cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disentangling relationships in symptom networks using matrix permutation methods

Common outputs of software programs for network estimation include association matrices containing the edge weights between pairs of symptoms and a plot of the symptom network. Although such outputs are useful, it is sometimes difficult to ascertain structural relationships among symptoms from these types of output alone. We propose that matrix permutation provides a simple, yet effective, approach for clarifying the order relationships among the symptoms based on the edge weights of the network. For directed symptom networks, we use a permutation criterion that has classic applications in electrical circuit theory and economics. This criterion can be used to place symptoms that strongly predict other symptoms at the beginning of the ordering, and symptoms that are strongly predicted by other symptoms at the end. For undirected symptom networks, we recommend a permutation criterion that is based on location theory in the field of operations research. When using this criterion, symptoms with many strong ties tend to be placed centrally in the ordering, whereas weakly-tied symptoms are placed at the ends. The permutation optimization problems are solved using dynamic programming. We also make use of branch-search algorithms for extracting maximum cardinality subsets of symptoms that have perfect structure with respect to a selected criterion. Software for implementing the dynamic programming algorithms is available in MATLAB and R. Two networks from the literature are used to demonstrate the matrix permutation algorithms.
The development of toddlers’ emotion regulation within the family system: associations with observed parent-child synchrony and interparental relationship satisfaction

Abstract This study used a family systems framework to examine associations between parent-child synchrony, interparental relationship satisfaction, and children's emotion regulation. The sample included 75 families from socioeconomically and ethnically diverse backgrounds who had a child between 18 and 27 months (Mage = 20.9 months). Mothers and fathers from the same families completed separate visits with their child. Mother-child and father-child synchrony (i.e., the extent to which dyads displayed a contingent pattern of communication) were coded from observations of parent-child teaching tasks completed individually with their child. Children's emotion regulation was coded from observations of a brief frustration task and included codes for children's emotional distress and adaptive coping (i.e., task-focused coping strategies). Results from dyadic path models demonstrated that father-child, but not mother-child, synchrony was associated with less distress in toddlers, and that fathers’ self-reported interparental relationship satisfaction was negatively associated with toddlers’ coping. The final model revealed that mothers’ relationship satisfaction moderated associations between both mother-child and father-child synchrony and toddlers’ adaptive coping. Further, fathers’ relationship satisfaction moderated the association between father-child synchrony and toddlers’ distress. These results suggest that the quality of father-child interactions play a unique and important role in supporting children's emotion regulation in challenging situations, and that interparental relationship satisfaction is a key factor to consider. Further, this work highlights the importance of considering the entire family system, such as how interactions between parents indirectly influence children's development.
Approximately Valid and Model-Free Possibilistic Inference

Existing frameworks for probabilistic inference assume the inferential target is a feature the posited statistical model’s parameters. In this paper, we develop a new version of the so-called generalized inferential model framework for possibilistic inference on unknowns that are well-defined independent of a statistical model. We provide a bootstrap-based implementation and establish approximate validity.
Sex role orientation, sex typing, occupational traditionalism, and perimenstrual symptoms.

Historically the study of sex roles and perimenstrual symptoms has produced conflicting results. Nevertheless, a stereotype has pervaded which depicts lack of femininity or rejection of the female role as a major contributor to various kinds of gynecologic problems, particularly perimenstrual distress. This study sample consisted of a nonclinic, community‐based, randomly selected group of 179 women ages 18–35 who were interviewed in their homes. Study instruments included the Moos Menstrual Distress questionnaire, Index of Sex Role Orientation, Bern Sex Role Inventory and U.S. government statistics on percentages of men and women in certain occupations. Findings suggest that sex typing and sex role orientation are unrelated to perimenstrual symptom reports. Women who perform more traditionally feminine occupations report more severe perimenstrual negative affect. Investigators in women's health care are urged to look beyond acceptance or rejection of the female role to understand women's perimenstrual sym...
Linear-quadratic optimal control revisited

Abstract We offer a new proof of the relationship between the solution of a matrix Riccati equation and the optimal solution of a linear-quadratic regulator problem in the presence of linear terminal constraints.
ETC observations of the gamma-ray burst GRB 941014

The Explosive Transient Camera (ETC) is a dedicated wide-field sky monitor for short-duration optical transients. The ETC operates completely automatically, searching for transients in the night sky without the need for a human observer on site. Data products from the ETC include data from any transients detected, as well as CCD images of the fields-of-view observed. We report here the imaging by the ETC of the 2.5σ error region of GRB 941014 90 seconds after the end of the burst.
Survival of human enteric and other sewage microorganisms under simulated deep-sea conditions.

Abstract The survival of pure cultures of Escherichia coli, Streptococcus faecalis, Clostridium perfringens, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus under simulated deep-sea conditions of low temperature (4 C), seawater, and hydrostatic pressures ranging from 1 to 1,000 atm was determined over a period exceeding 300 h. The viability of E. coli and total aerobic bacteria in seawater-diluted raw sewage subjected to these deep-sea conditions was also measured. There was a greater survival of both E. coli and S. faecalis at 250 and 500 atm than at 1 atm at 4 C. S. faecalis was quite insensitive to 1,000 atm, whereas with E. coli there was a 10-fold die-off per 50-h exposure to 1,000 atm. In contrast, V. parahaemolyticus and C. perfringens were quite sensitive to pressures exceeding 250 atm, and with both of these species there was a total loss of viability of approximately 108 cells per ml within 100 h at 1,000 atm and within 200 h at 500 atm. The viability of the naturally occurring fecal coliforms in sewage exposed to moderate pressures at 4 C was found to be similar to the survival patterns demonstrated with pure cultures of E. coli. The total numbers of aerobic bacteria in these sewage samples, however, stabilized at 500 and 1,000 atm after 100 h, and at 1 and 250 atm there was significant growth of sewage-associated bacteria, which apparently utilized the organic compounds in the seawater-diluted sewage samples. A preliminary classification of some of these bacteria indicated that approximately 90% (160 isolates) of the organisms that survived over a 400-h exposure to 500 and 1,000 atm were Arthrobacter/Corynebacterium species, and the representative organisms capable of growing at 1 and 250 atm in seawater at 4 C were gram-positive cellulose digesters and an unidentified gram-negative coccus. The significance of these results with respect to the contamination of the deep ocean with human pathogens and the possibility of sewage-associated microorganisms growing and competing with indigenous marine microbial flora in situ is discussed.
Socioeconomic Gradients and Low Birth‐Weight: Empirical and Policy Considerations

Objective To examine whether socioeconomic status (SES) gradients emerge in health outcomes as early as birth and to examine the magnitude, potential sources, and explanations of any observed SES gradients.
Comparison of Fish Communities at Random and Nonrandom Locations in a Sand‐Bed River

AbstractSurveys based on nonrandom site selection, or convenience samples, are often a necessary part of large-scale monitoring programs to help minimize costs. The reliability of convenience samples to inform managers about distributions or population status of imperiled species is questionable, however, because the samples may not be representative of the whole population. We compared fish community data from 20 nonrandom, long-term monitoring sites for Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Hybognathus amarus with those from 20 randomly chosen samples collected during two surveys (one in summer, one in autumn) in the Rio Grande, New Mexico. We compared the species richness, community composition, and the catch per unit effort (CPUE). Fish species compositions, which were similar between both sets of summer and autumn surveys, were nearly identical in the autumn surveys. Similarly, we found consistent Rio Grande Silvery Minnow CPUE between surveys; summer random surveys estimated 0.32 fish/100 m2 sampled, whereas su...
Microfluidics integration of aperiodic plasmonic arrays for spatial-spectral optical detection

We demonstrate successful integration of aperiodic arrays of metal nanoparticles with microfluidics technology for optical sensing using the spectral-colorimetric responses of nanostructured arrays to refractive index variations. Different aperiodic arrays of gold (Au) nanoparticles with varying interparticle separations and Fourier spectral properties are fabricated using Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) and integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidics structures by soft-lithographic micro-imprint techniques. The spectral shifts of scattering spectra and the distinctive modifications of structural color patterns induced by refractive index variations were simultaneously measured inside microfluidic flow cells by dark-field spectroscopy and image correlation analysis in the visible spectral range. The integration of engineered aperiodic arrays of Au nanoparticles with microfluidics devices provides a novel sensing platform with multiplexed spatial-spectral responses for opto-fluidics applications and lab-on-a-chip optical biosensing.
Hydrogen sulfide induces serum-independent cell cycle entry in nontransformed rat intestinal epithelial cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), produced by commensal sulfate-reducing bacteria, is an environmental insult that potentially contributes to chronic intestinal epithelial disorders. We tested the hypothesis that exposure of nontransformed intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-18) to the reducing agent sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) activates molecular pathways that underlie epithelial hyperplasia, a phenotype common to both ulcerative colitis (UC) and colorectal cancer. Exposure of IEC-18 cells to NaHS rapidly increased the NADPH/NADP ratio, reduced the intracellular redox environment, and inhibited mitochondrial respiratory activity. The addition of 0.2-5 mM NaHS for 4 h increased the IEC-18 proliferative cell fraction (P<0.05), as evidenced by analysis of the cell cycle and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression, while apoptosis occurred only at the highest concentration of NaHS. Thirty minutes of NaHS exposure increased (P<0.05) c-Jun mRNA concentrations, consistent with the observed activation of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK). Microarray analysis confirmed an increase (P<0.05) in MAPK-mediated proliferative activity, likely reflecting the reduced redox environment of NaHS-treated cells. These data identify functional pathways by which H2S may initiate epithelial dysregulation and thereby contribute to UC or colorectal cancer. Thus, it becomes crucial to understand how genetic background may affect epithelial responsiveness to this bacterial-derived environmental insult.
Dynamical Timescales in Hot Rotating Nuclei

The effects of dissipation in fission of hot nuclei as well as in heavy-ion reactions are still not well understood and quite controversial. The deformation and/or temperature dependence of the dissipation coefficient as well as the influence of the curvatures of the potential energy surface will be discussed. Evidence for particel/γ-ray decay during compound nucleus formation in certain heavy-ion reactions will be compared to other reactions where no effects were observed.
A Simple Preparation of a Functionalized Diimine Ligand: 2-(2-Pyridyl)-4-Carboxyquinoline

Abstract A convenient single step preparation of the carboxylate functionalized diimine ligand, 2-(2-pyridyl)-4-carboxyquinoline 1, from isatin 2, and 2-acetylpyridine 3, is reported.
Stability of shark and human lens fiber cell membranes.

Abstract 1. 1. Scanning electron microscopy of minced dogfish, shark, and human lens fiber cell preparations showed that neither 8 M urea or 1% SDS was capable of totally disrupting the fiber cells, but that their membranes were totally disrupted by 1% SDS containing 50 mM dithiothreitol. 2. 2. Fiber cells were purified by sucrose centrifugation and extracted with Tris-buffer, 8 M urea, 1% SDS and 50 mM dithiothreitol plus 1% SDS. 3. 3. A residual 10% of the protein was capable of maintaining membrane integrity. 4. 4. DTT + SDS totally dissolved the membranes, implying that disulfide bonds are involved in maintaining structure. 5. 5. Non-tryptophan fluorescence was nearly totally extracted prior to the SDS-DTT step, indicating that the fluorescence associated with the membrane protein was not serving as crosslinks between extrinsic and intrinsic proteins. 6. 6. Polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis revealed that after exhaustive e extractions of lens fiber cells with Tris-buffer, 8 M urea and 1% SDS, the addition of DTT released major heat stable 27,000 and 24,000 dalton peptides. 7. 7. The data support the concept that fiber cell membranes contain high levels of extrinsic peptides and intrinsic peptides whose stability depends strongly on oxidized crosslinks, probably disulfide bonds.
Dichotic ear-order effects with nonverbal stimuli.

Summary Normal right-handed subjects were required to identify four nonlinguistic sounds (pitch contours presented dicbotically in pairs) under each of the following conditions: (1) identification of the 2 stimuli in any order ; (2) identification of the two stimuli, first from one ear (e.g., always the left), and then from the other ear. Here, the report orders were known by the subject in advance of the onset of dichotic pairs; (3) identification in ear orders indicated only at the offset of each dichotic presentation; (4) identification (in any order) after verbal associates were taught to each stimulus. All four conditions tested the efficiency of the right and left cerebral hemispheres in processing nonverbal information (as reflected in accuracy of identification from contralateral ears). Conditions (2) and (3) tested the efficiency of each ear as a report ear .(first report) and as a storage ear (second report), and whether or not prior attentlonal set influences accuracy. The last condition assessed the effect of verbal labeling on left-hemispheric (right ear) accuracy in the perception of nonverbal material. Perceptual lateralization was not obtained under conditions of free report, nor with first-ear reports. The use of verbal labels did not increase right-ear accuracy. When considering only those items reported second, i.e., the stored items, the left ear (right hemisphere) was more efficient than the right ear; this effect was enhanced in the preinstruction (attentional) condition. Results support the idea that the storage mechanism may be more sensitive to laterality differences than the perceiving and reporting mechanism.
A Study of Relationship in Motor Learning

(1942). A Study of Relationship in Motor Learning. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 217-225.
Psychologists on the faculties of United States schools of medicine: Past, present and possible future☆

Abstract This review covers the growth in the numbers of psychologists in U.S. medical schools from only a few individuals in 1910 to the present 2500 of them. Also described are the developments in: (1) administrative organizations of these faculty psychologists (e.g., in departments of psychiatry, behavioral science, pediatrics, medicine, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and even autonomous departments of medical psychology), (2) their present faculty ranks, (3) salary levels, and (4) responsibilities, as well as perceived power relationships in which psychologists find themselves relative to other disciplines. Finally, some possible patterns in the future development of medical psychology during 1980–1990 are sketched, with speculations on the influence current developments in behavioral medicine and behavioral health may have on the future of medical psychology.
Braided intensity-based fiber sensor for civil infrastructure monitoring

An intensity-based fiber optic senor has been studied, especially for use in long term monitoring of civil structures. The fiber tested was a braided polyimide multimode fiber. By braiding, the sensitivity of the fiber was enhanced due to the increased microbending. Two types of laboratory tests have been performed using the optical fibers. First, uniaxial tension tests of the fiber were performed on an Instron testing machine. The braided fiber's intensity loss versus applied strain (using various gauge lengths and pretension loads) was monitored and shown to be more sensitive than straight fibers with inconsequential hysteresis occurring. Next, the fiber was attached to a 3/4' diameter solid steel rod at varying gauge lengths, braids per inch, and loop diameters. The rod was placed in pure tension on a SATEC Universal Testing machine and electric strain gauges were attached to relate strain measurements to intensity readings. The braided fiber was also applied on the rod in a loop to take advantage of the macrobending. Results from these tests suggested a need for further test studies, which are ongoing, within a certain range of strain values to determine an optimum gauge length, number of braids of the fiber and required pretension loading and to check the validity of using this type of fiber sensor in civil engineering structures to monitor response continuously.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
THE IMPACT OF A SINGLE COCAINE INJECTION ON AMNIOTIC FLUID AND BRAIN LEVELS OF FETUSES IN DRUG-NAIVE RATS: A QUANTITATIVE GC/MS ANALYSIS STUDY.▴ 440

THE IMPACT OF A SINGLE COCAINE INJECTION ON AMNIOTIC FLUID AND BRAIN LEVELS OF FETUSES IN DRUG-NAIVE RATS: A QUANTITATIVE GC/MS ANALYSIS STUDY. ▴ 440
Investigation of mid-infrared type-II “W” diode lasers

We report an experimental investigation of 16 different mid-infrared diode laser samples with type-II “W” active regions. A number of design modifications were employed to study effects on the I–V characteristics, lasing threshold, and wallplug efficiency. Contrary to expectations, the threshold current density at low temperatures did not vary significantly with the number of active quantum-well periods, nor was there any clear correlation between lasing threshold and photoluminescence intensity. A shorter-wavelength device (3.2–3.6 µm) produced >500 mW of cw power at 80 K, and a second device displayed a wallplug efficiency >10%. The maximum lasing temperature was 317 K for pulsed operation and 218 K for cw operation. At T=100 K, cavity-length studies indicated an internal loss of 7 cm−1 and nominal internal efficiency of 96%. Hakki-Paoli measurements of the gain spectrum implied an intrinsic linewidth enhancement factor of ∼1.3, which slightly exceeds the theoretical prediction. Longer-wavelength devices (λ ≈ 3.8–4.5 µm) showed similarly low threshold current densities at T=80 K but degraded more rapidly with increasing temperature.
Restructuring the genome data base: a model for a federation of biological databases.

ABSTRACT The creation of a federation of public biological databases has been proposed. Formerly independent systems will need to be modified to interoperate better within this federation. This will enable the federated system to provide biologists with an integrated view of biological data. The GDB Human Genome Data Base is being restructured to participate in the proposed federation. GDB itself will be organized into a collection of related data sets in support of human gene mapping. The techniques that will be used to link these data sets will be applicable to the federation as a whole. Links will be based on stable accession numbers that have no inherent information content and are guaranteed always to be recognized. Improvements will be made in the links between GDB and the nucleotide sequence databases to test this approach further.
Comparative party Finance: Notes on Practices and Toward a Theory

A DVANCES TOWARD the more genuinely comparative study of po1 litical finance processes require on the one hand greater amounts of data and information, and on the other unifying concepts which will help relate structures peculiar to various systems in terms of realistically conceived common denominators. This symposium contains valuable contributions on both counts. While concerned primarily with their assigned task of describing the political finance processes of one country, many authors are also extremely suggestive by reason of the techniques of aggregation and analysis which they employ. The purpose of this article is also two-fold: to attempt an initial comparative evaluation of data and interpretation presented here and elsewhere, and to explore the more theoretical problems of method. Since the question of what concepts might be applicable to the comparative study of political finance is so significant, the attempt is made to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of several potential approaches by ordering the material with reference to them. Three key concepts which seem promising in this respect are: firstly-some simplified form of input-output analysis centering on parties as instruments of electoral competition; secondly-a framework of analysis based on the notion of transfer, and especially on the roles assumed in the process of transferring political support; and thirdly-developmental models which reflect significant changes in the reciprocal relationships of electorates and parties in different phases of industrializing societies1
Exploring solvent effects upon the Menshutkin reaction using a polarizable force field.

The energetics of the Menshutkin reaction between triethylamine and ethyl iodide have been computed using B3LYP and MP2 with the LANL2DZ, LANL2DZd, SVP, MIDI!, 6-311G(d,p), and aug-cc-PVTZ basis sets. Small- and large-core energy-consistent relativistic pseudopotentials were employed. Solvent effect corrections were computed from QM/MM Monte Carlo simulations utilizing free-energy perturbation theory, PDDG/PM3, and both a nonpolarizable OPLS and polarizable OPLS-AAP force field. The B3LYP/MIDI! theory level provided the best ΔG‡ values with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 4.9 kcal/mol from experiment in cyclohexane, CCl4, THF, DMSO, acetonitrile, water, and methanol. However, the relative rates in cyclohexane, and to a certain extent CCl4, were determined to be greatly underestimated when using the nonpolarizable OPLS force field. An overall reduction in the MAE to 3.1 kcal/mol using B3LYP/MIDI!/OPLS-AAP demonstrated the need for a fully polarizable force field when computing solvent effects for highly dip...
Hydrometrocolpos in infancy

Summary Hydrometrocolpos as a clinical entity is described. Our ideas on the nature of the lesion, based on clinical and pathological study and a review of what is offered in the literature of the embryology, are presented. Evidence is given that the presenting symptoms may be due to either intestinal or urinary tract obstruction. A new method of x-ray diagnosis is presented, and a simple method of treatment is suggested.
Pesticides to control ostracods grazing on blue-green algae

Means to control ostracods grazing on blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) important in fixing nitrogen in flooded rice soils were studied. The relative acute lethal toxicity (LC5048) to the ostracods Cyprinotus carolinensis and Heterocypris luzonensis grazing on Tolypothrix tenuis was 0.4 and 2.4 μg ml−1 for carbofuran and 4.5 and more than 56.0 μ g ml−1 for lindane. Complete inhibition of grazing was achieved with 1.0 and 25 μ g carbofuran ml−1 and 0.1 and 5.6μ g lindane ml−1 for C. carolinensis and H. luzonensis, respectively. Lindane at concentrations below 0.02 μ g ml−1 stimulated feeding by C. carolinensis on the alga. Breakdown of carbofuran markedly reduced its effectiveness as a measure to control grazing, but lindane did not rapidly lose its effectiveness. The toxicity of carbofuran to C. carolinensis feeding on T. tenuis was not affected by pH. The difference in ostracod responses to the pesticides, which may be associated with resistance acquired through previous exposure, is an important consideration in designing practical means to reduce grazing in paddy fields.
On the efficacy of data mining for security applications

Data mining applications for security have been proposed, developed, used, and criticized frequently in the recent past. This paper examines several of the more common criticisms and analyzes some factors that bear on whether the criticisms are valid and/or can be overcome by appropriate design and use of the data mining application.
NMR of nuclei near rare-earth ions in yttrium ethyl sulfate

Nuclear magnetic resonances are detected for protons adjacent to rare-earth impurities in yttrium ethyl sulfate (YES) crystals at T < 4.2 K. The near-proton resonances are shifted several hundred gauss away from the usual bulk proton NMR and are two to four orders of magnetude weaker, depending on the impurity concentration. A sensitive and versatile rf spectrometer used to detect these weak signals is described in detail. The magnitude of the NMR shift is shown to be approximately described by a point dipolar field of the paramagnetic impurity, even for protons only 3 A from the impurity. However, field-angle dependences of these nearest proton splittings reveal significant deviations from the simple dipolar interaction which most likely arise from the finite extent of the impurity wave function. A frequency dependence of the splitting gives the components of the local field parallel and perpendicular to the external field direction. The intensities of the near-nuclei magnetic resonances (NNMR) in YES:Yb decrease rapidly above 3.8 K. The observed temperature dependence is quantitatively explained for 1.5 K < T < 4.2 K by including time-dependent fluctuations in the local field. A general NNMR criterion is experimentally established: lifetime broadening of the near-nuclei resonances occurs whenevermore » the electron (t) correlation time tau is shorter than the inverse dipolar NMR linewidth; i.e., when tau is less than about 10/sup -5/ sec for abundant /sup 1/H and /sup 19/F spins. From the near proton splittings in YES:Yb near theta = 90/sup 0/, a large distribution in the value of the elusive g/sub perpendicular/ factor was discovered, giving g-bar/sub perpendicular/ = 0.01. Comparisons of NNMR spectra for several rare-earth ions in YES and the extension of this method to other crystals are discussed.« less
An inertia formula for Hermitian matrices with sparse inverses

Abstract Let A ∈ Mn be a nonsingular Hermitian matrix, let G be a chordal graph on vertices {1,…,n}, and suppose that G(A−1) ⊆ G. Then the inertia of A may be expressed in a simple way in terms of the inertias of those principal submatrices of A corresponding to certain readily identifiable sets of vertices of G. Specifically, we prove that the inertia i(A) satisfies the identity i(A)= ∑ α∈C i(A[α])− ∑ β∈S m(β)i(A[β]) , in which C denotes the collection of maximal cliques of G, S denotes the collection of minimal vertex separators of G, and m(β) is the multiplicity of a separator β.
Results of a preliminary study of the potential of vasodilators for improving thermotherapy of deep-seated tumours

Administration of the vasodilator hydralazine to a single mongrel dog with a transplanted, superficial transmissible venereal tumour in the abdomen permitted tumour-adjacent normal tissue temperature differences produced in local hyperthermia to be enhanced by nearly 2°C. A preliminary study of tumour and normal tissue perfusion rate in the dog, employing the 15O-labelled water-positron emission tomography technique, suggested that administration of the vasodilator led to a significant reduction in the tumour perfusion rate, consistent with the observed tumour temperature enhancement. Computational studies with a multi-layer, one-dimensional cylindrical model of deep-tumour heating suggest that vasodilator-induced reductions of tumour perfusion rates could significantly increase deep tumour-superficial normal tissue temperature differences produced in deep-tumour thermotherapy.
It's wise to circumcise: time to change policy.

To the Editor .— Since 1999, when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on Circumcision published its report,1 new data have accumulated that reinforce the preventive health advantages of newborn circumcision: protection against severe infant urinary tract infection (UTI),2 against penile cancer,3,4 against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection,5 against penile dermatoses (eg, lichen planus and eczema)6—including the mechanism by which the foreskin predisposes to HIV infection7—and against balanoposthitis and phimosis. Observations from Sweden8,9 and from the United States10 indicate a higher prevalence of UTI in uncircumcised male infants than previously reported. Circumcision also improves genital hygiene throughout life, particularly during infancy and old age. Powerful …
Comparison of an HXH Three-Center Hydrogen Bond with Alternative Two-Center Hydrogen Bonds in a Model System

Little information is available on the stability of three-center hydrogen bonds relative to two-center hydrogen bonds. In an XHX three-center hydrogen bond, two donors interact with one acceptor; here, we compare an HXH interaction with the component two-center hydrogen bonds (H−X and X−H) in a small depsipeptide, 1. The results show that there is negative cooperativity between the two components of the HXH interaction.
Learning Disabilities and ADHD Overlapping Spectrum Disorders

Clinical and psychoeducational data were analyzed for 119 children ages 8 to 16 years who were evaluated in a child diagnostic clinic. A learning disability (LD) was present in 70% of the children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with a learning disability in written expression two times more common (65%) than a learning disability in reading, math, or spelling. Children with LD and ADHD had more severe learning problems than children who had LD but no ADHD, and the former also had more severe attention problems than children who had ADHD but no LD. Further, children with ADHD but no LD had some degree of learning problem, and children with LD but no ADHD had some degree of attention problem. Results suggest that learning and attention problems are on a continuum, are interrelated, and usually coexist.
Tumor-targeting, pH-responsive, and stable unimolecular micelles as drug nanocarriers for targeted cancer therapy.

A new type of multifunctional unimolecular micelle drug nanocarrier based on amphiphilic hyperbranched block copolymer for targeted cancer therapy was developed. The core of the unimolecular micell...
Globalization of Medical Education: Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Concerns and Initiatives

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certifies international medical graduates (IMGs) for entry into United States graduate medical education. It also promotes medical education through programmatic and research activities. Physician migration is changing and the ECFMG responds to the needs of IMGs coming to the United States to study and to those searching for training opportunities in other countries. It seeks to provide information about national and international medical schools' accreditation status and other similar data. For ECFMG purposes, accreditation of an international medical school by an agency recognized by the Federation for Medical Education (WFME) will meet its new requirement for certification, effective in 2023.
Abnormal platelet survival time in men with myocardial infarction and normal coronary arteriogram.

Abstract Platelet survival time was measured in eight men who had an acute transmural myocardial infarction and were subsequently found to have a normal coronary arteriogram. Platelet survival (chromium-51 labeling) was shortened in all men (2.4 ± 0.11 days; average half-time ± standard error of the mean) and different from that in eight age-matched normal men (3.7 ± 0.08 days) (P
Activation of transcription at divergent urea-dependent promoters by the urease gene regulator UreR

The Proteus mirabilis and plasmid-encoded urease loci contain seven contiguous structural and accessory genes (ureDABCEFG) and the divergently transcribed ureR, which codes for an AraC-like transcriptional activator. Previously, it was shown that the plasmid-encoded ureR to ureD intergenic region contained divergent promoters (ureRp and ureDp). Transcription from these promoters required both the effector molecule urea and the activator protein UreR. In this report, we demonstrate that the P. mirabilis urease gene cluster contains similar divergent urea- and UreR-dependent promoters. The ureR gene products from either urease locus were able to activate transcription at both the plasmid-encoded and P. mirabilis promoters. The minimal concentration of urea required to activate transcription at ureRp or ureDp from either gene cluster was approximately 4 mM. The transcriptional start sites for the plasmid-encoded and P. mirabilis divergent promoters were similar in an Escherichia coli DH5 alpha background, as determined by primer-extension analysis. However, in P. mirabilis HI4320, transcription of ureR initiated predominately at an alternative site. Physical mapping and inhibition studies were used to localize the UreR-binding sites within the plasmid-encoded ureRp and ureDp intergenic sequences to regions of 68 bp and 86 bp, respectively. Gel shift analysis demonstrated that UreR bound to a 135 bp fragment in the approximate centre of the plasmid-encoded ureR to ureD intergenic region. The results presented here suggest that the P. mirabilis and plasmid-encoded urease gene clusters utilize similar mechanisms of transcriptional activation in response to urea.
Laryngeal injury from prolonged endotracheal intubation

This project was undertaken to develop models of acute and chronic laryngeal intubation as a format for testing a newly designed endotracheal tube. The tube has a specially created laryngeal cuff designed to reduce pressure exerted against the laryngeal soft tissues. The laryngeal foam cuff was shown to prevent the injurious sequence of mucosal ischemia, ulceration, and cartilage damage. A laryngeal foam cuff has the potential to significantly reduce laryngeal injury from prolonged endotracheal intubation. A prospective randomized clinical trial has been initiated and will be reported subsequently.
The Gordian knot: political gridlock on the information highway

Veterans of the high-definition TV wars of the 1980s, the authors, social scientists as well as technologists, came to see themselves as "chroniclers and students of an intriguing and serious techno-economic conflict." Why, they asked, did so few understand the rules of the game? In a broad account accessible to generalist and specialist alike, they address the current national debate about the development of a national information infrastructure, locating the debate in a broad historical narrative that illuminates how we got here and where we may be going, and outlining a bold vision of an open communications infrastructure that will cut through the political gridlock that threatens this "information highway."Technical change the authors argue is creating a new paradigm that fits neither the free market nor regulatory control models currently in play. They detail what is wrong with the political process of the national information infrastructure policy-making and assess how different media systems (telecommunications, radio, television broadcasting,) were originally established, spelling out the technological assumptions and organizational interests on which they were based and showing why the old policy models are now breaking down. The new digital networks are not analogous to railways and highways or their electronic forebears in telephony and broadcasting; they are inherently unfriendly to centralized control of any sort, so the old traditions of common carriage and public trustee regulation and regulatory gamesmanship no longer apply. The authors' technological and historical analysis leads logically toward a policy proposal for a reformed regulatory structure that builds and protects meaningful competition, but that abandons its role as arbiter of tariffs and definer of public service and public interest.
Thermal resistance produced by point imperfections in crystals

A nonperturbation approach to the scattering of phonons by point imperfections is discussed, which includes the possibility of reasonant scattering. The theory is applied to the calculation of the thermal resistance produced by mass defects.
State Medicaid Expansion Decisions and Disparities in Women’s Cancer Screening

Background There are substantial disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening that stem from lack of health insurance. Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expands insurance coverage to many Americans, there are differences in availability of Medicaid coverage across states. Purpose To understand the potential impact of Medicaid expansions on disparities in preventive care for low-income women by assessing pre-ACA breast and cervical cancer screening across states currently expanding and not expanding Medicaid to low-income adults. Methods Data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (analyzed in 2014) were used to consider differences in demographics among women for whom screening is recommended, including income and race/ethnicity, across expansion and nonexpansion states. Self-reported screening was compared by state expansion status overall, for the uninsured, and for low-income women. Logistic regressions were estimated to assess differences in self-reported screening across expansion and nonexpansion states controlling for demographics. Results Women in states that are not expanding Medicaid had significantly lower odds of receiving recommended mammograms (OR=0.87, 95% CI=0.79, 0.95) or Pap tests (OR=0.87, 95% CI=0.79, 0.95). The difference was larger among the uninsured (OR=0.72, 95% CI=0.56, 0.91 for mammography; OR=0.78, 95% CI=0.65, 0.94 for Pap tests). Conclusions As women in nonexpansion states remain uninsured and others gain coverage, existing disparities in cancer screening by race and socioeconomic status are likely to widen. Health risks and associated costs to underserved populations must be taken into account in ongoing debates over expansion.
High temperature heat content and diffuse transition of lead fluoride

Abstract The high temperature heat content of crystalline PbF 2 increases rapidly between 625 and 750 K, with an antropy incre ase of 16.5 JK -1 mol -1 . The region of rapid heat content increase correlates with a large increase in ionic conductivity and is associated with fluoride ion disorder.
Computer simulation of crack propagation

Computer simulations of crack properties were performed on a two-dimensional triangular lattice with a Lennard-Jones interatomic interaction. The use of a long-range potential and an unconstrained sample revealed novel features compared to earlier simulations. The Griffith energy treatment for fracture was found wanting. This system is brittle at low stresses in agreement with the Rice-Thomson criterion and shows dislocation formation at elevated stresses.
How to manage residents with delirium

Linda Nazarko explains the difference between delirium and dementia and offers guidance on how to care for individuals with this symptom.
New higher-Tc molecular based magnets

Abstract The reaction of bis(benzene)vanadium with tetracyanoethylene, TCNE, affords an insoluble disordered, black solid which exhibits field dependent magnetization and hysteresis demonstrating that it is a room temperature magnet. The critical temperature is above 350 K (77 C), the thermal decomposition temperature of the sample; however, it is estimated to exceed 400 K (123 C). The empirical composition of the reported material is V(TCNE)x·yCH2Cl2 with x ∼ 2 and y ∼ 1 2 . Recently a new class of molecular magnetic materials based on metalloporphyrins were discovered. The material is the salt of meso-(tetraphenylporphinato)manganese(III) and TCNE, i.e., [MnIIITPP]+[TCNE]·−, and has a Tc of 18 K.
Molybdenum in Nb-C alloys

The effects of molybdenum alloying additions to niobium on the carbide phases and their precipitation behavior were investigated. The experimental alloys included Nb-0.1C, Nb-15Mo-0.1C, and Nb-30Mo-0.1C. After selected heat treatments the microstructural changes were determined by metallography and the carbide phases were extracted and identified by X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. The results are essentially in agreement with recent phase diagram determinations. Additions of 30 wt pct Mo appears to slightly increase the solubility of carbon in niobium at temperatures around 1650°C. The solubility of molybdenum in Nb2C is very small. Discontinuous precipitation of β-Nb2C was found to occur in the Nb-30Mo-0.1C alloy during annealing at 1200°C. The important, overall effect of molybdenum in Nb-C alloys is to decrease the rate of niobium carbide precipitation so that appreciable carbon supersaturation can be achieved even after comparatively slow furnace cooling.
Prevalence of Staphylococcus Species During the Periparturient Period in Primiparous and Multiparous Cows

Abstract During a 14-mo period, 77 multiparous and 36 primiparous cows were sampled to determine the prevalence of staphylococci during the periparturient period. Distal streak canal swabs were taken at 14 d prepartum, and foremilk was sampled the first 5 consecutive wk of lactation. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 7.6% of quarters of primiparous cows but from only .6% of quarters of multiparous cows at parturition. Prevalence in primiparous cows declined to 3.5% by the wk-1 sampling. Quarter prevalence of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species prepartum, at parturition, and wk 1 to 5 in primiparous cows was 38.9, 27.8, 15.3, 14.6, 13.2, 15.3, and 14.6%, respectively. In multiparous cows, prevalence at these times was 50.3, 12.3, 6.2, 8.1, 10.7, 7.1, and 8.1%. Staphylococcus chromogenes was the predominant species isolated, accounting for over 50% of the staphylococci isolated at each sampling time. Results suggest that high prevalence of staphylococci isolated prepartum is a reflection of natural skin flora and that a higher postpartum prevalence of these organisms was observed in primiparous cows than in multiparous cows. These data suggest also that the prepartum heifer could be a source of Staphylococcus aureus in the lactating herd.
The magnetic rotation spectrum of singlet-triplet transitions

Abstract Magnetic rotation spectra have been found corresponding to the singlet-triplet transitions in formaldehyde, glyoxal, and benzoquinone. The spectrum in formaldehyde is very similar to the absorption spectrum; that in glyoxal is especially intense and exhibits some unusual peculiarities in both vibrational and rotational structure. Benzoquinone exhibits a magnetic rotation spectrum in only a single band which may be the origin of the singlet-triplet transition. No magnetic rotation spectrum was found for transitions reported to be of this type in several other substances.
The deformation of the intermetallic compound TlBi2

Abstract The deformation behavior of the intermetallic compound TlBi 2 at 25°C, which is equivalent to approximately 0.6 of its absolute melting point, has been investigated. The changes in electrical resistivity of specimens of two grain sizes after deformation in torsion have been measured as a function of strain and strain rate. The tensile properties of specimens of three grain sizes at different strain rates have been measured. Metallographie examinations and microhardness measurements have also been carried out. The energy stored in specimens of one grain size after deformation in torsion has been measured by liquid metal solution calorimetry. The compound TlBi 2 deformed at 25°C may behave in either a ductile or a brittle manner depending on the strain rate and the grain size of the specimens. At low strain rates the compound is ductile, a yield hump is observed in the stress-strain curves and the resistivity after deformation in torsion reaches nearly constant values with increasing strain. These results are consistent with the indications of grain boundary sliding observed by metallographic examination of specimens deformed at low strain rates. At high strain rates, the compound is brittle, no yield hump is observed and the resistivity after deformation in torsion continues to increase with strain. Metallographic examination indicated that at high strain rates the compound deforms primarily by slip within the grains with negligible grain boundary sliding. An increase in the grain size of the specimens affects the change in resistivity on deformation in a similar way as an increase in the strain rate, but it affects the yield stress in the opposite way. The energy stored in the compound TlBi 2 after deformation by slip is lower than that stored in the ordered intermetallic compounds Cu 3 Au and AgMg deformed to the same strain.
Oxorhenium(V) dithiolates catalyze the oxidation by tert-butyl hydroperoxide of sulfoxides and sulfides, including 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene.

tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) efficiently converts a wide variety of sulfides to sulfoxides and sulfones. The method offers the advantage that one product or the other can be obtained in high pur...