cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 120: Prevalence and Impact of Patent Foramen Ovale in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Introduction: It is well known that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) prevalence increases as body mass index (BMI) increases. Lesser known is patent foramen ovale (PFO) is found in 12 to 35 percent of adults. Patients with OSA experience nocturnal apnea which result in hypoxemia, elevation of right atrial pressure, and an increase in right to left shunting and a theoretical increased risk of stroke. A few studies have suggested an association between the severity of OSA and a PFO. As such, OSA diagnosis and therapy may be tailored to address right-to-left shunting in these patients. If the prevalence of PFO in OSA patients is increased, it may be appropriate to include transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) testing as a component of routine evaluation of patients with OSA. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that patients with hypoxemia related to OSA are more likely to have a PFO with right-to-left shunting than those with less dramatic hypoxemia. We hope to determine the prevalence and clinical relevance of intra-cardiac shunting in patients with OSA by prospectively analyzing and correlating polysomnography and TTE findings. Methods: 80 patients with OSA were referred for TTE by the UNM Sleep Center. All patients underwent saline contrast TTE in the UNM echo lab. The prevalence of PFO in the general UNM echo population was calculated over the last year for comparison. Results: Of 80 patients with varying degrees of OSA, 12.5% had right to left shunting. PFO was not statistically associated with DI (Desaturation Index), nor any AHI (Apnea Hypopnea Index). The only statistically significant association was between OSA and BMI (p=0.013). BMI associated with DI and AHI was statistically significant (p=0.003 and p=0.005, respectively). Over the last year, 216 PFO’s were found from 1858 echo studies with contrast injection performed at UNM with a prevalence rate of 11.6%. Conclusions: In contrast to previous studies, there was no association between OSA of any severity and PFO in our study population. There was a statistically significant association between BMI and OSA, which is well established. Our study prevalence was found to be similar to the UNM general echo population as well, indicating that OSA patients within our study group were not as likely to have an associated PFO.
Valganciclovir (VGCV) followed by cytomegalovirus (CMV) hyperimmune globulin compared to VGCV for 200 days in abdominal organ transplant recipients at high risk for CMV infection: A prospective, randomized pilot study.

Background With the advent of effective antivirals against cytomegalovirus (CMV), use of CMV hyperimmune globulin has decreased. Although antiviral prophylaxis in patients at high risk for CMV is effective, many patients still have late infection, never developing antibodies sufficient to achieve immunity. Utilizing a combination of antiviral and CMV immunoglobulin G may allow patients to achieve immunity and decrease late CMV infections. Methods This was a prospective randomized, open-label, pilot study comparing valganciclovir (VGCV) prophylaxis for 200 days vs VGCV for 100 days followed by CMV HIG in abdominal transplant recipients at high risk for CMV. The primary outcome was a comparison of late CMV disease. Results Forty patients were randomized to VGCV for 200 days (n = 20) or VGCV for 100 days followed by 3 doses of monthly CMV HIG (n = 20). Numerically, more overall CMV infections occurred in the CMV HIG group (45 vs 20%, P = 0.09). No differences in overall CMV infections or late CMV disease were seen between groups (20% vs 15%, P = 1.00 and 0 vs 0, P = 1.00). All CMV disease occurred within 200 days, with 63% occurring while patients were on VGCV. No differences were found in toxicities, graft function, or rejection between groups. Patients with CMV infection at any time had a higher body weight than those who did not have an infection (82 vs 95 kg, P = .049). Conclusion Use of CMV HIG sequentially with prophylaxis may be an effective and affordable prophylactic regimen in abdominal transplant recipients at high risk for CMV, and warrants larger prospective study. Increased monitoring for patients with obesity may be warranted. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Telecommunications systems for the NASA Europa missions

The telecommunications systems for two NASA deep-space missions to Jupiter's moon Europa are presented. One mission, Europa Clipper, is a Jovian orbiter with multiple Europa flybys; the other mission, Europa Lander, includes a Carrier and Relay Spacecraft (CRS), Deorbit Stage, Descent Stage (DS), and a Lander. Both missions are designed to communicate to Earth via the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) and other ground stations. For Lander communications, both the CRS and Europa Clipper spacecraft are equipped with store-and-forward relay communication capability. The heart of each spacecraft's telecommunications system is the high-TRL Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory Frontier Radio, based on the Solar Probe Plus design. Other key telecommunnications hardware developments across the two missions include a 3-m dualband (X/Ka) high gain antenna (HGA), a GaN-based solid state power amplifier (SSPA) and slot-array HGA to enable the Lander communication system. All components must operate in a high-radiation environment and meet planetary protection requirements.
Assessing the Criminal Lifestyle

This chapter offers an inside look into the psychological assessment process. Markers of biologically based constructs, such as temperament, are examined first. This is followed by a review of static risk factors, obtained through behavioral observation, official records, and self-reports of prior behavioral outcomes. The third section of this chapter is devoted to a discussion of needs assessment and the measurement of dynamic risk factors that have been found useful in planning and implementing treatment and prevention programs.
Treatment of Anemia Associated with chronic Kidney Disease with Methoxy polyethylene Glycol- epoetin Beta

Anemia resulting from a relative deficiency of erythropoietin commonly complicates chronic kidney disease (CKD). With the introduction of recombinant erythropoietin two decades ago, there has been a dramatic reduction in the need for blood transfusions in CKD patients. Epoetin alpha is a first generation erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) that needs to be administered frequently because of its short half-life. Methoxy ethylene glycol-epoetin beta is a longer acting ESA that acts as a continuous erythropoietin receptor activator and is given once every 2 to 4 weeks. In short term clinical studies, Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta has been observed to be comparable with other ESAs with regard to safety and efficacy in maintaining hemoglobin levels in the target range. However, hemoglobin is no longer a clinically valid surrogate for safety i.e. correction of anemia does not translate into better clinical outcome. Long term studies evaluating hard end-points such as death and cardiovascular events are lacking. Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta has been approved for use in the European Union since 2007 while its use in the United States is prohibited on legal grounds.
Percutaneous muscle biopsy-induced tissue injury causes local endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is likely involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction in people with obesity and diabetes. Although tissue biopsy is often used to evaluate the presence and severity of ER stress, it is not known whether acute tissue injury-induced by percutaneous muscle biopsy causes ER stress and its potential downstream effects on markers of inflammation and metabolic function. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that percutaneous biopsy-induced tissue injury causes ER stress and alters inflammatory and metabolic pathways in skeletal muscle. Vastus lateralis muscle tissue was obtained by percutaneous biopsy at 0600 h and 12 h later from either the contralateral leg (Group 1, n = 6) or at the same site as the initial biopsy (Group 2, n = 6) in women who were overweight. Muscle gene expression of selected markers of ER stress, inflammation, and regulators of glucose and lipid metabolism were determined. Compared with Group 1, muscle gene expression in the second biopsy sample obtained in Group 2 demonstrated marked increases in markers of ER stress (GRP78, XBP1, ATF6) and inflammation (IL6, TNF), and alterations in metabolic regulators (decreased expression of GLUT4 and PPARGC1A and increased expression of FASN). Our results suggest that acute tissue injury induced by percutaneous muscle biopsy causes an integrated local response that involves an induction of ER stress and alterations in markers of inflammation and regulators of glucose and lipid metabolism.
A Magnetically Responsive Biomaterial System for Flexibly Regulating the Duration between Pro‐ and Anti‐Inflammatory Cytokine Deliveries

While inflammation can be problematic, it is nonetheless necessary for proper tissue regeneration. However, it remains unclear how the magnitude and duration of the inflammatory response impacts regenerative outcome. This is partially due to the difficulty in temporally regulating macrophage phenotype at wound sites. Here, a magnetically responsive biomaterial system potentially capable of temporally regulating macrophage phenotypes through sequential, on-demand cytokine deliveries is presented. This material system is designed to (i) rapidly recruit proinflammatory macrophages (M1) through initial cytokine deliveries and (ii) subsequently transition macrophages toward anti-inflammatory phenotypes (M2s) through delayed, magnetically triggered cytokine release. Here, the ability of this system to initially deliver proinflammatory cytokines (i.e., monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interferon gamma), recruit, and harbor an expanding macrophage population, and delay deliveries of anti-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., IL-4 and IL-10) until the application of magnetic fields from simple hand-held magnets is demonstrated. Critically, the timing and rate of these delayed deliveries can be remotely/magnetically controlled. This biomaterial system can provide a powerful tool in (i) understanding the relationship between inflammation and regenerative outcome, (ii) developing optimized cytokine delivery strategies, and (iii) clinically implementing those optimized delivery strategies with the on-demand versatility needed to alter the course of therapies in real time.
Fructose-6-phosphate and AMP; Effectors of proline biosynthesis in Escherichiacoli

Abstract Fructose-6-phosphate and AMP have been found to inhibit the first step in proline bioshythesis in Escherichia coli . Inhibition is not affected by the sensitivity of the enzyme to end-product inhibition by proline. Both fructose-6-phosphate and AMP display uncompetitive inhibition with respect to glutamic acid, and apparent competitive inhibition with ATP in the proline-sensitive glutamokinase reaction. Sigmoidal kinetics are observed with both inhibitors, and separate binding sites for substrates, proline, and the regulatory compounds are proposed.
Detection of Swallow Kinematic Events From Acoustic High-Resolution Cervical Auscultation Signals in Patients With Stroke.

Abstract Objective To examine whether there were any associations between high-resolution cervical auscultation (HRCA) acoustic signals recorded by a contact microphone and swallowing kinematic events during pharyngeal swallow as assessed by a videofluoroscopic (VF) examination. Design Prospective pilot study. Setting University teaching hospital, university research laboratories. Participants Patients (N=35) with stroke who have suspected dysphagia (26 men + 9 women; age = 65.8±11.2). Methods VF recordings of 100 liquid swallows from 35 stroke patients were analyzed, and a variety of HRCA signal features to characterize each swallow were calculated. Main Outcome Measures Percent of signal feature maxima (peak) occurring within 0.1 seconds of swallow kinematic event identified from VF recording. Results Maxima of HRCA signal features, such as standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, centroid frequency, bandwidth, and wave entropy, were associated with hyoid elevation, laryngeal vestibule closure, and upper esophageal sphincter opening, and the contact of the base of the tongue and posterior pharyngeal wall. Conclusions Although the kinematic source of HRCA acoustic signals has yet to be fully elucidated, these results indicate a strong relationship between these HRCA signals and several swallow kinematic events. There is a potential for HRCA to be developed for diagnostic and rehabilitative clinical management of dysphagia.
Immunizing the Immune: Can We Overcome Influenza’s Most Formidable Challenge?

The first human influenza virus was isolated more than 85 years ago, and several vaccine candidates were developed and tested soon after. Yet, controlling infections mediated by this respiratory pathogen continues to present a formidable challenge. Development of an effective influenza vaccine has been undermined by the dynamic nature of influenza viruses: these viruses have the unique capacity to escape pre-existing immunity. In this perspective, I highlight pre-existing immunity as a different, but related, hurdle that may actually lessen the effectiveness of influenza vaccine-induced immune responses. Specifically, I discuss the impact of pre-existing immunity on the generation of de novo B cell responses to influenza vaccination. As the influenza virus changes its major antigenic determinants, it creates new ones in the process. Our immune system adapts by targeting the new determinants. However, pre-existing antibodies and memory B cells interfere with the generation of de novo responses against these newly formed epitopes, rendering vaccines less effective. Overcoming such interference is essential for the development of more effective influenza vaccines.
Sweeney Agonistes in noh mask: T. S. Eliot, Japanese noh, and the fragments of world drama

The expansive reach of the ancient Japanese noh theater as it influenced modernist performance and poetics took in T. S. Eliot as well as Ezra Pound and W. B. Yeats, the more commonly recognized noh aficionados. Pound and Eliot attended the premiere of Yeats’s noh-inspired retelling of Irish legend, At the Hawk’s Well, in 1916. This essay considers the influence of that production on Eliot’s later work, discussing his review of Pound’s translations of noh plays based on drafts by Ernest Fenollosa and focusing on two productions of Eliot’s dramatic fragment Sweeney Agonistes. Incorporating influences from noh, classical tragedy, and American minstrel performance, among others, Sweeney Agonistes is an example of world drama. But, Eliot’s play is best served by a definition of world drama that does not oppose national theatrical traditions, one that recognizes the emergence of world drama from a critical practice that focuses on global allusion and inspirations and the transnational exchange of performance ideas and techniques.
Evidence-based prevention programs targeting youth mental and behavioral health in primary care: A systematic review.

Abstract The objectives of this systematic review were to: 1) identify evidence-based youth (i.e., infancy, pre-school age, school age, and adolescence) mental and behavioral health disorder preventive interventions conducted in or offered by primary care settings, and 2) describe these interventions' characteristics, efficacy, and clinical involvement. Randomized controlled trials that targeted the prevention of mental or behavioral health outcomes for youth and had a connection to primary care were included. The PRISMA guidelines were utilized for two phases: 1) searching PubMed, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases in January 2017; and 2) searching United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Systematic Reviews in November 2017. The two phases revealed 504 and 58 potential articles, respectively. After removal of duplicates, screening of abstracts, and full-text reviews, 19 interventions (infancy: n = 2, pre-school age: n = 3, school age: n = 6, adolescence: n = 8) were included: 1) 10 interventions described in 17 articles from the databases, and 2) 9 interventions described in 11 articles from the USPSTF reviews. The included interventions capitalized on primary care settings as a natural entry point to engage youth and families into interventions without requiring a large amount of clinic involvement. Commonalities of efficacious interventions and recommendations for future research are discussed. The authors encourage primary care providers, mental and behavioral health providers, and/or public health researchers to continue developing and testing preventive interventions, or adapting existing interventions, to be implemented in primary care.
Introduction: DFM Concepts

Concurrent engineering (CE) is defined as the earliest possible integration of the overall company’s knowledge, resources, and experience in design, development, marketing, manufacturing, and sales into creating successful new products, with high quality and low cost, while meeting customer expectations. The most important result of applying CE is the shortening of the product concept, design, and development process from a serial to a parallel one.
Spin 52 on the lattice

Abstract We study spin 5 2 fields on the lattice. Species doubling is found to be partially curable with an analogue of the Kogut-Susskind formalism, reducing the degeneracy from 16 to 4 while preserving local gauge invariance.
Comparative Analysis of the Transcriptome and Proteome during Mouse Placental Development

The condition of the placenta is a determinant of the short- and long-term health of the mother and the fetus. However, critical processes occurring in early placental development, such as trophoblast invasion and establishment of placental metabolism, remain poorly understood. To gain a better understanding of the genes involved in regulating these processes, we utilized a multiomics approach, incorporating transcriptome, proteome, and phosphoproteome data generated from mouse placental tissue collected at two critical developmental time points. We found that incorporating information from both the transcriptome and proteome identifies genes associated with time point-specific biological processes, unlike using the proteome alone. We further inferred genes upregulated on the basis of the proteome data but not the transcriptome data at each time point, leading us to identify 27 genes that we predict to have a role in trophoblast migration or placental metabolism. Finally, using the phosphoproteome data set, we discovered novel phosphosites that may play crucial roles in the regulation of placental transcription factors. By generating the largest proteome and phosphoproteome data sets in the developing placenta, and integrating transcriptome analysis, we uncovered novel aspects of placental gene regulation.
Programmable bacteria as cancer therapy

Quorum-sensing bacteria can deliver a nanobody targeting the ‘don’t eat me’ ligand CD47 to tumors that results in systemic anti-tumor immunity-induced regression in mice.
Daily Step Counts: A New Prognostic Factor in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer?

Purpose Here we explore the prognostic value of baseline step count data captured using wearable devices for patients treated with definitive chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials Patients with locally advanced NSCLC wore a commercial fitness tracker during a course of definitive, concurrent chemoradiation therapy as part of a clinical trial. Baseline step count average was defined as the average daily step total from study enrollment until completion of the first week of radiation therapy. Based on data from healthy individuals, study subjects were categorized as inactive (below the 25th percentile), moderately active (25th to 75th percentile), or highly active (above the 75th percentile). Fisher's exact test was used to examine activity level as a predictor of hospitalization during radiation therapy and of completing the planned radiation therapy course without delay exceeding 1 week. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) durations were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Inactivity was tested as a predictor of PFS and OS using Cox proportional hazards models. Results Fifty subjects met eligibility criteria. Nine (18%) were categorized as highly active, 23 (46%) were moderately active, and 18 (36%) were inactive. Inactive subjects were more likely to be hospitalized during the radiation therapy course than other subjects (50% vs 9%, P = .004) and less likely to complete radiation therapy without delay exceeding 1 week (67% vs 97%, P = .006). Median PFS duration was 5.3 months for inactive subjects and 18.3 months for others (hazard ratio for inactivity = 5.10, P Conclusions Baseline activity level measured using wearable devices may help identify patients with NSCLC who are fit for concurrent chemoradiation therapy and can predict clinical outcomes in this setting.
Are Synthetic Genomes Parts of a Genetic Lineage

AbstractBiologists are nearing the creation of the first fully synthetic eukaryotic genome. Does this mean that we still soon be able to create genomes that are parts of an existing genetic lineage...
High-Performance Graphite Recovered from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

With the wide usage of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) in portable electronics, electric vehicles, and grid storage, recycling and reusing LIBs have attracted wide attention. However, due to the low added ...
Nodal positivity decreases with age in women with early-stage, hormone receptor–positive breast cancer

Background Despite data demonstrating the safety of omitting axillary surgery in older women with early-stage breast cancer, the incidence of axillary surgery remains high. It was hypothesized that the prevalence of nodal positivity would decrease with advancing age. Methods The National Cancer Data Base was used to construct a cohort of adult women with early-stage, clinically node-negative, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer treated between 2013 and 2015. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between age and nodal positivity, and this was stratified by the axillary surgery category. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate the proportion of women receiving adjuvant therapy according to age and nodal status. Results The incidence of axillary surgery among women aged 70 and older (n = 51,917) remained high nationwide (86%). There was a significant decrease in nodal positivity with advancing age in women with early-stage, ER+, clinically node-negative breast cancer from the youngest cohort up to patients aged 70 to 89 years, and this was independent of histologic subtype (ductal vs lobular), race, comorbidities, and socioeconomic factors. Overall, less than 10% of women aged 70 or older who underwent surgery had node-positive disease, regardless of axillary surgery type, and almost 95% of node-positive patients aged 70 or older were at pathological stage N1mi or N1. Conclusions Axillary surgery may be safely omitted for many older women with ER+, clinically node-negative, early-stage breast cancer. Nodal positivity declines with advancing age, and this suggests varied biology in older patients versus younger patients.
Toward quantifying capacity losses due to solid electrolyte interphase evolution in silicon thin film batteries.

To understand the origins of failure and limited cycle life in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), it is imperative to quantitatively link capacity-fading mechanisms to electrochemical and chemical processes. This is extremely challenging in real systems where capacity is lost during each cycle to both active material loss and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) evolution, two indistinguishable contributions in traditional electrochemical measurements. Here, we have used a model system in combination with (1) precision measurements of the overall Coulombic efficiency via electrochemical experiments and (2) x-ray reflectivity measurements of the active material losses. The model system consisted of a 515 A thick amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film on silicon carbide in half-cell geometry using a carbonate electrolyte with LiPF6 salt. This approach allowed us to quantify the capacity lost during each cycle due to SEI evolution. Combined with electrochemical analysis, we identify SEI growth as the major contribution to capacity fading. Specifically, the continued SEI growth results in increasing overpotentials due to increased SEI resistance, and this leads to lower extent of lithiation when the cutoff voltage is reached during lithiation. Our results suggest that SEI grows more with increased time spent at low voltages where electrolyte decomposition is favored. Finally, we extracted a proportionality constant for SEI growth following a parabolic growth law. Our methodology allows for the quantitative determination of lithium-ion loss mechanisms in LIBs by separately tracking lithium ions within the active materials and the SEI and offers a powerful method of quantitatively understanding LIB loss mechanisms.
Evaluation on the effect of Immunization with hepatitis B vaccine in healthy people

Objective To evaluate the effect of hepatitis B vaccination in healthy people and provide the basis for developing immunization strategy.Methods Two-stage sampling method was designed.A questionnaire survey was conducted among 2038 permanent residents aged 1-59 years old from 8 villages.Intravenous blood samples were taken and detected for hepatitis B virus serum markers by ELISA.Results The surveyed inoculation rate of hepatitis B vaccine was 50.54%,with the rate being higher in urban area than in rural area and being higher in men than in women.The vaccination rate decreased gradually from the youngest group(98.14%)to the oldest group(0.95%).The scattered and nursery children had the highest rate (96.58%and 98.77%),followed by students(87.17%),farmers had the lowest rate(4.26%).HBsAg positive rates increased gradually from the youngest group to the oldest one(0%-10.48%).Anti-HBs positive rates were between 14.58%-50.18%,with 15-year old group having the lowest rate(14.58%).The reported incidence rate of hepatitis B was the highest in 1999(67.0660/100 000)from 1990 to 2007,and showed a descending tendency since then.The average reported incidence rate wag lower than 4.673 1/100 000 among age groups 14 years and under and was higher than 32.0789/100 000 among age groups 15 years and above between 2005 and 2007.HBsAg and anti-HBs positive rates after vaccination with plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine(0.98%and 39.54%)had no statistical difference from those vaccinated with genetically engineered vaccine(0.49%and 43.28%)(x2=0.107,P=0.744;x2=1.004,P=0.316).ConclusionsWe should continue hepatitis B vaccination for neonates,expand adult hepatitis B vaccination and allocate more resources of hepatitis B prevention to the rural. Key words: Hepatitis B vaccines; Hepatitis B surface antigens; Hepatitis B antibodies:Vaccination
Nitrolysis of syn,syn-2,4,6-tris-(n-propyl)-hexahydro-1,3,5-tripropionyl-s-triazine

Abstract Nitrolysis of syn,syn-2,4,6-tris-(n-propyl)-hexahydro-1,3,5-tripropionyl-s-triazine (3) with 1,1,1-trifluoroacetyl nitrate (TFAN) generated in situ from 1,1,1-trifluoroacetic anhydride and nitric acid in nitromethane gave mononitramine, dinitramine and trinitramine products depending on reaction duration and concentration of TFAN. Each of the three new nitramine products was purified and characterized by multi-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. An X-ray structure for syn,syn-2,4,6-tris-(n-propyl)-hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine (syn,syn–10) is reported. The isomer syn,anti–3 did not yield analogous nitramine products by these nitrolysis conditions.
Dynamic Sunk Costs: Importance matters when opportunity costs are explicit.

The sunk cost fallacy is a well-established phenomenon where decision makers continue to commit resources, or escalate commitment, because of previously committed efforts, even when they have knowledge that their returns will not outweigh their investment. Most research on the sunk cost fallacy is done using hypothetical scenarios where participants make a single decision to continue with a project or to abandon it. This paradigm has several limitations and has resulted in a relatively limited understanding sunk cost behavior. To address some of these limitations, we created a dynamic repeated choice paradigm where sunk costs are learned over time and opportunity costs are explicit. Over three experiments we show that the sunk cost fallacy depends on the relative a priori importance of the goal being invested in. We observed escalation of commitment only when the sunk cost domain is more important than alternatives (explicit opportunity costs), and participants showed de-escalation of commitment to the sunk costs domain otherwise.
Regulation of Opioid Receptors by Their Endogenous Opioid Peptides

Activation of μ, δ, and κ opioid receptors by endogenous opioid peptides leads to the regulation of many emotional and physiological responses. The three major endogenous opioid peptides, β-endorphin, enkephalins, and dynorphins result from the processing of three main precursors: proopiomelanocortin, proenkephalin, and prodynorphin. Using a knockout approach, we sought to determine whether the absence of endogenous opioid peptides would affect the expression or activity of opioid receptors in mice lacking either proenkephalin, β-endorphin, or both. Since gene knockout can lead to changes in the levels of peptides generated from related precursors by compensatory mechanisms, we directly measured the levels of Leu-enkephalin and dynorphin-derived peptides in the brain of animals lacking proenkephalin, β-endorphin, or both. We find that whereas the levels of dynorphin-derived peptides were relatively unaltered, the levels of Leu-enkephalin were substantially decreased compared to wild-type mice suggesting that preproenkephalin is the major source of Leu-enkephalin. This data also suggests that the lack of β-endorphin and/or proenkephalin does not lead to a compensatory change in prodynorphin processing. Next, we examined the effect of loss of the endogenous peptides on the regulation of opioid receptor levels and activity in specific regions of the brain. We also compared the receptor levels and activity in males and females and show that the lack of β-endorphin and/or proenkephalin leads to differential modulation of the three opioid receptors in a region- and gender-specific manner. These results suggest that endogenous opioid peptides are important modulators of the expression and activity of opioid receptors in the brain.
Semiparametric regression analysis of case‐cohort studies with multiple interval‐censored disease outcomes

Interval-censored failure time data commonly arise in epidemiological and biomedical studies where the occurrence of an event or a disease is determined via periodic examinations. Subject to interval-censoring, available information on the failure time can be quite limited. Cost-effective sampling designs are desirable to enhance the study power, especially when the disease rate is low and the covariates are expensive to obtain. In this work, we formulate the case-cohort design with multiple interval-censored disease outcomes and also generalize it to nonrare diseases where only a portion of diseased subjects are sampled. We develop a marginal sieve weighted likelihood approach, which assumes that the failure times marginally follow the proportional hazards model. We consider two types of weights to account for the sampling bias, and adopt a sieve method with Bernstein polynomials to handle the unknown baseline functions. We employ a weighted bootstrap procedure to obtain a variance estimate that is robust to the dependence structure between failure times. The proposed method is examined via simulation studies and illustrated with a dataset on incident diabetes and hypertension from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.
Breastfeeding Perspectives: Reactions to Breastfeeding Imagery and Social Norms

Objectives Normative behaviors surrounding breastfeeding in public and the community can influence breastfeeding behaviors and inhibit sustained breastfeeding. The goal of this research is to better understand how a diverse group of women perceive images of racially/ethnically similar and different women breastfeeding. The aim is to uncover biases that may impede breastfeeding goals and promotion.
Exploring local food consumption in restaurants through the lens of locavorism

Although a consumer movement to local food consumption has been of considerable interest to the foodservice industry, little is known about the factors that affect consumers’ preferences for local ...
Are self-constructed and student-generated arguments acceptable proofs? Pre-service secondary mathematics teachers’ evaluations

Abstract This study examined 14 pre-service secondary mathematics teachers’ productions and their evaluations of self-constructed and student-generated arguments in the domains of algebra, geometry, and number theory. Pre-service secondary mathematics teachers’ (PSMTs) evaluations of their own arguments indicate if they considered self-productions as proofs from a learner perspective. Similarly, PSMTs’ evaluations of student-generated arguments indicate if they decided given students’ productions could be counted as proofs from a teacher perspective. Our results show that the majority of PSMTs suspected that their invalid productions did not qualify as proofs. Furthermore, the PSMTs who were confident with their work and claimed that they had constructed a proof were more likely to make a correct judgment on four of the six student-generated arguments. We discuss implications of these findings for supporting PSMTs’ learning of proof and future research on the construction-evaluation activity.
Nosology, Etiology, and Course of Gender Identity Disorder in Children

SUMMARY This paper examines the diagnostic category of Gender Identity Disorder as applied to children (GIDC) in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). It will summarize the major etiological theories about GIDC and describe the extent to which they are supported by research. The paper will also describe what is known about the course of GIDC and its relationship to homosexuality.
The Binding of Detergents to Proteins: I. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF DODECYL SULFATE BOUND TO PROTEINS AND THE RESISTANCE TO BINDING OF SEVERAL PROTEINS

Abstract The maximum amount of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) bound to a number of proteins in the presence of high SDS concentrations (1 to 2 g/100 ml) was determined and found to vary between 1.1 and 2.2 g of SDS per g of protein. The charge of the protein caused a variation in amount bound by 20 to 50%, while raising the ionic strength from 0.1 to 0.4 increased the binding by 35 to 100%. Glucose oxidase did not bind or lose activity in 1 g of SDS per 100 ml. Papain and pepsin were much more resistant to binding and activity loss than other proteins. All other single chained proteins bound SDS within 3 hours. Most proteins composed of subunits bound SDS much more slowly, invariably dissociating to the subunit.
Anaplastic large-cell T-cell lymphoma

A 64-year-old woman presented with 2 years of pruritic and ulcerated nodules and tumors on the trunk and arms. Histopathologic examination showed a diffuse infiltrate that consisted of predominantly small lymphocytes and scattered large atypical multinucleated cells positive for CD30. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of anaplastic large-cell T-cell lymphoma, which is a CD30+ cutaneous lymphoma. This case highlights the importance of considering both histopathologic and clinical criteria in diagnosing a patient with a CD30+ cutaneous lymphoma.
Widespread positive but weak assortative mating by diet within stickleback populations

Assortative mating – correlation between male and female traits – is common within populations and has the potential to promote genetic diversity and in some cases speciation. Despite its importance, few studies have sought to explain variation in the extent of assortativeness across populations. Here, we measure assortative mating based on an ecologically important trait, diet as inferred from stable isotopes, in 16 unmanipulated lake populations of three-spine stickleback. As predicted, we find a tendency toward positive assortment on the littoral–pelagic axis, although the magnitude is consistently weak. These populations vary relatively little in the strength of assortativeness, and what variation occurs is not explained by hypothesized drivers including habitat cosegregation, the potential for disruptive selection, costs to choosiness, and the strength of the relationship between diet and body size. Our results support recent findings that most assortative mating is positive, while suggesting that new approaches may be required to identify the environmental variables that drive the evolution of nonrandom mating within populations.
Performance modeling and cell design for high concentration methanol fuel cells

For direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) to compete with and replace lithium-ion batteries as power sources for mobile devices, they must be designed to increase their energy density. One major hurdle in accomplishing this task is being able to use high concentration methanol fuel, thereby reducing the size of the fuel tank and the amount of water carried as part of the system (water is a reactant in methanol oxidation). Much effort has been made to reduce the methanol crossover from anode to cathode, but there has been relatively less awareness of water transport and its importance in enabling the use of high concentration methanol fuel. In this article, we review the scientific principles and state-of-the-art technology for high concentration methanol fuel cells (HC-MFCs). We demonstrate a direct link between water crossover through the membrane and the allowable methanol concentration in the fuel through intuitive examples and pertinent case studies, and further review current means by which water loss to the cathode side of a DMFC is reduced. Future HC-MFC designs are expected to include the continued progress in membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) that use unique porous layer properties to simultaneously reduce methanol crossover and enhance water backflow from cathode to anode, as well as development of membrane materials with increased resistance to methanol transport and simultaneous increased diffusivity of water. Keywords: DMFC; HC-MFC; water management; methanol crossover; high concentration methanol
The cnidarian origin of the proto-oncogenes NF-κB/STAT and WNT-like oncogenic pathway drives the ctenophores (Review)

The cell survival pathways of the diploblastic early multicellular eukaryotic hosts contain and operate the molecular machinery resembling those of malignantly transformed individual cells of highly advanced multicellular hosts (including Homo). In the present review, the STAT/NF-κB pathway of the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis is compared with that of human tumors (malignant lymphomas, including Reed-Sternberg cells) pointing out similarities, including possible viral initiation in both cases. In the ctenophore genome and proteome, β-catenin gains intranuclear advantages due to a physiologically weak destructive complex in the cytoplasm, and lack of natural inhibitors (the dickkopfs). Thus, a scenario similar to what tumor cells initiate and achieve is presented through several constitutive loss-of-function type mutations in the destructive complex and in the elimination of inhibitors. Vice versa, malignantly transformed individual cells of advanced multicellular hosts assume pheno-genotypic resemblance to cells of unicellular or early multicellular hosts, and presumably to their ancient predecessors, by returning to the semblance of immortality and to the resumption of the state of high degree of resistance to physicochemical insults. Human leukemogenic and oncogenic pathways are presented for comparisons. The supreme bioengineers RNA/DNA complex encoded both the malignantly transformed immortal cell and the human cerebral cortex. The former generates molecules for the immortality of cellular life in the Universe. The latter invents the inhibitors of the process in order to gain control over it.
Use of computer in relation to critical guidance factors

The single most critical of all guidance factors must of necessity deal directly with manpower national resources, and this always means getting the right man in the right job. Indeed, the productivity of a nation's manpower derives alone from such a consideration. Much more important than productivity is the morale of people, but which derives directly from their own personal efficiency in productivity, and which under the principles of humanistic psychology leads to their own self-actualization. Then too, the most cherished possession of men everywhere remains human freedom, and the only real freedom that man ever knows is the degree to which he becomes self actualized, or the degree to which he makes use of his own full potential for productivity.
Factors influencing HIV vaccine community engagement in the urban South.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine personal characteristics, socio-environmental conditions, and motivational factors that potentially influence HIV vaccine research community engagement. Specifically, the study identified predictive aspects that may aid in future community program development on HIV vaccine issues. A cross-sectional survey consisting of evaluative measures, demographics, social interaction, and health information-seeking behaviors was conducted. Participants were a diverse group of 452 adults (≥18 years) at HIV vaccine awareness-building and community education gatherings in Atlanta. The sample included large numbers of women (n = 251) and minorities (n = 224). In multivariate analysis, the overall logistic regression model was significant, with a resulting coefficient of determination (Nagelkerke R2) of .505. Highly significant factors included an excellent activity/event rating (log odds β = 4.521, P < .001), White race (β = −.835, P = .005), greater educational attainment (β = .725, P = .011), travel distance (β = 1.186, P = .002), and excellent perception of the study site (β = 2.131, P < .001). Subgroup analyses by gender and race revealed similar findings. These data demonstrate the importance of building a favorable study site image and gaining familiarity in the community to aid in the promotion of HIV vaccine research on an ongoing basis.
An improved local feature descriptor via soft binning

We describe a robust feature descriptor called soft ordinal spatial intensity distribution (soft OSID) that is invariant to any monotonically increasing brightness changes. In traditional histogram-based feature descriptors, each pixel is explicitly assigned to a single histogram bin, making them not robust to image deformations and appearance changes. In this paper, we present a feature descriptor that is obtained by assigning each pixel to more than one bin where the fraction is determined by a weight function to put more weight on close bins. This makes the descriptor more robust to image changes like viewpoint changes, image blur, and JPEG compression. Extensive experiments show that the proposed descriptor significantly outperforms many state-of-the-art descriptors such as OSID, SIFT, GLOH, and PCA-SIFT under complex brightness changes. The proposed descriptor has far reaching implications for many applications in computer vision.
MAGNETORESISTANCE AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF EPITAXIAL MAGNETITE THIN FILMS

The magnetotransport and magnetic properties of epitaxial ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ thin films grown on (001)-oriented MgO substrates by pulsed-laser deposition have been investigated. The magnetoresistance (MR) exhibits a peak around the Verwey transition ${(T}_{\ensuremath{\nu}})$ as has also been reported previously for single crystals. Additionally, we have observed that the MR increases monotonically below 100 K with decreasing temperature. MR values as high as 32% have been observed for a 6600-\AA{}-thick film at 60 K under a 4-T field. The enhanced low-temperature MR is attributed to a magnetic-field-dependent activation energy for electron hopping transport.
Wikis as Platforms for Authentic Assessment

Calls for accountability focus attention on assessment of student learning. Authentic assessment involves evaluating student learning as students perform real world tasks. We present a four-stage conceptual framework for authentic assessment. We argue first that evaluation is a process rather than a static one-time event. Second, authentic assessment involves evaluating experiential learning. Third, multiple evaluators assess student work, including self-assessment or review by a public audience. Finally, authentic assessments offer more learner choice. Wikis, as user-friendly web spaces that support easy web authoring for individuals or for collaborative groups, provide a platform for both student learning and authentic assessment.
A direct method for studying 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethyleneglycol (MHPG) production by brain in awake animals

A direct method for measuring the rate of production of neurotransmitter metabolites by the brain of awake monkeys is described. The method utilizes a coupling of a measure of cerebral blood flow with the determination of the difference in concentration of the metabolite under study in arterial and internal jugular bulb blood. A consistent veno-arterial difference for 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethylenglycol (MHPG) has been found. The concentration of MHPG in blood obtained from the right and left venous outflows from brain were not significantly different indicating that blood from either the right or left internal jugular bulb may be used with this method. The rate of production of MHPG by the brain of thw awake monkey is estimated to be 24.1 ng/100 g brain/min. The rate of MHPG production by brain is increased by the administration of piperoxan and decreased by clonidine. Using the experimentally determined rate of production of MHPG by brain and extrapolating to the human it is suggested that a substantial fraction of the total body production of MHPG in man occurs in brain.
Optimization of a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells through development of n-layer growth evolution diagram and large area mapping

A growth evolution diagram has been developed to guide plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) for use as the n-layer component of p-i-n a-Si:H superstrate solar cells. The substrates for such growth evolution diagram development by real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) are crystalline silicon wafers that have been over-deposited with intrinsic a-Si:H layers. This diagram was applied to guide n-layer depositions on 15 cm × 15 cm glass/TCO/p/i superstrates in order to relate the diagram to the performance parameters of single-junction a-Si:H solar cells. Over the 15 cm × 15 cm TCO coated glass superstrate area, a 16 × 16 array of p-i-n dot cells has been fabricated, and this area has been mapped at high resolution by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Analysis of such SE data over the full area provides maps of the p-layer effective thickness, i-layer thickness and band gap, and n-layer thickness and nanocrystalline Si:H vol. fraction. In addition, J-V measurements were performed on the 16 × 16 array of dot cells. The goal of this study is to identify and understand the relationships between basic materials property and thin film solar cell performance variations over large areas, and to evaluate impacts of non-uniformities on module performance.