cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3288: The KCNA5 promoter is hypermethylated in Ewing sarcoma and silencing contributes to cell proliferation

Potassium channels regulate a variety of biological processes and dysfunction of these channels contributes to cancer initiation and progression. We recently showed that the KCNA5-encoded channel, Kv1.5, is a target of polycomb-group (PcG)-dependent repression in aggressive pediatric solid tumors and that this epigenetic silencing of the Kv1.5 channel contributes to cell survival under hypoxic stress. In human cancer, the promoters of PcG target genes are often subject to aberrant DNA hypermethylation. Therefore, in the current study we investigated whether the KCNA5 locus is hypermethylated in Ewing sarcoma. The methylation status of KCNA5 was determined in tumor samples, non-transformed cells and a panel of cancer cell lines using a custom Illumina GoldenGate® methylation array and by MethyLight. Promoter methylation and expression of KCNA5 were measured by MethyLight and qRT-PCR, respectively, before and after exposure to decitabine. Proliferation was assessed in untreated and decitabine treated cells in the presence or absence of the Kv1.5 channel blocker diphenyl phosphine oxide-1 (DPO-1). Methylation array studies of normal tissues and Ewing sarcoma tumors and cell lines showed that the KCNA5 promoter is hypermethylated in Ewing sarcoma compared to normal tissues. This hypermethylation was confirmed by MethyLight analysis in an independent set of primary tumors and cell lines. These studies also showed that methylation was relatively higher in cell lines than primary tumors. Exposure of Ewing sarcoma cells to decitabine led to demethylation of the KCNA5 promoter and directly correlated with increased expression of the KCNA5 transcript. Decitabine treatment did not affect the viability of Ewing sarcoma cell lines; however it led to a decreased proliferation. Significantly, pharmacologic inhibition of the Kv1.5 channel by DPO-1 partially reversed the decitabine-induced reduction in cell proliferation in three different cell lines (TC-71, A673 and A4573). Together these studies show that the KCNA5 promoter is hypermethylated in Ewing sarcoma and that inactivation of the Kv1.5 channel promotes cell proliferation. This work identifies DNA methylation as another epigenetic mechanism that regulates KCNA5 expression in cancer and further implicates epigenetic repression of the Kv1.5 potassium ion channel in tumor pathogenesis. Citation Format: Katherine Ryland, Allegra Hawkins, Daniel J. Weisenberger, Scott Borinstein, Peter W. Laird, Jeffrey R. Martens, Elizabeth R. Lawlor. The KCNA5 promoter is hypermethylated in Ewing sarcoma and silencing contributes to cell proliferation. [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 3288. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3288
Noteworthy Literature Published in 2016 for Abdominal Organ Transplantation Anesthesiologists.

More than 3000 peer-reviewed publications on the topic of liver transplantation were published in 2016. The goal of this article is to provide a concise review of pertinent literature for anesthesi...
Dietary sodium, dietary potassium, and systolic blood pressure in US adolescents.

Both high sodium and low potassium diets are associated with hypertension, but whether these risk factors are distinct or overlapping has not been thoroughly investigated. The authors evaluated the relationship between dietary sodium, potassium, and high systolic blood pressure among 4716 adolescents aged 12 to 14 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2012. There was no association with blood pressure across most values of sodium or potassium intake. However, participants who reported sodium intake ≥7500 mg/d, potassium <700 mg/d, or sodium-potassium ratio ≥2.5 had increased odds for high systolic blood pressure (≥95th percentile for age, sex, and height). Although the high sodium and low potassium groups did not overlap, 49.2% of these adolescents also had a sodium-potassium ratio ≥2.5. In young adolescents, both excessive sodium and limited potassium are associated with high systolic blood pressure, but the balance between sodium and potassium intake may be more useful in explaining blood pressure in this population.
Marketing the recreational sublime: Jumbo Wild and the rhetorics of humans in nature

ABSTRACTSince Carleton Watkins and Ansel Adams captured the sublime landscapes of Yosemite, immense technological changes have occurred that demand we revisit discourses about the sublime. Panmediation combined with ever-reaching capitalist practices have shifted the ways in which the sublime is imaged, conceptualized, and utilized. In this paper, we turn to DeLuca and Demo’s (2000. Imaging nature: Watkins, Yosemite, and the birth of environmentalism. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 17(3), 241–260.) and Stormer’s (2004. Addressing the sublime: Space, mass representation, and the unpresentable. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 21(3), 212–240.) essays on the sublime to trace the trajectory of the sublime’s domestication and the ways in which its use in contemporary environmentalist discourses, led by corporations like Patagonia, have reinforced human–nature binaries and anthropocentric discourses. To do so, we examine the 2015 documentary Jumbo Wild, which represents one example of a new tu...
Mentalistic explanation and mental causation

In this paper I present an internal difficulty for the hypothesis that mentalistic explanation is causal explanation. My thesis is that intuitively acceptable mentalistic explanations appear to violate constraints imposed by the mental causation hypothesis.
Virus and dsRNA-triggered transcriptional responses reveal key components of honey bee antiviral defense

Recent high annual losses of honey bee colonies are associated with many factors, including RNA virus infections. Honey bee antiviral responses include RNA interference and immune pathway activation, but their relative roles in antiviral defense are not well understood. To better characterize the mechanism(s) of honey bee antiviral defense, bees were infected with a model virus in the presence or absence of dsRNA, a virus associated molecular pattern. Regardless of sequence specificity, dsRNA reduced virus abundance. We utilized next generation sequencing to examine transcriptional responses triggered by virus and dsRNA at three time-points post-infection. Hundreds of genes exhibited differential expression in response to co-treatment of dsRNA and virus. Virus-infected bees had greater expression of genes involved in RNAi, Toll, Imd, and JAK-STAT pathways, but the majority of differentially expressed genes are not well characterized. To confirm the virus limiting role of two genes, including the well-characterized gene, dicer, and a probable uncharacterized cyclin dependent kinase in honey bees, we utilized RNAi to reduce their expression in vivo and determined that virus abundance increased, supporting their involvement in antiviral defense. Together, these results further our understanding of honey bee antiviral defense, particularly the role of a non-sequence specific dsRNA-mediated antiviral pathway.
Ice electronucleation: Laboratory and field evidence in support of a new mechanism of ice nucleation

This concept of an ice nucleation mechanism relies strongly on the orientation and flow of water molecules in strong, nonuniform fields. The postulates require fields within an order of magnitude of breakdown in moist air. However, for heterogeneous ice nucleation, strong electric fields may be maintained since the charges are bound, and not mobile. For secondary ice formation, the locally high fields required are transients, and need not be sustained.
How did I miss that? Developing mixed hybrid visual search as a ‘model system’ for incidental finding errors in radiology

In a real world search, it can be important to keep 'an eye out' for items of interest that are not the primary subject of the search. For instance, you might look for the exit sign on the freeway, but you should also respond to the armadillo crossing the road. In medicine, these items are known as "incidental findings," findings of possible clinical significance that were not the main object of search. These errors (e.g., missing a broken rib while looking for pneumonia) have medical consequences for the patient and potential legal consequences for the physician. Here we report three experiments intended to develop a 'model system' for incidental findings - a paradigm that could be used in the lab to develop strategies to reduce incidental finding errors in the clinic. All the experiments involve 'hybrid' visual search for any of several targets held in memory. In this 'mixed hybrid search task,' observers search for any of three specific targets (e.g., this rabbit, this truck, and this spoon) and three categorical targets (e.g., masks, furniture, and plants). The hypothesis is that the specific items are like the specific goals of a real world search and the categorical targets are like the less well-defined incidental findings that might be present and that should be reported. In all these experiments, varying target prevalence, number of targets, etc., the categorical targets are missed at a much higher rate than the specific targets. This paradigm shows promise as a model of the incidental finding problem.
Globalization and Climate Change

The worldwide phenomena of climate change and globalization raise many questions for the social sciences. How do globalization and climate change affect each other? What challenges do their interactions present to social scientists? Who are the winners and losers from globalization and climate change? Do their impacts on the welfare of specific social groups intensify or offset each other? Within the limited scope of this chapter, I intend to provide some brief (and incomplete) answers to these important questions.
Sry and the genetics of sex determination.

Many consider the distinction between the two sexes, male and female, to be absolute. Genetic studies of the mechanisms of sexual development have shown the complexity of sex determination and have started to unveil, at the molecular level, how a number of individuals can develop as intersex.
Dynamics of Gulf Coral Communities: Observations and Models from the World’s Hottest Coral Sea

Coral reefs are adapted to a relatively narrow band of environmental optima and the harsh Gulf environment tests the physiological and ecological limits of reef corals. The environmental variability (minimal and maximal annual temperatures, salinity extremes, etc.; Chap. 2; Sheppard et al. 1992, 2010) are outside the range of typical tropical reefs. Regular summer temperatures are several degrees above the bleaching and mortality thresholds of some regions in the Great Barrier Reef and the Caribbean (Baker et al. 2008; Chap. 6). Yet, corals thrive in the Gulf. However, they have recently been exposed to severe temperature anomalies at a recurrence faster than in any other coral reef region (Riegl 2002, 2003; Sheppard and Loughland 2002; Riegl and Purkis 2009; Sheppard et al. 2010) and it appears that hot-anomalies are increasing in severity and frequency (Nasrallah et al. 2004). Thus, corals in the Gulf already exist in a thermal environment that is equal to, or even worse than, what is predicted (IPCC 2007) as occurring throughout the tropical oceans by 2099 and recognized as likely causing problems for coral reef persistence. Clearly, important lessons can be learned from Gulf corals about environmental extremes that corals can survive and, given the high frequency of disturbances, maybe even lessons in adaptability. Since the world is getting warmer and extremes are becoming more pronounced, the study of such extreme reef systems gains increased relevance.
A model for container performance in an unsaturated repository

A mathematical model to predict the cumulative failure distribution for the containment barrier system (CBS) employed in a deep geologic disposal facility is presented as a function of near-field environmental conditions expected at the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada. The model can address the effects of container design, areal power density, and dominant heat transfer mode on the cumulative container failure distribution. This model has been employed to describe the performance of the CBS as one part of a risk-based performance assessment of the Yucca Mountain site. The model employs Weibull and exponential distributions to describe container failures. Parameter values employed in the model are based on simple, time-dependent, mechanistic models and relevant corrosion data, which describe failure of individual components of the CBS as a function of environmental conditions. The relative importance of container design with respect to predicted container performance is demonstrated through comparison of the results for three candidate container designs. The best container performance was noted for the conduction-dominant heat transfer mode at an areal power density of 114 kW/acre for all container designs. Calculations for the titanium-clad, Alloy C-4 container design suggest that significant improvements in container performance may be achieved through the use ofmore » very high-performance alloys. The performance of the multipurpose container (MPC) design at the high areal power density (114 kW/acre) was only slightly better than the Alloy 825, single-barrier design. This was due to the potential deleterious effect of high-temperature oxidation on the carbon steel outer barrier of the MPC design.« less
Islamic Banking: Some Distinguishing Regulatory Considerations

This focus of this paper is the regulation of one segment of modern Islamic finance: Islamic banking, whether conducted by stand-alone Islamic banks or “Islamic windows” within conventional interest-based banks. Consideration is given to a select group of illustrative issues that arise in connection with the regulation of Islamic banks. These issues pertain to (i) the structure of Islamic banks and the nature of the activities conducted by Islamic banks with funds provided by the customers of those banks (i.e., the funds that are considered to be ‘deposits’ in conventional banking), and (ii) Shariʿah governance, a subset of corporate governance that focuses on ensuring that Islamic banks operate and conduct their activities in accordance with the Shariʿah.
Improving speaker diarization for CHIL lecture meetings.

Speaker diarization is often performed before automatic speech recognition (ASR) to label speaker segments. In this paper we present two simple schemes to improve the speaker diarization performance. The first is to iteratively refine GMM speaker models by frame level re-labelingand smoothingof the decision likelihood. The second is to use word level alignment information from the ASR process. We focus on the CHIL lecture meeting data. Our experiments on the NIST RT06 evaluation data show that these simple methods are quite effective in improving our baseline diarization system, with alignment information providing 1% absolute reduction in diarization error rate (DER) and the re-label smoothing providing an additional 3.51% absolute reduction in DER. The overall system generates a DER that is 6.8% relative better than the top performing system from the RT06 evaluation.
Ethical Applied Linguistics Research

This chapter presents the historical development of research ethics in applied linguistics and then outlines core issues that applied linguists are likely to face when conducting research. Best practices within the field will be discussed and attention called to little discussed elements of research ethics, specifically issues involving academic or professional conduct and behaviors that could lead to unethical practices. Also highlighted will be the growing reliance on Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) as the benchmark for ethical research by providing cases of ethical issues that were unlikely to be covered during IRB training or in the IRB application process. While the nomenclature will differ from country to country, we will use the term IRB to refer to any research ethics board. The main thrust of this chapter is to provide support for teaching research ethics in graduate-level applied linguistics courses and afford guidance to novice applied linguists.
Advancing Systematic and Fundamental Changes in Agricultural Water Resources Management

Tile drain are basically designed to facilitate removal of excess water to reduce erosion and runoff of soil while irrigation distributes water deposits evenly across land [1]. These two methods of agricultural infrastructure ensure that the soil receives the proper amount of water. This runoff typically feeds into a larger water flow. Nutrients, particularly phosphorous, seep into soil and bodies of water through tile drains and can lead to algae blooms when left untreated in natural waters, creating an environment that is not healthy for a present ecosystem.
CT Angiography of the Renal Arteries

Imaging of the renal arteries using noninvasive tools such as high resolution CT angiography (CTA) has largely replaced catheter angiography in the assessment of a variety of clinical indications including depicting renal donor anatomic variation, assessing renal luminal abnormalities and demonstrating complex postoperative reconstructions. This chapter reviews the indications, techniques and applications for renal arterial CTA as well as presents future directions for state-of-the-art CT scanners and processing techniques.
Developing myelin specific promoters for schwannoma gene therapy.

Abstract Background Schwannomas are peripheral nerve sheath tumors composed entirely of Schwann-lineage cells that cause pain and sensory-motor dysfunction through compression of peripheral nerves, the spinal cord, and/or the brain stem. Treatment of schwannoma is largely limited to resection which itself has limited value. The goal of this study is to establish a technique to identify the most efficient and tissue-specific promoter for use in a schwannoma gene therapy construct. New method This work involves transfection of schwannoma cells with adeno-associated viral vector plasmids expressing GFP under different myelin cell specific promoters. The transfected cells were evaluated for green fluorescence intensity in vitro, and in vivo after implantation into sciatic nerves of nude mice. Results Our data demonstrate that myelin protein zero (MPZ, P0) and peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) promoters produce greater GFP expression in schwannoma cell lines than myelin basic protein (MBP) promoter. In vitro, P0 promoter activity in schwannoma cell lines was shown to be less active than the cytomegalovirus and chicken β-actin (CBA) promoter. However, we did not observe any significant difference between the activity of the CBA and P0 promoters in a xenograft schwannoma model. Comparison with existing methods(s) We show here the influence of the peripheral nerve microenvironment on promoter efficacy in expressing transgenes using simple transfection by lipofection followed by prompt implantation of the transfected cells into the sciatic nerve of nude mice. Conclusions We demonstrate that of the myelin specific promoters evaluated, P0 is optimal for driving expression of transgenes in schwannoma cells.
A nickel(0) catalyzed cycloaddition of alkynes and isocyanates that affords pyrimidine-diones

Abstract A Ni/ N -heterocyclic carbene catalyzed cycloaddition of one alkyne and two isocyanates that affords pyrimidine-dione is described. The key to the success of this protocol is the use of unsymmetrically substituted alkynes that favors the formation of pyrimidine-diones over pyridones. A variety of pyrimidine-diones were prepared. A one-pot cycloaddition and Stille coupling were reported for tributyl(1-propynyl)tin. Competition studies also provide insights into the mechanism of the cycloaddition.
Manuka honey chelates iron and impacts iron regulation in key bacterial pathogens.

Aim The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that Manuka honey (MH) chelates iron and promotes an iron-limiting environment, which contributes to its antimicrobial activity. Methods and results Employing a ferrozine-based assay, we observed that MH is an iron chelator that depletes iron from solution. Siderophores are small molecules that bind ferric iron (III) with high affinity and their levels are upregulated by bacteria under iron-limiting conditions. We demonstrated by quantitating siderophore production that Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa treated with MH sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC) experience an iron-limiting environment and increase siderophore production. In addition, supplementation with ferrous iron (II) significantly increased growth of E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and P. aeruginosa cultured at their MH MIC above that observed in nonsupplemented controls. By contrast, supplementation with ferric iron (III) significantly increased growth for only E. coli and P. aeruginosa, above their nonsupplemented controls. Conclusions Manuka honey chelates iron, thereby generating an iron-limiting environment for E. coli and P. aeruginosa, and to a lesser extent S. aureus, which contributes to its antimicrobial properties. Significance and impact of the study Our work demonstrates that MH-induced iron chelation is an antimicrobial mechanism that differentially impacts the bacterial species tested here. Iron chelation affects multiple diverse physiological processes in bacteria and would contribute to the lack of bacterial resistance to MH. Iron metabolism is tightly regulated; bacteria require this essential nutrient for survival, but in excess it is toxic. Additional exploration of MH's iron chelation mechanism will facilitate its future use in mainstream medicine.
Rapid and ultra-rapid insulin in glycemic control

Fast and ultra-fast insulin preparations are being currently developed and marketed in order to improve glycemic control in Type -1 Diabetes Mellitus (TIDM) patients, both in Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Injection (CSII, insulin pump) and in traditional Multiple Daily Injection (MDI) therapy schemes. Ultra-fast insulins are reputed to allow better tailoring of blood-glucose reduction than currently available fast insulins, particularly during and after meals.In this work, we propose a strategy for the control of glycemia in presence of perturbations (meals), using injectable insulin preparations with fast and very fast absorption kinetics, particularly in the context of MDI diabetes therapy. The control method is validated in-silico, also with a comparison between the use of fast and ultra-fast insulin, while robustness is tested with respect to non-idealities including meal glucose content uncertainties, and quantized glycemia measurements and insulin doses.Preliminary results show the effectiveness of the approach taken and are promising in view of the application of the proposed techniques in more realistic experimental conditions.
Prediction of tissue optical properties using Monte Carlo modeling of photon transport in turbid media and integrating spheres (Conference Presentation)

We present an extension to existing Monte Carlo photon transport methods to simulate integrating sphere experiments. This method uses a Monte Carlo approach to simulate photon paths in tissue and an analytical expression for the probability of a photon in an integrating sphere being re-incident on the tissue. Analytical models, previous works on Monte Carlo photon transport, and measurements of a synthetic tissue phantom validate this method. We present two approaches to back-calculate the optical properties of samples. Experimental and simulation uncertainties are propagated through both methods. Both back-calculation methods find the optical properties of a sample accurately and precisely.
Teacher judgments of student mathematics achievement: the moderating role of student-teacher conflict

Equitable assessment of students’ mathematical thinking is imperative for effective instruction. This two-part study investigated teachers’ judgement of students’ mathematical thinking. In Study On...
Density- and spin-density-functional theories through spin-free wave functions

It is proven that entirely spin-free wave functions can be utilized in the basic definitions of the universal functionals in density-functional theory and spin-density-functional theory. Then, for the purpose of approximating these functionals, it is shown that the knowledge of certain properties of the functionals, such as those involving the coordinate scaling of just one of the spin densities, is made feasible precisely because the wave functions in the functional definitions are free of explicit spins. Among the examples, a conjectured spin-density scaling relation for the correlation energy is studied.
163-OR: Evidence for Circadian Control of Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion in Transplanted Human Stem-Cell-Derived Pancreatic ß-Cells

Cell replacement strategies utilizing stem cell-derived β-cells (SC-β cells) hold therapeutic potential for patients with diabetes. In order for cell therapy to be effective, transplanted SC-β cells must recapitulate physiological features of insulin secretion in humans. In this regard, circadian regulation of insulin release is critical for normal β cell physiology, where intrinsic β cell circadian clocks function to optimize glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) during the active/feeding phase of the circadian cycle. Thus, to elucidate whether transplanted SC-β cells retain capacity for circadian control of insulin secretion, SC-β cells were generated using a six-step directed differentiation protocol and transplanted (n=13 independent transplants) under the kidney capsule into immunocompromised (SCID-beige) mice. Prior to transplantation, differentiated SC-β cells were confirmed to express core circadian clock genes (e.g.,BMAL1, CLOCK, PER1 and REV-ERBα). Provided this information, we next assessed in vivo glucose tolerance and corresponding insulin secretory response (using human insulin ELISA) in SCID-beige mice during the inactive/sleep and active/feeding circadian cycles. Both parameters demonstrated robust diurnal rhythmicity (p Disclosure S. K. Sen: None. S. Hassoun: None. Q. P. Peterson: Other Relationship; Self; Semma Therapeutics, Inc. A. Matveyenko: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (R01DK098468 to A.M.)
Development of eco-friendly antifungal coatings by curing natural seed oils on wood

Abstract Protective green coatings are advantageous because they are eco-friendly and sustainable. In this study, three natural seed oils, tung, linseed and soybean, were used to investigate how coatings with different oil compositions could inhibit fungal growth. The oils were placed under direct sunlight to form cured films on maple wood. The curing chemistry and its effect on chemical resistance, water resistance and thermal stability were characterized and evaluated by FTIR, 13C NMR, solvent immersion, water contact angle and thermogravimetric analysis. The oil-coated samples were then placed on agar petri dishes that were spread with white-rot fungi. The areas of growth inhibition were measured over several days using an agar diffusion assay. The results showed that all oil-based coatings inhibited the fungal growth, with tung oil being the most effective followed by linseed and soybean oils. By mixing with a small fraction of tung oil, both linseed and soybean oils showed curing rates at least two times faster than individual oils and demonstrated much better inhibition of growth against fungi. This class of green natural seed oil coatings could be beneficial both economically and socially, given their high abundance, low cost, and environmental friendliness.
Clinical, biochemical, and hematological characteristics of community-dwelling adolescent and young adult males with anorexia nervosa.

Objective Data regarding clinical characteristics in males with AN are limited. We aimed to delineate clinical, biochemical, and hematological features in community-dwelling adolescent and young adult males with AN. Method A retrospective chart review of electronic medical records from 2000 to 2016 was conducted for 53 males aged 10-23 years old; AN (n = 36) and healthy controls (n = 17) were similar for Tanner stage. Results Adolescent and young adult males with AN were diagnosed at a mean age of 15.9 ± 3.0 years. The most prevalent strategy for weight loss (following calorie restriction) was over-exercising. Labs demonstrated polycythemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia, but no electrolyte abnormalities. Compared with healthy controls of similar Tanner stage, males with AN had lower total testosterone levels. A significant proportion of males with AN had traumatic bone fractures. Discussion Over-exercising is a common secondary weight loss strategy in males with AN. Testosterone levels are lower than in controls, but electrolyte abnormalities are rare. With enhanced provider awareness, diagnostic delays may be prevented.
Immunogenicity of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis on treatment with TNF inhibitors.

Patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) on immunosuppressants are generally considered to be more prone to infections, and therefore, a vulnerable group for severe COVID-19 infection. However, current data are reassuring, indicating that immunosuppression, and especially, TNF inhibitor (TNF-i) treatment, is not a specific risk factor for severe or fatal disease.1 On the other hand, treatment with rituximab is associated with more severe disease and less favourable outcome.1 So far, adherence to personal protection measures and immunisation comprise the two available strategies for battling the COVID-19 pandemic.2 In the adult population, it has been demonstrated that the vast majority of patients with RMDs using non-B-cell-depleting therapy who received two doses of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine mounted a protective immune response.3 4 Until recently, data regarding the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents with RMDs on immunosuppressants were lacking, since these individuals were excluded from the vaccine trials.5 The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) on TNF-i treatment. This single-centre study involved adolescents aged 16–21 years previously diagnosed …
The impact of self beliefs on post-secondary transitions: The moderating effects of institutional selectivity

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between self beliefs, institutional characteristics, and college student persistence. More specifically, this study sought to understand whether self-efficacy beliefs, both academic self-efficacy and social self-efficacy, play a role in college persistence. Further, the possible moderating effects of institutional selectivity were explored. Results showed academic and social self-efficacy beliefs were associated with first-year college persistence. Accounting for the moderating effects of college selectivity revealed a nuanced relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and persistence. Social self-efficacy had the greatest impact on the persistence of students at less selective colleges, whereas academic efficacy was associated with a greater persistence for students at highly selective colleges. Implications for higher education practitioners and counselors are discussed.
Multiscale Stochastic Volatility for Equity, Interest Rate, and Credit Derivatives

Building upon the ideas introduced in their previous book, Derivatives in Financial Markets with Stochastic Volatility, the authors study the pricing and hedging of financial derivatives under stochastic volatility in equity, interest-rate, and credit markets. They present and analyze multiscale stochastic volatility models and asymptotic approximations. These can be used in equity markets, for instance, to link the prices of path-dependent exotic instruments to market implied volatilities. The methods are also used for interest rate and credit derivatives. Other applications considered include variance-reduction techniques, portfolio optimization, forward-looking estimation of CAPM 'beta', and the Heston model and generalizations of it. 'Off-the-shelf' formulas and calibration tools are provided to ease the transition for practitioners who adopt this new method. The attention to detail and explicit presentation make this also an excellent text for a graduate course in financial and applied mathematics.
Computerized Adaptive Testing

The Bible in the book of Judges (12:4–6) records an early example of testing with a one-item test that had very high stakes: Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.”
Duodenal expression of heme and non-heme iron transporters and tissue partitioning of dietary heme and non-heme iron in a rat mode of iron overload (246.8)

Dietary heme is an important Fe source yet the regulation of heme absorption and tissue partitioning of absorbed heme remain undefined. In a rat model of Fe overload, we aimed to 1) examine duodenal heme and non-heme Fe transporters in relation to hepcidin, and 2) to compare utilization of absorbed heme and non-heme Fe by erythroid (RBCs) and Fe storage tissues (liver and spleen). Twelve male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized to receive injections of PBS (control) or Fe dextran providing a total of 16 mg (Moderate Fe) or 48 mg Fe (High Fe) over 2 weeks. After Fe loading, rats were gavaged with 57Fe-FeSO4 and 58Fe-porcine RBC. Duodenal Fe transporter expression and tissue isotopic enrichment were assessed 10-days post-dosing. Fe injection in the High Fe group suppressed duodenal transcript expression of divalent metal transporter 1 (Dmt1) and duodenal cytochrome b (Dcytb) by 70% but did not impact heme carrier protein 1 (Hcp1) or Ferroportin. Liver hepcidin expression correlated with Dmt1, Dcytb and Ferr...
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change

Part I: Foundations and the Model. The Dilemma of Human Suffering. The Foundations of ACT: Taking a Functional Contextual Approach. Psychological Flexibility as a Unified Model of Human Functioning. Part II: Functional Analysis and Approach to Intervention. Sandoz, Case Formulation: Listening with ACT Ears, Seeing with ACT Eyes. The Therapeutic Relationship in ACT. Creating a Context for Change: Mind versus Experience. Part III: Core Clinical Processes. Sandoz, Present-moment Awareness. Dimensions of Self. Defusion. Acceptance. Values. Committed Action. Part IV: Building a Progressive Scientific Approach. Contextual Behavioral Science and the Future of ACT.
What’s Lost in Translation? Neopositivism and Critical Research Interests

This piece engages with Andrew’s Bennett’s ‘Found in Translation’ to complicate the notion that combining epistemologies is intellectually simple or politically desirable.
Nonlethal assessment of freshwater mussel physiological response to changes in environmental factors1

The development of effective nonlethal biomonitoring techniques is imperative for the preservation of imperiled freshwater mussel populations. Changes in hemolymph chemistry profiles and tissue gly...
Connecting Niche Party Vote Change in First- and Second-Order Elections

AbstractNiche parties in European countries have struggled to win seats in national legislatures. Accounts of niche party development describe how attempts to win these seats often begin with second-order election campaigns for the European Parliament (EP) or a regional assembly. Strong second-order campaigns can signal that a party is locally competitive, which will help niche parties by reducing defections due to strategic voting in later first-order elections. In this paper, I argue that according to such accounts, improvements in second-order election results should be correlated with subsequent improvements in first-order election results in any given constituency. I also argue that the magnitude of this correlation can be compared across different types of second-order elections, to gauge how credible voters perceive these second-order signals of local viability to be. I find that only regional assembly election results, not EP election results, are consistently and statistically significantly corre...
Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Disparities as Possible Risk Factors for Development of Incontinence by Nursing Home Residents

Incontinence is a common health problem among nursing home (NH) residents. Differences between black and white NH residents in incontinence prevalence have been reported. Although reducing health disparities is a principal objective of the national health care agenda, little is known about disparities in incidence of new incontinence in NHs. The purpose of this study was to assess whether there were racial/ethnic disparities in the time to development of incontinence in adults over age 65 who had been continent on NH admission. If no racial or ethnic disparities in time to incontinence were found, other predictors of time to incontinence would be explored. Three national databases were sources of data on 42,693 adults over 65 admitted to 446 for-profit NHs in a national chain. Multi-level predictors of time to any type of incontinence were analyzed, using Cox proportional hazards regression for white Non-Hispanic NH admissions and the Peters-Belson method for minority NH admissions: American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asians/Pacific Islanders, Black non-Hispanics, and Hispanics. No racial/ethnic disparities in time to incontinence were found. Approximately 30% of all racial/ethnic groups had developed incontinence by 6 months. Those who developed incontinence sooner were older and had greater deficits in activities of daily living (ADL) and cognition. Results were consistent with past evidence and suggest that interventions to maintain continence from the time of admission should be applied across racial/ethnic groups.
Adrenal imaging: why, when, what, and how? Part 1. Why and when to image?

Lesion Detection and Characterization When should imagers move from simple lesion detection to definitive lesion characterization? Unfortunately, most incidentally detected adrenal lesions, whether benign or malignant, functioning or nonfunctioning, appear similar when detected (Fig. 1). Fortunately, however, most will prove to be benign [2]. This fact becomes even more definitive when the patient has no history of malignancy. Song et al. [2] showed that not a single lesion in 1,049 lesions in patients without any history of malignancy turned out to be malignant [2]. Given that the a priori chance of an adrenal mass in this subgroup being malignant is almost nil, it could be argued that no further tests are needed. Although reassuring to imagers, most referring physicians are uncomfortable with no further follow-up, particularly because a minority of lesions, despite still being benign, may represent hyperfunctioning adenomas (Fig. 2) or pheochromocytomas (Fig. 3). Other benign adrenal neoplasms include myelolipoma (Fig. 4) and very rarely other lesions such as cysts (Fig. 5) and ganglioneuroma (Fig. 6). Other nonneoplastic lesions include hematomas and infectious masses [1] (Table 1). Given the chance that a small minority of incidentally detected adrenal lesions are hyperfunctioning, there is currently significant debate between imagers and endocrinologists Adrenal Imaging: Why, When, What, and How? Part 1. Why and When to Image?
Efficacy of β2-Agonists in Bronchiolitis: A Reappraisal and Meta-analysis

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of b2- agonists in bronchiolitis. Design. Critical review and meta-analysis of random- ized controlled trials of inhaled b2-agonists. Results. Three inpatient and five outpatient studies were identified. Inpatient studies (82 patients) were char- acterized by wide variability in therapeutic regimens and measurement of outcomes. Several problems were iden- tified in the selection and specification of patients, such as failure to assess the prestudy duration of illness or to exclude patients already taking bronchodilators. Meta- analysis was not possible for inpatient trials due to the great variability in study outcomes, timing of outcome assessment, and drug regimens. Results of inpatient tri- als were contradictory: one found significant reductions in the clinical score and a shorter hospital stay with treatment, whereas two others found only significant oxygen desaturations. Outpatient studies (251 patients) examined immediate changes in physiologic measures and clinical scores after two treatments, but have not examined the effects of the longer-term regimen customarily used by clinicians. Meta-analysis revealed that short-term b2-agonist ther- apy had no impact on the hospitalization rate or respira- tory rate, and had a statistically significant but clinically insignificant impact on oxygen saturation and heart rate. The diversity of scoring systems precluded pooling of clinical score data. Conclusions. Despite eight clinical trials, conclusive evidence for the efficacy of b2-agonist therapy for bron- chiolitis remains unavailable. Well-designed inpatient trials are needed. Meta-analysis of outpatient studies does not support the use of b2-agonist therapy for bron- chiolitis, but investigators have not studied the outcomes and the long-term outpatient regimen customarily used by clinicians. Pediatrics 1997;100:233-239; bronchiolitis, b2-agonists, meta-analysis, clinical trials, infants.
Electron beam sensitivity study of the Los Alamos advanced free-electron laser beam line

A sensitivity study that used the particle tracking code PARMELA was performed on the Advanced Free-Electron Laser (AFEL). The tolerances on the alignment of the beam-line elements and the magnetic-field strengths were examined. Two base-line configurations were determined at the beginning of the study. The electron beam was then matched into the wiggler. The optimized beam-line parameters were varied independently and their sensitivities were judged with the criterion that the free-electron laser (FEL) effective-detuning parameter should not fluctuate more than 10%. The results of this study set the specifications for the alignment, for the sensitivity of the steering magnets, and for the accuracy of the magnetic field in the quadrupoles and dipoles. 5 figs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.
Exploring Relational Communication Patterns in Prereferral Intervention Teams

The purpose of this research was to understand the relational communication patterns that characterize school-based prereferral intervention teams (PITs). Fifteen PIT meetings were used as the basis for analyses, with each meeting audiotaped, transcribed, and coded using the Family Relational Communication Control Coding System (Heatherington & Friedlander, 1987). Additionally, the PIT Meeting Evaluation Coding Form was used to assess each meeting's adherence to a traditional problem-solving framework. Important results included (a) relatively consistent domineeringness (i.e., attempted influence) scores across participants, with the exception of the referring teacher; (b) relatively consistent dominance (i.e., successful influence) scores across participants; (c) significantly greater (p < .05) domineeringness displayed by the school psychologist compared with the referring teacher; and (d) no significant differences in dominance scores between the school psychologist and teacher. In sum, this study repr...
An elementary interpretation of entry 12 in Gauss's Tagebuch

Abstract Perhaps this obscure entry refers to the sum of all numbers smaller than a given number and relatively prime to it.
Perseveration Effects in Detection Tasks with Correlated Decision Intervals

An investigation of the behavior of the human decisionmaker is described for a task related to the problem of a pilot using a traffic situation display to avoid collisions. This sequential signal detection task is characterized by highly correlated signals with time varying strength. Experimental results are presented and the behavior of the observers is analyzed using the theory of Markov processes and classical signal detection theory. Mathematical models are developed which describe the main result of the experiment: that correlation in sequential signals induced perseveration in the observer response and a strong tendency to repeat their previous decision, even when they were wrong.
BIOLOGICAL AGGRESSIVENESS OF HEREDITARY PROSTATE CANCER: LONG-TERM EVALUATION FOLLOWING RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY

AbstractPurpose: We answer the question of whether, following radical prostatectomy, prostate cancer in patients with a family history of prostate cancer relapses biochemically at the same rate as prostate cancer in appropriately matched patients with no family history.Materials and Methods: The study was performed in 2 parts. In both parts prostate specific antigen (PSA) progression was defined as a postoperative elevation in serum PSA greater than 0.2 ng./ml. Part 1 included 656 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy by the same surgeon. Men with a family history of prostate cancer in a father or brother (94) were compared to those with no history of prostate cancer in a father or brother (562). Part 2 comprised 52 men with a family history of prostate cancer consistent with hereditary prostate cancer (HPC). HPC is defined as a family with 3 generations affected, 3 first-degree relatives affected or 2 relatives affected before age 55 years. Each member of this HPC group was matched by postoperativ...
Application of new ultrasound and sound generation methods for testing concrete structures

Transient stress waves offer a powerful approach for non-destructive condition evaluation of concrete structures. However, currently used stress-wave-generating techniques are limited by poor controllability and/or penetrating ability. Stress wave generation must therefore be improved so that the application of existing and new ultrasonic and sonic non-destructive testing techniques to concrete structures will be more effective. This paper first summarizes the existing, traditional stress-wave-generating techniques for testing concrete structures. A method by which electromagnetic and piezoelectric-based sources are driven by AM burst signals is then introduced, fully detailed and shown to be appropriate for concrete tests in place of traditional sources. The performance of these sources is demonstrated through the results of impact-echo tests and spectral analysis of surface waves performed on a Portland cement concrete structure.
Connecting the Dots in a Research Program to Develop, Implement, and Evaluate Strategic Literacy Interventions for Struggling Readers and Writers

This article follows the development of three literacy programs that were designed by researchers at Michigan State University to support struggling readers and writers. The literacy interventions focus on strategy instruction in both writing and reading, and they culminate in the development of an integrated reading-writing program to support the acquisition of read-to-learn and write-to-learn strategies in the content areas. The common thread that unifies the programs is an emphasis on text structure instruction with the provision of instructional scaffolds to support students' participation in a literacy discourse and strategies in advance of independent performance.