cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Androgen Deprivation on Male Sexual Function

Introduction: The role of androgens in sexual function and in particular in erectile physiology remains controversial. The aim of this chapter is to review the preclinical and clinical data on the impact of androgen deprivation in male sexual functioning since androgen ablation is the main treatment option for men with advanced prostate cancer and a critical component of radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer.
Activity Spoofing and Its Defense in Android Smartphones

Smartphones have become ubiquitous in today’s digital world as a mobile platform allowing anytime access to email, social platforms, banking, and shopping. Many providers supply native applications as a method to access their services, allowing users to login directly through a downloadable app. In this paper, we first expose a security vulnerability in the Android framework that allows for third party apps to spoof native app activities, or screens. This can lead to a wide variety of security risks including the capture and silent exfiltration of login credentials and private data. We then compare current defense mechanisms, and introduce the concept of Trusted Activity Chains as a lightweight protection against common spoofing attacks. We develop a proof of concept implementation and evaluate its effectiveness and performance overhead.
PAF induces relaxation of pulmonary arteries but contraction of pulmonary veins in the ferret

The present study was designed to determine whether platelet-activating factor (PAF) has different effects on pulmonary arteries and veins. Third-order pulmonary arterial and venous rings of the ferret were suspended in organ chambers filled with modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution (95% O2-5% CO2, 37 degrees C) and their isometric tension was recorded. Under basal conditions, PAF had no effect on the resting tension of arteries but induced an endothelium-dependent contraction of veins. The contraction was not affected by BW-755C (an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase), BQ-123 [an antagonist of endothelin (ET) A (ETA) receptors)], or IRL-1038 (an antagonist of ETB receptors). PAF had no effect on veins during contraction to prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF 2 alpha) but induced an endothelium-dependent relaxation of arteries. The relaxation was abolished by N omega-nitro-L-arginine. Incubation with PAF for 30 min augmented contractions of veins with endothelium to PGF 2 alpha. The augmentation was not affected by BW-755C, BQ-123, or IRL-1038. Pretreatment with PAF had no effect on the response of veins to phenylephrine or on the response of arteries to either PGF 2 alpha or phenylephrine. These observations demonstrated that, in the ferret, PAF affected differently the response of pulmonary arteries and veins and that the endothelium plays a critical role in the PAF-induced effects. Furthermore, the PAF-induced effects appear not to be mediated by metabolites of arachidonic acid and ET.
Computer Simulation of Unsteady Flows in Waterways

THE SET OF NONLINEAR, PARTIAL DIFF. EQUATIONS, DESCRIBING ONE-DIMENSIONAL TRANSLATORY WAVE MOTION PROVIDES THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THREE DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES FOR THE DIGITAL SIMULATION OF UNSTEADY FLOWS IN RIVERS AND ESTUARIES. THE FIRST TECHNIQUE IS BASED UPON POWER SERIES METHODS AND USES A MACLAURIN SERIES EXPANSION OF THE PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS. THE SECOND TECHNIQUE IS PREMISED UPON THE METHOD OF CHARACTERISTICS AND USES A NUMERICAL EVALUATION PROCESS AT SUCCESSIVE SPECIFIED TIME INTERVALS. THE THIRD SIMULATION TECHNIQUE RELIES UPON AN IMPLICIT METHOD OF FLOW SIMULATION WHEREIN THE PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS ARE TRANSFORMED TO FINITE DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS. THE EFFECTS OF FLUID FRICTION, VARIABLE CHANNEL GEOMETRY, WIND, LATERAL INFLOW OR OUTFLOW, THE CORIOLIS ACCELERATION, AS WELL AS OVERBANK STORAGE, ARE INCLUDED. FLOWS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE OF HOMOGENOUS DENSITY. EACH OF THE METHODS IS PROGRAMMED FOR HIGH SPEED DIGITAL COMPUTER. COMPARISONS OF THE SIMULATED FLOWS OBTAINED USING EACH OF THE SIMULATION TECHNIQUES WITH THE APPROPRIATE FIELD MEASURED TRANSIENT FLOWS INDICATE GENERALLY GOOD AGREEMENT /ASCE/
A k–ε Turbulence Model for the Stable Atmosphere

AbstractA realizable k–e turbulence model of incompressible fluid is extended for the stable atmosphere after taking account of the buoyancy damping of gravity waves. The new model is consistent wi...
Animated Pseudocolor Activity Maps (Pam’s): Scientific Visualization of Brain Electrical Activity

Major advances in neuroscience have often followed directly from the application of new and more powerful methodological approaches to the study of brain structure and function (Clarke & Jacyna, 1987). Within the last decade a new technique has been developed that allows both brain structure and function to be studied in a closely integrated and highly complimentary fashion. This technique is multiple-site optical recording of membrane potential, or more simply, optical recording. Optical recording is based upon the ability of certain vital dyes (potentiometric probes) to optically signal changes in intracellular membrane potential. By viewing brain tissue stained with a voltage-sensitive dye with a suitable light detector system, changes in neuronal activity can be monitored simultaneously from a 100 or more contiguous anatomical regions (cf. Grinvald et al., 1988).
Les médias sociaux comme champ de bataille et le problème anglophone au Cameroun: Introduction: L’arme cybernétique

Anglophones have been making progress in their political agenda since October 2016, the beginning of the crisis they have been facing in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon. Their cla...
Urethral complications after gender reassignment surgery: a systematic review.

The aim of the present systematic review is to evaluate the impact of gender reassignment surgery on the development of urethral complication. A systematic search in accordance the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses statement for original articles published up until June 2019 was performed using the Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Pooled analyses were done when appropriate. The bibliographic search with the included terms ((“Transsexualism”[Mesh])) AND (“Sex Reassignment Surgery”[Mesh]) produced a literature of 879 articles altogether. After removing papers of not interest or articles in which the outcomes could not be deduced, 32 studies were examined for a total of 3463 patients screened. Thirty-two studies met our inclusion criteria and were evaluated, and references were manually reviewed in order to include additional relevant studies in this review. Female-to-male (FtM) surgery and male-to-female (MtF) surgery was discussed in 23 and 10 studies, respectively. One study discussed both. Varying patterns of complications were observed in FtM and MtF surgeries, with increased complications in the former because of the larger size of the neourethra. Meatal stenosis is a particular concern in MtF surgery, with complication rates ranging from 4 to 40%, and usually require meatotomy for repair. Stricture and fistulization are frequently reported complications following FtM surgery. In studies reporting on fistulae involving the urethra, 19–54% of fistulae resolved spontaneously without further surgical intervention. High rates of complications are reported in the current literature, which should be understood by patients and practitioners alike. Shared decision making with patients regarding incidence and management of urethral complications including stricture disease and fistulae, particularly after FtM surgery, is critical for setting expectations and managing postoperative outcomes.
A physicochemical model of odor sampling

We present a general physicochemical sampling model for olfaction, based on established pharmacological laws, in which arbitrary combinations of odorant ligands and receptors can be generated and their individual and collective effects on odor representations and olfactory performance measured. Individual odor ligands exhibit receptor-specific affinities and efficacies; that is, they may bind strongly or weakly to a given receptor, and can act as strong agonists, weak agonists, partial agonists, or antagonists. Ligands interacting with common receptors compete with one another for dwell time; these competitive interactions appropriately simulate the degeneracy that fundamentally defines the capacities and limitations of odorant sampling. The outcome of these competing ligand-receptor interactions yields a pattern of receptor activation levels, thereafter mapped to glomerular presynaptic activation levels based on the convergence of sensory neuron axons. The metric of greatest interest is the mean discrimination sensitivity, a measure of how effectively the olfactory system at this level is able to recognize a small change in the physicochemical quality of a stimulus. This model presents several significant outcomes, both expected and surprising. First, adding additional receptors reliably improves the system9s discrimination sensitivity. Second, in contrast, adding additional ligands to an odor scene initially can improve discrimination sensitivity, but eventually will reduce it as the number of ligands increases. Third, the presence of antagonistic ligand-receptor interactions produced clear benefits for sensory system performance, generating higher absolute discrimination sensitivities and increasing the numbers of competing ligands that could be present before discrimination sensitivity began to be impaired. Finally, the model correctly reflects and explains the modest reduction in odor discrimination sensitivity exhibited by transgenic mice in which the specificity of glomerular targeting by primary olfactory neurons is disrupted.
Developing an Automated Technique to Calibrate the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Software

Many state highway agencies are in the process of implementing the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design (PMED) software for routine pavement design. However, a recurring implementation challenge has been ...
Loan-level Disclosure and the Convenience Yield of Asset-Backed Securities

This paper examines the impact of mandatory loan-level disclosure on the convenience yield of AAA-rated asset-backed securities. Relying on the put-call parity relationship to estimate the daily risk-free interest rate unaffected by the convenience features of safe assets, we first show that the average bond yield for AAA-rated ABS is consistently below the risk-free rate, suggesting a convenience yield exists for these assets. We then find that, using non-AAA rated ABS issued by the same trusts, backed by the same underlying loan portfolios, and traded in the same month as a control group, the average difference between the risk-free rate and yield of AAA-rated ABS (Box spread) decreases by approximately 50% after the mandatory loan-level disclosures. This result is stronger when the quality of loan-level disclosure is high, when the price of bonds subject to loan-level disclosure is volatile, and when the ABS market is tight. Corroborating our main results, we also find AAA-rate ABS subject to loan-level disclosure requirement is less likely to serve as collateral in the tri-party repo market. Overall, our paper provides novel evidence supporting recent theoretical developments that increased transparency reduces pledgeability, and thus the convenience yield of safe assets.
Decentralized Transactive Energy for Flexible Resources in Distribution Systems

The increasing penetration of proactive agents in electric power distribution systems calls for mechanisms to coordinate their trading activities. The commonly employed centralized and distributed methods for supply-demand coordination are not only limited by hardware requirements but also restrictive for active participation of the market agents. This paper proposes a novel decentralized transactive coordination framework that allows participants to bid and clear transactions via a bilateral interaction process. The framework is based on 1) power consumption flexibility individually reported by demand agents using model-predictive control, 2) bilateral supply-side bidding individually determined by the supply agents using a Markowitz Portfolio Optimization model, and 3) individual simultaneous clearing of transactions by demand agents based on second-price sealed-bid auctions. The suppliers bid in the market to achieve desired returns while minimizing their risks. The demand agents harness their demand flexibility by competitively clearing the supplier bids. Unlike traditional approaches, the proposed framework does not require master nodes to orchestrate transactions and, therefore, facilitates massive participation of market agents. Simulation cases demonstrate that the proposed framework successfully performs the market function for bilateral transactions among thousands of proactive agents.
A WR-5 (140-220 GHz) Quasi-Optical Phase Shifter Array Based on GaAs Schottky Diodes Integrated on Thin Silicon Membranes

This work reports on a proof-of-concept phase shifter quasi-optical diode array operating in the WR-5 frequency band (140 GHz – 220 GHz). The array incorporates GaAs quasi-vertical Schottky diodes heterogeneously integrated onto a $15 \mu\mathrm{m}$ silicon membrane. The design utilizes varactor Schottky diodes with low device parasitics at millimeter-wave frequencies, a thin host substrate which suppresses substrate modes, and silicon as an integration platform which offers superior thermal management properties compared to GaAs. A series resistance of $11\ \Omega$ was extracted for the 36-element array based on current-voltage DC measurements. 1-port error-corrected scattering parameter data was obtained for the array using a quasi-optical measurement setup, and a maximum phase shift of 30° was measured at 158 GHz.
Dysmenorrhoea as a risk factor for pain with intrauterine device insertion.

BACKGROUND Understanding predictors of pain with gynaecological procedures may facilitate individualised counselling and pain management. We aimed to study the effect of dysmenorrhoea on intrauterine device (IUD) insertion pain. METHODS This was a planned secondary analysis of a randomised trial evaluating self-administered lidocaine gel versus placebo for IUD insertion pain. We included those participants who reported menses in the past 3 months. We assessed dysmenorrhoea (in the past 3 months) and procedural pain using a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS). We categorised dysmenorrhoea as none/mild (<40 mm), moderate (40-69 mm) or severe (≥70 mm). We assessed participant pain scores at speculum insertion, tenaculum placement, IUD insertion, and overall. We compared median procedural pain scores by dysmenorrhoea group with three-way and post hoc pairwise analyses. RESULTS We analysed 188 participants. Demographic characteristics were similar among the three dysmenorrhoea groups. Pairwise comparisons revealed higher median procedural pain scores in the severe dysmenorrhoea group compared with the none/mild dysmenorrhoea group at speculum insertion (25 mm vs 8 mm; p=0.007), tenaculum placement (51 mm vs 31 mm; p=0.04) and IUD insertion (74 mm vs 61 mm; p=0.04). Overall pain did not differ among the three groups (p=0.32). CONCLUSIONS Patients with severe dysmenorrhoea experienced increased pain with all aspects of IUD insertion, including speculum and tenaculum placement, compared with those with only mild or no dysmenorrhoea. Clinicians may consider this finding when providing individualised counselling and pain management for patients undergoing IUD insertion and other gynaecological procedures. Larger studies are needed to validate the effect of dysmenorrhoea severity on pain throughout IUD insertion.
YAP Regulates NFI/KLF5 Transcriptional and Epigenetic Networks Directing Alveolar Epithelial Cell Differentiation

Ventilation is dependent upon the pulmonary alveoli which are lined by two major epithelial cell types, alveolar type 1 and 2 (AT1) and (AT2) cells. AT1 cells are located in close apposition to alveolar capillary endothelial cells to mediate gas exchange. AT2 cells synthesize and secrete pulmonary surfactant lipids and protein and serve as progenitor cells which proliferate and differentiate to repair the alveoli after injury. Herein, we developed transgenic mice in which YAP was activated or deleted to determine its roles in alveolar epithelial cell differentiation. Organoids from YAPactive mice selectively differentiated into AT1 cells demonstrating that YAP may be required for AT1 cell differentiation in-vitro . Activation of YAP in the postnatal lung increased epithelial cell proliferation, increased numbers of AT1 cells, and caused indeterminate differentiation of subsets of alveolar cells in-vivo, inducing atypical expression of genes normally restricted to conducting airway epithelial cells. Deletion of YAP increased expression of genes associated with mature AT2 cells. In combination with altered gene expression, YAP activation caused widespread changes in chromatin accessibility and ATAC sequencing demonstrated enhanced DNA accessibility in promoters of transcription factors and predicted target genes associated with alveolar cell differentiation. YAP participated with KLF5, NFIB, and NKX2-1 to regulate alveolar epithelial cell gene expression, together activating AGER, an AT1 signature gene. YAP plays a central role in a transcriptional network regulating alveolar epithelial differentiation.
Characterizing the social media footprint of general surgery residency programs.

BACKGROUND: The medical community has increasingly embraced social media for a variety of purposes, including trainee education, research dissemination, professional networking, and recruitment of trainees and faculty. Platform choice and usage patterns appear to vary by specialty and purpose, but few studies comprehensively assess programs' social media presence. Prior studies assessed general surgery departments' Twitter use but omitted additional social media platforms and residency-specific accounts. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to broadly characterize the social media footprint of U.S. general surgery residency programs. METHODS: Using a protocolized search of program websites, social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and internet search, cross-sectional data on social media usage in March 2020 were collected for programs, their affiliated departments, their program directors (PDs), and their assistant/associate PDs (APDs). RESULTS: 318 general surgery residency programs, 313 PDs, and 296 APDs were identified. 47.2% of programs had surgery-specific accounts on ≥1 platform. 40.2% of PDs and APDs had ≥1 account on Twitter and/or LinkedIn. Program type was associated with social media adoption and Twitter utilization, with lower usage among university-affiliated and independent programs (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Most general surgery residencies, especially non-university-based programs, lacked any department or residency accounts across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by March 2020. These findings highlight opportunities for increased social media engagement and act as a pre-pandemic baseline for future investigations of how the shift to virtual trainee education, recruitment, conferences, and clinical care affect social media use.
Does message content interact with the physical environment? An exploratory study on the influence of noise and noise-related visual cues on message elaboration

Abstract This study seeks to examine the influence of noise and noise-related visual cues on message elaboration of psychiatric help-seeking (PHS) information. We conducted a randomized trial comparing two noise (High: 75 dB LAeq, low: 30 dB LAeq) and two message (noise-related visual cue or not) conditions. Participants (n = 200) were exposed to one of two noise conditions and one of two message conditions. Key outcome measures included participants’ message elaboration of PHS information (primary) and willingness to seek psychiatric help and PHS attitudes (secondary). There was an interaction effect of noise-related visual cues and the noise condition on message elaboration. Increased message elaboration of the PHS information did not enhance willingness to seek psychiatric or PHS attitudes. A message with a noise-related visual cue in a noisy environment can enhance self-reported message elaboration. This novel finding highlights the potential value to examining how messages interact with the physical environment. (148 words).
Air Pollution and Reproduction: A focus on the clinical perspective

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Air pollution is widely known to affect human cardiopulmonary health, but only recently has research begun to focus on understanding the association between ambient air pollutio...
Adoption patterns over time: a replication

Based on new data, we replicate Mahajan et al.’s (1990) paper on adopter categories and Goldenberg et al.’s (2002) paper on saddles and offer explanations and extensions. We use a new dataset to replicate the results, namely, the U.S. Consumer Technology Association’s Sales & Forecasts, which provides longitudinal data on numerous consumer electronic products. Goldenberg, Libai, and Muller utilized the same source for 1999, while we use the updated 2021 report for the adopter category as well as the saddle replication, thus employing the same data source for both studies. We find that in the adoption of consumer electronics, there are fewer saddles, and these saddles are shorter and shallower in 2021 than they were in 1999. Regarding adopter categories, we break the data down by decades and show that, while the early adopter categories just barely decelerated over the six decades of our analysis, the average growth of the new dataset is much faster, with the peak occurring considerably sooner than that of the earlier data.
Mast cell disorders are associated with decreased cerebral blood flow and small fiber neuropathy.

Abstract Background Mast cell disorders including hereditary alpha tryptasemia (HαT) and idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) can be associated with neurologic symptoms such as orthostatic intolerance, pain, and cognitive impairment. The origin of these symptoms is not well understood. Objective To characterize neurologic findings in patients with HαT and MCAS through objective measurements. Methods Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of HαT or MCAS with neurologic symptoms were referred for standardized autonomic testing encompassing Valsalva maneuver, deep breathing, sudomotor and tilt tests with cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv) determination, and skin biopsies for small fiber neuropathy (SFN). Results There were 15 patients with HαT (age 44.4 ± 15.9 years), 16 with MCAS (34.4 ± 15.5), and 14 matched controls who were evaluated. Baseline serum tryptase level was increased in patients with HαT when compared with patients with MCAS (14.3 ± 2.5 ng/mL vs 3.8 ± 1.8; P Conclusion We provide evidence of reduced orthostatic CBFv and SFN associated with mild-to-moderate autonomic dysfunction in patients with HαT and MCAS. Our findings suggest that comprehensive autonomic testing may be helpful to explain neurologic symptoms and guide treatment in patients with HαT and MCAS.
Self-Protection as an Adaptive Female Strategy.

Many male traits are well explained by sexual selection theory as adaptations to mating competition and mate choice, whereas no unifying theory explains traits expressed more in females. Anne Campbell's "staying alive" theory proposed that human females produce stronger self-protective reactions than males to aggressive threats because self-protection tends to have higher fitness value for females than males. We examined whether Campbell's theory has more general applicability by considering whether human females respond with greater self-protectiveness than males to other threats beyond aggression. We searched the literature for physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses to major physical and social threats, and found consistent support for females' responding with greater self-protectiveness than males. Females mount stronger immune responses to many pathogens; experience a lower threshold to detect, and lesser tolerance of, pain; awaken more frequently at night; express greater concern about physically dangerous stimuli; exert more effort to avoid social conflicts; exhibit a personality style more focused on life's dangers; react to threats with greater fear, disgust and sadness; and develop more threat-based clinical conditions than males. Our findings suggest that in relation to threat human females have relatively heightened protective reactions compared to males. The pervasiveness of this result across multiple domains suggests that general mechanisms might exist underlying females' unique adaptations. An understanding of such processes would enhance knowledge of female health and well-being.
Thromboembolism and Contraceptive Medication: Incidence and Mechanism

The nature of this morning’s meeting on blood and vascular changes resulting from contraceptive medication differs sharply from those previously held. Earlier we have considered significant biochemical changes resulting from contraceptive medication, changes which, in the main, appeared reversible or potentially reversible on discontinuation of medication and which were, generally speaking, clinically asymptomatic.
Kidney Transplant Access in the Southeast: View From the Bottom

The Southeastern region of the United States has the highest burden of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) but the lowest rates of kidney transplantation in the nation. There are many patient-, dialysis facility-, ESRD Network- and health system-level barriers that contribute to this regional disparity. Compared to the rest of the nation, the Southeast has a larger population of African-Americans and higher poverty, as well as more prevalent ESRD risk factors including hypertension, obesity and diabetes. Dialysis facilities--where ESRD patients receive the majority of their healthcare--play an important role in transplant access. Identifying characteristics of individual dialysis units with low rates of kidney transplantation, such as understaffing or for-profit status, can help identify targets for quality improvement initiatives. Geographic differences across the country can identify opportunities to increase funding for healthcare resources in proportion to patient and disease burden. Focusing interventions among dialysis facilities with the lowest transplant rates within the Southeast, such as provider and patient education, has the potential to increase referrals for kidney transplantation, leading to higher rates of kidney transplants in this region. Referral for transplantation should be measured on a national level to monitor disparities in early access to transplantation. Transplant centers have an obligation to assist underserved populations in ensuring equity in access to services. Policies that improve access to care for patients, such as the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion, are particularly important for Southern states and may alleviate geographic disparities.
Improved survival in pediatric heart transplant recipients: have white, black and Hispanic children benefited equally?

We assessed whether the improvement in posttransplant survival in pediatric heart transplant (HT) recipients during the last two decades has benefited the major racial groups in the United States equally. We analyzed all children <18 years of age who underwent their first HT in the US during 1987–2008. We compared trends in graft loss (death or retransplant) in white, black and Hispanic children in five successive cohorts (1987–1992, 1993–1996, 1997–2000, 2001–2004, 2005–2008). The primary endpoint was early graft loss within 6 months posttransplant. Longer-term survival was assessed in recipients who survived the first 6 months. The improvement in early posttransplant survival was similar (hazard ratio [HR] for successive eras 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.7, 0.9, p = 0.24 for black-era interaction, p = 0.22 for Hispanic-era interaction) in adjusted analysis. Longer-term survival was worse in black children (HR 2.2, CI 1.9, 2.5) and did not improve in any group with time (HR 1.0 for successive eras, CI 0.9, 1.1, p = 0.57; p = 0.19 for black-era interaction, p = 0.21 for Hispanic-era interaction). Thus, the improvement in early post-HT survival during the last two decades has benefited white, black and Hispanic children equally. Disparities in longer-term survival have not narrowed with time; the survival remains worse in black recipients.
Bereaved family member perceptions of quality of end-of-life care in U.S. regions with high and low usage of intensive care unit care

OBJECTIVES: To compare the quality of end-of-life care of persons dying in regions of differing practice intensity. DESIGN: Mortality follow-back survey. SETTING: Geographic regions in the highest and lowest deciles of intensive care unit (ICU) use. PARTICIPANTS: Bereaved family member or other knowledgeable informants. MEASUREMENTS: Unmet needs, concerns, and rating of quality of end-of-life care in five domains (physical comfort and emotional support of the decedent, shared decision-making, treatment of the dying person with respect, providing information and emotional support to family members). RESULTS: Decedents in high- (n = 365) and low-intensity (n = 413) hospital service areas (HSAs) did not differ in age, sex, education, marital status, leading causes of death, or the degree to which death was expected, but those in the high-intensity ICU HSAs were more likely to be black and to live in nonrural areas. Respondents in high-intensity HSAs were more likely to report that care was of lower quality in each domain, and these differences were statistically significant in three of five domains. Respondents from high-intensity HSAs were more likely to report inadequate emotional support for the decedent (relative risk (RR) = 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0-1.4), concerns with shared decision-making (RR=1.8, 95% CI = 1.0-2.9), inadequate information about what to expect (RR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.3-1.8), and failure to treat the decedent with respect (RR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.0-1.9). Overall ratings of the quality of end-of-life care were also significantly lower in high-intensity HSAs. CONCLUSION: Dying in regions with a higher use of ICU care is not associated with improved perceptions of quality of end-of-life care.
Synthesis of serine by Coxiella burnetii.

Myers, W. F. (University of Kansas, Lawrence) and D. Paretsky. Synthesis of serine by Coxiella burnetii. J. Bacteriol. 82:761–763. 1961.—Enzyme preparations from suspensions of purified Coxiella burnetii are capable of synthesizing serine from formaldehyde and glycine-2-C14 in the presence of tetrahydrofolic acid. Evidence for the reaction is obtained by isolating and identifying radioactive serine and serine derivatives. The data suggest a role for folic acid in these rickettsiae, and extend the knowledge of host-independent biosynthetic competencies of these highly parasitic microorganisms.
Conformation of Ca(2+)-ATPase in two crystal forms. Effects of Ca2+, thapsigargin, adenosine 5'-(beta, gamma-methylene)triphosphate), and chromium(III)-ATP on crystallization.

The structure of Ca(2+)-ATPase has been studied by electron microscopy of two different crystal forms: one tubular form induced by vanadate in native sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes and another multilamellar form grown from detergent-solubilized SR. To determine the conformation of Ca(2+)-ATPase within each crystal form, the respective effects of Ca2+, thapsigargin, adenosine 5'-(beta, gamma-methylene)triphosphate) (AMP-PCP), and chromium(III) (Cr-ATP) on crystallization have been studied. Vanadate-induced tubes were prevented from forming by micromolar Ca2+, but if preformed in the absence of Ca2_, millimolar Ca2+ was required to disrupt these crystals. Thapsigargin promoted tube formation even in the presence of 10 mM Ca2+. Neither AMP-PCP nor Cr-ATP prevented tube formation, and the Ca2+ sensitivity of tube formation from Cr-ATP-inhibited SR was identical to controls. Multilamellar crystals required at least 0.2 mM Ca2+ and were prevented from forming by thapsigargin, AMP-PCP, or Cr-ATP. It is concluded that helical tubes are composed of the Ca(2+)-free, dephosphorylated conformation (E), and the nucleotide-bound conformation (E-ATP) is also tolerated. In contrast, multilamellar crystals are composed of the Ca(2+)-bound conformation (E.Ca2) and do not tolerate nucleotide binding. Thus, comparison of structures obtained from the two crystal forms should reveal physiologically relevant conformational differences.
Kathleen Nolan. Interviewed by Laura L. Mays Hoopes.

Kathleen Nolan, Professor and Chair, Biology and Health Promotion, St. Francis College, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Conceptualizing Teachers’ Ways of Knowing

This article addresses issues related to the ways teachers learn mathematics and the teaching of mathematics and the relevance of those ways to their professional development. Preservice teachers' understanding of school mathematics lacks sophistication, a situation that needs to be addressed in mathematics teacher education programs. What is critical is the means by which they encounter and explore the mathematics they will be teaching. Fundamentally, their mathematical experiences need to be congruous with the kind of teaching we would expect of a reflective, adaptive teacher. The article contains both practical and theoretical considerations of how these experiences might be structured. Theoretical orientations for conceptualizing teachers' belief structures are offered as a foundation for conceptualizing teachers' ways of knowing. The moral dimension of teacher education is considered as a backdrop for understanding how teachers come to know.
Political Ideals and Beliefs About the Distribution of Wealth and Income: A Cross-Cultural Survey of University Students

A survey of comparable groups of undergraduates at Stanford University (USA) in 1996 and 1998, and at Koc University (Turkey) in 1998, reveals some interesting beliefs concerning the distribution of wealth and income. When asked to specify both ideal and real percentage distributions, respondents at the two universities indicate that both income and wealth are much more concentrated in their respective countries than they should be. However, respondents in both countries show virtually no awareness of the difference between wealth and income distributions, leading them to underestimate wealth disparities and to overestimate income disparities. Knowledge of the true distributions, and beliefs about the ideal ones, were found to have some relationships to political ideology for students who described themselves as 'socialists' or 'egalitarians,' but not for students with more mainstream affiliations. Koc students were found to be more egalitarian in their ideal distributions than were Stanford students, who showed weak signs of increasing their tolerance for inequality in the more recent survey. Some possible explanations for students' ignorance of the gap between income and wealth distributions are discussed and evaluated. Evidence suggests that unbiased estimates of economic statistics depend on available data from one's experience, even when reasoning alone could be the basis for a good guess. For various reasons, the wealth/income distribution gap is not easy to see, at least in these two countries. A general awareness of this gap (and of mechanisms that tend to concentrate wealth) might increase popular support for wealth taxes.
Did Fair Valuation Depress Equity Values During the 2008 Financial Crisis

We investigate the assertion that fair valuation of financial instruments exacerbated the 2008 financial crisis. We focus on the 4th quarter of 2008 following the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, the Reserve Primary fund “breaking the buck” and other adverse events. Our central finding is that firms with higher percentage of assets fair valued had higher abnormal stock returns. Both fair value level 1 and level 2 measurements are positively associated with stock returns. We show that fair valuation is widespread not only in financial firms but also in industrial firms and that the above results hold for both financial and industrial firms. We do not find evidence that these results are driven by a specific subsample, mean reversion in stock returns, anticipation of the crisis, or liquidity factors alone. Our findings are inconsistent with fair valuation depressing equity values.
Mechanism of mRNA binding to bovine mitochondrial ribosomes.

The binding of mRNA to bovine mitochondrial ribosomes was investigated using triplet codons, homopolymers and heteropolymers of various lengths, and human mitochondrial mRNAs. In the absence of initiation factors and initiator tRNA, mitochondrial ribosomes do not bind triplet codons (AUG and UUU) or homopolymers (oligo(U] shorter than about 10 nucleotides. The RNA binding domain on the 28 S mitoribosomal subunit spans approximately 80 nucleotides of the mRNA, judging from the size of the fragments of poly(U,G) and natural mRNAs protected from RNase T_1 digestion by this subunit, but the major binding interaction with the ribosome appears to occur over a 30-nucleotide stretch. Human mitochondrial mRNAs coding for subunits II and III of cytochrome c oxidase and subunit 1 of the NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) were used in studying in detail the binding of mRNA to the small subunit of bovine mitochondrial ribosomes. We have determined that these mRNAs have considerable secondary structure in their 5'-terminal regions and that the initiation codon of each mRNA is sequestered in a stem structure. Little mRNA was bound to ribosomes in a manner conferring protection of the 5' termini from RNase T_1 digestion, under standard conditions supporting the binding of artificial templates, but such binding was greatly stimulated by the addition of a mitochondrial extract. Initiation factors and tRNAs from Escherichia coli were unable to stimulate the 5' terminus protected binding of these mRNA molecules, demonstrating a requirement for homologous factors. Our results strongly suggest that mitochondrial initiation factors are required for the proper recognition and melting of the secondary structure in the 5'-terminal region of mitochondrial mRNAs, as a prerequisite for initiation of protein synthesis in mammalian mitochondria.
Game-theoretic analysis of node capture and cloning attack with multiple attackers in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks are subject to attacks such as node capture and cloning, where an attacker physically captures sensor nodes, replicates the nodes, which are deployed into the network, and proceeds to take over the network. In this paper, we develop models for such an attack when there are multiple attackers in a network, and formulate multi-player games to model the noncooperative strategic behavior between the attackers and the network. We consider two cases: a static case where the attackers' node capture rates are time-invariant and the network's clone detection/revocation rate is a linear function of the state, and a dynamic case where the rates are general functions of time. We characterize Nash equilibrium solutions for both cases and derive equilibrium strategies for the players. In the static case, we study both the single-attacker and the multi-attacker games within an optimization framework, provide conditions for the existence of Nash equilibria and characterize them in closed forms. In the dynamic case, we study the underlying multi-person differential game under an open-loop information structure and provide a set of conditions to characterize the open-loop Nash equilibrium. We show the equivalence of the Nash equilibrium for the multi-person game to the saddle-point equilibrium between the network and the attackers as a team. We illustrate our results with numerical examples.
Avalanche Communications - A Robust HF Relay Technique for Stressed Channels

One of the most challenging communications tasks facing industry at present is that of providing reliable digital traffic over the HF ionospheric channel. The variability of the channel with time and external conditions which effect the isonosphere and the substantial amount of natural and man made interference have made the HF channel relatively unreliable for analog voice communications. The multipath and rapid phase variations of the channel make it especially difficult for reliable digital communications. Most of the approaches to improving the HF reliability have entered around selection of good frequencies which provide favorable propagation conditions for the particular transmission. Although approaches utilizing good "frequency management" techniques may provide substantial improvements, they usually achieve these gains by involving additional spectral space which is already a very precious commodity in the limited HF spectral band. This paper describes an alternative approach to upgrading HF reliability which uses relay techniques to achieve "path diversity" and does not fundamentally require additional frequency allocation. This approach which is called "Avalanche Communications" is applicable to HF networks in which network timing is available. It also requires the use of digital modems which have the capability of taking advantage of reception from multiple receive paths. It does not require, however, any network status information. The approach is applicable to both long haul strategic networks as well as tactical networks involving ground wave and sky wave propagation modes.
Power accuracy and source-pull effect for a high-power RF generator

RF high-power generators are extensively used for plasma etching technologies. In order to achieve high quality for the Silicon wafer process, power accuracy and stability become critical requirements for RF generators. Since a plasma chamber is regarded as a nonlinear active load, load-pull effect has been investigated thoroughly in recent years. However, power measurement is not just related to load situations. Source mismatch also plays an important role for power stability and accuracy. In this paper, power accuracy for a high-power RF generators is investigated through theoretical estimation and direct experiments. For low-reflection loads, the source-mismatch effect is dominant in power measurement error when a calibrated V-I probe is used for reflection and power measurement. In order to investigate this effect, a series of load-pull experiments have been made on a commercial RF generator with power feedback. It is shown that a given source mismatch can be greatly reduced through power feedback [14][15]. The remaining source mismatch effect becomes a comprehensive result related to three factors: the dynamics of nonlinear capacitance of the power transistors, static mismatch from the output filters and the load situation. Between the source mismatch and load reflection, there are some interesting relationships that can be used to correct the power error and thus improve system performance for the generator.
A cluster for CS education in the manycore era

Traditional Beowulf clusters have been homogeneous platforms for distributed-memory MIMD parallelism. However, the shift to multicore architectures has made shared-memory MIMD parallelism increasingly important, and inexpensive manycore GPGPUs have revived SIMD parallelism. This paper presents a case study in designing and building a heterogeneous cluster as a learning platform for tera-scale distributed- and shared-memory MIMD parallelism, and GPGPU parallelism.
Views of internists towards uses of PGD.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is increasingly available, but how physicians view it is unclear. Internists are gatekeepers and sources of information, often treating disorders for which PGD is possible. This quantitative study surveyed 220 US internists, who were found to be divided. Many would recommend PGD for cystic fibrosis (CF; 33.7%), breast cancer (BRCA; 23.4%), familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP; 20.6%) and familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (19.9%), but few for social sex selection (5.2%); however, in each case, >50% were unsure. Of those surveyed, 4.9% have suggested PGD to patients. Only 7.1% felt qualified to answer patient questions about it. Internists who would refer for PGD had completed medical training less recently and, for CF, were more likely to have privately insured patients (P 50% were unsure. Of those surveyed, 4.9% have suggested PGD to patients. Only 7.1% felt qualified to answer patient questions. Internists who would refer for PGD completed medical training less recently and, for CF, were more likely to have privately insured patients and patients who reported genetic discrimination. Physicians more likely to refer for BRCA and FAP were less likely to have patients ask about genetic testing. This quantitative study suggests that internists often feel they have insufficient knowledge and may refer for PGD based on limited understanding. They view possible uses of PGD differently, partly reflecting varying ages of onset and disease treatability. Internists should be made aware of the potential benefit of PGD, but also be taught to refer patients, when appropriate, to clinical geneticists who could then refer the patient to an IVF/PGD team. These data thus have critical implications for training, research and practice.
History Matters: Illuminating Metaplasticity in the Developing Brain

Metaplasticity refers to an activity-dependent regulation of the plastic state of neurons. In this issue of Neuron, Dunfield and Haas demonstrate that in intact developing brain circuits, specific patterns of visual stimulation drive functional plasticity of individual neurons with variable outcomes, predisposed by time-averaged postsynaptic activity recent to visual training.
Torsional vibrations in CO2 and N2O crystals

Abstract Infra-red spectra of thick films (several hundred microns) of crystalline CO2 and N2O show bands in the vicinity of the bending vibrations which are attributed to combinations with several torsional frequencies. Information presently available on torsional vibrations in these crystals is summarized.
A crossover analysis of mandatory minute ventilation compared to synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation in neonates.

Mandatory minute ventilation (MMV) is a novel ventilator mode that combines synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) breaths with pressure-supported spontaneous breaths to maintain a desired minute volume. The SIMV rate is automatically adjusted to maintain minute ventilation. To evaluate MMV in a cohort of infants without parenchymal lung disease alternately ventilated by MMV and SIMV. Neonates >33 weeks' gestational age and electively intubated for medical or surgical procedures were enrolled. Exclusionary criteria included: nonintact respiratory drive or active pulmonary disease. Infants were randomized to receive 2 hours of either SIMV or MMV and then crossed over to the other mode for 2 hours. Ventilator parameters and end-tidal CO2 (etCO2) were measured via inline, mainstream monitoring and recorded every minute. In total, 20 infants were evaluated. No statistically significant differences were found for overall means between etCO2, minute volumes, peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), or positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). However, there was a significant difference in the type of ventilator breaths given and in the mean airway pressure. Additionally, there was a statistically significant negative trend in MMV over time compared to SIMV, although this was subtle and could have been due to extreme cases. Neonates with an intact respiratory drive can be successfully managed with MMV without an increase in etCO2. While this mode generates similar PIP and PEEP, the decrease in mechanical breaths and the mean airway pressure generated with MMV may reduce the risk of some of the long-term complications associated with mechanical ventilation.