cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of increased emergency rooms costs for patients without access to necessary medications

Abstract Background Prescription medications are an important component of chronic disease management. They are vital in preventing unnecessary ER visits. However, few studies have examined the association between patients' self-reported inability to receive necessary medications and emergency room costs. Objectives The study objectives were to: 1) determine differences in ER costs based on self-reported ability to obtain necessary medications. 2) identify differences in ER costs based on self-reported ability to obtain necessary medications among medication users. The association was also examined by insurance category. Methods Respondent data from 10 years (2002–2011) of the U.S. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was analyzed. The models employed estimated the association of respondents reporting being ‘unable to receive necessary medications’ on ER expenditures. Secondarily, the relationship was assessed by insurance category: private, public, and uninsured. Two-part cost regression models with bootstrapped estimates to produce 95% confidence intervals of cost differences were applied for these analyses. Significance was set at α = 0.05. Analyses were completed using SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC) and Stata 13 (College Station, TX). Estimates were in 2011 US dollars. Results People unable to receive necessary medications experienced increased average annual ER costs of $46.62 with 95% a confidence interval [CI] of 34.76–58.49) compared to patients able to receive necessary medications. By insurance category, respondents unable to receive necessary medications experienced increased ER costs of $104.80 (95% CI: 60.57–149.03), $42.16 (95% CI: 24.65–59.68), and $33.18 (95% CI: 18.54–47.82), for Publically Insured, Privately Insured, and Uninsured, respectively. Findings were similar for those already using medications. Conclusions Inability to obtain necessary medications is associated with increased emergency room costs. Those with public insurance have a larger increase in ER costs if they are without necessary medications compared to those insured privately or without insurance.
Optimization of 4H-SiC MOS Properties with Cesium Implantation

The effect of incorporation of cesium with implantation on the electrical characteristics of SiO2/4H-SiC interface has been evaluated using MOS capacitors. With a cesium dosage of 1012 and 3x1012 cm-2 on deposited oxide re-oxidized in steam, effective oxide charge densities of - 1.4x1012 and -7.5x1011 cm-2 respectively were extracted and a cesium implant activation percentage of 33% was estimated from flatband voltage shift. Also, corresponding interfacial state densities of 2.5x1013 and 1.8x1013 cm-2-eV-1 near the conduction band edge were extracted from High-Low frequency C-V technique, showing a decreasing Dit with increasing Cs dosage.
Relation of risk factor levels in young adulthood to parental history of disease. The CARDIA study.

BACKGROUND The relation between self-reported parental disease and risk factor levels was examined in 2,637 black and 2,478 white men and women aged 18-30 years at the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study baseline examination (1985-1986). METHODS AND RESULTS The prevalence of parental disease (at least one parent) in white versus black participants was 44% and 56% for hypertension, 47% and 44% for obesity, 16% and 13% for myocardial infarction, 11% and 17% for diabetes, and 6% and 10% for stroke, respectively. Among these young adults, parental hypertension was associated with higher sex- and age-adjusted systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. Parental myocardial infarction was associated with higher plasma cholesterol, higher blood pressure levels, and lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in white participants. Parental diabetes was associated with higher fasting blood glucose and insulin levels in all race-sex groups and with higher triglycerides and lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol in black participants only. Parental history of obesity was related to less favorable age- and sex-adjusted lipid levels in white participants and higher blood pressure levels in black participants. Parental history of stroke was associated with higher systolic blood pressure levels in black participants. In general, these differences across family history were predicted only in part by obesity. The prevalence of more than one disease reported in parents occurred more frequently than would have been expected due to chance alone. CONCLUSIONS These associations between parental disease and risk factors in their adult children probably reflects the impact of both environmental and genetic factors. Parental history may be a useful marker for high risk individuals.
MEDRank: using graph-based concept ranking to index biomedical texts.

Abstract Background As the volume of biomedical text increases exponentially, automatic indexing becomes increasingly important. However, existing approaches do not distinguish central (or core) concepts from concepts that were mentioned in passing. We focus on the problem of indexing MEDLINE records, a process that is currently performed by highly trained humans at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). NLM indexers are assisted by a system called the Medical Text Indexer (MTI) that suggests candidate indexing terms. Objective To improve the ability of MTI to select the core terms in MEDLINE abstracts. These core concepts are deemed to be most important and are designated as "major headings" by MEDLINE indexers. We introduce and evaluate a graph-based indexing methodology called MEDRank that generates concept graphs from biomedical text and then ranks the concepts within these graphs to identify the most important ones. Methods We insert a MEDRank step into the MTI and compare MTI's output with and without MEDRank to the MEDLINE indexers' selected terms for a sample of 11,803 PubMed Central articles. We also tested whether human raters prefer terms generated by the MEDLINE indexers, MTI without MEDRank, and MTI with MEDRank for a sample of 36 PubMed Central articles. Results MEDRank improved recall of major headings designated by 30% over MTI without MEDRank (0.489 vs. 0.376). Overall recall was only slightly (6.5%) higher (0.490 vs. 0.460) as was F 2 (3%, 0.408 vs. 0.396). However, overall precision was 3.9% lower (0.268 vs. 0.279). Human raters preferred terms generated by MTI with MEDRank over terms generated by MTI without MEDRank (by an average of 1.00 more term per article), and preferred terms generated by MTI with MEDRank and the MEDLINE indexers at the same rate. Conclusions The addition of MEDRank to MTI significantly improved the retrieval of core concepts in MEDLINE abstracts and more closely matched human expectations compared to MTI without MEDRank. In addition, MEDRank slightly improved overall recall and F 2 .
Predictions and systematizations of the zinc-blende-wurtzite structural energies in binary octet compounds.

To systematize the wurtzite (W) versus zinc blende (ZB) structural preferences among the binary octet compounds, we have calculated the correponding energy difference \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{W}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{ZB}}^{\mathrm{LDF}}$(AB) for thirteen AB compounds using the local-density formalism (LDF). We then uncovered a linear scaling betwteen \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{W}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{ZB}}^{\mathrm{LDF}}$ and an atomistic orbital-radii coordinate R\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}(A,B) that can be simply calculated from the properties of the free A and B atoms. This permits predictions of W-ZB energy differences for all binary compounds and exposes simple chemical trends, including the stabilization of the ZB form in the sequence B=O\ensuremath{\rightarrow}S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Se\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Te for ${\mathit{A}}^{\mathrm{II}}$${\mathit{B}}^{\mathrm{VI}}$ and A=Ga\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Al\ensuremath{\rightarrow}In for ${\mathit{A}}^{\mathrm{III}}$${\mathit{B}}^{\mathrm{V}}$'s. We propose new structural assignments for the low-temperature ground state of CdSe (ZB) and MgTe (NiAs type).
The Papal Commission on Birth Control—revisited

The Papal Commission on Population, the Family, and Birth-rate met in Rome from 1963 to 1966. After these years of deliberation a Majority Report, written by Rev. Henri de Riedmatten, O.P., Chairma...
Quality-aware dstributed data delivery for continuous query services

We consider the problem of distributed continuous data delivery services in an overlay network of heterogeneous nodes. Each node in the system can be a source for any number of data streams and at the same time be a consumer node that is receiving streams sourced at other nodes. A consumer node may define a filter on a source stream such that only the desired portion of the stream is delivered, minimizing the amount of unnecessary bandwidth consumption. By heterogeneous, we mean that nodes not only may have varying network bandwidths and computing resources but also different interests in terms of the filters and the rates of the data streams they are interested in. Our objective is to construct an efficient stream delivery network in which nodes cooperate in forwarding data streams in the presence of constrained resources. We formalize this distributed stream delivery problem as an optimization one by starting with a simple setup where the network topology is fixed and node bandwidth characteristics are known. The goal of the optimization is to find valid delivery graphs with minimum bandwidth consumption. We extend this problem formulation to QoS-aware stream delivery, in order to handle the bandwidth constrained cases in which unwanted drops and delays are inevitable. We provide a classification of delivery graph construction schemes, and in light of this classification we develop pragmatic quality-aware stream delivery (QASD) algorithms. These algorithms aim at constructing efficient stream delivery graphs in a distributed setting, where global knowledge is not available and network characteristics are not known in advance. We introduce a set of evaluation metrics and provide experimental results to illustrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithms under these metrics.
Sequential hydration of small protonated peptides.

The sequential addition of water molecules to a series of small protonated peptides was studied by equilibrium experiments using electrospray ionization combined with drift cell techniques. The experimental data were compared to theoretical structures of selected hydrated species obtained by molecular mechanics simulations. The sequential water binding energies were measured to be of the order of 7-15 kcal/mol, with the largest values for the first water molecule adding to either a small nonarginine containing peptide (e.g., protonated dialanine) or to a larger peptide in a high charge state (e.g., triply protonated neurotensin). General trends are (a) that the first water molecules are more strongly bound than the following water molecules, (b) that very small peptides (2-3 residues) bind the first few water molecules more strongly than larger peptides, (c) that the first few water molecules bind more strongly to higher charge states than to lower charge states, and (d) that water binds less strongly to a protonated guanidino group (arginine containing peptides) than to a protonated amino group. Experimental differential entropies of hydration were found to be of the order of -20 cal/mol/K although values vary from system to system. At constant experimental conditions the number of water molecules adding to any peptide ion is strongly dependent on the peptide charge state (with higher charge states adding proportionally more water molecules) and only weakly dependent on the choice of peptide. For small peptides molecular mechanics calculations indicate that the first few water molecules add preferentially to the site of protonation until a complete solvation shell is formed around the charge. Subsequent water molecules add either to water molecules of the first solvation shell or add to charge remote functional groups of the peptide. In larger peptides, charge remote sites generally compete more effectively with charge proximate sites even for the first few water molecules.
On the possible role of crystals in the origins of life. (III) The phosphorylation of adenosine to AMP by apatite

Abstract This paper is one of the series describing investigations aimed at a systematic exploration of the adsorptive and catalytic properties of two naturally occurring macrocrystalline substances: the silicates and the apatites. It is suggested that if naturally occurring crystals on pretriotric beaches possessed adsorptive and catalytic properties alternate watting by tides and drying by sun and wind could have provided a mechanism for concentrating and polymerizing enormous quantities of prebiotic monomers. In this paper, the phosphorylation of adenosine at low temperatures (
SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION IN ALUMINUM

Further results on the superconducting properties of aluminum are given which supplement those previously reported. The critical field curve for pure Al has been measured by using a paramagnetic salt as a thermometer. Except for a region very near ${T}_{c}$, our data are accurately represented by the parabolic relation, ${H}_{c}={H}_{0}[1\ensuremath{-}{(\frac{T}{{T}_{c}})}^{2}]$, where ${T}_{c}=1.196\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$K and ${H}_{c}$ is about 99\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1 gauss. The excellent reproducibility of the $S\ensuremath{-}N$ transition in Al suggests that it may serve as a useful secondary thermometric standard near 1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Further observations are reported on the broadening tendency of magnetically measured transitions in single-crystal specimens near ${T}_{c}$. It is also found that polycrystalline specimens of the same material do not show the broadening effect. A semiquantitative theory of the intermediate state is applied to explain the observation that the magnetic transition is sharper than predicted on the basis of specimen geometry at temperatures well below ${T}_{c}$. The difference in sharpness can be explained as a contribution of the interphase free energy whose order of magnitude has been estimated with fair success from the observed shape of the magnetic transition.
Cold halocline, increased nutrients and higher chlorophyll off Oregon in 2002

Received 24 March 2003; accepted 18 June 2003; published 31 July 2003. [1] Observed changes in the nutrient levels in the halocline of the California Current during 2002 indicated a natural eutrophication that was accompanied by increased chlorophyll and oxygen in surface water. Decreased oxygen in the lower water column over the shelf indicated that much of the phytoplankton production was respired rather than passedontohighertrophiclevels.In2002thehaloclinewater was >1� C colder than usual and 0.5� C colder than any previous observation. Four transect lines off the coast of Oregonshowa50%increaseinnitrate,phosphateandsilicate at 33 psu in 2002 compared to 1998–2001. The increase in nutrients resulted in a 2-fold increase in chlorophyll standing stocks during the summer of 2002 compared with the preceding four years. A significant portion of the increased production was subsequently respired resulting in low oxygen water over the shelf. INDEX TERMS: 4215 Oceanography: General: Climate and interannual variability (3309); 4845 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Nutrients and nutrient cycling; 4283 Oceanography: General: Water masses. Citation: Wheeler, P. A., A. Huyer, and J. Fleischbein, Cold halocline, increased nutrients and higher chlorophyll off Oregon in 2002, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(15), 8021, doi:10.1029/ 2003GL017395, 2003.
Aroclor 1254 impairs the hearing ability of Xenopus laevis

In this study we assessed the effects of chronic, dietary exposure of Aroclor 1254 (A1254) on the hearing of Xenopus frogs. We used the auditory brainstem response (ABR) to assay changes in hearing physiology; ABR thresholds, as well as latency-intensity and amplitude-intensity profiles of the initial positive (P1) and negative (N1) peaks were measured. Two groups of animals that received 50 ppm and 100 ppm of A1254 in their diet from 5 days post-fertilization through metamorphosis were compared to a control group that received untreated chow. The results showed significant threshold elevations in the 3–4 kHz range and significantly delayed peak latencies and reduced amplitudes at these frequencies in A1254 treated animals as compared to control animals. These findings indicate that A1254 selectively damages the high-frequency sensorineural hearing system associated with the basilar papilla of frogs. This preferential damage may be related to inherent differences in the vulnerability of the basilar versus amphibian papilla in the frog. The overall results of this study are also consistent with the reported A1254-induced auditory deficits in mammals indicating that the basilar papilla of the Xenopus frog may serve as an effective model for studying the effects of A1254 on the auditory system.
Cultural expectations of thinness in women: An update.

An investigation of current American society's depiction of the ideal female body was performed. Body measurements of Playboy magazine centerfolds and Miss America contestants for 1979–1988 indicated body weight 13–19% below expected weight for women in that age group. Miss America contestants showed a significant decrease in expected weight between 1979 and 1988. Comparisons were made with an earlier study which had demonstrated that body measurements of both groups had decreased during the period 1959–1978. Diet-for-weight-loss and exercise articles in six women's magazines were tabulated for 1959–1988. A significant increase in both diet articles and exercise articles occurred during this period. These findings suggest that the overvaluation of thinness continues and thinness is now sought through both dieting and exercise.
The evolution of rice: molecular vignettes on its origins and spread

The domesticated species Oryza sativa or Asian rice evolved starting approximately 9,000 years ago and from its centers of origin in China and India has subsequently spread throughout the Old World (and in historical times in the New World as well). This species is one of the key domesticated crop plants in the world and has emerged as a model for studying the origins and spread of domesticated taxa as well as in investigating the genetic basis for plant variation under domestication. Archaeological data has been critical in dissecting the origins and spread of rice throughout Asia, but molecular information has also provided a complementary approach to examining the evolutionary dynamics of this species. The evolutionary history of a species can leave its footprints within its genome. Moreover, genetic studies allow us to study the history of traits that do not leave an archaeological record—for example, grain stickiness or flowering time—which can provide insights into how crop species are adopted by different cultures. In this review, several molecular studies into the origin and spread of Asian rice are discussed and we explore the advances these genetic studies offer in our understanding of the evolution of domesticated species. We also explore how archaeological data can provide critical insights that can help refine genetic models of the origin and spread of domesticated species.
Coordination of multiagent systems through explicit valuation of action

Abstract The effectiveness of a system relates to its ability to fulfill its functional requirements. When a system consists of a set of collaborating agents, the overall performance may depend more on their ability to work together than on optimizing individual behavior. In fact, the goal of an agent is often at odds with the interest of the collective. The limitations of centralized control for complex systems suggest the need for decentralized coordination. This can be achieved by having each agent take explicit account of the cost of engaging in an activity as well as a measure of reward for effective behavior. The consideration of payoffs and penalties leads to an economic perspective of multiagent systems. In consequence, it is possible to draw on previous work in diverse fields, ranging from game theory to welfare economics and social policy. The promise and limitations of the explicit valuation approach are examined. To illustrate, the behavior of collaborative systems can be interpreted in terms of games of strategy; this approach permits a better understanding of the conditions for globally optimal behavior, as well as strategies for their attainment. The notions of agents and explicit valuation of action are versatile concepts. One indication of the versatility lies in the fact that these concepts cover as a special case the idea of genetic algorithms as a mechanism for learning systems.
Platform-dependent, leakage-aware control of the driving current of embedded thermoelectric coolers

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for the successful continuation of the Moore's law is the substrate temperature of VLSI circuits. Thermoelectric cooling is one of the promising cooling methods to combat high die temperatures. This method provides key benefits such as compactness, high reliability, and exceptionally high heat-pumping capability. On the other hand, even with the recent advances in the fabrication techniques, thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are suffering from a poor coefficient of performance (COP), which denotes the ratio of heat removed per second to the power needed to drive the TEC, is rather low. In this paper, different techniques to improve the performance of a TEC, when it is embedded inside a processor package, are investigated. In particular, first the COP of TECs is reformulated to consider the leakage power, which is exponentially dependent on the die temperature. Next it is demonstrated that the TEC driving current that yields the maximum decrease in the die temperature is quite different from the one that runs the TEC in its highest COP state. Based on these observations, a platform-dependent, leakage-aware cooling policy in which the TEC driving current is set based on the target specs (high-performance vs. low-power) and actual conditions of the chip (emergency vs. preventive thermal management) is proposed. Experimental results show that, with this policy, one can reduce the temperature of chip hotspots while achieving a high COP.
Studies on carbon dioxide fixation by chloroplasts, the effect of arsenite and other factors.

Abstract A comparison of the rate of photochemical reduction of CO 2 by intact chloroplasts and by fragmented chloroplast preparations was investigated. While arsenite, p -CMB, and iodoacetamide inhibited both types of preparations to the same extent, phosphate and arsenate did not. The site of arsenite inhibition was investigated. The photochemical act was unaffected. None of the enzymes usually associated with the photosynthetic carbon cycle was inhibited.
Neutron powder diffraction study and ionic conductivity of Na2Zr2SiP2O12 and Na3Zr2Si2PO12

Abstract For dense sintered ceramic samples of Na2Zr2SiP2O12 and Na3Zr2Si2PO12 the ionic conductivities were measured between 20 and 460°C, and the crystal structures were refined at 25 and 300°C. The Na3Zr2Si2PO12 phase at 300°C has the highest ionic conductivity and is the only one of those studied here where the pathway from Na(1) to Na(2) is the widest and where the Na(2) site has a higher relative occupancy than the Na(1) site.
MONOAMINE OXIDASE AND CATECHOL- O-METHYLTRANSFERASE INHIBITORS

Parkinson's disease (PD) is almost unique among neurodegenerative disorders because of the presence of effective treatment for its cardinal motor symptoms. The observation of Hornykiewicz and Ehringer 37 of profound dopamine deficiency in postmortem brain specimens of PD patients followed by the demonstration by Cotzias et al 15 of the feasibility of treating PD patients with large oral doses of l -dopa is one of the notable successes of modern neurology. Although dopamine replacement is highly effective in the early stages of PD, it is not without problems for patients with advanced disease. After several years of therapy, many patients develop adverse motor effects, including dyskinesia (involuntary movements) and shortened duration of therapeutic response. In addition, concern has been raised 25 that l -dopa may accelerate the underlying neuronal degeneration and thus should be used as sparingly as possible. As a result of these problems, alternatives to l -dopa continue to be developed. One such strategy is to use agents that inhibit the peripheral catabolism of l -dopa or the central breakdown of dopamine, thus making more dopamine available at the synapse. Drugs that block the dopamine-metabolizing enzymes catechol- O -methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) represent examples of this strategy. This article discusses the rationale for such agents and reviews their pharmacology and indications.
Heat and mass transfer during the dissociation of hydrates in porous media

Presentation d'un modele physique decrivant la dissociation d'hydrates dans un milieu poreux lors d'une stimulation thermique
Using cases to represent context for text classification

Research on text classification has typically focused on keyword searches and statistical techniques. Keywords alone cannot always distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant texts and some relevant texts do not contain any reliable keywords at all. Our approach to text classification uses case-based reasoning to represent natural language contexts that can be used to classify texts with extremely high precision. The case base of natural language contexts is acquired automatically during sentence analysis using a training corpus of texts and their correct relevancy classifications. A text is represented as a set of cases and we classify a text as relevant if any of its cases are deemed to be relevant. We rely on the statistical properties of the case base to determine whether similar cases are highly correlated with relevance for the domain. Preliminary experiments suggest that case-based text classification can achieve very high levels of precision and outperforms our previous algorithms based on relevancy signatures.
Surveying the risks and benefits of IT outsourcing

In this article a survey of senior IT managers points to political and legal issues as the top risk concerns. These managers also say offshoring can create more jobs. Most companies consider offshore outsourcing as a way to reduce cost and increase efficiencies. Outsourcing can be a viable option for companies and can also help businesses and economies in the countries involved, as long as the outsourcing company objectively identifies and analyzes the benefits and risks.
Fortified Foods and Phytoremediation. Two Sides of the Same Coin

The global population is expected to reach 7 billion by the year 2013. How are we going to feed the world, prevent further degradation of our environment, and begin to reverse the damage that our increasingly industrialized society has already caused to the biosphere? We argue that plants with
Accuracy and precision of two in-shoe pressure measurement systems

The recent rapid adoption of insole pressure measurement systems for clinical and ergonomic evaluations of human gait has necessitated a comprehensive understanding of the accuracy and precision of such systems. Five bench experiments were performed to examine the Pedar and F-Scan in-shoe pressure measurement systems. The insoles examined were the Pedar Y-sized right insole and the F-scan insole trimmed to the size and shape of a Pedar Y-sized insole. Data were sampled at 50 Hz at different levels of applied pressure, calibration procedure, duration of pressure application, insole age of use and experiment day or week. The system accuracy was determined by the per cent error of measurement, the system precision by the 95% tolerance interval of the per cent error. The results show that system accuracy and precision varied among levels of applied pressure, calibration procedure, duration of pressure application and insole age of use. The Pedar system showed the greatest accuracy and precision when the insol...
The role of aldosterone blockade in murine lupus nephritis

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of aldosterone receptor blockade on the immunopathogenesis and progression of nephritis in the (NZB × NZW) F1 murine lupus model. Female NZB/W F1 mice (11 weeks old) were treated daily with 25 or 50 mg/kg oral spironolactone or vehicle. Proteinuria, renal function, and serum autoantibody levels were monitored. Renal histopathology, immune complex deposition, and immunohistochemistry were analyzed at various time points. Targeted microarray analysis was performed on renal tissue, with subsequent real-time PCR analysis of several differentially expressed genes. Treatment with spironolactone was well tolerated by the mice throughout the course of their disease progression, with no significant differences in azotemia or serum potassium levels between vehicle-treated and spironolactone-treated animals. By 36 weeks of age, fewer spironolactone-treated mice developed nephrotic range proteinuria as compared with the control mice (control 70.8%, 25 mg/kg spironolactone 51.3%, and 50 mg/kg spironolactone 48.6%). Compared with control mice, mice treated with 25 mg/kg spironolactone had significantly lower serum anti-single-stranded DNA levels (2,042 μg/ml versus 1,036 μg/ml; P = 0.03) and anti-double-stranded DNA levels (3,433 μg/ml versus 614 μg/ml; P = 0.05). Spironolactone-treated mice exhibited decreased histopathologic evidence of inflammation and tissue damage, as compared with control mice. Additionally, spironolactone treatment resulted in decreased expression in the kidney of several inflammatory and proapoptotic genes, including those encoding interferon-γ, B lymphocyte stimulator (BlyS), tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), tumor necrosis factor related weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), and Fas ligand. Aldosterone receptor blockade is safe and well tolerated in progressive murine lupus nephritis, and it results in decreased levels of clinical proteinuria, lower serum levels of autoantibodies, and decreased kidney damage. It appears to modulate inflammatory changes during the progression of glomerulonephritis and may also have a previously undescribed role in attenuating apoptosis.
Genetic background determines if Stat5b suppresses or enhances murine hepatocarcinogenesis

Murine hepatocarcinogenesis requires growth hormone (GH). To determine if the GH-responsive transcription factor STAT5b (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b) is also required, we compared the hepatic gene expression profiles of global Stat5b null mice to cancer-resistant mice mutant in the GH pathway—GH-deficient little and androgen receptor-null Tfm males. We found a high degree of overlap among Tfm, little, and Stat5b null males. The liver cancer susceptibility of global Stat5b null mice was assessed on three distinct genetic backgrounds: BALB/cJ (BALB), C57BL/6J (B6), and C3H/HeJ (C3H). The effect of Stat5b on hepatocarcinogenesis depended on the genetic background. B6 Stat5b null congenic males and females developed 2.4 times as many tumors as wild-type (WT) controls (P < 0.002) and the tumors were larger (P < 0.003). In BALB/c congenics, loss of STAT5b had no effect on either sex. C3H Stat5b null congenic males and females were resistant to liver cancer, developing 2.7- and 6-fold fewer tumors, respectively (P < 0.02, 0.01). These results provide the first example of a single gene behaving as both oncogene and tumor suppressor in a given tissue, depending only on the endogenous modifier alleles carried by different genetic backgrounds. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Linkage Disequilibrium and Haplotype Diversity in the Genes of the Renin–Angiotensin System: Findings From the Family Blood Pressure Program

Association studies of candidate genes with complex traits have generally used one or a few single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), although variation in the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) within genes markedly influences the sensitivity and precision of association studies. The extent of LD and the underlying haplotype structure for most candidate genes are still unavailable. We sampled 193 blacks (African-Americans) and 160 whites (European-Americans) and estimated the intragenic LD and the haplotype structure in four genes of the renin-angiotensin system. We genotyped 25 SNPs, with all but one of the pairs spaced between 1 and 20 kb, thus providing resolution at small scale. The pattern of LD within a gene was very heterogeneous. Using a robust method to define haplotype blocks, blocks of limited haplotype diversity were identified at each locus; between these blocks, LD was lost owing to the history of recombination events. As anticipated, there was less LD among blacks, the number of haplotypes was substantially larger, and shorter haplotype segments were found, compared with whites. These findings have implications for candidate-gene association studies and indicate that variation between populations of European and African origin in haplotype diversity is characteristic of most genes.
Mixed valence complexes involving MM quadruple bonds (M=Mo or W).

The MM quadruple bond of configuration MM 242 is redox active and in many ways ideally suited for studies of mixed valency when two or more such centres are linked by a bridging ligand. In this acc...
The Arabidopsis Embryo Mutant schlepperless Has a Defect in the Chaperonin-60α Gene

We identified a T-DNA-generated mutation in the chaperonin-60α gene of Arabidopsis that produces a defect in embryo development. The mutation, termed schlepperless ( slp ), causes retardation of embryo development before the heart stage, even though embryo morphology remains normal. Beyond the heart stage, the slp mutation results in defective embryos with highly reduced cotyledons. slp embryos exhibit a normal apical-basal pattern and radial tissue organization, but they are morphologically retarded. Even though slp embryos are competent to transcribe two late-maturation gene markers, this competence is acquired more slowly as compared with wild-type embryos. slp embryos also exhibit a defect in plastid development–they remain white during maturation in planta and in culture. Hence, the overall developmental phenotype of the slp mutant reflects a lesion in the chloroplast that affects embryo development. The slp phenotype highlights the importance of the chaperonin-60α protein for chloroplast development and subsequently for the proper development of the plant embryo and seedling.
Online assessments in pharmaceutical calculations for enhancing feedback and practice opportunities

Abstract Objectives The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effectiveness of, and student preference for, an online approach to carrying out the formative assessments of a first-year pharmaceutical calculations course. Traditionally, these assessments were completed as in-class paper–pencil Scantron ® quizzes. After the change, they were completed online as homework assignments with detailed feedback and ample opportunities for repeated practice once the assignments were graded. Methods Classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014 students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy completed these formative assessments online using WebCT or Blackboard. Individualized question sets were randomly constructed from a question pool containing multiple-choice questions and presented as online homework. The effectiveness of this approach was measured by comparing the overall course grades of these classes with the Classes of 2010 and 2011, who completed the paper–pencil Scantron ® quizzes. Student preference for the online approach was assessed by a survey. Results The course grades of Classes of 2012 and 2013 were significantly greater than those of Class of 2010. The differences in grades between the other classes were not significant. More than 90% of students favored the online approach and provided valuable comments about the benefits of detailed feedback and repeated practice. Conclusions Students preferred the online homework assignments. The online approach maintained or improved the student grade. Once the question pool is developed, instructors can provide detailed feedback to students very efficiently. Formative assessments for pharmaceutical calculations can be done online more conveniently than the traditional paper–pencil approach.
Nonexistence of oscillations in a nonlinear distributed network

Abstract : A flip-flop circuit with one equilibrium point is formulated as a transmission line with a nonlinear current-voltage relation at one point. The mathematical model representing this network is a nonlinear functional differential equation of the neutral type. A theorem is proven exploiting the theory of Cruz and Hale for neutral equations which gives conditions for nonexistence of oscillations in the network. The theorem is also shown to validate a type of Aizerman conjecture for the type of nonlinear current-voltage relation. (Author)
Ratings Reform: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Both in Europe and in the United States, major steps have been taken to render credit rating agencies more accountable. But do these steps address the causes of the debacle in the subprime mortgage market that triggered the 2008-2009 crisis? Surveying the latest evidence on how and why credit ratings became inflated, this paper argues that conflicts of interest cannot be purged on a piecemeal basis. The fundamental choice is between (1) implementing a “subscriber pays” model that compels rating agencies to compete for the favor of investors, not issuers, and (2) seeking to deemphasize or eliminate the role of credit ratings to reduce the licensing power of rating agencies. Although it strongly favors the first option over the second, it also recognizes that the “public goods” nature of ratings makes it unlikely that a “subscriber pays” system will develop on its own without regulatory interventions. Thus, it considers how best to encourage the development of a modified system under which the investor would choose and the issuer/deal arranger would pay for the initial rating on structured finance transactions.
Variability in penile appearance and penile findings: a prospective study.

Objective To document prospectively variation in penile morphology and clinical findings in children. Patients and methods The study comprised a consecutive sample of 468 boys whose consultation with a physician included a genital examination in a primary-care paediatric practice in rural northern Wisconsin. Results Circumcised boys under 3 years of age were significantly more likely to have a partially or completely covered glans, a reddened meatus, balanitis, or trapped epithelial debris, and less likely to have a fully exposed glans than were circumcised boys of 3 years or older. Among the 238 boys under 3 years, those circumcised were significantly more likely to have non-cosmetic problems, including coronal adhesions, trapped epithelial debris, a reddened meatus, preputial stenosis (phimosis) and balanitis, than were boys with a foreskin. Findings in the circumcised group under 3 years included: fully exposed glans (n = 78, 35.6%), partially covered glans (n = 67, 30.6%), adhesions (25.6%), completely covered glans (20.1%), entrapped desquamated epithelial debris (24.7%), reddened meatus (19.1%), balanitis (15.5%), and preputial stenosis (0.9%). Only two genital examinations in boys with foreskins revealed pertinent findings. Coronal adhesions develop in circumcised boys at 2–6 months of age and usually resolve by 24 months. The degree of skin covering the glans after neonatal circumcision peaks at 6 months of age. Conclusions There are significant variations of appearance in circumcised boys; clinical findings are much more common in these boys than previously reported in retrospective studies. The circumcised penis requires more care than the intact penis during the first 3 years of life. Parents should be instructed to retract and clean any skin covering the glans in circumcised boys, to prevent adhesions forming and debris from accumulating. Penile inflammation (balanitis) may be more common in circumcised boys; preputial stenosis (phimosis) affects circumcised and intact boys with equal frequency. The revision of circumcision for purely cosmetic reasons should be discouraged on both medical and ethical grounds.
Shadowboxing with Data: A Framework for Informing the Critical Analysis of Performance and Performance Measures

The practice of performance improvement requires measuring before and after conditions to determine if changes have occurred as a result of an intervention. Understanding how to take, make, interpret, and use measurements can go a long way toward improving performance improvement work and improving conditions for clients. The risk of not adequately analyzing measures leads to shadowboxing with data, where performance measures may not be equated with authentic performance issues.
Palmar bypass for digital ischemia.

Although vein bypass grafting in lower extremity and heart tissue ischemia is well documented, little information exists with regard to its selective use for digital ischemia in the hand. Resection and ligation and interposition grafting are most commonly performed to treat digital ischemia and have received the most attention in the literature. We report on 3 cases of successful vein bypass grafting from the distal forearm to the palmar arch or common digital artery as a technique to reverse current and prevent further digital tip ishemia or necrosis.
Evaluation of the donor liver for living donor liver transplantation.

Key points 1. Accurate assessment of the donor liver is an important component of the living donor liver evaluation and is critical to ensure a successful outcome for both donor and recipient. 2. Liver biochemistry tests, viral hepatitis serological tests, tests to exclude chronic liver disease, and volumetric computed tomographic or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the liver are performed routinely as part of the donor evaluation. 3. Liver biopsy should be a standard component of the donor evaluation in all donors, with the possible exception of those with a body mass index less than 25 who have normal liver test and abdominal imaging study results and no risk factors for chronic liver disease or hepatic steatosis. 4. The maximum acceptable percentage of steatosis in the donor liver is unknown, but most centers use an upper limit of 10% to 30%. 5. A graft-recipient body weight ratio of at least 0.8% provides the recipient with adequate hepatic mass in most situations. 6. Anatomic variants in donor biliary and hepatic vascular anatomy are common. 7. Evaluation of donor vascular anatomy varies among centers and includes MR or computed tomographic angiography and hepatic angiography. 8. Evaluation of biliary anatomy is performed most commonly using intraoperative cholangiography. Some centers use MR cholangiography or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in selected situations.
Cognitive changes from explanations

When individuals detect that a description is inconsistent, theorists from William James onwards have argued that a cognitive change occurs: They modify the description in a minimal way to make it consistent. We present an alternative hypothesis: Reasoners create an explanation that resolves the inconsistency, and the explanation entails a revision or reinterpretation of the description. According to this principle of resolution, revision is consequent upon explanation. Hence, when individuals have such an explanation in mind, they should be faster than otherwise to modify assertions to make them consistent. Two experiments corroborated this prediction.
Information Technology Investments: Does Activity Based Costing Matter?

The factors and conditions that affect the success or failure of information technology (IT) investments are still not well understood. One proxy for measuring success is stock performance. In this paper we explore the contribution of internal business practices, specifically the cost management system used by firms, on the stock price reaction to announcements of IT investments, using event study methodology. In addition, building on resource-based view theory, we look at how a combination of internal and external factors, specifically perceived risk factors and market conditions, impact the stock price reaction.
More on Kummer's Test

(1995). More on Kummer's Test. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 102, No. 9, pp. 817-818.
Improving Urine Sediment Analysis

Urinalysis with microscopic sediment is examination a commonly performed laboratory test. The microscopic examination often is performed under poorly controlled conditions that limit the clinical relevance, particularly of quantitative findings. We review features of several commercially available systems that can improve the procedures accuracy and precision. All methods rely on interpretation by a well-trained laboratory technologist for accurate results. Studies of the effect of urinalysis on patient outcomes should not be based on methods that lack adequate discriminative ability, nor should laboratories imply a false sense of precision when reporting results to clinicians. This is the first in a three-part series on urinalysis. Other articles in the series focus on testing urine crystals and urine cytodiagnostics.
Human Rights, National Security, and The U.S. SenateWho Votes For What, and Why

The chief concern of this study is to determine how members of the U.S. Senate perceive the linkage between human rights and national security, and to explain what domestic factors affect this perception. Regression analysis of eight human rights votes during the Ninety-Third and Ninety-Fourth Congresses shows that strongly prodefense perspectives on national security have a heavy and significant negative effect on human rights voting in the Senate. Party identification is a distant second, with Democrats exhibiting a greater tendency to vote for human rights issues than Republicans. The analysis also shows that two constituency variables are significant, though weak, influences: region and safeness of seat. Senators from the southern states are somewhat less likely to take a pro-human rights position, as are those with larger electoral margins in their most recent election. Other variables (seniority, educational level in state, and defense spending in state) do not have discernible effects on human rights voting in the Senate. The strong negative effect of national security may indicate that senators with more prodefense, or “hawkish” orientations vote against human rights measures largely because they want to give unfettered primacy in American foreign policy to national security policy.
Acknowledging the perils of “best practices” in an indigenous community

Abstract This article seeks to raise readers' awareness of how research findings from large-scale scientific studies are often misapplied, with negative results, when generalized and applied in communities with unique features, contours and needs. Conducted in collaboration with Dine educators, this qualitative study brought forth three cases, each pointing toward specific levels at which the misapplication of educational research findings in a Navajo community led to detrimental outcomes for learners. One of the three cases is discussed in detail. Adaptation to local and cultural contexts should be a primary consideration when applying research-based innovations and “best practices.”