cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 5313: Associations of calcium and dairy product intakes with colorectal cancer risk among older women: the Iowa Women's Health Study

Calcium has been consistently modestly associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer, which remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women combined in the United States. Dairy products, a major source of dietary calcium, have also been consistently inversely associated with colorectal cancer, although inconsistencies in relation to high-fat dairy products have been noted. Limited evidence suggests that dairy products may contain components other than calcium and fat, such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), that may be independently directly associated with risk of colorectal and other cancers. Data from the Iowa Women’s Health Study, a prospective cohort study, were used to investigate associations of calcium, dairy products, and the non-calcium component of dairy products with colorectal cancer incidence. Dietary data were collected using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) mailed to 55 – 69 year-old women in 1986 who had a valid Iowa driver’s license. Among participants with no history of cancer at baseline and who satisfactorily completed their FFQ (n=35,221), through follow up in 2012, 1,731 incident cases of colorectal cancer were documented via the Iowa SEER registry. To investigate total dairy and total, whole, and non-fat milks independent of their calcium components, we used the residuals from linear regression models of their associations with dietary calcium. Associations of the calcium and dairy product variables with colorectal cancer incidence were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. For those in the highest relative to those in the lowest quintiles of intakes, the adjusted hazards ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 0.81 (CI 0.67-0.98; P-trend 0.004) for total calcium, 0.85 (CI 0.68-1.03; P-trend 0.07) for dietary calcium, and 0.85 (CI 0.68-1.06; P-trend 0.16) for supplemental calcium. For total dairy and total milk, the corresponding findings were 0.79 (CI 0.66-0.94; P-trend 0.01) and 0.82 (CI 0.69-0.96; P-trend 0.09), respectively. Low-fat dairy products, non-fat milk, and residuals of total dairy products and total and non-fat milk were not associated with colorectal cancer. These results are consistent with previous findings of lower colorectal cancer risk with higher intakes of calcium and dairy products, but provide little support for the hypothesis that the non-calcium, non-fat component of dairy products may be associated with colorectal cancer. Citation Format: Caroline Um, Anna Prizment, DeAnn Lazovich, Roberd M. Bostick. Associations of calcium and dairy product intakes with colorectal cancer risk among older women: the Iowa Women9s Health Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5313. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5313
Using Stated Preference Techniques and Experimental Auction Methods: A Review of Advantages and Disadvantages for Each Method in Examining Consumer Preferences for New Technology

Using Stated Preference Techniques and Experimental Auction Methods: A Review of Advantages and Disadvantages for Each Method in Examining Consumer Preferences for New Technology
County socioeconomic characteristics and pediatric renal transplantation outcomes.

Existing risk adjustment models for solid organ transplantation omit socioeconomic status (SES). With limited data available on transplant candidates’ SES, linkage of transplant outcomes data to geographic SES measures has been proposed. We investigate the utility of county SES for understanding differences in pediatric kidney transplantation (KTx) outcomes. We identified patients < 18 years of age receiving first-time KTx using United Network for Organ Sharing registry data in two eras: 2006–2010 and 2011–2015, corresponding to periods of county SES data collection. In each era, counties were ranked by 1-year rates of survival with intact graft, and by county SES score. We used Spearman correlation (ρ) to evaluate the association between county rankings on SES and transplant outcomes in each era and consistency between these measures across eras. We also evaluated the utility of county SES for improving prediction of individual KTx outcomes. The analysis included 2972 children and 108 counties. County SES and transplant outcomes were not correlated in either 2006–2010 (ρ = 0.06; p = 0.525) or 2011–2015 (ρ = 0.162, p = 0.093). County SES rankings were strongly correlated between eras (ρ = 0.99, p < 0.001), whereas county rankings of transplant outcomes were not correlated between eras (ρ = 0.16, p = 0.097). Including county SES quintile in individual-level models of transplant outcomes did not improve model predictive utility. Pediatric kidney transplant outcomes are unstable from period to period at the county level and are not correlated with county-level SES. Appropriate adjustment for SES disparities in transplant outcomes could require further collection of detailed individual SES data.
Clinical factors and high-resolution manometry predicting response to surgery for achalasia in children.

Abstract Background Esophageal achalasia is an uncommon condition in children. Although many interventions exist for the management of this disorder, esophageal (Heller) myotomy offers one of the most durable treatments. Our institution sought to review patients undergoing Heller myotomy concentrating on preoperative clinical factors that might predict postoperative outcomes. Materials and methods All patients from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2016, who underwent surgical treatment for achalasia at our tertiary pediatric hospital were identified and included in the study cohort. Electronic medical records for these patients were reviewed for clinical presentation variables, nonsurgical preoperative treatment, surgical approach, clinical response to surgery, need for postoperative treatment for ongoing symptoms, and high-resolution manometry (HRM) data. Results Twenty-six patients were included in the study, and all underwent myotomy with partial fundoplication (median age: 14.4 y [interquartile range 11.6-15.5]). At a median follow-up of 9.75 mo (interquartile range 3.5-21 mo), 16 (61.5%) patients reported good resolution of their dysphagia symptoms with surgery alone. Two patients (7.7%) had perforation of the gastrointestinal tract requiring surgical intervention. Eight patients (30.8%) required additional treatment for achalasia, with 5 (19.2%) of these undergoing additional surgery or endoscopic treatment. Patients who had preoperative dilation did not have good resolution of their dysphagia (n = 2; P = 0.037). Two of four patients undergoing postoperative dilation had preoperative dilation. None of these patients underwent preoperative manometry. There was a statistically significant difference in the ages of patients who required postoperative intervention and those who did not (14.1 versus 15.2 y old, respectively; P = 0.043). In patients who reported improvement of gastroesophageal reflux disease/reflux type symptoms after Heller myotomy, lower esophageal residual pressure (29.1 versus 18.7 mmHg; P = 0.018) on preoperative HRM was significantly higher than in those who did not report improvement after surgery. Higher upper esophageal mean pressure (66.6 versus 47.8 mmHg; P = 0.05) also predicted good gastroesophageal reflux disease/reflux symptom response in a similar manner. Conclusions Current analysis suggests that preoperative dilation should be used cautiously and older patients may have a better response to surgery without need for postoperative treatment. In addition, preoperative HRM can aid in counseling patients in the risk of ongoing symptoms after surgery and may aid in determining if a fundoplication should be completed at the index procedure. Further research is needed to delineate these factors. Level of evidence Level III.
Biobehavioral Approach to the Study of the Child’s Mind

Jeremy fidgeted as he sat with his mother in the waiting room. He was a little bit scared, because the bone in his arm, the one near his shoulder, was poking through his shirt. It jutted out strangely even under the sweatshirt his mother had hastily instructed him to put on before they had rushed to the doctor.
Societal Bonding and Delinquency: An Empirical Test of Hirschi's Theory of Control.

Abstract Travis Hirschi's (1969) theory of control has amassed considerable empirical support since its development and has become one of the dominant explanations of delinquent behavior. Control theory's basic premise is that people with strong bonds to society are less likely to deviate from conventional behavior than those with weak bonds. In this article bonding theory is applied to a severely delinquent population of 168 youth detained at a juvenile detention center similar in population to those in most urban areas. Bonding is measured in the three areas of attachment to parents, peer relationship and school bonding. A composite of measures consisting of Hudson's Indexes of Family and Peer Relations and Hare's School Self-Esteem Scale were utilized. Findings indicate that bonding with peers correlates with attachment to family. Further, surprisingly, as youths commit more crimes, attachment to parents increases. This may partially be explained by a major finding in this study indicating that over 70...
Regional Therapies for Hepatic Adenoma

Hepatic adenomas (HAs) are a rare and benign disease primarily affecting a young and otherwise healthy patient population, but the risk of hemorrhage and malignant transformation makes identification and treatment crucial. HAs may present with abdominal pain, but are most often discovered incidentally. Accurate diagnosis of HA is important to properly risk stratify patients. Cross-sectional imaging can often diagnose HA and distinguish it from FNH without the need for core needle biopsy. The most important characteristics guiding treatment of HA are the tumor size, anatomic location, and the patient’s gender. Any patient presenting with an HA-associated hemorrhage or rupture should be treated emergently with hepatic artery embolization to stabilize the patient, and resection should be strongly considered.
A guanylyl cyclase-thioredoxin transnitrosation complex

Nitric Oxide (NO) is best known for its ability to stimulate soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) to produce cGMP and stimulate its downstream signaling pathways. However, NO can also covalently modify cysteines via S-nitrosation (addition of a NO moiety to the cysteine of a protein, SNO). Although this reversible post-translational modification is increasingly recognized as an important regulatory mechanism of protein function, and to play a role in cardiac protection, dynamic regulation of protein nitrosation specificity is poorly understood. Combining proteomics quantification and molecular biological methods, we observed that sGC, the key NO receptor, modulates the level of nitrosation of specific proteins in cardiomyocytes and smooth muscle cells. Preliminary data showed that sGC increases nitrosation by a protein-protein interaction-driven SNO transfer (transnitrosation). Moreover, this increased nitrosation is due, for a specific subset of proteins, to the association of sGC with thioredoxin 1 (Trx1), a cardiac protective thiol-redox protein with both transnitrosation and denitrosation activities. Initial mass spectrometry and biochemical analyses showed that sGC transnitrosates Trx1, which in turn nitrosates a specific subset of targets in cardiomyocytes. These observations lead to the provocative idea that sGC modulates S-nitrosation specificity via a transnitrosation cascade that includes Trx1.
Governmental System and Economic Volatility in Democracies

Economic volatility varies substantially across democracies. We study how the difference between federal and unitary systems of government can contribute to these variations. We show empirically that a higher degree of federalism is associated with less volatility in both economic growth and fiscal policy. Motivated by these stylized facts, we develop a macroeconomic model of policy-making at the central and district levels. Policy at the central level is uncertain due to uncertainty about the identity of the winning coalition in a legislature of district representatives, while policy at the district level is more stable due to homogeneity within districts. We show that, in equilibrium, the decentralization of policy-making powers can mitigate overall policy uncertainty. This implies less volatility in fiscal policy and, hence, less volatility in economic growth, compared to those in a more unitary system.
Novel Algorithms for the Taxonomic Classification of Metagenomic Linked Reads

Abstract We present KrakenLinked, a metagenomic read classifier for Linked-Reads. We have formulated two algorithms for read classification of metagenomic samples using linked reads: tree pruning and taxa promotion. Tree pruning improves specificity while taxa promotion improves sensitivity. Used together the algorithms improve taxonomic classification of linked-reads compared to short reads, particularly reducing false identification of taxa. We have implemented these algorithms as functions in KrakenUniq which we make available as KrakenLinked.
Fleeing the Frontline

In summer 1960, the song popular among former student activists was Sachiko Nishida’s “After the Acacia Rain,” with the line “pelted by the acacia rain, I just want to die.” (The Wikipedia article on this song notes that the dry vocals and decadent lyrics were associated with the young people who had become worn out by the anti-Security Treaty struggles. It also came to symbolize the defeat of the protest movement and was used as the background music in televised programs about the times, particularly the death of student Michiko Kanba and further protest demonstrations (Accessed January, 2008)). My own feelings were to the contrary. I felt that I had finally reached rock bottom from which I could rise up.
Why urban teens turn to guns: urban teens' own words on gun violence.

Abstract Objectives Missing from the discussion of youth and gun violence are qualitative data from diverse youth regarding their perspectives on gun violence in their communities and what will help prevent or reduce such violence. The purpose of this exploratory study was therefore to gain a deeper understanding of urban teens’ perceptions of gun violence in the context of their daily lives and gather their ideas for reducing or preventing gun violence through meaningful discussions with urban teens. Study design Focus group discussions. Methods A total of 29 urban teens aged between 14 and 18 years participated in two separate focus group discussions between August 2016 and July 2017. Participants engaged in an open-ended discussion guided by 12 semistructured questions that addressed their perceptions of community safety, the need to carry a gun, police relations, the need for community change, and their ideas to reduce gun violence and help make their communities safer. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. Results Teens’ perceptions of racism and poor relations with the police are tied to gun violence, while they identified the need for better relations with the police and meaningful, long-term relationships with adults as factors to help prevent or reduce gun violence. Conclusions Long-term reductions in community violence will not occur until larger social issues are addressed. While waiting for these concerns to be addressed, secondary prevention, including mentoring programs and other efforts to build meaningful relationships between adults and teens can foster teen resilience and activism in the face of gun violence.
Carbonate production of Micronesian reefs suppressed by thermal anomalies and Acanthaster as sea-level rises.

Coral reefs are essential to millions of island inhabitants. Yet, coral reefs are threatened by thermal anomalies associated with climate change and by local disturbances that include land-use change, pollution, and the coral-eating sea star Acanthaster solaris. In combination, these disturbances cause coral mortality that reduce the capacity of reefs to produce enough carbonate to keep up with sea-level rise. This study compared the reef-building capacity of shallow-water inner, patch, and outer reefs in the two islands of Pohnpei and Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. We identified which reefs were likely to keep up with sea-level rise under different climate-change scenarios, and estimated whether there were differences across habitats in the threshold of percentage coral cover at which net carbonate production becomes negative. We also quantified the influence of A. solaris on carbonate production. Whereas the northwestern outer reefs of Pohnpei and Kosrae had the highest net rates of carbonate production (18.5 and 16.4 kg CaCO3 m-2 yr-1, respectively), the southeastern outer reefs had the lowest rates of carbonate production (1.2–1.3 and 0.7 kg CaCO3 m-2 yr-1, respectively). The patch reefs of Pohnpei had on average higher net carbonate production rates (9.5 kg CaCO3 m-2 yr-1) than the inner reefs of both Pohnpei and Kosrae (7.0 and 7.8 kg CaCO3 m-2 yr-1, respectively). A. solaris were common on Kosrae and caused an average reduction in carbonate production of 0.6 kg CaCO3 m-2 yr-1 on Kosraean reefs. Northern outer reefs are the most likely habitats to keep up with sea-level rise in both Pohnpei and Kosrae. Overall, the inner reefs of Pohnpei and Kosrae need ~ 5.5% more coral cover to generate the same amount of carbonate as outer reefs. Therefore, inner reefs need special protection from land-use change and local pollution to keep pace with sea-level rise under all climate-change scenarios.
Plasma biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, and brain injury as predictors of delirium duration in older hospitalized patients.

Background Delirium's pathophysiology is poorly understood. We sought to determine if plasma biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, endothelial activation, and blood brain barrier (BBB) injury were associated with emergency department (ED) delirium duration. Methods We enrolled hospitalized patients who were 65 years or older from the ED. Plasma biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin-6 [IL-6], IL-8, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I [sTNFRI]), coagulation (Protein C), endothelial activation (plasminogen activating inhibitor-1 [PAI-1]), and BBB injury (S100B) at were measured using blood obtained at enrollment. The dependent variable was ED delirium duration which was determined by the Brief Confusion Assessment Method assessed in the ED and hospitalization. Proportional odds logistic regression analyses were performed adjusted for relevant confounders and allowing for interaction by baseline dementia status. Results A total of 156 patients were enrolled. IL-6 (POR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.09-2.32) and PAI-1 (POR = 2.96, 95%CI: 1.48 to 6.85) were independently associated with more prominent ED delirium duration in subjects without dementia only. No significant associations between IL-8, Protein C, sTNRFI, and S100B and ED delirium duration were observed. Conclusions Plasma Biomarkers of systemic inflammation and endothelial activation are associated with ED delirium duration in older ED patients without dementia.
Menopausal hormone therapy, blood thrombogenicity, and development of white matter hyperintensities in women of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study.

Objective Development of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in the brain is associated with blood thrombogenicity in recently menopausal women. This study examined the influence of menopausal hormone treatments (MHTs) on this association. Methods Measures of blood thrombogenicity were examined in women of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (n = 95) who had brain magnetic resonance imaging before and during the 48 months of randomization to transdermal 17β-estradiol (n = 30), oral conjugated equine estrogen (n = 29) both with progesterone for 12 days per month or placebo pills and patch (n = 36). Principal components (PCs) analysis was used to reduce the dimensionality of 14 markers of platelet activation and blood thrombogenicity. The first 5 PCs were assessed for association with treatment and changes in WMH. Within-person slopes were obtained to capture the extent of WMH change for each woman. Results WMH increased in all groups over the 48 months (P = 0.044). The partial effect of PC1, representing an average of six thrombogenicity variables (microvesicles derived from endothelium, leukocytes, and monocytes, and positive for tissue factor and adhesion molecules) on WMH was significant (P = 0.003). PC3, reflecting a contrast of platelet microaggregates and adenosine triphosphate secretion versus total platelet count, differed across groups (P = 0.006) with higher scores in the oral conjugated equine estrogen group. The global association between PCs and WMH increase, however, did not differ significantly by MHT (P = 0.207 for interaction between MHT and PC's). Conclusion In recently menopausal women, the type of MHT did not significantly influence the association of markers of blood thrombogenicity with development of WMH in the brain.
An Adaptive Clock Scheme Exploiting Instruction-Based Dynamic Timing Slack for a GPGPU Architecture

This article presents an adaptive clock scheme to exploit instruction-based dynamic timing slack (DTS) for a general-purpose graphics processor unit (GPGPU) architecture. Based on the developed transitional static timing analysis, the deterministic DTS can be identified for each instruction at different pipeline stages. A critical path (CP) messenger scheme was designed to monitor the runtime utilization of CPs. Both real-time issued instruction information and CP messengers are utilized to determine the runtime DTS margin and guide the cycle-by-cycle clock period adjustment. To apply the proposed adaptive clock on GPGPU, a hierarchical clocking scheme is built including a global phase-locked loop (PLL) and local delay-locked loop (DLL)-based clock generator inside each compute unit (CU). Each CU core contains its own clock domain with adjustable local clocking. In addition, to exploit error-resilient characteristics of the neural network, an elastic pipeline clocking scheme is developed to redistribute the timing margin across pipeline stages for machine learning computations. Measurement results from the implemented open-source GPGPU architecture on a 65 nm CMOS process demonstrate up to 18% performance improvement or equivalent 30% energy saving can be obtained by exploiting the deterministic instruction-based DTS. The proposed elastic pipeline clocking can gain an additional 8% energy saving with small accuracy degradation for neural network inference operations.
GaAs growth rates of 528 μm/h using dynamic-hydride vapor phase epitaxy with a nitrogen carrier gas

We demonstrate record GaAs growth rates approaching 530 μm/h using nitrogen carrier gas and 400 μm/h using hydrogen carrier gas in a dynamic-hydride vapor phase epitaxy reactor. We measured root mean square surface roughness below 1 nm using a 1 μm × 1 μm atomic force microscopy scan for GaAs growth rates up to 483 μm/h using a nitrogen carrier gas and 400 μm/h using a hydrogen carrier gas. We performed computational fluid dynamics modeling to study the effect of the carrier gas choice on the thermal profile within the reactor and how that influences the degree of AsH3 decomposition. The modeling suggests that the lower thermal conductivity of the nitrogen carrier gas minimizes the amount of AsH3 that thermally decomposes before reaching the wafer surface and the heavier atomic mass decreases the likelihood that AsH3 will reach the heated reactor walls, leading to a growth rate enhancement relative to the hydrogen carrier case in a hydride-enhanced growth regime.
Informed Consent for Apnea Testing: Meeting the Standard of Care.

In their article, Berkowitz and Garrett (2020) argue that it is ethically and legally mandatory for physicians to obtain informed consent prior to performing an apnea test. They argue that without ...
Oxytocin and Human Sexuality: Recent Developments

The purpose of the present review is to outline what is currently known about oxytocin and human sexual behavior. The present review utilizes existing research to outline an important question remaining in the field; does oxytocin facilitate sexual behavior or is it simply a result of the said behavior? Existing studies which measure oxytocin by way of blood or saliva reliably find elevations in oxytocin during sexual arousal and following orgasm. In contrast, studies which administer oxytocin intranasally report fewer significant results surrounding arousal and orgasm. Existing research has yet to fully understand the function of oxytocin. Because of long-standing questions such as function, future research should pay close attention to the context of sexual activity (masturbation, partnered sex) and the specific types of pairings involved (sex with a long term versus a new partner and same-sex versus other-sex contact). Similarly researchers should carefully consider the mode of oxytocin assessment in consideration of question/s they wish to answer.
Towards Fairness-Aware Disaster Informatics: an Interdisciplinary Perspective

Collection of information from crowdsourced and traditional sensing techniques during a disaster offers opportunities to exploit this new data source to enhance situational awareness, relief, and rescue coordination, and impact assessment. The evolution of disaster/crisis informatics affords the capability to process multi-modal data and to implement analytics in support of disaster management tasks. Little is known, however, about fairness in disaster informatics and the extent to which this issue affects disaster response. Often ignored is whether existing data analytics approaches reflect the impact of communities with equality, especially the underserved communities (i.e., minorities, the elderly, and the poor). We argue that disaster informatics has not systematically identified fairness issues, and such gaps may cause issues in decision making for and coordination of disaster response and relief. Furthermore, the isolating siloed nature of the domains of fairness, machine learning, and disaster informatics prevents interchange between these pursuits. This paper bridges the knowledge gap by evaluating potential fairness issues in disaster informatics tasks based on existing disaster informatics approaches and fairness assessment criteria. Specifically, we identify potential fairness issues in disaster event detection and impact assessment tasks. We review existing approaches that address potential fairness issues by modifying the data, analytics, and outputs. Finally, this paper proposes an overarching fairness-aware disaster informatics framework to structure the workflow of mitigating fairness issues. This paper not only unveils both the ignored and essential aspects of fairness issues in disaster informatics approaches but also bridges the silos which prevent the understanding of fairness between disaster informatics researchers and machine-learning researchers.
Abstract 16726: Impact of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/angiotensin Receptor Blockers on Mortality and Severity of Covid-19 Pneumonia

Introduction: Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that have been around for many years and may cause illness in humans or animals. In early December 2019, the first pneumonia cases related ...
The underexplored frontier of ice giant dynamos

The Voyager 2 flybys of Uranus and Neptune revealed the first multipolar planetary magnetic fields and highlighted how much we have yet to learn about ice giant planets. In this review, we summarize observations of Uranus' and Neptune's magnetic fields and place them in the context of other planetary dynamos. The ingredients for dynamo action in general, and for the ice giants in particular, are discussed, as are the factors thought to control magnetic field strength and morphology. These ideas are then applied to Uranus and Neptune, where we show that no models are yet able to fully explain their observed magnetic fields. We then propose future directions for missions, modelling, experiments and theory necessary to answer outstanding questions about the dynamos of ice giant planets, both within our solar system and beyond. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Future exploration of ice giant systems'.
Impact of provider type and number of providers on surveillance testing among survivors of head and neck cancers.

BACKGROUND Guidelines for follow-up after head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment recommend frequent clinical examinations and surveillance testing. Here, the authors describe real-world follow-up care for HNC survivors and variations in surveillance testing. METHODS Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data, this study examined a population-based cohort of HNC survivors between 2001 and 2011 Usage of cross-sectional head and neck imaging (CHNI), chest imaging (CI), positron emission tomography (PET), fiberoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy (FNPL), and, in irradiated patients, thyroid function testing (TFT) was captured over 2 consecutive surveillance years. Multivariate modeling with logistic regression analyses was used to assess variations by clinical factors, nonclinical factors, number and types of providers seen and their evolution over time. RESULTS Among 13,836 HNC survivors, the majority saw a medical, radiation, or surgical oncologist and a primary care provider (PCP; 81.7%) in their first year of surveillance. However, only 58.1% underwent either PET or CHNI, 47.8% underwent CHNI, 64.1% underwent CI, 32.5% underwent PET scans, 55.0% underwent FNPL, and 55.9% underwent TFT. In multivariate analyses, patients who followed up with more providers and those who followed up with both a PCP and an oncologist were more likely to undergo surveillance testing (P < .007). However, adjusting for providers seen did not explain the variations in surveillance testing rates based on age, race, education, income level, and place of residence. Over time, there was a gradual increase in the use of PET scans and TFT during surveillance years. CONCLUSIONS In this large SEER-Medicare data study, only half of HNC survivors received the recommended testing, and greater compliance was seen in those who followed up with both an oncologist and a PCP. More attention is needed to minimize variations in surveillance testing across sociodemographic groups.
Penetrating Trauma Rapid Estimated Disability Scale: Assessing Facial Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wounds

Objectives: Self-inflicted facial gunshot wounds (GSWs) result in complex but consistent injuries that are often survivable. We suggest a novel method for rapid stratification into groups that may ...
Recurrent neural circuits overcome partial inactivation by compensation and re-learning

Technical advances in artificial manipulation of neural activity have precipitated a surge in studying the causal contribution of brain circuits to cognition and behavior. However, complexities of neural circuits challenge interpretation of experimental results, necessitating theoretical frameworks for systematic explorations. Here, we take a step in this direction, using, as a testbed, recurrent neural networks trained to perform a perceptual decision. We show that understanding the computations implemented by network dynamics enables predicting the magnitude of perturbation effects based on changes in the network9s phase plane. Inactivation effects are weaker for distributed network architectures, are more easily discovered with non-discrete behavioral readouts (e.g., reaction times), and vary considerably across multiple tasks implemented by the same circuit. Finally, networks that can "learn" during inactivation recover function quickly, often much faster than the original training time. Our framework explains past empirical observations by clarifying how complex circuits compensate and adapt to perturbations.
Thermostatic Policy Responsiveness in the Fifty States

Using a unique dataset containing dynamic estimates of spending preferences education and welfare, I find that, generally, the thermostatic model characterizes the dynamic relationship between public opinion and policy in the US states. State attitudes towards education spending are positively related to per pupil spending in the short run; state attitudes towards welfare spending are positively related to AFDC benefits in the short and long run. For both policy areas, policy changes exhibited the expected negative relationship on public opinion, but only in the long term. The results provide a more nuanced understanding about the degree of responsiveness in the states and dynamic policy responsiveness in American politics more generally.
Scale-Space Boundary Evolution Initialized by Cores

A novel interactive segmentation method has been developed which uses estimated boundaries, generated from cores, to initialize a scale-space boundary evolution process in greyscale medical images. Presented is an important addition to core extraction methodology that improves core generation for objects that are in the presence of interfering objects. The boundary at the scale of the core (BASOC) and its associated width information, both derived from the core, are used to initialize the second stage of the segmentation process. In this automatic refinement stage, the BASOC is allowed to evolve in a spline-snake-like manner that makes use of object-relevant width information to make robust measurements of local edge positions.
Examining the reliability of logistic regression estimation software

The reliability of nine software packages using the maximum likelihood estimator for the logistic regression model were examined using generated benchmark datasets and models. Software packages tested included: SAS (Procs Logistic, Catmod, Genmod, Surveylogistic, Glimmix, and Qlim), Limdep (Logit, Blogit), Stata (Logit, GLM, Binreg), Matlab, Shazam, R, Minitab, Eviews, and SPSS for all available algorithms, none of which have been previously tested. This study expands on the existing literature in this area by examination of Minitab 15 and SPSS 17. The findings indicate that Matlab, R, Eviews, Minitab, Limdep (BFGS), and SPSS provided consistently reliable results for both parameter and standard error estimates across the benchmark datasets. While some packages performed admirably, shortcomings did exist. SAS maximum log-likelihood estimators do not always converge to the optimal solution and stop prematurely depending on starting values, by issuing a "flat" error message. This drawback can be dealt with by rerunning the maximum log-likelihood estimator, using a closer starting point, to see if the convergence criteria are actually satisfied. Although Stata-Binreg provides reliable parameter estimates, there is no way to obtain standard error estimates in Stata-Binreg as of yet. Limdep performs relatively well, but did not converge due to a weakness of the algorithm. The results show that solely trusting the default settings of statistical software packages may lead to non-optimal, biased or erroneous results, which may impact the quality of empirical results obtained by applied economists. Reliability tests indicate severe weaknesses in SAS Procs Glimmix and Genmod. Some software packages fail reliability tests under certain conditions. The finding indicates the need to use multiple software packages to solve econometric models.
A Touch-Only User Interface for a Medical Monitor

A touchscreen interface was tested as the exclusive means for interacting with a computer-based monitor for the hospital intensive care environment. The use of touch in the medical environment combined with the fact that it was the sole means of user communication presented several human engineering challenges. Human factors testing of the design used 75 hours of mockup review by 38 clinical and administrative staff. In addition, 680 hours of field trial testing in the intensive care environment by 39 hospital staff were performed. The minimum size of visual and touch-sensitive target areas and the proximity of adjacent areas was determined. The touch recognition algorithm was modified to more accurately recognize near-edge targets. The use of a touch-sensitive QWERTY keyboard for patient name and id entry was shown to be acceptable. N-key rollover was deemed not viable with a touch interface in the critical care area. A swivel mount was introduced to compensate for different height and handed end-users.
Tobacco and alcohol use in top-grossing American films.

This study assessed the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use in top-grossing American films from 1985 to 1995. The top ten money-making films for 1985 to 1995 were viewed to identify the prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use overall and by lead characters. While the use of tobacco and alcohol was stable across the study period, use of these substances was common. Most films (98%) had references that supported tobacco use and 96 had references that supported alcohol use. Discouraging the use of these substances was uncommon. Only one third of films had any references that discouraged the use of tobacco or alcohol (38% and 37%, respectively). At least one lead character used tobacco or alcohol in 46% and 79% of the films, respectively. The hazards of smoking and drinking are not reflected in the behaviors of film characters who are potential role models for youth facing the decision to smoke or drink.
Determination of pore size distribution by gas adsorption

Pore size and size distribution have significant effects over a wide range of phenomena from the adsorbency of fine powders in chemical catalysis to the frost resistance of bricks. Due to this, pore size measurements have been described using a wide range of techniques and apparatus. Pore surface area is generally accepted as being the difference between the area of the surface envelope of the particle and its total surface area. The pores may be made up of fissures and cavities in the particle: they may be V-shaped, i.e. wide-necked; or ‘ink-bottle’ pores, i.e. narrow-necked. In order that their volume distribution may be determined, it is necessary that they are not totally enclosed and that the molecules used for measurement purposes may enter through the neck. The presence and extent of small open pores may be determined by finding the volume of a powder by immersing it in mercury and finding the volume displacement, then finding the volume in a gas pyknometer, using helium as the gas [1]. Since mercury does not wet most solids it leaves the pores unfilled, and the difference between the two volumes is the pore volume. Closed pores may be evaluated by grinding the powder which opens out some of the pores, thus decreasing the apparent solid volume [2].
An SE-Tree Based Characterization of the Induction Problem

Many induction programs use decision trees both as the basis for their search, and as a representation of their classifier solution. In this paper we propose a new structure, called SE-tree, as a more general alternative.
Dynamic modeling and control of a capacitor coupled dc-dc converter

Capacitor coupled dc-dc converter capable of arbitrary high voltage transformation has been recently introduced. The converter consists of a high frequency inverter feeding several rectifiers in parallel through capacitor coupling. The output voltages of the rectifiers are series connected to feed a high voltage dc load. This paper presents a simplified averaged equivalent circuit model for this converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode, along with a detailed dynamic model useful for designing regulators. The averaged equivalent circuit is used to develop a small signal dynamic model valid at a steady state operating point. The small signal model is used to develop the frequency response transfer functions of the converter. The control-to-output and input-to-output transfer function are used to design a controller with excellent dynamic response. The converter and controller model are validated using simulation results.
Turning small business interns into applicants: The mediating role of perceived justice ☆

Abstract Internship is a relatively low-risk approach for entrepreneurs to attract and select prospective employees. But what factors can influence interns' intentions to join small businesses? Based on the model of action phases, realistic job preview theory, and organizational justice theory, I hypothesize that interns' post-internship intentions to join can be predicted by their pre-internship job-seeking goal and their during-internship involvement with the host organization. Perceived organizational justice is hypothesized to mediate the relationship between involvement and post-internship intentions to join. Temporally lagged data from 104 small business interns support most hypotheses. In addition, compared to a group of 175 corporate interns, small business interns are more likely to change their minds after the internship, and justice perception has a stronger effect on their post-internship intentions to join.
Space Flight Resource Management: Mitigating Human Error in Human Space Flight

Space Flight Resource Management (SFRM) is the NASA program designed to improve team effectiveness and reduce human error in space flight. SFRM has six performance elements, each with its own set of skills. The SFRM training program gives team members an understanding of the six elements and how to use them either in the spacecraft or on console in the Mission Control Center. Key to training is a unique team-centered debrief that helps teams determine new strategies for improved performance. Short-term Space Shuttle missions have significant differences from the long-term operation of the International Space Station; SFRM needs to be adapted to these different operational environments. We will continue to adapt as new exploration initiatives are born.
Electroless plating of nickel on silicon for fabrication of high-aspect-ratio microstructures

Abstract An electroless plating process for the fabrication of nickel micromechanical structures on a silicon substrate has been investigated. Appropriate chemical roughening of the silicon surface is found to be critical for good adhesion of the nickel to the silicon substrate. The optimum temperature and pH of the elecroless plating solution for smooth nickel films (e.g., R a of 23 A) with practical plating rates (e.g., 15 μm h −1 ) are determined. Electroless plating is shown to be a suitable process for the fabrication of micromechanical structures.
Parallel cryogenic trapping multidimensional gas chromatography with directly linked infrared and mass spectral detection

Abstract This paper describes successful implementation of multiple trap multidimensional gas chromatography (GC) directly linked with parallel Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and mass spectroscopy (MS) detectors. For complex mixture separation, six parallel cryogenic traps are interposed between a first-stage GC pre-column and a second-stage GC analytical column. With proper choices of heart cut time intervals, this multiple parallel cryogenic trap approach allows expansion of the practical analytical dynamic range and accommodates the separation constraints of a combined GC-FT-IR-MS system. An unleaded gasoline sample is analyzed with respect to the degree of secondary separation and to the reproducibility of adjusted retention times. The results of cryogenically trapping heart cuts using both with 72- and 12-s trapping times are presented. Shortening the trapping times from 72 to 12 s results in a significant improvement in the analytical column separation and identification with infrared and mass spectra. Thus, use of multidimensional separation coupled with multispectral detection may provide increased reliability of complex mixture component identification.
Cancer survivors' health worries and associations with lifestyle practices.

This study examined among recently diagnosed breast and prostate cancer survivors (N = 678) associations between worry about a future diagnosis of heart disease or cancer and hypothetical and actual adherence to exercise and dietary guidelines. Greater worry about future illness was reported under the hypothetical scenario of non-adherence to guidelines relative to the scenario of adherence. Worry about potential heart disease was associated with actual adherence to guidelines, whereas worry about a potential cancer diagnosis was not. Findings suggest that the motivational properties of worry should be considered when developing interventions to reduce heart disease risk among cancer survivors.
Commutative group rings with von Neumann regular total rings of quotients

Abstract Let R be a commutative ring and let G be an abelian group. We show that if G is either torsion free or R is uniquely divisible by the order of every element of G , then the von Neumann regularity of the total ring of quotients of R ascends to the total ring of quotients of RG . Examples are given to show that the converse does not hold. These results are applied in the group ring setting to explore a number of zero divisor controlling conditions, such as being a PF or a PP ring as well as a number of Prufer conditions, such as being an arithmetical, a Gaussian, or a Prufer ring.
Lateralized effects of bilateral frontal cortex lesions in rats.

Summary The effects of bilateral frontal cortical lesions on spontaneous diurnal rotation and locomotor activity were studied in female Sprague-Dawley rats and determined to be a function of preoptive directional bias. Such lesions decreased rotation and activity in rats with right-sided biases and increased rotation and activity in rats with left-sided biases. It is suggested that frontal cortex normally modulates a dopaminergic nigrostriatal asymmetry and that an asymmetry in corticostriate function, possibly involving glutamate, underlies the observed effects.
Domesticating Imperialism: Sexual Politics and the Archaeology of Empire

The archaeology of empire is permeated by sexual narratives. This has been especially true of archaeological research on the Spanish Americas, where the material remains of colonial settlements have often been interpreted as products of a literal and figurative marriage between two cultures. However, investigating colonization as a consensual domestic arrangement has masked the ways in which imperial projects relied on the exercise of power, including sexual regulations and sexual coercion. Recent archaeological and ethnohistoric research at the Spanish-colonial military settlement of El Presidio de San Francisco affords a different perspective, one in which the public and institutional exercise of sexual control was central to the imperial project.