Controlled access to the border of the Mott insulating state by variation of control parameters offers exotic electronic states such as anomalous and possibly high-transition-temperature (T
) ...superconductivity. The alkali-doped fullerides show a transition from a Mott insulator to a superconductor for the first time in three-dimensional materials, but the impact of dimensionality and electron correlation on superconducting properties has remained unclear. Here we show that, near the Mott insulating phase, the upper critical field H
of the fulleride superconductors reaches values as high as ∼90 T-the highest among cubic crystals. This is accompanied by a crossover from weak- to strong-coupling superconductivity and appears upon entering the metallic state with the dynamical Jahn-Teller effect as the Mott transition is approached. These results suggest that the cooperative interplay between molecular electronic structure and strong electron correlations plays a key role in realizing robust superconductivity with high-T
and high-H
.
We conducted two experiments that tested for conflation of fictitious disease awareness and prescription drug promotional communications in a television advertising context and whether similarity, ...proximity, and number of exposures to the disease awareness communication contributed to this conflation. Study 1 involved a 1-h television segment, and Study 2 used a longitudinal design with participants exposed to communications over time. The promoted product was indicated to treat asthma. Participants (Study 1,
= 2190; Study 2,
= 1621) were adults who had experienced asthma or asthma symptoms. In Study 1, mere exposure to disease awareness communication prompted benefit and risk conflation, but the degree of similarity or proximity did not have an effect. In Study 2, similar ads prompted greater conflation of benefits than distinct ads, and greater conflation of risks occurred with greater proximity to disease awareness and promotional communications. In addition, asthma knowledge, health literacy, and perceived ad effectiveness increased conflation of benefits in both studies but tended not to modify the impact of similarity or proximity. The findings demonstrate the potential for disease awareness communications to confuse consumers regarding the benefits and risks of a drug.
•Exercise avoidance mediated the relation between body dissatisfaction and exercise.•Embarrassment mediated the relation between dissatisfaction and exercise avoidance.•Fatigue mediated the relation ...between body dissatisfaction and exercise avoidance.
Body dissatisfaction is linked to poor physical health, even after actual markers of health have been controlled for. This link is likely due to body dissatisfaction influencing health behaviors—more specifically, cardiovascular exercise. Modifiable reasons for this link have yet to be determined. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate whether active avoidance of exercise may explain the association of body dissatisfaction with exercise, and, if so, whether perceived barriers to exercise account for the association of body dissatisfaction and exercise avoidance. Baseline measures were collected via survey; physical activity was measured over time, via self-report. As expected, avoidance mediated the prospective relationship between dissatisfaction and exercise. Additionally, the relationship between body dissatisfaction and avoidance was mediated by embarrassment and fatigue. Interventions that boost body satisfaction and/or address perceptions of fatigue and embarrassment may be needed for individuals with body dissatisfaction to be more likely to participate in exercise-related programs.
This study examines whether participation in an 18-month behavioral intervention shown previously to improve overall diet quality inadvertently increases disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) in youth ...with type 1 diabetes and investigates the association of DEB with multiple measures of glycemic control and variability.
Participants reported DEB and diabetes management at baseline and 6, 12, and 18 months; masked continuous glucose monitoring, HbA
, and 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) were obtained concurrently. Linear mixed models estimated the intervention effect on DEB, the association of DEB with diabetes adherence and measures of glycemic control and variability, and whether DEB modified glycemic trajectories.
There was no intervention effect on DEB (
= 0.84). DEB was associated with higher HbA
(
= 0.001), mean sensor glucose (
= 0.001), and percent sensor glucose values >180 mg/dL (
= <0.001); with lower 1,5-AG (
= 0.01); and with worse diabetes adherence (
= 0.03). DEB was not associated with percent sensor glucose values <70 mg/dL or any measures of glycemic variability. There was a significant DEB × time interaction effect for mean sensor glucose (
= 0.05) and percent sensor glucose values >180 mg/dL (
= 0.04). Participants reporting less DEB had a developmentally expected deterioration in glycemic control throughout the study. Participants reporting more DEB had poor glycemic control at baseline that remained poor throughout the study.
Findings show a potential to improve diet quality without increasing DEB and indicate an association of DEB with persistent hyperglycemia but not hypoglycemia or glycemic variability.
To analyze prognostic factors, effects of treatment, and survival for patients with cerebral metastases from melanoma.
All melanoma patients with cerebral metastases treated at the Sydney Melanoma ...Unit between 1952 and 2000 were identified. From 1985 to 2000, patients were diagnosed and treated using consistent modern techniques and this cohort was analyzed in detail. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors for survival was performed.
A total of 1137 patients with cerebral metastases were identified; 686 were treated between 1985 and 2000. For these 686 patients, the median time from primary diagnosis to cerebral metastasis was 3.1 years (range, 0 to 41 years). A total of 646 patients (94%) have died as a result of melanoma. The median survival from the time of diagnosis of cerebral metastasis was 4.1 months (range, 0 to 17.2 years). Treatment was as follows: surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, 158 patients; surgery alone, 47 patients; radiotherapy alone, 236 patients; and supportive care alone, 210 patients. Median survival according to treatment received for these four groups was 8.9, 8.7, 3.4, and 2.1 months, respectively; the differences between surgery and nonsurgery groups were statistically significant. On multivariate analysis, significant factors associated with improved survival were surgical treatment (P <.0001), no concurrent extracerebral metastases (P <.0001), younger age (P =.0007), and longer disease-free interval (P =.036). Prognostic factors analysis confirmed the important influence of patient selection on treatment received.
This large series documents the characteristics of patients who developed cerebral metastases from melanoma. Median survival was dependent on treatment, which in turn was dependent on patient selection.
Hypermethylation of the O(6)-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) gene has been shown to be associated with improved outcome in glioblastoma (GBM) and may be a predictive marker of sensitivity ...to alkylating agents. However, the predictive utility of this marker has not been rigorously tested with regard to sensitivity to other therapies, namely radiation. To address this issue, we assessed MGMT methylation status in a cohort of patients with GBM who underwent radiation treatment but did not receive chemotherapy as a component of adjuvant treatment. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 225 patients with newly diagnosed GBM were analyzed via methylation-specific, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction following bisulfite treatment on isolated DNA to assess MGMT promoter methylation status. In patients who received radiotherapy alone following resection, methylation of the MGMT promoter correlated with an improved response to radiotherapy. Unmethylated tumors were twice as likely to progress during radiation treatment. The median time interval between resection and tumor progression of unmethylated tumors was also nearly half that of methylated tumors. Promoter methylation was also found to confer improved overall survival in patients who did not receive adjuvant alkylating chemotherapy. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that methylation status was independent of age, Karnofsky performance score, and extent of resection as a predictor of time to progression and overall survival. Our data suggest that MGMT promoter methylation appears to be a predictive biomarker of radiation response. Since this biomarker has also been shown to predict response to alkylating agents, perhaps MGMT promoter methylation represents a general, favorable prognostic factor in GBM.
Although the occurrence of food cravings during pregnancy is well established, there is a paucity of qualitative data on pregnant women’s perceptions of and responses to food cravings. This study ...sought to assess and describe pregnant women’s experiences and behaviors pertaining to food cravings.
Eight focus groups were conducted with 68 pregnant women in their second trimester from March 2015 to October 2016. Using a semistructured approach, the facilitator asked women open-ended questions regarding their experience of eating behaviors and food cravings. The content from the focus groups was analyzed using a bottom-up approach based on grounded theory and constant comparison analysis.
Participants described cravings as urgent, food-specific, and cognitively demanding occurrences that were differentiated from hunger. They described beliefs surrounding the physiological causes of cravings and rationales for satisfying their cravings. Strategies used to manage cravings included environmental modifications to limit proximity and availability of craved foods, cognitive and behavioral strategies like distraction, and acceptance through satisfying the craving. Participants described food cravings as a psychologically salient aspect of their pregnancy, reporting a variety of emotional precursors and reactions surrounding their cravings.
A better understanding of food cravings may assist with the development of interventions to improve eating behaviors and reduce eating-related distress during pregnancy. Acceptance regarding food cravings was indicated as a way to diffuse pregnancy-related stress. These findings contribute to our understanding of psychological influences on eating behaviors in pregnant women.
Studies are presented of the synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of the new quantum kagome magnet Mg-herbertsmithite, γ-Cu3Mg(OH)6Cl2. The material features strong antiferromagnetic ...exchange characterized by a Weiss temperature of θW ≃ −284 K and a gradual buildup of short-ranged antiferromagnetic correlations upon cooling. No magnetic transition is observed until T C ≃ 4−5 K when a small ferromagnetic component orders; susceptibility measurements indicate that this transition is due to an impurity and that there is no evidence of a magnetic transition in the herbertsmithite phase whose spins appear to remain dynamic down to the lowest temperatures studied.
Introduction:
Limited access to affordable, healthy food and identifying as African-American or Hispanic-American are associated with greater risk of childhood obesity, especially for low-income ...individuals.
Purpose:
To report on (1) the emergent theme of the influence of culture on primary caregivers’ behaviors and motivations when preparing meals for their families; and (2) primary caregivers’ perceptions of the nutritional information they receive from health care providers.
Methods:
Twelve focus groups with low-income, adult primary caregivers of children ages 3 to 6 years were conducted in Texas and the DC-Maryland-Virginia region and were segmented by race/ethnicity and access to grocery stores.
Results:
Culture emerged as an important theme in influencing which foods participants cook at home. In some cases, that influence spilled over into the child’s diet. In other instances, the food that participants reported making for their children varied from the food they make for themselves. Participants reported having high trust in health care providers, but acknowledged that health care providers’ nutritional advice might not always be applicable.
Discussion and Conclusions:
Our findings highlight the importance of considering the role culture might play in influencing and informing caregivers’ decisions regarding children’s diets, and also better understanding caregivers’ perceptions of health care providers as a source of nutrition information for their children.
Tumor stem cells, postulated to be the source cells for malignancies, have been identified in several cancers using cell-surface expression of markers including CD133, a pentaspan membrane protein. ...CD133+ve cells form neurospheres, exhibit self-renewal and differentiation, and are tumorigenic. However, despite its association with stem cells, a causal relationship of CD133 to tumorigenesis remains to be defined. Hypothesizing that specific epigenetic and transcription factors implicated in driving the stem cell state may concurrently regulate CD133 expression in stem cells, we analyzed the structure and regulation of CD133 promoter in glioma stem cells and glioma cell lines. Initially, a minimal promoter region was identified by analyzing the activity of CD133 promoter-driven luciferase-expressing 5'-and 3'-deletion-constructs upstream of the transcription start site. This region contained a CpG island that was hypermethylated in CD133-ve glioma stem cells (GSC) and glioma cells but unmethylated in CD133+ve ones. Of several predicted TF-binding sites in this region, the role of tandem Sp1 (-242 and -221) and two Myc (-541 and -25)-binding sites were examined. Overexpression of Sp1 or Myc increased CD133 minimal promoter-driven luciferase activity and CD133 levels in GSC and in glioma cell line. Mithramycin, a Sp1 inhibitor, decreased minimal promoter activity and downregulated CD133 levels in GSC. Gel-shift assays demonstrated direct binding of Sp1 to their predicted sites that was competitively inhibited by oligonucleotide-binding-site sequences and supershifted by anti-Sp1 confirming the interaction. Sp1 and Myc-antibody chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis in GSC showed enrichment of regions with Sp1 and Myc-binding sites. In CD133-ve cells, ChIP analysis showed binding of the methyl-DNA-binding proteins, MBD1, MBD2 and MeCP2 to the methylated CpG island and repression of transcription. These results demonstrate that Sp1 and Myc regulate CD133 transcription in GSC and that promoter methylation and methyl-DNA-binding proteins cause repression of CD133 by excluding transcription-factor binding.
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