cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Educational Impact of a Structured Radiation Oncology Clerkship Curriculum: An Interinstitutional Comparison

Abstract Purpose Many medical school clerkships have structured curricula; however, most radiation oncology clerkships do not. The Radiation Oncology Education Collaborative Study Group (ROECSG) implemented a curriculum for fourth-year radiation oncology clerkships at 14 institutions. We hypothesized that students completing clerkships with the curriculum would report greater subjective knowledge and comfort to function as a radiation oncology resident compared with students completing clerkships without the curriculum. Methods The ROECSG curriculum included three 1-hour lectures and a 1-hour hands-on radiation treatment planning workshop. Applicants to a single radiation oncology residency program in the 2014-2015 academic year were sent an anonymous, validated clerkship experience survey. Students indicated if clerkships were completed at a curriculum site. Likert-type data (1 = not at all, 5 = extremely) are reported as median (interquartile range). Results Respondents described 276 clerkship experiences, of which 64 (23.2%) were completed at a curriculum site. Students whose first clerkship was at a curriculum site perceived greater postclerkship confidence in knowledge of radiation biology (3 [3-4] versus 2 [2-3], P P P P P Conclusions These results support the curriculum's ability to increase student knowledge in radiation oncology, especially in the students' first clerkship. Further, these findings suggest that expanded implementation of such curricula may ensure a rewarding educational experience during radiation oncology clerkships.
U.S. multinationals and cash holdings

Abstract U.S. multinational firms hold significantly more cash than domestic firms. I study this cash differential using a dynamic model featuring corporate physical and intangible investment, cross-border decisions, and financial policies. I find that the cash differential diminishes by 42% if repatriation costs are set to zero. Hence, costly repatriation induces cash accumulation offshore. Further, firms that invest overseas have different ex ante cash policies from firms that do not. I examine this self-selection effect by eliminating heterogeneous intangibility across multinational and domestic firms, which reduces the cash differential by 28%. I also examine the likelihood of corporate inversion under federal regulations. The estimated annual tax loss to the U.S. Treasury from inversions is reduced from $2.2 billion to $1.3 billion if the requirements for foreign ownership are tightened from 20% to 50%.
An Approach to Teaching the Production of a Literature review for a Student Research Report

Technical and academic writing is a challenge and generally not a popular activity amongst university students. Writing literature reviews for student research projects is complex, both cognitively and linguistically. It involves a range of skills including critical thinking, problem solving and, of course, appropriate language knowledge. This case study describes an approach designed to make this task more accessible to novice student writers and to permit them to take some ownership of the generative elements of producing the review. Initial student feedback indicates a high level of satisfaction with the approach and resulting grades. Keywords: literature review, academic, approach, ownership
Damping of hard excitations in strongly coupled $ \mathcal{N} $ = 4 plasma

The damping of high momentum excitations in strongly coupled maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills plasma is studied. Previous calculations of the asymptotic behavior of the quasinormal mode spectrum are extended and clarified. We confirm that subleading corrections to the lightlike dispersion relation ω(q) = |q| have a universal |q|−1/3 form. Sufficiently narrow, weak planar shocks may be viewed as coherent superpositions of short wavelength quasinormal modes. The attenuation and evolution in profile of narrow planar shocks are examined as an application of our results.
Robust Protocols for Securely Expanding Randomness and Distributing Keys Using Untrusted Quantum Devices

Randomness is a vital resource for modern-day information processing, especially for cryptography. A wide range of applications critically rely on abundant, high-quality random numbers generated securely. Here, we show how to expand a random seed at an exponential rate without trusting the underlying quantum devices. Our approach is secure against the most general adversaries, and has the following new features: cryptographic level of security, tolerating a constant level of imprecision in devices, requiring only unit size quantum memory (for each device component) in an honest implementation, and allowing a large natural class of constructions for the protocol. In conjunction with a recent work by Chung et al. l2014r, it also leads to robust unbounded expansion using just 2 multipart devices. When adapted for distributing cryptographic keys, our method achieves, for the first time, exponential expansion combined with cryptographic security and noise tolerance. The proof proceeds by showing that the Renyi divergence of the outputs of the protocol (for a specific bounding operator) decreases linearly as the protocol iterates. At the heart of the proof are a new uncertainty principle on quantum measurements and a method for simulating trusted measurements with untrusted devices.
CEO political ideologies and pay egalitarianism within top management teams

Research summary: We examine the influence of CEO and compensation committee liberalism on top management teams (TMT) pay arrangements. Given that politically liberal individuals tend to value egalitarianism, we test whether firms with liberal CEOs tend to (1) reduce pay dispersion among non-CEO executives; and (2) reduce pay gaps between CEO and non-CEO executives, and whether compensation committee liberalism moderates these relationships. We find some evidence of a direct effect of CEO liberalism on TMT pay arrangements as well as some interaction between CEO and compensation committee liberalism on the pay arrangements. This study provides a better understanding of the antecedents of TMT pay arrangements and empirical evidence showing the influence of values at the top of organization. Managerial summary: Do the values of the CEO and compensation committee influence the pay of other top managers? Our study provides evidence that political ideology affects top manager pay. We examine whether CEO liberalism produces more egalitarian pay arrangements among top managers, and whether the liberalism of the compensation committee affects that relationship. We find that CEO liberalism reduces differences in the total pay among top managers, but does not influence the difference between CEO total pay and the total pay of top managers. We also find that compensation committee liberalism strengthens the negative influence of CEO liberalism on differences in total pay among top managers. Finally, we find that CEO liberalism reduces the difference between CEO bonus pay and the bonus pay of other top managers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of people in information-sharing: perceptions from an analytic unit of a regional fusion center

AbstractInformation sharing research has largely focused on capturing operational practices related to the exchange of information. A noticeable shortcoming of this developing literature is the lack of scholarly attention focused specifically on analytic personnel. The present study employs semi-structured interviews with 23 personnel that comprise the analytic unit within a regional fusion center located in a large metropolitan area in the United States. Findings indicate that there is significant ambiguity surrounding the organizational and geographic audiences to which intelligence products should be tailored. Moreover, it appears information sharing is sparse and reliant upon personal relationships between analysts and external organizations. Lastly, analysts do not receive feedback pertaining to the content and effectiveness of intelligence products created. These findings may be generalized to other analytical organizations whose primary goal is to gather, analyze and disseminate intelligence. Actio...
Novel probabilistic models of spatial genetic ancestry with applications to stratification correction in genome-wide association studies

Motivation: Genetic variation in human populations is influenced by geographic ancestry due to spatial locality in historical mating and migration patterns. Spatial population structure in genetic datasets has been traditionally analyzed using either model-free algorithms, such as principal components analysis (PCA) and multidimensional scaling, or using explicit spatial probabilistic models of allele frequency evolution. We develop a general probabilistic model and an associated inference algorithm that unify the model-based and data-driven approaches to visualizing and inferring population structure. Our spatial inference algorithm can also be effectively applied to the problem of population stratification in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), where hidden population structure can create fictitious associations when population ancestry is correlated with both the genotype and the trait. Results: Our algorithm Geographic Ancestry Positioning (GAP) relates local genetic distances between samples to their spatial distances, and can be used for visually discerning population structure as well as accurately inferring the spatial origin of individuals on a two-dimensional continuum. On both simulated and several real datasets from diverse human populations, GAP exhibits substantially lower error in reconstructing spatial ancestry coordinates compared to PCA. We also develop an association test that uses the ancestry coordinates inferred by GAP to accurately account for ancestry-induced correlations in GWAS. Based on simulations and analysis of a dataset of 10 metabolic traits measured in a Northern Finland cohort, which is known to exhibit significant population structure, we find that our method has superior power to current approaches. Availability and Implementation: Our software is available at https://github.com/anand-bhaskar/gap. Contacts: abhaskar@stanford.edu or ajavanma@usc.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Clinical outcomes following operative management of dorsal fracture dislocation of the proximal interphalangeal joint in the hand

Background Evidence concerning the management of dorsal fracture dislocation (DFD) of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) in the hand has been limited by small sample size and case heterogeneity within studies. This retrospective case control study examined clinical outcome of this specific subgroup managed by three different methods. Methods Patients undergoing fixation of unstable DFD of the PIPJ between March 2005 and August 2011 were identified from theatre records. A retrospective review of case-notes and radiographs was undertaken to determine fracture characteristics, fixation methods and clinical outcomes. Results 21 patients with DFD of the PIPJ were identified with a mean age of 40 years (range 22–65). The majority of patients were male (17/21, 81%) and the mean percentage articular surface involvement of fractures was 41% (Std. Dev. 11.3%). PIPJ DFD9s were managed by reduction of the PIPJ and temporary transarticular K-wire fixation (12/21, 57%), hemi-hamate arthroplasty (7/21, 33%), or by open reduction and internal fixation (2/21,10%). PIPJ ROM following hemi-hamate arthroplasty was 65° (range 34–108°) and was greater than K-Wire fixation at 56 o (range 9–85 o ) (p = 0.82). Hemi-hamate arthroplasty and K-wire fixation resulted in fixed flexion deformity of 20° (range −12–52°) and 15° (range −6–50°) respectively (p = 0.61). Hand therapy data was available for one case undergoing ORIF with a post-operative ROM of 60° and 30° of fixed flexion. There was poor correlation between articular surface involvement and post-operative range of movement at the PIPJ (Co-efficient −0.16, p = 0.55). Conclusion We present a relatively large series of outcomes following DFD of the PIPJ. We were unable to demonstrate any difference in post operative clinical outcomes between the fixation methods examined.
Enabling the democratization of the genomics revolution with a fully integrated web-based bioinformatics platform

Continued advancements in sequencing technologies have fueled the development of new sequencing applications and promise to flood current databases with raw data. A number of factors prevent the seamless and easy use of these data, including the breadth of project goals, the wide array of tools that individually perform fractions of any given analysis, the large number of associated software/hardware dependencies, and the detailed expertise required to perform these analyses. To address these issues, we have developed an intuitive web-based environment with a wide assortment of integrated and cutting-edge bioinformatics tools in pre-configured workflows. These workflows, coupled with the ease of use of the environment, provide even novice next-generation sequencing users with the ability to perform many complex analyses with only a few mouse clicks and, within the context of the same environment, to visualize and further interrogate their results. This bioinformatics platform is an initial attempt at Empowering the Development of Genomics Expertise (EDGE) in a wide range of applications for microbial research.
Subiculum neurons map the current axis of travel

Flexible navigation demands knowledge of boundaries, routes and their relationships. Within a multi-path environment, a subpopulation of subiculum neurons robustly encoded the axis of travel. The firing of axis-tuned neurons peaked bimodally, at head orientations 180° apart. Environmental manipulations showed these neurons to be anchored to environmental boundaries but to lack axis tuning in an open arena. Axis-tuned neurons thus provide a powerful mechanism for mapping relationships between routes and the larger environmental context.
Levitation force on a permanent magnet over a superconducting plane: Modified critical-state model

We consider a model system of a permanent magnet above a semi-infinite superconductor, introduce a modified critical-state model, and carry out derivations of the levitation force acting on the magnet. A key feature of the modification allows the current density to be less than the critical value. Theoretical results show an exponential relationship between the force acting on the magnet and the distance between the magnet and the superconductor. Analytical expressions are developed for permanent magnets in the form of a point dipole, a tip of a magnetic force microscope, and a cylindrical magnet. In the latter case, the exponential relationship has been observed in numerous experiments but without previous interpretation.
From gems to lithium battery electrodes: the significance of the diamond, ruby (sapphire), spinel and peridot structures

Abstract The materials used for the negative and positive electrodes of rechargeable “lithium-ion” batteries have host structures that can accommodate and release lithium over a wide compositional range. In these batteries, carbon and intermetallic compounds have been widely exploited as the negative electrodes, and transition metal oxides as the positive electrodes. For a lithium-ion battery to perform adequately, the structural integrity of the electrode host structures must be maintained throughout discharge and charge for many hundreds of cycles. Nature provides many examples of stable compounds that can be produced under variable conditions of temperature and pressure. As such, the mineral world can be used as a guide for the selection of materials in technological applications. This paper highlights the structural relationships that exist between precious and semi-precious gems such as diamond, ruby (sapphire), spinel and peridot and insertion electrodes for lithium batteries.
Money as meta-rule: Buchanan’s constitutional economics as a foundation for monetary stability

This paper explores James Buchanan’s contributions to monetary economics and argues these contributions form the foundation of a robust monetary economics paradigm. While often not recognized for his contributions to monetary economics, Buchanan’s scholarship offers important insights for current debates, especially the renewed interest in narrow banking in the wake of the financial crisis. We argue that the post-2007 crisis milieu creates a unique opportunity to recognize, as Buchanan did, the vital role that money plays in the market as the ‘grammar of commerce.’ That recognition makes the need for more fundamental reform of our monetary regimes at the constitutional level more apparent, making Buchanan’s work on monetary constitutions more relevant than ever before. We then discuss how adopting Buchanan’s monetary framework can improve both monetary scholarship and institutions.
Reflections on early germanium and silicon single crystal research

This talk will recall some of the research on germanium and silicon single crystals in the early days of the transistor.
Initiation and detonation studies in sensitized nitromethane

Abstract Amines are known to sensitize nitromethane to shock initiation. Data from a series of initiation experiments in which nitromethane is sensitized with diethylenetriamine (DETA) are presented to show some of the quantitative aspects of this amine sensitization. Particularly, it is shown that the time delay to the appearance of a detonation front in the nitromethane can be reduced from 18 to less than 1 μsec with 0–5% DETA, and it was also seen that an “overdriven” detonation velocity was measured in the solutions containing from 0.02 to 0.1% DETA. This overdriven detonation appears to average as high as 6.76 mm/μsec over a run distance of about 10 cm at 0.05% DETA. To explore this result further, we completed 1-in. cylinder tests of the pertinent nitromethane-DETA solutions, and we made a number of computer calculations of the thermodynamics and hydrodynamics of this system. The results of these tests and calculations are compared with the experimental data.
Monod-Wyman-Changeux Analysis of Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Mutants

We present a framework for computing the gating properties of ligand-gated ion channel mutants using the Monod-Wyman-Changeux (MWC) model of allostery. We derive simple analytic formulas for key functional properties such as the leakiness, dynamic range, half-maximal effective concentration ([EC50]), and effective Hill coefficient, and explore the full spectrum of phenotypes that are accessible through mutations. Specifically, we consider mutations in the channel pore of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and the ligand binding domain of a cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channel, demonstrating how each mutation can be characterized as only affecting a subset of the biophysical parameters. In addition, we show how the unifying perspective offered by the MWC model allows us, perhaps surprisingly, to collapse the plethora of dose-response data from different classes of ion channels into a universal family of curves.
The Lifetimes of Phases in High-mass Star-forming Regions

High-mass stars form within star clusters from dense, molecular regions, but is the process of cluster formation slow and hydrostatic or quick and dynamic? We link the physical properties of high-mass star-forming regions with their evolutionary stage in a systematic way, using Herschel and Spitzer data. In order to produce a robust estimate of the relative lifetimes of these regions, we compare the fraction of dense, molecular regions above a column density associated with high-mass star formation, N(H2) > 0.4-2.5 x 10^22 cm^-2, in the 'starless (no signature of stars > 10 Msun forming) and star-forming phases in a 2x2 degree region of the Galactic Plane centered at l=30deg. Of regions capable of forming high-mass stars on ~1 pc scales, the starless (or embedded beyond detection) phase occupies about 60-70% of the dense, molecular region lifetime and the star-forming phase occupies about 30-40%. These relative lifetimes are robust over a wide range of thresholds. We outline a method by which relative lifetimes can be anchored to absolute lifetimes from large-scale surveys of methanol masers and UCHII regions. A simplistic application of this method estimates the absolute lifetimes of the starless phase to be 0.2-1.7 Myr (about 0.6-4.1 fiducial cloud free-fall times) and the star-forming phase to be 0.1-0.7 Myr (about 0.4-2.4 free-fall times), but these are highly uncertain. This work uniquely investigates the star-forming nature of high-column density gas pixel-by-pixel and our results demonstrate that the majority of high-column density gas is in a starless or embedded phase.
Improving Human-Machine Cooperative Visual Search With Soft Highlighting

Advances in machine learning have produced systems that attain human-level performance on certain visual tasks, e.g., object identification. Nonetheless, other tasks requiring visual expertise are unlikely to be entrusted to machines for some time, e.g., satellite and medical imagery analysis. We describe a human-machine cooperative approach to visual search, the aim of which is to outperform either human or machine acting alone. The traditional route to augmenting human performance with automatic classifiers is to draw boxes around regions of an image deemed likely to contain a target. Human experts typically reject this type of hard highlighting. We propose instead a soft highlighting technique in which the saliency of regions of the visual field is modulated in a graded fashion based on classifier confidence level. We report on experiments with both synthetic and natural images showing that soft highlighting achieves a performance synergy surpassing that attained by hard highlighting.
Exploiting program hotspots and code sequentiality for instruction cache leakage management

Leakage energy optimization for caches has been the target of much recent effort. In this work, we focus on instruction caches and tailor two techniques that exploit the two major factors that shape the instruction access behavior, namely, hotspot execution and sequentiality. First, we adopt a hotspot detection mechanism by profiling the branch behavior at runtime and utilize this to implement a HotSpot based Leakage Management (HSLM) mechanism. Second, we exploit code sequentiality in implementing a Just-In-Time Activation (JITA) that transitions cache lines to active mode just before they are accessed. We utilize the recently proposed drowsy cache that dynamically scales voltages for leakage reduction and implement various schemes that use different combinations of HSLM and JITA. Our experimental evaluation using the SPEC2000 benchmark suite shows that instruction cache leakage energy consumption can be reduced by 63%, 49% and 29%, on the average, as compared to an unoptimized cache, a recently proposed hardware optimized cache, and a cache optimized using compiler, respectively. Further, we observe that these energy savings can be obtained without a significant impact on performance.
Glycolytic reliance promotes anabolism in photoreceptors

Vertebrate photoreceptors are among the most metabolically active cells, exhibiting a high rate of ATP consumption. This is coupled with a high anabolic demand, necessitated by the diurnal turnover of a specialized membrane-rich organelle, the outer segment, which is the primary site of phototransduction. How photoreceptors balance their catabolic and anabolic demands is poorly understood. Here, we show that rod photoreceptors in mice rely on glycolysis for their outer segment biogenesis. Genetic perturbations targeting allostery or key regulatory nodes in the glycolytic pathway impacted the size of the outer segments. Fibroblast growth factor signaling was found to regulate glycolysis, with antagonism of this pathway resulting in anabolic deficits. These data demonstrate the cell autonomous role of the glycolytic pathway in outer segment maintenance and provide evidence that aerobic glycolysis is part of a metabolic program that supports the biosynthetic needs of a normal neuronal cell type.
Low‐temperature dephasing in disordered conductors: experimental aspects

What is the lowest temperature to which one can trace the growth of the de- phasing time �' in low-dimensional conductors? I consider the fundamental limitation, the crossover from weak to strong localization, as well as several experimental reasons for fre- quently observed saturation of �' (hot-electron effects, dephasing by external noise). Recent progress in our understanding of the electron-phonon interaction in disordered conductors is also briefly discussed.
Taxing Top Incomes

We model high income earners as sellers of quality services in a competitive assignment framework. Sellers (high income earners) are differentiated by abil- ity; buyers by their taste for the service. There is assortative matching of buyers and sellers. We show that conventional optimal tax formulas are modified both by a social concern for buyers and an altered mapping of the talent into the income distribution. We quantitatively apply the model to the taxation of CEOs. We find that firm value and CEO income data is consistent with a talent distri- bution that has a thin tail and bounded support and, given sufficient concern for non-CEO firm claimants very low and, perhaps, zero optimal marginal tax on top incomes.
HIGH REVISION RATE OF THE REJUVENATE MODULAR NECK FEMORAL STEM AT THREE TO FIVE YEARS' FOLLOW-UP

Introduction We previously reported a 28% short-term corrosion-related revision rate of recalled Rejuvenate modular stem. The purpose of this study was to assess the mid-term clinical results and survivorship of this implant. Methods Between June 2009 and July 2012, 73 total hip arthroplasty (THA) in 63 patients with the Rejuvenate modular neck implant were performed by a single surgeon and prospectively followed. Average age was 63.2 ± 12.6 years (28 to 86). Elevated metal ion (= 2 µg/L), pain, or positive MRI findings were indication for revision surgery. Correlation between patient factors with serum metal ion levels and revisions were analyzed. Results At an average follow-up of 4.2 ± 0.6 years (3.0 to 5.5), 57 hips (48 patients, 78%) were revised at mean of 3.2 ± 1 years (1 to 5.5); and 6 other have been scheduled for surgery. The Kaplan-Meier survivorship was 22 % at 5.5 years. Visible corrosion was seen at the trunion-stem junction in each revision case. 51 of 57 hips undergoing revision (89%), had elevated preoperative serum Co levels, 24 (42%) had elevated preoperative Cr. The average serum Co and Cr ion levels prior to revision surgery were 10 ± 8 µg/L (0.3 to 40) and 2.3 ± 1.5 µg/L (1 to 7.4), respectively. There was a significant correlation between revision surgery and younger age (p=0.0137). 52 hips underwent MRI evaluation, 22 hips (42%) had positive findings correlated to pain (p=0.025): 11 hips demonstrated adverse local soft tissue reactions such as fluid collection, capsular thickening, osteolysis, or synovitis, and 11 hips showed evidence of pseudotumor. Conclusions At mid-term follow-up, 86% of the Rejuvenated modular neck stems have been revised or awaiting revision. Given these findings, all patients with a Rejuvenate modular neck stem implant should be followed closely and advised of impending failure.
“The Biennale of Dissent 1977” and Italian Architecture during the 1970s

In 1977, “The Biennale of Dissent” was a significant event in the history of the anti-Soviet dissidence. In Italy during the 1970s intellectuals, artists and architects had many connections with Marxist theories and the Soviet Union, but their role, referred to in this event, appears complex and, on occasions, contradictory. The Italian cultural world mirrored a political situation, in which it became a duty to take up a position which opposed Italy’s Fascist past. Artistic and political opinions coincided. For this reason, in Italy the culture of dissidence led to a heated debate. One generation of architects was born in this context and few were able to think outside the box. The interpretation proposed for Italian architecture and the masters of the time should prompt a consideration of the current absence of Italian critics and architects in international debates. Article received: December 16, 2016; Article accepted: January 13, 2017; Published online: April 20, 2017 Original scholarly paper How to cite this article: Guido, Luca. "'The Biennale of Dissent 1977' and Italian Architecture during the 1970s." AM Journal of Art and Media Studies 12 (2017): 17-28. doi: 10 .25038/am.v0i12.164
An ensemble approach to predicting the impact of vaccination on rotavirus disease in Niger

Recently developed vaccines provide a new way of controlling rotavirus in sub-Saharan Africa. Models for the transmission dynamics of rotavirus are critical both for estimating current burden from imperfect surveillance and for assessing potential effects of vaccine intervention strategies. We examine rotavirus infection in the Maradi area in southern Niger using hospital surveillance data provided by Epicentre collected over two years. Additionally, a cluster survey of households in the region allows us to estimate the proportion of children with diarrhea who consulted at a health structure. Model fit and future projections are necessarily particular to a given model; thus, where there are competing models for the underlying epidemiology an ensemble approach can account for that uncertainty. We compare our results across several variants of Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) compartmental models to quantify the impact of modeling assumptions on our estimates. Model-specific parameters are estimated by Bayesian inference using Markov chain Monte Carlo. We then use Bayesian model averaging to generate ensemble estimates of the current dynamics, including estimates of R0, the burden of infection in the region, as well as the impact of vaccination on both the short-term dynamics and the long-term reduction of rotavirus incidence under varying levels of coverage. The ensemble of models predicts that the current burden of severe rotavirus disease is 2.6-3.7% of the population each year and that a 2-dose vaccine schedule achieving 70% coverage could reduce burden by 39-42%.
Implementation of a new method to track propofol in an endoscopy unit

ABSTRACTAim:Propofol is a widely used anesthesia induction agent and is easily accessible in most healthcare facilities. Unlike regulated or schedule drugs, propofol is inconsistently tracked, leading to inaccurate inventories, incorrect billing, and unrecognized diversion. The goal of this project
Differences in Earnings between Male and Female Physicians

Background. Male physicians have long earned more than female physicians, even after differences in the number of hours worked, specialty, practice setting, and other characteristics are taken into account. Whether earnings patterns have changed recently is not known. Methods. I examined data on earnings from the 1991 Survey of Young Physicians, a nationwide survey of physicians under 45 years of age with two to nine years of practice experience. The results were compared with data from the 1987 Survey of Young Physicians and with data on the earnings of physicians with 10 or more years of experience from the American Medical Association's 1991 Socioeconomic Monitoring System survey. Results. In 1990, young male physicians earned 41 percent more per year than young female physicians (male :female earnings ratio, 1.41 ; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.34 to 1.49). Per hour, young men earned 14 percent more than young women (ratio, 1.14 ; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.20). However, after adjustment for differences in specialty, practice setting, and other characteristics, no earnings difference was evident (ratio, 1.00 ; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.96 to 1.04). In general practice and family practice, women earned more than men, after adjustment for differences in other characteristics (ratio, 0.87 ; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.78 to 0.97). In internal-medicine subspecialties and emergency medicine, men earned more than women (ratio, 1.26 ; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.10 to 1.44). Among physicians with 10 or more years of experience, men also earned more than women (ratio, 1.17 ; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.07 to 1.27). Conclusions. Young male and female physicians with similar characteristics earn equal amounts of money. However, differences in earnings between men and women remain among older physicians and in some specialties.
Protestants and Catholics and Educational Investment in Guatemala

Recent empirical research on the relation of religion to human capital has focused on the distinction between Mainline Protestantism and Catholicism. Our research emphasizes differential investment in education across types of Protestantism. We apply this framework to Guatemala, a country that was historically dominated by Catholicism but has moved in recent decades toward Protestantism. Our research was motivated by theological differences between Mainline Protestant denominations and premillennialist movements (Evangelical, Pentecostal) that arose at the end of the nineteenth century. These denominations placed less emphasis than Mainline Protestants on investment in education. Consistent with this perspective, literacy is enhanced more by Mainline Protestant schools than by other Protestant schools. Catholic schools have the weakest relation with literacy, likely because the ouster of Catholic orders and schools in the liberal reforms of the 1870s had a lasting influence.
Rethinking the Benefits of Youth Employment Programs: The Heterogeneous Effects of Summer Jobs

This paper reports the results of two randomized field experiments, each offering different populations of Chicago youth a supported summer job. The program consistently reduces violent-crime arres...
KNEE NAVIGATION: LOST IN SPACE – AFFIRMS

It has become clear that computer navigation in total joint replacement provides more reliable obtaining of a neutral mechanical axis during total knee surgery. The real issue is when one attains a more reliable mechanical axis, is that going to change the clinical outcome both in terms of function and durability? To date, we really haven9t been able to answer that question definitively. Is there really a one simple target value for alignment in all patients undergoing total knee replacement? The constraints on accuracy imposed by our standard total knee instruments and the constraints on assessment imposed by 2-dimensional radiographs made broad, simple targets like a mechanical axis ± 3 degrees reasonable starting points; yet we have not further worked to verify if we can do better. It is naive to think that the complex motion at the knee occurring in 6 dimensions over time can be reduced to a single static target value like a neutral mechanical axis and have strong predictive value in regard to the success or failure of an individual TKA. We assessed 399 knees of 3 different modern cemented designs at 15 years and found that factors other than alignment were more important than alignment in determining the 15-year survival. That work does not mean that alignment is not important, instead it suggests that either the way we traditionally define malalignment (outside 0 ± 3 degrees) is too imprecise or that the other causes of failure overwhelm malalignment in determine TKA durability.
Design and Control of Tubular Autothermal Reactors: An Evolutionary Approach

Abstract A systematic procedure for the design of a reactor system and controller for an autothermal process is proposed. Use of Structural Dominance Analysis eliminates the need for many detailed simulation runs to determine best reactor and controller configuration. Multistage wall-cooled reactors with cocurrent coolant are found to be a superior design. Reactor control is achieved using cold feed bypass gas to regulate in inlet temperature to each reactor bed. A controller is designed using the Internal Model Control structure. Performance and robustness are investigated using a first-order diagonal filter.
Communicating to promote informed decisions in the context of early pregnancy loss.

Abstract Objective To evaluate residents’ ability to engage standardized patients in informed decision making during a pregnancy loss scenario. Methods Forty patient encounters between interns and standardized patients were coded to assess informed decision-making practices, exploration of unexpressed concerns, and support provision. Results Interns engaged in minimum informed decision making but did not address all of the communicative elements necessary for informed decisions, and most elements were only partially addressed. Patients in this study did not receive information about all management options, their concerns were not addressed, and there was limited support communicated for their decision. Conclusion This study offers an initial assessment of a communicative approach to evaluate and improve decision making during early pregnancy loss. A comprehensive approach to making informed decisions must include discussion of all management options, exploration of patient preferences and concerns, and support for the patient’s decision. Practice implications Physicians could benefit from communication skills training to communicate more effectively with patients to help them make more informed decisions.
Theory of Aiming Control for Linear Stochastic Systems

Abstract The problem of aiming control is formulated and solved for linear time-invariant systems perturbed by small additive white noise. Both state feedback and dynamic output feedback laws are considered. In the case of dynamic output feedback, noiseless and noisy measurements are analyzed. In the noiseless measurement case it is shown that the fundamental bounds on the achievable precision of aiming may or may not be finite depending on the nonminimum phase zeros and the invertibility of the system. In the noisy measurement case the achievable precision of aiming is shown to be always bounded. Aiming controller design techniques that result in controllers compatible with the bounds are developed. The approach is based on the asymptotic large deviations theory.
Metagenomic Sequencing Detects Respiratory Pathogens in Hematopoietic Cellular Transplant Patients.

BACKGROUND: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are a leading cause of mortality in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. Current microbiologic diagnostics often fail to identify etiologic pathogens, leading to diagnostic uncertainty and precluding the implementation of targeted therapies. To directly address the need for improved LRTI diagnostics, we undertook this study to evaluate the potential utility of metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) approaches for detecting LRTI in the HCT population. METHODS: We enrolled 22 post-HCT adults ages 19-69 years with acute respiratory illnesses who underwent bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) at the University of Michigan between January 2012 and May 2013. Unbiased mNGS was performed on BAL fluid to detect microbes and assess host response. Results were compared to those obtained by standard clinical microbiology testing. RESULTS: Unbiased mNGS detected all microbes identified by standard testing (human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, human herpesvirus 6 and cytomegalovirus). Previously unrecognized LRTI pathogens were identified in six patients for whom standard testing was negative (human coronavirus 229E, human rhinovirus A, Corynebacterium propinquum and Streptococcus mitis) and findings were confirmed by independent PCR testing. mNGS identified microbes of unlikely or uncertain pathogenicity in 10 patients with clinical evidence of non-infectious respiratory conditions. Patients with respiratory pathogens were found to have significantly increased expression of immunity related gene biomarkers relative to those without (p=0.022) as well as lower alpha diversity of their respiratory microbial communities (p=0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to conventional diagnostics, host/pathogen mNGS enhanced detection of microbial pathogens in BAL fluid from HCT patients. Furthermore, this approach simultaneously evaluated the association between identified microbes and the expression of innate immunity gene biomarkers. Host/pathogen mNGS holds promise for precision diagnosis of post-HCT respiratory infection.
Augmentation of Hematoporphyrin Uptake and In Vitro-Growth Inhibition of L1210 Leukemia Cells by Succinylacetone

Succinylacetone (SA; 4,6-dioxoheptanoic acid), a specific inhibitor of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydrase (ALAD) (the second enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway), was tested for its effect in L1210 cells from inbred DBA/2 mice. ALAD from broken L1210 cells was completely inhibited by 1 microM SA, but in whole cells activity was decreased only 83% after incubation of the cells with 2.5 mM SA for 3 days. When incubated with hematoporphyrin (HP), L1210 cells rapidly took up porphyrin from the medium, and this uptake could be augmented by pretreatment of the cells with SA; but this enhancement of porphyrin uptake occurred gradually over a period of days. When SA-treated and untreated L1210 cells were incubated with increasing concentrations of HP in the medium, SA-treated cells reached the saturation concentration of cellular porphyrin at lower medium HP concentrations than did untreated cells. Growth of L1210 cells could be inhibited by 2 mM SA or more. Addition of increasing amounts of serum to cultures of cells containing SA did not reverse the growth inhibition due to SA. Porphyrin uptake from HP in the medium in nonmalignant fibroblast line 3T3 was much lower than in L1210 cells and could not be enhanced by incubation of the cells with SA.
Proximal Renal Tubular Surface Membrane Antigens Identified in Primary and Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinomas

Polyclonal antibodies to the brush border membrane of the human renal proximal tubule were found to identify two proteins with apparent molecular weights of 35,000 and 46,000 daltons. The antigens are distinct in their molecular weights from other antigens that have been localized to the human proximal tubular brush border. The antibodies were extensively studied for their immunoreactivity to fixed, embedded tissue sections by indirect immunoperoxidase staining. These sections were from 36 primary and 37 metastatic renal cell carcinomas, three renal oncocytomas, 87 cases of 28 different types of neoplasms, and 33 different types of normal tissues. Ninety-four percent of primary and 78% of metastatic renal cell carcinomas demonstrated expression of the antigens. Eight cases in which both primary tumor and its metastases were available revealed a general quantitative decrease in expression of the antigens in the metastases. Specificity analysis revealed immunoreactivity to the luminal surfaces of cells lining the epididymis, breast lobule, and bile ductules; the cytoplasm of the submandibular gland ductules; and to some adenocarcinomas of lung, breast, and small intestine, astrocytomas of brain, and squamous carcinomas of skin. The antibodies may be of some utility in the surgical pathology laboratory to help determine the primary site of metastatic clear cell tumors and may also be of use in the in vitro differentiation of renal epithelial cells. Development of monoclonal antibodies to these antigens may improve specificity and clinical utility.
Percutaneous Subclavian Vein Catheterization: Too Much of a Good Thing?

• Eighty-one percutaneous subclavian vein catheterizations (PSVCs) were randomly selected for retrospective audits. Physicians with varied levels of experience were performing PSVCs In many patient care areas. The Incidence of pneumothorax was 12.4%. After impersonal contacts by the audit committee failed to reduce that rate, a concurrent audit process with direct physician contact was initiated. This reduced the complication rate significantly. Because earlier published reports had associated PSVCs with low complication rates, operator caution may have given way to overzealous use by undertrained physicians. Direct physician involvement in quality-assurance programs can enhance patient care. ( Arch Intern Med 1984;144:1407-1408)
Unusual Androgen Sensitivity of the Androgen-Independent Dunning R-3327-G Rat Prostatic Adenocarcinoma: Androgen Effect on Tumor Cell Loss

Shessel et al. (Invest. Urol., 17: 529–533, 1980) have reproted previously that the serially transplantable Dunning R-3327-G rat prostatic adenocarcinoma grows faster in intact versus castrated male rats. The present study has demonstrated that this is because the G tumor is composed of androgen-independent but -sensitive prostatic cancer cells. The conclusion that G tumor cells are androgen independent is based upon the observations that these cells are capable of growing following inoculation into castrated male rats and that castration of intact male rats bearing established G tumors induces neither regression of tumor volume nor cessation of the continuous growth of the tumor. The G tumor cells, while being androgen independent, are, however, highly sensitive to androgen for their maximal rate of tumor growth. This androgen sensitivity is demonstrated by the fact that the G tumor cells can be reversibly shifted to a faster or slower growth rate simply by manipulation of the host androgen status. The androgen sensitivity of G tumor growth rate is unusual in that it is not due to androgenic stimulation of cell division but to androgen-induced inhibition of G tumor cell loss ( i.e. , the rate of G tumor cell loss is reduced by over 50% when androgen is present). The androgen sensitivity of G tumor cell loss is also unusual in that, due to the low level of 5 α-reductase activity of the G tumor, the predominant intracellular androgen responsible for this inhibition in untreated intact hosts appears to be testosterone and not dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In castrated rats, however, exogenous treatment with DHT is equally as effective as exogenous testosterone in inhibiting G tumor cell loss. These results suggest that G tumor cells are sensitive to either testosterone or DHT but that in untreated intact hosts little DHT is formed by the tumor cells.
Chapter Eight - Synthesis of Reactive Mass-Exchange Networks

Publisher Summary The synthesis of a network of reactive mass exchangers involves the same challenges as in synthesizing physical MENs. The problem is further compounded by virtue of the reactivity of the MSAs. Typically, reactive MSAs have a greater capacity and selectivity to remove an undesirable component than physical MSAs. Furthermore, because they react with the undesirable species, it may be possible to convert pollutants into other species that may either be reused within the plant itself or sold. The problem of synthesizing reactive mass-exchange networks (REAMENs) was developed, along with systematic techniques for its solution. The first step in synthesizing a REAMEN is to establish the conditions for which the reactive mass exchange is thermodynamically feasible. To establish the conditions for thermodynamic feasibility of reactive mass exchange, it is necessary to invoke the basic principles of mass transfer with chemical reactions. After a procedure for establishing the corresponding composition scales for the rich-lean pairs of streams has been outlined, it is possible to develop the CID. However, it should be noted that the conversion among the corresponding composition scales may be more laborious because of the nonlinearity of equilibrium relations. The necessary thermodynamic concepts are covered in the chapter along with chemical equilibrium, which is tackled in a manner that renders the REAMEN synthesis task close to the MEN problem. Finally, an optimization-based approach is presented and illustrated by a case study.