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Our synthetic review of the relevant and related literatures on the ethics and effects of using AI in education reveals five qualitatively distinct and interrelated divides associated with access, representation, algorithms, interpretations, and citizenship. We open our analysis by probing the ethical effects of algorithms and how teams of humans can plan for and mitigate bias when using AI tools and techniques to model and inform instructional decisions and predict learning outcomes. We then analyze the upstream divides that feed into and fuel the algorithmic divide, first investigating access (who does and does not have access to the hardware, software, and connectivity necessary to engage with AI-enhanced digital learning tools and platforms) and then representation (the factors making data either representative of the total population or over-representative of a subpopulation's preferences, thereby preventing objectivity and biasing understandings and outcomes). After that, we analyze the divides that are downstream of the algorithmic divide associated with interpretation (how learners, educators, and others understand the outputs of algorithms and use them to make decisions) and citizenship (how the other divides accumulate to impact interpretations of data by learners, educators, and others, in turn influencing behaviors and, over time, skills, culture, economic, health, and civic outcomes). At present, lacking ongoing reflection and action by learners, educators, educational leaders, designers, scholars, and policymakers, the five divides collectively create a vicious cycle and perpetuate structural biases in teaching and learning. However, increasing human responsibility and control over these divides can create a virtuous cycle that improves diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. We conclude the article by looking forward and discussing ways to increase educational opportunity and effectiveness for all by mitigating bias through a cycle of progressive improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial energy conservation measures (ECMs) are important components of efforts to reduce global energy consumption and carbon emissions. To aid in assessing water conservation co-benefits of ECMs applied to industrial steam systems, this study proposes a combined energy-water conservation metric that captures the cost of conserved energy and water (CCEW) for common steam system-related ECMs. The proposed metric utilizes a fundamentals-based steam system model coupled with US industrial energy audit data to estimate potential water savings for 21 common ECMs in US industrial plants. At an average water cost of $0.71/kL ($2.66/1000 gal.), improvements to steam distribution, steam vents, de-aerator operation, steam traps, and steam leaks, which correlate to a reduction in steam generation requirements, are shown to have a CCEW that is 0.22 $/GJ lower than the conventional cost of conserved (CCE) for these ECMs. Furthermore, improvements to boiler system blowdown, which correlate to a reduction in liquid water purged from the system, are shown to have a CCEW that is 0.83 $/GJ lower than the CCE for this ECM. The study results demonstrate how broader consideration of water savings can improve the economic case for industrial ECMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oocyst sporozoite samples had a lower mapping rate (average mapping rate: I P. falciparum i oocyst sporozoites - 6.76%, I P. yoelii i oocyst sporozoites - 6.23%) compared to salivary gland sporozoite samples (average mapping rate: I P. falciparum i salivary gland sporozoites - 32.49%, I P. yoelii i salivary gland sporozoites - 17.03%). 1 RNA from purified P. falciparum or P. yoelii sporozoite isolated from oocysts or the salivary glands was assessed by RNA-seq, and transcript abundances compared by DEseq2. In addition, we observed an additional 88 I P. yoelii i and 47 I P. falciparum i transcripts in the seventh to the ninth decile that increase >10-fold in abundance in salivary gland sporozoites vs. oocyst sporozoites. [Extracted from the article]

Throughout the Pleistocene, early humans and carnivores frequented caves and large rock-shelters, usually generating bone accumulations. The well-preserved late Early Pleistocene sedimentary sequence at Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar (CNERQ) has provided substantial evidence concerning the behavioural and adaptive skills of early humans in Western Europe, such as butchery practices, lithic technology or tending fire, whilst also bearing witness to the bone-altering activities of carnivores. Recent fieldwork has allowed the re-examination of the spatial and taphonomical nature of the macrofaunal assemblage from the upper layers of Complex 2. These layers are somewhat different from most of the underlying sequence, in showing quite a high representation of cranial and post-cranial bones of large mammals, including several Megaloceroscarthaginiensis antlers. The presence of Crocuta sp. at Cueva Negra represents one of the earliest instances of this genus in Western Eurasia. Identification of several juvenile Crocuta sp. remains alongside coprolites and bones with carnivore damage, indicates sporadical hyaenid denning activity. Furthermore, the presence of bones with percussion and cut-marks near to several hammerstones suggests a clear albeit limited anthropogenic input. We interpret the available taphonomical and spatial evidence from these layers as reflecting a multi-patterned palimpsest, likely representing the non-simultaneous and short-lived co-existence of hyaenas, humans, and other small carnivores in the Cueva Negra palaeolandscape during the final phase of sedimentation preserved at the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose-induced insulin secretion, a hallmark of mature β-cells, is achieved after birth and is preceded by a phase of intense proliferation. These events occurring in the neonatal period are decisive for establishing an appropriate functional β-cell mass that provides the required insulin throughout life. However, key regulators of gene expression involved in functional maturation of β-cells remain to be elucidated. Here, we addressed this issue by mapping open chromatin regions in newborn versus adult rat islets using the ATAC-seq assay. We obtained a genome-wide picture of chromatin accessible sites (~ 100,000) among which 20% were differentially accessible during maturation. An enrichment analysis of transcription factor binding sites identified a group of transcription factors that could explain these changes. Among them, Scrt1 was found to act as a transcriptional repressor and to control β-cell proliferation. Interestingly, Scrt1 expression was controlled by the transcriptional repressor RE-1 silencing transcription factor (REST) and was increased in an in vitro reprogramming system of pancreatic exocrine cells to β-like cells. Overall, this study led to the identification of several known and unforeseen key transcriptional events occurring during β-cell maturation. These findings will help defining new strategies to induce the functional maturation of surrogate insulin-producing cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID) is one of the most severe side effects of chronic L-DOPA treatment in Parkinson's disease patients. [11C]DASB positron emission tomography (PET) provides a prominent tool to visualize and quantify serotonin transporter (SERT) pathology in vivo in patients and in animal models. To evaluate the effect of chronic L-DOPA treatment on SERT availability in an animal model of LID, we performed a longitudinal PET study.Procedures: Rats received a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion, and striatal and extrastriatal SERT expression levels were studied with [11C]DASB, a marker of SERT availability, before and after daily treatment with L-DOPA. Dyskinesias were evaluated at different time points over a period of 21 days.Results: [11C]DASB binding was found to be decreased after 6-OHDA lesions in the striatum, cortex, and hippocampus 5 weeks after 6-OHDA injection in the lesioned hemisphere of the rat brain. Chronic L-DOPA priming resulted in a relative preservation of SERT availability in the lesioned and healthy hemisphere compared to baseline measurements.Conclusions: Our longitudinal PET data support a preservation of SERT availability after the induction of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia, which is in line with previous reports in dyskinetic PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodium sporozoites are transmitted from infected mosquitoes to mammals, and must navigate the host skin and vasculature to infect the liver. This journey requires distinct proteomes. Here, we report the dynamic transcriptomes and proteomes of both oocyst sporozoites and salivary gland sporozoites in both rodent-infectious Plasmodium yoelii parasites and human-infectious Plasmodium falciparum parasites. The data robustly define mRNAs and proteins that are upregulated in oocyst sporozoites (UOS) or upregulated in infectious sporozoites (UIS) within the salivary glands, including many that are essential for sporozoite functions in the vector and host. Moreover, we find that malaria parasites use two overlapping, extensive, and independent programs of translational repression across sporozoite maturation to temporally regulate protein expression. Together with gene-specific validation experiments, these data indicate that two waves of translational repression are implemented and relieved at different times during sporozoite maturation, migration and infection, thus promoting their successful development and vector-to-host transition. Here, the authors report transcriptomes and proteomes of oocyst sporozoite and salivary gland sporozoite stages in rodent-infectious Plasmodium yoelii parasites and human infectious Plasmodium falciparum parasites and define two waves of translational repression during sporozoite maturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the method of standard additions (SAM) and of the use of internal standard (IS) in instrumental chemical analysis and their spread into other areas has been reviewed. Recorded applications of IS range from flame spectroscopy in 1877 through multiple techniques to current use in NMR and standard additions with isotopically labelled internal standards in hyphenated techniques. For SAM, applications stemmed from polarography in 1937 and spread to most instrumental methods. Some misconceptions on priorities are corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods for the determination of the authenticity of samples of mānuka honey are reviewed. Suggestions are made as to how to authenticate, or otherwise, the label claims for a given sample of mānuka honey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing the deployment of software in a cloud environment is one approach for maximizing system Quality-of-Service (QoS) and minimizing total cost. A traditional challenge to this optimization is the large amount of benchmarking required to optimize even simplistic cloud systems. This paper introduces $$\hbox {C}^2$$ RAM, an new approach to enable rapid, optimized deployment of software onto a cloud environment by substantially reducing the number of benchmarks required. $$\hbox {C}^2$$ RAM continues to perform some benchmarking, and therefore its predictions of application QoS metrics, such as throughput and latency, are very accurate. Our results show a maximum difference of 1.06 % between $$\hbox {C}^2$$ RAM predicted QoS and empirically measured QoS. Moreover, $$\hbox {C}^2$$ RAM can be provided with QoS requirements for each software in the system, and will ensure that each requirement is met before presenting a deployment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key problem in mobile computing is providing people access to cyber-information associated with their surrounding physical objects. Mobile augmented reality is one of the emerging techniques that addresses this problem by allowing users to see the cyber-information associated with real-world physical objects by overlaying that cyber-information on the physical objects' imagery. This paper presents a new vision-based context-aware approach for mobile augmented reality that allows users to query and access semantically-rich 3D cyber-information related to real-world physical objects and see it precisely overlaid on top of imagery of the associated physical objects. The approach does not require any RF-based location tracking modules, external hardware attachments on the mobile devices, and/or optical/fiducial markers for localizing a user's position. Rather, the user's 3D location and orientation are automatically and purely derived by comparing images from the user's mobile device to a 3D point cloud model generated from a set of pre-collected photographs. Our approach supports content authoring where collaboration on editing the content stored in the 3D cloud is possible and content added by one user can be immediately accessible by others. In addition, a key challenge of scalability for mobile augmented reality is addressed in this paper. In general, mobile augmented reality is required to work regardless of users' location and environment, in terms of physical scale, such as size of objects, and in terms of cyber-information scale, such as total number of cyber-information entities associated with physical objects. However, many existing approaches for mobile augmented reality have mainly tested their approaches on limited real-world use-cases and have challenges in scaling their approaches. By designing a multi-model based direct 2D-to-3D matching algorithms for localization, as well as applying a caching scheme, the proposed research consistently supports near real-time localization and information association regardless of users' location, size of physical objects, and number of cyber-physical information items. Empirical results presented in the paper show that the approach can provide millimeter-level augmented reality across several hundred or thousand objects without the need for additional non-imagery sensor inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many seemingly simple questions that individual users face in their daily lives may actually require substantial number of computing resources to identify the right answers. For example, a user may want to determine the right thermostat settings for different rooms of a house based on a tolerance range such that the energy consumption and costs can be maximally reduced while still offering comfortable temperatures in the house. Such answers can be determined through simulations. However, some simulation models as in this example are stochastic, which require the execution of a large number of simulation tasks and aggregation of results to ascertain if the outcomes lie within specified confidence intervals. Some other simulation models, such as the study of traffic conditions using simulations may need multiple instances to be executed for a number of different parameters. Cloud computing has opened up new avenues for individuals and organizations with limited resources to obtain answers to problems that hitherto required expensive and computationally-intensive resources. This paper presents SIMaaS, which is a cloud-based Simulation-as-a-Service to address these challenges. We demonstrate how lightweight solutions using Linux containers (e.g., Docker) are better suited to support such services instead of heavyweight hypervisor-based solutions, which are shown to incur substantial overhead in provisioning virtual machines on-demand. Empirical results validating our claims are presented in the context of two case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychosocial and personality factors are known to contribute to the maintenance of and recovery from chronic pain conditions but less is known about their influence on the efficacy of pain treatment programs. The purpose of the present study is to examine the ability of the Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic (MBMD), a broadband measure of personality and psychosocial characteristics, to predict response to multidisciplinary pain treatment. 93 patients completed the MBMD, and ratings of current pain and average pain on an 11 point scale, prior to a multidisciplinary pain management program. Ratings of current and average pain were completed upon program completion. Participants were classified as “successful” or “unsuccessful” program completers based on pain reductions of ≥2 points. After program completion, 47 % of participants evidenced successful pain reductions. These successful participants had lower scores on depression and on coping style scales measuring introversive, inhibited, and dejected tendencies at baseline. Additionally, lower pre-treatment depression scores and lower scores on each of these coping style scales predicted lower pain ratings at discharge independent of educational level and pre-treatment pain ratings. The MBMD may be a useful tool to delineate patients who are likely to make significant treatment gains in intense, multidisciplinary pain treatment programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is an increased sensitivity to stress along with declines in the memory-associated neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor in AD. We have replicated this aging phenotype in cultured neurons from aged mice despite being grown in the same environmental conditions as young neurons. This led us to hypothesize that age-related differences in epigenetic acetylation and methylation of histones are associated with age-related gene regulation. We cultured hippocampal/cortical neurons from the 3xTg-AD mouse model and from non-transgenic mice to quantify single cell acetylation and methylation levels across the life span. In non-transgenic neurons, H3 acetylation was unchanged with age, while H4 acetylation decreased with age of the donor. Compared to non-transgenic neurons, 3xTg-AD neurons had higher levels of H3 and H4 acetylation beginning at 4 months of age. In contrast to non-transgenic neurons, 3xTg-AD neurons increased acetylation with age; 3xTg-AD neurons also responded differently to inhibition of histone deacetylases at an early age. Importantly, treatment of non-transgenic neurons with the AD peptide Aβ also elevated levels of acetylation. We also examined the repressive function of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation. H3K9 methylation increased with age in non-transgenic neurons, which was amplified further in 3xTg-AD neurons. The dominant effect of higher H3K9 methylation was supported by lower Bdnf gene expression in non-transgenic and 3xTg-AD mice. These data show that the epigenetic states of non-transgenic and 3xTg-AD brain neurons are profoundly different and reversible, beginning at 4 months of age when the first memory deficits are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of illegal dyes such as the Sudan reds in spices is a well-recognised problem, and numerous methods of analysis have been described for their determination. However, some spice-derived matrices present particular problems. Oleoresins, complex extracts of spices containing phenolic natural pigments and terpene-like lipids, are used in the formulation of oriental sauces, pickles and processed spiced meals and hence likely to penetrate far into the food chain. Described herein is a case in which a false positive finding of one of the less commonly used illegal dyes in an oleoresin had the potential to trigger a costly food recall. Rapid resolution of the false positive by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) came at the cost of subsequent decontamination of the instrument, incurring significant downtime. The analytical difficulties posed by the presence of a surfactant to improve oleoresin dispersive properties with other foods are discussed. We conclude that as LC-UV methods cannot deal with the possible matrix interferences, they must not be used for the analyses of illegal dyes in spice oleoresins. A combination of gel permeation chromatography with liquid-liquid and solid-phase cleanup is described that enables facile deployment of LC-MS/MS to an oleoresin-surfactant matrix for the forensically robust determination of dimethyl yellow at concentrations below the current 'action limit' for illegal dyes of 500 μg kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morpholine is a precursor of carcinogenic nitrosamines and although the possibility of their formation in the human stomach after ingestion of morpholine-treated apples is reported as highly unlikely morpholine has not been authorised as a food additive in the EU. Methods for its detection are required since it is permitted in other jurisdictions and may be present on food through direct treatment of fruit with waxes containing the compound, through steam treatment during processing or from packaging. Methods using derivatising agents with the inclusion of UV chromophores such as dansyl chloride yield good separation and high sensitivity but with mass spectrometric fragment ions predominantly originated from the derivatising group rather than the morpholine moiety. An amine acetylation derivatisation method is proposed from which fragment ions originating from the morpholine group are detected using widely available GC-MS. With full validation, a forensically robust confirmation of the presence of morpholine via its N-acetyl derivative is possible in support of regulatory analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple studies have confirmed the contribution of rare de novo copy number variations to the risk for autism spectrum disorders. But whereas de novo single nucleotide variants have been identified in affected individuals, their contribution to risk has yet to be clarified. Specifically, the frequency and distribution of these mutations have not been well characterized in matched unaffected controls, and such data are vital to the interpretation of de novo coding mutations observed in probands. Here we show, using whole-exome sequencing of 928 individuals, including 200 phenotypically discordant sibling pairs, that highly disruptive (nonsense and splice-site) de novo mutations in brain-expressed genes are associated with autism spectrum disorders and carry large effects. On the basis of mutation rates in unaffected individuals, we demonstrate that multiple independent de novo single nucleotide variants in the same gene among unrelated probands reliably identifies risk alleles, providing a clear path forward for gene discovery. Among a total of 279 identified de novo coding mutations, there is a single instance in probands, and none in siblings, in which two independent nonsense variants disrupt the same gene, SCN2A (sodium channel, voltage-gated, type II, ? subunit), a result that is highly unlikely by chance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been several instances worldwide of children and elderly people choking to death on soft slippery dome-shaped jellies that are designed to be placed in the mouth in one bite. This problem was addressed in the European Union by the provisions of Directive 2006/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council prohibiting the use of a range of gel-forming additives in jelly mini-cups. Unfortunately, the definition given in the Directive of what exactly constitutes a 'jelly mini-cup' remains open to interpretation. We present a case study illustrating a recommended analytical strategy, including characteristics such as size, weight and insolubility in artificial saliva to determine if such a product falls within the Directive's definition and thus represents a potential choking risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colonic homeostasis entails epithelium-lymphocyte cooperation, yet many participants in this process are unknown. We show here that epithelial microRNAs mediate the mucosa-immune system crosstalk necessary for mounting protective T helper type 2 (TH2) responses. Abolishing the induction of microRNA by gut-specific deletion of Dicer1 (Dicer1Δgut), which encodes an enzyme involved in microRNA biogenesis, deprived goblet cells of RELMβ, a key TH2 antiparasitic cytokine; this predisposed the host to parasite infection. Infection of Dicer1Δgut mice with helminths favored a futile TH1 response with hallmarks of inflammatory bowel disease. Interleukin 13 (IL-13) induced the microRNA miR-375, which regulates the expression of TSLP, a TH2-facilitating epithelial cytokine; this indicated a TH2-amplification loop. We found that miR-375 was required for RELMβ expression in vivo; miR-375-deficient mice had significantly less intestinal RELMβ, which possibly explains the greater susceptibility of Dicer1Δgut mice to parasites. Our findings indicate that epithelial microRNAs are key regulators of gut homeostasis and mucosal immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mahjong is a popular gambling game played in Chinese communities all over the world (Papineau, China Perspect 28:29–42, ) and is sometimes referred to as ‘国赌’ ( guodu, the Chinese national gambling game) or ‘修长城’ ( xiu changcheng, repairing the Great Wall). Exploratory studies using snowball sampling conducted by Zheng et al. (J Psychol Chin Soc 9(2):241–262, ) indicated that Mahjong is not only a popular pastime within the Sydney Chinese community but also problematic for around 3% of players. The current study aimed to extend earlier studies by estimating the prevalence of Mahjong problem gambling in a random sample of Sydney Chinese community members. In addition, due to first-hand gambling experience of the first author with superstitious Mahjong players, the study also investigated the role of superstitious beliefs in Mahjong gambling. The current study involved a series of self-report questionnaires administered to 469 randomly selected Chinese Australians in Sydney. The problem gambling rate, assessed by the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI), was 3.8%, with Chinese males and older Chinese prominent. Superstitious beliefs were found to play a part in the maintenance of Mahjong gambling behaviour. Information stemming from the current study has helped gain insight into culturally specific forms of gambling, and to identify correlates of problem gamblers. Funding bodies and counselling services should be aware of the existence of this form of gambling, and should devise appropriate treatment plans for Mahjong problem gamblers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the attitudes of sample populations of urban, suburban and rural police officers in New Jersey in regard to a hypothetical use of force scenario. The aim of the study is to identify similarities and differences in the perceptions of officers who are faced with the same type of hypothetical situations but who are exposed to different training, procedural and environmental factors. Police officers in the United States receive different types of training in each state that might influence their attitudes towards the use of force. A pilot study was conducted comparing two urban police departments from two different states and showed some differences in the attitudes of the surveyed officers. To further explore these differences, a more refined look at three police departments in one state (New Jersey) was conducted as part of a doctoral dissertation of the lead author. Research questions are aimed at identifying the differences in the frameworks for the justification of force based on a host of variables. The research questions stipulated that there will be some significant differences in attitudes towards the use of force by the officers, based on physical location of the communities they police. The findings of the study identified additional factors that might influence the officers’ attitudes. Twelve focus groups, four at each of the sites, were analyzed and it appears that there may be a geographic and demographic influence on how the officers respond to the scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a proangiogenic molecule produced by melanoma cells. We hypothesized that administration of bevacizumab (Bev), a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes VEGF, with low-dose interferon alfa-2b (IFN-α2b), an inhibitor of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF), would lead to the regression of metastatic melanoma. Patients with metastatic melanoma were randomized to receive Bev (15 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks) with or without low-dose IFN-α2b (1 MU/m2 subcutaneously daily). Patients exhibiting a clinical response or stable disease after 12 weeks were treated until disease progression. Thirty-two patients (16 per arm) were accrued (18 male, 14 female; mean age 57.5 years). Both regimens were well tolerated. Six patients developed easily managed exacerbations of preexisting hypertension. Two patients developed grade 3 proteinuria that resolved after a treatment break. IFN-α2b therapy was associated with grade 1 to 2 constitutional symptoms. Arterial thromboembolic complications were observed in three patients (two mild myocardial infarctions, one transient ischemic attack), all of whom had risk factors. One patient (Bev plus IFN-α2b arm) had locally recurrent scalp disease that partially responded to therapy. Eight patients (five Bev, three Bev plus IFN-α2b) had prolonged disease stabilization (24 to 146 weeks). Plasma levels of VEGF and FGF did not correlate with any clinical parameter. The patient with the longest period of stable disease had the highest baseline VEGF and FGF. Bev was well tolerated at this dose and prolonged disease stabilization was achieved in one-quarter of metastatic melanoma patients. Low-dose IFN-α2b did not augment the activity of Bev. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of three proposed modifications to the structural characteristics of electronic gaming machines as harm minimisation strategies for non-problem and probable problem gamblers. Structural changes included reducing the maximum bet size, reducing reel spin and removing large note acceptors. Behavioural patterns of play were observed in 779 participants attending clubs and hotels. Observations were conducted in the gaming venue during regular gaming sessions. Eight experimental machines were designed to represent every combination of the modifications. 210 participants played at least one modified and one unmodified machine. Following play, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) was administered. More problem than non-problem gamblers used high denomination bill acceptors and bet over one-dollar per wager. Machines modified to accept the one-dollar maximum bet were played for less time and were associated with smaller losses, fewer individual wagers and lower levels of alcohol consumption and smoking. It was concluded that the reduction of maximum bet levels was the only modification likely to be effective as a harm minimization strategy for problem gamblers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is used as an adjuvant therapy in patients with malignant melanoma and who have undergone surgical resection of high-risk lesions. Defective expression or activation of STAT1 or STAT2 has been shown to correlate with IFN-α or resistance in vitro; however, recent data from our laboratory suggest that the anti-tumor effects of IFN-α are dependent on STAT1 signaling within host immune cells. We measured STAT1 and STAT2 expression in 28 melanoma biopsies (8 cutaneous lesions; 1 lung metastasis; 19 nodal metastases) obtained from patients prior to the initiation of adjuvant IFN-α therapy. Disease recurrence following IFN-α treatment did not correlate with the staining intensity of either STAT1 ( P=0.61) or STAT2 ( P=0.52). Tumors with minimal STAT1 or STAT2 expression (<20% positive) were present in four patients with tumor-positive lymph nodes, who exhibited prolonged relapse-free survival (>44 months) following adjuvant therapy. Conversely, high levels of STAT1 were present in a patient who recurred during the course of IFN-α therapy. A case study of one patient who experienced recurrent disease during IFN-α treatment revealed that STAT1 levels were greater in the recurrent tumor when compared to the original lesion. These studies provide direct evidence to suggest that levels of STAT1 and STAT2 within the tumor do not influence a patient’s response to adjuvant IFN-α. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive therapy is a relatively new approach to the treatment of pathological gambling. Theoretically, there are strong grounds for believing that cognitive treatments will be effective in helping individuals cut back and stop excessive levels of gambling. However, there is evidence that cognitive therapy for pathological gambling is being confused with cognitive-behaviour therapy. In this paper, the distinction between treatments that are cognitive and those that are cognitive-behavioural is highlighted. Such a distinction has strong implications for the manualisation of therapy. Additionally, a range of problems that confront the evaluation of all therapies for pathological gambling is considered, Spontaneous recovery without therapeutic intervention has been documented in both field studies of both problem and non-problem players and controlled trials of cognitive therapy compared to a waiting list control group. The implications of the phenomenon of spontaneous recovery for the evaluation of cognitive therapy are described. Other problems common to all evaluations of psychotherapies are considered in relation to gambling and recommendations made for outcome study designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans, the greater omentum is a fatty peritoneal fold that extends from the greater curvature of the stomach to cover most abdominal organs. It performs many functions, which include acting as a reservoir of resident peritoneal inflammatory cells, a storage site for lipid, and a regulator of fluid exchange in and out of the peritoneal cavity. Most importantly, the omentum readily adheres to areas of inflammation and peritoneal damage, often leading to adhesion formation. Despite its clinical importance, the omentum remains an understudied organ, and discrepancies exist as to its exact morphology. This study uses a combination of phase contrast microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to elucidate the structure of the greater omentum of both human and mouse and determine whether it possesses a typical surface mesothelial cell lining similar to other serosa. Results indicated that both human and murine omenta were of similar structure and composed of two distinct types of tissue, one adipose-rich and the other translucent and membranous. The adipose-rich regions were well-vascularised and covered by a continuous mesothelial cell layer except at the sites of milky spots. In contrast, translucent areas were poorly vascularised and contained numerous fenestrations of varying size. The possible function and developmental origin of these gaps is unclear; however, their role in promoting omental adhesion formation and in the successful use of omental graft material is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two conflicting hypotheses compete to explain how a homing pigeon can return to its loft over great distances. One proposes the use of atmospheric odours and the other the Earth's magnetic field in the‘map’step of the‘map and compass’hypothesis of pigeon homing. Although magnetic effects on pigeon orientation provide indirect evidence for a magnetic‘map’, numerous conditioning experiments have failed to demonstrate reproducible responses to magnetic fields by pigeons. This has led to suggestions that homing pigeons and other birds have no useful sensitivity to the Earth's magnetic field. Here we demonstrate that homing pigeons (Columba livia) can discriminate between the presence and absence of a magnetic anomaly in a conditioned choice experiment. This discrimination is impaired by attachment of a magnet to the cere, local anaesthesia of the upper beak area, and bilateral section of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, but not of the olfactory nerve. These results suggest that magnetoreception (probably magnetite-based) occurs in the upper beak area of the pigeon. Traditional methods of rendering pigeons anosmic might therefore cause simultaneous impairment of magnetoreception so that future orientation experiments will require independent evaluation of the pigeon's magnetic and olfactory systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Acjachemen Indians of San Juan Capistrano, California, have a rich history predating the establishment of the Spanish Missions. The Acjachemen have many uses for the plants indigenous to the area. The Blue or Mexican Elderberry, Sambucus mexicana C. Presl, Caprifoliaceae, continues to be a plant of great importance to the Acjachemen people. Known as the "tree of music," its wood is used in the construction of the clapperstick, a percussion instrument used to accompany song. We documented the construction stages of the clapperstick by Acjachemen artisans: harvest, woodworking, and decoration. Tribal elders granted permission to document the process with videotape and photographs. While the methods and tools employed in the process have changed over time, the cultural importance of the clapperstick has not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is gaining acceptance as an alternative to axillary lymph node dissection. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and pattern of disease recurrence after SLNB. Methods: Two-hundred twenty-two consecutive patients undergoing SLNB from April 6, 1998, to October 27, 1999, and who were ≥24 months out from their procedure were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Retrospective chart review and data analysis were performed to identify variables predictive of recurrence. Results: The median patient follow-up was 32 months (range, 24–43 months). A total of 159 patients (72%) were sentinel lymph node (SLN) negative and had no further axillary treatment. Five of these patients (3.1%) developed a recurrence (one local and four distant), with no isolated regional (axillary) recurrences. Sixty-three patients (28%) were SLN positive and underwent a subsequent axillary lymph node dissection. Six of these patients (9.5%) developed a recurrence (three local, one regional, and two distant). Pathologic tumor size ( P < .001), lymphovascular invasion ( P = .018), and a positive SLN ( P = .048) were all statistically significantly associated with disease recurrence. Conclusions:With a minimum follow-up of 24 months, patients with a negative SLN and no subsequent axillary treatment demonstrate a low frequency of disease recurrence. This supports the use of SLNB as the sole axillary staging procedure in SLN-negative patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an ideal secret sharing scheme, the access structure is uniquely determined by its minimal sets Δs. The purpose of this paper is to characterise Δs. We introduce the concept of strong connectivity and show that under this equivalence relation, an ideal secret sharing scheme decomposes into threshold schemes. We also give a description of the minimal sets that span the strong connectivity classes. As a result we obtain a necessary condition on the types of subsets that are allowed in an ideal access structure as well as an upper bound on the number of such access structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elasmobranchs possess a multiplicity of mechanisms controlling posture and short distance orientation. Visual–vestibular contributions to posture and locomotion are well documented. So too, are the contributions of vision, olfaction and the octavolateralis senses to short distance orientation, particularly orientation to specific environmental stimuli such as those generated by prey. Less well understood are the mechanisms guiding orientation over longer distances. Anecdotal and systematic observations of behaviour show tidal, daily, repeat long distance, and even seasonal movement patterns. True navigation has not been demonstrated in elasmobranchs and the sensory mechanisms underlying the above movement patterns remain largely speculative. However, they are likely to include responses to water currents, and physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, and the geomagnetic field. Of particular interest in elasmobranchs is that geomagnetic orientation could be mediated directly via a magnetite based sensory system, or indirectly via the electrosensory system. Systematic studies of movement patterns and experimental studies of the underlying mechanisms of orientation are required to gain an increased understanding of orientation and navigation in this intriguing group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the components of a magnetite-based magnetic sense in rainbow trout, or Oncorhynchus mykiss. Identification of iron-rich crystals in a sublayer of the olfactory lamellae as single-domain magnetite. Analysis of the candidate receptors, which revealed the arrangement of the crystals; Consistency of the findings with a magnetite-based detection mechanism previously reported in the trout.

The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) is widely used to assess the prevalence of pathological gambling. For a variety of reasons, this instrument may not provide an accurate rate of the prevalence of pathological gambling. In this paper, one source of error in data provided by the SOGS is investigated. It is argued that individuals may not fully understand the meaning of some items, and that clarification of the meaning of misunderstood items may in some cases lead to a changed score on the scale. The present study evaluates respondents' understanding of the SOGS items. The results from three studies are reported, each using a different sample: grade school children, adolescents and adults. It was hypothesised that (1) participants would not understand some items of the SOGS, (2) problem gamblers and probable pathological gamblers would be more inclined to interpret items incorrectly than would non-problem gamblers and, (3) consistent with the first two hypotheses, clarification of items would decrease the number of participants identified as problem gamblers or probable pathological gamblers. The data obtained supported hypotheses 1 and 3. Furthermore, hypothesis 2 was supported for grade school children, but not for adolescents or adults. These results are consistent with recent literature on endorsement and acquiescence phenomena, and have implications for prevalence studies of probable pathological gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents research which described the key components of a magnetic sense underpinning navigational ability in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Behavioral and electrophysical responses to magnetic fields; Magnetoreceptor cells in trout's nose; Pathway of magnetoreceptor cells to brain; Learned response to magnetic fields.

There is a great similarity between the zero-knowledge proof of quadratic residuocity presented by Goldwasser-Micali-Rackoff and the graph isomorphism proof presented by Goldreich-Micali-Wigderson. There is also a resemblance between the zero-knowledge proofs of Fiat-Shamir, Chaum-Evertse-van de Graaf, Beth and Guillou-Quisquater. A similar observation holds for zero-knowledge proofs based on encryption: the 3-colourability proofs and the Hamiltonian-circuit proofs of Blum and Goldreich-Micali-Wigderson, and the Brassard-Chaum-Crepeau proof for SAT. Feige, Fiat and Shamir introduced the concept of zero-knowledge proofs of knowledge. In this paper we present a general zero-knowledge scheme which unifies all these Arthur-Merlin proofs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three experiments assessed the effects of prime-processing instructions on associative-priming in word identification and episodic memory for primes. In Experiment 1, groups instructed to read the prime silently or generate silently an associate of the prime showed a larger accuracy benefit for related over unrelated targets than did a group that decided whether an asterisk was to the right or left of the prime. The asterisk-search group showed a weaker repetition effect on a subsequent identification test of primes, indicating that the weaker priming in this group was a result of poorer perceptual processing. On a cued-recall test for primes, the generate group was superior to the other groups. In Experiment 2, we found that with weak prime-target associations, priming was comparable for read and generate groups and stronger than estimated for a guessing strategy, on the basis of single predictions made from each prime by an additional group. In Experiment 3, we demonstrated that the read and generate instructions produced similar mispriming and inhibitory effects. The results suggest that the depths of prime-processing manipulations do not have parallel effects on priming and episodic memory, and that associative priming in word identification, as in other tasks, may involve an expectancy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]