cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphoinositide second messenger system is enriched in striosomes: immunohistochemical demonstration of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors and phospholipase C beta and gamma in primate basal ganglia

The neurochemical organization of the basal ganglia has been studied extensively with respect to neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and their receptors. The chemoarchitecture of the striatum has been found particularly striking, because it distinguishes many substances by their relative distributions within the striosome and matrix compartments of the striatum. Very little is yet known about the differential distribution of second messenger systems in the basal ganglia, however, and no information is available about whether the distribution of second messenger systems is related to the prominent neurochemical compartmentalization of the striatum. We have examined the distribution of the phosphoinositide second messenger system in the primate basal ganglia and substantia nigra, as detected with polyclonal antisera against the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), and monoclonal antisera against phospholipase C beta (PLC beta) and phospholipase C gamma (PLC gamma). In the striatum, immunostaining for each of the three proteins was present predominantly in medium-sized neuronal perikarya and in the neuropil. Circumscribed zones of enhanced IP3R, PLC beta, and PLC gamma immunoreactivity appeared in a background of generally weaker staining, and these zones corresponded to striosomes as identified by calbinidin D28k and substance P immunostaining in adjacent sections. Thus, the richest representation of the phosphoinositide system in the primate striatum appears to be in striosomes. In the substantia nigra pars compacta, neurons and neuropil were immunopositive, but in the substantia nigra pars reticulata and in each segment of the globus pallidus, immunostaining was mainly confined to the neuropil. Perikaryal PCL gamma immunoreactivity in the absence of detectable PLC beta or IP3R immunolabeling was found in the magnocellular neurons embedded in the medullary layer between the putamen and the globus pallidus. These observations demonstrate that the phosphoinositide second messenger system is selectively enhanced in neuronal subsystems of the basal ganglia, including striosomes, and suggest that signaling by phosphoinositide pathways elicits discrete effects on input-output processing by the basal ganglia.
Straight Allies: What Predicts Heterosexuals' Alliance With the LGBT Community?1

Despite their prominence in civil rights movements, out-group allies have been understudied. The current research examined out-group alliance, focusing on predictors of heterosexuals' advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. Heterosexuals who were recruited through an online panel of research participants completed a survey containing measures of empathy, out-group contact, gender, education, and attitudes toward gays and lesbians. Additionally, participants indicated whether they had engaged in several allied behaviors (e.g., donating money for LGBT causes). Women, educated individuals, and those with gay and lesbian friends were more likely to be allies. Additionally, alliance was greatest among individuals lower in prejudice and simultaneously higher in positivity toward gays and lesbians. Implications regarding intergroup relations and future research are discussed.
Photo-oxidation of pinonaldehyde at low NO x : from chemistry to organic aerosol formation

Abstract. Pinonaldehyde oxidation by OH radicals under low-NO x conditions produces significant secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass yields. Under concurrent UV illumination, mass yields are lower than high-NO x yields published earlier by our group. However, when OH radicals are produced via dark ozonolysis the SOA mass yields are comparable at high and low NO x . Because pinonaldehyde is a major first-generation gas-phase product of α-pinene oxidation by either ozone or OH radicals, its potential to form SOA serves as a molecular counterpoint to bulk SOA aging experiments involving SOA formed from α-pinene. Both the general tendency for aging reactions to produce more SOA and the sensitivity of the low-NO x products to UV photolysis observed in the bulk clearly occur for this single species as well. Photochemical oxidation of pinonaldehye and analogous first-generation terpene oxidation products are potentially a significant source of additional SOA in biogenically influenced air masses.
Phenotypic Switching in Candida glabrata Involves Phase-Specific Regulation of the Metallothionein Gene MT-II and the Newly Discovered Hemolysin Gene HLP

Candida glabrata has emerged as one of the three most common Candida species colonizing humans (8, 12). C. glabrata now represents the second-most-common Candida species causing bloodstream infections (36) and, at least in the Detroit area, one of the prevalent species responsible for yeast vaginitis (42, 52). A dramatic increase in the carriage of C. glabrata has also been demonstrated in dentate individuals over 80 years of age, and the proportion of elderly individuals with dentures carrying C. glabrata in one study was found to be greater than 50% (23). What is most worrisome about the recent emergence of C. glabrata as a major Candida pathogen and commensal is that it is naturally resistant to azole drug therapy (3, 9, 14, 27). The success of the most prevalent Candida pathogen, C. albicans, depends in part on its phenotypic plasticity. C. albicans exhibits two developmental programs that provide a portion of its phenotypic plasticity, the bud-hypha transition (11, 44) and high-frequency phenotypic switching (45–47). Transition to a hyphal growth form provides C. albicans with the capacity to penetrate tissue and disseminate (35), and mutants of C. albicans that do not form hyphae exhibit a reduction in virulence in animal models (20, 37, 43). High-frequency phenotypic switching involves the combinatorial regulation of phase-specific genes (45–47), several of which appear to facilitate pathogenesis, including secreted aspartyl proteinases (15, 32, 33, 55) and drug resistance genes (1). Misexpression of phase-specific genes in the wrong phase alters the specificity of virulence in different animal models (18, 19). Surprisingly, C. glabrata has never been reported to undergo either the bud-hypha transition or high-frequency phenotypic switching. How, then, has C. glabrata achieved its recent success both as a commensal and as a pathogen? One possible answer is that the developmental plasticity afforded by the bud-hypha transition and high-frequency phenotypic switching is really not important in the overall pathogenesis of an infectious yeast. An alternative answer is that although these two developmental programs are important to C. albicans (45) and other highly related species (50; S. O. Soll, S. R. Lockhart, and D. R. Soll, unpublished observations), they may not be important for the pathogenesis of C. glabrata. C. glabrata may have developed alternative mechanisms that generate the plasticity that these developmental programs provide for rapid responses to environmental challenges. Here, we report results which demonstrate that C. glabrata possesses at least one of these two developmental programs. We demonstrate for the first time that C. glabrata indeed undergoes high-frequency phenotypic switching that involves the regulation of phase-specific genes, including a metallothionein gene and a newly discovered hemolysin gene. Because C. glabrata is haploid, it provides for the first time a system that is amenable to a mutational analysis of the switching process.
SyncProbe: Providing Assurance of Message Latency through Predictive Monitoring of Internet Paths

SyncProbe improves the end-to-end predictability of distributed systems by providing applications with a real-time estimate of the maximum expected message delay (upper bound on communication latency) for network paths. The upper bound is adjusted over time in response to the monitored network latency and serves as a real-time assurance of synchrony. We deployed SyncProbe on PlanetLab and assessed its performance with respect to violations, duration of synchrony, upper bound cost and recoverability. Experiments revealed that SyncProbe is successful in providing upper bound estimate in real-time for a variety of paths. The estimated upper bound can be utilized for more formal assessment of information related to timeouts, ordering of events or knowledge about global states. We describe the design and methodology of SyncProbe and discuss various issues related to its performance.
Elastic wave scattering by an inclusion in a multilayered medium submerged in fluid. I. Plane strain model

Abstract Response of plane multilayered media enclosing an elastic inclusion of arbitrary shape and submerged in fluid is investigated. The plane strain model is assumed. The steady-state free-field response is modeled by the Thomson-Haskell method using delta-matrix modification and the scattered wave field by a boundary method. The transient response is evaluated using the Fourier synthesis. Numerical results are presented for a single layer plate with an elliptical inclusion and a single layer with an inclusion bounded by an elastic half-space. For the steady-state fluid-solid interface response the results show that (i) presence of the half-space greatly influences the response; (ii) the response is very sensitive upon the geometry and the embedment depth of the inclusion; (iii) the response is sensitive upon the angle and frequency of incident wave; and (iv) impedance contrast between the plate and inclusion is important for overall response pattern. Transient results for vertical incidence demonstrate that the presence of the inclusion is detected very clearly by both predominant and nonpredominant components of motion.
Point shaving: Corruption in NCAA basketball

A new field of “forensic economics” has begun to emerge, applying price-theoretic models to uncover evidence of corruption in domains previously outside the purview of economists. By emphasizing the incentives that yield corruption, these approaches also provide insight into how to reduce such behavior. This paper contributes to this agenda, highlighting how the structure of gambling on college basketball yields pay-offs to gamblers and players that are both asymmetric and nonlinear, thereby encouraging mutually beneficial effort manipulation through “point shaving.” Initial evidence suggests that point shaving may be quite widespread. The incentives for gambling-related corruption derive from the structure of basketball betting. To highlight a simple example, the University of Pennsylvania played Harvard on March 5, 2005, and was widely expected to win. Rather than offering short odds on Penn winning the game, bookmakers offered an almost even bet (bet $11 to win $10) on whether Penn would win relative to a “spread.” In this example, the spread was 14.5, meaning that a bet on Penn would win only if Penn won the game by 15 or more points, while a bet on Harvard would be successful if Harvard either won, or lost by 14 or fewer points. The incentive for corruption derives directly from the asymmetric incentives of players, who care about winning the game, and gamblers, who care about whether a team beats (or covers) the spread. Indeed, the example above is ripe for corruption: the outcome that maximizes the joint surplus of the Penn players and the gambler occurs when Penn wins the game, but fails to cover the spread (and the gambler has bet on Harvard). The contract required to induce this outcome simply involves the gambler offering a contingent payment to the player, with the contingency being that he pays only if Penn fails to cover the spread. Given the player’s (approximate) indifference over the size of the winning margin, even small bribes may dominate his desire to increase the winning margin above 14 points, and this, in turn, yields large profits for the gambler who has bet accordingly. The betting market offers a simple technology for the gambler to commit to paying this outcomecontingent bribe: he can simply give the player the ticket from a $1,000 bet on his opponent not covering the spread. Such attempts to shave the winning margin below the point spread are colloquially referred to as “point shaving” and form the focus of my inquiry. I start by outlining the type of corruption that theory suggests will be most prevalent:
Differential effect of glycemia on the incidence of hypertension by sex: the epidemiology of diabetes complications study.

OBJECTIVE Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Intervention and Complications analyses demonstrated that intensive insulin therapy was inversely associated with incident hypertension. We thus sought to confirm these observations and, given sex differences in other type 1 diabetes complications and risk factors, assessed whether any such associations differ by sex. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants of a prospective cohort of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes, free of hypertension at study entry (baseline mean age, 28 years; diabetes duration, 19 years), were selected for study ( n = 510). Hypertension incidence was defined as blood pressure >140/90 mmHg or use of hypertension medications in two consecutive visits. Intensive insulin therapy was defined as three or more injections (or pump) and four or more glucose tests daily. Baseline predictors of hypertension were examined using Cox proportional hazards models. Models with time-dependent updated means of baseline significant variables were also constructed. RESULTS Hypertension incidence over 18 years of follow-up was marginally higher in men than in women (43.2 vs. 35.4%, P = 0.07). A significant interaction was noted between sex and HbA 1c , and separate models were constructed by sex. Multivariably, elevated HbA 1c was a significant predictor only in men (hazard ratio 1.48 [95% CI 1.28–1.71]). In time-dependent models, although a significant effect of HbA 1c was also seen in women (1.21 [1.00–1.46]), the effect of glycemic control on hypertension development remained stronger in men (1.59 [1.29–1.97], P interaction CONCLUSIONS Although hyperglycemia is a risk factor for hypertension, its effect is stronger in men compared with women with type 1 diabetes.
Modeling Collision Cascade Structure of SiO2, Si3N4 and SiC using Local Topological Approaches

Many crystalline ceramics can be amorphized within high-energy collision cascades whose overlap leads to global structural amorphization. Because the structural rearrangements amount to topological disordering, we have chosen to model these rearrangements using a topological modeling tool as an alternative to molecular dynamics simulations. We focus on the tetrahedral network compounds SiO2, Si3N4, and SiC, each compound comprising corner-sharing tetrahedral units, because they represent increasingly topologically constrained structures. SiO2 and SiC are easily amorphized experimentally, whereas Si 3N4 proves very difficult to amorphize. In this model, we consider the tetrahedron as the base unit, whose identity is largely retained throughout. In a collision cascade, all bonds in the neighborhood of a designated tetrahedron are broken, and we reform bonds in this region according to a set of local rules appropriate to crystalline assembly, each tetrahedron coordinating with available neighboring tetrahedra (insofar as is possible) in accordance with these rules. We generate fairly well connected amorphized structures for SiO2, but run into underconnected networks for Si3N4 and SiC which are irreparable without rebreaking and reforming primary tetrahedral bonds. The resulting structures are analyzed for ring content and bond angle distributions for comparison to the crystalline precursors.
Pex4Fun: Teaching and learning computer science via social gaming

Pex4Fun (http://www.pexforfun.com/) is a web-based serious gaming environment for teaching computer science. Pex4Fun can be used to teach and learn computer programming at many levels, from high school all the way through graduate courses.With Pex4Fun, a student edits code in any browser -- with Intellisense -- and Pex4Fun executes it and analyzes it in the cloud. Pex4Fun connects teachers, curriculum authors, and students in a unique social experience, tracking and streaming progress updates in real time. In particular, Pex4Fun finds interesting and unexpected input values that help students understand what their code is actually doing. The real fun starts with Coding Duels where students write code to implement a teacher's specification. Pex4Fun finds any discrepancies in behavior between the student's code and the specification. This tutorial instructs materials to equip participants with skills and knowledge of using Pex4Fun in teaching and learning, such as solving puzzles, solving Coding Duels, exploring course materials in feature courses, creating and teaching a course, creating and publishing Coding Duels, and learning advanced topics behind Pex4Fun.
Nuclear astrophysics experiments with stable and unstable beams

Abstract Experiments with stable and radioactive beams play an important role in understanding the phenomena observed at various astrophysical sites ranging from the early universe to novae and supernovae explosions. A summary of recent achievements in nuclear astrophysics is given and an experiment measuring the 8 B neutrino spectrum with a new technique is described in more detail.
Noise Cancellation for Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials

A technique for cancelling background noise in sensory evoked potential recordings is described. Since sensory evoked potentials are generally much smaller than the background noise, a large number of individual responses must be averaged. The proposed technique uses a second recording channel to estimate the background noise; a cancellation filter function is derived for each individual response in the average. The filter can vary from response to response; however, it does not attempt to adapt to long-term changes in the noise. The technique is intended for situations where the noise is intermittent or rapidly varying, as is often found in the operating room and intensive care unit. The technique was evaluated by a simulation using a known brainstem auditory evoked potential signal plus EEG samples obtained from a patient in the intensive care unit during an evoked potential test. The results showed that the technique could provide improvements in signal-to-noise ratio of 3-6 when the dominant noise component was external electrical interference. The effect was less when the background noise was muscle activity or spontaneous EEG, but there was still significant improvement. It was also found that the improvement obtained was approximately equal to the improvement that could be predicted from the formulation of the filter function.
Treatment of de Quervain's disease

This study compared the use of a mixed steroid/lidocaine injection alone, an immobilization splint alone, and the simultaneous use of both in improving symptoms in de Quervain's disease. Ninety-three wrists were included in the study, with an average follow-up examination of 13 months. Complete relief of symptoms was noted in 28 of 42 wrists receiving an injection alone, 8 of 14 wrists receiving both an injection and splint, and 7 of 37 wrists receiving a splint alone. No significant difference was noted between the injection alone and injection plus splint groups. A significant difference was seen between the injection alone and splint alone groups and the injection/splint and splint alone groups. Twenty of 45 wrists that underwent operative release demonstrated a septum at the first dorsal compartment. When the need for operative release was used as an outcome result for treatment failure, the injection alone and splint alone groups demonstrated significance. We recommend the use of a mixed steroid/lidocaine injection alone as the initial treatment of choice in this condition. No additional benefit is appreciated by the addition of splint immobilization and, in fact, patients are less restricted with a lower financial burden without its use.
High-Dose Clopidogrel Loading in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

OBJECTIVE:To review the use of a 600-mg clopidogrel loading dose in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).DATA SOURCES:Human clinical trials and platelet studies available through PubMed (1966–March 2005), bibliographies of pertinent articles, and citations supplied by the drug manufacturer were accessed.DATA SYNTHESIS:The administration of a 600-mg loading dose of clopidogrel can decrease the time required for maximum platelet inhibition to 2 hours compared with ⩾6 hours achieved with 300 mg. This higher loading dose has been investigated in multiple platelet studies and one observational report. Several randomized controlled trials have used a 600-mg loading dose; however, these studies were not designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this loading regimen. To date, only one randomized trial has compared the 600-mg loading dose with a 300-mg loading dose.CONCLUSIONS:When compared with a conventional loading regimen of 300 mg in lower-risk patients, pretreatment with clopido...
Marijuana use and risky sexual behavior among high-risk adolescents: trajectories, risk factors, and event-level relationships

Adolescents involved with the juvenile justice system have a high incidence of risky sexual behaviors resulting in unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Substance use may be particularly important as a risk factor for unsafe sexual behavior for this group, and recent evidence suggests a possible association between marijuana use and risky sexual behavior. Adolescents (n = 728; 33% female) on probation were followed for 2 years, at intervals of 6 months, to explore the association of marijuana use and condom use longitudinally and at a specific intercourse occasion. Latent growth curve modeling indicated that greater marijuana use at baseline was associated with a steeper decline in condom use over the 2-year period of the study. In-depth analysis of the most recent intercourse occasion suggested that condom use was less likely if marijuana was being used by the participant or his/her partner and that this association was more pronounced if intercourse occurred with someone the participant had just met. Implications for the prevention of risky sexual behavior in this population are discussed.
Towards Computer Understanding of Direct Object Defaults

The paper addresses the phenomenon of direct object defaults in text as part of exploring the meaning of the unsaid and making it accessible for computer understanding. It describes a large but reasonably simple computer experiment on the basis of one hypothesis about defaults, namely, that a true default may appear as a direct object only if modified, e.g., Bob ate fresh food but? Bob ate food. The algorithm reduced over 24,000 occurrences, in Wikipedia for Schools, of the 200 most frequent verbs with and without direct objects, and those direct objects with and without modifiers, to over 200,000 default candidates. A discussion dealt with ways of restricting this list further to actual defaults.
Specification Tolerance for Turbine Homology

Model tests of turbines are commonly used to determine the characteristics and particularly the expected efficiency of full size turbines. On some projects using propeller or kaplan type turbines, no accurate method of measuring the flow through the turbines is available. To assure that the full size turbine will perform in a homologuous manner with the model, tolerances for symmetry need to be established. Specifications are proposed for tolerance on the runner and on the fit of the wicket gates for large propeller type turbines.
Protocological Rhetoric: Intervening in Institutions

This article describes protocological rhetoric as a conceptual tool for exploring and changing institutions. Protocological rhetoric is an extension of two lines of thought: Porter, Sullivan, Blyth...
Islamic Banking in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities - A Performance Based Analysis

This study is being coxed on performance measurement of Islamic Banking sector of Pakistan. The study has intended to show that Islamic banking sector of Pakistan may work at its optimal level if the altogether separate banking regulatory framework is introduced parallel to the conventional. The secondary data based study has been conducted to measure the performance of the Islamic banks while considering various performance based parameters. The parameters have included productive, operational, allocative, distributive, and stabilization efficiency of Islamic Banks. The study only takes the data of those Islamic banks for the performance measurement, which are working as full-fledged Islamic banks in Pakistan. This research may help the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and policy makers to redesign their Islamic Banking priorities and take initiative to address those particular areas where its attention is actually needed to attract and sustain the level of Islamic Baking in the country. Most of the operational issues of Islamic banking leading to its sustainability and growth are brought under discussion. First comprehensive study is conducted on operational issues of Islamic Banking, uncovering the real exposure of future direction.
The clinical observation of mifepristone combined with misoprostol for termination 10～16 weeks of gestation

Objective To explore the effect of mifepristone combined with misoprostol of termination 10～16 weeks of gestation.Methods 102 Subjects took 50mg mifepristone twice a day for two days,0.6mg misoprostol adminiserted orally or vaginally in the third morning. Result The complete abortion rate was 98.03%,there was no obvious allergic reaction and side effect of combined drugs administration. Conclusions Mifepristone combined with misoprostol for termination 10～16 weeks of gestation is safe,effective and convenient.
421 CYCLIN E OVEREXPRESSION INCREASES GLIOBLASTOMA RADIATION SENSITIVITY.

Background/Significance The deregulation of molecular checkpoints in the cell cycle is associated with a number of cancers. Cyclin E, controlling the transition from G1 to S phase, is overexpressed in many tumors and thus a target of future cancer therapy. Because molecular determinants of radiation sensitivity are differentially regulated via cell cycle phase, cyclin E activity may be an important determinant of radiation sensitivity. Since deregulation of cyclin E is reported to induce chromosome instability, cyclin E overexpression may increase radiosensitivity by interfering with DNA repair mechanisms. Methods A glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) line was transduced with a recombinant adenovirus containing the human cyclin E cDNA. Cyclin E upregulation was confirmed with Western Blot analysis. Cells lines underwent standard clonogenic radiobiologic assays after Cs-137 irradiation. To quantify radiation-induced double-stranded DNA breaks, agarose-embedded cells were irradiated with a 90 Gy dose and subsequently subjected to pulsed field gel electrophoresis after one hour. To investigate cell kinetics as a modulator of radiation toxicity, parallel flasks cultured in identical conditions underwent FACS analysis. Results GBM cells were significantly affected by cyclin E overexpression for all parameters measured. FACS analysis demonstrated an almost two-fold increase in cells in G2 or M phase versus G0 or G1 phase in the cyclin E-positive population, compared to control populations. Additionally, cyclin E-transduced GBM cells had higher rates of radiation-induced cell kill at doses over 10 Gy and showed a 60% increase in DNA double-strand breaks compared to control cells, one hour after radiation with a 90 Gy dose. Conclusions In this study, we show that cyclin E transduction, resulting in cyclin E overexpression, sensitizes GBM cells to ionizing radiation. High levels of cyclin E push cells through S phase and result in a greater percentage of cells in G1 or M. The chromosomally unstable cells exposed to ionizing radiation at later cell cycle phases continue to divide, thus abrogating cell cycle checkpoint control and altering clonogenicity. The data suggest that cyclin E overexpression interferes with DNA double-strand break repair mechanisms regulating clonogenic radiation survival. Similarly, the data support the hypothesis that cyclin E overexpression alters the radiation sensitivity phenotype by both DNA repair and checkpoint control mechanisms.
On the potential for lunar highlands Mg-suite extrusive volcanism and implications concerning crustal evolution

Abstract The lunar magnesian-suite (Mg-suite) was produced during the earliest periods of magmatic activity on the Moon. Based on the cumulate textures of the samples and a lack of evidence for Mg-suite extrusives in both the sample and remote sensing databases, several petrogenetic models deduce a predominantly intrusive magmatic history for Mg-suite lithologies. Considering that ∼18% of the lunar surface is covered by mare basalt flows, which are substantially higher in density than estimated Mg-suite magmas (∼2900 versus ∼2700 kg/m3), the apparent absence of low-density Mg-suite volcanics is surprising. Were Mg-suite magmas predominantly intrusive, or have their extrusive equivalents been covered by subsequent impact ejecta and/or later stage volcanism? If Mg-suite magmas were predominantly intrusive, what prevented these melts from erupting? Or, if they are present as extrusives, what regions of the Moon are most likely to contain Mg-suite volcanic deposits? This study investigates buoyancy-driven ascent of Mg-suite parental melts and is motivated by recent measurements of crustal density from GRAIL. Mg-suite dunite, troctolite, and spinel anorthosite parental melts (2742, 2699, and 2648 kg/m3, respectively) are considered, all of which have much lower melt densities relative to mare basalts and picritic glasses. Mg-suite parental melts are more dense than most of the crust and would not be expected to buoyantly erupt. However, about 10% of the lunar crust is greater in density than Mg-suite melts. These areas are primarily within the nearside southern highlands and South Pole-Aitken (SP-A) basin. Mg-suite extrusions and/or shallow intrusions were possible within these regions, assuming crustal density structure at >4.1 Ga was similar to the present day crust. We review evidence for Mg-suite activity within both the southern highlands and SP-A and discuss the implications concerning crustal evolution as well as Mg-suite petrogenesis. Lower crustal densities measured by GRAIL are consistent with the lack of observed Mg-suite extrusives. If Mg-suite extrusive volcanism was prevented by the low density of the crust, it would suggest the lunar crust was fractured shortly after solidification (>4.3 Ga). The thermal- and stress-state of the lunar crust may have also inhibited Mg-suite extrusion.
Engendering anion immunity in oxygen consuming cathodes based on Fe-Nx electrocatalysts: Spectroscopic and electrochemical advanced characterizations

Abstract Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the key reaction utilized for several potentially promising technologies such as in energy conversion (fuel-cells) or as oxygen depolarized cathodes (ODC) in anodic evolution of bulk chemicals such as chlorine. In the latter case elimination of one volt out of a theoretical maximum of 1.34 V (in case of hydrogen evolution electrode) provides very significant energy savings. Here we report iron based Fe-Nx catalyst with promising activity compared to state of the art noble metal catalysts (RhxSy) for hydrochloric acid recovery systems. A combined electrochemical and synchrotron-based spectroscopic approach is used to probe the structural and elec tronic properties of the active centers. The surface sensitive delta-mu (Δm) analysis of the near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), supported by first-principles calculations, reveals the immunity of the Fe-Nx-Cy active centers to chloride poisoning. Initial stability studies show that even after a harsh corrosive treatment, the catalyst ORR activity remains comparable to the current state of the art precious based material. Our study opens up promising avenues for developing affordable and robust oxygen consuming electrodes.
Polytypic phase transitions in metal intercalated Bi2Se3.

The temperature and concentration dependent phase diagrams of zero-valent copper, cobalt, and iron intercalated bismuth selenide are investigated using in situ transmission electron microscopy. Polytypic phase transitions associated with superlattice formation along with order-disorder transitions of the guest intercalant are determined. Dual-element intercalants of CuCo, CuFe, and CoFe-Bi2Se3 are also investigated. Hexagonal and striped domain formation consistent with two-dimensional ordering of the intercalant and Pokrovksy–Talapov theory is identified as a function of concentration. These studies provide a complete picture of the structural behavior of zero-valent metal intercalated Bi2Se3.
Industry trends in power integrated circuits

The authors consider some of the recent trends in power integrated circuits. They discuss the novel processes and device configurations which the semiconductor industry is developing to meet the needs of customers. Also included is a qualitative look at the design tradeoffs which influence the choice of technology for a particular application. The movement toward high-performance and higher-density circuitry, which demands smaller geometries and sophisticated processing, is also discussed. Particular attention is given to smart power (smart discrete devices and integrated circuits), multiple-output technology, high-voltage junction isolation, and high-voltage dielectric isolation. >
Family caregivers' level of mastery predicts survival of patients with glioblastoma: A preliminary report.

BACKGROUND Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is associated with a poor prognosis, and patients rely heavily on family caregivers for physical and emotional support. The capability and mental health of family caregivers may influence their ability to provide care and affect patient outcomes. The objective of the current study was to investigate whether caregivers' anxiety, depressive symptoms, burden, and mastery influenced survival in a sample of patients newly diagnosed with GBM. METHODS Baseline data from caregiver-patient dyads participating in a longitudinal study funded by the National Institutes of Health were used. Cox regression analyses were performed to determine whether caregiver anxiety (Profile of Mood States-Anxiety), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression Scale), burden (Caregiver Reaction Assessment), and feelings of mastery (Mastery Scale) predicted the survival time of patients with GBM after controlling for known covariates (patient age, Karnofsky performance status, type of surgery, and postsurgical treatment). RESULTS A total of 88 caregiver-patient dyads were included. The median overall survival for the sample was 14.5 months (range, 0-88 months). After controlling for covariates, caregiver mastery was found to be predictive of patient survival. With each unit increase in mastery, there was a 16.1% risk reduction in patient death (95% confidence interval, 0.771-0.913; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS To the authors' knowledge, the results of the current study are among the first to explore the impact of family caregiving on the outcomes of patients with GBM. If these results are supported in other studies, providing neuro-oncology caregivers with more structured support and guidance in clinical practice has the potential to improve caregivers' feelings of mastery, thereby influencing patients' well-being for the better. Cancer 2017;123:832–40. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Ultrasound-guided retroclavicular approach infraclavicular brachial plexus block for upper extremity emergency procedures

The America Society of Anesthesiology guidelines recommend multimodal analgesia that combines regional anesthetic techniques with pharmacotherapy to improve peri-procedural pain management and reduce opioid related complications. Commonly performed emergency procedures of the upper extremity such as fracture and dislocation reduction, wound debridement, and abscess incision and drainage are ideal candidates for ultrasound-guided (USG) regional anesthesia of the brachial plexus. However, adoption of regional anesthesia by emergency practitioners has been limited by concerns for potential complications and perceived technical difficulty. The Retroclavicular Approach to The Infraclavicular Region (RAPTIR) is a newly described USG brachial plexus block technique that optimizes sonographic needle visualization as a means of making regional anesthesia of the upper extremity safer and easier to perform. With RAPTIR a single well-visualized injection distant from key anatomic neck and thorax structures provides extensive upper extremity anesthesia, likely reducing the risk of complications such as diaphragm paralysis, central block, nerve injury, vascular puncture, and pneumothorax. Additionally, patient positioning for RAPTIR is well suited for the awake, acutely injured ED patient as the upper extremity remains adducted in a position of comfort at the patient's side. Thus, RAPTIR is a potentially ideal combination of infraclavicular targeting, excellent needle visualization, single injection, safety, comprehensive upper extremity analgesia, rapid performance, and comfortable patient positioning. Herein we present the first description of the RAPTIR utilized in the ED. Our initial experience suggests this is a promising new technique for brachial plexus regional anesthesia in the ED setting.
Pre-treatment 5-methyltetrahydrofolate levels and response to pemetrexed in stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lung.

8037 Background: The anti-folate drug pemetrexed (PMX) is used in treatment regimens for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent evidence suggests that differences in cellular folate metabolism ...
Inelastic proton scattering and the deformed spin-dependent optical potential☆

Abstract Inelastic proton asymmetries and spin flip probabilities, as well as cross sections, are calculated in the DWBA approximation with a deformed spin-dependent potential of the full Thomas form. Consideration of the full term improves substantially the fit to observed asymmetries when E p ⩾ 29 MeV.
Abstract #5133: Effect of HDAC inhibitor MS-275 on the Fas siganling in osteosarcoma cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) patients with lung metastases (LM) have poor prognosis because metastatic disease is usually resistant to the salvage chemotherapy. Understanding the mechanisms involved in metastatic process of OS may lead to the novel and effective therapeutic approach. We found the Fas pathway plays an important role in OS LM formation. We showed that only Fas-negative OS tumor cells or cells with inactive Fas signaling were able to form LM. In contrast, Fas-positive OS tumor cells died in the pulmonary environment due to the constitutive FasL expression in the lungs. In addition, Fas receptor expression was increased in OS LM in response to the therapy in mice and humans. Inhibition of the Fas pathway in vivo significantly impaired the effect of the treatment, indicating that Fas pathway may play an important role in therapy. Here we investigated the effect of subtoxic doses of MS-275 on the Fas signaling in different OS cell lines. Here we found that MS-275 can activate the Fas pathway in OS cells by increasing expression of Fas receptor itself or by altering expression of downstream molecules in favor of apoptosis depending on the cell line. The obtained data indicate that MS-275 can be used as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of OS LM by activating the Fas pathway. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 5133.
Impact of alcohol use on 30-day complication and readmission rates after elective spinal fusion (≥2 levels) for adult spine deformity: a single institutional study of 1,010 patients.

Background: Alcohol use has been shown to affect surgical outcomes. However, it is unknown what effect alcohol use has on postoperative complications or readmission rates in spinal fusion surgery. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of preoperative alcohol use on 30-day readmission rates or the complications profile after adult elective spinal fusion for deformity correction (≥2 levels). Methods: The medical records of 1,010 adult patients undergoing elective spinal fusion (≥2 levels) for spinal deformities at a major academic institution from 2005 to 2015 were reviewed. We identified 317 (31.4%) patients who had a history of alcohol prior to surgery and 693 (68.6%) patients who had no history of pre-operative alcohol consumption. The demographics, comorbidities, intra- and 30-day post-operative complication and readmission rates were collected for each patient. The primary outcome investigated in this study was the rate of 30-day readmissions and postoperative complication rates. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar between both cohorts. Intraoperative variables and the immediate postoperative complications profile were mostly similar between both cohorts. Overall, there was no significant difference between the 30-day readmission rates or complications profile between the two cohorts. Conclusions: Our study suggests there is no significant difference in 30-day readmission or complication rates among adult patients with or without preoperative alcohol use undergoing elective correction of spinal deformities.
Criteria for identifying the African origin of early Pleistocene mammalian fauna in Eurasia

Abstract The “Migratory Wave Hypothesis” suggests that early Pleistocene Homo dispersed from Africa together with a suite of other large mammals. Support for this hypothesis has been found primarily at the sites of ‘Ubeidiya, (Israel) and Venta Micena (Spain) where a high number of African taxa have been identified. This paper presents a critical evaluation of how we can identify these taxa and suggest criteria for the identification of taxa of African origin present in Eurasia during the early Pleistocene. Biogeography, taxonomy and chronology are used to develop criteria that have an effect on how we defined or identify African taxa. By critically evaluating the number of African taxa in Eurasia through the lens of these criteria, the number of African taxa may be reduced from a maximum of 30 to a minimum of six. The actual number may be either one of these two numbers, or any number in between, depending on how rigorous we are in applying the criteria. Thus, while the criteria presented in this paper have face value, they are not in any way more “correct” than other criteria, but are heuristic in presenting the difficulties in assigning an African origin to fauna found in early Pleistocene sites. This points to the need to be cautious when making inferences about the relationship between the dispersal of Homo with that of other African taxa.
On the controversial origins of non-canonical Spanish and Portuguese negation: Case closed?

Abstract This study offers a response to Sessarego's (2017a) article on the controversial origins of Choco Spanish (Colombia) predicate negation, whose non-canonical pattern NEG + VERB + (…) NEG is not currently found in any variety of standard Spanish. Taking a decidedly comparative approach that avails itself of analogous data from vernacular Brazilian Portuguese, Palenquero creole (Colombia), and Dominican Spanish, this study aims to elucidate Sessarego's fresh evidence, and point out areas where the argumentation is not entirely airtight. In particular, it will put into question his claim that hitherto overlooked double (embracing) negation patterns in European Spanish (15th to 20th centuries) constitute the missing genetic link to the observed non-canonical Choco double negation. This study will argue instead that an appeal to extensive sub-Saharan input during colonial times continues to offer a more likely scenario for the genesis in the Americas of non-canonical constructions such Chocoan/Dominican no hablo aleman no , Brazilian eu nao falo alemao nao , and Palenquero i nu ta abla aleman nu , all denoting ‘I don’t speak German (contrary to what one might think)’. Determining the true source(s) — European or African (or both?)? — of these and related negation structures has weighty implications for the larger question of the genesis of New World (1) Spanish, (2) Portuguese, and (3) Palenquero in general.
Algorithms for improving efficiency of discrete Markov chains

Sampling from an intractable probability distribution is a common and important problem in scientific computing. A popular approach to solve this problem is to construct a Markov chain which converges to the desired probability distribution, and run this Markov chain to obtain an approximate sample. In this paper, we provide two methods to improve the performance of a given discrete reversible Markov chain. These methods require the knowledge of the stationary distribution only up to a normalizing constant. Each of these methods produces a reversible Markov chain which has the same stationary distribution as the original chain, and dominates the original chain in the ordering introduced by Peskun [11]. We illustrate these methods on two Markov chains, one connected to hidden Markov models and one connected to card shuffling. We also prove a result which shows that the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm preserves the Peskun ordering for Markov transition matrices.
DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Morphine.

As the major psychoactive agent in opium and direct precursor for heroin, morphine is a historically critical molecule in chemical neuroscience. A structurally complex phenanthrene alkaloid produced by Papaver somniferum, morphine has fascinated chemists seeking to disentangle pharmacologically beneficial analgesic effects from addiction, tolerance, and dependence liabilities. In this review, we will detail the history of morphine, from the first extraction and isolation by Serturner in 1804 to the illicit use of morphine and proliferation of opioid use and abuse disorders currently ravaging the United States. Morphine is a molecule of great cultural relevance, as the agent that single-handedly transformed our understanding of pharmacognosy, receptor dynamics, and substance abuse and dependence disorders.
Self-administration of the synthetic cathinone MDPV enhances reward function via a nicotinic receptor dependent mechanism.

Abstract Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is an addictive synthetic drug with severe side effects. Previous studies have shown that MDPV has positive reinforcing properties. However, little is known about the effect of MDPV self-administration on the state of the brain reward system and the neuronal mechanisms by which MDPV mediates its effects. The goal of the present studies was to determine the effect of MDPV self-administration on reward function and the role of cholinergic neurotransmission in the reinforcing effects of MDPV. To study the effect of MDPV self-administration on the brain reward system, rats were prepared with intravenous catheters and intracranial self-stimulation electrodes (ICSS). For 10 days, the reward thresholds were assessed immediately before (23 h post prior session) and after 1 h of MDPV self-administration. The reward thresholds were decreased immediately after MDPV self-administration, which is indicative of a potentiation of brain reward function. The reward thresholds 23 h after MDPV intake gradually increased over time, which is indicative of anhedonia. Pretreatment with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist mecamylamine decreased the self-administration of MDPV and completely prevented the decrease in reward thresholds. A control study with palatable chocolate pellets showed that responding for a natural reinforcer does not affect the state of the brain reward system. Furthermore, mecamylamine did not affect responding for food pellets. In conclusion, the self-administration of MDPV potentiates reward function and nAChR blockade prevents the reward enhancing effects of MDPV self-administration. Preventing the MDPV-induced increase in cholinergic neurotransmission might be a safe approach to diminish MDPV abuse.