cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Personality strengths in adolescence and decreased risk of developing mental health problems in early adulthood

The aim of this study was to investigate whether personality strengths during adolescence are associated with decreased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, educational or occupational problems, violent or criminal behaviors, and interpersonal difficulties during early adulthood. A representative community sample of 688 mothers from upstate New York and their offspring was interviewed in the period of 1985-1986 (mean offspring age = 16 years) and in that of 1991-1993 (mean offspring age = 22 years). Results showed that youths with numerous personality strengths at the mean age of 16 years were at a decreased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, educational and occupational problems, interpersonal difficulties, and criminal behaviors at the mean age of 22 years. These associations remained significant after controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, verbal intelligence, preexisting psychiatric disorders, and corresponding problems at the mean age of 16 years. Although youths with fewer personality strengths who experienced numerous stressful events were at elevated risk of developing psychiatric disorders during early adulthood, those with a higher number of personality strengths at the mean age of 16 years did not share this vulnerability. We conclude that personality strengths during adolescence may contribute to a decreased risk of developing a wide range of adverse outcomes during early adulthood. Systematic evaluation of character strengths may improve the clinical assessment of adolescents.
Isolation and properties of human α-lactalbumin

Abstract 1. 1. A simple chromatographic procedure is presented for isolation of α-lactalbumin from human whey on columns of DEAE-Sephadex and Sephadex G-100. 2. 2. The protein resembles bovine and guinea pig α-lactalbumins in size and amino acid composition, but differs in end groups and immunological specificity.
Wave-number sensors for active control of acoustic radiation

A number of problems in active noise control involve the attenuation of noise radiated from vibrating structures. Although one could conceivably minimize the radiation by minimizing the vibration of the structure, it has been demonstrated that one can often minimize the radiation without any significant reduction in the vibration levels on the structure. Such an approach is attractive, in that it often reduces the control authority which is required for the control actuators. However, to implement such an approach, it is necessary to sense the structural vibration in a manner which allows one to determine the acoustic radiation. This paper outlines a method to sense the acoustic radiation from a structure, using distributed sensors. The approach is based on estimating the wavenumber spectrum associated with the vibrating structure, from which the acoustic radiation can be determined. Some of the difficulties in implementing the method for typical acoustic problems are addressed, along with possible approaches for overcoming some of these difficulties.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
New kinematic relations for the large angle problem in rigid body attitude dynamics

Abstract For problems involving rotating rigid bodies (e.g. spin-stabilized satellites in space) one usually linearizes the equations of motion for the Eulerian angles to obtain tractable analytic solutions. However, these methods—based on a small angle assumption—fail to provide a comprehensive treatment of the behavior of a rigid body during large angular motions that occur, for example, during despinning. For such cases the nonlinear effects dictate a more sophisticated analysis. In this paper we discuss three different approaches for this class of problems. The first approach develops a quadratic equation based on a new formulation of the Eulerian angle kinematics. The second method uses a Riccati equation, derived from stereographic projection of the classical direction cosine formulation for the kinematics. The third method, based on a reformulation of the quaternion equations along with a known result from the theory of Lie algebras, derives an explicit, closed-form solution for the associated system of linear, time-varying differential equations. Numerical simulations demonstrate the validity of all three kinematic formulations.
FAMA-PJ: a channel access protocol for wireless LANs

Abstract : We specify and analyze a new channel access protocol for wireless local area networks. The new protocol, FAMA-PJ, consists of both carrier sensing and a collision detection mechanism based on control packets and jamming that prevent collision of data packets with control or data packets from other stations. Control of the channel (which we call the floor) is assigned to at most one station in the network at a time, and this station is guaranteed to be able to transmit one or more data packets to different destinations with no collision with transmissions from other stations. The minimum control packet size required to enforce correct floor control is specified as a function of the channel propagation delay and transmit to receive turn around time. The throughput and delay of FAMA-PJ are analyzed and compared with the throughput and delay of non-persistent CSMA. This analysis shows that FAMA-PJ can provide similar or better throughput than non-persistent CSMA in a high-speed wireless local area network, and that is more stable and has better delay characteristics than non-persistent CSMA.
A behavioral and pharmacological analysis of reinforcement withdrawal.

A discrete trial lever-pressing situation was developed for measuring the behavior of rats during repeated periods of reinforcement withdrawal following periods of 100% or 50% reinforcement. Behavior during the reinforcement and withdrawal period trials was learned rapidly and remained stable under the standard conditions. Atropine, scopolamine, d-amphetamine, and other compounds produced orderly, dose-related changes in withdrawal period trial responding.
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Induces Gliosis and Increased Expression of the Pro-inflammatory Cytokine High Mobility Group Box 1 Protein

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) following cerebral aneurysm rupture is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Surviving SAH patients often suffer from neurological impairment, yet little is currently known regarding the influence of subarachnoid blood on brain parenchyma. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of subarachnoid blood on glial cells using a rabbit SAH model. The astrocyte-specific proteins, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100B, were up-regulated in brainstem from SAH model rabbits, consistent with the development of reactive astrogliosis. In addition to reactive astrogliosis, cytosolic expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) was increased in brain from SAH animals. We found that greater than 90% of cells expressing cytosolic HMGB1 immunostained positively for Iba1, a specific marker for microglia and macrophages. Further, the number of Iba1-positive cells was similar in brain from control and SAH animals, suggesting the majority of these cells were likely resident microglial cells rather than infiltrating macrophages. These observations demonstrate SAH impacts brain parenchyma by activating astrocytes and microglia, triggering up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine HMGB1.
Business ethics—grounded in systems thinking

While organizations can act ethically because of strong leadership by example, sustaining an ethical culture requires more structural underpinnings. The system by which goals are set, decisions are made, and actions are taken needs to be coherently founded on human values. These shape the ethical climate of an organization. Human values—which are the foundation of sustainable business value—center around respect for employees, respect for their potential, and the belief that it is management's responsibility to facilitate the realization of that potential. Applying such values requires a determinedly systematic approach, with built-in checks and balances, encompassing every organizational function. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The 2-Aminopyridinium-carboxylate Supramolecular Heterosynthon: A Robust Motif for Generation of Multiple-Component Crystals

An analysis of the Cambridge Structural Database reveals that 77% of compounds that contain both 2-aminopyridine and carboxylic acid moieties generate 2-aminopyridine-carboxylic acid supramolecular heterosynthons rather than carboxylic acid or 2-aminopyridine supramolecular homosynthons. In the absence of other competing functionalities, the occurrence of heterosynthons increases to 97%. This observation is supported by the determination of single-crystal structures of 10 new compounds that contain both a 2-aminopyridine and a carboxylic acid moiety: 2-aminopyridinium 4-aminobenzoate, 1; 2-aminopyridinium isophthalate, 2; bis(2-aminopyridinium) terephthalate, 3; 2-amino-5-methylpyridinium benzoate, 4; bis(2-amino-5-methylpyridinium) 5-tertbutylisophthalate, 5; 2-amino-5-methylpyridinium terephthalate, 6; bis(2-amino-5-methylpyridinium) 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate, 7; bis(2-amino-5-methylpyridinium) adipate adipic acid, 8; bis(2-amino-5-methylpyridinium) 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate 2,5-thiophenedicarboxyl...
Stress and cardiovascular disease risk in female law enforcement officers.

Purpose To assess the levels of stress and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in female law enforcement officers (LEOs).
Risk factors for motor vehicle crashes involving civilian drivers and emergency vehicles in use

Background Transportation-related events are the leading cause of death among emergency medical services personnel. Previous research has focused, primarily, on factors associated with emergency vehicle (EV) drivers; however, factors associated with civilian drivers involved in EV-related crashes have not been examined adequately. Aims/Objectives/Purpose Identify internal (driver-specific) and external (environmental-related) risk factors associated with civilian drivers involved in crashes with an EV in use. Methods Using 2002-2010 data from the US National Automotive Sampling System, multivariate logistic regression enabled identification of potential risk factors, based on internal and external exposures of interest for EV- versus non-EV civilian-related crashes. Potential confounders were selected using directed acyclic graphs. Results/Outcomes Respective ORs and 95% CIs for internal factors identified increased risks for civilian drivers who were distracted (1.9, 1.6 to 2.3) and under the influence of substances (4.6, 1.9 to 11.3). For external factors, risks increased for drivers when: their vision was obscured by buildings, billboards or other structures (36.4, 18.4 to 71.9), parked vehicles (3.4, 2.2 to 5.2), and trees, crops and vegetation (4.5, 1.7 to 12.0); traffic control devices were controlled by persons (eg, flagmen) (6.7, 3.1 to 14.2), and automatic traffic signals (2.5, 2.1 to 2.9); driving straight through an intersection (3.1, 1.3 to 7.0), and one that contains four or more points (2.1, 1.3 to 3.4). Consequences for civilian drivers in EV- versus non-EV crashes included increased risks for sustaining an injury (1.8, 1.4 to 2.3) and receiving violations for failing to yield the right-of-way (3.0, 2.5 to 3.6). Significance/Contribution to the Field Results suggest areas in which interventions can be targeted to reduce motor vehicle crashes with emergency vehicles. This is an abstract of a presentation at Safety 2012, the 11th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, 1-4 October 2012, Michael Fowler Center, Wellington, New Zealand. Full text does not seem to be available for this abstract.
An electro-optic monitor of the behavior of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cilia.

The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii steers through water with a pair of cilia (eukaryotic flagella). Long-term observation of the beating of its cilia with controlled stimulation is improving our understanding of how a cell responds to sensory inputs. Here we describe how to record ciliary motion continuously for long periods. We also report experiments on the network of intracellular signaling that connects the environment inputs with response outputs. Local spatial changes in ciliary response on the time scale of the underlying biochemical dynamics are observed. Near-infrared light monitors the cells held by a micropipette. This condition is tolerated well for hours, not interfering with ciliary beating or sensory transduction. A computer integrates the light stimulation of the eye of Chlamydomonas with the ciliary motion making possible long-term correlations. Measures of ciliary responses include the beating frequency, stroke velocity, and stroke duration of each cilium, and the relative phase of the cis and trans cilia. The stationarity and dependence of the system on light intensity was investigated. About 150,000,000 total beat cycles and up to 8 h on one cell have been recorded. Each beat cycle is resolved so that each asynchronous beat is detected. Responses extend only a few hundred milliseconds, but there is a persistence of momentary changes that last much longer. Interestingly, we see a response that is linear with absolute light intensity as well as different kinds of response that are clearly nonlinear, implying two signaling pathways from the cell body to the cilia. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 61:83–96, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The curious quantum mechanics of pre- and post-selected ensembles

Despite claims to the contrary, the curious statistical properties of pre- and post-selected ensembles are neither impossible nor surprising. The properties of weak measurements on such ensembles are examined and shown to be in complete accord with ordinary quantum mechanics.
Working with cancer: Health and disability disparities among employed cancer survivors in the U.S.

Introduction Approximately 40% of Americans annually diagnosed with cancer are working-age adults. Using a nationally representative database, we characterized differences in health status and occupation of working cancer survivors and persons without cancer.
Liquid-phase dehydration of propylene glycol using solid-acid catalysts

Abstract In this work we combine experiments with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the heterogeneous dehydration of propylene glycol. The reactions were carried out with pure, liquid propylene glycol over MFI-framework zeolite catalysts or the mesoporous sulfonic-acid resin Amberlyst 36Dry. When Amberlyst 36Dry was used, propylene glycol dehydrated to form propionaldehyde with 77% selectivity. All of the propionaldehyde further reacted with propylene glycol to form a cyclic acetal. The final products consisted of 78% acetal, 13% dipropylene glycol, and the remaining 9% was composed of acetone and a cyclic ketal formed from acetone. The zeolite catalysts demonstrated significantly higher selectivity toward dipropylene glycol compared to Amberlyst 36Dry. Furthermore, the zeolite had a lower conversion to cyclic acetals, improving the selectivity toward C3 products, acetone and propionaldehyde. DFT calculations confirmed that propionaldehyde is the favorable product in both catalysts, since it can be formed either through dehydration of the secondary hydroxyl group or via dehydration of the primary hydroxyl group with a concerted pinacol rearrangement. However, in the case of zeolites, the cyclic acetals experience steric hindrance since their size is comparable to that of the zeolite pores. Thus we argue that the cyclic acetals produced over the zeolite catalyst were formed homogeneously from the C3 products which diffused out of the zeolite pores.
Methods development for analysis of partially deglycosylated proteins and application to an HIV envelope protein vaccine candidate

The work presented herein describes the first comprehensive analysis of a partially deglycosylated HIV vaccine candidate envelope protein (Env). The Env, JRFL gp140 ΔCF, with 27 potential glycosylation sites, was partially deglycosylated with PNGase F as part of a strategy to generate a more immunogenic HIV vaccine, and the resulting protein's glycosylation was characterized in a unique workflow using two different glycosidases, Endo H and Endo F3. This unique analysis protocol provided for coverage on 26 of the 27 glycosylation sites, and the data showed that the biochemical treatment with PNGase F resulted in a highly heterogeneous glycoprotein product that had been partially deglycosylated at most of the glycosylation sites. The protocols described in this work could be useful for characterizing the glycosylation site occupancy of other native or biochemically deglycosylated proteins.
An Interactive, Spatial Inventory of Environmental Data in the Mid-Atlantic Region

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with federal, state, local, and nongovernmental partners to produce an interactive, spatial inventory of environmental data in the mid-Atlantic region. The inventory will include maps of sampling locations, lists of measurements, and design information for hundreds of research sites and monitoring programs. It will also feature user-defined queries, resulting in customized maps that satisfy search criteria. (For example, “Display the probability-based surveys that measure dry deposition and nutrient availability in soils”). The inventory will be used in an interagency pilot study, instigated by the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources, to integrate environmental monitoring and research activities. The inventory will also provide information for a regional ecological assessment led by EPA Region 3 and the Office of Research and Development. In addition, an interagency consortium will use the inventory to identify suitable field data for assessing the accuracy of satellite imagery. In each of these three applications, the inventory will be tested and evaluated as a potential prototype for completing additional regions of the U.S. Maintained as an Oracle database, the inventory is accessible on the intemet at http://www.epa.gov/monitor/. Currently, ten inventory records are on-line for demonstration. The complete federal inventory of approximately 180 records will be accessible on-line by October, 1997; approximately 200 state, local and non-governmental records are scheduled for on-line access by April, 1998.
Targeted Inhibition of Snail Activity in Breast Cancer Cells by Using a CoIII-Ebox Conjugate

The transition from a non-invasive to an invasive phenotype is an essential step in tumor metastasis. The Snail family of transcription factors (TFs) is known to play a significant role in this transition. These TFs are zinc fingers that bind to the CAGGTG Ebox consensus sequence. Co(III) -Ebox is a cobalt(III) complex attached to an Ebox oligonucleotide that confers specificity towards Snail TFs. Co(III) -Ebox has been shown to inhibit Snail-mediated embryonic neural crest development in Xenopus laevis, but its efficacy in inhibiting Snail-induced cancer cell invasiveness has not been explored. Here, we describe the efficacy of Co(III) -Ebox in inhibiting the invasive aspects of heregulin-β1(HRG)-treated breast cancer cells. Co(III) -Ebox was found to inhibit the capacity of Snail to repress target genes after HRG induction. Snail inhibition by Co(III) -Ebox reduced the invasive propensity of cells in 2D and 3D, thereby demonstrating promise in inhibiting metastasis.
COMPARISON OF POROSITY‐DEPTH RELATIONSHIPS OF SHALE AND SANDSTONE*

The rate of shale compaction or porosity reduction decreases with increase in burial or compaction. This may be caused by decreasing shale permeability and increasing water viscosity, thus decreasing rate of fluid expulsion with increasing compaction. For a given increase in overburden pressure, the pressure or stress applied to a given grain-to-grain contact area decreases with burial because the contact area increases with compaction and concomitant grain deformation. This may also cause the reduced rate of compaction with increase in burial. The above observations may suggest that the shale compaction is primarily controlled by physical forces of sedimentary rocks.
Prosocial signaling and cooperation among Martu hunters

Among immediate-return societies, cooperative social relationships are maintained despite the lack of centralized authority, strong norms of ownership and the punishment of free-riders. The prosocial signaling theory of cooperation solves the puzzle of social cohesion in such societies by suggesting that costly forms of generosity can function as an honest signal of prosocial intent, and that the reputations for prosociality signalers build generate trust between individuals, supporting the formation of cooperative partnerships. However, not all forms of costly generosity are prosocial: we contrast two types of generosity, aggrandizing and prosocial, and suggest that only prosocial generosity provides benefits through cooperation. Prosocial generosity is accompanied by pecuniary distancing: the payment of a higher relative cost to share, and a manner of sharing that disengages the acquirer from ownership over the rights to benefit from his or her harvest. We test the prosocial sharing hypothesis among Martu hunters and find that there is a significant association between the propensity of an individual to share a higher proportion of her income and centrality in the cooperative hunting network. Those who consistently pay higher costs to share, not necessarily those who are better hunters, are preferred partners for cooperative hunting. While many have emphasized the direct, status enhancing, competitive aspects of generosity, we suggest here that prosocial generosity produces benefits indirectly, through the formation of trusting, cooperative partnerships.
An Unusual Ocular Complication of Thioridazine

A unique case of thioridazine-dependent discoloration of vision or "chromatopsia" is presented. This case merits its unique status because of the particular tint of the discoloration, the relative rapidity of onset of this symptoms, and the low dosage of thioridazine that was involved.
Responses from dorsal column nuclei (DCN) in the monkey to stimulation of upper and lower limbs and spinal cord

Summary Responses from the dorsal surface of the exposed dorsal column nuclei (DCN) in baboons and a monkey (Macaca fascicularis) were recorded in response to electrical stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve at the ankle, the common peroneal nerve at the knee, the sciatic nerve, the spinal cord at Tl0, and the median nerve at the wrist. Recordings of far-field potentials from the vertex with a non-cephalic reference were made before exposing the DCN and simultaneously with recordings from the DCN. The response recorded from the DCN using a monopolar electrode to median nerve stimulation was a negative deflection (N wave) followed by a large and slow positive wave (P wave). The N wave was often preceded by a small positive deflection. The response from the median nerve to electrical stimulation of the DCN had the same latency as the initial positive peak and the initial portion of the N wave in the response from the DCN to stimulation of the median nerve, indicating that the initial positive peak was generated by presynaptic events in the DCN. The response recorded from the surface of the DCN to stimulation of the lower limbs consisted of many irregular waves followed by a large, positive deflection. Sometimes these irregular waves were superimposed on a small negative peak, and they were preceded by a positive deflection. The response from the tibial nerve to stimulation of the DCN consisted of a series of waves that had the same latency as the waves of the response from the DCN to stimulation of the tibial nerve. When interpreting the data from responses to stimulation of the lower limbs it must be kept in mind that the peaks in the far-field responses are less pronounced than they are in the responses to stimulation of the upper limbs. The response recorded from the surface of the DCN is more complex than that recorded in response to stimulation of the upper limbs.
Electronic Nose Analysis of Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) Grape and Wine Volatile Differences during Cold Soak and Postfermentation

Cold soak is a prefermentation maceration process at cold temperatures, traditionally used to enhance red wine color. This study monitored changes in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon volatiles using a commercial conducting polymer electronic nose (ENose) during a five-day cold soak and postfermentation. Principal component analysis (PCA) of juice volatiles detected by the ENose during cold soak showed PC1 accounted for 95.7% of the variation. Various volatile associations were made with specific ENose sensors. In comparison, PCA of must chemistries had 52.4% of the variation accounted for by PC1. The PCA of wine volatiles detected by GC-MS showed PC1 accounted for 97.1% of the variation between control and cold soak treatment, where control wine volatiles were associated with several ethyl esters, while cold soak wine volatiles were associated with diethyl succinate, isovaleric acid, benzyl alcohol, 3-methyl butanol, cis -3-hexenol, γ-nonalactone, benzaldehyde, 2-methyl propanol, phenethyl acetate, 1-octanol, β-damascenone, terpinene-4-ol, γ-butyrolactone, ethyl acetate, hexanoic acid, citronellol, phenethyl alcohol, and n -butanol. Comparatively, PC1 accounted for 100% of the total variance when using the ENose to measure volatile composition. Sensory evaluation did not demonstrate significant differences in aroma between control and cold soak wines. This study demonstrates differences in volatile chemistry between control and cold soak wines, as well as the ability to use a conducting polymer ENose as a simple tool for analysis of volatiles.
An Intronic Enhancer Regulates Splicing of the Twintron of Drosophila melanogaster prospero Pre-mRNA by Two Different Spliceosomes

We have examined the alternative splicing of the Drosophila melanogaster prospero twintron, which contains splice sites for both the U2- and U12-type spliceosome and generates two forms of mRNA, pros-L (U2-type product) and pros-S (U12-type product). We find that twintron splicing is developmentally regulated: pros-L is abundant in early embryogenesis while pros-S displays the opposite pattern. We have established a Kc cell in vitro splicing system that accurately splices a minimal pros substrate containing the twintron and have examined the sequence requirements for pros twintron splicing. Systematic deletion and mutation analysis of intron sequences established that twintron splicing requires a 46-nucleotide purine-rich element located 32 nucleotides downstream of the U2-type 5' splice site. While this element regulates both splicing pathways, its alteration showed the severest effects on the U2-type splicing pathway. Addition of an RNA competitor containing the wild-type purine-rich element to the Kc extract abolished U2-type splicing and slightly repressed U12-type splicing, suggesting that a trans-acting factor(s) binds the enhancer element to stimulate twintron splicing. Thus, we have identified an intron region critical for prospero twintron splicing as a first step towards elucidating the molecular mechanism of splicing regulation involving competition between the two kinds of spliceosomes.
The social support and health relationship: Is there a gender difference?

Social support has generally been found to have a positive effect on health outcomes. Recently, however, it has been suggested that the existence of these benefits is dependent on the source of support and the gender of the individual receiving the support. Specifically, it has been argued that employed males benefit from work-based sources of support while employed females rely on family or non-work sources. The present study tests this proposition while controlling for variables which may be confounded with gender in the workforce. Several health and satisfaction variables are investigated. The relationship between gender and amount of social support from various sources is also explored. Findings suggest (a) that social support does have various beneficial effects on health outcomes, (b) that gender has little bearing on the amount of support received, and (c) there are few gender differences in the effects of social support on health. Those differences that were found were in the opposite direction of what was expected.
Fibroblast adhesion to fibrinogen and fibrin substrata: Requirement for cold-insoluble globulin (plasma fibronectin)

We carried out experiments to determine conditions for fibroblast adhesion to fibrinogen and fibrin substrata. Baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells did not attach to substrata composed of purified fibrinogen or fibrin. When cold-insoluble globulin (CIG) (plasma fibronectin) was bound to fibrinogen or fibrin substrata, adhesion of BHK sells was observed and the extent of adhesion was dependent upon the CIG conecntration. Binding of CIG to fibrinogen or fibrin substrata in the presence of Factor XIII (factor) under covalent crosslinking conditions resulted in a marked increased in the ability of the substrata to support cell adhesion. Control experiments indicated that CIG formed the sites on the fibrinogen and fibrin substrata to which the cells were attaching. In addition, the effect of factor XIII was shown to require covalent crossliking of CIG to the fibrinogen or fibrin, which involved a glutamine residue on the CIG molecule and could be prevented by prior crosslinking of CIG with putrescine or with itself. The enhanced ability of Factor XIII-crosslinked CIG substrata to support cell adhesion could not be accounted for by the absolute amount of CIG bound to the substrata. We present in this paper the possibility that the orientation of CIG on the substrata is the critical factor.
A systematic review of the relationships between craving and smoking cessation.

Introduction: Crav ing is often portrayed as a defining feature of addiction, but the role of craving in the addictive process is controversial. Particularly contentious is the extent to which drug craving predicts subsequent relapse. Methods: This r eview synthesizes findings from 62 smoking cessation studies published through December 2011. Eligible studies measured craving for cigarettes in treatment-seeking smokers and related this to subsequent smoking status. The relationships of general craving and cue-specific craving with treatment outcome were examined separately. Further, analyses that related general craving to smoking status were divided into those that used craving data collected before the quit attempt, after the quit attempt, and those that used change in craving over time as a predictor. Results: Res ults across studies revealed a total of 198 indices of association with 94 (47%) of these being significant. In general, the findings indicated (a) there were only a few cases of significant associations between craving collected as part of cue-reactivity studies and treatment outcome, (b) postquit craving was a stronger predictor of treatment outcome than prequit craving, and (c) several moderators likely influence the relationship between craving and cessation outcome. Conclusions: The o verall results suggest that craving is not a necessary condition of relapse. In addition, inconsistent relationships between craving and treatment outcome call into question the value of craving as a target of treatment and underscore limitations in the prognostic utility of craving.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) presenting in a Meckel’s diverticulum

A meckel's diverticulum is a congenital abnormality of the GI tract seen in approximately 3% of the population. Tumor arising within this entity is a rare, although know complication. We report a gastrointestinal tumor arising within a Meckel's diverticulum in a 28-year-old male.
Adaptive error control for reliable systems-on-chip

We present an adaptive error control scheme that employs a link quality grading technique and a burst error prediction mechanism, in order to handle multi-wire and multicycle errors, respectively. Our approach enables the transmitter to select the most effective error-control scheme for the particular link quality. Using this method, we can improve switch-to-switch throughput by 4X and reduce power consumption by 70%, compared to retransmission-only and retransmission-plus-fixed-coding approaches.
The Logic of Two-Level Games with Endogenous Domestic Coalitions:

This article attempts to formalize and extend Putnam's conjecture that greater domestic constraints can be a bargaining advantage in international negotiations by means of a more realistic model of negotiator behavior. Unlike her counterpart in Putnam, the negotiator in my model has a direct interest, not coincident with those of her domestic constituents, in the bargaining outcome. She also has more leeway in domestic bargaining in that not all domestic constituents have veto power. The results of the analysis show that the relationship between the negotiator's domestic constraints and the bargaining outcome is more complex than Putnam's analysis suggests. The negotiator can be either better or worse off under greater domestic constraints. The conditions under which these different outcomes result depend on the distribution of political power between the negotiator and domestic constituents.
Mechanism of the F1F0-type ATP synthase, a biological rotary motor

Abstract The F 1 F 0 -type ATP synthase is a key enzyme in cellular energy interconversion. During ATP synthesis, this large protein complex uses a proton gradient and the associated membrane potential to synthesize ATP. It can also reverse and hydrolyze ATP to generate a proton gradient. The structure of this enzyme in different functional forms is now being rapidly elucidated. The emerging consensus is that the enzyme is constructed as two rotary motors, one in the F 1 part that links catalytic site events with movements of an internal rotor, and the other in the F 0 part, linking proton translocation to movements of this F 0 rotor. Although both motors can work separately, they must be connected together to interconvert energy. Evidence for the function of the rotary motor, from structural, genetic and biophysical studies, is reviewed here, and some uncertainties and remaining mysteries of the enzyme mechanism are also discussed.
Molecular therapeutics in gynecological cancers: The next revolution in cancer therapy meeting reality?

AbstractAlthough more than a decade has passed since the first gene therapy was implemented, the realization of DNA manipulation as a first-line therapy is still in its preliminary stages. Understanding the complex network of interactions that occur at the molecular level remains a daunting challenge to overcome. Researchers persist in the quest to unravel this enigma by deciphering gene expression, a major determinant of the biology of normal and malignant cells. Extensive investigations have focused on how to influence or perhaps, in some way, substitute the events that cause the deregulation responsible for uncontrolled cellular proliferation, the hallmark of cancer. The development of gene therapy based interventions offers a promise in gynecologic oncology to overcome an otherwise deadly outcome. The imminent goal is to provide a consolidation therapy in order to provide a less toxic therapeutic strategy.
The Level 1 muon trigger for Run II of DO

We describe the Level 1 muon trigger system for Run 2 of the DO colliding beam experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron. The Level 1 muon trigger rate for high P/sub T/ single muons and low P/sub T/ dimuons is designed to be less than 25% of the 10 kHz total Level 1 trigger bandwidth at a peak luminosity of 2/spl times/10/sup 32//cm/sup 2//s. The muon trigger logic makes use of tracks from the central fiber tracker and hits from all muon detector elements. Details of event synchronization, event buffering, and FPGA trigger logic are given. Results on Gbit/s serial link transmission of data over coaxial cable are shown. Simulation of the muon trigger system is discussed.
ID fan drive efficiency upgrade: MV AFD to replace mechanical drive steam turbine

Fuel and power costs continue to increase and virtually all manufacturing facilities are looking for relief. This paper describes one such project, executed on an extremely fast schedule, that was aimed at improving mill energy efficiency at minimum cost and without disruption or even significant modification to existing operations.
Structure-activity based study of the Smac-binding pocket within the BIR3 domain of XIAP

A small series of peptide mimics was designed and synthesized to contain a heterocyclic ring in place of the potentially labile N-terminal peptide bond of the tetrapeptide containing the Smac-XIAP-binding motif. Two Smac mimics were shown to bind to the BIR3 domain of XIAP with moderate affinity and one displayed increased activity in cells relative to the Smac peptides. The structures of BIR3-XIAP in complex with a Smac peptide and a peptide mimic were solved and analyzed to elucidate the structure-activity relationship surrounding the Smac-binding domain within BIR3-XIAP.
Scalable multicast routing in MANETs using sender-initiated multicast meshes

We present Hydra, the first multicast routing protocol for MANETs that establishes a multicast routing structure approximating the set of source-rooted shortest-path trees from multicast sources to receivers, without requiring the dissemination of control packets from each source of a multicast group. Hydra accomplishes this by dynamically electing a core for the mesh of a multicast group among the sources of the group, and aggregating multicast routing state in the nodes participating in multicast meshes, so that only control packets from the core are disseminated towards the receivers of a group. We prove that Hydra establishes correct routes from senders to receivers of a multicast group when multicast state information is aggregated. We also present simulations results illustrating that Hydra attains comparable or higher delivery ratios than ODMRP, but with considerably lower end-to-end delays and far less communication overhead. Results are shown for scenarios using 802.11 and TDMA as the MAC layer protocols.
Control of Transcriptional Repression of the Vitellogenin Receptor Gene in Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) by Select Estrogen Receptors Isotypes

The vitellogenin receptor (Vtgr) plays an important role in fish reproduction. This receptor functions to incorporate vitellogenin (Vtg), a macromolecule synthesized and released from the liver in the bloodstream, into oocytes where it is processed into yolk. Although studies have focused on the functional role of Vtgr in fish, the mechanistic control of this gene is still unexplored. Here we report the identification and analysis of the first piscine 5′ regulatory region of the vtgr gene which was cloned from largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Using this putative promoter sequence, we investigated a role for hormones, including insulin and 17β-estradiol (E2), in transcriptional regulation through cell-based reporter assays. No effect of insulin was observed, however, E2 was able to repress transcriptional activity of the vtgr promoter through select estrogen receptor subtypes, Esr1 and Esr2a but not Esr2b. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that Esr1 likely interacts with the vtgr promoter region through half ERE and/or SP1 sites, in part. Finally we also show that ethinylestradiol (EE2), but not bisphenol-A (BPA), represses promoter activity similarly to E2. These results reveal for the first time that the Esr1 isoform may play an inhibitory role in the expression of LMB vtgr mRNA under the influence of E2, and potent estrogens such as EE2. In addition, this new evidence suggests that vtgr may be a target of select endocrine disrupting compounds through environmental exposures.
A Novel Bioactive Ceramic Coating for Improved Fixation of Orthopedic Implant

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) coating of medical grade Ti-6Al-4V substrate with a novel silica-calcium phosphate nano-composite (SCPC) in the particle size range 50 nm-5 μm has been described. The influence of EPD parameters and thermal treatment on the coating homogeneity, thickness and adhesion strength has been studied. SEM analyses showed that EPD carried out in 5% (w/v) SCPC/ethanol suspension at 50 V produced a homogeneous coating on passivated Ti alloy discs. Tensile tests carried out to evaluate the adhesion strength at the ceramic/metal interface showed that the SCPC coating layer developed adhesion strength of 47 ± 4 MPa with Ti alloy after thermal treatment at 800 °C for 1 hr. SEM – EDX analyses of the fracture surface revealed that the presence of SCPC layer on the surface of the Ti alloy indicating high interfacial stability. Upon immersion of the SCPC-coated Ti alloy substrate in PBS, a surface biological hydroxyapatite layer was deposited suggesting bone bonding ability. The successful coating of SCPC on the Ti-6Al-4V has the potential to stimulate rapid fixation and lower stress shielding by enhancing the bone bonding ability of the implant.
Trophoblast Migration Under Flow Is Regulated by Endothelial Cells

During pregnancy, trophoblasts enter the uterine vasculature and are found in spiral arteries far upstream of uterine capillaries. It is unknown whether trophoblasts reach the spiral arteries by migration within blood vessels against blood flow or by intravasation directly into spiral arteries after interstitial migration. We have developed an in vitro system consisting of early gestation macaque monkey trophoblasts cocultured with uterine endothelial cells and have exposed the cells in a parallel plate flow chamber to physiological levels of shear stress. Videomicroscopy followed by quantitative image analysis revealed that the migratory activity (expressed as average displacement and average migration velocity) of trophoblasts cultured on top of endothelial cells remained unchanged between shear stresses of 1‐30 dyne/cm 2 whereas activity of trophoblasts alone increased with increasing shear stress. When the direction of migration was assessed at 1 and 7.5 dyne/cm 2 , the extent of migration against and with flow was roughly equal for both trophoblasts alone and cocultured trophoblasts. At shear stress levels of 15 and 30 dyne/cm 2 , trophoblasts incubated alone showed a significant decrease in migration against flow and corresponding increased migration in the direction of flow. In contrast, trophoblasts cocultured with uterine endothelial cells maintained the same extent of migration against flow at all shear stress levels. Migration against flow was also maintained when trophoblasts were cultured with endothelial cell-conditioned medium or fixed endothelial cells. The results indicate that factors expressed on the surface of uterine endothelial cells and factors released by endothelial regulate trophoblast migration under flow. placenta, pregnancy, trophoblast, uterus
SINC, a type III secreted protein of Chlamydia psittaci, targets the inner nuclear membrane of infected cells and uninfected neighbors

SINC, a new type III secreted protein of the avian and human pathogen Chlamydia psittaci, uniquely targets the nuclear envelope of C. psittaci-infected cells and uninfected neighboring cells. Digitonin-permeabilization studies of SINC-GFP-transfected HeLa cells indicate that SINC targets the inner nuclear membrane. SINC localization at the nuclear envelope was blocked by importazole, confirming SINC import into the nucleus. Candidate partners were identified by proximity to biotin ligase-fused SINC in HEK293 cells and mass spectrometry (BioID). This strategy identified 22 candidates with high confidence, including the nucleoporin ELYS, lamin B1, and four proteins (emerin, MAN1, LAP1, and LBR) of the inner nuclear membrane, suggesting that SINC interacts with host proteins that control nuclear structure, signaling, chromatin organization, and gene silencing. GFP-SINC association with the native LEM-domain protein emerin, a conserved component of nuclear "lamina" structure, or with a complex containing emerin was confirmed by GFP pull down. Our findings identify SINC as a novel bacterial protein that targets the nuclear envelope with the capability of globally altering nuclear envelope functions in the infected host cell and neighboring uninfected cells. These properties may contribute to the aggressive virulence of C. psittaci.
Opuntia lilae, Another Tacinga Hidden in Opuntia s.l. (Cactaceae)

Abstract Phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data revealed that the Venezuelan endemic, Opuntia lilae, considered a species of Opuntia s.s. since its description, actually represents a species of the mostly Brazilian clade, Tacinga. Through ancestral state reconstruction, we also identify morphological synapomorphies of the Tacinga clade, which further support the relationship of Tacinga and Opuntia lilae. We herein transfer Opuntia lilae to the genus Tacinga, making the combination Tacinga lilae . The existence of a species of Tacinga in northeastern Venezuela suggests that members of the Tacinga clade may have previously been more widespread than their current distribution suggests or that members of the Tacinga clade may have been dispersed long distance from the Caatinga of Brazil, where Tacinga most likely originated.
Low-Thrust Trajectory Optimization Tool to Assess Options for Near-Earth Asteroid Deflection

In the past decade, the scientific community has become more interested in Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and the threat they pose to existence of life on this planet. The recent trend in NEO deflection technique research has been toward “slow push” techniques in order to absolve the need for sending nuclear weapons into space. A software tool was developed to assist in design and performance testing of various low-thrust deflection methods. The tool features an n-body high fidelity long term orbit propagator that allows for deflection mechanism forces to be directly applied through the equations of motion. The propagator utilizes DE405 ephemeris data for the acting bodies and was validated through comparison with JPL’s HORIZONS database. A hybrid optimization algorithm featuring a genetic algorithm global search and a conjugate direction local search was also developed to optimize the thrust direction versus time for a given deflection technique. The optimizer is applicable for many different missions and objectives, and is tested with several missions designed to maximize NEO close approach miss distance.
Development and validation of a complete GATE model of the Siemens Inveon trimodal imaging platform.

This article presents and validates a newly developed GATE model of the Siemens Inveon trimodal imaging platform. Fully incorporating the positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and computed tomography (CT) data acquisition subsystems, this model enables feasibility studies of new imaging applications, the development of reconstruction and correction algorithms, and the creation of a baseline against which experimental results for real data can be compared. Model validation was based on comparing simulation results against both empirical and published data. The PET modality was validated using the NEMA NU-4 standard. Validations of SPECT and CT modalities were based on assessment of model accuracy compared to published and empirical data on the platform. Validation results show good agreement between simulation and empirical data of approximately 6 5%.