however, incentives to reduce investment and postpone consumption may be appropriate second-best policies. These policies, in effect, drive a wedge between rates of return on investment and foreign interest rates. Therefore the optimal policy will also require controls on foreign capital seeking to take advantage of higher interest rates at home than abroad.
Pilot-scale demonstration of the hybrid zero-valent iron process for treating flue-gas-desulfurization wastewater: part II.

The hybrid zero-valent-iron (hZVI) process is a novel chemical treatment process that has shown promise for removing heavy metals and nutrients from industrial wastewaters. In this study, a pilot-scale demonstration was conducted to continuously treat 3.8–7.6 L/min (1–2 gpm) of the flue-gas-desulfurization (FGD) wastewater at a coal-fired power plant for 5 months. In this paper, a spike test was conducted to evaluate performance of the hZVI process for removing selected toxic metals at artificially elevated concentrations. The results showed that a multiple-stage hZVI process could decrease selenate-Se from 22 mg/L to ∼10 μg/L and dissolved Hg 2+ from 1.15 mg/L to ∼10 ng/L. In addition, the process simultaneously removed a broad spectrum of heavy metals such as As(III), As(V), Cr(VI), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) from mg/L to near or sub-ppb (μg/L) level after a single-stage treatment. The process consumed about 0.3 kg ZVI per 1 m 3 FGD wastewater treated at a cost of about US$0.6/m 3 . Solid waste production and energy consumption were reasonably low. The successful pilot study demonstrated that the hZVI technology can be a low-cost, high-performance treatment platform for solving some of the toughest heavy metal water problems.
Global observation of off-great-circle propagation of long-period surface waves

SUMMARY In the current generation of global dispersion maps of surface waves, the longwavelength structure seems to be very well determined. There is general agreement in the patterns of global phase velocity anomalies up to harmonic degree 1-6. However, the shorter-wavelength structure varies significantly between published maps, and it appears that this part of the models depends strongly on the inversion technique and on the data set of surface-wave dispersion (usually phase measurements). Polarization data depend on the lateral gradient of phase velocity and hence are more sensitive to shorter-wavelength structure than phase data; thus, including these data should enhance resolution. In this paper, I demonstrate that polarization data of long-period surface waves (2 80 s), as a function of frequency, can be reliably measured using a multitaper technique. The resulting off-great-circle arrival angles of the surface-wave packets are relatively easy to interpret within a ray-theoretical framework. Our data base of threecomponent recordings is now large enough to provide useful constraints on global dispersion maps, particularly on the shorter-wavelength parts. Apart from the phase velocity model itself, a possible misorientation of the horizontal components at each station is included in a non-linear inversion as an additional independent model parameter. This gives a significant improvement in the fit to the data. Misorientations of more than 3" are probable for at least four of the 37 stations investigated.
Granzyme B is dispensable for immunologic tolerance to self in a murine model of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective. Proteolytic autoantigen cleavage by the serine protease granzyme B has been implicated in the development of systemic autoimmune disease; however, there has been no conclusive demonstration of a pathogenic role for granzyme B in autoimmunity. In this study, we evaluated the role of granzyme B in a murine model of autoimmunity. Methods. To identify potential novel granzyme B substrates, complementary DNAs encoding nuclear factor 45 (NF45) and NF90 were used to generate 35 Smethionine–labeled proteins by coupled in vitro transcription/translation. Radiolabeled proteins were then incubated with purified recombinant granzyme B or caspases, and the cleavage products were analyzed by autoradiography. We also immunized granzyme B–deficient and granzyme B–intact mice with the mineral oil pristane. Production of autoantibodies directed against granzyme B substrates in response to pristane was evaluated by Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The double-stranded RNA–binding protein NF90 was identified as a novel substrate for caspases and granzyme B, both in vitro and in vivo. NF90 is uniquely cleaved by granzyme B in vitro; however, pristane immunization still induced anti-NF90 antibodies in granzyme B–deficient mice. Pristanetreated granzyme B–deficient mice also produced antibodies directed against the U1–70-kd antigen, a previously identified granzyme B substrate. Last, antibodies directed against U1–70 kd arose spontaneously in granzyme B–deficient mice. Conclusion. These results demonstrate that granzyme B is not required for the production of autoantibodies directed against antigens that are granzyme B substrates in vitro. The data also suggest a protective role for this proapoptotic protease in systemic autoimmunity.
Acute lower extremity running kinematics after a hamstring stretch.

Context: Limited passive hamstring flexibility might affect kinematics, performance, and injury risk during running. Pre-activity static straight-leg raise stretching often is used to gain passive ...
The case for profile-directed selection of garbage collectors

Many garbage-collected systems use a single garbage collection algorithm across all applications. It has long been known that this can produce poor performance on applications for which that collector is not well suited. In some systems, such as those that execute stand-alone compiled executables, an appropriate collector for each application can be selected from a pool of available collectors and tuned by using profile information. In a study of 20 benchmarks and several collectors, compiled with the Marmot optimizing Java-to-native compiler, for every collector there was at least one benchmark that would have been at least 15% faster with a more appropriate collector. The collectors are a copying collector, a generational copying collector, which is combined with each of 4 different write barriers, and the null collector, which allocates but never collects. A detailed analysis of storage management costs shows how they vary by application and collector.
Bilateral Teleoperation Over Unreliable Communication Networks

In this brief, we propose a passivity-based framework for control of bilateral teleoperators under time-varying delays and data loss. The usual scattering formalism which guarantees passivity for any constant time delay is extended in several important ways to handle adverse network dynamics. Communication management modules (CMM) are proposed to reconstruct the scattering variables while guaranteeing passivity of the bilateral teleoperator and asymptotic stability of the master/slave velocities under time-varying delays and data losses. The results are also extended to the discrete domain, in particular to the case where communication between the master and slave robots occurs over a packet-switched network. We show that passivity can be maintained in the face of varying delay and packet loss but that it depends fundamentally on the mechanism used to handle missing packets. Our framework unifies several existing results in the continuous and discrete time domain. We develop novel algorithms for the CMM which not only preserve passivity and stability, but have been shown through experiments to improve tracking performance in a single-degree-of-freedom teleoperator system.
Pathology and Cell Proliferation Induced by Intra-nasal Instillation of Aldehydes in the Rat: Comparison of Glutaraldehyde and Formaldehyde

ABSTRAC~ The relative toxicities of formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde to the rat nasal epithelium were determined following intra-nasal instillation of aqueous solutions of these compounds into one nostril of male Fischer 344 (F-344) rats. Lesions identical in appearance to those resulting from acute inhalation exposure to formaldehyde were induced by both compounds in a concentration-dependent manner. Treatments included. India ink or 1 M methylene blue (for instillation deposition studies); sterile saline (vehicle control); 40, 200, 400, and 800 mM formaldehyde; and 10, 20, and 40 mhi glutaraldehyde. Dye-treated rats were sacrificed immediately, and nasal passages were examined to determine the localization of instilled materials. Three days after treatment, all other animals received a single ip injection of 5-bromo12'-deoxyuridine 2 hr prior to sacrifice, and the nasal passages were prepared for histopathology and cell proliferation studies. While sterile saline and 10 mhf glutaraldehydc induced no significant epithelial changes, 20 and 40 mM glutaraldehyde induced extensive lesions in the treated side of the nose. Aldehyde-induced lesions included inflammation, epithclial degeneration, respiratory epithelial hypertrophy, and squamous metaplasia in association with marked increases (3-8-fold) in labeling index for both compounds. Formaldehyde induced similar lesions but required concentrations of 200 mhi or more to elicit a toxic response. Thus, glutaraldehyde is approximately an order of magnitude more toxic to the nasal epithelium than formaldehyde. These studies also indicate that the nose is very resistant to the aldehydes studied, requiring instillation of millimolar concentrations before toxic responses occurred.
Incidence of depression in the Stirling County Study: historical and comparative perspectives.

Background. The Stirling County Study provides a 40-year perspective on the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders in an adult population in Atlantic Canada. Across samples selected in 1952, 1970 and 1992 current prevalence of depression was stable. This paper concerns time trends in annual incidence as assessed through cohorts selected from the first two samples.Methods. Consistent interview data were analysed by a computerized diagnostic algorithm. The cohorts consisted of subjects at risk for a first depression: Cohort-1 (N = 575) was followed 1952–1970; Cohort-2 (N = 639) was followed 1970–1992. Life-table methods were used to calculate incidence rates and proportional hazards procedures were used for statistical assessment.Results. Average annual incidence of depression was 4·5 per 1000 for Cohort-1 and 3·7 for Cohort- 2. Differences by gender, age and time were not statistically significant. The stability of incidence and the similarity of distribution by gender and age in these two cohorts corresponds to findings about the two early samples. In contrast, current prevalence in the recent sample was distributed differently and showed an increase among women under 45 years.Conclusions. The stability of the incidence of depression emphasizes the distinctive characteristics of current prevalence in the recent sample and suggests that the dominance of women in rates of depression may have occurred among those born after the Second World War. The results offer partial support for the interpretation of an increase in depression based on retrospective data in other recent studies but they indicate that the increase is specific to women.
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor D Is Activated by Urokinase Plasminogen Activator in Prostate Carcinoma Cells

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) protein family members are potent mitogens and chemoattractants for mesenchymal cells. The classic PDGF ligands A and B are single-domain protein chains which are secreted as active dimers capable of activating their cognate PDGF receptors (PDGFRs). In contrast to PDGFs A and B, PDGF D contains an N-terminal complement subcomponent C1r/C1s, Uegf, and Bmp1 (CUB) domain and a C-terminal PDGF domain. PDGF D must undergo extracellular proteolytic processing, separating the CUB domain from the PDGF domain, before the PDGF domain can stimulate beta-PDGFR-mediated cell signal transduction. Here, we report that prostate carcinoma cells LNCaP and PC3 autoactivate latent full-length PDGF D into its active form under serum-independent conditions and that this autoactivation is inhibited by PAI-1, a urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA)/tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) inhibitor. Interestingly, uPA, but not the closely related protease tPA, is capable of processing recombinant latent PDGF DD into the active form. We identify the uPA cleavage site between the CUB and PDGF domains of the full-length PDGF D by mutational analysis and show that PDGF D and uPA colocalize in human prostate carcinoma. This evidence provides a direct link between uPA- and PDGF D-mediated cell signaling, which may contribute to the progression of prostate cancer.
Crime in the Region of Colorado Affected By Energy Resource Development

Reported crime rates in areas of Colorado (boom towns) affected by energy resource development are compared with rates in areas not affected by such development. The findings indicate that crime rates have increased more dramatically and at faster rates in boom areas than in nonboom areas. Population growth does not appear suf ficient to explain the rise in the rates of criminal activity.
Primary care patients' reactions to mental health screening.

Objective: The authors examined whether there is empirical support for the notion that medical patients are upset by being asked questions about psychiatric disorders. Method: Six hundred and one patients attending a primary care clinic completed the SCREENER-a newly developed, brief self-administered questionnaire that surveys a broad range of psychopathology. In addition, they completed a second questionnaire that assessed their attitudes toward the SCREENER. Results: We found a high level of acceptance by patients. The questions were judged easy to answer, and they rarely aroused significant negative affect. Fewer than 2 percent of the patients judged the questions difficult to answer, and fewer than 3 percent were very much embarrassed, upset, annoyed, or uncomfortable with the questions. Individuals with a history of psychiatric treatment and poorer current mental health reacted more unfavorably to the questionnaire. Conclusions: From the patient's perspective, it is feasible and acceptable to use self-administered questionnaires for routine screening of psychiatric problems in primary care settings.
Trading Places: The Role of the United States and the European Union in International Environmental Politics

When environmental issues emerged on the international agenda in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United States was of one of the strongest and most consistent supporters of international environmental treaties and agreements. The member states of the European Union subsequently ratified all the international treaties created in this period, but U.S. leadership was crucial and European states were laggards in many cases. Since the 1990s, the political dynamics of international environmental policy have shifted, with the European Union emerging as a global environmental leader and the United States repeatedly opposing multilateral environmental agreements. The authors argue that a “regulatory politics” model that synthesizes the effects of domestic politics and international regulatory competition provides the most powerful explanation of why the United States and European Union have “traded places” with respect to their support for international environmental agreements.
Evaluation of an Automated Preanalytical Robotic Workstation at Two Academic Health Centers

Background: Purchase of automated systems in today’s clinical laboratory needs justification based on demonstrable improvements in efficiency and a sound payback model. Few studies provide information on laboratory automation that focuses on the preanalytical portion of specimen processing. Methods: We recently evaluated an automated preanalytical processing unit (GENESIS FE500) at two academic health centers. This preanalytical unit processes blood specimens through automated specimen sorting, centrifugation, decapping, labeling, aliquoting, and placement of the processed specimen in the analytical rack. We quantified the output of the FE500 by processing >3000 barcode-labeled specimens according to a protocol designed to test all of the features of this automated specimen-processing unit. Results: Depending on the batch size, aliquot number requested, and percentage of tubes that required centrifugation, the mean system output performance varied between 93 and 502 total tubes/h. Throughput increased when the batch size expanded from 40 or 100 samples (mean = 211 total tubes processed/h) to batch sizes of 200 and 300 tubes (mean = 474 total tube processed/h). The GENESIS FE500 processed specimen tubes differing in size from 13 × 65 mm (width × height) to 16 × 100. At one site, the FE500 was operated by one person, compared with the three individuals required to perform the same tasks manually. Finally, the specimen-processing error rate determined at one of the institutions was significantly reduced. Conclusions: We conclude that the GENESIS FE500 effectively reduces the labor associated with specimen processing; decreases the number of laboratory errors that occur with specimen sorting, labeling, and aliquoting; and improves the integrity of specimen handling throughout the steps of specimen processing.
Rapid ecological isolation and intermediate genetic divergence in lacustrine cyclic parthenogens

Ecological shifts can promote rapid divergence and speciation. However, the role of ecological speciation in animals that reproduce predominantly asexually with periodic sex and strong dispersal, such as lacustrine cladocerans, is poorly understood. These life history traits may slow or prevent ecological lineage formation among populations. Proponents of the postglacial ecological isolation hypothesis for Daphnia suggest that some species have formed postglacially in adjacent, but ecologically different habitats. We tested this hypothesis with ecological, morphological, and multilocus coalescence analyses in the putative lacustrine sister species, Daphnia parvula and Daphnia retrocurva. Daphnia parvula and D. retrocurva showed strong habitat separation with rare co-occurrence. Lakes inhabited by D. parvula were smaller in size and contained lower densities of invertebrate predators compared to lakes containing D. retrocurva. In the laboratory, D. retrocurva was less vulnerable to invertebrate predation, whereas D. parvula was less vulnerable to vertebrate predation and was smaller and more transparent than D. retrocurva. The species are significantly differentiated at mitochondrial and nuclear loci and form an intermediate genetic divergence pattern between panmixia and reciprocal monophyly. Coalescence and population genetic modelling indicate a Late or Post Glacial time of divergence with a demographic expansion. Despite their young age and mixed breeding system, D. parvula and D. retrocurva exhibit significant ecological and genetic divergence that is coincident with the formation of deep temperate glacial lakes. We propose that predation may have facilitated the rapid divergence between D. parvula and D. retrocurva and that intermediate divergence of aquatic cyclic parthenogens is likely more common than previously thought.
Response to commentary by Jonathan Routh

published postoperative obstruction rate is 0.7%, injection of 238 patients would be expected to result in 1 or 2 patients with a symptomatic ureteral obstruction. Although parents clearly do not want their children to have postoperative VUR, I suspect that many would be willing to forgo treatment if they knew that the inconsequentially low rate of clinical benefit actually equaled the inconsequentially low risk of clinical harm. As a general rule, it is difficult to justify a procedure which has numerically equivalent risks and benefits.
Lack of an association between granuloma annulare and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Summary Background Conflicting reports have been published regarding whether a relationship exists between granuloma annulare (GA) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Objectives To evaluate the prevalence of DM in patients with GA using a case–control design. Methods The incidence of DM was determined in 126 patients with GA. Fifty of the 126 patients with GA were further compared with an age-, sex- and race-matched population of psoriasis patients seen during a similar time period in the same clinical setting. Results Eleven (9%) of 126 GA patients suffered from type 2 DM. In the matched comparison of 50 patients, 11 (22%) GA patients and 10 (20%) psoriasis patients suffered from type 2 DM. Conclusions This case–control study failed to reveal any statistically significant correlation between GA and type 2 DM.
Improving Mental Health Treatment Initiation among Depressed Community Dwelling Older Adults

Objective Depression screening has been widely implemented in community settings to increase detection of late-life depression. Rates of treatment initiation are low without additional structured follow-up, however. The current study evaluates the effectiveness of a brief psychosocial intervention, Open Door, designed to improve initiation of mental health treatment among clients of aging service meals programs. Design Older adult social service clients with depressive symptoms were randomized to either the Open Door intervention or a Service Referral control condition. In Open Door, the counselor collaborates with the client to identify and address both attitudinal and structural barriers to seeking mental health treatment. Independent research assessments were conducted 12 and 24 weeks after baseline to document treatment initiation (at least one session). Results At follow up, 64.6% (104 out of 161) of participants had initiated a provider visit. Participants in Open Door were more likely to initiate treatment compared with those in the control condition (χ 2 = 5.83, df = 2, p = 0.016). Among participants with at least mild depressive symptoms, Open Door remained significantly more effective than the control condition (p 2 = 15.18, df = 3, p = 0.002). Conclusions High rates of depression have been documented among older adults receiving social services (case management or home meals). The Open Door program offers a useful strategy to overcome the barriers to treatment initiation while fitting within the responsibilities of aging service staff. The intervention can improve initiation of late-life depression care.
Online tobacco websites and online communities—who uses them and do users quit smoking? The quit-primo and national dental practice-based research network Hi-Quit studies

Online tobacco cessation communities are beneficial but underused. Our study examined whether, among smokers participating in a web-assisted tobacco intervention (Decide2quit.org), specific characteristics were associated with navigating to BecomeAnEx.org, an online cessation community, and with subsequent quit rates. Among smokers (N = 759) registered with Decide2quit.org, we identified visitors to BecomeAnEx.org, examining associations between smoker characteristics and likelihood of visiting. We then tested for associations between visits and 6-month cessation (point prevalence). We also tested for an interaction between use of other online support-seeking (Decide2quit.org tobacco cessation coaches), visiting, and 6-month cessation. One quarter (26.0 %; n = 197) of the smokers visited BecomeAnEx.org; less than one tenth (7.5 %; n = 57) registered to participate in the online forum. Visitors were more likely to be female (73.0 vs. 62.6 % of non-visitors, P < 0.01) to have visited a cessation website before (33.0 vs. 17.4 %, P < 0.01) and to report quit attempts in the previous year (62.0 vs. 53.0 %, P = 0.03). In analyses of all participants, BecomeAnEx.org visiting was not associated with 6-month quit completion. Among participants who communicated with a coach, BecomeAnEx.org visiting also lacked a significant association with 6 month quit completion, although a non-significant trend toward quit completion in visitors was noted (OR 2.21, 95 % CI 0.81–3.1). Online cessation communities attract smokers with previous cessation website experience and recent quit attempts. Community visiting was not associated with quit rates in our study, but low use may have limited our power to detect differences. Further research should explore whether an additive effect can be achieved by offering community visitors support via online coaches.
Treatment with bevacizumab (BEV) upregulates expression of the transcription factor Sp1 and its downstream target genes in human carcinoid cells: Molecular basis of the synergistic antiangiogenic activity of bevacizumab and mithramycin A (MIT)

15031 Background: Our previous studies show that human carcinoid cells overexpress pro-angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF), and transcription factor Sp1 plays a critical...
Handoff Practices in Emergency Medicine: Are We Making Progress?

Objectives Transitions of care present a risk for communication error and may adversely affect patient care. This study addresses the scope of current handoff practices amongst U.S. emergency medicine (EM) residents. In addition, it evaluates current educational and evaluation practices related to handoffs. Given the ever-increasing emphasis on transitions of care in medicine, we sought to determine if interval changes in resident transition of care education, assessment, and proficiency have occurred. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study guided by the Kern model for medical curriculum development. The Council of Residency Directors Listserv provided access to 175 programs. The survey focused on elucidating current practices of handoffs from emergency physicians (EPs) to EPs, including handoff location and duration, use of any assistive tools, and handoff documentation in the emergency department (ED) patient's medical record. Multiple-choice questions were the primary vehicle for the response process. A four-point Likert-type scale was used in questions regarding perceived satisfaction and competency. Respondents were not required to answer all questions. Responses were compared to results from a similar 2011 study for interval changes. Results A total of 127 of 175 programs responded to the survey, making the overall response rate 72.6%. Over half of respondents (72 of 125, 57.6%) indicated that their ED uses a standardized handoff protocol, which is a significant increase from 43.2% in 2011 (p = 0.018). Of the programs that do have a standardized system, a majority (72 of 113, 63.7%) of resident physicians use it regularly. Significant increases were noted in the number of programs offering formal training during orientation (73.2% from 59.2%; p = 0.015), decreases in the number of programs offering no training (2.4% from 10.2%; p = 0.013), and no assessment of proficiency (51.5% from 69.8%; p = 0.006). No significant interval changes were noted in handoffs being documented in the patient's medical record (57.4%), the percentage of computer/electronic signouts, or the level of dissatisfaction with handoff tools (54.1%). Less than two-thirds of respondents (80 of 126, 63.5%) indicated that their residents were “competent” or “extremely competent” in delivering and receiving handoffs. Conclusions An insufficient level of handoff training is currently mandated or available for EM residents, and their handoff skills appear to be developed mostly informally throughout residency training with varying results. Programs that have created a standardized protocol are not ensuring that the protocol is actually being employed in the clinical arena. Handoff proficiency most often goes unevaluated, although it is improved from 2011.
The Crisis of Imprisonment: Strains of Servitude: Legal Punishment in the Early Republic

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Thirteenth Amendment, §1, United States Constitution (1865) In historical scholarship and American collective memory alike, the Thirteenth Amendment is celebrated as the constitutional death notice of Southern chattel slavery. Ratified in 1865, as the Confederacy crumbled and four million slaves walked off the plantations, the Amendment recognized in law the practical destruction of slavery. That the Amendment proscribed chattel slavery of the sort that had flourished in the South for almost two centuries is incontrovertible; but that it was “an absolute declaration that slavery or involuntary servitude shall not exist in any part of the United States,” in Justice Joseph P. Bradley's oft-quoted phrase, is much less certain, for as well as pronouncing dead one kind of involuntary bondage, the Amendment breathed symbolic life into another. Slavery and involuntary servitude were prohibited, “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” On its face, the Amendment declared penal varieties of slavery and involuntary servitude permissible; it made conviction for crime the sole grounds for the imposition of involuntary servitude on American soil, and exempted those “duly convicted” of crime from the otherwise universal prohibition on slavery and involuntary servitude.