cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing whether Metazoan Tyrosine Loss Was Driven by Selection against Promiscuous Phosphorylation

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a key regulatory modification in metazoans, and the corresponding kinase enzymes have diversified dramatically. This diversification is correlated with a genome-wide reduction in protein tyrosine content, and it was recently suggested that this reduction was driven by selection to avoid promiscuous phosphorylation that might be deleterious. We tested three predictions of this intriguing hypothesis. 1) Selection should be stronger on residues that are more likely to be phosphorylated due to local solvent accessibility or structural disorder. 2) Selection should be stronger on proteins that are more likely to be promiscuously phosphorylated because they are abundant. We tested these predictions by comparing distributions of tyrosine within and among human and yeast orthologous proteins. 3) Selection should be stronger against mutations that create tyrosine versus remove tyrosine. We tested this prediction using human population genomic variation data. We found that all three predicted effects are modest for tyrosine when compared with the other amino acids, suggesting that selection against deleterious phosphorylation was not dominant in driving metazoan tyrosine loss.
A look at tourism through a multi‐dimensional model of public relations

Tourism is examined from a public relations perspective aimed at focusing on multiple publics and multiple messages. Advancing upon an earlier proposed model for tourism proposed by Stacks (1995; Tilson and Stacks, 1997), this paper explores how public relations enters the “integrated communications” mix by looking at American Airlines’ penetration into the South American travel market as a case example of excellence in public relations in the travel industry.
Comparison of mechanisms for cavity growth by athermal and thermal processes

Abstract The energy expended per metal atom removed from an overpressurized bubble is evaluated for three bubble growth mechanisms under constant helium generation or implantation rates. These mechanisms are self-interstitial expulsion, loop punching, and thermal vacancy absorption. It is found that the predominance of each one of the three mechanisms depends strongly on the bubble size, the temperature and the helium generation rate.
Simulations of chemotaxis and random motility in 2D random porous domains.

We discuss a generic computational model of eukariotic chemotaxis in 2D random porous domains. The model couples the fully time-dependent finite-difference solution of a reaction–diffusion equation for the concentration field of a chemoattractant to biased random walks representing individual chemotactic cells. We focus in particular on the influence of consumption of chemoattractant by the boundaries of obstacles with irregular shapes which are distributed randomly in the domain on the chemotactic response of the cells. Cells are stimulated to traverse a field of obstacles by a line source of chemoattractant. We find that the reactivity of the obstacle boundaries with respect to the chemoattractant strongly determines the transit time of cells through two primary mechanisms. The channeling effect arises because cells are effectively repelled from surfaces which consume chemoattractant, and opposing surfaces therefore act to keep cells in the middle of channels. This reduces traversal times relative to the case with unreactive boundaries, provided that the appropriate Peclet number relating the strength of reactivity to diffusion in governing chemoattractant transport is neither too low nor too high. The dead-zone effect arises due to a realistic threshold on the chemotactic response, which at steady state results in portions of the domain having no detectable gradient. Of these two, the channeling effect is responsible for 90% of the sensitivity of transit times to boundary reactivity. Based on these results, we speculate that it may be possible to tune the rates of cellular penetration into porous domains by engineering the reactivity of the internal surfaces to cytokines.
In Search of the Mommy Gene: Truth and Consequences in Behavioral Genetics:

Behavioral genetics has as its goal the discovery of genes that play a significant causal role in complex phenotypes that are socially relevant such a parenting, aggression, psychiatric disorders, intelligence, and even race. In this article, I present the stories of the discoveries of three such important phenotypes: maternal nurturing behavior and the c-fosB gene; intelligence and phenylketonuria (PKU); and pair-bonding and monogamy (vasopressin and oxytocin) and show that the reality is considerably more complex than often portrayed. These accounts also lay bare some fundamental misconceptions of this field in which genes hold a privileged place and inherently subjective phenomena are mistakenly objectified.
Development of wideband random phased arrays composed of modified canted sector antennas

This paper describes the ongoing development of a random array design based on a low-profile canted antenna that delivers instantaneous wideband operation. The challenge is to arrive at an electrically large element that maintains a broadside radiation pattern over the operating band. Design approaches for the random arrays are discussed that provide good sidelobe performance over frequency while remaining practical and cost-effective to fabricate and operate.
An Operational Real-Time Large-Scale Visual Mosaicking and Navigation System

One use of ROVs (and potentially AUVs) is the generation of visual mosaics of areas of the ocean floor. A visual mosaic is formed by joining together multiple images taken by the vehicle as it surveys the sea floor to form a larger, composite view. In order to cover an area completely while guaranteeing overlap between images, precise measurement and control of the vehicle is required. External arrays such as LBLs can provide the precise navigation information required, at considerable expense in deployment and with limited operational range. Self-contained systems using DVLs and IMUS, do not suffer from these limitations but are subject to dead-reckoning drift. However, the imaging system itself can provide a means to eliminate drift. As long as the vision system can see a previously-visited area, the position measurement error relative to that part of the environment is bounded, and does not depend on vehicle path length or integration time. Additionally, the position information can be used to display a real-time mosaic to the user, which grows as the vehicle moves. Vision is subject to outages which do not affect a dead-reckoning sensor, such as dust clouds obscuring the view, and it is limited in its range from bottom. However, fusing the measurements of these two self-contained, complementary sensors - dead-reckoning and vision -provides a robust sensor which can provide the precision to guarantee complete area coverage and sufficient overlap in large-scale mosaics without the need to deploy an external positioning array. This paper presents an online seafloor mosaicking and navigation system which exploits the complementarity of dead-reckoning with a DVL and direct environment-relative sensing using vision. The mosaicking and navigation system operates in real time, and the calculated position provides a measurement which can be fed back to control the vehicle position relative to the environment and to display a navigation-grade mosaic to the user in real time. The results of field trials conducted in Monterey Bay using the MBARI ROVs Ventana and Tiburon are presented
How Much Scrutiny and Stress Can the Fidelis Lead Withstand

The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead has undergone numerous design and manufacturing changes over the last 25 years aimed at improving patient care and outcomes. It is widely accepted that implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads, similar to pacemaker leads, have a finite life. The design of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead is more complex than that of a pacemaker lead, and the propensity for failure is greater. Estimates of the rate of failure vary, but during follow-up at 10 years, the failure rate may be as high as 20%.1 Factors that affect implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead performance include the implanting physician, the patient, and specific characteristics related to lead design. Most lead failures are multifactorial. Article see p 358 In October 2007, Medtronic voluntarily discontinued sales of the Sprint Fidelis family of leads because of a trend toward decreased survival of the lead compared with an earlier model, the Sprint Quattro. At the time of discontinuation, the lead had been implanted in 268 000 patients worldwide; by October 2010, an estimated 166 000 Fidelis leads remained active worldwide. Fidelis lead failure can be traced to fracture of the pace/sense electrodes, the shocking coils, or both. Failure is usually the result of fracture of either the cable to the anode (ring electrode) near the lead tip or the coil to the cathode (tip electrode) near the anchoring sleeve. The most common complication of lead fracture is rapid oversensing of electrical noise and delivery of inappropriate shocks, but failure to deliver bradycardia pacing and anti tachycardia pacing due to elevated impedance or inhibition of pacing by oversensing has also been reported.2 …
Learning idioms: with and without explanation

Modeling learning in any domain can be pursued in two alternative directions: either by finding domain-specific heuristics, or by applying general machine-learning methods. In the linguistic domain, programs such as FOULUP [1] and CHILD [2] have used specific heuristics, regardless of the general learning methodology; other programs [3,4] have focussed on the general learning methodology. In our particular task-learning idioms from examples, the evaluation of general learning models is very appealing, since such methods have been studied extensively, and may offer ready solutions. Language is a special domain in regard to learning. Consider for example behavior of idioms. By definition, idiosyncratic properties are not systematic and are not predictable. Thus, how do people learn such properties from examples? What is the general learning model, therefore, which accounts for idiom acquisition? We examine here the processes involved in acquisition of idioms, and relate them to existing machine-learning paradigms.
FoxD3 regulation of Nodal in the Spemann organizer is essential for Xenopus dorsal mesoderm development

Induction and patterning of the mesodermal germ layer is a key early step of vertebrate embryogenesis. We report that FoxD3 function in the Xenopus gastrula is essential for dorsal mesodermal development and for Nodal expression in the Spemann organizer. In embryos and explants, FoxD3 induced mesodermal genes, convergent extension movements and differentiation of axial tissues. Engrailed-FoxD3, but not VP16-FoxD3, was identical to native FoxD3 in mesoderm-inducing activity, indicating that FoxD3 functions as a transcriptional repressor to induce mesoderm. Antagonism of FoxD3 with VP16-FoxD3 or morpholino-knockdown of FoxD3 protein resulted in a complete block to axis formation, a loss of mesodermal gene expression, and an absence of axial mesoderm, indicating that transcriptional repression by FoxD3 is required for mesodermal development. FoxD3 induced mesoderm in a non-cell-autonomous manner, indicating a role for secreted inducing factors in the response to FoxD3. Consistent with this mechanism, FoxD3 was necessary and sufficient for the expression of multiple Nodal-related genes, and inhibitors of Nodal signaling blocked mesoderm induction by FoxD3. Therefore, FoxD3 is required for Nodal expression in the Spemann organizer and this function is essential for dorsal mesoderm formation.
A novel technique using a rotation flap for repairing adjacent surgical defects.

BACKGROUND The incidence of head and neck carcinomas continues to rise. Surgical excision is a frequently used method for removing these carcinomas. It is not uncommon to have multiple skin carcinomas present at the same time or in close proximity to each other. Therefore, surgeons can be presented with the challenge of repairing adjacent surgical defects while avoiding unacceptable wound closure tension and distortion of neighboring structures. OBJECTIVE The presentation of a novel method for repairing adjacent surgical defects with a rotation flap. MATERIALS Standard excision tray. CONCLUSION We present a novel method for repairing adjacent surgical defects with a rotation flap. Surgeons are presented with adjacent surgical defects and challenged to find the repair option that will give the most optimal cosmetic result. The options for closing small adjacent surgical defects include making the defects a single large defect for primary closure, full thickness skin grafting, primary closure of each defect separately, flap coverage, secondary intention healing, or any combination of these. The use of a single rotation flap to cover two adjacent surgical defects provides the surgeon with a convenient and cosmetically acceptable option that avoids unacceptable wound tension and does not distort neighboring structures.
Trivalent chromium inhibits TSP-1 expression, proliferation, and O-GlcNAc signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells in response to high glucose in vitro

Trivalent chromium (Cr3+) is a mineral nutrient reported to have beneficial effects in glycemic and cardiovascular health. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that Cr3+ supplementation reduces the...
Enhanced nicotine self-administration and suppressed dopaminergic systems in a rat model of diabetes

Patients with diabetes display a heightened propensity to use tobacco; however, it is unclear whether they experience enhanced rewarding effects of nicotine. Thus, this study examined the reinforcing effects of nicotine in a rodent model of diabetes involving administration of streptozotocin (STZ), a drug that is toxic to pancreatic insulin-producing cells. The first study compared STZ- and vehicle-treated rats that had 23-hour access to intravenous self-administration (IVSA) of nicotine or saline and concomitant access to food and water. In order to examine the contribution of dopamine to our behavioral effects, dopamine transporter (DAT), D1 and D2 receptor levels were compared in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) following 10 days of nicotine or saline IVSA. Dopamine levels in the NAc were also compared following nicotine administration. Lastly, nicotine metabolism and dose-dependent effects of nicotine IVSA were assessed. The results revealed that STZ-treated rats displayed enhanced nicotine intake and a robust increase in food and water intake relative to controls. Protein analysis revealed an increase in DAT and a decrease in D1 receptor levels in the NAc of STZ- versus vehicle-treated rats regardless of IVSA condition. STZ-treated rats also displayed suppressed NAc dopamine levels during baseline and in response to nicotine. STZ treatment did not alter our assessment of nicotine metabolism. Furthermore, STZ treatment increased nicotine IVSA in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that STZ-treatment increased the rewarding effects of nicotine. This suggests that strong reinforcing effects of nicotine may contribute to greater tobacco use in patients with diabetes.
High Photometric Accuracy in an Optical Null, Double-Beam Infrared Spectrophotometer

To date, optical null infrared spectrophotometers have been capable of double-beam photometric accuracies of no better than 0.5% to 1.0%. When operated in the double-beam mode, optical null instruments measure the transmittance of a sample by optically attenuating the reference beam until its energy equals that of the sample beam. This operation is usually performed automatically by a servosystem which constantly repositions an optical attenuator (comb) in the reference beam to obtain a null balance condition. A pen servosystem then follows the comb movement from a linear potentiometer geared to the comb.
Cocaine activates platelets and increases the formation of circulating platelet containing microaggregates in humans.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether there is evidence of platelet activation following in vivo cocaine administration in humans, as cocaine abuse is associated with myocardial infarction and stroke, and platelet activation leading to thrombosis is a possible mechanism. SETTING University hospital. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS Following a randomised, double blind crossover design, 14 healthy volunteers were studied twice, receiving cocaine (2 mg/kg intranasally) once and placebo once. Flow cytometric analysis of P-selectin expression (an α granule membrane protein found on the surface of activated platelets), quantification of the platelet specific proteins platelet factor 4 and β thromboglobulin, and measurement of platelet containing microaggregate and platelet microparticle (fragment) formation were used to assess platelet activation. Circulating von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF) was measured to evaluate a possible role of endothelial stimulation concurrent with platelet activation. RESULTS There was an increase in both platelet factor 4 (mean (SD), 16 (7) to 39 (22) IU/ml, p = 0.04) and β thromboglobulin (70 (20) to 98 (26) IU/ml, p CONCLUSIONS Cocaine exposure causes platelet activation, α granule release, and platelet containing microaggregate formation. These data support the view that cocaine, even at the relatively low doses commonly self administered by occasional abusers, may promote thrombosis and predispose healthy individuals to ischaemic events. Platelet inhibitors should be considered early in any patient with suspected cocaine related ischaemia.
Smooth-Wall Boundary Conditions for Dissipation-Based Turbulence Models

It is shown that the smooth-wall boundary conditions specified for commonly used dissipation-based turbulence models are mathematically incorrect. It is demonstrated that when these traditional wall boundary conditions are used, the resulting formulations allow an infinite number of solutions. Furthermore, these solutions do not enforce energy conservation and they do not properly enforce the no-slip condition at a smooth surface. This is true for all dissipation-based turbulence models, including the k-e, k-ω, and k-ζ models. Physically correct wall boundary conditions must force both k and its gradient to zero at a smooth wall. Enforcing these two boundary conditions on k is sufficient to determine a unique solution to the coupled system of differential transport equations. There is no need to impose any wall boundary condition on e, ω, or ζ at a smooth surface and it is incorrect to do so. The behavior of e, ω, or ζ approaching a smooth surface is that required to force both k and its gradient to zero at the wall. Nomenclature 1 C – 5 C = arbitrary constants of integration, Eq. (43) 1 e C , 2 e C = turbulence model closure coefficients, Eqs. (6) and (7) 1 ω C , 2 ω C = turbulence model closure coefficients, Eqs. (73) and (74) µ C = turbulence model closure coefficient, Eqs. (2) and (7) 1
Hypertrehalosemic hormone-regulated gene expression for cytochrome P4504C1 in the fat body of the cockroach, Blaberus discoidalis

Hypertrehalosemic hormone (HTH) up-regulates expression of a gene for a cytochrome P450 of family 4 (CYP4C1) in the fat body of adult male B. discoidalis cockroaches. Studies were undertaken to determine the characteristics of HTH-dependent CYP4C1 expression. A dot-blot assay was developed for routine measurement of the relative levels of CYP4C1-mRNA in fat body RNA extracts. A single injection of 10 pmol HTH produced a maximum CYP4C1 response within 8 h. This dose corresponds with the dose needed for a maximum in vivo hypertrehalosemic response to HTH (Keeley et al., 1991). Multiple treatments with HTH at 8 or 24 h intervals were no more effective than a single treatment for producing CYP4C1 expression. These results indicate that CYP4C1 expression is sensitive to physiological doses of HTH and responds rapidly. CYP4C1 expression was suppressed by treatment with α-amanitin, an inhibitor of RNA polymerase II, but was unaffected by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. HTH appears to influence CYP4C1 transcription without involvement of intervening regulatory genes. These results suggest that regulation of fat body CYP4C1 expression is a major physiological action of HTH. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Neonatal Insulin Secretion and Persistent Hyperinsulinemia of Infancy

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Delineate the clinical findings associated with persistent hyperinsulinemia of infancy. 2. Identify the primary classifications of persistent hyperinsulinemia of infancy. 3. Describe the major characteristics of the form of disease associated with loss of KATP channel function. 4. List the genes responsible for KATP channel activity. 5. Delineate potential clinical tools for differentiating focal and diffuse forms of persistent hyperinsulinemia of infancy. An experimental approach based on genetic studies has offered new insights into the pathophysiology of persistent hyperinsulinemia of infancy. This review highlights these advances, with special emphasis on the forms of hyperinsulinemia that are associated with defects of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent potassium (KATP) channel, a key regulator of insulin secretion in the pancreatic islets. Persistent hyperinsulinemia of infancy has been known as nesidioblastosis, persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy, and familial hyperinsulinism since its initial recognition as a clinical entity in the 1950s. More prevalent forms of hypoglycemia that are transitory and occur in the immediate newborn period must be differentiated from persistent hyperinsulinemia of infancy, which is defined by inappropriate insulin secretion in the presence of profound hypoglycemia. The characteristic associated clinical findings (Table 1⇓ ), including inappropriate glucose-to-insulin ratios, suppression of ketone body production, glucose utilization rates that are threefold the norm, and a glycemic response to glucagon, all can be attributed to excessive levels of circulating insulin. View this table: Table 1. Diagnostic Features of Persistent Hyperinsulinemia of Infancy Persistent hyperinsulinemia of infancy originally was defined as the pathologic entity nesidioblastosis, which denoted nests of islets in close proximity to pancreatic ductules and presumed an abnormality of neoislet formation as the etiology of the excessive insulin secretion. The pathology literature related to this syndrome has been confusing and at times controversial, but as understanding of pathophysiology improves, so does the ability to …
QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF NATURAL VARIATION OF BEHAVIOR IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ON CREATING PERSISTENT PATTERNS OF GROUP ACTIVITY

Using a set of nine effectively isogenic lines collected from nature in 1998, we observed unperturbed behaviors of mixed-sex groups of Drosophila melanogaster. We repeatedly scanned replicated groups of genetically identical individuals, five females and five males, and recorded the behavior of each individual (i.e., walking, feeding, grooming, flying, courting, mating, fighting, or resting). From these behaviors, we made a composite variable of activity for our quantitative genetic analysis. Genotypes differed in activity, explaining 14.41% of the variation in activity; 8.60% of the variation was explained by a significant genotype x sex interaction, which signifies genetic variation for sexual dimorphism in behavior. Phenotypic plasticity explained 11.13% of the variation in activity. Different genotypes and sexes within genotypes had different rank orders of the component behaviors that contribute to activity. We found no effect of common rearing environment. Instead, differences between replicate groups within genotype accounted for 19.47% variation in activity, and activity was significantly repeatable across scans. This emergent group behavior is likely caused by differences between groups of interacting individuals, even though individuals were genetically identical across groups. Thus, emergent group behavior explained almost as much variation in activity as the combined sources of genetic variation (23.01%), and this is an additional level on which selection could operate: individuals and groups. We discuss how differences among groups could change patterns of additive genetic variation available for evolution. Furthermore, because the behavior of an individual is influenced by conspecifics, genotype interactions between individuals could contribute to indirect selection. Finally, if we consider activity as a syndrome governing all component behaviors with strong genetic correlations among behaviors within an individual, then these component behaviors cannot evolve independently. These results suggest that reductionist approaches of molecular behavior genetics may be incomplete and/or misleading when considering similar phenotypes at the population level or when trying to understand how behaviors evolve.
Unified Architecture for Large-Scale Attested Metering

We introduce a secure architecture called an attested meter/or advanced metering that supports large-scale deployments, flexible configurations, and enhanced protection for consumer privacy and metering integrity. Our study starts with a threat analysis for advanced metering networks and formulates protection requirements for those threats. The attested meter satisfies these through a unified set of system interfaces based on virtual machines and attestation for the software agents of various parties that use the meter. We argue that this combination provides a well-adapted architecture for advanced metering and we take a step towards demonstrating its feasibility with a prototype implementation based on the trusted platform module (TPM) and Xen virtual machine monitor (VMM). This is the first effort to use virtual machines and attestation in an advanced meter
Growth, intake, diet digestibility, and nitrogen use in three hair sheep breeds fed alfalfa hay

Abstract Pen feeding and metabolism trials were conducted to determine intake, diet digestibility and nitrogen (N) use in three hair sheep breeds with differing growth potential offered an alfalfa hay diet. For pen feeding, 24 6-mo-old wether lambs, equally representing the Barbados Blackbelly, Katahdin, and St. Croix breeds, were paired by breed, placed in 12 enclosed cement-floor pens (2.5 m × 3.5 m), and offered chopped alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; 17.6% CP, 50.4% NDF, and 36.4% ADF) ad libitum. Lambs were allowed a 14-d adaptation period to pens and diets, and remained on trial for 56 d. Starting body weight (BW) was different (P 0.10) among breeds. Six lambs per breed were used in the metabolism trial. Total DMI was greater (P 0.10) adjusted for body weight (mean: 71 g/kg BW0.75). Coefficients of apparent digestibility for DM (P 0.10) among breeds. Breeds differed in their growth performance in line with breed mature size, and differences were observed in N digestibility and absorption.
Paleontology and Paleontologists: A Personal Account of Mesozoic Mammals and the People Who Study Them. In Pursuit of Early Mammals.

Book review of Kielan-Jaworowska, Z. 2013. In Pursuit of Early Mammals. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 253 pp. (ISBN 978-0-253-00817-6) $46.99 (hardcover)
Exposure to loud noise, bilateral high-frequency hearing loss and coronary heart disease

Objectives Bilateral high-frequency hearing loss is an indicator for chronic exposure to loud noise. This study aimed to examine the association between bilateral high-frequency hearing loss and the presence of coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods This study included 5223 participants aged 20–69 years who participated in the audiometry examination of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004. Bilateral high-frequency hearing loss was defined as the average high-frequency (3, 4 and 6 kHz) hearing threshold ≥25 dB in both ears. CHD was defined as self-reported diagnoses by doctors or other health professionals. Results Compared with those with normal high-frequency hearing, participants with bilateral high-frequency hearing loss were more likely to have CHD (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.28 to 2.85) after adjustment for various covariates. This association was particularly strong for currently employed workers who were exposed to loud occupational noise (OR 4.23; 95% CI 1.32 to 13.55). For this subgroup, there was no significant association of CHD with unilateral high-frequency hearing loss, and unilateral or bilateral low-frequency hearing loss. Furthermore, there was no significant association of CHD with any types of hearing loss for participants who were not exposed to loud noise. Stratified analyses for participants exposed to loud noise showed that the observed association was particularly strong for those who were less than 50 years of age, less educated and current smokers. Conclusions On the basis of an objective indicator for personal chronic exposure to loud noise, this study confirmed that exposure to loud occupational noise is associated with the presence of CHD.
The Spectrum of Density Fluctuations of Noble Gases Probed by THz Neutron and X-ray Spectroscopy

Approximately 50 years of inelastic scattering studies of noble gases are reviewed to illustrate the main advances achieved in the understanding of the THz dynamics of simple systems. The gradual departure of the spectral shape from the hydrodynamic regime is discussed with an emphasis on the phenomenology of fast (sub-ps) relaxation processes. This review shows that relaxation phenomena in noble gases have an essentially collisional origin, which is also revealed by the parallelism between their characteristic timescale and the interatomic collision time. Additionally, recent THz spectroscopy results on noble gases at extreme thermodynamic conditions are discussed to illustrate the need for a revision of our current understanding of the supercritical phase.
GUARDING ALL INFANTS IN SLEEP

The loss of a baby is an extremely traumatic event and has enduring effects that ripple out from parents to their extended families, friends, and co-workers. Educating parents and other infant caregivers about making infants’ sleep settings safer can help prevent these tragedies and the considerable resulting emotional despair and productivity loss. A sizable racial disparity in rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) also troubles many people from a social justice perspective, spurring interest in understanding why the gap persists and how to reduce it. Although death rates from SIDS for both non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black babies fell during the back-to-sleep campaigns of the early 1990s, the gap between the two groups remains large. This is true in Illinois as well as the nation. Understanding of SIDS has changed markedly from the times of heightened concern during the 1980s and early 1990s, when healthy babies mysteriously died in their cribs. Putting babies on their backs to sleep was a tangible protective factor with a clear and easy-to-implement behavioral change. Positioning offered a simple target for reducing SIDS risk; and, in its initial recommendation of 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force focused principally on this issue of positioning. Sleep positioning campaigns that followed in the United States and around the world were widely seen as producing sizable declines in SIDS deaths. Strategies to further reduce SIDS are less clear-cut and more controversial. The latest AAP policy statement makes 18 recommendations, each with several subparts. One of the most controversial is AAP’s recommendation that adults not sleep in the same bed with an infant. Other stakeholders perceive these recommendations as inhibiting breastfeeding, which they view as easiest when mothers spend the entire night on the same sleep surface as the infant. Some controversy also stems from subcultures that value and practice bed sharing, sometimes with very low SIDS rates. Yet other controversy stems from different reading of the evidence cited by the AAP, which some interpret as indicating that bed sharing should be recommended against only when other risks are present (e.g., soft bedding, maternal smoking, parental inebriation or exhaustion). What next steps can help resolve the debate and advance evidence for policymaking? A collaboration between medical doctors, epidemiologists, anthropologists, and other SIDS researchers – including those prominent on both sides of this issue – would likely move more quickly toward resolving disagreements than would more research done independently by each side.
Flavor Evaluation of Light and Dark Meat from Broilers Fed Capsaicin

Abstract Thirty-two broilers were reared from 1 to 42 d of age on a diet containing 0 or 20 ppm of capsaicin and then conventionally processed. When the cooked meat was served to untrained consumer panelists in a triangle difference test, there was no difference in flavor between control and capsaicin-fed birds for either the Pectoralis muscle (light meat) or the Biceps femoris muscle (dark meat). These data suggest that incorporation of capsaicin into the diets of broilers at 20 ppm does not result in a change in the flavor of the meat.
Evaporative Evolution of Carbonate-Rich Brines from Synthetic Topopah Spring Tuff Pore Water, YuccaMountain, NV

The evaporation of a range of synthetic pore water solutions representative of the potential high-level-nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV is being investigated. The motivation of this work is to understand and predict the range of brine compositions that may contact the waste containers from evaporation of pore waters, because these brines could form corrosive thin films on the containers and impact their long-term integrity. A relatively complex synthetic Topopah Spring Tuff pore water was progressively concentrated by evaporation in a closed vessel, heated to 95°C in a series of sequential experiments. Periodic samples of the evaporating solution were taken to determine the evolving water chemistry. According to chemical divide theory at 25°C and 95°C our starting solution should evolve towards a high pH carbonate brine. Results at 95°C show that this solution evolves towards a complex brine that contains about 99 mol% Na+ for the cations, and 71 mol% Cl−, 18 mol% ΣCO2(aq), 9 mol% SO42− for the anions. Initial modeling of the evaporating solution indicates precipitation of aragonite, halite, silica, sulfate and fluoride phases. The experiments have been used to benchmark the use of the EQ3/6 geochemical code in predicting the evolution of carbonate-rich brines during evaporation.
Methods for Evaluating Composite Reliability, Classification Consistency, and Classification Accuracy for Mixed-Format Licensure Tests:

The purpose of this study was to propose extensions of reliability estimation methods that could be used to determine the conditions under which single scoring for constructed-response (CR) items is as effective as double scoring in mixed-format licensure tests. Multivariate generalizability theory methods traditionally used to estimate overall composite score reliability were extended with simulations so that classification consistency and classification accuracy estimates could also be obtained. Composite score reliabilities, classification consistencies, and accuracies were estimated based on the double and single scoring of the CR items of three licensure tests. Composite score reliabilities, classification consistencies, and accuracies were also estimated in decision studies considering varied testing situations such as different numbers of CR items and different CR section weights.
Circulating reticulocytes in normal adults as determined y the new methylene blue method.

Reticulocyte counts of 48 normal men and 30 normal women were determined by the new methylene-blue method. The mean value for men was 1.65% (95% limits = 0.8 to 2.5%); for women, 2.45% (95% limits = 0.8 to 4.1%). The difference between the reticulocyte counts of men and women is highly significant. New methylene blue, like brilliant cresyl blue, stains siderotic granules in siderocytes. Therefore, in the presence of large numbers of circulating siderocytes, such as may occur following splenectomy, the reticulocyte count by either method may be erroneous. Under these circumstances, reticulocytes are best enumerated on preparations which have been first stained for reticulum and then counterstained with the Prussian blue stain.
The Dynamic Aging Mind Revelations From Functional Neuroimaging Research

The conception of the aging mind that emerged from behavioral and structural imaging studies portrayed the mind as a victim of passive deterioration and decline with age, with a few domains of preserved function. The advent of functional neuroimaging has demonstrated that the aging brain is an adaptive and plastic structure that responds dynamically to cognitive challenge and structural deterioration—thus, fundamentally changing views of cognitive aging. In addition, a neural theory of the aging mind based on behavioral data—the dedifferentiation view of cognitive aging—was largely confirmed when neuroimaging technology became available to test it. We argue that functional neuroimaging has advanced cognitive aging theories by creating a stronger emphasis on compensatory mechanisms related to brain plasticity and potential reorganization as evidenced by the resurgence of interest and research in cognitive training research designed to improve cognition through enhancement of neural structures or reorganiza...
Abstract PL05-02: Current therapies for diabetes - will they reduce cancer risk?

Type 2 diabetes has been associated with an increase in the incidence and mortality from many cancers. Understanding the mechanisms underlying Type 2 diabetes, has contributed to the discovery of the potential anti-cancer effects of diabetes treatments. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia precede the development of hyperglycemia and Type 2 diabetes, and may be key factors contributing to the increased cancer risk. Other factors including hyperglycemia, steroid hormonal bioavailability (estrogen and testosterone), insulin-like growth factors, adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) and cytokines may also contribute to cancer progression in the setting of Type 2 diabetes. The main classes of pharmacological treatments for Type 2 diabetes include insulin-sensitizing therapies, insulin secretagogues, exogenous insulin and incretin based therapies. While some previous epidemiological studies suggested that exogenous insulin therapy may increase breast cancer mortality, recent human studies have not supported these findings. Our studies have shown that high doses of the insulin analogs currently in clinical use do not increase murine breast cancer growth or metastases in a mouse model of pre-diabetes. However, insulin-sensitizing therapies, including metformin and thiazolidinediones may have anti-cancer effects. One potential mechanism by which these agents may reduce tumor progression, is by improving the metabolic abnormalities associated with Type 2 diabetes; improving insulin sensitivity, decreasing endogenous insulin levels. Reducing insulin levels has been shown to reduce cancer growth in previous animal studies. In addition, or alternatively, these agents may act directly on the tumor cells. Metformin is taken up into cells by organic cation transporters, and is an activator of AMPK, which may reduce cell proliferation and tumor metastases. Thiazolidinediones are peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) agonists that also improve insulin resistance, and are effective in reducing the progression from pre-diabetes to Type 2 diabetes. While these agents demonstrated potential as anti-cancer agents in animal and in vitro studies, however, some epidemiological studies reported that these agents may increase bladder cancer risk, subsequent studies have not corroborated these findings. Therefore, Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increase in cancer incidence and mortality, understanding the mechanisms underlying this association has led to the potential use of anti-diabetic agents in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Citation Format: Emily Jane Gallagher. Current therapies for diabetes - will they reduce cancer risk? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr PL05-02.
Corruption, Contention, and Reform: Elite Cartels: hanging on with a little help from my friends

Robo para la corona. (I steal for the Crown.) – Jose Luis Manzano, Argentine Minister of the Interior, 1989 Argentina: potential and paradox Few large developing countries would seem as well-positioned for sustained democratic and economic development as Argentina, yet few swing so sharply between breakthrough and near-collapse. At the beginning of the twentieth century Argentina was one of the world’s wealthiest countries, but entered a long decline (on political aspects of that process see Waisman 1987). At the start of the twenty-first it experienced a spectacular economic crisis, devastating citizens’ savings and incomes, and precipitating a series of brief and unsuccessful presidencies. That happened despite almost two decades of democratic politics, at least judging by formal institutional criteria, and a dozen years’ economic reforms based on the most fashionable neoliberal ideas. A decade hence Argentina has done much to revive its economy, and electoral politics remains firmly in place. Yet its future is hard to predict.
Semiparametric modeling and estimation of the terminal behavior of recurrent marker processes before failure events.

ABSTRACTRecurrent event processes with marker measurements are mostly and largely studied with forward time models starting from an initial event. Interestingly, the processes could exhibit important terminal behavior during a time period before occurrence of the failure event. A natural and direct way to study recurrent events prior to a failure event is to align the processes using the failure event as the time origin and to examine the terminal behavior by a backward time model. This article studies regression models for backward recurrent marker processes by counting time backward from the failure event. A three-level semiparametric regression model is proposed for jointly modeling the time to a failure event, the backward recurrent event process, and the marker observed at the time of each backward recurrent event. The first level is a proportional hazards model for the failure time, the second level is a proportional rate model for the recurrent events occurring before the failure event, and the thi...
Investigating the Redox Chemistry of Perthiyl Radicals: An Implication of Their Biological Functions

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is reported to be an important endogenously generated signaling molecule with a number of beneficial biological effects. Though H2S is proposed to have numerous physiological functions, the specific roles, mechanisms and biological targets of H2S are not well defined. More recently, it has been considered that much of the proposed functions attributed to H2S are in fact largely due to its oxidized congeners, hydropolysulfides (RSnR) and hydropersulfides (RSSH/RSS–), making H2S merely a marker for their reactivity. To relieve this controversy, it seems reasonable to study the chemistry of hydropersulfides independent from that of H2S. Until now, such a task has been difficult. To address this issue, others and we have explored the use of hydropersulfide donors, which undergo spontaneous rearrangement for in situ generation of hydropersulfides. This has allowed for a more direct examination of the chemistry associated with hydropersulfides and their related redox species in the absence of other potentially interfering sulfur adducts. Of specific interest is the ability of hydropersulfides, in comparison to thiols, to act as potent one-electron reductants. Single electron oxidation of a hydropersulfide generates a perthiyl radical (RSS●), which in comparison to thiyl radicals (RS●), are considered to be relatively unreactive due to their enhanced stability through resonance. For these reasons, we have examined the redox chemistry of hydropersulfides and perthiyl radicals with biological molecules (i.e. O2 and nitric oxide) and we report the potential role of the RSSH/RSS● redox system as it pertains to biological processes.
Role of Defects and Surface States in the Carrier Transport and Nonlinearity of the Diode Characteristics in PbS/ZnO Quantum Dot Solar Cells

The roles of bulk surface states and interfacial defects are probed experimentally using a combination of current–voltage, capacitance–voltage, and impedance measurements. The critical importance of the quality of both the film and interfaces is evident in current–voltage measurements where shunting and interface states result in large dark currents and the subsequent loss of Jsc. These properties are shown to be critically related to the nature and role of the PbS QD interface with the (nominally) ohmic gold contact. Specifically, the nonideality of this interface results in the formation of an electric field and therefore a Schottky barrier that opposes the transport of carriers across the conventional ZnO–PbS CQD system. Nonidealities in the structure and absorber layer are also reflected in nonmonotonic behavior and dispersion in C–V measurements with trapping processes on the CQD surfaces, and the ZnO/PbS and PbS/Au interfaces also affecting the carrier dynamics, which is reflected in the response ti...
Health Differences Among Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Veterans by Rural/Small Town and Suburban/Urban Setting.

Abstract Purpose: We explored the relationship between geographic location and health indicators for lesbian, gay, and transgender veterans. Methods: We solicited participation in an online survey through national and city LGBT organizations and personal contacts to examine differences in depression, anxiety, alcohol and tobacco use, and body mass index among lesbian, gay, and transgender veterans (n = 252) in suburban/urban and rural/small town locations. Bisexual participants were too few to include in the analyses. Results: As expected, rural/small town lesbian, gay, and transgender veterans spent more time traveling to their primary care provider. Travel time was also positively related to depressive and anxiety symptoms. However, only suburban/urban and rural/small town gay men differed in measures of depression and anxiety and tobacco use. That is, rural/small town gay men reported greater depressive and anxiety symptoms and greater tobacco use than their suburban/urban counterparts. Consistent with...
Parental Confirmation and Emerging Adult Children’s Body Image: Self-Concept and Social Competence as Mediators:

Through a lens of confirmation theory, this study examined how parental confirmation acceptance and challenge was related to emerging adults’ body image, and how these associations were mediated by...
Ureteroscopy: Patient Positioning and Room Setup

Proper room setup is a key component to the successful outcome of any surgical procedure. This is especially true of ureteroscopic procedures as these procedures are technology intensive and space is at a premium. A poorly positioned back table or piece of equipment can not only extend operative times but can also potentially endanger the patient, result in damage to expensive equipment, and can cause significant discomfort and inconvenience for the surgeon. Equally important, if not more so, is correct patient positioning. The ability for the surgeon to access structures of interest is solely dependent on patient positioning. Concomitantly, it is the surgeon’s responsibility to reduce or eliminate the risk of position-related injuries. In this chapter we discuss surgical suite ergonomics, room setup, X-ray positioning and safety, and choice of irrigant. We also discuss appropriate patient positioning in the dorsolithotomy and prone positions as well as associated complications.