cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Luteinizing Hormone Receptor Signaling

A critical component of the reproductive axis in males and females, the luteinizing hormone chorionic gonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) is required for phenotypic male sexual differentiation of the 46,XY fetus, gonadal steroidogenesis in adult testes and ovaries, and ovulation. The major signaling pathway of this receptor in response to the gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH) and human chorionic gonadotropin, is believed to be that of intracellular cAMP production, important for steroid hormone production. Additional pathways activated by LHCGR are the phosphoinositide and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 pathways. This article reviews the intracellular signaling pathways associated with LHCGR in hormone-dependent and hormone-independent activation, the latter, for example, arising from mutations of the LHCGR gene that promote constitutive receptor activation. The cellular mechanisms for signal attenuation at the level of LHCGR are also discussed.
Graft Thickness and Its Relationship to Visual Outcome in Endothelial Keratoplasty

Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) is the most popular technique to replace diseased endothelium [1]. In this procedure, donor Descemet’s membrane and endothelium along with a thin layer of deep stroma is juxtaposed to host cornea that is stripped of Descemet’s membrane. Visual outcome is quite good, but not all patients can achieve 20/20 BSCVA. A stromal interface is created between recipient stroma and donor tissue. Some believe this interface is responsible for suboptimal visual results obtained in a percentage of patients undergoing this type of surgery (Fig. 12.1) [2–4].
Methods of Analyzing Combat SoS Coordination Pattern Based on Temporal Motif

In this paper, a temporal network model of system of systems (SoS) coordination is constructed and an algorithm of detecting corresponding temporal motif is designed according to the dynamics and evolution of SoS coordination. By the use of war gaming data, four methods including contrary analysis of temporal motif density in the whole process, the evolution analysis of temporal motif’s density, the analysis of correlation between motif density and operational task measure, generation analysis of SoS coordination pattern are used to analyze the characteristics of SoS coordination pattern, which will be a helpful reference for research in dynamics and evolutionary of SoS coordination.
Remoldable Thiol–Ene Vitrimers for Photopatterning and Nanoimprint Lithography

Here, we introduce photocuring as a tool for the spatiotemporal control of vitrimer network synthesis via a photoinitiated thiol–ene polymerization. A difunctional norbornene monomer was synthesized containing ester linkages and pendant alcohol groups to participate in transesterification bond reshuffling reactions. The transesterification catalyst 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) was shown to be highly effective in promoting transesterification in these networks at high temperatures, without interfering with external spatiotemporal, photoinitiated control over the thiol–ene polymerization and associated network formation. A strong Arrhenius dependence of the stress relaxation time with inverse temperature was observed from 145 to 175 °C, which suggests a relaxation controlled by the transesterification reaction rate, similar to previously studied thermally cured vitrimers. These thiol–ene vitrimers are implemented in nanoimprint lithography (NIL) for creating surface features, where imprinting m...
Understanding Marijuana Use in a National Sample of Adolescents

Personality, environmental, and behavioral variables representing psychosocial risk factors for adolescent problem behavior were assessed in a 1974 national sample study of over 10,000 junior and senior high school students. Significant correlations were found with marijuana use, and the relationships held across differences in age, sex, and ethnic group membership. Greater involvement in marijuana use was associated with greater value on independence than on academic achievement, lower expectations for academic achievement, lesser religiosity, greater tolerance of deviance, less compatibility between friends and parents, greater influence of friends relative to parents, greater models and support for problem behavior, greater actual involvement in other problem behaviors such as drunkenness, and less involvement in conventional behavior such as attending church. Multiple regression analyses show that this pattern of psychosocial correlates accounts for over 50 per cent of the variation in marijuana use. The pattern is nearly identical to the pattern that accounts for problem drinking in these same adolescents. The similarity of the patterns of psychosocial risk, and the substantial correlations of marijuana use with problem drinking and with other problem behaviors, suggest that marijuana use is best seen as part of a syndrome of adolescent problem behavior.
The implications of Birom cicisbeism

Cicisbeism, as a 1 egitimate sexual alliance between a woman and a man who is not her husband, is normative among the Birom of northern Nigeria. Women have considerable latitude in choosing their c...
Appropriability, First Sale & Exhaustion

The paper offers a new perspective on the first sale/patent exhaustion doctrine and, in doing so, challenges current critiques of the doctrine. Most fundamentally, the paper challenges the first sale doctrine's perception as a quasi-antitrust rule. Instead, the paper traces the development of the first sale doctrine as a bright-line rule demarcating the scope of IP rights and reflecting core IP rationales - most notably, the rationale of appropriability as the basis of property rights. The paper follows this historic account with an analysis of the potential doctrinal implications of the demise of the doctrine, and ends with an economic and competitive analysis of typical IP-related post-sale restrictions. Ultimately, the paper concludes that the doctrine, when properly construed, is both justified and well founded in property rationales.
Correcting Misperceptions About Cognitive Processing Therapy to Treat Moral Injury: A Response to Gray and Colleagues (this issue)

Abstract We respond to the commentary by Gray, Nash, and Litz (this issue) regarding the use of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) to address moral injury as described in our previous publication (Wachen et al., 2016). In their commentary, Gray et al. posit that CPT is inappropriate when applied to the treatment of war-related traumas involving “real moral and ethical transgressions” (i.e., moral injuries). However, Gray and colleagues’ assertions are centered on a premise that is incorrect, namely that CPT is based on the idea that “self-blame and guilt are inherently illogical or inaccurate,” and that CPT assumes that all beliefs associated with moral injury are erroneous. On the contrary, we acknowledge that self-blame and guilt may be accurate responses to warzone trauma, yet disagree that CPT is not suitable in these situations. This response serves to clarify some of the inaccurate interpretations of the treatment as stated by Gray and colleagues, and reiterates the position of CPT on many of the issues that were raised. Specifically, we discuss the use of Socratic questioning within CPT to address the issue of moral injury. Furthermore, we highlight the strong evidence base for the use of CPT in treating veterans and active military. Until it has been determined through empirical study, it is premature to assert that CPT is insufficient in addressing moral injury in combat personnel.
Comparison of healthcare utilization and outcomes by gestational diabetes diagnostic criteria

Objective To compare healthcare utilization and outcomes using the Carpenter-Coustan (CC) criteria vs. the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods This is a retrospective cohort study. Prior to 8/21/2013, patients were classified as "GDM by CC" if they met criteria. After 8/21/2013, patients were classified as "GDM by NDDG" if they met criteria and "Meeting CC non-GDM" if they met CC, but failed to reach NDDG criteria. "Non-GDM" women did not meet any criteria for GDM. Records were reviewed after delivery. Results There was a 41% reduction in GDM diagnosed using NDDG compared to CC (P=0.01). There was no significant difference in triage visits, ultrasounds for growth or hospital admissions. Women classified as "Meeting CC non-GDM" were more likely to have preeclampsia than "GDM by CC" women [OR 11.11 (2.7, 50.0), P=0.0006]. Newborns of mothers "Meeting CC non-GDM" were more likely to be admitted to neonatal intensive care units than "GDM by CC" [OR 6.25 (1.7, 33.3), P=0.006], "GDM by NDDG" [OR 5.56 (1.3, 33.3), P=0.018] and "Non-GDM" newborns [OR 6.47 (2.6, 14.8), P=0.0003]. Conclusion Using the NDDG criteria may increase healthcare costs because while it decreases the number of patients being diagnosed with GDM, it may also increase maternal and neonatal complications without changing maternal healthcare utilization.
Corrigendum to “Toric codes and finite geometries” [Finite Fields Appl. 45 (2017) 203–216]

Abstract This correction adds a necessary hypothesis in Proposition 2.4 of [1] . A counterexample to the previous version was pointed out to the author by Melda Gorur and the author thanks her for bringing that to his attention. Theorem 3.2 and Corollary 3.3 are also reformulated so they do not refer to the new, more restricted Proposition 2.4.
Medidas de Higiene Animal

?Hay alguna posibilidad de que el “torrente” de recientes y valiosos elementos terapeuticos —-sulfonamidos, penicilina, estilbestrol, fenotiacina, D. D. T., muchas vacunas y otros mas— haga que los dedicados a la prevencion y dominio de las zoonosis pasemos por alto o hasta desatendamos completamente algunos de los elementos menos teatrales, pero comprobados, que tan bien nos sirvieron en el pasado?A fin de impedir que los lancemos de una vez al cesto de los desperdicios y para refrescar nuestra memoria acerca de los pormenores por lo menos de algunos de ellos, vamos a repasar los mas importantes a continuacion:
Association of Acylcarnitines With Left Ventricular Remodeling in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Importance Clinical practice guidelines currently endorse a reliance on clinical symptoms of overt left ventricular (LV) failure to time aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis; however, delayed aortic valve replacement can result in irreversible LV injury and adverse outcomes. Blood metabolomic signatures possess prognostic value in heart failure; this study assesses whether they are informative in aortic stenosis. Objective To evaluate the value of metabolomic signatures in reflecting the extent of maladaptive LV remodeling in patients with end-stage aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, and to assess whether this procedure reverses metabolomic aberrations. Design, Setting, and Participants This study of 44 patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who underwent transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement at a single-center tertiary care hospital. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry-based metabolomic profiling was performed on blood samples collected before and 24 hours after the procedure, and analyses were conducted to identify metabolites related to the measures of LV remodeling. Main Outcomes and Measures We evaluated LV ejection fraction, LV mass index, and relative wall thickness, as well as levels of the acylcarnitines C16, C18:1, C18:2, C18, C26, choline, and kynurenine. Results We enrolled 44 patients with severe aortic stenosis with a mean (SD) age of 81.9 (8.5) years, of whom 23 (52%) were women. The mean (SD) LV ejection fraction was 56.7% (18.2%), mean (SD) LV mass index was 117.3 (41.4) g/m2, and relative wall thickness was 0.53 (0.14). The mean β values of acylcarnitines C16, C18:1, C18:2, C18, and C26 were independently associated with LV mass index (C16: mean, 19.24; 95% CI, 5.48-33.01;P = .008; C18:1: mean, 26.18; 95% CI, 14.04-38.32;P Conclusions and Relevance In symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, circulating levels of long-chain acylcarnitines were independently associated with measures of maladaptive LV remodeling, and metabolic perturbations lessened after procedure completion. Further efforts are needed to determine the clinical applicability of these novel biomarkers.
Shape Memory Polymers in Deployable Architecture

This paper aims to demonstrate the use of shape memory polymers (SMPs) in deployable architecture. Increase in use of SMPs will certainly bring a paradigm shift in the field of construction and technology also it is cost cutting material in terms of time and labour. Time required to erect a structure in SMPs is half of the time required through conventional techniques for the same structure. Present day architecture is at the verge of shifting to Parametricism and digital architecture which mostly comprises of techniques like folded plate structures, blobitecture, scissor mechanisms, etc. Widely used materials for such techniques are metals like aluminium, steel or glass or concrete. Structures under the umbrella of Parametricism are generally large scale and permanent structures. Use of SMPs can bring small scale and temporary structures under one umbrella.
Strategic Planning to Advance Equity on Campus: A Case Study at Portland State University

Propelled by many factors, including a newly appointed Board of Trustees responsible for governance of our university, resource shortages, and enrollment swings, Portland State University embarked on a strategic planning effort in 2014 with the intent of reunifying a divided campus and creating a bold vision for moving forward in the next five years. While committed from the start to goals of diversity and inclusion, the planning process itself generated greater awareness of and commitment to equity—a bolder vision of empowerment that creates a responsibility to understand and mitigate negative, but often unintended consequences of, campus decisions and action—particularly as they impact groups that have experienced institutional racism and injustice. Equity emerged not only as a goal, with intendant initiatives for action, but also as a commitment to conscientious ongoing attention to decision-making that embraces utilization of an equity lens.
Applications to Specific Materials

This chapter demonstrates applications of the micromechanics methodology to a number of specific materials. Sections on different materials can be read independently.
Imperial Vision, Colonial Prisons:: British Jails in Bengal, 1823–73

Prison construction was among the most important infrastructural changes brought about by British rule in nineteenth-century India. Informed by the extension of liberal political philosophy into the colony, the development of the British colonial prison introduced India to a radically new system of punishment based on long-term incarceration. Unlike prisons in Europe and the United States, where moral reform was cited as the primary objective of incarceration, prisons in colonial India focused on confinement as a way of separating and classifying criminal types in order to stabilize colonial categories of difference. In Imperial Vision, Colonial Prisons: British Jails in Bengal, 1823–73 , Mira Rai Waits explores nineteenth-century colonial jail plans from India9s Bengal Presidency. Although colonial reformers eventually arrived at a model of prison architecture that resembled Euro-American precedents, the built form and functional arrangements of these places reflected a singularly colonial model of operation.
A game-theoretic model of attention in social networks

We model the economics of producing content in online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. We propose a game-theoretic model within which we quantify inefficiencies from contributions by strategic users in online environments. Attention and information are assumed to be the main motivation for user contributions. We treat attention as a mechanism for sharing the profit from consuming information and introduce a general framework for analyzing dynamics of contributions in online environments. We analyze the proposed model and identify conditions for existence and efficient computation of pure-strategy Nash equilibrium. We prove a bicriteria bound on the price of anarchy; in particular we show that the social welfare from central control over level of contribution by users is no larger than the social welfare from strategic agents with twice as large consumption utilities. We then construct and analyze a family of production games that have an arbitrarily large price of anarchy. We also prove non-robustness of the price of anarchy for a particular instance of the introduced family, establishing a distinction between the games studied here and network congestion games.
Suggestopedia: A Teaching Strategy for the Severely Disabled Reader

(1976). Suggestopedia: A Teaching Strategy for the Severely Disabled Reader. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Western College Reading Association: Vol. 9, Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Conference of the WCRA. The Spirit of '76: Revolutionizing College Learning Skills, pp. 107-113.
Effects of Patient Self-Selection on Cost-Effectiveness of Diabetes Therapy By Age

PURPOSE: Medical cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) traditionally use utility values that average across the whole population of persons who might receive the treatment. However, most treatments are used only when the patient accepts them, suggesting that the preferences of patients who would choose a treatment if it were offered are the relevant ones for CEA. CEA studies in diabetes often conclude intensive therapy is cost-effective for younger patients but not older ones. This study uses the example of intensive therapy for diabetes to study the effect of accounting for patient self-selection in CEA by age. METHODS: We interviewed 559 adults with type 2 diabetes to determine their utility values for health states relating to common diabetic complications and treatments and their choice of therapy. We then used a simulation model developed previously by the CDC to assess the cost-effectiveness of intensive therapy for the population as a whole and for the set of patients who chose intensive therapy, stratifying our patients into young, middle, and older ages (age70). RESULTS: 7% of patients were young, 61% middle, and 32% older ages. If all patients received intensive therapy, intensive therapy would be harmful at all ages. However, the fraction choosing intensive therapy fell with age, from 39% in the young, and 34% in the middle-aged, to 27% in older patients. Among patients choosing intensive therapy, cost-effectiveness was $8,000/qaly in the young. $45,000/qaly in the middle group, and $82,000/qaly among older persons. CONCLUSIONS: Cost-effectiveness results for diabetes care are dramatically altered by accounting for preference heterogeneity and patient selection of treatment choice with systematic patterns by age. Self-selection improves the cost-effectiveness of the therapy compared to non-selective use at all ages. While older patients are less likely to choose intensive therapy, it is still cost-effective among those patients who choose it. Cost-effectiveness models that do not account for patient selection may be seriously misleading for treatments whose cost-effectiveness is sensitive to variations in patient preferences. Intensive therapy should be offered to patients of all ages, but should be individualized to reflect patient preferences, which may vary by age and other factors.
Patient Experiences Navigating Chronic Pain Management in an Integrated Health Care System: A Qualitative Investigation of Women and Men.

Background Rates of pain among veterans are as high as 60%; rates approach 80% in women seeking Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care. Prior studies examined experiences managing pain in community samples, with gender disparities observed. As the largest national integrated health care system in the country, the VA offers a unique environment to a) study perceptions of pain care among men and women and b) contrast experiences using an integrated health care setting with prior observations in the private sector. Methods A purposive sample of chronic pain patients was recruited to qualitatively describe perceptions of managing pain in an integrated health care system (VA) and to explore gender differences. A constant comparative approach with sequential analysis was used to reach thematic consensus. Results Ten focus groups (N = 48; six groups of women [N = 22]; four groups of men [N = 26]) revealed an overarching theme, "just keep plugging," which reflected pain as a constant struggle. Three subthemes emerged: "always a reacquaintance process" described frustration with the use of trainees in the medical center. The need to navigate "so many hoops" referred to frustrations with logistical barriers. "To medicate or not" reflected tensions around medication use. A distinct theme, "the challenges of being female," reflected women's perceptions of stigma and bias. Conclusions Most of the identified challenges were not unique to the integrated setting. Findings revealed advantages to receiving pain care in this setting. Tensions between patient expectations and guidelines governing provider behavior emerged. Improved patient education, provider communication and sensitivity to the unique needs of women may optimize care.
The Role of Family and Peer Relationships in Adolescent Substance Use

This chapter considers how family and peer relationships, respectively, act to decrease or increase adolescents’ likelihood of involvement in substance use. The qualifying word “respectively” indicates that these two types of relationships may serve different roles for adolescents. Support from parents typically is indicated as a protective factor, inversely related to level of adolescent substance use. In contrast, support from peers under some conditions is positively related to substance use. The contrast between results for the parental and peer support systems indicates the theoretical complexity of considering how social networks operate for substance use in general and adolescent substance use in particular (Wills, 1990a) and has implications for the understanding of resilience effects (Haggerty, Sherrod, Garmezy, & Rutter, 1994; Wills, Blechman, & McNamara, 1996). In this chapter, we develop a framework for considering how parental and peer support operate in adolescence, report findings from our research program with adolescents, and discuss implications for the theory of social support. A specific emphasis derived from this research is that parental support has a powerful impact on adolescents’ coping, competence, and self-control ability. We try in this chapter to elucidate the question of why parental support is so important. We also make the point that a problem behavior such as early substance use is best predicted from the interaction of parent and peer support systems and that adolescents seem to be particularly vulnerable when they have a low level of parental support but are strongly immersed in peer social activity.
Ubiquitous Networks, Ubiquitous Sensors: Issues of Security, Reliability and Privacy in the Internet of Things

The growth of ubiquitous networks moves ever more personal data into collectible and computational opportunities. This changes assumptions based on past latency and limits on data analysis and brings challenges to the reliability of data acquisition principles and practices and their proper use in societies. System engineers must consider outcomes and related regulation in the design and use of these systems. It also cautions us as to overreaching. We examine the general legal sphere within which ubiquitous networks and associated data exist, mapping some technological outcomes to legal consequences. We consider the impact and legal decisions regarding ubiquitous networks in the United States as an indicator of future direction and legal entanglements of these technological systems. In particular, we consider security and privacy principles that may regulate computational use through ubiquitous networks, and the competing interests/benefits/detriments in their use. This informs as to possible future regulation that may be needed or required and offer guidance with the growing data sphere and ubiquitous networking, and advises that the engineering of such systems should be flexible enough to accommodate new regulatory regimes as to deployment, access and use.
Language Brokering Experience Affects Feelings Toward Bilingualism, Language Knowledge, Use, and Practices: A Qualitative Approach:

Language brokering refers to the global practice whereby children in immigrant communities are called upon by family members to serve as linguistic and cultural intermediaries by translating and in...
Time-shifted mean-segmented Q data of a luminal protein measured at the nuclear envelope by fluorescence fluctuation microscopy.

Abstract Fluorescence fluctuation microscopy is a widely used method to determine the mobility and oligomeric state of proteins in the live cell environment. Existing analysis methods rely on statistical evaluation of data segments with the implicit assumption that no significant signal fluctuations occur on the time scale of a data segment. Recent work on extending fluorescence fluctuation methods to the nuclear envelope of living cells identified a slow fluctuation process that is associated with the undulations of the nuclear membranes, which lead to intensity fluctuations due to local volume changes at the nuclear envelope. This environment violates the above-mentioned assumption and is associated with biased evaluation of fluorescence fluctuation data by traditional analysis methods, such as the autocorrelation function. This challenge was overcome by the introduction of the time-shifted mean-segmented Q function, which relies on a sliding scale of data segment lengths. Here, we share experimental fluorescence fluctuation data taken at the nuclear envelope and demonstrate the calculation of the time-shifted mean-segmented Q function from the raw data. The data and analysis should be valuable for researchers interested in fluorescence fluctuation techniques and provides an opportunity to examine the influence of slow fluctuations on existing data analysis methods. The data is related to the research article titled “Protein oligomerization and mobility within the nuclear envelope evaluated by the time-shifted mean-segmented Q factor” [1].
Impact of Vehicle Technologies and Operational Improvements on Aviation System Fuel Burn

With the expected growth in demand for commercial aviation and the consequent rise in number of flight operations, there are major concerns regarding the negative environmental impact of such growt...
Caudocranial transseptal approach for placement of endocardial left ventricular leads.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is associated with improvement in the quality of life, hospitalization rates, and mortality in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and evidence of the right ventricle-left ventricle (RV-LV) desynchrony. Implant failure rates and patient outcomes have improved with the advent of quadripolar leads, yet alternatives to traditional coronary sinus (CS) LV lead placement is sought for in a subset of advanced heart failure patients with difficult CS anatomy, phrenic nerve stimulation or in nonresponders. Endocardial left ventricular pacing (EnLVP) in chronically anticoagulated patients has been reported as an alternative using different approaches, techniques, and tools with acceptable short and long term adverse events. We present a case of successful EnLVP achieved for CRT using standard techniques and commonly available tools in a patient on chronic direct oral anticoagulation with recurrent heart failure admissions who failed traditional epicardial LV pacing.
In vivo quantitative imaging biomarkers of bone quality and mineral density using multi-band-SWIFT magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract Bone is a composite biomaterial of mineral crystals, organic matrix, and water. Each contributes to bone quality and strength and may change independently, or together, with disease progression and treatment. Even so, there is a near ubiquitous reliance on ionizing x-ray-based approaches to measure bone mineral density (BMD) which is unable to fully characterize bone strength and may not adequately predict fracture risk. Characterization of treatment efficacy in bone diseases of altered remodeling is complicated by the lack of imaging modality able to safely monitor material-level and biochemical changes in vivo. To improve upon the current state of bone imaging, we tested the efficacy of Multi Band SWeep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (MB-SWIFT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a readout of bone derangement in an estrogen deficient ovariectomized (OVX) rat model during growth. MB-SWIFT MRI-derived BMD correlated significantly with BMD measured using micro-computed tomography (μCT). In this rodent model, growth appeared to overcome estrogen deficiency as bone mass continued to increase longitudinally over the duration of the study. Nonetheless, after 10 weeks of intervention, MB-SWIFT detected significant changes consistent with estrogen deficiency in cortical water, cortical matrix organization (T1), and marrow fat. Findings point to MB-SWIFT's ability to quantify BMD in good agreement with μCT while providing additive quantitative outcomes about bone quality in a manner consistent with estrogen deficiency. These results indicate MB-SWIFT as a non-ionizing imaging strategy with value for bone imaging and may be a promising technique to progress to the clinic for monitoring and clinical management of patients with bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
Sex and Violence in the Movies: Empathy as a Moderator of the Exposure-Behavior Relationship in Adolescents

Sexual and violent media content is prevalent, and adolescents exposed to this content may be more likely to enact risky sexual and aggressive behaviors. According to the Differential Susceptibility Model, dispositional traits, such as empathy, can predict risky media exposure and moderate the relationship between exposure and behavior. A total of 2,424 US adolescents (ages 14-17) participated in an online study that measured exposure to sex, violence, and their co-occurrence from the same character in a list of movies content analyzed for sex and violence. The survey outcomes of interest included adolescent sexual behavior, aggressive behavior, and both behaviors together, as well as empathy, which was included as a moderator. The exposure to movie character behavior was matched to adolescents' survey responses. Results showed that empathy was a predictor of media exposure to sex and violence in movies, and was a moderator of the exposure-behavior relationship. The exposure-behavior relationship was moderated by empathy, such that empathy had an ameliorating effect on the exposure-behavior relationship, but did not negate it completely. This study furthers our understanding of how exposure to sexual and violent content in media, combined with individual differences, may play a role in adolescent enactment of risky behaviors.
Development of a Simplified Insulin Pump Interface for Improved User Interaction

Type 1 Diabetics must constantly monitor blood glucose levels and carbohydrate intake to maintain health and avoid adverse health consequences.
Neural crest-like stem cell transcriptome analysis identifies LPAR1 in melanoma progression and therapy resistance.

Metastatic melanoma is challenging to clinically address. Although standard of care targeted therapy has high response rates in patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma, therapy relapse occurs in most cases. Intrinsically resistant melanoma cells drive therapy resistance and display molecular and biologic properties akin to neural crest-like stem cells (NCLSCs) including high invasiveness, plasticity and self-renewal capacity. The shared transcriptional programs and vulnerabilities between NCLSCs and cancer cells remains poorly understood. Here, we identify a developmental LPAR1-axis critical for NCLSC viability and melanoma cell survival. LPAR1 activity increased during progression and following acquisition of therapeutic resistance. Notably, genetic inhibition of LPAR1 potentiated BRAFi +/- MEKi efficacy and ablated melanoma migration and invasion. Our data defines LPAR1 as a new therapeutic target in melanoma and highlights the promise of dissecting stem cell-like pathways hijacked by tumor cells.
Treatment of Endometrial Cancer

Although most patients with endometrial cancer are cured with hysterectomy alone, a subset of patients with relatively high-risk disease may benefit from effective adjuvant treatments. Investigators are still attempting to define the indications for and risks and benefits of additional interventions, including lymphadenectomy, adjuvant radiation therapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy. In this chapter, the insights from and limitations of available trials will be summarized.
Construindo comunidades: as irmandades dos pretos e pardos

This essay will examine one of those associations, the lay brotherhood of blacks (or pardos), which was organized by those of African descent in colonial Brazil and the captaincy of Goias. Themes to be elaborated here include origins; membership, including ethnic and racial identity; the saints of their devotion; activities, such as fundraising and assistance to those in need; and relations to church and state, including elections of kings and queens. Historical studies now point to the rich associational life that those of African descent created in Brazil and the rest of the African Diaspora, and the captaincy of Goias shared in that tradition that enabled slaves to survive the trauma of enslavement and create their own communities and cultures.
Fine structure of the space of spherical minimal immersions

The space of congruence classes of full spherical minimal immersions f :sm + Sn of a given source dimension m and algebraic degree p is a compact convex body MP in a representation space FP, of the special orthogonal group SO(m + 1). In Ann. of Math. 93 (1971), 43-62 DoCarmo and Wallach gave a lower bound for .FP and conjectured that the estimate was sharp. Toth resolved this "exact dimension conjecture" positively so that all irreducible components of .FP became known. The purpose of the present paper is to characterize each irreducible component V of .FP in terms of the spherical minimal immersions represented by the slice V n MP . Using this geometric insight, the recent examples of DeTurck and Ziller are located within MP.
Evaluation of filter function for volume PET imaging using the 3DRP algorithm

We have investigated the influence of filter and its cutoff frequency on the image quality for volume PET imaging using the widely used 3D-reprojection (3DRP) algorithm. An important parameter in 3DRP and other filtered backprojection algorithms is the choice of the filter window function. For this work, three different low-pass filter window functions, Hann, Hamming and Butterworth, were investigated. For each filter a range of cutoff frequencies were considered. Projection data were acquired by scanning a uniform cylindrical phantom, a cylindrical phantom with four small lesions and the Hoffman brain phantom. All measurements were performed with the high-resolution PET camera developed at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDAPET). This prototype camera, which is a multiring scanner with no septa, has a transaxial resolution of 2.8 mm. The evaluation was performed by computing the noise level of reconstructed images of the uniform phantom, the contrast recovery of the hot lesions in warm background, and by visual inspection of image quality for the Hoffman brain phantom. For the high statistics data presented here, a cutoff frequency 0.6 to 0.8 of Nyquist resulted in a reasonable compromise between the contrast recovery and the noise level for the Hann filter. For the Butterworth filter, a cutoff at 0.4-0.6 of Nyquist frequency was a reasonable choice. Overall, the Butterworth filter performed better in contrast recovery and spatial resolution at the cost of somewhat noisier image.
Range and k NN query processing for moving objects in grid model

With the growing popularity of mobile computing devices and wireless communications, managing dynamically changing information about moving objects is becoming feasible. In this paper, we implement a system that manages such information and propose two query algorithms: a range query algorithm and a k nearest neighbor algorithm. The range query algorithm is combined with an efficient filtering technique which determines if a polyline corresponding to the trajectory of a moving object intersects with a given range. We study the performance of the system, which shows that despite the filtering step, for moderately large ranges, the range query algorithm we propose outperforms the algorithm without filtering.
Optimally observable and minimal cardinality monocular SLAM

This paper utilizes system observability to guide monocular SLAM. Instead of providing all measured features then performing data-driven outlier rejection (such as with RANSAC), we propose to identify only the minimal subset of features which form an optimally observable SLAM subsystem for localization. Modeling the SLAM system as a discrete time system with piece-wise linear SE〈3〉 motion, complete observability conditions are derived and a means to test the observability conditioning of candidate feature point groupings is proposed. Based on the conditioning, an efficient algorithm for picking the optimally observable feature subset is derived by incorporating the image geometric measures. The proposed monocular SLAM algorithm, called Optimally Observable and Minimal Cardinality (OOMC) SLAM is formulated as an EKF process. OOMC SLAM is first validated using a 6-DOF localization experiment; the results demonstrate accuracy comparable to the state-of-art SLAM algorithm with significantly improved computational efficiency. A longer sequence on a 620-meter trajectory is also tested. The algorithm achieves 0.9178% relative error against the GPS ground truth.
Isolating Viral and Host RNA Sequences from Archival Material and Production of cDNA Libraries for High‐Throughput DNA Sequencing

The vast majority of surgical biopsy and post-mortem tissue samples are formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE), but this process leads to RNA degradation that limits gene expression analysis. As an example, the viral RNA genome of the 1918 pandemic influenza A virus was previously determined in a 9-year effort by overlapping RT-PCR from post-mortem samples. Using the protocols described here, the full genome of the 1918 virus was determined at high coverage in one high-throughput sequencing run of a cDNA library derived from total RNA of a 1918 FFPE sample after duplex-specific nuclease treatments. This basic methodological approach should assist in the analysis of FFPE tissue samples isolated over the past century from a variety of infectious diseases. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: RNA; cDNA; high-throughput sequencing; library; influenza; polymerase chain reaction
Popper, Meehl, and Progress: The Evolving Concept of Risky Test in the Science of Psychopathology

Nor is there required such profound knowledge to discover the present imperfect condition of the sciences. … The most trivial question escapes not our controversy, and in the most momentous we are ...
Real Time Audit – It is the Time to Act?

The U.S. is facing one of its hardest economic crises. Its economy has not recovered from the 2008 downturn, and the light at the end of the tunnel is far, far away. The government and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) are seeking revenue sources in order to reduce its budget deficit. However, raising the income tax rates is politically difficult and may lead to further loss of jobs. In this political situation, it is important to try to find ways to raise more revenue without raising tax rates. One possibility of doing so is “real time audit”: Auditing transactions when they occur, rather than months or years later.
Synthesis of (2R,3R)-2,3-Dimethyl-1,4-Butanediol by Oxidative Homocoupling of (4S)-Isopropyl-3-Propionyl-2-Oxazolidinone

(4S)-Isopropyl-2-oxazolidinine Propionyl chloride N-Butyllithium (4S)-Isopropyl-3-propionyl-2-oxazolidinone (2R,3R)-1,4-Bis[(4S-4-isopropyl-2-oxo-(1,3-oxazolidine-3-yl)]-2,3-dimethylbutane-1,4-dione Disiopropylamine Titanium(IV) chloride (2R,3R)-2,3-Dimethylsuccinic acid Hydrogen peroxide (2R,3R)-2.3-Dimethylbutane-1,4-diol Lithium aluminum hydride Keywords: dimethyl-1,4-butanediol; dimethylsuccinic acid; oxidative homocoupling; alkylation; chiral auxiliary; waste disposal
Rheology of a xanthan broth at low stresses and strains

Abstract The structure of a concentrated (4·7 wt %) xanthan broth was probed by dynamic oscillatory, steady shear, and stress-relaxation tests on denatured, renatured, and native xanthan solutions. The range of the shear rates extended down to 10 −5 s −1 to test for the existence of a yield stress. Though the viscosities at these very low shear rates were extremely high for polymer solutions (10 5 Pa. s), no evidence of a true yield stress was found. Long range order was indicated by a difference in complex and steady shear viscosity, presumably arising from inter-chain hydrogen bonding and liquid crystal formation. Differences in recoverable strain between the various samples arise from dissimilar structures and long range interactions in the solutions.
Characterization of mannose 6-phosphate receptors (MPRs) from opossum liver: opossum cation-independent MPR binds insulin-like growth factor-II.

Bovine, human, and rat cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptors (CI-MPRs) are capable of binding both mannose 6-phosphate and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II). However, the receptor isolated from either chicken or frog lacks the high affinity IGF-II-binding site. To determine whether CI-MPRs isolated from a species that is closely related to placental mammals can bind IGF-II, the MPRs were purified from a marsupial, the American opossum (Didelphis virginiana), by phosphomannan-Sepharose affinity chromatography and then tested for their ability to bind IGF-II. Opossum liver expressed both the CI-MPR and the cation-dependent MPR (CD-MPR). Both receptors contained Asn-linked oligosaccharides. In contrast to CD-MPRs isolated from other species, the opossum CD-MPR displayed heterogeneity with respect to the number of Asn-linked oligosaccharide chains it contains. The CI-MPR isolated from opossum liver, like the CI-MPR from bovine liver, bound iodinated human recombinant IGF-II. However, Scatchard...
5. Seizure-like activity in cell culture

I will describe experiments with neurons in long-term culture that display seizure-like electrical activity. The neurons are dissociated from the hippocampal formation of newborn rats and then chronically exposed to agents that block synaptic transmission, especially glutamatergic transmission. Seizure-like behavior of the neurons develops as the cultures mature and is revealed when the blocking agents are withdrawn. This spontaneous electrical behavior of the culture has many of the characteristics of seizure activity in intact cortex. It can be very intense and can lead to the death of many neurons. This system allows the familiar experimental advantages of dissociated-cell culture to be applied to the study of seizure-like activities. The experiments to be described were all done with mass cultures containing hundreds or thousands of neurons. However, many of the seizure-like events observed in mass cultures can also be seen in microcultures containing only a few neurons.
Resilience in Inner City Youth: Childhood Predictors of Occupational Status Across the Lifespan

The present prospective study has followed a cohort of inner city men from adolescence (14±2) until age 65. While previous studies of shorter duration have identified numerous childhood factors that powerfully influence outcomes in young adulthood, this study examined the effect of these well-documented prognostic factors on occupational status across the lifespan. Consistent with previous studies, childhood environmental protector factors and parental social class predicted occupational status at age 25 significantly, but showed progressively weaker prediction at ages 32, 47 and 65. Timely early childhood development proved over time to be a far more important predictor than childhood social environment in adulthood.
Cognitive Outcome in Treated Patients with Chronic Neuronopathic Gaucher Disease

Objective To investigate the spectrum and prevalence of cognitive deficits among children with type 3 (chronic neuronopathic) Gaucher disease (GD). Study design A case review study identified 32 children (male/female; 17:15) with type 3 GD who had received enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) or a bone marrow transplant. The diagnosis of GD was established by enzymatic assay and DNA testing. Subjects were assessed with standard neuropsychological testing, and data from the most recent evaluation were included. Results Neuropsychometric assessments demonstrated a wide spectrum of full-scale IQ scores ranging from 39 to 124 (mean 75). About 60% of subjects had intellectual skills below average. There were significant discrepancies between verbal and performance IQ, with a range between −6 and 38 points ( P = .02). This gap was more prominent in older subjects, with better performance in the verbal areas. No correlation was observed between intelligence measures and genotype or the extent of systemic involvement. The dosage, age at initiation, and the length of ERT had no significant effect on IQ scores. Conclusions In type 3 GD, cognitive deficits, characterized by visual-spatial dysfunction, are common but underappreciated and appear resistant to ERT.
Synchronization of estrus in suckled postpartum beef cows with melengestrol acetate, 48-hour calf removal and PGF2α

One hundred and sixty-five suckled postpartum beef cows were utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of 2 estrus synchronization systems for the initiation and synchronization of estrus. The treatment groups consisted of 1) melengestrol acetate (MGA)-PGF2α (cows were given 0.5 mg MGA/head/day for 14 d with 25 mg PGF2α injected 17 d after the last day of MGA administration); 2) MGA-48-h calf removal (CR)-PGF2α (cows were given 0.5 mg MGA/head/day for 14 d with 48-h calf removal starting on the second day after completion of the MGA regimen plus 25 mg PGF2α administered 17 d after the last day of MGA); and 3) unsynchronized controls. Cows were assigned to treatments by the numbers of days post partum, body condition, age, and breed of sire. The cows were observed for estrus at 12-h intervals for 5 d after PGF2α administration and were artificially inseminated 12 to 18 h after the observed estrus. Both the MGA-PGF2α and MGA-CR-PGF2α treatments (64.8 and 61.8%) had greater (P < 0.05) 5-d estrus rates than the control treatments (34.5%). The synchronized pregnancy rate was greater (P < 0.05) for the MGA-CR-PGF2α than the control treatment.(52.7 vs 30.9%, respectively). The MGA-CR-PGF2α cows had a higher 25-d pregnancy rate than either the MGA-PGF2α (P < 0.05) or control cows (P < 0.08). Of the anestrous cows at the beginning of treatment, more MGA-CR-PGF2α (P = 0.1) and MGA-PGF2α cows were cyclic posttreatment than control cows (58.7 and 55.1 vs 44.7%, respectively), suggesting that treatment initiated estrous cycles in only a small number of the anestrous cows. Both MGA-PGF2α and MGA-CR-PGF2α treatments appear to be effective methods of synchronizing estrus in suckled postpartum beef cows. However, MGA-CR-PGF2α was more effective in establishing pregnancy earlier in the breeding season than MGA-PGF2α.