cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship between depressive symptoms and hypogonadism in men with COPD.

The prevalence of depression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is greater than in the general population, but the mechanism is unknown. Depression has been linked mechanistically to testosterone deficiency, and testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism) affects many men with COPD. Accordingly, we hypothesized that significant depressive symptoms would be associated with hypogonadism in men with COPD. The hypothesis was tested in a prospective cross-sectional investigation of 104 men (FEV1 = 43 ± 1% predicted (±SE)), 36 of whom had significant depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale score or GDS ≥ 11). Hypogonadism was present in 14 patients with GDS ≥ 11 (39%) and in 21 with GDS < 11 (31%; p = 0.41). The independent association between depressive symptoms and gonadal state was evaluated after adjusting for potential confounders: combined severity of lung disease and functional impairment (BODE-index), co-morbidities (Charlson co-morbidity-Index), age, active smoking, education, and marit...
Bending Stiffness of a Crystalline Actin Bundle

The acrosomal process of the sperm of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) is a unique crystalline actin bundle, consisting of multiple actin filaments cross-linked by the actin-bundling protein, scruin. For successful fertilization, the acrosomal bundle must penetrate through a 30 microm thick jelly coat surrounding the egg and thus it must be sufficiently stiff. Here, we present two measurements of the bending stiffness of a single crystalline bundle of actin. Results from these measurements indicate that the actin:scruin composite bundle has an average elastic modulus of 2 GPa, which is similar to that of a single actin filament, and a bending stiffness that is more than two orders of magnitude larger than that of a bundle of uncross-linked actin filaments due to stiffening by the scruin matrix.
Perioperative Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure is a common disease that affects 5 million people and will continue to increase in prevalence as the population ages. Estimates of its prevalence in patients presenting for vascular surgery range up to 50%. It has been consistently shown to be associated with increased mortal ity after vascular surgery. The anesthesiologist's contact with this disease entity will increase as well. Little has changed in the treatment of this disease until recently. Many new developments have occurred in the pathophysiology and the treatment of this age-old disease. This article re views developments in the pathophysiology, which have resulted in a new understanding and a complete revision of the recommendations for the treatment of heart failure as well as some modalities that hold promise for the future.
Reversals of Age-Related Declines in Neuronal Signal Transduction, Cognitive, and Motor Behavioral Deficits with Blueberry, Spinach, or Strawberry Dietary Supplementation

Ample research indicates that age-related neuronal-behavioral decrements are the result of oxidative stress that may be ameliorated by antioxidants. Our previous study had shown that rats given dietary supplements of fruit and vegetable extracts with high antioxidant activity for 8 months beginning at 6 months of age retarded age-related declines in neuronal and cognitive function. The present study showed that such supplements (strawberry, spinach, or blueberry at 14.8, 9.1, or 18.6 gm of dried aqueous extract per kilogram of diet, respectively) fed for 8 weeks to 19-month-old Fischer 344 rats were also effective in reversing age-related deficits in several neuronal and behavioral parameters including: oxotremorine enhancement of K(+)-evoked release of dopamine from striatal slices, carbachol-stimulated GTPase activity, striatal Ca(45) buffering in striatal synaptosomes, motor behavioral performance on the rod walking and accelerod tasks, and Morris water maze performance. These findings suggest that, in addition to their known beneficial effects on cancer and heart disease, phytochemicals present in antioxidant-rich foods may be beneficial in reversing the course of neuronal and behavioral aging.
Nuclear levels as analyzers of high energy interactions

Abstract We observed the excitation of the first level of carbon in association with scattering of pions from 0.4 to 3 GeV/ c , and the angular correlation of the 4.4 MeV photon. The possibility of selecting diffractive productions with the method is discussed.
Religious Experience and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

Religion is a world view that imbues thought, feeling, and action with significance and value. Such a characterization is, of course, too broad to be considered a definition of religion. Its purpose is merely to call attention to some basic features that religion shares with other forms of human thought and action—in particular, with science. Scientific activity, like religious activity, is embedded in a world view that furnishes its rationale and purpose. The religion of the average person is seldom articulated as a coherent system of value and belief. But the same holds true for the average scientist. As Kuhn (1971) has pointed out, the practitioners of science are usually unaware of the presuppositions that guide their scientific practice. Long before Kuhn called attention to the similarity between this aspect of scientific and religious practice, William James (1902/1979) had noted another obvious similarity, namely, that not only religious ideas and sentiments but also scientific ones are rooted in the psychological and physiological conditions of the human mind.
Innervation and Histologic Characteristics of the Urinary External Sphincter

Twelve years ago we met here and my assignment at that meeting was to discuss the physiology of micturition. We concentrated on the activity of the detrusor and on the sphincteric mechanism, placing much stress on its two divisions — the smooth component and the striated component. Our thinking about the function of the smooth component has not changed much since then. However, we learned a great deal more about the striated urinary sphincter. This is why the title of this presentation is “The Urinary External Spincter Revisited.”
Muscle movement and loss

In the young, a cast on a fractured limb can be a badge of courage—a tapestry for artwork and well wishes from friends. But beneath the surface, draconian events occur that melt away valuable skeletal muscle. One’s strength and muscle mass can recover quickly, but repeated periods of disuse over a lifetime, such as prolonged bed rest and limb immobilization, are thought to have cumulative effects that contribute to the progressive loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) and function observed with aging. Now, a study by Wall and colleagues provides new insights into the effects of short-term immobilization on processes that influence protein balance in human skeletal muscle. Twelve young, healthy men agreed to have one leg immobilized for 5 days with a full leg cast. Immobilization was associated with an ~4% decrease in the quadriceps-muscle cross-sectional area. To assess rates of muscle protein synthesis, the investigators administered isotopically labeled amino acids to the study participants and measured the incorporation of the labeled reagents into the muscle-protein pool. Measurements of muscle protein synthesis in both legs under fasting and fed states allowed the investigators to determine how short-term immobilization affects muscle protein metabolism and the anabolic response—stimulation of protein synthesis in muscle in response to protein ingestion. Immobilization decreased fasting and post-meal protein synthesis quite rapidly, as well as the anabolic response, which was measured after ingestion of protein. Some mechanistic insights were provided by measuring responsiveness of the mTOR signaling pathway to feeding, which was significantly altered in the immobilized limb. Also, muscle expression of genes involved in protein breakdown and inflammation was elevated in the immobilized but not the control leg, and was not altered by protein ingestion. A singular aspect of this study was that the investigators circumvented the numerous technical challenges of measuring postprandial protein synthesis to demonstrate that immobilization significantly reduced the anabolic response to feeding. The findings of this study will have an impact on the quest to identify therapeutic strategies to prevent or attenuate the loss of muscle mass that occurs during bed rest or immobilization due to injury. B. T. Wall et al ., Short-term muscle disuse lowers myofibrillar protein synthesis rates and induces anabolic resistance to protein ingestion. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 10.1152/ajpendo.00227.2015 (2015). [[Full text]][1] [1]: http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/ajpendo/early/2015/11/12/ajpendo.00227.2015.full.pdf
Inverse Scattering Problems for Imperfect Conductors

We are now in a position to introduce the inverse scattering problem for an imperfect conductor, in particular given the far-field pattern of the scattered field to determine the support of the scattering object D and the surface impedance λ. Our approach to this problem is based on the linear sampling method in inverse scattering theory that was first introduced by Colton and Kirsch [50] and Colton et al. [61].
Extracellular domain of TGFβ type III receptor inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth in human cancer cells

TGFβ overexpression in human cancer cells has been shown to promote tumor progression. In the present study, we sought to determine whether sequestration of endogenous TGFβ by the expression of a soluble TGFβ type III receptor (sRIII), can reduce malignancy in human carcinoma cells and whether the tumor-suppressive activity of sRIII is associated with the inhibition of angiogenesis. Ectopic expression of sRIII significantly inhibited the growth of tumors formed by human colon carcinoma HCT116 and breast carcinoma MDA-MB-435 cells in nude mice. It also reduced the metastatic potential of the MDA-MB-435 cells. Thus, endogenous TGFβ appears to be necessary for the progression of these two carcinomas. Furthermore, when the tumor cells were mixed with Matrigel and embedded subcutaneously in nude mice, the blood volume in Matrigel plugs containing sRIII-expressing cells as indicated by hemoglobin levels was significantly lower than that in Matrigel plugs containing the respective control cells. Blood vessel counts in paraffin sections of the Matrigel plugs containing sRIII-expressing cells were also significantly lower than those in paraffin sections of the Matrigel plugs containing control cells. Treatment of human endothelial cells with a recombinant sRIII significantly inhibited their ability to form a capillary web structure on Matrigel. These results for the first time indicate that the sRIII-induced tumor suppression appears to be in part due to the inhibition of angiogenesis.
Clinical analysis of fluconazole prophylaxis against invasive fungal infection in preterm neonates with peripherally inserted central catheters

Objective: Explore the efficacy and safety of oral low-dosage of fluconazole against invasive fungal infection in premature infants who had peripherally inserted central catheter. Methods: The premature infants with PICC were selected and devided into two groups,which were control group without fluconazole and prophylaxis group with oral fluconazole against fungal infection.The safety and incidence of invasive fungal infection were compared and analyzed. Results: There were no significantly differences in the baseline clinical characteristics and risk factors for invasive fungal infection between the two groups.In control group,the incidence of fungemia related to catheter and invasive fungal infection was 7.41% and 14.81%.In prophylaxis group,no case of fungemia related to catheter was found,and the incidence of invasive fungal infection was only 1.39%.There was signifecant difference(P0.05).Compared to infants in control group,the hepatic biochemical indicator showed no significant changes in prophylaxis group at 2 and 4 weeks after fluconazole prophylaxis. Conclusion: For preterm infants with PICC insertions,the strategy of oral low-dosage fluconazole against fungal infection is effectively and safe.
Resynchronizing the Heart and Remodeling Healthcare

![Figure][1] Resynchronizing the abnormal electrical activation within a failing heart is a magnificent advance in the field of clinical electrophysiology that has positively affected the lives of many patients around the world. This issue of JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology focuses on
FTDP-17 with Pick body-like inclusions associated with a novel tau mutation, p.E372G

Mutations in microtubule-associated protein tau gene (MAPT) cause frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). Here, we describe a patient with FTDP-17 and a novel missense mutation in exon 13 of MAPT, p.E372G. We compare clinicopathologic features of this patient to two previously unreported patients with another exon 13 mutation, p.G389R. The patient with the p.E372G mutation was a 40-year-old man with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), who subsequently developed agrammatic speech and parkinsonism. One of the FTDP-17 patients with p.G389R mutation presented at age 24 with agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia, and subsequently behavioral dysfunction. The other presented at age 53 with bvFTD, followed by agrammatic speech and corticobasal syndrome. Neuropathologic features of FTDP-17 due to p.E372G were similar to those of p.G389R, including tau-immunoreactive Pick body-like neuronal inclusions and swollen, tapering thread-like processes in white matter immunoreactive for 3-repeat and 4-repeat tau. Biochemical analysis of insoluble tau showed similar isoform compositions in p.E372G and p.G389R. Functional studies of the p.E372G mutation showed marked increase in tau filament formation and its reduced ability to promote microtubule assembly. Together these findings indicate that p.E372G is a pathogenic MAPT mutation that causes FTDP-17 similar to p.G389R.
Effects of sphingosine and Enigmol on mouse ovarian surface epithelial cells representing early, intermediate and late stages of ovarian cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 3177 Studies to identify early markers of ovarian cancer to support the development of chemopreventive regimens have been hindered by the lack of adequate cell models. Using the spontaneous transformation of mouse ovarian surface epithelium (MOSE) in vitro, we have isolated MOSE cells from C57BL6 mice and characterized distinct transitional states as they progress from a non-tumorigenic to a highly aggressive malignant phenotype. During neoplastic progression our ovarian cancer model undergoes distinct changes in proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, and tumor formation in vivo. This model was used for the initial in vitro and in vivo evaluation of the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential of sphingosine and the novel sphingosine analog Enigmol. A dose- and stage-dependent growth inhibition and induction of cell death was seen with both compounds. However, long-term incubation with low concentrations of the sphingoid bases significantly increased the doubling time of the MOSE cells, and inhibited anchorage-independent growth in soft agar, indicating chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic properties. Treatment with either sphingosine or Enigmol prevented or reversed the neoplastic progression of MOSE cells at distinct stages in vitro as measured by the expression of specific proteins associated with ovarian cancer progression. Thus, the use of low doses of sphingoid bases provides a promising strategy for both chemoprevention and chemotherapy of ovarian cancer; two strategies that are currently being investigated in our laboratories in greater detail in vivo using the immunocompetent C57BL6 mouse. Supported by AICR grant 04B071 (to EMS), and a grant from the Elsa U. Pardee Foundation for Cancer Research (to PCR)
The capacity of fast fading channels using lattice codes: Is separability necessary?

This paper considers communication over the point-to-point Gaussian channel with stationary and ergodic channel gain and full channel state information. The capacity of this chan­nel can be achieved in a straightforward manner via any capacity-achieving codebook for the non-fading Gaussian channel, in conjunction with separable coding, i.e., coding independently over each fading state. Despite its elegance, separable coding causes substantial delays in the communication process. In this paper, we propose a lattice coding scheme that achieves the fast fading channel capacity without separable coding. Interestingly, the decision regions used are universal for a given channel distribution, as long as the sequence of channel realizations is robustly typical. Some of the techniques used in the achievability proof are of independent interest and can be applied to a variety of channels as well as different classes of codebooks.
Allegations of Failure to Obtain Informed Consent in Spinal Surgery Medical Malpractice Claims

Importance Predictive factors associated with increased risk of medical malpractice litigation have been identified, including severity of injury, physician sex, and error in diagnosis. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating informed consent in spinal surgery malpractice. Objective To investigate the failure to obtain informed consent as an allegation in medical malpractice claims for patients undergoing a spinal procedure. Design, Setting, and Participants In this retrospective cohort study, a national medicolegal database was searched for malpractice claim cases related to spinal surgery for all years available (ie, January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2015). Main Outcomes and Measures Failure to obtain informed consent and associated medical malpractice case verdict. Results A total of 233 patients (117 [50.4%] male and 116 [49.8%] female; 80 with no informed consent allegation and 153 who cited lack of informed consent) who underwent spinal surgery and filed a malpractice claim were studied (mean [SD] age, 47.1 [13.1] years in the total group, 45.8 [12.9] years in the control group, and 47.9 [13.3] years in the informed consent group). Median interval between year of surgery and year of verdict was 5.4 years (interquartile range, 4-7 years). The most common informed consent allegations were failure to explain risks and adverse effects of surgery (52 [30.4%]) and failure to explain alternative treatment options (17 [9.9%]). In bivariate analysis, patients in the control group were more likely to require additional surgery (45 [56.3%] vs 53 [34.6%], P = .002) and have more permanent injuries compared with the informed consent group (46 [57.5%] vs 63 [42.0%], P = .03). On multivariable regression analysis, permanent injuries were more often associated with indemnity payment after a plaintiff verdict (odds ratio [OR], 3.12; 95% CI, 1.46-6.65; P = .003) or a settlement (OR, 6.26; 95% CI, 1.06-36.70; P = .04). Informed consent allegations were significantly associated with less severe (temporary or emotional) injury (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28-0.97; P = .04). In addition, allegations of informed consent were found to be predictive of a defense verdict vs a plaintiff ruling (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.17-0.98; P = .046) or settlement (OR, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.001-0.15; P Conclusions and Relevance Lack of informed consent is an important cause of medical malpractice litigation. Although associated with a lower rate of indemnity payments, malpractice lawsuits, including informed consent allegations, still present a time, money, and reputation toll for physicians. The findings of this study can therefore help to improve preoperative discussions to protect spinal surgeons from malpractice claims and ensure that patients are better informed.
Validation of a questionnaire to monitor symptoms in HIV-infected patients during hepatitis C treatment.

Clinicians are incorporating patient-reported outcomes in the management of HIV-infected persons co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), but there are no validated inventories to monitor symptoms of patients during HCV therapy. Five-year retrospective cohort analysis of persons living with HIV (PLWH) treated for HCV. The HCV symptom-inventory (HCV-SI) was administered before, during, and after HCV treatment. Discriminant validity was assessed, separately, in mixed model linear regression of HCV-SI T-scores on treatment regimens (pegylated-interferon and ribavirin; pegylated-interferon, ribavirin, and telaprevir; and interferon-free antivirals); and side effect-related premature treatment discontinuation (SE-DC). From the 103 patients who completed the HCV-SI, 7% were female, 26% non-white, 32% cirrhotics and 91% had undetectable HIV viral loads. Most had genotype 1 (83%) and were HCV treatment-naive (78%). We treated 19% of patients with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin, 22% with pegylated-interferon, ribavirin, and telaprevir and 59% received interferon-free antivirals. Overall, 77% achieved a sustained virologic response, and 6% discontinued HCV treatment due to side effects. In the treatment discrimination model, compared to the no treatment period, HCV-SI scores were significantly (p < 0.01) lower for interferon-free antivirals and higher for interferon-containing regimens. In the SE-DC model, the total HCV-SI, somatic and neuropsychiatric scores significantly predicted those patients who prematurely discontinued HCV treatment (P < 0.05). The HCV-SI effectively differentiated among treatment regimens known to vary by side effect profiles and between patients with and without treatment discontinuation due to side effects. The HCV-SI may have value as a patient-reported outcome instrument predicting the risk of HCV treatment discontinuation.
Assets among low-income families in the Great Recession

This paper examines the association between the Great Recession and real assets among families with young children. Real assets such as homes and cars are key indicators of economic well-being that may be especially valuable to low-income families. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,898), we investigate the association between the city unemployment rate and home and car ownership and how the relationship varies by family structure (married, cohabiting, and single parents) and by race/ethnicity (White, Black, and Hispanic mothers). Using mother fixed-effects models, we find that a one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate is associated with a -0.5 percentage point decline in the probability of home ownership and a -0.7 percentage point decline in the probability of car ownership. We also find that the recession was associated with lower levels of home ownership for cohabiting families and for Hispanic families, as well as lower car ownership among single mothers and among Black mothers, whereas no change was observed among married families or White households. Considering that homes and cars are the most important assets among middle and low-income households in the U.S., these results suggest that the rise in the unemployment rate during the Great Recession may have increased household asset inequality across family structures and race/ethnicities, limiting economic mobility, and exacerbating the cycle of poverty.
Behavioral indicators of slow growth in nursery pigs

The objective of this study was to determine how feeder-space allowance affects behaviors of slow- and fast-growing pigs during the nursery period. Nursery pigs (n = 192; initial weight = 7.4 ± 1.6 kg) were housed in 24 pens of 8 pigs, with 12 pens provided with either a two-space feeder or a five-space feeder. Pigs were categorized as slow growers (SG) and fast growers (FG) based on adjusted market weight (SG < 105 kg; FG ≥ 105 kg). Behaviors of pigs were video-recorded during the first four days after entering the nursery and on Day 21. Eating speed was measured on 96 focal pigs when they were nine weeks old. SG spent more time at the drinker than did FG (p < .05). SG spent less time in the standing/walking posture (p < .05) in pens with five-space feeders compared with SG in pens with two-space feeders. These results suggest that providing more feeder space may benefit SG in terms of improving the welfare of these pigs.
Comparison of the effects of alfaxalone and propofol with acepromazine, butorphanol and/or doxapram on laryngeal motion and quality of examination in dogs

Abstract Objective To compare the effects of alfaxalone and propofol, with and without acepromazine and butorphanol followed by doxapram, on laryngeal motion and quality of laryngeal examination in dogs. Study design Randomized, crossover, blinded study. Animals Ten female Beagle dogs, aged 11–13 months and weighing 7.2–8.6 kg. Methods The dogs were administered four intravenous (IV) treatments: alfaxalone (ALF), alfaxalone + acepromazine and butorphanol (ALF–AB), propofol (PRO) and propofol + AB (PRO–AB). AB doses were standardized. Dogs were anesthetized 5 minutes later by administration of alfaxalone or propofol IV to effect. Arytenoid motion during maximal inspiration and expiration was captured on video before and after IV doxapram (0.25 mg kg−1). The change in rima glottidis surface area (RGSA) was calculated to measure arytenoid motion. An investigator blinded to the treatment scored laryngeal examination quality. Results A 20% increase in RGSA was the minimal arytenoid motion that was detectable. RGSA was significantly less in ALF before doxapram compared with all other treatments. A Conclusions and clinical relevance The use of acepromazine and butorphanol improved the quality of laryngeal examination. Any negative impact on arytenoid motion caused by these premedications was overcome with doxapram. Using either propofol or alfaxalone alone is not recommended for the evaluation of arytenoid motion.
Transient Focal Neurologic Events

This chapter provides an overview of transient focal neurologic events (TFNE). A number of conditions affecting the central nervous system may cause TFNE. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), migraine with aura (MA), partial seizures, subdural hematoma, demyelinating disease, cerebral neoplasm, focal encephalitis, and hypoglycemia are among those conditions most commonly considered. A careful and detailed medical history and examination is crucial at the earliest point in the evaluation in order to home in on the most likely diagnosis. A number of these diagnoses may be confirmed or excluded after analysis of blood or cerebrospinal fluid, or a brain computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Diagnostic testing in the evaluation of TFNE should be used to ascertain the clinical impression as determined from the history and physical examination and exclude other diagnoses in the differential. If a diagnosis of TIA or seizures is made, testing is done to identify the underlying cause thereof. If the aura symptoms are prolonged, not associated with headache, or otherwise atypical, a neuroimaging study will frequently be performed to rule out structural disease mimicking migraine.
Morphological and Electrophysiological Properties of Dissociated Retinal Neurons

ABSTRACT Single, isolated (solitary) rod- and cone photoreceptors from the tiger salamander retina and solitary, horizontal cells from the goldfish retina were obtained by enzymatic dissociation. These solitary cells could be identified unambiguously in the light microscope by their characteristic morphologies which were maintained over a period of many days. Intracellular recording techniques and conventional electron microscopy demonstrated that the responses to light (the adequate stimulus) in the solitary rod- and cone cells and the ultrastructure of solitary rod cells were similar to their counterparts in the intact retina. In the case of horizontal cells, where the adequate stimulus is not known, a calcium-dependent action potential could be evoked by a suprathreshold depolarization. The ability to maintain healthy, solitary retinal cells should facilitate the study of synapse formation between identified neurons in vitro.
Helicobacter pylori and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Case–Control Study

Background Gastric colonization with Helicobacter pylori is a proposed protective factor against gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but little population-based data exist and other data conflict.
Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop. By Marc MyersSo Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley. By Roger Steffens

Oral historians have debated for years about the true product of oral history—whether it is the recording, the transcript, or the interview itself. But many outside of the discipline think of oral ...
Chemotherapy, acute health care events, and hospice use among stage IV pancreatic cancer patients.

6574Background: For patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy may alleviate cancer-related symptoms and extend lives modestly, but may also result in adverse events that require hospit...
Perceived neighborhood social cohesion moderates the relationship between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms.

Abstract There is a dearth of research exploring the moderating role of the social environment on neighborhood structural disadvantage and depressive symptoms, particularly among adolescents. Therefore, we examined if adolescent perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion and safety moderated the association between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The study sample consisted of 12,105 adolescents enrolled in 9th–12th grades during the 1994–1995 school year across the United States (U.S.). Mixed effects multilevel modeling was used to determine if adolescent perceptions of neighborhoods moderated the relationship between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms. Results showed that perceived neighborhood social cohesion moderated the relationship between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms (p ≤ 0.001). At higher levels of perceived neighborhood social cohesion, neighborhood structural disadvantage was associated with decreased depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that improving perceived neighborhood social cohesion may decrease adolescent depressive symptoms, particularly in neighborhoods with high disadvantage. This aspect of the neighborhood social environment may serve as a target for structural and other interventions to address the growing burden of depression among adolescents.
Improvement of in vitro and early in utero porcine clone development after somatic donor cells are cultured under hypoxia.

Genetically engineered pigs serve as excellent biomedical and agricultural models. To date, the most reliable way to generate genetically engineered pigs is via somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), however, the efficiency of cloning in pigs is low (1-3%). Somatic cells such as fibroblasts frequently used in nuclear transfer utilize the tricarboxylic acid cycle and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation for efficient energy production. The metabolism of somatic cells contrasts with cells within the early embryo, which predominately use glycolysis. We hypothesized that fibroblast cells could become blastomere-like if mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was inhibited by hypoxia and that this would result in improved in vitro embryonic development after SCNT. In a previous study, we demonstrated that fibroblasts cultured under hypoxic conditions had changes in gene expression consistent with increased glycolytic/gluconeogenic metabolism. The goal of this pilot study was to determine if subsequent in vitro embryo development is impacted by cloning porcine embryonic fibroblasts cultured in hypoxia. Here we demonstrate that in vitro measures such as early cleavage, blastocyst development, and blastocyst cell number are improved (4.4%, 5.5%, and 17.6 cells, respectively) when donor cells are cultured in hypoxia before nuclear transfer. Survival probability was increased in clones from hypoxic cultured donors compared to controls (8.5 vs. 4.0 ± 0.2). These results suggest that the clones from donor cells cultured in hypoxia are more developmentally competent and this may be due to improved nuclear reprogramming during somatic cell nuclear transfer.
Anaerobic Biodegradation of Pesticides

With the exception of those used in paddy rice, pesticides are typically applied to oxic environments but may be transported to anoxic environments through leaching, surface runoff, or eroded sediments. Pesticides are often applied to sites subject to transient flooding, eventually causing soil to become anoxic as oxygen consumptions rates exceed supply rates. This is largely due to decreased gas diffusion as pore space becomes saturated. Pesticide degradation occurs in each of the major anaerobic redox regimes, including aerobic, nitrate-reducing, iron-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic environments. The ecology of microorganisms involved in anaerobic degradation of pesticides was poorly described until recently. Pesticide degraders (especially anaerobes) can be difficult to isolate; however, molecular biology tools allow examination of microorganisms involved in pesticide degradation without the need for isolation. In some cases, pesticide biodegradation has proved more rapid in aerobic environments, while certain substances are more labile under anaerobic conditions.
Emerging Endoscopic Therapies for Weight Loss

The prevalence of obesity and metabolic disease continues to rise in the United States and around the world. Efforts to combat this growing pandemic have utilized a multipronged strategy, including promoting public education, implementing public health measures, and focusing on a multidisciplinary treatment approach integrating nutrition, psychology, medicine, and surgery. Another component of this multipronged strategy has been the development of endoscopic therapeutic options less invasive than surgery. Currently, there are four FDA-approved devices, including three intra-gastric balloons and an aspiration device, which are discussed in a prior chapter. This chapter will focus on emerging endoscopic interventions for weight loss and metabolic therapies currently in development and/or undergoing clinical trials.
Depression in Children and Adolescents: RE-CBT Approaches to Assessment and Treatment

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the prevalence of depression in children and adolescents, the symptoms of the disorder, and how they differ from those manifested in depressed adults. A rational emotive behavioral perspective regarding the etiology and assessment of depression, as well as developmental considerations, is presented. Research on rational emotive and cognitive behavioral therapy with depressed children and adolescents is described. Techniques that are useful in assessing the intensity, severity, and frequency of the depression are included. Best practice guidelines for the treatment of this disorder will be addressed, with emphasis on developmentally appropriate interventions. The chapter concludes with a case study illustrating the assessment and intervention process with a depressed adolescent.
Rethinking Scope Islands

Relative clauses and tensed clauses are standardly assumed to be scope islands. However, naturally-occurring counterexamples are abundant and easy to find. Therefore we should revisit analyses that...
Improving the Utility of Poisson-Distributed, Differentially Private Synthetic Data via Prior Predictive Truncation with an Application to CDC WONDER

CDC WONDER is a web-based tool for the dissemination of epidemiologic data collected by the National Vital Statistics System. While CDC WONDER has built-in privacy protections, they do not satisfy formal privacy protections such as differential privacy and thus are susceptible to targeted attacks. Given the importance of making high-quality public health data publicly available while preserving the privacy of the underlying data subjects, we aim to improve the utility of a recently developed approach for generating Poisson-distributed, differentially private synthetic data by using publicly available information to truncate the range of the synthetic data. Specifically, we utilize county-level population information from the U.S. Census Bureau and national death reports produced by the CDC to inform prior distributions on county-level death rates and infer reasonable ranges for Poisson-distributed, county-level death counts. In doing so, the requirements for satisfying differential privacy for a given privacy budget can be reduced by several orders of magnitude, thereby leading to substantial improvements in utility. To illustrate our proposed approach, we consider a dataset comprised of over 26,000 cancer-related deaths from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania belonging to over 47,000 combinations of cause-of-death and demographic variables such as age, race, sex, and county-of-residence and demonstrate the proposed framework's ability to preserve features such as geographic, urban/rural, and racial disparities present in the true data.
Administrative Neutrality in the Wake of Trumpism

“Unprecedented” is a much-overworked word in recent descriptions of U.S. politics, but it is difficult to avoid in reflecting on the past 4 years in public administration. Federal civil servants wh...
Novel Wave Models and Diffusion Coefficients for Plasmaspheric Hiss and Low Frequency Hiss

The Earth's inner magnetosphere is populated by a host of high frequency plasma waves which, via wave-particle interactions, can shape the dynamics of the terrestrial radiation belts. One of these is an incoherent whistler-mode plasma wave commonly referred to as hiss. Hiss is nearly always present in the inner magnetosphere, acting to diffusively scatter electrons into the atmosphere. While hiss waves are often low amplitude, their persistence allows them to wear away at the radiation belts, carving out new slot regions over days to weeks.
Urban Stormwater Runoff Quality Management: Low-Structurally Intensive Measures and Treatment

The Storm and Combined Sewer Program (SCSP) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been involved tor 20 years in the development of a diverse technology including combined sewer overflow (CSO) and stormwater control technology, instrumentation, problem assessments, best management practices (BMP) development and evaluation, stormwater management models, sludge hansling and disposal methods, sewerline infiltration/inflow (I/I) control, erosion control, and many others. The more important outputs of the Program will be highlighted, with emphasis on some recent developments and on separate run-off quality control.
Seepage from Shallow Open Channel

An approximate Darcy solution is obtained for the two-dimensional seepage from an open channel which is placed upon a homogeneous, isotropic aquifer of relatively large depth. The linearized solution is obtained for an arbitrary channel cross section by assuming that the maximum channel depth is small compared to the channel width. A comparison with a known exact solution for a particular channel shape suggests that this solution is probably accurate enough for design purposes when the channel depth is less than 40% of the channel width.
Fitness trade-offs and developmental constraints in the evolution of soma: an experimental study in a volvocine alga.

Background: The evolution of mortal somatic cells was a critical step in the evolution of complex body plans and the major radiations of multicellular life. In the volvocine green algae, somatic cells are hypothesized to mitigate an increasing cost of reproduction as colony size increases, primarily by providing motility to the colony during reproduction. Questions: Does selection on colony size cause an evolutionary response in proportion of somatic cells? Does the effect of selection on colony size differ in environments that differ in the importance of motility? Methods: We subjected an outcrossed population of the volvocine alga Pleodorina starrii to selection on colony size in still and mixed environments. After approximately 40 generations with periodic selection, we estimated the relationship between colony size and proportion of soma in evolved colonies from both environments. Results: In the largest size category, colonies selected in the still environment (in which motility is hypothesized to be more important) had a higher proportion of soma than those from the mixed environment. Within-strain variation in cell number was surprisingly large: up to 16-fold for some genotypes. The positive among-species relationship between colony size and proportion of soma was paralleled within the larger (16- to 64-celled) colonies of P. starrii, but not within the smaller (4- and 8-celled) colonies, which had the highest proportions of soma, suggesting the existence of an evolutionary constraint preventing optimization of soma in the smallest size classes.
Optimization of U–Th fuel in heavy water moderated thermal breeder reactors using multivariate regression analysis and genetic algorithms

Abstract An analysis and optimization of a set of neutronics parameters of a thorium-fueled pressurized heavy water reactor core fuel has been performed. The analysis covers a detailed pin-cell analysis of a seed-blanket configuration, where the seed is composed of natural uranium, and the blanket is composed of thorium. Genetic algorithms (GA) is used to optimize the input parameters to meet a specific set of objectives related to: infinite multiplication factor, initial breeding ratio, and specific nuclide’s effective microscopic cross-section. The core input parameters are the pitch-to-diameter ratio, and blanket material composition. Recursive partitioning of decision trees (rpart) multivariate regression model is used to perform a predictive analysis of the samples generated from the GA module. Reactor designs are usually complex and a simulation needs a significantly large amount time to execute, hence implementation of GA or any other global optimization techniques is not feasible, therefore we present a new method of using rpart in conjunction with GA. Due to using rpart, we do not necessarily need to run the neutronics simulation for all the inputs generated from the GA module rather, run the simulations for a predefined set of inputs, build a regression fit to the input and the output parameters, and then use this fit to predict the output parameters for the inputs generated by GA. The rpart model is implemented as a library using R programming language. The results suggest that the initial breeding ratio tends to increase due to a harder neutron spectrum, however a softer neutron spectrum is desired to limit the parasitic absorption of Pa-233. The neutronics model, design and analysis have been done using Serpent 1.1.19 Monte Carlo code.
Immunoglobulin levels and liver function tests in normal and toxemic pregnancies

Abstract Serum immunoglobulin G and M levels were measured and liver function studies were carried out in 12 normal pregnant women, 36 pre-eclamptic women, and 5 women with pre-eclampsia superimposed upon chronic hypertension. Although IgG levels were slightly lower and IgM levels were slightly higher in the pre-eclamptic subjects, there was no significant difference in immunoglobulin levels between the normal and pre-eclamptic groups. Age and parity were not found to affect immunoglobulin levels in pre-eclamptic patients. There was no appreciable difference in liver function tests between the normal and pre-eclamptic groups except alkaline phosphatase levels in the toxemic primigravida group which were slightly higher than normal pregnancy levels.
25 GHz HBT frequency dividers

A report is presented on a regenerative frequency divider and a static frequency divider implemented with (AlGa)As/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). Both dividers have been operated at input frequencies higher than 25 GHz. Also described is a frequency divider implemented with AlInAs/GaInAs HBTs operating up to 17.1 GHz, at considerably reduced power. These frequency dividers are among the fastest ever reported for each of these circuit types and illustrate the feasibility of using direct frequency division in microwave systems up to K/sub u/ band. >
Securely combining public-key cryptosystems

It is a maxim of sound computer-security practice that a cryptographic key should have only a single use. For example, an RSA key pair should be used only for public-key encryption or only for digital signatures, and not for both.In this paper we show that in many cases, the simultaneous use of related keys for two cryptosystems, e.g. for a public-key encryption system and for a public-key signature system, does not compromise their security. We demonstrate this for a variety of public-key encryption schemes that are secure against chosen-ciphertext attacks, and for a variety of digital signature schemes that are secure against forgery under chosen-message attacks. The precise form of the statement of security that we are able to prove depends on the particular cryptographic schemes in question and on the cryptographic assumptions needed for their proofs of security; but in every case, our proof of security does not require any additional cryptographic assumptions.Among the cryptosystems that we analyze in this manner are the public-key encryption schemes of Cramer and Shoup, Naor and Yung, and Dolev, Dwork, and Naor, which are all defined in them standard model, while in the random-oracle model we analyze plaintext-aware encryption schemes (as defined by Bellare and Rogaway) and in particular the OAEP+ cryptosystem. Among public-key signature schemes, we analyze those of Cramer and Shoup and of Gennaro, Halevi, and Rabin in the standard model, while in the random-oracle model we analyze the RSA PSS scheme as well as variants of the El Gamal and Schnorr schemes. (See references within.)
Power-efficient error tolerance in chip multiprocessors

The microprocessor industry is rapidly moving to the use of multicore chips as general-purpose processors. Whereas the current generation of chip multiprocessors (CMPs) target server applications, future desktop processors likely have tens of multithreaded cores on a single die. Various redundant multithreading (RMT) approaches exploit the multithreaded capability of current general-purpose microprocessors. These approaches replicate the entire program, running it as a separate thread using time or space redundancy. This guards the processor core against all errors, including those in combinational logic. Because RMT exploits the existing multithreaded hardware, it requires only a modest amount of additional hardware support for comparing results and, depending on the implementation, duplicating inputs.
Mixed convection boundary layer flow of a micropolar fluid along vertical cylinders and needles

Abstract An analysis is presented to investigate the effects of buoyancy and curvature on convection along vertical cylinders and needles placed in a micropolar fluid. The governing equations for momentum, angular momentum and energy are solved numerically by finite difference scheme. The heat transfer results are presented for a range of values of the buoyancy parameters, the curvature parameter and the material parameters of the fluid. The effect of the microrotation boundary conditions on heat transfer is discussed.