cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Provider self-disclosure during contraceptive counseling

Abstract Objectives Provider self-disclosure (PSD) — defined as providers making statements regarding personal information to patients — has not been well characterized in the context of contraceptive counseling. In this study, we describe the incidence, content and context of contraceptive PSD. Study design This mixed methods analysis used data from the Provider–Patient Contraceptive Counseling study, for which 349 family planning patients were recruited from 2009 to 2012 from six clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area. Audio-recordings from their visits were analyzed for the presence or absence of PSD, and those visits with evidence of PSD were analyzed using qualitative methods. The associations of patient and provider demographics and patient satisfaction measures, obtained from survey data, with PSD were analyzed using bivariable and multivariable analyses. Results Thirty-seven percent of providers showed evidence of PSD during at least one visit, and PSD occurred in 9% of clinic visits. Fifty-four percent of PSD statements were about intrauterine devices. About half of PSD statements occurred prior to the final selection of the contraceptive method and appeared to influence the choice of method. In post-visit surveys, all patients who reported receiving PSD considered it to be appropriate, and patient-reported PSD was not statistically associated with measures of patient satisfaction. Conclusions This study provides some support for the appropriateness of PSD during family planning encounters, at least as practiced during the sampled visits. Further research could explore whether this counseling strategy has an impact on patients' ability to identify the best contraceptive methods for them. Implications In this study, PSD did not have a demonstrated negative effect on the provider–patient relationship. In almost half of visits, PSD appeared to influence patients' choice of a method; whether this influence is beneficial needs further research.
Incident Fall Risk and Physical Activity and Physical Performance among Older Men The Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study

Physical activity and physical performance have been linked to fall risk in the elderly. The authors examined the relation between physical activity and physical performance with incident falls in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study, a large prospective cohort study of 5,995 community-dwelling men in the United States at least 65 years of age. The authors also examined what types of activities are associated with falling. Incident falls between 2000 and 2005 were captured from up to 17 triannual follow-up questionnaires per participant and analyzed with generalized estimating equations. Follow-up averaged 4.5 years. The average risk of falling in the first 4 months of follow-up was 6.6%. The most active quartile had a significantly greater fall risk than did the least active quartile (relative risk = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 1.29). Men with greater leg power and grip strength had significantly reduced fall risk (for highest leg power quartile vs. lowest: relative risk = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.92; for highest grip strength quartile vs. lowest: relative risk = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.69, 0.85). Partitioning components of activity showed no association between fall risk and leisure activities but a positive association with household activities (for highest quartile vs.lowest: relative risk = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.28).
Doing a shotgun: a drug use practice and its relationship to sexual behaviors and infection risk

There has been a rise in the frequency with which inhalational routes such as smoking are used for illicit drug use. A growing population of new inhalational drug users augments the pool of individuals at risk for transition to injection drug use. Further, illicit drug smoking has been implicated in the transmission of a variety of pathogens by the respiratory route, and crack smoking has been associated with an increased risk of HIV infection, particularly through the exchange of high-risk sex for drugs. Shotguns are an illicit drug smoking practice in which smoked drugs are exhaled or blown by one user into the mouth of another user. We conducted a series of ethnographic observations to attempt to characterize more fully the practice of shotgunning, the range of associated behaviors, and the settings and contexts in which this practice occurs. Shotguns may be seen as a form of drug use which has close ties to sexual behaviors, and which has both pragmatic and interpersonal motivations, combining in a single phenomenon the potential direct and indirect risk of disease transmission by sexual, blood borne and respiratory routes. These data support the need to develop and evaluate comprehensive risk reduction interventions, which take into consideration the relationships between interpersonal and sexual behaviors and specific forms of drug use.
Trace-based compilation in execution environments without interpreters

Trace-based compilation is a technique used in managed language runtimes to detect and compile frequently executed program paths. The goal is to reduce compilation time and improve code quality by only considering "hot" parts of methods for compilation. Trace compilation is well suited for interpreter-based execution environments because the control flow of an application program is highly visible and recordable. In this paper, we show that trace compilation is also feasible and beneficial in runtime environments without interpreters where it is more difficult to monitor the control flow of an application.We present the implementation of Maxpath, a trace-based Java just-in-time compiler for the meta-circular Maxine virtual machine. Maxine uses a tiered compilation strategy where methods are first compiled with a non-optimizing just-in-time compiler in order to collect profiling information, and then recompiled with an optimizing compiler for long-term efficient execution. We record traces by dynamically inserting instrumentation code in non-optimized methods. Execution traces are first collected into trace regions, after which they are compiled, optimized and linked to non-optimized methods for efficient execution. We show that trace-based compilation is an effective way to focus scarce compilation resources on performance critical application regions.
Gramene QTL database: development, content and applications

Gramene is a comparative information resource for plants that integrates data across diverse data domains. In this article, we describe the development of a quantitative trait loci (QTL) database and illustrate how it can be used to facilitate both the forward and reverse genetics research. The QTL database contains the largest online collection of rice QTL data in the world. Using flanking markers as anchors, QTLs originally reported on individual genetic maps have been systematically aligned to the rice sequence where they can be searched as standard genomic features. Researchers can determine whether a QTL co-localizes with other QTLs detected in independent experiments and can combine data from multiple studies to improve the resolution of a QTL position. Candidate genes falling within a QTL interval can be identified and their relationship to particular phenotypes can be inferred based on functional annotations provided by ontology terms. Mutations identified in functional genomics populations and association mapping panels can be aligned with QTL regions to facilitate fine mapping and validation of gene–phenotype associations. By assembling and integrating diverse types of data and information across species and levels of biological complexity, the QTL database enhances the potential to understand and utilize QTL information in biological research.
Lipoprotein(a), Hormone Replacement Therapy, and Risk of Future Cardiovascular Events

Objectives This study assesses whether the relationship of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] with cardiovascular risk may be modified by concurrent hormone replacement therapy (HT). Background Prior studies indicate that HT decreases plasma levels of Lp(a), but few have been powered to assess whether it modifies the relationship of Lp(a) with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods Lipoprotein(a) at baseline was measured among 27,736 initially healthy women, of whom 12,075 indicated active HT use at the time of blood draw at study initiation and 15,661 did not. The risk of first-ever major cardiovascular event (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal cerebrovascular event, coronary revascularization, or cardiovascular death) over a 10-year period was assessed with Cox proportional hazard models according to Lp(a) levels and HT status and adjusted for potential confounding variables. Results As anticipated, Lp(a) values were lower among women taking HT (median 9.4 mg/dl vs. 11.6 mg/dl, p Conclusions The relationship of high Lp(a) levels with increased CVD is modified by HT. These data suggest that the predictive utility of Lp(a) is markedly attenuated among women taking HT and may inform clinicians9 interpretation of Lp(a) values in such patients. (Women9s Health Study [WHS]; NCT00000479)
Quantification of relativistic electron microburst losses during the GEM storms

[1] Bursty precipitation of relativistic electrons has been implicated as a major loss process during magnetic storms. One type of precipitation, microbursts, appears to contain enough electrons to empty the prestorm outer radiation belt in approximately a day. During storms that result in high fluxes of trapped relativistic electrons, microbursts continue for several days into the recovery phase, when trapped fluxes are dramatically increasing. The present study shows that this apparent inconsistency is resolved by observations that the number of electrons lost through microbursts is 10–100 times larger during the main phase than during the recovery phase of several magnetic storms chosen by the Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) program.
A fluorescence energy transfer study of lecithin-cholesterol vesicles in the presence of phospholipase C.

We demonstrate Forster resonance energy transfer from dehydroergosterol to dansylated lecithin in lecithin-cholesterol vesicles and characterize the vesicles in the presence of the pro-nucleating enzyme, phospholipase C (PLC). Exposure to phospholipase C causes a temporary decrease in the dehydroergosterol to dansyl fluorescence ratio followed by an increase to and above the initial value. The temporary decrease in the fluorescence ratio results from an increase in the dansylated lecithin intensity that coincides with a dansyl blue shift. The extent of the blue shift correlates with the level of diacylglycerol generated in situ by PLC, suggesting an increased association between dansylated lecithin and cholesterol as membrane fluidity increases and membrane polarity decreases. The subsequent increase in the fluorescence ratio results from both an increase in the dehydroergsterol intensity and a concomitant decrease in the dansylated lecithin intensity of equal magnitude. This signifies a reduction in energy transfer from dehydroergosterol to dansylated lecithin and indicates an increased separation between the two fluorophores. The increase in the fluorescence ratio persists beyond the time scales for vesicle aggregation and fusion, as measured by turbidity, and precedes the onset of macroscopic cholesterol crystals observed with an optical microscope. Thus, the increased separation between dehydroergosterol and dansylated lecithin is consistent with a mechanism of cholesterol nucleation from the vesicles. Moreover, the onset and rate of increase in the fluorescence ratio correlate with the cholesterol:lecithin mole ratio of the vesicles. Fluorescence energy transfer from dehydroergosterol to dansylated lecithin therefore shows potential as a methodology for measuring cholesterol nucleation in model bile.
How Well Does Advertising Work? Generalizations from Meta-Analysis of Brand Advertising Elasticities

Abstract The authors conduct a meta-analysis of 751 short-term and 402 long-term direct-to-consumer brand advertising elasticities estimated in 56 studies published between 1960 and 2008. The study finds several new empirical generalizations about advertising elasticity. The most important are as follows: The average short-term advertising elasticity is .12, which is substantially lower than the prior meta-analytic mean of .22; there has been a decline in the advertising elasticity over time; and advertising elasticity is higher (1) for durable goods than nondurable goods, (2) in the early stage than the mature stage of the life cycle, (3) for yearly data than quarterly data, and (4) when advertising is measured in gross rating points than monetary terms. The mean long-term advertising elasticity is .24, which is much lower than the implied mean in the prior meta-analysis (.41). Many of the results for short-term elasticity hold for long-term elasticity, with some notable exceptions. The authors discuss t...
RESTRICTED GENE FLOW AND INCIPIENT SPECIATION IN DISJUNCT PACIFIC OCEAN AND SEA OF CORTEZ POPULATIONS OF A REEF FISH SPECIES, GIRELLA NIGRICANS

Population disjunctions have been proposed to play an important role in speciation processes. In this study, we have examined the possible role of the Pacific Ocean-Sea of Cortez disjunction as a contributing factor to cryptic speciation in a reef fish, the opaleye, Girella nigricans. Mitochondrial control region (D-loop) sequences (380 bp) of 117 individuals completely separated opaleye populations from the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Although opaleye exhibit pelagic larval stages that remain in the water column for several months, gene flow between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez was found to be extremely limited (FST 5 0.84, Nm 5 0.10). Whereas limited gene flow and reciprocal monophyly suggest that the observed physical and genetic disjunction are potentially contributing to the incipient speciation of Pacific and Sea of Cortez opaleye, moderate levels of D-loop sequence divergence (3.3%) and the absence of fixed allozyme markers challenge this idea. Pacific Coast populations also exhibited restricted gene flow levels ( FST 5 0.25, Nm 5 1.49) across Punta Eugenia, a recognized oceanographic boundary along the Baja California coast. Thus, opaleye individuals grouped into three clades: one clade in the Sea of Cortez, one Pacific clade south of Punta Eugenia, and one Pacific clade north of Punta Eugenia. Future work in this region will determine if our results can be generalized to other disjunct populations.
Integrating dynamic occupancy modeling and genetics to infer the status of the imperiled flattened musk turtle

Abstract Understanding changes in biodiversity at the levels of species and genes is imperative for effective conservation management. Here, we present a study that uses both dynamic occupancy modeling and mtDNA genetic analyses to quantify hypothesized population extinction and genetic introgression in the morphologically unique and federally threatened flattened musk turtle, Sternotherus depressus, endemic to rocky creeks in north-central Alabama, USA. Incorporating historic surveys in dynamic occupancy modeling shows that the flattened musk turtle has been extirpated from 32–56% of its historically occupied distribution. We find strong support for unidirectional mtDNA introgression from a closely related species into the flattened musk turtle. Additionally flattened musk turtles with allospecific mtDNA have an intermediate morphology (level of carapace depression) when compared to pure forms suggesting overall genomic hybridization that may have negative fitness effects for the species. Overall, this research provides a necessary quantitative evaluation of both local extinction and hybridization in the flattened musk turtle and shows that both demographics and genetics are essential for effective management of the species.
Granular material deposition for simulation and texturing

Dry granular materials are commonly needed in visual effects. To simulate a material involving individual grains, every granule must first be settled into place by running a pre-simulation. This pre-simulation can take minutes or hours, and the resulting look can be difficult to control. We introduce a faster, more directable method for depositing particles. We scatter granules in the desired area, guaranteeing that they are interpenetrating, then push them apart by means of penetration resolution such that they are in contact but not overlapping. This results in a natural, aperiodic layout of granules that mimics settled granular materials with little cost to production time. We also introduce particle shaders, a method for generating granular detail at render time.
Computation and Social Science

Social scientists have used computation since the days of the earliest digital computers. What is the role of computation in contemporary Computational Social Science (CSS) theory and research? How does computation provide a deeper understanding of social complexity? This chapter is not an introduction to computing for social scientists. Rather, it is an examination of computation from a CSS perspective; similar to how a computational astronomer or a computational biologist would discuss the function of computation in their respective disciplines. After examining key similarities and differences between computers and social systems, from an information-processing perspective, the chapter takes a closer look at programming languages and aspects of implementation. Classes, objects, and dynamics are examined from the perspective of social theories and the role computational entities play in the conduct of CSS research. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is used as a systematic graphic notation for representing social entities, relations, and interactions, based on a variety of examples drawn from across social science domains. Data structures and algorithms, which are foundational to computation, are examined in the context of CSS research.
Shepard Fairey v. The Associated Press

Every year, it seems, at least one major copyright case brings to the fore the complexity, importance, and unpredictability of fair use analysis. That case this year? Shepard Fairey v. The Associated Press. In this podcast, we dig into the Fairey fair use fight, talking with Mark Lemley, who at the time of this recording represented the artist; Dale Cendali, who represents the AP; and, for some outside perspective, Ken Richieri, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at the New York Times. UCLA law professor Doug Lichtman hosts.
Role of non-hematopoietic β-arrestin1 in intestinal inflammation (MUC2P.828)

β-arrestin1 (β-arr1), an intracellular scaffolding protein has been shown to regulate inflammation by modulating Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in immune cells. We recently demonstrated that β-arr1 deficiency attenuates experimental colitis in mice. However the cell-type-specific role of β-arr1 in colitis is not known. To test this we generated bone marrow chimeras with β-arr1 deficiency only in non-hematopoietic compartment (non-hβ-arr1KO), and subjected the WT and non-hβ-arr1KO mice to DSS-induced colitis. Interestingly, our results demonstrate that β-arr1 expression in the non-hematopoietic compartment protects mice from early weight loss during colitis. To understand the signaling mechanisms, we knocked down β-arr1 in human intestinal epithelial cells (SW480) and tested the effect of TNF-α on MAPK and NFκB signaling pathways. Even though β-arr1 knockdown did not affect TNF-α-induced NFκB activation, p38 and JNK pathways were enhanced in the knockdown cells. Intriguingly, ERK1/2 activation by TNF-α was significantly inhibited in β-arr1-knockdown cells. Differential modulation of the MAPK signaling by β-arr1 could lead to higher apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells in non-hβ-arr1 deficient mice. Together, our results demonstrate that β-arr1-dependent signaling in non-hematopoietic cells likely plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of colitis.
The early use of insulin in type 2 diabetes

60?70% of all patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus will ultimately require insulin therapy for the management of their diabetes. Irisulin may be used alone, or in combination with oral agents. The early use of insulin can be very important in decreasing the incidence of micro-vascular complications and in helping to delay the onset of macro-vascular complications. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study and the Kumamoto Study have shown the beneficial effects of good glucose control in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The DECODE study has related overall mortality to the level of glucose control and specifically to the postprandial glucose. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists has established a goal of 6.5% or less for HgbAlc. The appropriate use of insulin will allow us to achieve this goal without causing the patient any undue harm. There are many barriers to insulin therapy including psychological barriers of both the patient and the doctor, and unrealistic fears of both insulin therapy and therapy with self-administered injections. These barriers will be discussed as well as methods to overcome them. Insulin therapy is beneficial and has no long term adverse effects. The incidence of severe hypoglycemia is extremely low in type 2 diabetes. Weight gain is minimal. Insulin therapy by reducing glucose toxicity may also increase the effectiveness of oral anti-hyperglycemic agents. The physician taking care of patients with diabetes should be aggressive and should have no fears of initiating insulin therapy. Insulin dosage is flexible and good control is possible in most patients. The most common use of insulin in type 2 diabetes is as an add-on to oral agents if control with oral agents alone is unsatisfactory. Frequently this involves the use of a single dose of intermediate or long acting insulin or an insulin mixture in the evening. If control is not attained with a single dose, then the patient can be placed on an insulin mixture 2 or 3 times a day. An alternative would be a short acting insulin analogue prior to each meal with a longer acting insulin given 1 or 2 times a day. Titration schedules for insulin dosing will be presented. Insulin available in Russia will be listed along with some guidelines on using these insulins. Increasing the use of insulin and starting insulin earlier in type 2 diabetes will lead to better control of diabetes, increased patient compliance, and decreased long-term complications of diabetes mellitus.
A Rapid Room-Temperature NO2 Sensor Based on Tellurium–SWNT Hybrid Nanostructures

One-dimensional nanostructure-based chemiresistive sensors have received great attention because of their compact design and excellent sensing performance, including high sensitivity, low detection limits, low power consumption, and the ability to integrate multisensor arrays. However, these sensors generally suffer from slow response and recovery times when they are operated at ambient conditions because of slow catalytic or absorption/desorption processes. The sensors overcome this obstacle by operating at high temperature, which increases the device complexity with a higher power consumption rate. In this work, we demonstrated the construction of an ultrafast NO2 sensor at ambient conditions by utilizing feather-like tellurium (Te) nanostructures functionalized on single-walled carbon nanotube networks. By tailoring the morphology and density of Te nanostructures, hybrid nanostructures show excellent response and recovery times of approximately 63 s and 7 min to 100 ppbV NO2 gas at room temperature.
Dual Coding Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for Optimal Schedule of Pumping Stations in Multi-Sources Water Injection System

A mathematical model for the optimal schedule of water injection pumping stations is established, in which the minimum electric power consumption is taken as the objective function, and the restrictions to the displacement and pressure are taken as constraint conditions. In the genetic algorithm dual coding is adopted, the fitness function is adjusted, and random parent-number fitness-weighted cross and many mutation methods are adopted. The simulated annealing algorithm is combined to give the method of determining initial temperature, thus the hybrid genetic algorithm is formed. It can improve the speed of convergence and avoid premature convergence. A processing method of displacement is proposed, so the displacement restrictions are satisfied and the number of infeasible solutions is reduced. Example shows that the algorithm is efficient.
Test-Retest Reliability of the Binaural Interaction Component of the Auditory Brainstem Response.

Objectives The binaural interaction component (BIC) is the residual auditory brainstem response (ABR) obtained after subtracting the sum of monaurally evoked from binaurally evoked ABRs. The DN1 peak-the first negative peak of the BIC-has been postulated to have diagnostic value as a biomarker for binaural hearing abilities. Indeed, not only do DN1 amplitudes depend systematically upon binaural cues to location (interaural time and level differences), but they are also predictive of central hearing deficits in humans. A prominent issue in using BIC measures as a diagnostic biomarker is that DN1 amplitudes not only exhibit considerable variability across subjects, but also within subjects across different measurement sessions. Design In this study, the authors investigate the DN1 amplitude measurement reliability by conducting repeated measurements on different days in eight adult guinea pigs. Results Despite consistent ABR thresholds, ABR and DN1 amplitudes varied between and within subjects across recording sessions. However, the study analysis reveals that DN1 amplitudes varied proportionally with parent monaural ABR amplitudes, suggesting that common experimental factors likely account for the variability in both waveforms. Despite this variability, the authors show that the shape of the dependence between DN1 amplitude and interaural time difference is preserved. The authors then provide a BIC normalization strategy using monaural ABR amplitude that reduces the variability of DN1 peak measurements. Finally, the authors evaluate this normalization strategy in the context of detecting changes of the DN1 amplitude-to-interaural time difference relationship. Conclusions The study results indicate that the BIC measurement variability can be reduced by a factor of two by performing a simple and objective normalization operation. The authors discuss the potential for this normalized BIC measure as a biomarker for binaural hearing.
Influence of pH on the rheologic and antisickling effects of dimethyl adipimidate.

Abstract Dimethyl adipimidate, a bifunctional imidoester, is an effective inhibitor of sickling in vitro. We determined the reaction conditions necessary to inhibit sickling without impairing cell deformability. Although imidoesters are routinely used at alkaline pH, we found that reaction of red blood cells with dimethyl adipimidate at pH 8.4 shortened the survival of rat red blood cells and impaired the deformability of human red blood cells. These adverse effects were eliminated by changing the pH of the reaction from 8.4 to 7.4. Furthermore, treatment of sickle cells with dimethyl adipimidate at pH 7.4 inhibited sickling, as demonstrated by dose-dependent reductions in the percentage of sickle forms, viscosity, and potassium efflux. Dimethyl adipimidate appeared to inhibit sickling by several mechanisms: namely, it increased deoxygenated sickle hemoglobin solubility, oxygen affinity, and cell hydration. We conclude that dimethyl adipimidate at pH 7.4 can inhibit sickling without impairing the rheologic properties of the red blood cell.
A Spirituality for Rich and Poor: Contemporary Catholic Ideals for Economic Justice

Catholic spirituality is presented in terms of Pope Benedict XVI’s emphasis on God’s love as the starting point of the Christian faith. This love is the driving force behind authentic human and economic development and leads people to courageously work for justice and peace. Spirituality begins with receiving the gift of God’s love and then responding to the needs of one’s neighbor as individuals and as an ecclesial community. The Catholic ideals for economic justice emerge from the interplay of faith, reason, and action. The bold words and actions of Pope Francis challenge the Catholic Church and world leaders to transform attitudes and global forces which marginalize and exclude the poor and powerless.
Expectation of nocebo hyperalgesia affects EEG alpha-activity.

Abstract Changes in EEG activity have been related to clinical and experimental pain. Expectation of a negative outcome can lead to pain enhancement (nocebo hyperalgesia) and can alter the response to therapeutic interventions. The present study characterizes EEG alteration related to pain facilitation by nocebo. Thirty healthy subjects were randomly assigned to the nocebo or control group. Five-minute EEG was recorded under: resting state, tonic innocuous heat and tonic noxious heat before and after the application of a sham inert cream to the non-dominant volar forearm combined with cognitive manipulation. The intensity and unpleasantness of heat-induced pain increased after cognitive manipulation in the nocebo group compared to control and was associated with enhanced low alpha (8–10 Hz) activity. However, changes in alpha activity were predicted by catastrophizing but not by pain intensity or unpleasantness, which suggest that low alpha power might reflect brain activity related to negative cognitive–affective responses to pain.
Na+ coordination at the Na2 site of the Na+/I- symporter.

The sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) mediates active I − transport in the thyroid—the first step in thyroid hormone biosynthesis—with a 2 Na + : 1 I − stoichiometry. The two Na + binding sites (Na1 and Na2) and the I − binding site interact allosterically: when Na + binds to a Na + site, the affinity of NIS for the other Na + and for I − increases significantly. In all Na + -dependent transporters with the same fold as NIS, the side chains of two residues, S353 and T354 (NIS numbering), were identified as the Na + ligands at Na2. To understand the cooperativity between the substrates, we investigated the coordination at the Na2 site. We determined that four other residues—S66, D191, Q194, and Q263—are also involved in Na + coordination at this site. Experiments in whole cells demonstrated that these four residues participate in transport by NIS: mutations at these positions result in proteins that, although expressed at the plasma membrane, transport little or no I − . These residues are conserved throughout the entire SLC5 family, to which NIS belongs, suggesting that they serve a similar function in the other transporters. Our findings also suggest that the increase in affinity that each site displays when an ion binds to another site may result from changes in the dynamics of the transporter. These mechanistic insights deepen our understanding not only of NIS but also of other transporters, including many that, like NIS, are of great medical relevance.
Abstract 1066: Racial disparities of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles and association with breast tissues biomarkers in healthy women

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with more aggressive disease observed among African Americans (AA) compared to European Americans (EA). It is a complex and heterogeneous disease, characterized by genetic and epigenetic alterations. Racial differences in DNA methylation have been shown in breast cancers, but it is not clear if these differences exist in healthy women who have not had breast cancer. We identified genome-wide differentially methylated (DM) CpGs by race, in order to: 1) understand methylation patterns of promoter and non-promoter related DM CpGs; 2) study their association with tissue biomarkers of proliferation and differentiation; and 3) examine if these correlations were similar for AA and EA. Normal breast tissues were collected from healthy women undergoing reduction mammoplasty (N = 83). Tissue DNA was analyzed using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip for differential genome-wide methylation between AA (N = 22) and EA (N = 61). Analysis methods included age and BMI-adjusted Generalized Linear Regression models, hierarchical clustering and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Correction for multiple comparisons was performed. We further evaluated the performance of the threshold for classification between EA and AA using the area under the curve (AUC) and by 10-fold cross validation. Biological functions of the DM genes were assigned using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Partial correlation analysis was performed between the DM CpGs and proliferation (Ki-67, Leptin, IGF1, and IGFBP3) or differentiation (Adiponectin)-related tissue biomarkers. 485 or 23 DM CpGs were identified after FDR or Bonferroni correction at p Citation Format: Min-Ae Song, Catalin Marian, Theodore M. Brasky, Daniel Weng, Cenny Taslim, Jo L. Freudenheim, Peter G. Shields. Racial disparities of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles and association with breast tissues biomarkers in healthy women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1066. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1066
Intimate Documentary versus Political Re-mix Video: Contrasting Approaches to New Media Story-telling and Cultural Politics

This essay examines the political implications of a new media genre that the author calls "intimate documentary," which is theorized as an emerging storytelling format for online non-fiction video content, and compares it with the political re-mix video tradition. The author describes the ways in which "intimate documentary" combines the most effective traits of traditional documentary storytelling with the almost ubiquitous accessibility of mobile and online communication, and explores the possibility that this new online genre is not just challenging conventional ideas about the role, structure, and content of the documentary format per se, but is actually introducing an entirely new element into the anthropology of the Internet. Also discussed is the possibility that by over-personalizing political issues as a new type of visual narrative, intimate documentary content may achieve widespread exposure through "viral" Web and social media distribution in a way that outstrips its predecessors in the non-fiction genre. In particular, the author contrasts the storytelling dynamics of "intimate documentary" with those of another new media genre, the "political re-mix video" in terms of combating "echo chamber politics" in the era of social media mentality, especially in terms of their respective implications for "informed democracies."
Product group confinement in SUSY gauge theories

We propose a new set of s-confining theories with product gauge groups and no tree-level superpotential, based on a model with one antisymmetric matter field and four flavors of quarks. For each product group we find a set of gauge-invariant operators which satisfy the ’t Hooft anomaly matching conditions, and we identify the dynamically generated superpotential which reproduces the classical constraints between operators. Several of these product gauge theories confine without breaking chiral symmetry, even in cases where the classical moduli space is quantum-modified. These results may be useful for composite model building, particularly in cases where small operators of the form $$ \left(Q\overline{Q}\right) $$ are absent, or for theories with multiple natural energy scales, and may provide new ways to break supersymmetry dynamically.
Photochemical regulation of a redox-active olefin polymerization catalyst: controlling polyethylene microstructure with visible light

The ability to control polymerizations via external stimuli has become a burgeoning field of research. Herein, we will demonstrate that polyethylene microstructure may be tailored via a redox-active olefin polymerization catalyst in conjunction with a photoreductant and visible light irradiation. The changes in polyethylene branching content are confirmed via1H NMR analysis, gel permeation chromatography, and quantitative 13C NMR spectroscopy.
Ba/Ca ratios in the non-spinose planktic foraminifer Neogloboquadrina dutertrei: Evidence for an organic aggregate microhabitat

Abstract Ba/Ca ratios in many non-spinose planktic foraminifera are markedly higher than those observed in spinose planktic species, but the cause for these high Ba/Ca ratios is not understood. A better understanding of this geochemical anomaly could provide insights into the habitat and/or controls over Ba incorporation in these species and expand their utility in paleoclimate research. In spinose species, shell Ba/Ca depends only on the Ba/Ca ratio of seawater. Proposed explanations for high non-spinose Ba/Ca include (1) the empirical partition coefficient, DBa, differs from the spinose species, (2) shell Ba varies with seawater temperature and pH, or (3) non-spinose foraminifers have a preference for prey that has elevated Ba. We performed laboratory culture experiments to determine DBa for the thermocline-dwelling non-spinose planktic foraminifer Neogloboquadrina dutertrei. We find that the Ba/Ca ratio of foraminiferal calcite secreted in the laboratory varies linearly with the Ba/Ca ratio of the seawater. The DBa for this species, 0.11 ± 0.008 (2SE; 95% CL), is similar to the DBa for spinose species (0.13 ± 0.004, 2SE; 95% CL). As in spinose species, the Ba/Ca ratio of cultured specimens of N. dutertrei is not influenced by culture temperature (12–22 °C) or seawater pHNBS (range 7.8–8.3). However, the Ba/Ca ratio of individual plankton-tow N. dutertrei specimens that completed their lifecycle in the ocean exceeds the Ba/Ca ratio of cultured specimens by up to three orders of magnitude. It is unlikely this difference between cultured specimens and ocean-grown specimens is due to seawater [Ba] variability, since seawater Ba/Ca ratios calculated using our DBa are much higher than exist in the ocean. Rather, we suggest that elevated shell Ba/Ca in plankton tow and fossil N. dutertrei is due to calcification in the microenvironment of marine organic aggregates such as marine snow, where [Ba] is elevated as a result of Ba release from biogenic particulates.
Microstructure and in vivo characterization of multi-channel nerve guidance scaffolds.

In a previous study, we demonstrated a novel manufacturing approach to fabricate multi-channel scaffolds (MCS) for use in spinal cord injuries (SCI). In the present study, we extended similar materials processing technology to fabricate significantly longer (5X) porous poly caprolactone (PCL) MCS and evaluated their efficacy in 1 cm sciatic peripheral nerve injury (PNI) model. Due to the increase in MCS dimensions and the challenges that may arise in a longer nerve gap model, microstructural characterization involved MCS wall permeability to assess nutrient flow, topography, and microstructural uniformity to evaluate the potential for homogeneous linear axon guidance. It was determined that the wall permeability dramatically varied from 0.02 ± 0.01 × 10−13 to 21.7 ± 11.4 × 10−13 m2 for 50% and 70% porous PCL, respectively. Using interferometry, the porous PCL surface roughness was determined to be 10.7 ± 1.2 μm, which is believed to be sufficient to promote cell integration. Using micro computed tomography, the 3D MCS microstructure was determined to be uniform over 1 cm with an open lumen volume of 44.6% ± 3.6%. In vivo implantation, in the rat sciatic nerve model, over 4 weeks, demonstrated that MCS scaffolds maintained structural integrity, were biocompatible, and supported linear axon guidance and distal end egress over 1 cm. Taken together, this study demonstrated that MCS technology previously developed for the SCI is also relevant to longer nerve gap PNI.
Smart Routing Tables for Integrated Photonic Switch Fabrics

Smart routing tables aware of physical-layer parameters are first realized for a 4×4-port silicon switch device, improving the worst-case power-penalty by 8.8dB and reducing dynamic-range requirement on receivers by 7.8dB. An 8×8-port switch is further simulated achieving 16.1dB power penalty improvement.
Endoscopic Management of Nonvariceal, Nonulcer Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Nonvariceal, nonulcer upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH) is a less common cause for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. However, nonvariceal, nonulcer UGIH is an important entity to identify and treat appropriately to prevent bleeding-related morbidity and mortality. Over the past 40 years, there has been a revolution in gastrointestinal endoscopy and a similar revolution in the management of UGIH. The aim of this article is to focus on the endoscopic management of nonvariceal, nonulcer UGIH, with a focus on the newer diagnostic and treatment modalities currently available.
Generalized Projection Pursuit Regression and Density Approximation

The paper deals with a generalization of the projection pursuit regression algorithm (see P.Huber [3]) in Hilbert space. The strong convergence of the generalized algorithm is first proved and this result then applied to certain spaces in order to define a new density estimator and to obtain results on density approximation.
The Evolution of Opsins

Opsins are proteins that bind to light-reactive chemicals to underlie vision, phototaxis, circadian rhythms, and other light-mediated responses of organisms. Type I opsins, common in bacteria, evolved separately from type II opsins that are common in animals. Type II opsins originated approximately 600 million years ago and ancient opsin gene duplicates are retained today as four major opsin families. In some cases, interacting proteins also duplicated; in others, duplicated opsins gained new interaction partners through co-option. Within each opsin family, numerous more recent opsin gene duplicates have also been retained, allowing for the evolution of color vision.
The Role of Employment in the Growth of Small and Intermediate-Sized Cities in Egypt

The contemporary development of the urban settlement system in Egypt took place under an extraordinary combination of rapid population growth and minimal expansion in its inhabited area. Population density in the Nile Delta (Figure 1) is 1230 persons per square mile which is one of the highest in the world. As a result of extreme crowding in the rural areas, major rural to urban migration flows and rapid urbanization occurred (Table 1). The growth in both rural and urban population, however, continued to be primarily confined to the Nile Valley and its Delta, which constitute a fraction (perhaps 4 or 5 per cent) of the country’s total area.
Search for non-SM light Higgs Boson in the h $\to \gamma \gamma$ channel

We present first results on the search for Higgs Boson with an enhanced branching fraction into photons in the h → γγ decay channel using recent Run II data collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron proton-antiproton collider. We discuss event selection, backgrounds, analysis optimization, and the limits on the Higgs boson mass obtained in this analysis.
Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC)—Secreted Serine Protease EspP Stimulates Electrogenic Ion Transport in Human Colonoid Monolayers

One of the characteristic manifestations of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection in humans, including EHEC and Enteroaggregative E. coli O104:H4, is watery diarrhea. However, neither Shiga toxin nor numerous components of the type-3 secretion system have been found to independently elicit fluid secretion. We used the adult stem-cell-derived human colonoid monolayers (HCM) to test whether EHEC-secreted extracellular serine protease P (EspP), a member of the serine protease family broadly expressed by diarrheagenic E. coli can act as an enterotoxin. We applied the Ussing chamber/voltage clamp technique to determine whether EspP stimulates electrogenic ion transport indicated by a change in short-circuit current (Isc). EspP stimulates Isc in HCM. The EspP-stimulated Isc does not require protease activity, is not cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-mediated, but is partially Ca2+-dependent. EspP neutralization with a specific antibody reduces its potency in stimulating Isc. Serine Protease A, secreted by Enteroaggregative E. coli, also stimulates Isc in HCM, but this current is CFTR-dependent. In conclusion, EspP stimulates colonic CFTR-independent active ion transport and may be involved in the pathophysiology of EHEC diarrhea. Serine protease toxins from E. coli pathogens appear to serve as enterotoxins, potentially significantly contributing to watery diarrhea.
β-arrestin 1 regulates β2-adrenergic receptor-mediated skeletal muscle hypertrophy and contractility.

β2-adrenergic receptors (β2ARs) are the target of catecholamines and play fundamental roles in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and skeletal muscle physiology. An important action of β2AR stimulation on skeletal muscle is anabolic growth, which has led to the use of agonists such as clenbuterol by athletes to enhance muscle performance. While previous work has demonstrated that β2ARs can engage distinct signaling and functional cascades mediated by either G proteins or the multifunctional adaptor protein, β-arrestin, the precise role of β-arrestin in skeletal muscle physiology is not known. Here, we tested the hypothesis that agonist activation of the β2AR by clenbuterol would engage β-arrestin as a key transducer of anabolic skeletal muscle growth. The contractile force of isolated extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL) and calcium signaling in isolated flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) fibers were examined from the wild-type (WT) and β-arrestin 1 knockout mice (βarr1KO) followed by chronic administration of clenbuterol (1 mg/kg/d). Hypertrophic responses including fiber composition and fiber size were examined by immunohistochemical imaging. We performed a targeted phosphoproteomic analysis on clenbuterol stimulated primary cultured myoblasts from WT and βarr1KO mice. Statistical significance was determined by using a two-way analysis with Sidak’s or Tukey’s multiple comparison test and the Student’s t test. Chronic administration of clenbuterol to WT mice enhanced the contractile force of EDL muscle and calcium signaling in isolated FDB fibers. In contrast, when administered to βarr1KO mice, the effect of clenbuterol on contractile force and calcium influx was blunted. While clenbuterol-induced hypertrophic responses were observed in WT mice, this response was abrogated in mice lacking β-arrestin 1. In primary cultured myoblasts, clenbuterol-stimulated phosphorylation of multiple pro-hypertrophy proteins required the presence of β-arrestin 1. We have identified a previously unappreciated role for β-arrestin 1 in mediating β2AR-stimulated skeletal muscle growth and strength. We propose these findings could have important implications in the design of future pharmacologic agents aimed at reversing pathological conditions associated with skeletal muscle wasting.