cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Five Types of Marriage: An Empirical Typology Based on ENRICH:

This study identified five distinct types of married couples from a sample of 6,267 couples, using the marital inventory ENRICH. Profiles were derived using a three-stage cluster analytic procedure, including an exploratory cluster analysis, a replication of the exploratory results, and a crossvalidation. The five-cluster solution was robust. “Vitalized” couples (12%) reported high relationship quality on all dimensions. “Harmonious” Couples (11%) had relatively high relationship quality. “Traditional” couples (16%) had scores that were slightly above average with markedly higher scores on parenting and religious scales. “Conflicted” couples (25%) were characterized by moderately low scores on all but the roles scale. The “Devitalized” group (36%) had the lowest scores on every ENRICH dimension. There is a relatively long tradition of interest in typologies of marriage. This approach to understanding marriage has the advantage of recognizing that marital relationships are multidimensional and cannot be adequately described on any single dimension. Attempts to view couples on a single continuum, however well-informed, may tend to trivialize the important differences in their approach to living.
Physiological performance and mating system in Clarkia (Onagraceae): Does phenotypic selection predict divergence between sister species?

The shift from outcrossing to self-fertilization is among the most commonly observed evolutionary transitions in ﬂ ower-ing plants ( Darwin, 1876 ; Stebbins, 1957 , 1970 ; Barrett, 2002 ). Although an estimated 39% of species are obligate outcrossers ( Igic et al., 2008 ), ~20% predominantly self-fertilize ( Barrett and Eckert, 1990 ; Barrett, 2002 ), an additional ~42% regularly engage in mixed mating (producing seeds through a combina-tion of outcrossing and selﬁ ng) ( Goodwillie et al., 2005 ). The widespread evolution of selfing has generated long-standing interest among evolutionary biologists because of the potentially harmful consequences of self-fertilization. In many outcrossing species, selﬁ ng is associated with high levels of inbreeding depression ( Darwin, 1876 ; Charlesworth et al., 1993 ; Keller and Waller, 2002 ; but also see Byers and Waller, 1999 ), which may impede or prevent the evolution of selﬁ ng when it arises as a mating strategy in habitually outcrossing taxa and populations ( Lande and Schemske, 1985 ; Goodwillie et al., 2005 ). Additionally, self-fertilizing populations and lineages often harbor lower levels of genetic variation than their out-crossing counterparts ( Tantawy, 1956b ; Loveless and Hamrick, 1984 ; Awadalla and Ritland, 1997 ), which may hinder their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Indeed, selﬁ ng may lead to a greater risk of extinction ( Tantawy, 1956a ; Bijlsma et al., 2000 ; Wright et al., 2008 ). A great deal of research on plant mating systems has focused on identifying the ecological and genetic conditions under which selﬁ ng may evolve and remain stable. For example, in the absence of inbreeding depression, because selﬁ ng geno-types can transmit their genes to future generations in more ways than outcrossers (i.e., in selﬁ ng genotypes, pollen may contribute genes through both self-fertilization and outcross-ing), selﬁ ng may evolve rapidly if it arises in outcrossing pop-ulations ( Fisher, 1941 ). Depending on the magnitude of inbreeding depression, the advantages of self-fertilization may outweigh the genetic risks that it imposes ( Lande and Schemske, 1985 ). In addition, in habitats where pollinators are scarce or unreli-able, selection may favor self-fertilization if it provides repro-ductive assurance ( Baker, 1955 ; Goodwillie et al., 2005 ; Morgan and Wilson, 2005 ; Eckert et al., 2006 , 2010 ). Several studies have evaluated the reproductive assurance hypothesis ( Pannell and Barrett, 1998 ; Kalisz et al., 2004 ; Herlihy and Eckert, 2005 ; Moeller and Geber, 2005 ; Geber and Moeller, 2006 ; Fishman and Willis, 2008 ; Brys et al., 2011 ; Brys and Jacquemyn, 2011 ; Roels and Kelly, 2011 ), corroborating its potential to explain the widespread evolution of self-fertilization in ﬂ owering plants.
Opioids for chronic pain: a knowledge assessment of nonpain specialty providers

INTRODUCTION Although the majority of opioids in the US are prescribed by nonpain specialists, these providers often report inadequate training in chronic pain management and opioid prescribing. The extent of health care providers' knowledge of opioid prescribing for chronic pain has not been well established. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge about the use of opioids for chronic pain among health care providers seeking pain-focused continuing medical education. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study participants (n=131) were recruited at a pain-focused continuing medical education conference for nonpain specialists. Upon commencement of the conference, the KnowPain-50 survey was completed. The survey comprised 50 questions, and 18 questions were related to opioid management. The focus of each opioid question was further categorized as either medicolegal (n=7) or clinical (n=11). RESULTS The majority of study participants were male physicians with a mean age of 51.8 years. The proportion of correct responses to the 50-item survey was 72%. The proportion of correct responses to the 32 nonopioid questions was 74%, and the proportion of correct responses to the 18 opioid questions was 69% (P<0.001). Similarly, the proportion of correct responses to the seven medicolegal opioid questions was 74%, and the proportion of correct responses to the eleven clinical opioid questions was 67% (P<0.001). CONCLUSION Health care providers demonstrated gaps in knowledge about the use of opioids for chronic pain. Lower scores on clinically based opioid questions may indicate an opportunity to provide focused educational content about this area of practice. This information could be helpful in designing future educational modules for nonpain providers.
Laser Activated Glass Flow Modeling

Laser induced flow of phosphosilicate glass, where the glass is a member of a multi-layer structure, was modeled with a one-dimensional coupled set of heat conduction and generation equations; the conventional approach was modified for explicit inclusion of non-ideal interfacial regions. There were no restrictions on the number or nature of material layers. Modeled behavior for 0.7 µm or 1 µm thick glass covering Al, or SiO2, or Si agreed with observation; aluminum fusion accompanied by minimal glass flow when the Al layer was covered by 0.7 µm glass was predicted and observed for the experimental laser pulse, as an example. Analysis also exposed the characteristics for successful laser generated glass flow; a rectangular pulse shape will permit the greatest control over the laser induced flow as well as provide the largest window for producing the desired flow while minimizing the effect on other material regions. Finally, experimental results with CW laser induced flow support the conclusion that the modeling successfully bridges four orders of magnitude in the thermal flux regime.
Salvage of a malpositioned anterior odontoid screw.

Study design Description of surgical technique with case correlation. Objective This article presents an alternative approach to anterior odontoid screw salvage in a patient with established nonunion. Summary of background data Type II odontoid fractures are often treated surgically because of their risk of nonunion. Anterior odontoid screw fixation offers stable fixation without loss of atlantoaxial motion. Treatment failure may occur despite adequate screw placement but is more likely when fixation is inadequate. The traditional solution is a posterior fusion. In selected cases the surgeon may want to revise the anterior instrumentation with the hope of retaining as much C1-C2 motion as possible. Methods A 43-year-old man presented 16 months after Type II odontoid fracture treated by anterior odontoid screw fixation. He had neck pain, instability, and a pseudarthrosis confirmed on radiographs. The screw was excessively long, piercing the C3 vertebral body and providing inadequate fixation. To avoid posterior fusion, a modified anterior approach was used. An entry point was selected 10 mm lateral to the midline, along the anterior rim of the C2 vertebral body. A large-diameter lag screw was then passed to the tip of the fragment. An angled curette was introduced into the fracture gap through the interval between the odontoid and the C1 ring. Autogenous bone was packed into the gap and along the old screw tract. Results At the 2-year follow-up the patient had a solid union with no neck pain, no headaches, no radicular symptoms, and excellent range of motion. The approach is described. Conclusion In properly selected patients an anterior revision approach can provide a better outcome than posterior cervical fusion. This modified approach allows placement of an adequate fixation screw in a vertebra damaged by previous screw failure.
Application of an ensemble-trained source apportionment approach at a site impacted by multiple point sources.

Four receptor models and a chemical transport model were used to quantify PM2.5 source impacts at the St. Louis Supersite (STL-SS) between June 2001 and May 2003. The receptor models used two semi-independent data sets, with the first including ions and trace elements and the second including 1-in-6 day particle-bound organics. Since each source apportionment (SA) technique has limitations, this work compares results from the five different SA approaches to better understand the biases and limitations of each. The source impacts calculated by these models were then integrated into a constrained, ensemble-trained SA approach. The ensemble method offers several improvements over the five individual SA techniques at the STL-SS. Primarily, the ensemble method calculates source impacts on days when individual models either do not converge to a solution or do not have adequate input data to develop source impact estimates. When compared with a chemical mass balance approach using measurement-based source profil...
Silent myocardial ischemia. Answers to frequently asked questions.

PreviewAlmost everyone knows a story about an asymptomatic person who had an abnormal exercise test. Exercise testing is one way to detect myocardial ischemia that is otherwise silent. Dr Assey explains why symptoms are absent in silent myocardial ischemia, how common this entity is, and how these patients are different from and similar to their symptomatic counterparts.
Sophomores speaking: An exploratory study of student research practices

ABSTRACTThis article describes an exploratory study of the research behaviors of sophomore students at a small liberal arts college. In light of the transitional nature of the sophomore year and the limited data available on the research practices of sophomores, the authors sought to better understand the following: Students’ topic selection, help-seeking behavior, types of sources consulted, source selection criteria, research challenges, and changes in information-seeking behavior from the first year to the sophomore year. This article describes findings from a survey and in-depth interviews, and it offers recommendations for further research.
2 – Resources—Supply and Availability

Over the past several decades there have been shortage of strategic materials because of our near total import dependence on such metals as chromium, cobalt, and tantalum. In response to the continued vulnerability of U.S. superalloy producers to disruptions in resource supplies, NASA has undertaken a program to address alternatives to the super-alloys containing significant quantities of the strategic materials such as chromium, cobalt, niobium, and tantalum. The research program called Conservation of Strategic Aerospace Materials (COSAM) focuses on substitution, processing, and alternate materials to achieve its goals. In addition to NASA Lewis Research Center, universities and industry play an important role in the COSAM Program. This paper defines what is meant by strategic materials in the aerospace community, presents a strategic materials index, and reviews the resource supply and availability picture from the U.S. point of view. In addition, research results from the COSAM Program are highlighted and future directions for the use of low strategic material alloys or alternate materials are discussed.
The Effect of Market Size on Fuel-Saving Technology Adoption in Passenger Vehicles

This paper looks at market size changes and fuel-saving technology adoption in the US new passenger vehicle market. An empirical analysis combines vehicle characteristics and sales from 1997 to 2013 with purchasing patterns by demographic group. The authors find that a 10% increase in market size raises power train efficiency by .3 percentage points. The report discusses the implications of these results including fuel price influence on the introduction of new vehicle technology; the effect of shifts in demographics; and impacts of fuel tax, feebate, or fuel economy standard increases.
Bad News : An Experiment in Computationally Assisted Performance

Dreams of the prospect of computational narrative suggest a future of deeply interactive and personalized fictional experiences that engage our empathy. But the gulf between our current moment and that future is vast. How do we begin to bridge that divide now, both for learning more specifics of these potentials and to create experiences today that can have some of their impact on audiences? We present Bad News, a combination of theatrical performance practices, computational support, and Wizard-of-Oz interaction techniques. These allow for rich, real-time interaction with a procedurally generated world. We believe our approach could enable other research groups to explore similar territory—and the resulting experience is engaging and affecting in ways that help strengthen the case for our envisioned futures and also makes the case for trying to field such experiences today (e.g., in experimental theater or location-based entertainment contexts). Bad News is a realized game enjoyed by players with varying degrees of performance experience, and won the Innovative Game Design track of the 2016 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) Student Game Competition.
Predictive Methodologies for Design of Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

The significant rise in bone-related injuries and diseases over the years has increased the need for bone grafting alternatives. The development of alternatives such as tissue engineered scaffolds depends on the fundamental understanding of the hierarchical and multiscale process of bone tissue regeneration. In this chapter, recent advances in the experimental and computational methodologies for the bone tissue engineering scaffolds design are presented. A new simulation-based multiscale in silico approach is discussed that provides predictive capabilities for time-dependent mechanical degradation behavior and also tailoring of properties of polymer nanocomposite scaffolds. The in silico modeling bridges molecular scale to macroscale and describes the influence of molecular interactions on the macroscale mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposite scaffolds. This chapter aims to provide a fundamental understanding of use of multiscale modeling approaches for design of bone tissue engineering scaffolds with predictive mechanical properties. The chapter also includes a review of the various modeling methodologies used in the multiscale approaches.
Defining “American” in the context of immigration: a case study of Helping Hands Elementary

ABSTRACTImmigration has dramatically changed the face of the nation in the last thirty years, yet it is unclear how children currently define “Americanness” in light of these demographic and cultural shifts. This research explores how elementary students define what it means to be American in the context of immigration-driven diversity. Based on a survey of fourth and fifth graders in an elementary school located in a high-immigrant community, the author shows that despite the diversity of the school and local surroundings, and the multicultural ideology espoused by school staff, students predominately defined “American” in ethnocultural terms – specifically, as white, US-born, and English-speaking. At the same time, a small group of students challenged this narrative and defined Americans in pluralist terms. This study suggests that schools aiming to create inclusive learning communities in an increasingly diverse nation may need more direct approaches to teaching a culturally pluralist model of America.
Body size and sexual size dimorphism in calanoid copepods

Patterns of sexual size dimorphism and body size in calanoid copepods are examined. We hypothesize that favorable conditions for development will result in large body size and high sexual size dimorphism among populations of a given species and that differences in this allometric relationship among species is governed by the male's role in insemination. We confirm that there is a greater advantage to large female size, normally the larger sex, when compared to males, hence leading to selection for developmental patterns favoring high size dimorphism. Individuals from populations of four centropagid copepod species were measured; other sizes were obtained from published sources. In the four species we examined, the relationships between prosome length and both clutch size and the ability to produce multiple clutches with one insemination were determined. Results show a trend toward hyperallometry in all centropagid species examined: sexual size dimorphism increases with increasing size. Large females produce larger clutches and more additional clutches on one insemination. That hyperallometry is not observed in diaptomid copepods may result from the greater role the male plays in reproduction. Males are needed for each clutch produced, hence the selective pressure to be larger is greater than that in the centropagidae.
Compiling Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms for probabilistic modeling

The problem of probabilistic modeling and inference, at a high-level, can be viewed as constructing a (model, query, inference) tuple, where an inference algorithm implements a query on a model. Notably, the derivation of inference algorithms can be a difficult and error-prone task. Hence, researchers have explored how ideas from probabilistic programming can be applied. In the context of constructing these tuples, probabilistic programming can be seen as taking a language-based approach to probabilistic modeling and inference. For instance, by using (1) appropriate languages for expressing models and queries and (2) devising inference techniques that operate on encodings of models (and queries) as program expressions, the task of inference can be automated. In this paper, we describe a compiler that transforms a probabilistic model written in a restricted modeling language and a query for posterior samples given observed data into a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) inference algorithm that implements the query. The compiler uses a sequence of intermediate languages (ILs) that guide it in gradually and successively refining a declarative specification of a probabilistic model and the query into an executable MCMC inference algorithm. The compilation strategy produces composable MCMC algorithms for execution on a CPU or GPU.
How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life

“Readers from the Middle Ages to modern times have been delighted and inspired by Cicero’s little book on aging” (xvi). Indeed, Marcus Tullius Cicero, the “famous Roman orator and statesman” (vii),...
URINE CORTISOL : CREATININE RATIO AS A SCREENING TEST FOR HYPERADRENOCORTICISM IN DOGS

A urine cortisol:creatinine (c:c) ratio, determined from a free-catch morning sample, was evaluated in each of 83 dogs as a screening test for hyper-adrenocorticism. The dogs evaluated were allotted to 3 groups, including 20 healthy dogs, 40 dogs with confirmed hyperadrenocorticism (HAC), and 23 dogs with polyuria and polydipsia not attributable to HAC (polyuria/polydipsia group; PU/PD). Overlap in the urine c:c ratios (mean +/- SEM), comparing results from the healthy dogs (5.7 x 10(-6) +/- 0.9) with those from the HAC dogs (337.7 x 10(-6) +/- 72.0) was not found. However, 11 (64%) of the 18 values from the PU/PD dogs (42.6 x 10(-6) +/- 9.4) were above the lowest ratio in the HAC group and 50% of the HAC group had a urine c:c ratio below the highest value in the PU/PD group. When the mean urine c:c ratio (+/- 2 SD) for the group of healthy dogs was used as a reference range, 100% of the HAC dogs and 18 (77%) of 23 dogs in the PU/PD group had abnormal urine c:c ratios. The sensitivity of the urine c:c ratio to discriminate dogs with HAC was 100%. The specificity of the urine c:c ratio was 22% and its diagnostic accuracy was 76%. On the basis of our findings, a urine c:c ratio within the reference range provides strong evidence to rule out HAC. However, abnormal urine c:c ratios are obtained from dogs with clinical diseases other than HAC. Therefore, measurement of a urine c:c ratio should not be used as the sole screening test to confirm a diagnosis of HAC.
Authoritarian Legality in China: Law, Workers, and the State

Can authoritarian regimes use democratic institutions to strengthen and solidify their rule? The Chinese government has legislated some of the most protective workplace laws in the world and opened up the judicial system to adjudicate workplace conflict, emboldening China's workers to use these laws. This book examines these patterns of legal mobilization, showing which workers are likely to avail themselves of these new protections and find them effective. Gallagher finds that workers with high levels of education are far more likely to claim these new rights and be satisfied with the results. However, many others, left disappointed with the large gap between law on the books and law in reality, reject the courtroom for the streets. Using workers' narratives, surveys, and case studies of protests, Gallagher argues that China's half-hearted attempt at rule of law construction undermines the stability of authoritarian rule. New workplace rights fuel workers' rising expectations, but a dysfunctional legal system drives many workers to more extreme options, including strikes, demonstrations and violence.
The Influence of Emotion and Culture on Language Representation and Processing

Research focused on the study of emotion, specifically how it is mentally represented in the human memory system, is of great importance within the study of cognition. The current chapter will examine the factors that make emotion words unique, as compared to other word types (e.g., concrete and abstract words) that have traditionally been of interest. In particular, key findings from studies where cognitive paradigms were used to explore emotion are emphasized (e.g., Stroop tasks, priming, implicit memory tests, eye tracking, etc.). This chapter will describe the factors that influence how those who know and use more than one language process and express emotion, and the role that language selection plays on the level of emotion that is activated and displayed. Finally, cross-cultural differences in emotion are examined, primarily as they relate to differences in individualistic and collectivistic contexts.
Design Constraints for Organic Metals and Superconductors

Organic solids can now be made with only non-metallic elements (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, etc.), which nevertheless can be metallic, or even superconducting. From the progress made since the synthesis of the first organic metal TTF-TCNQ in 1972–73 [1,2], design rules have emerged for new and technologically more interesting materials. These exotic compounds present synthetic and structure/property correlation challenges to the organic chemist, and have provided a veritable bonanza of interesting effects for the physicist (charge and spin density waves, Peierls transitions, Kohn anomalies, Mott-Hubbard insulators, magnetic field-induced Fermi surface instabilities, quantum Hall effects, and so on).
Hands-On Demonstration of Natural Substance Fluorescence in Simple Tree Extracts: Sycamore

Sycamore wood is a source of a blue, fluorescent, aqueous extract that exhibits dramatic pH dependence. The sycamore tree has two most prevalent species in the eastern USA, the native American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and the more globally present hybrid London planetree (Platanus x acerifolia), both being equally amenable to the demonstration. The primary fluorescent substance in the aqueous extract of the wood is scopoletin (6-methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin), a secondary metabolite of the tree generated in response to the injury of harvesting a specimen from the live tree. The fluorescence responds well to black light (365 nm) and violet (405 nm) excitation. The easy, attractive, and inexpensive demonstration of the extraction and fluorescence is described, and it is adaptable to hands-on activities like that described for narra wood (Pterocarpus indicus) earlier in this Journal. Updated information is provided on Pterocarpus wood species that exhibit excellent fluorescence in a similar manner.
Synthesis and Characterization of Neutral Ligand α-Diimine Complexes of Aluminum with Tunable Redox Energetics

The synthesis and full characterization of a series of neutral ligand α-diimine complexes of aluminum are reported. The compounds [Al(LAr)2Cl2)][AlCl4] [LAr = N,N′-bis(4-R-C6H4)-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diazabutadiene] are structurally analogous, as determined by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and solid-state X-ray diffraction, across a range of electron-donating [R = Me (2), tBu (3), OMe (4), and NMe2 (5)] and electron-withdrawing [R = Cl (6), CF3 (7), and NO2 (8)] substituents in the aryl side arm of the ligand. UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and electrochemistry were used to access the optical and electrochemical properties, respectively, of the complexes. Both sets of properties are shown to be dependent on the R substituent. Density functional theory calculations performed on the [Al(LPh)2Cl2)][AlCl4] complex (1) indicate primarily ligand-based frontier orbitals and were used to help support our discussion of both the spectral and electrochemical data. We also report the reaction of the LPh ligand with both A...
Neurologic Immune-related Adverse Events Associated with Check-point Inhibitors: A Case Study and Systematic Review of the Literature (P4.161)

Objective: To examine a fatal case of pembrolizumab-related myositis and systematically review published cases of neurologic irAEs in order to characterize the spectrum of neurologic involvement, therapeutic options and outcomes. Background: Immune check-point inhibitors (ICIs) constitute a novel class of cancer treatment approved for metastatic melanoma which function by enhancing antitumor immunity. This immune dysregulation is associated with a wide spectrum of immune related adverse events (irAEs). Neurologic irAEs are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality and have been increasingly identified in case reports. Clinical characteristics and management strategies for neurologic irAEs have not been well defined. Design/Methods: We searched PubMed through May 2017 for cases of neurologic irAEs related to ipilimumab, nivolumab or pembrolizumab. We report a case with pembrolizumab-related neurologic complications seen at our center. Results: Of 994 articles screened, 65 eligible articles comprising 73 patients were identified. The data exposes a great diversity of neurologic irAE’s with the most common being neuropathy in 21/73 patients (28.8%) followed by myositis in 18/73 (24.7%) and myasthenia gravis in 14/73 (19.2%). Despite use of immunotherapy in 94.7% of patients, only 31.9% of patients made a full recovery and there was a 20.3% mortality rate. Our patient treated with pembrolizumab developed autoimmune myositis and myasthenia gravis, supported by electromyography and muscle biopsy, which was ultimately fatal despite high dose corticosteroids. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the broad spectrum of neurologic irAEs affecting every level of the neurologic system. In contrast to non-neurological irAEs, these cases had a more protracted course and poorer response to treatment. As such, it is imperative that these potentially fatal adverse events be recognized early and treated aggressively. Disclosure: Dr. Juster-Switlyk has nothing to disclose. Dr. Johnson has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speakering, or other activities with AMO Pharma, AveXis and Strongbridge Pharma. Dr. Johnson has received compensation in an editorial capacity for Neurology Genetics. Dr. Johnson has received research support from Biogen Idec, Cytokinetics, AMO Pharma, AveXis and Ionis Pharmaceuticals.
Machinery of Environmental Response Mechanisms in Insects

Any attempt to discuss the high abundance and ecological success patterns of insect species in tropical environments must, in my view, take into account two major sorts of driving forces that have contributed to the elaboration of insects as a group and to the elaboration of the multiplicity of life styles represented within the group. I define life style in this context as the population parameters and habitat associations of particular genera and species within families of insects. Population parameters include age-specific fecundity and mortality schedules, developmental rate, and patterns of dispersion. The habitat is that portion of the overall environment of a region that supports breeding populations of particular species. The habitat may also include a large spectrum of “transient” species that do not breed there. I assume that insect species settle into those habitats that permit them to maintain levels of population abundance that usually prevent extinctions. Much of this book is devoted to discussions of various aspects of such patterns. In the present chapter, however, we examine some of the major properties of the generalized insect phenotype that have preadapted insects in general to the patterns and structure of environments. Thus an understanding of insectan success in terms of adapting to various kinds of environments warrants an appreciation for the vast evolutionary history of the group as well as contemporaneous ecological factors affecting phenotypic diversification at generic and species levels.
FACTORS INFLUENCING S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE LEVELS IN MAMMALIAN TISSUES

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the factors influencing S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) levels in mammalian tissues. SAMe is the active methyl donor involved in transmethylation of amines. Methionine, the precursor of this methyl donor, reacts with adenosine triphosphate and a liver activating enzyme to form SAMe. Tissue levels of SAMe can be assayed using a double label, isotope dilution method of reacting N-acetyl serotonin-H 3 with SAMe-C 14 in the presence of hydroxyindole-O-methyl transferase to make melatonin-H3-C 14 as the only labeled product extracted and counted to determine the radioactivity ratio, H 3 :C 14 . In general, tissue extract with unlabeled endogenous SAMe reduces the specific activity of the SAMe-C 14 , and thus produces melatonin with an increased H 3 : C 14 ratio. On the assumption that MAO inhibition would favor methyl transfer systems, a series of MAO inhibitors were tested for their effects on SAMe. Pargyline, a potent nonhydrazine, clearly produced a decrease in liver, and brain SAMe. A study of MAO inhibition with the MAO assay method of Wurtman and Axelrod revealed that pargyline depressed MAO activity to less than 1% of control in liver and brain, while pheniprazine, that did not significantly depress SAMe levels, was six to seven times less effective in doses used to survey the effects on SAMe.
Reworking Family Schemas

Schemas have no doubt become the cornerstone of contemporary cognitive therapy. As the cardiovascular system is to the human body, schemas are to the basis of thought and perception with all human beings. They function as the driving impetus for emotion and behavior. They have, in essence, become the template for all human experience.
Agreed-Upon Procedures

An agreed-upon procedures engagement is one in which a practitioner is engaged by a client to issue a report of findings based on the specific procedures performed on the subject matter. The auditor should not report on an engagement when specified parties do not agree upon the procedures performed or to be performed and do not take responsibility for the sufficiency of the procedures for their purposes. The subject matter of an agreed-upon procedures engagement may take many different forms and may be at a point in time or covering a period of time.
Human esophageal myofibroblast secretion of bone morphogenetic proteins and GREMLIN1 and paracrine regulation of squamous epithelial growth

We have previously shown myofibroblasts subjacent to the squamous epithelium in the normal human esophagus and an increase in esophagitis. Myofibroblast contribution to bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and to paracrine mediated epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in the human esophagus remains incompletely defined. We investigated BMP4 and BMP inhibitor GREM1 gene expression and protein levels in previously characterized human esophageal myofibroblast primary cultures and in a human esophageal myofibroblast cell line. We adapted human esophageal myofibroblast conditioned media into a 3D organotypic model to investigate the effect of myofibroblast secreted factors on squamous epithelial morphology, proliferation, differentiation and BMP signaling. Human esophageal myofibroblasts constitutively secrete GREM1 and increase BMP4 expression and BMP4 secretion in response to epithelial Hedgehog ligand SHH. Detection of secreted BMP4 is decreased in the presence of GREM1. Myofibroblast conditioned media increases epithelial proliferation and expression of basal markers p63 and CK14 leading to an overall increase in epithelial thickness. Epithelial BMP signaling increases with myofibroblast conditioned media. These findings were partially reversed with GREM1 inhibition. Our results demonstrate that myofibroblasts are potential sources of GREM1 and of BMP4 in the human esophagus and that human esophageal myofibroblast-epithelial paracrine interactions contribute in part to the regulation of epithelial growth.
Wasting time in The Committee-man Curried

Samuel Sheppard’s play pamphlet series The Committee-man Curried (1647) satirizes Parliamentary agents as corrupt, drunken, lascivious, and generally hypocritical. Since Sheppard wrote for Royalist newsbooks and celebrated King Charles I in his literary works during the English Civil Wars, his scorn for these opposition figures is not surprising. But throughout the play, Sheppard insists that, above all other ills, these assemblymen, excise collectors, priests, and moneylenders waste time. He shows them running late and shirking their responsibilities, depicts their sexual exploits as a mockery of good scheduling, and he likens their usurious moneylending to sodomy: wasted time leads to poor governance. In this article, I show that Sheppard blends quotidian images of timekeeping and oracular language to critique rule by Parliament. I contend that Sheppard’s scenes of prophecy and wasted time not only decry the committeemen of his present, but also interrogate the future consequences of their actions.
Gender Biases in the Collegiate Education System

Recently, societal norms have been changing as younger generations have started to break gender stereotypes. Because of these new social norms, a whole new world of opportunity has opened for women. This includes attending college or working in the business world. Women have enrolled in college, entered the workforce, and are working to improve life. With male and female population being both roughly 50%, there should be a correlation of male and female college acceptance rates. This study focused on the percent of females applying for college and their acceptance rates versus that of males. The results show, every year, the average percentage of female applicants accepted is higher than the average percentage of male applicants accepted. For five of the ten years followed, the chance the difference in the means watched is because of chance is too small, meaning there is a greater likelihood the difference is because of there being real differences between male and female applicants. The next steps would be to research further into the data and considering just studying the trends in two- and four-year schools only. Another interesting finding to look further into is why there is a negative correlation for the academic year variable with the percent of female and male applicants are accepted.
The majority of major amputations after resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta are associated with preadmission trauma

Abstract Objective Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a potentially life-saving intervention. However, recent reports of associations with limb loss and mortality have called its safety into question. We aimed to evaluate patient and hospital characteristics associated with major amputation and in-hospital mortality among patients undergoing REBOA for trauma. Methods The National Trauma Data Bank (2015-2017) was queried for patients presenting to trauma centers and treated with REBOA. We included REBOA performed on hospital day 1 in patients who survived 6 or more hours from presentation. Univariable and multivariable analyses evaluated associations with major amputation and in-hospital mortality. Results A total of 316 patients underwent REBOA and survived in the acute period after presentation. Overall, mean age was 45 ± 20 years and the majority were male (73%) and White (56%). Most patients presented to level I trauma centers (72%) after blunt injuries (79%) with an average Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 31 ± 15, indicating major trauma. In 15 patients (5%), there were 18 major amputations—7 above knee and 11 below knee. A subgroup of 11 amputations were either traumatic amputations (73%) or mangled limbs requiring amputation within 24 hours (27%). Of the remaining amputations, 71% were associated with ipsilateral vascular or orthopedic lower extremity injuries of serious to severe Abbreviated Injury Scale severity. Comparing patients with amputations with those without amputations, there were no significant differences in patient demographics, comorbidities, or hospital characteristics. During hospitalization, patients requiring amputation more frequently received open peripheral vascular interventions (40% vs 10%; P = .002), underwent similar numbers of endovascular interventions (6.7% vs 4.7%; P = .5), and more often developed compartment syndrome (13% vs 2%; P = .04). Overall, there were 110 deaths (35%). The major amputation prevalence was similar between patients who died vs those who survived (3.6% vs 5.3%; P = .5). In multivariable analysis, prehospital cardiac arrest (odds ratio [OR], 8.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.47-48.66; P = .02), penetrating vs blunt trauma (OR, 5.5; 95% CI, 1.05-28.82; P = .04), decreased Glasgow Coma Scale score (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05-1.32; P = .01), older age (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.10; P Conclusions The majority of major amputations in patients undergoing REBOA were secondary to the initial traumatic mechanism. Injury type and severity, as well as initial hemodynamic derangements, are associated with mortality after REBOA. Despite concerns about prohibitive limb complications of REBOA, baseline injuries seem to be the primary cause of limb loss, but further prospective analysis is needed.
Does Telepathy Threaten Mental Privacy

A long-standing concern (or at least a belief) about ESP, held by both skeptics and believers in the paranormal, is that if telepathy really occurs, then it might pose a threat to mental privacy. And it’s easy enough to see what motivates that view. Presumably we like to think that we enjoy privileged access to our own mental states. But if others could come to know telepathically what we’re thinking or feeling, then (among other disquieting prospects) that would mean that our sins of the heart and most embarrassing or repulsive fleeting thoughts would potentially be available for public inspection. But how well-founded is that belief or concern? To get a grip on the issues, we should begin by considering the valuable distinction (perhaps first mentioned by C.D. Broad--Broad, 1953, 1962) between telepathic (or clairvoyant) cognition and telepathic (or clairvoyant) interaction. As you would expect, every instance of the former would be an instance of the latter, but the converse doesn’t hold—that is, ESP interaction may occur without ESP cognition. To see why this matters, we must take a closer look. If telepathic cognition occurs at all, it would presumably be a form of non-sensorial knowledge about another individual’s state of mind. More specifically, it would be a state of affairs in which so-called “percipient” A comes to know something about a telepathic interaction A has with another individual B. And what kind of things might A telepathically come to know? Well, presumably, in its most robust (and most intrusively intimidating) form, A would learn what’s going on in B’s mind—that is, that B is having certain thoughts, perceptions, or emotions. But it would still be an instance of telepathic cognition—admittedly, less intimidating or threatening to one’s mental privacy—if A learned merely that B was the telepathic cause of A’s current thought or experience—that is, that B was directly influencing or interfering with A’s stream of consciousness, whether or not A’s resulting thoughts or experiences were those of B or known by A to be those of B.
Recent advances in the biosynthesis of RiPPs from multicore-containing precursor peptides

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) compose a large structurally and functionally diverse family of natural products. The biosynthesis system of RiPPs typically involves a precursor peptide comprising of a leader and core motif and nearby processing enzymes that recognize the leader and act on the core for producing modified peptides. Interest in RiPPs has increased substantially in recent years as improvements in genome mining techniques have dramatically improved access to these peptides and biochemical and engineering studies have supported their applications. A less understood, intriguing feature in the RiPPs biosynthesis is the precursor peptides of multiple RiPPs families produced by bacteria, fungi and plants carrying multiple core motifs, which we term "multicore". Herein, we present the prevalence of the multicore systems, their biosynthesis and engineering for applications.
Individual Differences in Context: Different Paths to Effect Individual and Team Creativity

Creativity is a vital driver to the survival and success of global organizations (Anderson, Potocnik, & Zhou, 2014). Creativity, the generation of useful and novel ideas, is central to the ultimate...
Becoming an 'adaptive' expert

Investigating student knowledge transfer and metacognitive activities at college CS departments and at coding bootcamps.
Isomers of emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water and sediment from the Cape Fear River, North Carolina, USA

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants found in many parts of the globe and in all environmental compartments. The phase out of legacy C8 PFAS has led to an increase in functionality of the carbon backbone chain to include ether linkages and branching points. With the increased production of functionalized PFAS, there remains a paucity of information regarding the occurrence of constitutional isomers in the environment. In this study, a series of novel PFAS constitutional isomers were detected by high resolution mass spectrometry and characterized by MS/MS in river water collected weekly over 40 weeks. Constitutional isomers of C4H2F8O4S1 (−1.8 ± 2.5 ppm) were detected for the first time in 83% of the samples analyzed and the MS/MS fragmentation patterns clearly indicated there were two coeluting isomers present. Two chromatographically resolved peaks with deprotonated molecular formula C7H1F14O5S1 (1.9 ± 2.7 and 2.2 ± 3.1 ppm) were detected in 85% of the samples measured. MS/MS fragmentation patterns and a standard provided by a fluorochemical manufacturer confirmed the two isomers. A series of novel chlorinated PFAS were detected (M-1: C11H1Cl1F20O5 0.9 ± 2.7 ppm and C14H1Cl1F26O6 2.1 ± 2.6 ppm) in 34% of the water samples analyzed. The exact structure is not confirmed. River sediment collected below the water sample location contained several of the compounds detected in the water column illustrating the connectivity between the environmental compartments. Results highlight the need for further studies on the occurrence of isomers and authentic standards to confirm structures.
The Angular Three-Point Correlation Function in the Quasilinear Regime

We calculate the normalized angular three-point correlation function (3PCF), $q$, as well as the normalized angular skewness, $s_3$, assuming the small-angle approximation, for a biased mass distribution in flat and open cold-dark-matter (CDM) models with Gaussian initial conditions. The leading-order perturbative results incorporate the explicit dependence on the cosmological parameters, the shape of the CDM transfer function, the linear evolution of the power spectrum, the form of redshift distribution function, and linear and nonlinear biasing, which may be evolving. Results are presented for different redshift distributions, including that appropriate for the APM Galaxy Survey, as well as for a survey with a mean redshift of $\bar{z} \simeq 1$ (such as the VLA FIRST Survey). Qualitatively, many of the results found for $s_3$ and $q$ are similar to those obtained in a related treatment of the spatial skewness and 3PCF (Buchalter & Kamionkowski 1999), such as a leading-order correction to the standard result for $s_3$ in the case of nonlinear bias (as defined for unsmoothed density fields), and the sensitivity of the configuration dependence of $q$ to both cosmological and biasing models. We show that since angular CFs are sensitive to clustering over a range of redshifts, the various evolutionary dependences included in our predictions imply that measurements of $q$ in a deep survey might better discriminate between models with different histories, such as evolving vs. non-evolving bias, that can have similar spatial CFs at low redshift. Our calculations employ a derived equation---valid for open, closed, and flat models---for obtaining the angular bispectrum from the spatial bispectrum in the small-angle approximation.
Cui Bono? Partisanship and Attitudes Toward Refugees

Objective This paper tests the hypothesis that the expected partisan affiliation of refugee populations partially explains why white conservatives and white liberals have different attitudes toward refugee resettlement in the United States. Method This was tested with a preregistered survey experiment that examined how attitudes toward refugee resettlement changed depending on the racial and political characteristics of a theoretical refugee population. Results Conservative opposition to refugee resettlement can be weakened if conservatives are given reasons to believe those refugees will support the Republican Party. At the same time, liberal support for refugees drops when they receive the same information. Conclusion Although white conservatives and white liberals exhibit different levels of racial prejudice, and this has consequences for their immigration and refugee policy preferences, their beliefs about how newcomers influence domestic partisan politics are also consequential.