cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MS2-3: Breast Cancer and the Environment: Developmental Reprogramming of Cancer Susceptibility by Early Life Environmental Exposures.

In the last two decades it has become appreciated that adverse environmental exposures early in life can have a profound impact on susceptibility to adult diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cancer. The “developmental origins of health and disease” or DOHaD hypothesis, posits that environmental exposures during key periods of tissue development and organogenesis can “reprogram” the cell9s epigenome in a way that increases susceptibility to disease later in life. It is now clear that even brief environmental exposures can reprogram developing tissues and profoundly increase risk of developing cancer in adulthood decades after the exposures occurred. This developmental reprogramming has been best appreciated in the context of early life exposures to environmental agents such as xenoestrogens that mimic steroid hormones, with such exposures dramatically increasing susceptibility to hormone-dependent tumors of the breast and reproductive tract later in life. Recent advances in the field of environmental epigenomics have provided data that epigenetic alterations in both DNA methylation and histone methyl marks are induced during developmental reprogramming. In some tissues, xenoestrogens induce these epigenetic alterations via activation of non-genomic signaling, providing a direct link between xenoestrogen exposure and disruption of the cell9s epigenetic machinery. For example, xenoestrogeninduced activation of non-genomic PI3K/AKT signaling has been shown to target the histone methyltransferase EZH2, modulating the activity of this epigenetic “writer” and disrupting the proper “installation” of epigenetic histone methyl marks during development. Understanding the nature of the epigenetic reprogramming induced by early life exposures to xenoestrogens (and other environmental agents) has important implications for our understanding of breast cancer susceptibility across the life-course and for identifying effective strategies to prevent this disease. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr MS2-3.
Contributions of Sinorhizobium meliloti Transcriptional Regulator DksA to Bacterial Growth and Efficient Symbiosis with Medicago sativa

ABSTRACT The stringent response, mediated by the (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA and the RNA polymerase-binding protein DksA, is triggered by limiting nutrient conditions. For some bacteria, it is involved in regulation of virulence. We investigated the role of two DksA-like proteins from the Gram-negative nitrogen-fixing symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti in free-living culture and in interaction with its host plant Medicago sativa. The two paralogs, encoded by the genes SMc00469 and SMc00049, differ in the constitution of two major domains required for function in canonical DksA: the DXXDXA motif at the tip of a coiled-coil domain and a zinc finger domain. Using mutant analyses of single, double, and triple deletions for SMc00469 (designated dksA), SMc00049, and relA, we found that the ΔdksA mutant but not the ΔSMc00049 mutant showed impaired growth on minimal medium, reduced nodulation on the host plant, and lower nitrogen fixation activity in early nodules, while its nod gene expression was normal. The ΔrelA mutant showed severe pleiotropic phenotypes under all conditions tested. Only S. melilotidksA complemented the metabolic defects of an Escherichia coli dksA mutant. Modifications of the DXXDXA motif in SMc00049 failed to establish DksA function. Our results imply a role for transcriptional regulator DksA in the S. meliloti-M. sativa symbiosis. IMPORTANCE The stringent response is a bacterial transcription regulation process triggered upon nutritional stress. Sinorhizobium meliloti, a soil bacterium establishing agriculturally important root nodule symbioses with legume plants, undergoes constant molecular adjustment during host interaction. Analyzing the components of the stringent response in this alphaproteobacterium helps understand molecular control regarding the development of plant interaction. Using mutant analyses, we describe how the lack of DksA influences symbiosis with Medicago sativa and show that a second paralogous S. meliloti protein cannot substitute for this missing function. This work contributes to the field by showing the similarities and differences of S. meliloti DksA-like proteins to orthologs from other species, adding information to the diversity of the stringent response regulatory system.
Simulation on the Behavior of Argon Bubbles in Slab Continuous Casting Mold

Aiming at the behavior of Argon Bubbles in Slab continuous casting mold with cast speed 1.7m/min,the influence of blowing argon flow rate on bubble size,bubble distribution,the liquid surface level oscillation and behaviors of slag-melt were investigated by using water model and numerical simulation,the 190mm×1900mm slab mold is taken as an object of study.The results show that with increasing gas flow rate in nozzle the size of bubbles in mold increased,the bubble numbers near the narrow face of the mold decreased and most of the bubbles float upward to the surface of the mold in regions around the submerged entry nozzle.The emulsified slag entrapment,metal level bareness and slag entrapment near the nozzle were mainly caused by blowing gas flow rate.
Quantum Noise Initiated Mode-Hopping in Semiconductor Lasers

In this paper we report statistical studies of two-mode semiconductor lasers. The dominant source of noise in semiconductor lasers is spontaneous emission, which is responsible for mode-hopping. We study mode-hopping phenomena based on a model that includes the time dependence of the complex fields and inversion for a two-mode laser. Previous studies of the problem have been through analog simulations and one-dimensional Fokker-Planck equations.1 Our digital computations utilize the full five dimensional set of equations and we include the cross-correlations between the field and the inversion.2
What Do We Know About Discipline Disparities? New and Emerging Research

Skiba, Arredondo, Rausch and Gray examine the most current research on disciplinary disparities. They find that out-of-school suspension and expulsion continue to be used inequitably by race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation; that disparities cannot be explained by different rates of misbehavior or poverty; and that school disciplinary exclusion is often the first step leading to short- and long-term negative academic and social consequences. Available findings suggest that schools have the power to change their exclusion rates. Even effective school discipline reforms may need to be adapted to specifically address issues of race, difference, and disparity, however, since not all interventions that reduce use of exclusionary discipline overall also close disciplinary gaps. The authors close with recommendations based on current findings concerning disparities.
Policies, Agendas, and Practices Influencing Doctoral Education in Physical Education Teacher Education.

ABSTRACTIf teaching physical education is a moral activity, it follows that there is a moral component to the preparation of teachers of physical education and thus a moral component to the preparation of teacher educators. In this article, I examine the major policies, agendas, and practices that influence doctoral preparation in physical education teacher education. I argue from both a utilitarian and realist perspective that we can best serve children and youth in schools by being knowledgeable of the contexts and effects of these policies, agendas, and practices in educating future professors of physical education teacher education.
Enhanced Survival of MDS Progenitor Cells under Hypoxic Conditions.

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a diverse group of primary bone marrow disorders characterized by persistent cytopenias and a variable rate of progression to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). A consistent finding in the bone marrow of patients with MDS is increased apoptosis and a defect in terminal differentiation of maturing cells. We hypothesized that MDS cells are unable to tolerate the increasing oxygen tension experienced during hematopoiesis as cells move out of the hypoxic stem cell niche and this intolerance leads to increased apoptosis. In order to test this hypothesis, we have studied the growth in methylcellulose colonies of bone marrow progenitors in eight samples from patients with MDS at normoxia (21% O 2 ) and at hypoxia (3% O 2 ). In 5/8 samples there is a greater than 8-fold (range 8.5–15.9) increase in colony number under hypoxic conditions. The remaining three MDS samples, while only demonstrating an average increase in colony number of 2.4-fold, demonstrated significantly larger colonies of various lineages. Comparatively, in six normal patient samples the augmentation averaged 1.5-fold and never exceeded 2-fold, with a statistically significant (p=0.01) difference in the mean fold-change between normal and MDS marrows. These results suggest that MDS cells have an impaired ability to tolerate increasing levels of oxygen and also suggests a methodology for expansion of MDS cells for further biochemical analysis of this phenotype. The cellular response to hypoxia is modulated in part through the mitochondrion and significant genetic data suggests that a mitochondrial abnormality is associated with MDS. In order to examine mitochondrial potential in MDS progenitor cells, we have adapted a multiparameter flow cytometric strategy for the simultaneous analysis of mitochondrial potential (ψ m ) in defined hematopoietic progenitors using the potentiometric dye tetramethyl rhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE). These studies confirm that in normal bone marrow samples, ψ m increases with development from the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) to differentiated progenitor cells. Analysis of marrow from a patient with early MDS (refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia, IPSS Low) and a 10-fold increase in colony number under hypoxic conditions demonstrates the absence of this progressive increase in ψ m through myeloid development when compared to normal controls. Additionally, two samples from patients with progression of their MDS to frank AML demonstrated a markedly elevated ψ m in the blast cells, consistent with the elimination of the mitochondrial pathology during the genesis of the leukemic clone. Analysis of mitochondrial potential in additional MDS samples is ongoing and will be presented. These data suggest that a defect in the mitochondrial adaptation to increasing oxygen tension experienced during hematopoietic differentiation may explain the impaired growth of MDS progenitor cells.
A non-destructive method to determine the rotational stiffness of timber frame connections

A method for non-destructive determination of the initial rotational stiffness of timber joints using the natural frequency of vibration of the beam is presented. The rotational stiffness of the joint is defined as “k”, and the bending stiffness of the member is defined as EI/L. The ratio of joint stiffness to the bending stiffness (k/EI/L or kL/EI) is defined as α. Previous researchers have found that for 1 1. The method accurately classified the joints as pinned or semi-rigid for 90% of the cases. The average percent relative deviation for the field-tested beams with α > 1 was 38%. Percent deviation for α > 1 could be reduced by almost half by taking a 5 mm diameter × 50 mm long sample for density testing. The probability distribution of the joint stiffnesses was characterized using a Weibull distribution. Errors due to assumptions about (1) equal stiffness of joints at each end, (2) existing stress in members, and (3) vibration damping were all studied. The relative impact of each on the results of the method is presented.
Phase I study of defactinib combined with pembrolizumab and gemcitabine in advanced cancer.

TPS505Background: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is consistently hyperactivated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and FAK signaling is a key driver in forming its fibrotic and proinflammatory tumor microenvironment. Inhibition of FAK signaling leads to significant reduction of pancreatic tumor growth in animal models. Indeed, tumors treated with FAK inhibitors displayed markedly reduced tumor fibrosis and decreased immunosuppressive myeloid cells. Furthermore, our preclinical work has demonstrated that FAK- and PD-1 inhibitors elicit significant tumor regression, and the maximal response was achieved by combining FAK- and PD-1 inhibitors with gemcitabine, suggesting the need for a cytotoxic agent to bolster antigen presentation (Jiang H et al, Nature Medicine 2016). Defactinib is an orally available, potent ATP-competitive, FAK inhibitor with a recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of 400 mg twice daily. Methods: Eligible patients will be treated according to the dose escalation schema. A 3+3 design is ...
Are Polydrug Users More Physically and Verbally Aggressive? An Assessment of Aggression Among Mono- Versus Polydrug Users in a University Sample:

Early research has revealed that patterns of aggression and antisocial behavior are present among polydrug users. Often missing from this discourse is the examination of whether polydrug users are quantitatively different from monodrug users in their use of aggression. Theoretical perspectives are often centered on the psychopharmacological effects of substance use on behavior. Consideration of possible poly- versus monodrug use differences and their impact on aggression has not been investigated. Data from this study were derived from a sample of Midwestern university students (N = 793). The relationship between violence, aggression, and concurrent polydrug use in the last year is assessed with a series of multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models. Results demonstrate that higher incidents of physical and verbal aggression are reported among polydrug users compared to monodrug users and abstainers. When analyses were broken down by polydrug users (those who engaged in alcohol/marijuana and alcohol/NMUPD [nonmedical use of prescription drugs] stimulants), polydrug users reported higher levels of physical aggression compared to monodrug users. Similarly, monodrug users reported higher levels of physical aggression compared to nonusers. This research extends our understanding of aggression among users from two different subcategories: polydrug users in comparison to those who only engage in one form of substance use. Scholars and practitioners who work with violent offenders should consider patterns of drug use behavior when addressing substance use-related aggression.
Impact of an interprofessional population health course and clinical immersion experience: Students and practice outcomes

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of an interprofessional (IP) population health course and accompanying clinical immersion experience. Outcomes related to IP learning, team-based communication, and clinical practice outcomes are discussed. Graduate students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work participated in a blended learning didactic course followed by a clinical immersion experience in primacy care. Students worked in interprofessional teams to complete a needs assessment, and design and implement quality improvement projects with primary care partners. Student assessment included evaluation of teamwork and collaboration and reflective practice. Overall impact of the course was measured by course outcomes, the impact of the quality improvement project at the practice site, and clinical satisfaction working with the student teams. This model demonstrates a clear need to continue to develop educational curricula aimed at building collaborations between health professionals and communities to provide care to populations that is cost effective and quality and outcomes based.
The Ethical Responsibilities of The EEG Technologist

(1974). The Ethical Responsibilities of The EEG Technologist. American Journal of EEG Technology: Vol. 14, 8th International Congress pf Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, pp. 118-121.
Planning and Scheduling in Supply Chains

This chapter focuses on models and solution approaches for planning and scheduling in supply chains. It describes several classes of planning and scheduling models that are currently being used in systems that optimize supply chains. It also discusses the architecture of the decision support systems that have been implemented in industry and the problems that have come up in the implementation and integration of systems for supply chains. In the implementations considered the total cost in the supply chain has to be minimized, i.e., the stages in the supply chain do not compete with one another in any form, but collaborate in order to minimize total cost.
A Survey on the Maximal Number of Solutions of Equations Related to Gravitational Lensing

This paper is a survey of what is known about the maximal number of solutions of the equation \(f(z) = \bar {z},\) in particular when f is the Cauchy transform of a compactly supported positive measure. When f is a rational function, the number of solutions of this equation is equal to the number of images seen by an observer of a single light source deflected by a gravitational lens (such as a galaxy). We will discuss what is known in the context of harmonic polynomials, rational functions, polynomials in z and \(\bar {z}\) (but not harmonic!) and even transcendental functions that arise in situations involving continuous mass distributions for different shapes. In particular, we discuss an example related to the lens equation for a limacon-shaped gravitational lens.
Session VIII: Monitoring of Human Populations at Risk

The identification of carcinogenic and/or mutagenic activity in chemicals and the extrapolation of the experimental data to the human situation is the primary approach to controlling possible adverse health effects in human populations. Another useful approach, and one negating the difficulties inherent in extrapolating cell and animal data to humans, is to actually monitor human populations for genotoxic damage, e.g cancer, heritable diseases, during and after their exposure to hazardous agents. Epidemiological studies, the classical approach to population surveillance, are limited in that the ill-health effect must be readily apparent before an adverse health effect situation can be inferred. For epidemiological studies directed at assessing cancer incidence, a 15 to 20 year delay between the exposure to the causitive agent and the appearance of the cancers is not uncommon. For heritable diseases the delay in appearance is at least one generation. Except for an unrelated decrease in agent usage dictated by economic or for more immediate health effects, the burden of ill-health will increase throughout this delayed expression time. To circumvent this lag time associated with cancer or heritable diseases, several approaches have been developed or are being developed to assess several “indicators” of potential genotoxic ill-health. These indicators include: cytogenetic and mutagenic end- points in human peripheral blood lymphocytes, mutagenic or clastogenic substances in body fluids (urine, seminal fluid), nondisjunctional events or abnormal morphology in sperm, and the alkylation of hemoglobin.
Library Leadership Lessons Gleaned from WWII Submariners

Many aspects of good leadership have not changed over time. This article uses examples from World War II submarining, particularly Capt. Eugene Fluckey’s experiences, as a launching point for discussing modern academic library leadership. There are six points of leadership discussed which alternate between submarining and libraries: selecting team members, cross-training, respecting the individual, developing esprit de corps, communicating hard truths, and thinking big thoughts.
Host JAK/Stat activity is a target of endoparasitoid wasp virulence strategies

Innate immune responses depend on the action of multiple conserved signaling pathways. Pathways important for activation of humoral immune responses following microbial infection are well-characterized in the genetic model species Drosophila melanogaster, but our understanding of fly cellular immunity, and how parasites suppress it, is relatively fragmentary. Fly larvae mount a coordinated cellular immune response following infection by endoparasitoid wasps, characterized by the production of specialized blood cells called lamellocytes that form a tight capsule around wasp eggs in their hemolymph. The conserved JAK/Stat signaling pathway has been implicated in lamellocyte proliferation and is required for successful encapsulation of wasp eggs. Here we show that activity of Stat92E, the D. melanogaster Stat ortholog, is induced in the fat body and hemocytes following wasp infection. Virulent wasp species are able to suppress activation of a Stat92E activity reporter during infection, suggesting they target upstream activation of this pathway as part of their virulence strategies. Furthermore, two wasp species (Leptopilina guineaensis and Ganaspis xanthopoda) suppress phenotypes associated with gain-of-function mutations in hopscotch, the D. melanogaster JAK ortholog, showing that they inhibit JAK/Stat activity downstream of JAK. Our data demonstrate that endoparasitoid wasp virulence factors block JAK/Stat signaling to overcome fly immune defenses.
New evidence of regressing and transgressing Jurassic siliciclastic coastlines within the Dhruma Formation in Northern Central Arabia, Saudi Arabia

Abstract The Middle Jurassic Dhruma carbonates have long been identified as a major hydrocarbon reservoir with massive proven reserves in Saudi Arabia and other Arabian Gulf countries. Regional studies indicate that these hydrocarbon-rich carbonates are replaced laterally by siliciclastic deposits in northern and southern central Arabia. However, none of those studies have clarified how these siliciclastic deposits were formed or how they can be correlated with their carbonate counterparts. Recently drilled shallow stratigraphic wells near the outcrops of the Dhruma Formation (approximately 250 km NW of Riyadh) provide an opportunity to analyze these siliciclastic sediments. Around 1500 m of cores from six shallow stratigraphic wells are described and interpreted, providing an understanding of the transgressive and regressive Middle Jurassic siliciclastic Dhruma shorelines. An unusual aspect of the Dhruma shorelines was the long-lived transgressions (greater than half the thickness of the succession) that initially created embayed estuarine coastlines. Rivers coming into the estuaries were backfilled and strongly impacted by tidal currents entering the embayments from the sea. Fluvio-tidal and tidal sandbars filled 11 m deep inner estuarine channels and were eventually overridden by muddy central basin deposits and then by the remnants of coastal barriers with tidal inlets. Higher frequency transgressions during the middle part of the Dhruma interval left an unusual record of stacked shelf ridges, until widespread shelf carbonates developed when the clastic supply system had back-stepped far landward. In the upper third of the Dhruma Formation, the clastic supply system was re-established, with river- and tide-influenced deltas regressing across the preexisting shelf area. Five thick transgressive-regressive sequences, in addition to a series of low-supply, high-frequency mid-Bajocian transgressive events, provide the details of the evolution of this early Middle Jurassic coastline in central Arabia. Given a likely total time span of 5–7 Ma (early Aalenian to Bathonian), the Dhruma siliciclastic sequences have a duration of ~1 Ma and an average thickness of 30–80 m. The existing Middle Jurassic paleogeography map in central Saudi Arabia has been enhanced, and a correlation has been made with the Dhruma reservoir-equivalent outcrops in southern central Arabia.
Reactivity and relative reaction rates of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone coexisting with large quantities of acetone on 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine-impregnated filters

Hazardous substances in the workplace are not always used separately. The reactivity of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone on filters impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) in the presence of large quantities of acetone was analyzed with HPLC and UV-visible spectroscopy to examine the interference of DNPH derivatization caused by coexisting compounds. Formaldehyde (0–0.22 μmol) containing 70 μmol acetone per whole filter was derivatized on a DNPH filter and was found to be affected slightly by acetone. Derivatization of formaldehyde on the DNPH filter occurred much more rapidly than derivatization of acetone. The relative reaction rate was estimated from the quantity of DNPH derivatives and the initial quantities of samples, which was based on what would be expected in an actual workplace formaldehyde sample. The relative reaction rates followed the order formaldehyde > acetaldehyde ≫ acetone. It was confirmed that formaldehyde could be derivatized and quantified in the presence of a large quantity of acetone.
Abstract 083: Divergent Metabolic and Cardiovascular Effects of FGF21

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a pleiotropic hormone that regulates energy homeostasis. We previously demonstrated that FGF21 act in the brain to increase thermogenic sympathetic nerve acti...
Common genetic variation and risk of osteosarcoma in a multi-ethnic pediatric and adolescent population.

Abstract Osteosarcoma, a malignant primary bone tumor most commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents, has a poorly understood genetic etiology. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and candidate-gene analyses have identified putative risk variants in subjects of European ancestry. However, despite higher incidence among African-American and Hispanic children, little is known regarding common heritable variation that contributes to osteosarcoma incidence and clinical presentation across racial/ethnic groups. In a multi-ethnic sample of non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, African-American and Asian/Pacific Islander children (537 cases, 2165 controls), we performed association analyses assessing previously-reported loci for osteosarcoma risk and metastasis, including meta-analysis across racial/ethnic groups. We also assessed a previously described association between genetic predisposition to longer leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and osteosarcoma risk in this independent multi-ethnic dataset. In our sample, we were unable to replicate previously-reported loci for osteosarcoma risk or metastasis detected in GWAS of European-ancestry individuals in either ethnicity-stratified analyses or meta-analysis across ethnic groups. Our analyses did confirm that genetic predisposition to longer LTL is a risk factor for osteosarcoma (ORmeta: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.09–1.36; P = 3.8 × 10−4), and the strongest effect was seen in Hispanic subjects (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.12–1.54, P = 6.2 × 10−4). Our findings shed light on the replicability of osteosarcoma risk loci across ethnicities and motivate further characterization of these genetic factors in diverse clinical cohorts.
Current Retrieval from Moving Wave Patterns Seen by Spaceborne SAR

As shown at several conferences in 2018, we have developed a novel ocean wave retrieval technique based on spot-light-mode SAR data, which takes advantage of the long SAR integration time to identify moving wave patterns. In the first step, a complex spotlight-mode image is reprocessed into a series of subaperture images, which reveals motions during a time interval of a few seconds. Then individual Fourier transforms of parts of the subaperture images are computed and combined into three-dimensional wavenumber-frequency spectra, in which most of the spectral energy is found near a dispersion shell given by the theoretical dispersion relation of ocean waves. From this point, techniques known from the analysis of sequences of marine radar images or videos of wave fields can be applied to derive the most likely water depth (in coastal areas) and surface current vector from the shape of the dispersion shell. This conference presentation will focus on first examples of results and discuss the achievable accuracy and effective spatial resolution and the potential of the technique for various applications.
Global land-use and carbon emission implications from biochar application to cropland in the United States

Abstract Biochar has the potential to increase crop yields when applied to agricultural land. We integrate agronomic and economic simulation models to determine the expected yield increase from biochar applications in the United States. We calculate the location-specific willingness to pay of U.S. farmers to apply biochar to their cropland if biochar increases yields over 20 years. In addition to the potential benefit of higher revenue for farmers, biochar applications also have policy implications if biochar production is combined with bio-fuel production or used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from indirect land-use change. Thus, the results are then combined with an agricultural outlook model to determine the effects on global land-use change and net carbon emissions. Our results indicate that biochar application is most profitable for croplands in the Southeast U.S. due to the combination of high yield increases and availability of biomass to produce biochar. An increase in U.S. yields above trend by 1% for corn, soybeans, and wheat would decrease net total global emissions by 25–87 Tg of CO2-equivalent.
A novel multiplex score to predict outcomes of partial nephrectomy for multiple tumors.

656Background: The RENAL nephrometry score (RNS) is widely used to describe renal mass complexity and inform patient counseling for partial nephrectomy (PN). However, in cases with multiple lesions...
Meaning in life amidst life transitions

Abstract Meaning in life is a concept that has been shown to influence well-being in both psychological and physical domains. However, meaning can be affected by a variety of events. Trauma of many types causes a necessary reevaluation of meaning, and perhaps a reconstruction. Similarly, life transitions may have a deleterious influence on meaning. This chapter considers contemporary models of meaning in life and examines the effect of trauma on meaning and the potential effect of life transitions.
The role of family conflict in mediating impulsivity to early substance exposure among preteens.

Abstract Objectives Preadolescence substance exposure, which increases the risk of regular substance use, has been a public health concern. Although studies found that impulsivity is a predisposing factor of early substance exposure, the pathways through which impulsivity is associated with early substance exposure remain unclear. This study examined how family conflict mediates this association among U.S. preteens as family environment plays an essential role in pre-adolescent development. Methods Respondents (N = 11,800, 9–10 years old) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Release 2.01 (July 2019) were included in this study. Generalized structural equation modeling was performed to investigate the mediation effects of family conflict on the associations between childhood impulsivity and early exposure to alcohol and tobacco use, controlling for covariates based on the Problem Behavior Theory. Results Pre-adolescents with high impulsivity levels (≥90th percentile) were more likely to report early alcohol and tobacco exposure (total effect: ORs = 1.49 and 1.70, respectively), where 4.13% and 12.41% of the associations, respectively, were meditated by family conflict (indirect effect: ORs = 1.02 and 1.07; Sobel test ps = 0.022 and 0.005, respectively). Conclusions Family conflict mediates the associations between childhood impulsivity and early substance exposure among preteens, with higher impulsivity leading to more severe family conflicts that are, in turn, associated with a higher likelihood of early substance exposure. To prevent preteens with high impulsivity level from early use of substances, interventions may focus on reducing family conflicts such as parenting counseling that guides parents to strengthen conflict-resolution skills and create a stable home environment for preteens.
Systemic inequalities for LGBTQ professionals in STEM.

Researchers have documented race and gender inequality in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for decades. Do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) professionals face parallel experiences of disadvantage in STEM? Using representative survey data from 21 STEM professional societies (Nsample = 25,324; NLGBTQ = 1006), this paper presents multidimensional and methodologically robust documentation of 5 dimensions of LGBTQ inequality in STEM. Controlling for variation by demographic, discipline, and job factors, LGBTQ STEM professionals were more likely to experience career limitations, harassment, and professional devaluation than their non-LGBTQ peers. They also reported more frequent health difficulties and were more likely to intend to leave STEM. These trends were similar across STEM disciplines and employment sectors. We found no differences by LGBTQ status in education level, work effort, or job commitment. These findings reveal LGBTQ status as a clear axis of inequality in STEM and motivate further research into the mechanisms producing such outcomes.
Eddy-Length-Scale Response to Static Stability Change in an Idealized Dry Atmosphere: A Linear Response Function Approach

The response of mid-latitude equilibrated eddies' length scale to static stability has long been questioned but not investigated in well-controlled experiments with unchanged mean zonal wind and me...
You’re Definitely Wrong, Maybe: Correction Style Has Minimal Effect on Corrections of Misinformation Online

How can online communication most effectively respond to misinformation posted on social media? Recent studies examining the content of corrective messages provide mixed results—several studies suggest that politer, hedged messages may increase engagement with corrections, while others favor direct messaging which does not shed doubt on the credibility of the corrective message. Furthermore, common debunking strategies often include keeping the message simple and clear, while others recommend including a detailed explanation of why the initial misinformation is incorrect. To shed more light on how correction style affects correction efficacy, we manipulated both correction strength (direct, hedged) and explanatory depth (simple explanation, detailed explanation) in response to participants from Lucid ( N = 2,228) who indicated they would share a false story in a survey experiment. We found minimal evidence suggesting that correction strength or depth affects correction engagement, both in terms of likelihood of replying, and accepting or resisting corrective information. However, we do find that analytic thinking and actively open-minded thinking are associated with greater acceptance of information in response to corrective messages, regardless of correction style. Our results help elucidate the efficacy of user-generated corrections of misinformation on social media.
Visual relational (“categorical”) learning and performance by rats with temporal or partial striate cortical lesions

Previous research has shown that injuries of the inferotemporal cortex in monkeys result in impaired visual “categorical” perception. The goal of this project was to explore the possibility that a similar deficit might accompany injuries of the visual portions of the temporal cortex in rat, namely area TE2. Rats were prepared with bilateral TE2, partial striate, or sham cortical lesions and trained to discriminate between 17- (S+) and 3-cm (S−) diameter circles in a Y-shaped water maze. After criterion on this discrimination was reached, tests of relational perception were conducted with intermediate-size stimuli. The larger of the two stimulus pairs consistently cued the location of a submerged escape platform. Not only did rats with TE2 lesions learn the original discrimination as rapidly as normal rats and rats with partial striate lesions, but their performance paralleled that of the other groups on all tests of relational perception with intermediate stimuli. Several possible explanations for the discrepancy between the results observed here with rats and those observed with nonhuman primates are discussed.
Semantic knowledge in patients with Alzheimer's disease: Evidence for degraded representations.

Publisher Summary This chapter briefly discusses evidence both in support and against the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have an actual loss or degradation of knowledge. The chapter outlines a model of normal semantic representations of objects based on the premise that semantically related items are represented by specific, but overlapping neuronal networks. Object naming deficits and other word-finding difficulties are particularly common and disabling problems for patients with AD. Although, there is good evidence to believe that this deficit is due primarily to involvement of the left posterior temporal cortex, the underlying cause of this deficit has not been adequately characterized. The argument is made that the types of deficits seen in AD patients on effortful and on more automatic measures of semantic knowledge are consistent with the expected outcome of damage to this type of representation. The implications of these degraded representations for object naming and word-finding ability is discussed in chapter.
Comparison of polyolefin biocomposites prepared with waste cardboard, microcrystalline cellulose, and cellulose nanocrystals via solid-state shear pulverization

Abstract As a significant part of municipal solid waste (MSW), waste cardboard (CB) is a sustainable, inexpensive, and rich source of cellulose. Previous studies of polyolefin/CB composites have reported modest enhancement to major reduction in modulus and major reduction in elongation at break values relative to neat polymer. Here, green hybrids of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP) with 5–25 wt% CB are made by solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP), which achieves both size reduction of 2–3 cm sized CB pieces to the micron level and dispersion in polymer. The properties obtained with CB incorporation in LDPE and PP are compared and contrasted with those obtained with incorporation of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC). Polyolefin composites with CB made by SSSP exhibit major enhancement in Young's modulus (63% and 71% increases for 10 wt% CB in LDPE and 15 wt% CB in PP, respectively). The PP/CB composites exhibit a broad range of property enhancements relative to neat PP, including a nearly 50% nucleating efficiency, as much as an 8% increase in PP crystallinity, and a factor of ∼3 decrease in crystallization half-time. Well-dispersed CB particles improve LDPE and PP thermo-oxidative stability as shown by thermogravimetric analysis (∼5–20 °C increase in 20% mass loss temperature in air with 15–20 wt% CB addition) and isothermal shear flow rheology. Similarly, post-SSSP high-temperature, long-time melt mixing results in no apparent degradation of LDPE/CB and MCC composites whereas LDPE/CNC composites show major degradation. When incorporated into polyolefin composites, low cost, cellulose-rich MSW can often produce reinforcement similar to glass fibers and thus has potential as filler for structural composite applications.
Energy Ethics in Science and Engineering Education

Substantial global changes in energy production and use are occurring at present and will continue to occur for decades to come, with widespread ramifications for the distribution of wealth and power and humanity’s social and environmental future. This raises important ethical considerations that should be addressed in the education of engineers, whose research and practice will assuredly involve energy to some degree. The Energy Ethics in Science and Engineering Education Project, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, sought to enhance attention to and projects in energy ethics in graduate research education concerning energy. The partners, the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes (CSPO) at Arizona State University (ASU) and the Center for Engineering, Ethics, and Society (CEES) at the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), conducted a number of research, educational, and outreach activities to develop a foundational intellectual basis for understanding the ethics of energy transitions, to provide opportunities for students to learn about energy ethics, and to disseminate ideas and materials broadly. Evaluation results indicate the project has been successful in engaging students in various formats; additionally the project has illuminated a number of fundamental ideas about the interrelationships among energy, ethics, and society.
Maternal depression and child BMI: longitudinal findings from a US sample.

SummaryObjective To examine the association between maternal depression and child body mass index (BMI) from Kindergarten (K) to fifth grade. Methods Analysis of four waves of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten spanning K to fifth grade. Maternal depressive symptoms (MDSs) were measured by a brief version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses, adjusting for key covariates and potential confounders. The analytic sample was restricted to children of normal birth weight. Results The relationship between MDS and child BMI varies by child gender and age. Among girls, severe MDS at K was related to lower BMI at third grade (but not later at fifth grade) and to an increase in BMI from K to third and K to fifth grades. Among boys, severe MDS at K was related to higher boys’ BMI at fifth grade. When severe MDS occurred at third grade, it was related to higher BMI at fifth grade among girls whereas no statistically significant relationship was found for boys. Low levels of physical activity in comparison to peers at fifth grade and more screen time on weekends at third grade are likely mediators of the relationship between MDS and child BMI among girls, while among boys the relationship appears to be mediated by unhealthy eating habits. Conclusions Our findings, indicating developmental and gender differences in the relationship between maternal depression and child BMI, if confirmed, suggest that interventions addressing maternal depression may have concomitant impact on childhood obesity.
Invertebrate Nervous Systems

The sections in this article are: 1 Overview of Invertebrate Systems 1.1 Plants and Unicellular Microbes 1.2 Parazoa: Sponges 1.3 Diploblastic Metazoa: Anemones, Jellyfish, and Comb Jellies 1.4 The First Brains: Flatworms, Flukes, and Tapeworms (Platyhelminthes) 1.5 Nemertines, Pseudocoelomates, and Others 1.6 Nematodes 1.7 Annelids, Arthropods, and Molluscs 1.8 Echinoderms 1.9 Chaetognaths 1.10 Invertebrate Chordates 2 Principle-Oriented Vignettes 2.1 Voltage-Gated Ion Channels and Membrane Biophysics 2.2 Synaptic Transmission and Neurosecretion 2.3 Selected Neuronal Circuits 2.4 Long-Term Plasticity of Invertebrate Neuronal Circuits 2.5 Sensory Representation and Processing 2.6 Olfaction 2.7 Vision 2.8 Mechanosensation
Effect of sodium polyanetholesulfonate on antimicrobial systems in blood.

Abstract Sodium polyanetholesulfonate (SPS), an anticoagulant which inhibits the antimicrobial systems of blood, is used widely in blood culture media. The addition of SPS to experimental blood cultures inoculated with small numbers of a variety of organisms caused a striking increase in recovery of these organisms. Sodium fluoride also increased the incidence of positive blood cultures with some organisms. SPS completely inhibited serum antibacterial activity and serum-dependent phagocytosis (and killing) by isolated leukocytes at a concentration usually employed in blood culture media. SPS also stimulated both glucose C-1 oxidation in resting leukocytes and formate oxidation in both resting and phagocytosing leukocytes in serum-free systems. These in vitro studies support the concept that SPS is a useful additive to blood culture media and further elaborate on the mechanism of its inhibition of the microbicidal activity of blood.
Presenilin is required for activity and nuclear access of Notch in Drosophila

Presenilins are membrane proteins with multiple transmembrane domains that are thought to contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease by affecting the processing of beta-amyloid precursor protein. Presenilins also facilitate the activity of transmembrane receptors of the LIN-12/Notch family. After ligand-induced processing, the intracellular domain of LIN-12/Notch can enter the nucleus and participate in the transcriptional control of downstream target genes. Here we show that null mutations in the Drosophila Presenilin gene abolish Notch signal transduction and prevent its intracellular domain from entering the nucleus. Furthermore, we provide evidence that presenilin is required for the proteolytic release of the intracellular domain from the membrane following activation of Notch by ligand.
RETHINKING JOURNALISTIC AUTHORITY: Walter Cronkite and ritual in television news

As the journalistic community confronts ongoing material transformations altering the production and reception of news, it also faces a continuing crisis of authority. The death of legendary US television news anchor Walter Cronkite in 2009 provided a moment for working and retired journalists to consider publicly the crisis of journalistic authority through explanations of his immense success anchoring the CBS Evening News during the 1960s and 1970s. During this era, nightly Cronkite viewing became a ritual for millions of Americans, which suggests the need to include attributes of ritual within an understanding of journalistic authority. Yet rather than acknowledge a role for ritual, journalists limited their self-assessment by invoking a narrow set of norms stressing information transmission. Ultimately, this failure by the community to acknowledge journalistic authority in all its complexity hinders journalists’ ability to confront challenges encountered in the contemporary media environment. This ess...
The Effect of Financial Statement Restatements on Firms' Financial Reporting Strategies

This paper examines the impact of financial statement restatements on firms' financial reporting strategies. Conventional wisdom suggests that the shock of having to restate previously published financial statements, together with significant related stock price declines and other adverse consequences will lead companies to reform their financial reporting policies. However, the continuing importance of stock-based compensation, of 'making the numbers,' and the risk/return tradeoffs of restatement all suggest that it is possible that managements' incentives are relatively unchanged in the aftermath of a restatement. Thus, it remains an empirical issue whether restatements do or do not affect firms financial reporting strategies. We identify a sample of financial statement restatements during 1997-2000 and compare various empirical measures of financial reporting strategy before and after the quarter of a restatement announcement. Our main analyses, which use total accruals as a measure of financial reporting strategy, indicate that firms do not appear to adopt a more conservative financial reporting strategy after a restatement. To the extent that the evidence from our sample is representative of restatement firms in general, the evidence suggests that the financial reporting environment - securities regulators, boards of directors, independent auditors, the security markets themselves, and/or firms' internal corporate governance mechanisms - does not appear to be successfully causing firms who are caught in violation of financial accounting rules to reform their financial reporting.