cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Sacred Disease: The Neurochemistry of Epilepsy

Publisher Summary Scientists have been in search of Hippocrates' natural cause of epilepsy, the sacred disease, for centuries. Experimental work in the neurophysiology of epilepsy was initiated late in the nineteenth and early in the twentieth century. The suggestion that inhibitory mechanisms play a major role in the pathogenesis of seizures was put forth by Adrian in 1936. In 1954, Florey provided the first evidence for a neurochemical mechanism for this inhibition with the demonstration of an inhibitory (I) factor in brain extract that proved to be inhibitory to crayfish stretch receptors. Florey's I factor was subsequently identified as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—a compound now generally acknowledged to be a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Since the classic paper of Symonds on excitation and inhibition in epilepsy, the various research strategies in this group of diseases have focused more and more on basic excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in seizures on a cellular as well as a whole-brain level. To understand the complex neurochemistry of seizure states, it is first necessary to define precisely the meaning of the terms “seizure” and “epilepsy” and review the neurophysiology of these aberrant neuronal systems. This chapter discusses various animal models of seizures and reviews the neurochemistry of epilepsy in the context of neurotransmitters and neuroactive agents in animal models, anticonvulsant drug interaction, and the clinical seizure state.
Management to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Western U.S. Croplands

Agriculture is a major activity in the western U.S. with approximately 57 million ha of harvested cropland of which 27% is irrigated; however, irrigated crops account for a high proportion of the economic returns because of their high economic value. We sought to summarize greenhouse gas (GHG) flux research from crop production systems in the western U.S. published from 2005 to 2011. Limited GHG emissions data were found from irrigated cropping systems in California (grain, rice, vegetable, orchards), Texas (cotton), Colorado (corn), and Washington (corn and potato), and from dryland wheat systems in Montana and North Dakota. Converting from conventional tillage (CT) to minimum-till (MT) or no-till (NT) production generally sequestered soil organic carbon (SOC) and reduced carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in many cropping systems, but not all. Methane (CH 4 ) flux was not greatly influenced by crop management practices, except in rice and manure production systems. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions were affected by N availability, climatic factors, irrigation, and crop management practices, and tended to be lower under dryland than irrigated cropping conditions. Reducing N fertilization rate and selecting the right N source can reduce N 2 O emissions as much as 50%. Use of microjet sprinkler or subsurface drip irrigation reduced N 2 O emissions in vineyards and orchards as much as 50% compared to surface drip systems. Available GHG data could be used to verify models and develop local mitigation practices, but due to the large diversity of cropping systems and ecoregions, and a lack of representative cropping system GHG databases, generalized mitigation recommendations for the western U.S. are not possible at this time.
Controlling the influence of elastic eigenmodes on nanomagnet dynamics through pattern geometry

Abstract The effect of the nanoscale array geometry on the interaction between optically generated surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and nanomagnet dynamics is investigated using Time-Resolved Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect Microscopy (TR-MOKE). It is demonstrated that altering the nanomagnet geometry from a periodic to a randomized aperiodic pattern effectively removes the magneto-elastic effect of SAWs on the magnetization dynamics. The efficiency of this method depends on the extent of any residual spatial correlations and is quantified by spatial Fourier analysis of the two structures. Randomization allows observation and extraction of intrinsic magnetic parameters such as spin wave frequencies and damping to be resolvable using all-optical methods, enabling the conclusion that the fabrication process does not affect the damping.
Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Contemporary Values Research in Consumer Behavior: A Critical Analysis

Marketing research concerning the relationship of consumer values to their marketing related behaviors has found a resurgence in the past decade. This paper identifies some problematic issues concerning this area of research and addresses gaps in both conceptual and methodological conceptions of values oriented studies. Areas of concern include definitional confusion, choice of instruments, cross cultural studies, value prioritization and conflict resolution. Some suggestions and implications for future research are discussed.
Criticality in Formal Languages and Statistical Physics

We show that the mutual information between two symbols, as a function of the number of symbols between the two, decays exponentially in any probabilistic regular grammar, but can decay like a power law for a context-free grammar. This result about formal languages is closely related to a well-known result in classical statistical mechanics that there are no phase transitions in dimensions fewer than two. It is also related to the emergence of power-law correlations in turbulence and cosmological inflation through recursive generative processes. We elucidate these physics connections and comment on potential applications of our results to machine learning tasks like training artificial recurrent neural networks. Along the way, we introduce a useful quantity which we dub the rational mutual information and discuss generalizations of our claims involving more complicated Bayesian networks.
Flow of Funds Models

As we have been emphasizing throughout this volume, the structure of financial markets and policy intervention is changing, perhaps more rapidly than in any other time in history. Moreover, new technologies are allowing the development of financial instruments and management strategies that were thought to be unrealistically complicated only a short time ago. Accompanying the increased sophistication of financial instruments and their management has come increased participation in complex financial transactions by all sectors of the economy. Hence, the development of rigorous analytic tools for the study of national and international financial activity has been the subject of increasing research interest.
Primary PTCA reduces short-term mortality but PTCA after thrombolysis shows no benefit in acute MI

Source Citation Michels KB, Yusuf S. Does PTCA in acute myocardial infarction affect mortality and reinfarction rates? A quantitative overview (meta-analysis) of the randomized clinical trials. Cir...
Biological Significance of the Suppression of Oxidative Phosphorylation in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

We discovered that induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) clones generated from aged tissue donors (A-iPSCs) fail to suppress oxidative phosphorylation. Compared to embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and iPSCs generated from young donors (Y-iPSCs), A-iPSCs show poor expression of the pluripotent stem cell-specific glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) and impaired glucose uptake, making them unable to support the high glucose demands of glycolysis. Persistent oxidative phosphorylation in A-iPSCs generates higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to excessive elevation of glutathione (a ROS-scavenging metabolite) and a blunted DNA damage response. These phenotypes were recapitulated in Y-iPSCs by inhibiting pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) or supplying citrate to activate oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, oxidative phosphorylation in A-iPSC clones depletes citrate, a nuclear source of acetyl group donors for histone acetylation; this consequently alters histone acetylation status. Expression of GLUT3 in A-iPSCs recovers the metabolic defect, DNA damage response, and histone acetylation status.
First Report of a Cilevirus Associated with Green Ringspot on Senescent Hibiscus Leaves in Tampa, Florida

A non-systemic cilevirus producing green ringspot symptoms in ornamental hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), was first reported from Hawaii, USA in 2013, and was named hibiscus infecting Cilevirus (HiCV) (Melzer et al., 2013). The false spider mite Brevipalpus yothersi is associated with symptomatic hibiscus but its role as a vector of HiCV has not yet been demonstrated. Positive sense bi-partite HiCV genome shared 86.2% and 80.0% nucleotide identity with the RNA1 and RNA2 of cytoplasmic citrus leprosis virus -2 (CiLV-C2), respectively (Roy et al., 2013a). Both CiLV-C and -C2 Cileviruses were reported from Colombia but the most prevalent one is CiLV-C2 (Roy et al., 2013a). The 92% amino acid identity between the full genome of these two viruses suggests that HiCV could be a strain of CiLV-C2, but it is not clear if HiCV is capable of infecting and causing symptoms in citrus (Melzer et al., 2013). Recently, we reported natural infection of Hibiscus by CiLV-C2 in Colombia that produced green ring lesions wit...
Studying the effects of nonindicated medications on cancer: Etiologic versus action-focused analysis of epidemiologic data

The study of nonindicated medications on cancer outcomes is challenged by potential time-related biases. The literature has strongly advocated for treating the exposure as time-varying and summarizing the outcomes through a dose–response model (an etiologic-focused analysis). An alternative is to refashion the data to resemble a hypothetical randomized trial of drug use (an action-focused analysis). To our knowledge, their relative treatment of time-related bias and aspects of interpretation have not been compared. In this commentary, using the study of metformin use on colorectal cancer risk by Bradley and colleagues (2018) as motivation, we compare the etiologic versus action-focused analysis of epidemiologic data. We examine their treatment of immortal person-time, time-varying confounding, selection bias, and the biological and clinical relevance of their results. In doing so, we aim to establish areas of common ground and points of departure that can guide future observational studies of medications on cancer risk, recurrence, and survival. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(5); 520–4. ©2018 AACR. See related article by Bradley et al., p. 525
Tropical Russian Bears: Jews and Soviet Animation During The Cold War

After Stalin consolidated the major animation studios and closed down smaller regional studios to create a single Moscow-based drawn and puppet animation studio in 1934–36, the animation studio Soyuzmultfilm became the largest animation studio in Eastern Europe. In the 1960s, Soviet Jewish animators focused on the theme of social geography and developed individual characters in relationship to social mapping. This essay analyses the enigmatic Cheburashka, the Soviet Mickey Mouse, whose popularity as a Communist ideal led to his starring role as Soyuzmultfilm’s most enduring logo. It is particularly concerned with the development of the ethnically-unidentifiable Cheburashka against the history of the Moscow Zoo and its inter-species exhibitions.
Energy harvesting potential of bendable concrete using polymer based piezoelectric generator

Abstract Piezoelectric materials have gained a lot of attention in the last few decades as they introduce a renewable and sustainable approach for energy harvesting from vibrations or mechanical deformation in our environment. Among piezoelectric materials, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is one of the most commonly used piezoelectric polymers due to its high flexibility and piezoelectric performances. In this work, engineered cementitious composites (ECC) incorporating flexible PVDF based piezo polymer has been investigated as an innovative energy harvesting system to scavenge energy from mechanical deflection of ECC. Synchronous flexural test and voltage data recordings were employed to evaluate the voltage capture efficiency of two different lengths of PVDF (41 mm and 73 mm). The various loading rates of four-point bending tests were conducted to assess the energy harvesting performance. The results show that the voltage/power generated by the system is more efficient for longer PVDF samples as compared to the shorter ones when subjected to the four-point flexural test. High loading rates were found to be favorable for energy harvesting. The experimental results lay a solid foundation for potential energy harvesting application of the new cementitious composite system for development of multi-function building materials.
President's Annual State of the Academy Report.

It is an honor to bring this annual update on the Academy to you and to highlight just a few of the many initiatives that are a focus of our organizational energy. Maintaining momentum toward achie...
Debt Maturity Structure and Accrual Quality

Lending short term to firms has been suggested as a means of enhancing monitoring diligence by lenders and, as a result, firm behavior may potentially be improved. However, we show that the presence of short-term debt in firms' capital structures may also entice a very specific form of managerial misbehavior. We examine the relation between firms' debt maturity structures and accrual quality (as an indicator of the propensity to manage earnings). Our results indicate that (i) firms with more current debt have lower quality accruals and may therefore have engaged in earnings management, (ii) the negative relation between short-term debt and accrual quality exists for firms that face debt market constraints and/or those that are riskier (iii) auditor characteristics such as better auditor quality and longer tenure help diminish this relation, and iv) some corporate governance characteristics such as institutional ownership or shareholder protection (measured with the Gompers, Ishi, and Metrick index) have a minor impact on the relation between short-term debt and accrual quality. Our conclusion is that managers of firms with substantial amounts of short-term debt may engage in earnings management to make themselves appear more attractive to lenders and thereby avoid a possible liquidity crisis that may arise when they try to obtain new debt financing or renew existing debt financing.
Safety and Patients’ Response to Ambulation With a Pulmonary Artery Catheter in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND Early mobilization of patients in the intensive care unit can be beneficial, but evidence is insufficient to indicate whether allowing patients with an indwelling pulmonary artery catheter to walk is safe. OBJECTIVE To describe the physiological and emotional responses to ambulation in patients with heart failure and a pulmonary artery catheter. METHODS This prospective, descriptive study included 19 patients with heart failure monitored with a pulmonary artery catheter in a cardiac intensive care unit. Each patient, accompanied by a nurse, walked with continuous observation of heart rate and rhythm and pulmonary artery tracing on a transport monitor. Pulmonary artery catheter position and waveform, arrhythmias, and perceived levels of exertion and fatigue were recorded before and after each walk. The distance ambulated was documented. One to 3 times per week, nurses administered a questionnaire addressing patients' sense of well-being. RESULTS The 19 patients had 303 walks (range, 1-68; median, 7). During 7 patient walks (2.4%), catheter migration of 1 to 5 cm occurred, but no arrhythmias or waveform changes were observed. Changes in exertion and fatigue were significant (P < .001, paired t test), but levels of both were minimal after walking. Patients expressed physical and emotional benefits of walking. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary evidence that for hemodynamically stable patients with heart failure, ambulating with a pulmonary artery catheter is safe and enhances their sense of well-being. The presence of an indwelling pulmonary artery catheter should not preclude walking.
Cosserat elastic lattices

Lattices composed of cubic and triangular prismatic unit cells with polymeric Sarrus linkage rib elements are designed, fabricated via 3D printing and studied experimentally. Size effects in these lattices are observed experimentally; slender specimens appear more rigid in torsion and in bending than expected via classical elasticity. Effects are analyzed via Cosserat elasticity. The magnitude of size effects is sensitive to geometry of the lattices; triangular cells with short ribs revealed the most extreme effects, also the largest characteristic length in relation to cell size. The torsion coupling number is 1, its upper bound, for all lattices. A path to the attainment of arbitrarily large nonclassical effects is delineated.
Identifying the risk of suicide among adolescents admitted to a children's hospital using the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions.

Problem Suicides are now the second leading cause of death among teenagers and young adults, 10-24. Many people who die by suicide visit a healthcare provider in the months before their death. Unfortunately, many healthcare clinicians do not routinely screen for mental health concerns such as suicide risk even though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening adolescents for suicide risk. Methods The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (aSQ), a four-question screening instrument, was administered by nurses to all patients, 12 years and older, admitted to the general pediatric wards of a tertiary Children's Hospital. Nursing feedback and comfort levels were assessed before and after the 6-week pilot program. Findings During the 6 weeks, 152 eligible children were admitted to the general pediatric wards and 67 were screened using the ASQ; 3/67 had a nonacute "positive" screen and received a further psychiatric assessment. Conclusions This pilot quality improvement initiative showed that suicide screening is feasible and acceptable to patients and families in a general pediatric inpatient setting. However, nurses would benefit from further teaching and training around asking suicide screening questions.
A representativeness-directed approach to mitigate spatial bias in VGI for the predictive mapping of geographic phenomena

Volunteered geographic information (VGI) contains valuable field observations that represent the spatial distribution of geographic phenomena. As such, it has the potential to provide regularly upd...
Mucin-1 (MUC1) Oncoprotein in Multiple Myeloma Cells Inhibits the Th1 Responses By Down Regulating the Expression of Mir-200c and up-Regulating the PDL1 Expression

Abstract Introduction: The PDL1/PD-1 pathway is a critical mediator of immune escape in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Regulation of this pathway has not been well characterized. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a conserved class of small (~22 nucleotides) RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by interacting with the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) and, in some settings, coding regions of target mRNAs. MiRNAs suppress gene expression by promoting mRNA degradation or inhibiting translation. Of note, the 3’UTR of the PDL1 gene contains putative binding sites for miR-200 family of micro-RNA’s, suggesting a possible role of miR-200’s in regulation of PDL1 expression. We have previously demonstrated that miR-200c is suppressed by the MUC1 oncoprotein, and hypothesized that MUC1 expression on myeloma cells upregulates the expression of PDL1, via suppressing miR-200c. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between MUC1, miR-200c and PDL1 in multiple myeloma. Methods and Results: Lentivirus vectors expressing miR-200c or a control vector with green fluorescence protein (GFP) were transduced in two different MM cell lines (MM-RPMI, MM-U266). Cells were harvested sorted by Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) after 72 hours of transduction, using a dual fluorescence for GFP and anti-PDL1 antibody to analyze the changes in PDL1 expression. MiR-200c transduction of U266 cells resulted in a decrease in mean expression of PDL1 from 69.55% to 1.4% (n=2). Similarly, RPMI cells demonstrated a reduction in mean expression of PDL1 from 62.5% to 1.9% (n=2) following miR-200c transduction. The abrogation of PDL1 expression in MM cells by ectopic expression of miR-200c was confirmed using western immunoblot analysis. Having previously demonstrated that miR-200c is suppressed by MUC1 in a solid tumor model, we evaluated the effect of silencing MUC1 in U266 and RPMI cell lines on miR-200c and PDL1 expression. MUC1 silenced stable cell lines of RPMI and U266 cells were generated using lentivirus shRNA vectors against MUC1 or a scrambled vector control. MUC1 silenced cells demonstrated an increase in miR-200c expression (> 2 fold, p value Conclusions: Ectopic expression of micro-RNA miR-200c in RPMI-MM and U266-MM cell lines results in down regulation of PDL1 expression. Silencing MUC1 in RPMI-MM and U266-MM cell lines results in both increased expression of miR-200c and downregulation of PDL1 expression. These results support the hypothesis that MUC1 expression on myeloma cells contributes to tumor mediated immunosuppression, by suppressing miR-200c thereby enhancing PDL1 expression. Interfering with MUC1 mediated signaling represents a novel approach towards augmenting immune mediated targeting of myeloma. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Ibuprofen Plus Acetaminophen Versus Ibuprofen Alone for Acute Low Back Pain: An Emergency Department-based Randomized Study.

Objectives Patients with low back pain (LBP) are often treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs are modestly effective for LBP, but many patients with LBP continue to suffer despite treatment with these medications. We compared pain and functional outcomes 1 week after emergency department (ED) discharge among patients randomized to a 1-week course of ibuprofen plus acetaminophen versus ibuprofen plus placebo. Methods This was a randomized, double-blind study conducted in two urban EDs. Patients presenting with acute, nontraumatic, nonradicular LBP of no more than 2 weeks' duration were eligible for enrollment immediately prior to discharge from an ED if they had a score > 5 on the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), a 24-item validated instrument, indicating more than minimal functional impairment. All patients were given a standardized 10-minute LBP educational session prior to discharge. The primary outcome was improvement on the RMDQ between ED discharge and 1 week later. One secondary outcome was pain intensity, as measured on a 4-point descriptive scale (severe, moderate, mild, none) at 1 week. Results Enrollment began in October 2018. A total of 120 patients met selection criteria and were randomized. Baseline demographic characteristics were comparable between the two groups. By 1 week after the ED visit, patients randomized to ibuprofen plus placebo reported a mean (±SD) improvement in the RMDQ of 11.9 (±9.7), while those randomized to ibuprofen plus acetaminophen reported a mean (±SD) improvement of 11.1 (±10.7). The 95% CI for the between-group difference of 0.8 was -3.0 to 4.7. At 1 week, moderate or severe pain was reported by 15 of 53 (28%) patients in the ibuprofen plus placebo group and 16 of 57 (28%) patients in the ibuprofen plus acetaminophen group (95% CI for between-group difference of 0% = -17% to 17%). Conclusion Among ED patients with acute, nontraumatic, nonradicular LBP, adding acetaminophen to ibuprofen does not improve outcomes within 1 week.
A NATURAL HISTORY OF COMPLICATIONS: CARDIOGENIC SHOCK A DECADE AFTER ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION

Pulmonary vein occlusion (PVO) is a rare complication of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) with a high rate of morbidity and mortality if not detected early. 72-year-old male with a history of persistent AF presented with progressive fatigue and exertional dyspnea. His AF was
Global survey of human genetic diversity: a focal point for human biology.

Planning is underway for a survey of human genetic diversity. Ten thousand to twenty thousand people will be surveyed over 5 years at a cost of about $20 million. Although funding sources have not yet been identified, they are likely to include governmental and other organizations. The impetus for the survey arose from the realization that we are living in an extraordinary time, a time when our biocultural diversity is rapidly shrinking (Crawford 1990; Cavalli-Sforza et al. 1991; Roberts 1991). Vanishing cultures, disappearing languages, and endangered human habitats all attest to this loss.
Harnessing C-O Bonds in Stereoselective Cross-Coupling and Cross-Electrophile Coupling Reactions.

We discuss our laboratory’s research in the activation of alcohol derivatives in cross-coupling and cross-electrophile coupling reactions. Our developed methods enable the use of secondary alcohols to afford tertiary stereogenic centers, which we applied to the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant compounds and substructures. We first ­discuss the synthesis of bioactive compounds through stereospecific Kumada cross-coupling reactions and follow this with a discussion on the development of our stereoselective cross-electrophile coupling ­reaction to synthesize cyclopropanes. 1 Introduction 2 Cross-Coupling Reactions 3 Cross-Electrophile Coupling Reactions 4 Conclusion
Sex-Dependent Shared and Nonshared Genetic Architecture Across Mood and Psychotic Disorders.

Background Sex differences in incidence and/or presentation of schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BIP) are pervasive. Previous evidence for shared genetic risk and sex differences in brain abnormalities across disorders suggest possible shared sex-dependent genetic risk. Methods We conducted the largest to date genome-wide genotype-by-sex (G×S) interaction of risk for these disorders using 85,735 cases (33,403 SCZ, 19,924 BIP, and 32,408 MDD) and 109,946 controls from the PGC (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium) and iPSYCH. Results Across disorders, genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphism-by-sex interaction was detected for a locus encompassing NKAIN2 (rs117780815, p = 3.2 × 10-8), which interacts with sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) enzymes, implicating neuronal excitability. Three additional loci showed evidence (p Conclusions In the largest genome-wide G×S analysis of mood and psychotic disorders to date, there was substantial genetic overlap between the sexes. However, significant sex-dependent effects were enriched for genes related to neuronal development and immune and vascular functions across and within SCZ, BIP, and MDD at the variant, gene, and pathway levels.
The effects of novel leaf litter deposition on competitive, predator–prey and host–parasite interactions of American toad larvae

Wetland plant communities are changing rapidly due to a wide range of human activities. The deposition of leaf litter from novel plant communities can alter both the chemical and physical habitat of aquatic ecosystems. Lesser understood are the ecological consequences of novel leaf litter inputs in aquatic communities. Toward this goal, we used two plant invasion scenarios (comparing native black huckleberry to exotic autumn olive and native swamp loosestrife to exotic purple loosestrife) to simulate a shift in wetland plant communities. In this study, we investigated the effects of novel leaf litter leachates on three aquatic ecological interactions: intraspecific competition, predation and parasitism. We examined how leaf litter leachates influence the interactions of American toad larvae (Anaxyrus americanus) with their conspecifics, a dragonfly predator (Anax spp.) and a trematode parasite (Echinostomatidae). We found that leaf litter type influenced competitive interactions only for the huckleberry versus autumn olive comparison. We did not detect any effects of leaf litter type on predator–prey interactions. Finally, litter type strongly influenced host–parasite interactions for both leaf litter comparisons, altering host susceptibility, parasite survival and net infection rates. These results highlight the breadth of potential ecological repercussions of shifting wetland plant communities for native ecosystems.
“Genotypes” for neural networks

Neural networks are computational models of nervous systems. However, organisms do not possess only nervous systems and other phenotypic traits but also genetic information stored in the nucleus of their cells (genotype). The nervous system is part of the phenotype which is derived from this genotype through a process called development. The information specified in the genotype determines aspects of the nervous system which are expressed as innate behavioral tendencies and predispositions to learn. When neural networks are viewed in the broader biological context of artificial life, they tend to be accompanied by genotypes and to become members of evolving populations of networks in which genotypes are inherited from parents to offspring.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Pubertal Timing: Results From Two National Sibling Studies

This study examined genetic and environmental effects on individual variation in pubertal timing using two national samples of siblings from the Nonshared Environment of Adolescent Development (NEAD) and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). In each sample, female and male siblings with different degrees of genetic relatedness, i.e., monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, full siblings, half siblings, and unrelated siblings in blended families, were assessed. Timing of pubertal development was measured by age-adjusted self-report measures of the Pubertal Development Scale in NEAD and a four-item scale of pubertal development in the Add Health. The results indicated that both genetic and environmental influences play an important role in determining the relative timing of pubertal development for both boys and girls.
A cratonic Middle Jurassic paleopole: Callovian-Oxfordian stillstand (J-2 cusp), rotation of the Colorado Plateau, and Jurassic North American apparent polar wander

[1] Paleomagnetic results have been obtained from two sequences of the upper Middle Jurassic (upper Callovian) Summerville Formation which are located on the North American craton (north central New Mexico). The thicker of the two sections (Trujillo) exhibits a well-defined dual-polarity remanence, forming a magnetostratigraphy of at least 12 relatively short polarity intervals. The high reversal frequency is consistent with that recorded by the oceanic crust at this time. The second section (Romeroville) is thin, gypsiferous, and poorly indurated; consequently, only a short interval (5 m) was successfully sampled. The characteristic magnetization was wholly normal polarity. In the rapid reversals of the thicker section, that thickness of normal polarity is unique and thus forms the basis of magnetostratigraphic correlation between the two sections. A cratonic late Middle Jurassic paleomagnetic pole at 148.2°E, 57.3°N (k = 30.3, α95 = 6.0°) was obtained from the larger Trujillo sequence. Despite large confidence limits, the small sample population of the Romeroville sequence displayed the same pole. Throughout the western United States, the Summerville Formation is overlain with little or no discordance by the Morrison Formation, although the two stratigraphic units are commonly reported to be separated by an unconformity, designated J-5. The New Mexico paleopoles of the Summerville and overlying lower Morrison Formations are statistically identical at the 95% confidence level; a similar situation exists between Summerville and lower Morrison paleopoles of the Colorado Plateau. The presence of the same geomagnetic field direction in both the Summerville and the lower Morrison Formations suggests that the J-5 unconformity which separates them may encompass little time, perhaps representing only a minor break in deposition. The two newly investigated Summerville sites are located east of the Rio Grande Rift, hence representative of the North American craton; their paleopoles are displaced counterclockwise relative to those of the Colorado Plateau, and in amounts consistent with other coeval craton-Colorado Plateau pole pairs. Together, six coeval paleopoles indicate that the Colorado Plateau has rotated clockwise by about 9.0 ± 3° since Late Pennsylvanian time. The cratonic Summerville paleopole also removes the uncertainty over the Jurassic North American apparent polar wander path. The statistically identical Summerville and lower Morrison paleopoles form a substantial data set, five paleopoles, which indicate that NA APW traced a path roughly along 60° latitude. The five paleopoles stand in stark contrast to the paleopole from the slightly older (5–8 Ma) Moat Volcanics. Spreading rates in the central Atlantic do not allow NA plate motion that would include both paleopoles positions. Because the weight of the data, five paleopoles from widely spaced localities and different tectonic blocks, the Moat Volcanics pole cannot be representative of North America in the Middle Jurassic.
The Institutional Dimensions of Environmental Change: Fit, Interplay, and Scale

Researchers studying the role institutions play in causing and confronting environmental change use a variety of concepts and methods that make it difficult to compare their findings. Seeking to remedy this problem, Oran Young takes the analytic themes identified in the Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGEC) Science Plan as cutting-edge research concerns and develops them into a common structure for conducting research. He illustrates his arguments with examples of environmental change ranging in scale from the depletion of local fish stocks to the disruption of Earth's climate system.Young not only explores theoretical concerns such as the relative merits of collective-action and social-practice models of institutions but also addresses the IDGEC-identified problems of institutional fit, interplay, and scale. He shows how institutions interact both with one another and with the biophysical environment and assesses the extent to which we can apply lessons drawn from the study of local institutions to the study of global institutions and vice versa. He examines how research on institutions can help us to solve global problems of environmental governance. Substantive topics discussed include the institutional dimensions of carbon management, the performance of exclusive economic zones, and the political economy of boreal and tropical forests.
Bifunctional chiral synthons via biochemical methods. VII: Optically-active 2.2'-dihydroxy-1.1'-binaphthyl

Abstract Optically-active binaphthols (1R and 1S) have been prepared via microbial enantiospecific hydrolysis of axially-disymmetric (±)−2,2′-diacetoxy-1,1′-binaphthyl.
Involvement of cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase in the Nucleus Accumbens in Cocaine Self-Administration and Relapse of Cocaine-Seeking Behavior

cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been implicated in cocaine addiction because (1) cocaine reinforcement is mediated by dopamine receptors that modulate cAMP formation, and (2) repeated exposure to cocaine upregulates the cAMP system in NAc neurons. This study tested PKA involvement in cocaine self-administration and relapse of cocaine-seeking behavior by infusing cAMP analogs that activate or inhibit PKA into the NAc of rats. Bilateral intra-NAc infusions of the PKA inhibitor R p-cAMPS reduced baseline cocaine self-administration, shifted the dose–response curve for cocaine self-administration to the left, and induced relapse of cocaine-seeking behavior after extinction from cocaine self-administration, consistent with an enhancement of cocaine effects in each paradigm. In contrast, pretreatment with intra-NAc infusions of a PKA activator, S p-cAMPS or dibutyryl cAMP, increased baseline cocaine self-administration during the second hour of testing and shifted the dose–response curve to the right, consistent with an antagonist-like action. After extinction from cocaine self-administration, similar infusions of Sp-cAMPS induced generalized responding at both drug-paired and inactive levers. As an index of PKA activity in vivo , NAc infusions of Rp-cAMPS reduced basal levels of dopamine-regulated phosphoprotein-32 phosphorylation and blocked amphetamine-induced increases in cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation. Conversely, NAc infusions of S p-cAMPS increased phosphorylation of CREB. Together, these results suggest that sustained upregulation of the cAMP system in the NAc after repeated cocaine exposure could underlie tolerance to cocaine reinforcement, whereas acute inhibition of this system may contribute to drug craving and relapse in addicted subjects.
Chapter 14 – Commentary

Publisher Summary This chapter reflects the ongoing shift in focus of research on emotion labor to one that considers the distinctive, yet interconnected roles of local culture, social structure, and emotion management/emotion work. This increased and nuanced attention to social context is evident, particularly when emotion work occurs in the workplace. In addition, an effective illustration is provided of what occurs when poor African American patents' expectations for personal interactions with caregivers differs, or is perceived to differ, from those held by health care professional in their community. The chapter points towards the gains that are possible when efforts are made to combining perspectives sensitive to different aspects of the reciprocal nature of internalized cultural content, structural position, subjective experience of emotion rules, and the implications for surface and deep acting emotion performances.
Gender and outcomes after primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation: Findings from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR)

Background Clinical trials have demonstrated the benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in selected high-risk individuals. Because of small numbers of women enrolled in these trials, outcomes for women after hospital discharge have not been well described. We compared procedure-related complications and outcomes after hospital discharge between men and women undergoing single- or dual-chamber ICD implantation for primary prevention. Methods In patients 65 years or older with Medicare fee-for-service coverage, we identified 38,912 initial implants (25% women) who received single- or dual-chamber ICDs for primary prevention between January 2006 and December 2009 in the NCDR and evaluated gender differences in outcomes. Results Women had greater comorbidity and more advanced heart failure (HF) at the time of ICD implantation than did men. Device-related complications, death at 6 months, all-cause readmissions, and HF readmissions at 6 months were significantly more common in women (7.2% vs 4.8%, 6.5% vs 5.6%, 37.2% vs 31.7%, and 14.0% vs 10.0% respectively; P P P P P = .123), compared with men, after adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics and device type (single vs dual chamber). Conclusions Among older patients receiving ICDs for primary prevention in clinical practice, women experience worse outcomes than do men. Reasons for gender differences in outcomes are poorly understood and require further investigation.
Genetic signatures of intermediate divergence: population history of Old and New World Holarctic ravens (Corvus corax)

Many studies of phylogeography, speciation, and species limits restrict their focus to a narrow issue: gene tree monophyly. However, reciprocal monophyly does not provide an ideal touchstone criterion of any aspect of evolutionary divergence. There is a continuum of divergence stages as isolated populations go from initial allele frequency differences to well-differentiated species. Studying intermediate stages of divergence will increase our understanding of geographical speciation, species limits, and conservation priorities. We develop a conceptual framework and terminology for thinking about the stages of ‘intermediate polyphyly’. The Holarctic clade of common ravens ( Corvus corax ), found throughout much of Eurasia and North America, provides a case study of these stages of intermediate divergence. We used coalescent, phylogenetic, and population genetic methods to investigate the history and current status of this Old World–New World distribution using 107 mitochondrial control region sequences. Phylogenetically, New World and Old World samples are intermixed. However, most samples are grouped into small subclades that are restricted to either the New World or the Old World, and only one haplotype is shared between the hemispheres. Analysis of moleculalr variance ( amova ) results reflect this low haplotype sharing between hemispheres (Φ ST = 0.13, P < 0.01). Isolation with Migration ( im ) coalescent results suggest a sustained period of divergence between the hemispheres and low levels of maternal gene flow. Although there has not been sufficient time to evolve reciprocal monophyly and some gene flow may occur, New World and Old World ravens are genetically quite distinct. We use this example to demonstrate these early stages of divergence as populations go from sharing only internal haplotypes, to sharing no haplotypes, to having population specific subclades. Studies of phylogeography, speciation and systematics will benefit from increased attention to these stages of intermediate polyphyly.
Threading dislocation interactions in an inhomogeneous stress field: A statistical model

A statistical model is presented to characterize the influence of stress field inhomogeneity on the probability of interactions between threading dislocations in thin films. Any degree of stress field inhomogeneity is shown to increase the likelihood of interactions. However, below a critical level, the effect of stress inhomogeneity is small, while above this level a dramatic effect is observed. The approach taken is applicable to any system of interacting particles with spatially dependent velocities.
The policy implications of field experiments in primary health and nutrition care

Abstract Is the experience to date with health and nutrition interventions encouraging enough to justify augmented efforts to make primary nutrition and care available to all? If so, what can be learned from that experience about how best to make primary care widely available? A review of ten pilot projects which provide simple health and nutrition services and which kept data adequate to permit an assessment of their effectiveness suggests that mortality declines were notably more rapid in a clear majority of the project sites than would have been expected in the projects' absence. Although the data cannot be considered fully reliable or completely unambiguous, when taken as a whole they present a persuasive case that, in the hands of able administrators and in populations of up to 70,000, infant and child mortality can be reduced by 1 3 – 1 2 or more within 1–5 years, at a cost of under the equivalent of 2% of per capita incomes. Among the particularly promising program components were maternal food supplements, maternal immunization against tetanus, nutrition monitoring, and greater reliance on paramedical personnel. At least equally important was the effectiveness and sensitivity with which the particular components selected, whatever they may have been, were implemented and administered. The experience of the projects reviewed indicates that primary health and nutrition care is potentially capable of helping make a substantial difference in infant and child mortality levels, The need now is to deal effectively with the challenges involved in developing large-scale programs capable of translating that potential into reality.
Sexual incompatibility and geographical variation in mate recognition systems: tests in the salamanderDesmognathus ochrophaeus

Abstract Behavioural differences that prevent between-population mating are evolutionarily important if they decrease gene flow and thus facilitate further differentiation. Sexual incompatibility and divergence of mate recognition systems were tested between three geographically isolated populations of the North American mountain dusky salamander,Desmognathus ochrophaeus(Amphibia: Plethodontidae). Significant sexual incompatibility was detected in all pair-wise comparisons between these populations; thus mating was assortative with respect to population. Ethological analyses of the contents of within-population courtship encounters revealed significant quantitative differences between populations in five of 10 behavioural scores. These results support the hypothesis that individuals from isolated populations ofD. ochrophaeusdo not recognize one another as potential mating partners. Quantitative differences in mate recognition systems may be responsible for this lack of compatibility, and may have evolved incidentally as responses to sexual selection acting differently in each population.
Myrdal's Prediction

In An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy, Gunnar Myrdal (1944) argued that white Americans were caught in a dilemma, torn between their commitment to noble democratic principles—what Myrdal called the American Creed—on the one side, and their belief in the superiority of the white race, on the other. Myrdal was certain that in the struggle between democratic principles and race prejudice, the former would prevail. Prejudice, Myrdal famously predicted, was about to disappear. Acknowledging the considerable progress that has taken place in American race relations over the past 60 years, we show that on this particular point Myrdal was wrong. Contrary to his prediction, prejudice has not disappeared; nor has its political significance diminished. Prejudice remains and its importance for politics depends, today as in Myrdal's time, on political circumstance: on the vicissitudes of history and the actions of leaders.
Intravitreal triamcinolone does not alter basal vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA expression in rat retina

Abstract Intravitreal triamcinolone inhibits choroidal neovascularization. To investigate if vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is affected, we examined VEGF expression after intravitreal triamcinolone administration in rat retina. Using in situ hybridization, we have found dense clustered VEGF mRNA signals in the retinal pigment epithelium, moderate patchy signals in the inner nuclear layer, and positive labeling in a sub-population of ganglion cells. Densitometry and northern blot analysis revealed no significant alteration of VEGF mRNA expression pattern and level 3–21 days after triamcinolone injection. Our data indicate that intravitreal triamcinolone does not affect basal VEGF mRNA expression in normal adult rat retina.
Chilling, settlement, and the accuracy of the legal process

In this article, we ask the basic question: Is it necessarily the case that allowing or promoting settlement of lawsuits enhances social welfare? Our answer is not necessarily; there are circumstances where actually prohibiting settlement generates more social welfare than allowing it. Settlement can lower social welfare because it reduces the accuracy of legal outcomes. Reducing this accuracy reduces the ability of the law to deter harmful activity without chilling legitimate activity that might be mistaken for harmful activity. In some circumstances, the welfare loss from the chilling of legitimate activity can outweigh the gains from litigation cost savings, even if there are no restrictions on the damage rule. (JEL K00, K41, D82, C78) The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Yale University. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org, Oxford University Press.
Cerebral venous thrombosis presenting as a complication of inflammatory bowel disease

Cerebral venous thrombosis is an uncommon and diverse entity accounting for less than 1% of strokes. It can present with a variety of clinical symptoms ranging from isolated headaches to deep coma making the clinical diagnosis difficult. We present a rare case of cerebral venous thrombosis secondary to dehydration and inflammatory bowel disease.