How men view genetic testing for prostate cancer risk: findings from focus groups

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65567/1/j.1399-0004.2000.580303.x.pd

Estimating the Effect of Poker Room Promotions on Player Traffic

This paper examines the impact of poker room promotions on player traffic in casino-based poker rooms. Casinos regularly spend significant portions of their marketing budget on promotions, including free-play, item-based offers, complementary hotel rooms, and travel reimbursements (among others), in an effort to drive casino traffic. Poker room promotions, by contrast, are unique within the context of casino promotions because they are both player-funded and paid in cash. Despite these significant differences between poker room and other casino promotions, prior research has not provided empirical evidence on the effectiveness of poker room promotions. Using collected data on casino-based poker games and poker room promotions over an eight-month period, we present an analysis investigating the impact of common types of poker room promotions on player traffic. Our research conclusively demonstrates a consistently strong positive effect of poker room promotions on player traffic. This research offers a number of important insights not only for the gaming industry, but also for other industries which make use of a variety of promotion types (e.g. retail, hospitality and tourism, etc.)

Examining the reversibility of long-term behavioral disruptions in progeny of maternal SSRI exposure

Serotonergic dysregulation is implicated in numerous psychiatric disorders. Serotonin plays widespread trophic roles during neurodevelopment; thus perturbations to this system during development may increase risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Epidemiological studies have examined association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment during pregnancy and increased autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in offspring. It is unclear from these studies whether ASD susceptibility is purely related to maternal psychiatric diagnosis, or if treatment poses additional risk. We sought to determine whether maternal SSRI treatment alone or in combination with genetically vulnerable background was sufficient to induce offspring behavior disruptions relevant to ASD. We exposed C57BL/6J or Celf6(+/-) mouse dams to fluoxetine (FLX) during different periods of gestation and lactation and characterized offspring on tasks assessing social communicative interaction and repetitive behavior patterns including sensory sensitivities. We demonstrate robust reductions in pup ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and alterations in social hierarchy behaviors, as well as perseverative behaviors and tactile hypersensitivity. Celf6 mutant mice demonstrate social communicative deficits and perseverative behaviors, without further interaction with FLX. FLX re-exposure in adulthood ameliorates the tactile hypersensitivity yet exacerbates the dominance phenotype. This suggests acute deficiencies in serotonin levels likely underlie the abnormal responses to sensory stimuli, while the social alterations are instead due to altered development of social circuits. These findings indicate maternal FLX treatment, independent of maternal stress, can induce behavioral disruptions in mammalian offspring, thus contributing to our understanding of the developmental role of the serotonin system and the possible risks to offspring of SSRI treatment during pregnancy

Population genetic variation in gene expression is associated with phenotypic variation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

BACKGROUND: The relationship between genetic variation in gene expression and phenotypic variation observable in nature is not well understood. Identifying how many phenotypes are associated with differences in gene expression and how many gene-expression differences are associated with a phenotype is important to understanding the molecular basis and evolution of complex traits. RESULTS: We compared levels of gene expression among nine natural isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown either in the presence or absence of copper sulfate. Of the nine strains, two show a reduced growth rate and two others are rust colored in the presence of copper sulfate. We identified 633 genes that show significant differences in expression among strains. Of these genes, 20 were correlated with resistance to copper sulfate and 24 were correlated with rust coloration. The function of these genes in combination with their expression pattern suggests the presence of both correlative and causative expression differences. But the majority of differentially expressed genes were not correlated with either phenotype and showed the same expression pattern both in the presence and absence of copper sulfate. To determine whether these expression differences may contribute to phenotypic variation under other environmental conditions, we examined one phenotype, freeze tolerance, predicted by the differential expression of the aquaporin gene AQY2. We found freeze tolerance is associated with the expression of AQY2. CONCLUSIONS: Gene expression differences provide substantial insight into the molecular basis of naturally occurring traits and can be used to predict environment dependent phenotypic variation

The trajectory of gait development in mice

OBJECTIVE: Gait irregularities are prevalent in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). However, there is a paucity of information on gait phenotypes in NDD experimental models. This is in part due to the lack of understanding of the normal developmental trajectory of gait maturation in the mouse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the DigiGait system, we have developed a quantitative, standardized, and reproducible assay of developmental gait metrics in commonly used mouse strains that can be added to the battery of mouse model phenotyping. With this assay, we characterized the trajectory of gait in the developing C57BL/6J and FVB/AntJ mouse lines. RESULTS: In both lines, a mature stride consisted of 40% swing and 60% stance in the forelimbs, which mirrors the mature human stride. In C57BL/6J mice, developmental trajectories were observed for stance width, paw overlap distance, braking and propulsion time, rate of stance loading, peak paw area, and metrics of intraindividual variability. In FVB/AntJ mice, developmental trajectories were observed for percent shared stance, paw overlap distance, rate of stance loading, and peak paw area, although in different directions than C57 mice. By accounting for the impact of body length on stride measurements, we demonstrate the importance of considering body length when interpreting gait metrics. CONCLUSION: Overall, our results show that aspects of mouse gait development parallel a timeline of normal human gait development, such as the percent of stride that is stance phase and swing phase. This study may be used as a standard reference for developmental gait phenotyping of murine models, such as models of neurodevelopmental disease

Defining forgiveness: Christian clergy and general population perspectives.

The lack of any consensual definition of forgiveness is a serious weakness in the research literature (McCullough, Pargament &amp; Thoresen, 2000). As forgiveness is at the core of Christianity, this study returns to the Christian source of the concept to explore the meaning of forgiveness for practicing Christian clergy. Comparisons are made with a general population sample and social science definitions of forgiveness to ensure that a shared meaning of forgiveness is articulated. Anglican and Roman Catholic clergy (N = 209) and a general population sample (N = 159) completed a postal questionnaire about forgiveness. There is agreement on the existence of individual differences in forgiveness. Clergy and the general population perceive reconciliation as necessary for forgiveness while there is no consensus within psychology. The clergy suggests that forgiveness is limitless and that repentance is unnecessary while the general population suggests that there are limits and that repentance is necessary. Psychological definitions do not conceptualize repentance as necessary for forgiveness and the question of limits has not been addressed although within therapy the implicit assumption is that forgiveness is limitless.</p

Mitigation of Double-crested Cormorant Impacts on Lake Ontario: From Planning and Practice to Product Delivery

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation initiated a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) control program in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario to mitigate cormorant impacts in 1999. Key objectives included improving the quality of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and other fisheries, restoring the structure and function of the warmwater fish community and reducing cormorant impacts to nesting habitats of other colonial waterbird species. In eight years of intensive control, cormorant numbers declined, with a corresponding reduction in estimated fish consumption. Diversity and numbers of co-occurring waterbirds either increased or have not been shown to be negatively impacted by management. Woody vegetation favorable to Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) has been maintained. A ca. 2.5-fold increase in the abundance of Smallmouth Bass abundance in assessment nets over the last seven years is a sign of improved recruitment to the fishery. Since the target population level of 4,500 to 6,000 cormorants has essentially been achieved, the eastern Lake Ontario cormorant program is expected to shift in 2007 from a population reduction focus towards a less intensive program intended to prevent population resurgence

Properties of 3-manifolds for relativists

In canonical quantum gravity certain topological properties of 3-manifolds are of interest. This article gives an account of those properties which have so far received sufficient attention, especially those concerning the diffeomorphism groups of 3-manifolds. We give a summary of these properties and list some old and new results concerning them. The appendix contains a discussion of the group of large diffeomorphisms of the $l$-handle 3-manifold.Comment: 20 pages. Plain-TeX, no figures, 1 Table (A4 format