Analyzing Predictors of Drinking and Driving Among Gender Cohorts within a College Sample

The current study focuses on predominant predictors associated with each gender cohort’s engagement in driving under the influence (DUI). Aker’s social learning theory, Gottfredson and Hirshi’s low self-control theory, and Agnew’s strain theory are utilized to explore differences within two separate step-wise logistic regressions; one set of regressions contain a male only sample (n = 855), while the other model contains a female only sample (n = 968). This study uses self-report measures of DUI from a survey administered at a large Southeastern university focusing on risk-taking behaviors. Results indicate that social learning variables differential association and imitation are significant predictors for both gender cohorts’ DUI behavior. Also, although low self-control was a significant predictor within all female-only models, it was only a significant predictor in the male-only models when separate from the other theoretical variables. Likewise, strain was a significant predictor when separated, but was insignificant when included in the final models. Policies and future research are discussed

Arabism and the Syrian Intelligentsia in Cairo: 1900-1918

My thesis examines the process by which the Syrian intelligentsia in Cairo catalyzed Cairo\u27s transformation into an epicenter of the Arabist movement between 1900 and 1918. I will explore a combination of British diplomatic sources and Arabic-language publications in order to determine the role of the Syrian intelligentsia in Cairo in the burgeoning Arabist movement of the early twentieth century. In addition to contributing to our existing historical understanding of the development of Arabist ideology, this study will demonstrate the utility of analyzing centers of Arabism (in this case Cairo) that have often been neglected in contemporary nationalist historiography. Cairo provides a particularly interesting case study in terms of Arabist cooperation in the years leading up to, and including World War I. In contrast to the societies in the more frequently analyzed Arabist hotbed of Damascus, Arabist societies in Cairo were extremely ideologically diverse and contained a significant percentage of Christians. In addition, these comparatively diverse Arabist societies in Cairo were among the most significant in existence in the years following 1908. Although a homogenous version of Arabism never emerged, my thesis argues that the Syrian intelligentsia was able to develop Cairo into an epicenter of the Arabist movement in the early twentieth century that, by 1912, began to usurp Damascus for political significance

Rare-Earth Elements in the Nechalacho Deposit, NWT: Hydrothermal Controls on Mineralogy and Fractionation

The Nechalacho rare-metal (REE-Y-Nb-Ta-Zr) deposit, is hosted by a sequence of altered, layered sodic syenites. Three distinct whole-rock chemical signatures are evident. Two of these signatures have high P, of which, one has high light REE (LREE) but low heavy REE (HREE) (type 1), and one has high HREE (type 2). The third signature has low P and high HREE, LREE and Zr (type 3). Type 1 and 2 signatures represent abundant monazite-(Ce) (LREEPO4) and xenotime-(Y) ((Y,HREE)PO4), respectively. Type 3 represents zircon and a variety of non-phosphate REE minerals, such as allanite-(Ce), fergusonite-(Y) ((Y,REE)NbO4), or bastnäsite-(Ce) (REECO3F). The results indicate that the ore mineralogy can in part be predicted from whole-rock chemistry. Phosphates are an important reservoir for the LREE at the Nechalacho deposit. Two main textural types of monazite-(Ce) have been recognized: columnar and equant. These can also be distinguished chemically based on U and Th concentrations. The columnar monazite-(Ce) is associated with an early magnetite-biotite-quartz alteration, whereas the equant monazite-(Ce) is associated with later carbonate-chlorite-fluorite alteration. Xenotime-(Y) also occurs in various habits, such as rods and anhedral aggregates. The deposit is divided into Upper and Basal zones, the Basal Zone having a higher HREE/LREE ratio than the Upper Zone. It has been previously proposed that the LREE were transported from magmatic eudialyte in the Basal Zone to higher in the system by hydrothermal fluids and precipitated there as LREE minerals. A recent geochemical model predicted that a series of pulses of aqueous fluid transporting REE, passing through a P-bearing nepheline syenite would precipitate monazite crystals that were progressively more depleted in HREE (relative to the starting fluid) with increasing distance from the source (height in the system). The REE chemistry of monazite from Nechalacho, obtained using LA-ICP-MS, does not support this model for the origin of LREE mineralization because the concentrations of HREE in monazite show no consistent decrease upward in the intrusive body, which suggests, along with the textural variability of the phosphates and their association with different assemblages, that the genesis of the LREE mineralization was caused by multi-stage alteration and its genesis is more complex than the proposed models imply. Fluid inclusion microthermometry on primary fluid inclusions in quartz and xenotime-(Y) indicate that the alteration fluids had salinities of ~8 to 13 wt.% NaCl equivalent, and temperatures of ~240 to 590 °C, and were different from those that altered the nearby T Zone

Deconstructing the LGBT-Victimization Association: The Case of Sexual Assault and Alcohol-Related Problems

Research on lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT) students has been gaining traction in the fields of criminology, victimology, and education, but available data lag behind the demand for studies on this underserved population. While LGBT students are often perceived to face greater risk of victimization and subsequent health problems than their counterparts, little research has investigated the mechanisms behind problematic outcomes for LGBT students. This research uses data from a Southeastern University to examine sexual assault among LGBT students and their experiences with alcohol-related problems. The results show that LGBT youth are at an increased risk for sexual victimization but that LGBT status does not have a direct effect on alcohol-related problems

Thiol-yne \u27Click\u27 Chemistry As a Route to Functional Lipid Mimetics

Thiol-alkyne \u27click\u27 chemistry is a modular, efficient mechanism to synthesize complex A2B 3-arm star polymers. This general motif is similar to a phospholipid where the A blocks correspond to lypophilic chains and the B block represents the polar head group. In this communication we employ thiol-yne chemistry to produce polypeptide-based A2B lipid mimetics. The utility of the thiol-yne reaction is demonstrated by using a divergent and a convergent approach in the synthesis. These polymers self-assemble in aqueous solution into spherical vesicles with a relatively narrow size distribution independent of block composition over the range studied. Using the thiol-yne convergent synthesis, we envision a modular approach to functionalize proteins or oligopeptides with lipophilic chains that can imbed seamlessly into a cell membrane

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts