cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advances in Switched-Mode Power Conversion Part I

A new concept in the design of switched-mode power conversion circuitry is presented. Because of its extreme simplicity, flexibility, and efficiency, it has the potential to replace some conventional electrical power processing methods currently in use. A thorough discussion of the background, development, and operation of the ?uk converter and several of its extensions is included. The coupled-inductor technique further improves efficiency and reduces size and weight. The basic converter and its extensions to two-quadrant and four-quadrant operation are attractive for many applications, i.e., solar (dc) to utility line (ac) power conversion, variable speed dc or ac motor drives, switching power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies, and many others.
Multiple imputation for assessment of exposures to drinking water contaminants: Evaluation with the Atrazine Monitoring Program

Abstract Background Drinking water may contain pollutants that harm human health. The frequency of pollutant monitoring may occur quarterly, annually, or less frequently, depending upon the pollutant, the pollutant concentration, and community water system. However, birth and other health outcomes are associated with narrow time-windows of exposure. Infrequent monitoring impedes linkage between water quality and health outcomes for epidemiological analyses. Objectives To evaluate the performance of multiple imputation to fill in water quality values between measurements in community water systems (CWSs). Methods The multiple imputation method was implemented in a simulated setting using data from the Atrazine Monitoring Program (AMP, 2006–2009 in five Midwestern states). Values were deleted from the AMP data to leave one measurement per month. Four patterns reflecting drinking water monitoring regulations were used to delete months of data in each CWS: three patterns were missing at random and one pattern was missing not at random. Synthetic health outcome data were created using a linear and a Poisson exposure–response relationship with five levels of hypothesized association, respectively. The multiple imputation method was evaluated by comparing the exposure–response relationships estimated based on multiply imputed data with the hypothesized association. Results The four patterns deleted 65–92% months of atrazine observations in AMP data. Even with these high rates of missing information, our procedure was able to recover most of the missing information when the synthetic health outcome was included for missing at random patterns and for missing not at random patterns with low-to-moderate exposure–response relationships. Conclusions Multiple imputation appears to be an effective method for filling in water quality values between measurements.
Transmission of caprine herpesvirus 2 in domestic goats.

Caprine herpesvirus 2 (CpHV-2) is a recently recognized gammaherpesvirus that is endemic in domestic goats and has been observed to cause clinical malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) in certain species of deer. In this study, transmission of CpHV-2 in goats was examined. A total of 30 kids born to a CpHV-2 positive goat herd were selected and divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 16) remained in the positive herd; group 2 (n =14) was separated from the herd at 1 week of age after obtaining colostrum. Peripheral blood samples from each kid were examined regularly by competitive ELISA for MCF viral antibody and by PCR for CpHV-2 DNA. Fifteen out of 16 goats (94%) that remained with the positive herd seroconverted and became PCR-positive for CpHV-2 by 10 months of age. In contrast, all kids (100%) that were separated from the positive herd at 1 week of age remained negative until termination of the experiment at 1 year of age. Additional transmission experiments revealed that all CpHV-2-free adult goats were susceptible to CpHV-2 or ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) infection. The data indicate that the transmission pattern of CpHV-2 in goats is similar to the pattern of OvHV-2 in sheep and that CpHV-2-free goats can be established by early separation of kids from positive herds, which has significant implications for MCF control programs. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Fragmentation Haemolysis in Patients with Severe Diabetic Angiopathy

Haemolytic anaemia associated with prominent red cell fragmentation is described in seven patients with long-standing diabetes mellitus. A common freature in the patients was severe microangiopathy as detected by retinal examination and microscopic examination of the kidneys. Renal or pancreatic islet malfunction per se is not involved in the haemolytic syndrome, since red cell abnormalities persisted in one patient for over a year following successful renal and pancreatic transplantation--this, despite the maintenance of normal renal and carbohydrate homeostasis. The kinetics of fragmentation was sutdied by tranfusing snormal type O cells into this type A patient. With reisolation of these cells by the Ashby-technique, rapid and porgressive red cell fragmentation was demonstrated by: (a) membrane lipid loss; (b) osmotic fragility increase; and (c) increase in mean cell haemoblobin concentration. This studies indicate that a red-cell-fragmentation haemolytic anaemia may occur in long-standing diabetes mellitus, related to the angiopathy of this disease and not to insulin deficiency or renal malfunction.
Three‐dimensionally woven and braided composites. II: An experimental characterization

The results of an experimental characterization of the elastic and failure behavior of several 3-D textile composites under tension, compression, shear, and bending loads are reported in this paper. Composites reinforced with several textile preforms comprising of layer-to-layer weaves, through-the-thickness weaves, and four-step circular braids were characterized. The preform architectures examined included variations in tow size, pitch for the woven composites, and braid angle in the braided composites. The experimental methods, stress-strain relationships and descriptions of the failure modes of the test specimens are described. Correlations of the predictions from a model described in the companion paper with the experimental results are also presented.
Acetyl radical generation in cigarette smoke: Quantification and simulations

Abstract Free radicals are present in cigarette smoke and can have a negative effect on human health. However, little is known about their formation mechanisms. Acetyl radicals were quantified in tobacco smoke and mechanisms for their generation were investigated by computer simulations. Acetyl radicals were trapped from the gas phase using 3-amino-2, 2, 5, 5-tetramethyl-proxyl (3AP) on solid support to form stable 3AP adducts for later analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry/tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Simulations were performed using the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM). A range of 10–150 nmol/cigarette of acetyl radical was measured from gas phase tobacco smoke of both commercial and research cigarettes under several different smoking conditions. More radicals were detected from the puff smoking method compared to continuous flow sampling. Approximately twice as many acetyl radicals were trapped when a glass fiber particle filter (GF/F specifications) was placed before the trapping zone. Simulations showed that NO/NO2 reacts with isoprene, initiating chain reactions to produce hydroxyl radical, which abstracts hydrogen from acetaldehyde to generate acetyl radical. These mechanisms can account for the full amount of acetyl radical detected experimentally from cigarette smoke. Similar mechanisms may generate radicals in second hand smoke.
Globulins are the main seed storage proteins in Brachypodium distachyon.

Brachypodium distachyon is being developed as a model system to study temperate cereals and forage grasses. We have begun to investigate its utility to understand seed development and grain filling by identifying the major seed storage proteins in a diploid accession Bd21. With the use of ID SDS–PAGE and mass spectrometry we detected seven major storage protein bands, six of which were identified as globulins. A subset of the major seed proteins isolated from three hexaploid accessions, Bd4, Bd14 and Bd17 were also identified as globulins. Several Brachypodium cDNAs clones encoding globulin were completely sequenced. Two types of globulin genes were identified, Bd.glo1 and Bd.glo2, which are similar to maize 7S and oat 12S globulins, respectively. The derived polypeptide sequences of the globulins contain a typical signal peptide sequence in their polypeptide N-termini and two cupin domains. Bd.glo1 is encoded by a single copy gene, whereas, Bd.glo2 belongs to a gene family.
Friendship Two-Graphs

A friendship graph is a graph in which every two distinct vertices have exactly one common neighbor. All finite friendship graphs are known, each of them consists of triangles having a common vertex. We extend friendship graphs to two-graphs, a two-graph being an ordered pair G = (G 0, G 1) of edge-disjoint graphs G 0 and G 1 on the same vertex-set V(G 0) = V(G 1). One may think that the edges of G are colored with colors 0 and 1. In a friendship two-graph, every unordered pair of distinct vertices u, v is connected by a unique bicolored 2-path. The pairs of adjacency matrices of friendship two-graphs are solutions to the matrix equation AB + BA = J − I, where A and B are n × n symmetric 0 − 1 matrices, J is an n × n matrix with every entry being 1, and I is the identity n × n matrix. We show that there is no finite friendship two-graph with minimum vertex degree at most two. However, we construct an infinite such graph, and this construction can be extended to an infinite (uncountable) family. Also, we find a finite friendship two-graph, conjecture that it is unique, and prove this conjecture for the two-graphs that have a dominating vertex.
Response to Letter by van Rooij and Sluzewski

Response: We read the letter by Drs Willem Jan van Rooij and Menno Sluzewski criticizing our study,1 and herein address their critiques of our methodology and results. We find the comments of Drs van Rooij and Sluzewski similar in content and tone to their recent letter criticizing another study of packing density which used comparable methods for calculating aneurysm sac volumes.2,3 We invite interested readers to review this letter, from which we conclude that Drs van Rooij and Sluzewski share 4 of our beliefs, which are central to the purpose and design of our study: (1) density of aneurysm packing (volumetric percentage occlusion or VPO) affects durability of occlusion and thus outcome, (2) VPO is generally inversely related to aneurysm volume (higher packing densities are usually achieved in smaller aneurysms), (3) a study measuring packing density must use the most accurate method of calculating …
Attainment of high plasma densities in TFTR with injection of multiple deuterium pellets

Sequential injection of multiple deuterium pellets combined with high power neutral beam heating in TFTR has produced stable plasmas with very high central densities, up to 5×1020 m-3. The line averaged densities achieved in these experiments correspond to Murakami parameters neR/BT up to 12×1019 m-2.T-1. This value, which does not appear to represent an intrinsic density limit, surpasses the values previously obtained in TFTR and exceeds, by more than a factor of two, the density limit predicted by the scaling of Greenwald et al. (Nuclear Fusion 28 (1988) 2199). The highest densities obtained with both pellet and gas fuelling have been achieved since boronization was applied to the first wall in TFTR. The characteristics and energy balance of the highest density plasma are discussed
Extraction of gallium with tetraphenylarsonium chloride

Gallium is completely extracted with tetraphenylarsonium chloride from hydrochloric acid medium. The extraction behavior was studied by determining gallium with complexometric titration using gallocyanine indicator, spectrophotometrically with rhodamine B, and also with gallium-72 tracer. Complete extraction is observed from ≧ 2.5M hydrochloric acid; the extractable species is GaCl4−, (C6H5)4As+. In the presence of lithium chloride (total chloride ion concentration 2.5M) complete extraction occurs at hydrochloric acid concentrations ≧ 0.25M. The following ions do not interfere: aluminum, thallium, zinc, cadmium, mercury, cobalt, nickel, permanganate, molybdate, tungstate, tin, phosphate and fluoride.
Implicit unsteady transonic airfoil calculations at supersonic freestreams

The computer code LTRAN2 has been extended to compute unsteady transonic flows about oscillating airfoils with supersonic freestreams. The LTRAN2 code uses an alternating direction implicit (ADI) algorithm to solve the two-dimensional, nonlinear, low-frequency, transonic small-disturbance (LF-TSD) equation. The modified code, LTRAN2-SS, includes a 'high-frequency' option. Steady solutions are checked against those computed by the steady TSD code, TSFOIL; unsteady computations of the linear LF-TSD equation are compared with known linear theory solutions; and new unsteady nonlinear solutions are presented. These cases include standard AGARD test cases for the NLR 7301, MBB-A3, and DO Al supercritical airfoils, as well as several NACA airfoils. The modified code enables aerodynamicists to quickly and efficiently compute transonic flows for both subsonic and supersonic freestreams, and thus resolve flutter boundaries through the full extent of the transonic dip phenomenon.
The moderating effects of customer driven complexity on the structure and growth relationship in young firms

Abstract Close exchange relationships with customers are recognized as important for young firms. In fact, close partnerships with customers provide many advantages, such as innovation, opportunity recognition, reputation, etc. The current paper argues that customers with their close exchange relationships create significant complexities for young firms that require effective structural response. Based on past work on customer driven complexity, four parameters of customer driven complexities were conceptualized: customer variability, customer opportunism, customer-interaction variability, and customer-interaction specificity. Using both archival and survey data from 134 young (6 year old or younger) firms, this study tests the moderating influences of customer driven complexity variables on the relationship between structure and growth of young firms. Findings support the suggestion that more formalization and less delegation of authority at the customer interface significantly contribute to the growth in young firms. However, the positive relationship between formalization and revenue growth is found to be weaker when young firms face a higher level of customer variability and stronger when firms face a higher level of customer opportunism. Similarly, the negative relationship between delegation of authority and revenue growth is weaker when these firms face either a higher level of customer-interaction variability or a higher level of customer-interaction specificity.
An explicit sparse unsymmetric finite element solver

A new class of explicit generalized approximate inverse finite element matrix algorithmic methods, based on the concept of LU-sparse factorization procedures, without inverting the decomposition factors, has recently been introduced. The large sparse unsymmetric coefficient matrix of irregular structure is factorized approximately and, in conjuction with approximate inverse matrix techniques, yields explicit preconditioned methods for the finite element (FE) and finite difference (FD) method. The numerical implementation of these algorithms is presented and Fortran subroutines for the efficient solution of the sparse unsymmetric linear systems are given.
Economic Progress, Social Regress?

A central issue in the debate regarding the relevance of social capital is whether the decline in social embeddedness that has attended modernization over the last 40 years in the United States is as harmful as Putnam, among others, claim it to be. Critics of Putnam's thesis argue that various arms-length institutions fulfil the roles performed by social capital thereby mitigating the negative impact of its recent decline. We develop a framework that provides insight into when such institutions may be adequate and when they might not. We find that if market (economic) and non-market (social) interactions differ in their payoffs but are interlinked through the modernization of the economy, the optimal level of modernization in market interactions will be higher than that in non-market interactions. Further, market supporting institutions are likely to increase the divergence between economic and social interactions since analogs for market institutions that constrain opportunistic behavior are usually nonexistent in social contexts. In this sense, economic progress may be accompanied by social regress.
The role of subtypes in attitudes towards superordinate social categories

When general attitudes do not predict behaviour towards specific members of a social category, the reason may be that the specific members belong to a subtype that is not spontaneously associated with the superordinate social category. In Study 1, university students reported their general attitudes towards former mental patients and described the ‘typical’ former mental patient. The descriptions were rated on how well they matched each of eight subtypes (e.g. depressed, paranoid). One month later, the same students expressed their willingness to engage in various activities with a ‘former mental patient’ visitor who was depicted as a member of a subtype that either matched or mismatched the student's description. General attitudes predicted behavioural intentions better when the visitor was from a matching subtype than from a mismatching subtype. In Study 2, students who had negative attitudes towards substance abusers agreed to engage in fewer and less intimate activities with, and sat farther from, a visitor from a matching than from a mismatching subtype. Implications for theories of attitude-behaviour consistency and stereotyping are discussed.
Changing health behaviors with social marketing.

Summary Social marketing uses marketing techniques to promote healthy attitudes and behaviors. As in traditional marketing, the development and implementation of social marketing programs is based on the four P's: product, price, place, and promotion, but it also incorporates the partnership and participation of stakeholders to enhance public health and engage policy makers.
Message from ISSM 2010 Japan program committee chair

On behalf of the ISSM 2010 Program Committee, I would like to thank all of you for your participation in this symposium.
The Changing Face of Teacher Education: Building Bridges/Forming New Alliances

(2001). The Changing Face of Teacher Education: Building Bridges/Forming New Alliances. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 3-7.
Evaluation of moving least squares as a technique for non-rigid medical image registration

This paper evaluates the performance of two non-rigid image registration techniques. The moving least squares (MLS) technique is compared to the more common thin-plate spline (TPS) method. Both methods interpolate a set of fiducial points in registering two images. An attractive feature of the MLS method is that it seeks to minimize local scaling and shearing, producing a global transformation that is as rigid as possible. The MLS and TPS techniques are applied to twoand three-dimensional medical images. Both qualitative and quantitative comparisons are presented. The two techniques are quantitatively evaluated by computing target registration errors (TREs) at selected points of interest. Our results indicate that the MLS algorithm performs better than the TPS method with lower TRE values and visually better registered images, indicating that MLS may be a better candidate for registration tasks when rigid registration is insufficient but the deformation field is sought to be minimal.
Treatment and Outcome of Patients with Gastric Remnant Cancer After Resection for Peptic Ulcer Disease

To study the pathology, treatment, and outcome of patients with gastric remnant cancer (GRC) after resection for peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Review of a prospective gastric cancer database identified patients with GRC after gastrectomy for PUD. Clinicopathologic and treatment-related variables were obtained. Multivariate analysis was performed for factors associated with disease-specific survival (DSS). From January 1985 to April 2010, 4402 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were treated at our institution and 105 patients (2.4%) had prior gastrectomy for PUD. Prior resections were most often Billroth II (N = 97, 92%). The median time from initial resection to development of GRC was 32 years (3–60 years), and the majority of tumors were located at the gastrointestinal anastomosis (N = 72, 69%). Median DSS was 1.3 years (0.6–2.1 years). Patients who had resection had a significantly better outcome than patients who did not have resection (median DSS 5 vs 0.35 years, P < .0001). Factors associated with DSS on multivariate analysis included advanced T-stage (HR 16.5 (CI 2.2–123.4), P = .0006) and lymph node metastasis (HR 1.1 (CI 1.0–1.2), P < .0001). Stage-specific survival following R0 resection was similar to patients with conventional gastric cancer. Patients have a lifetime risk for the development of GRC following resection for PUD. As with conventional gastric cancer, determinants of survival of patients with GRC include advanced T stage and nodal metastasis. Patients with GRC amenable to curative resection exhibit the best DSS and have stage-specific outcomes similar to patients with conventional gastric cancer.
Radium-226 in the eastern equatorial Pacific

226 Ra profiles have been measured at four stations in the vicinity of the East Pacific Rise, one station in the NE Pacific, and one station in the NW Atlantic. We confirm the large increase in 226 Ra in North Pacific Deep Water vs. North Atlantic Deep Water, measured by Broecker, Li, and Cromwell [9], but we find a factor of 3.3 vs. their factor of 2. The vertical diffusion-advection model is applied to the Pacific deep water profiles to evaluate the magnitude of in-situ production of 226 Ra from dissolution of particulate flux — an effect which cannot be determined from ☐-models. The in-situ production rate J and the parametric upwelling velocity w are linearly correlated so that a range of J-w pairs is obtained, all of which yield essentially identical profiles for both positive and negative values of J . However, variance mapping in J-w space gives an upper limit for J , a lower limit for w , and a critical velocity for which J = 0. Thus if the constraint J ≥ 0 is assumed, the Pacific profiles indicate maximum J values of 1.5 × 10 −17 (g/kg)yr, with upwelling velocities limited to values between 1 and 12 m/yr. Three of the profiles can be fit with J = 0, w = −4 m/yr, while two profiles require large upwelling velocities (12–14 m/yr) for J = 0. We conclude that there may indeed be a small in-situ production of 226 Ra in the deep Pacific (replacement residence time > 4000 yr), but if so, it is probably confined to specific areas of the ocean. In contrast, two recently published Pacific barium profiles show no evidence of in-situ production in the water column.
The Field Station as "Joint Venture": A New Basis for Practicing Anthropology in a Developing Country

The "joint venture" field station in a strategic Third World location may provide the opportunity to achieve a number of goals sought by applied anthropologists. Among these are the description and analysis of urban and rural modernization processes, planning and monitoring of assistance programs, conducting evaluation studies, training students (both local and expatriate), and providing employment for professionals.
Intercostal Thoracotomy Closure: Transcostal Sutures as a Less Painful Alternative to Circumcostal Suture Placement

Objective— To determine if transcostal thoracotomy closure resulted in less pain than circumcostal closure. Study Design— Experimental cadaver and prospective clinical study. Animals— Two canine cadavers and 13 adult, 22–29 kg dogs. Methods—Phase 1: In 2 cadavers, 4 suture passage techniques were evaluated to determine the incidence of nerve entrapment in circumcostal intercostal thoracotomy closure. Phase 2: Pain after circumcostal closure (7 dogs) or transcostal closure (6 dogs) of a 4th intercostal space thoracotomy was evaluated by use of pain threshold scores, fentanyl administration rates, heart and respiratory rates, and numerical ratings for behavior. Arterial blood gas analyses were obtained 4 hours postoperatively. Transcostal closure was accomplished by drilling 5–6 small holes in the 5th rib and passing sutures through the holes and around the 4th rib to achieve closure. Pain threshold scores (PTS) were measured by an observer unaware of closure assignment, at 2, 4, 12, and 24 hours after closure by applying slowly increasing pressure to the incision line using a load cell. Rates of fentanyl administration were adjusted based on subjective impressions of dog comfort by a second observer unaware of closure assignment. Results— A 70–100% incidence of nerve entrapment was found for all circumcostal techniques. PTS was higher (P=.045) and fentanyl infusion rates were lower (P=.001) for the transcostal group at 2, 4, 12, and 24 hour postoperatively compared with the circumcostal group. Conclusion— There is a high incidence of nerve entrapment using circumcostal closure techniques. A transcostal technique appears to be associated with less pain during the first 24 hours postoperatively. Clinical Relevance— Based on lower pain scores, transcostal thoracotomy closure may be preferable to circumcostal closure techniques.
Understanding the unusual conduction mechanism in InN nanowires

InN is an attractive material for novel nanoscale optoelectronic devices due to its low band gap and superior transport characteristics. Recently, Chang et al. [J. Electron. Mater. 35, 738 (2006)] presented measurements showing an anomalous resistance observed for InN nanowires with diameters less than 90nm. We examine possible theories presented in literature to explain the extraordinary observation and propose a possible explanation for the reported observations based on the unique attribute of InN − high density surface electron accumulation layer. The presence of high density accumulation layer at the surface leads to two distinct conduction mechanisms in InN viz. surface and bulk. For large diameter InN nanowires, bulk conduction is proposed to be the dominant mechanism whereas in small diameter nanowires both surface and bulk conduction contribute to carrier transport.
The position of the remote experiment in the experiential learning and S.E.C.I.

The rapid spreading of the remote experiment in general, and of the remote laboratory in peculiar, has oriented the main research efforts for software and hardware creation and neglected the pedagogically aspects of this field. In the paper the authors started from this above consideration. The first conclusion of a deep analyze was that the remote experiment is a new shape of the experiential learning. When Knob (1984) launched this concept, virtual environment for learning was not discovered so that is important to analyze the position of the remote experiment in Kolb's experiential learning theory. Paper presents some considerations in this respect. Also, in some paper [1], [2], [3], was sustained that the remote experiment has a great potential in creation of an environment able to nourish creativity potential of the students. Some considerations regarding remote experiment positioning in the Nonaka (1991) SECI (Socialization — Externalization — Combination — Internalization) concept are also made, resulting an original point of view that complete some pedagogical approaches of this new field. An attempt to combine Kolb and Nonaka concepts and to extract from this combination some rules for the remote experiment is made.
Controlling the Frequency Content of Inertia Forces in Dwelling Cam-Follower Systems

Background. Cam-driven machines are frequently manufactured with the intent that they be installed in many different end applications, each with its own natural frequencies. A cam-driven component that performs well in one end application can excite obnoxious or damaging vibrations in another. Method of Approach. A Lagrange multiplier technique is presented that optimally modifies follower motion such that unwanted inertia force frequencies are suppressed. Results. An example problem illustrates the method and presents results. Conclusions. The technique provides a robust customization procedure, permitting the use of a cam-driven component in a wider variety of end applications.
Nucleation and orientation of graphite{0001} layers on Pt{110}

Abstract Investigations by field electron microscopy revealed that graphite{0;0001} layers grow preferentially on Pt{110}. Layer nucleation and initial growth occurs in the vicinal area of {110} along the 〈112〉 and the 〈100〉 zones and not on the unstepped {110} plane itself. The growth rate in the vicinal area is determined by the epitaxial misfit parallel to the step edges. An alignment of the graphite layer with the underlying {110} is observed. It corresponds to graphite〈1010〉 ∥ Pt〈100〉, which coincides with the calculated orientation of smallest epitaxial misfit. The change of relative emission from {110} upon adsorption of graphite is discussed.
Laparoscopic simulation training with proficiency targets improves practice and performance of novice surgeons.

Abstract Background This study compares a laparoscopic skill training protocol without proficiency targets to the same protocol with explicit targets and notification of progress. Methods Fourteen surgery interns were randomized into 2 groups. The intervention group received task-specific proficiency criteria to guide practice. The control group did not. After training, participants were evaluated by blinded faculty during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Results The control group met significantly fewer of the 7 LapSim (Surgical Science Sweden AB, Goteborg) targets (mean = 1.14) than the intervention group (mean = 7.00; P = .001) and significantly fewer of the 5 video trainer targets (mean = .86) than the intervention group (mean = 5.00; P = .001). Ratings of depth perception, bimanual dexterity, efficiency, tissue handling, autonomy, and overall competence were higher for the intervention group. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large (.394–.981), indicating an impact of the proficiency-based training protocol. Conclusions Delineation of proficiency targets with reporting of progress improves interns' practice results, and appears to have a positive effect on their early operating room (OR) performance of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Maximum growth and survival of estrogen receptor-alpha positive breast cancer cells requires the Sin3A transcriptional repressor

Sin3A is an evolutionarily conserved transcriptional repressor which regulates gene expression as part of the multi-protein Sin3 repressive complex. It functions as a scaffold upon which proteins with enzymatic activity dock, including chromatin modifying histone deacetylases. Although regulation of transcription by Sin3A has been studied in detail, little is understood about the function of Sin3A in cancer cells. We previously showed that Sin3A is expressed in breast cancer cells and is a repressor of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα, ESR1) gene expression. Here, we expand our previous studies to elucidate the function of Sin3A in the control of gene expression and growth of breast cancer cells. Analysis of gene expression following knockdown of Sin3A revealed changes in both basal and regulated gene transcription. Genes of known importance in breast cancer and estrogen signaling, including ERBB2, PGR, MYC, CLU, and NCOA2, were among those identified as Sin3A-responsive. The mechanism of Sin3A action varied among genes and was found to be mediated through both HDAC1/2 -dependent and -independent activities. Loss of Sin3A inhibited breast cancer cell growth by increasing apoptosis without affecting cell cycle progression. Analysis of both ERα-positive and ERα-negative cell lines revealed that the effects of Sin3A on growth were cell-type specific, as Sin3A expression promoted maximum growth of only the ERα-positive cells, and, notably, Sin3A protein itself was increased by estrogen. Further gene expression experiments revealed that Sin3A repressed expression of key apoptotic genes, including TRAIL, TRAILR1, CASP10, and APAF1, in ERα-positive, but not ERα-negative, cell lines, which could provide a mechanistic explanation for cell-type differences in growth. This study identifies Sin3A as a regulator of gene expression, survival, and growth in ERα-positive breast cancer cells. Sin3A regulates the transcription of genes involved in breast cancer and apoptosis and acts through multiple mechanisms not limited to histone deacetylase function. These findings reveal previously undescribed functions of Sin3A in breast cancer and provide evidence for an important role of this transcriptional repressor in ERα-positive tumor cell growth.
An effective Bayesian neural network classifier with a comparison study to support vector machine

We propose a new Bayesian neural network classifier, different from that commonly used in several respects, including the likelihood function, prior specification, and network structure. Under regularity conditions, we show that the decision boundary determined by the new classifier will converge to the true one. We also propose a systematic implementation for the new classifier. In our implementation, the tune of connection weights, the selection of hidden units, and the selection of input variables are unified by sampling from the joint posterior distribution of the network structure and connection weights. The numerical results show that the new classifier consistently outperforms the commonly used Bayesian neural network classifier and the support vector machine in terms of generalization performance. The reason for the inferiority of the commonly used Bayesian neural network classifier and the support vector machine is discussed at length.
Disseminated neonatal herpetic infection simulating abusive anal trauma.

: Potential simulators of premortem trauma present problems of misinterpretation and possible false accusations of caregivers. A case of unsuspected neonatal herpes is reported with associated perianal ecchymosis that raises the possibility of sexual abuse. The decedent was an 8-day-old newborn infant who was born by Cesarean section and treated for 5 days postdelivery for sepsis. The newborn infant was discharged home but returned 2 days later with probable sepsis and new onset of perianal hemorrhage. She died 1 day later with autopsy, revealing neonatal disseminated herpetic infection with early anal involvement consisting of microscopic ulcerations with leukocytoclastic-like vasculitis and rare viral cytopathic changes. These histological changes produced grossly appearing anal ecchymosis with an absence of typical herpetic vesiculopapular lesions, which simulated abusive trauma. This case highlights the importance of considering occult neonatal herpes with associated perianal ecchymosis when presented with possible abusive anal trauma in a newborn infant.
Interpreting the Numbers: Using a Narrative to Help Others Read Student Evaluations of Your Teaching Accurately

People who use and interpret the numbers provided by student ratings need to know what the numbers mean and how to use them correctly.
Responding to ‘Gay Men and Masculinity': further considerations

Even though there are eight million or more employees in the United States who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), and despite the fact that employment discrimination against them pe...
Insight Versus Rehearsal in Cognitive-Behavior Therapy: A Crossover Study with Sixteen Phobics

Although cognitive restructuring (CR) procedures have not proven very helpful for phobics in recent studies, insight and rehearsal components of CR have often been confounded. To seek possible differences in effectiveness between insight and rehearsal, we treated 16 phobics (eight agoraphobics and eight others) with four sessions of each method, using a counterbalanced crossover design with 1-month follow-ups after each treatment component. Significantly fewer sessions were attended by the clients in the rehearsal/insight sequence, and benefit ratings made by project completers significantly favoured insight/rehearsal. Few other treatment group differences were seen, but those that emerged gave the advantage to insight. Rehearsal seemed unhelpful, particularly to non-agoraphobics. Conclusions are (1) that CR methods show some promise in application to phobias, provided that self-exposure homework forms the core of the treatment plan, and (2) that insight followed by rehearsal is the preferred sequence.
Marital Status and Social Well-Being: Are the Married Always Better Off?.

The positive link between marriage and physical and psychological well-being is well established, but whether marriage is associated with social well-being is not. Using nationally representative data from the MIDUS study (N = 3,032), the present study examines the degree to which there are marital status differences in perceived social well-being, to what extent marital histories affect perceived social well-being, and the degree to which findings vary between social well-being and psychological well-being outcomes. We find that married persons do not have a decisive social well-being advantage over unmarried persons. However, married persons do have a significant social well-being advantage over non-married cohabitors. Additionally, marital history matters little to the perceived social well-being of our respondents. Comparisons with psychological well-being measures indicate substantial differences in the effect of marital status on individual-level well-being.
The measurement of ground motion of destructive earthquakes

The need for a greatly expanded network of strong-motion accelerographs throughout the seismic regions of the world is stressed. A summary of the characteristics of currently available strong-motion accelerographs is presented, and the design details are given for an instrument suitable for acquiring the basic data needed by structural engineers for earthquake resistant design. It is shown that for such an instrument, the natural period must be less than 0.1 seconds, and that the recording speed must be at least 1 cm/sec. The critical nature of the inertia starting device is discussed, and some information is given on the transient response of the standard pendulum starter used in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Strong-Motion Accelerograph. The use of simpler, non-time-recording instruments such as the U.S.C.G.S. Seismoscope to supplement the accelerograph network is described.
Maximally reliable markov chains under energy constraints

Signal-to-noise ratios in physical systems can be significantly degraded if the outputs of the systems are highly variable. Biological processes for which highly stereotyped signal generations are necessary features appear to have reduced their signal variabilities by employing multiple processing steps. To better understand why this multistep cascade structure might be desirable, we prove that the reliability of a signal generated by a multistate system with no memory (i.e., a Markov chain) is maximal if and only if the system topology is such that the process steps irreversibly through each state, with transition rates chosen such that an equal fraction of the total signal is generated in each state. Furthermore, our result indicates that by increasing the number of states, it is possible to arbitrarily increase the reliability of the system. In a physical system, however, an energy cost is associated with maintaining irreversible transitions, and this cost increases with the number of such transitions (i.e., the number of states). Thus, an infinite-length chain, which would be perfectly reliable, is infeasible. To model the effects of energy demands on the maximally reliable solution, we numerically optimize the topology under two distinct energy functions that penalize either irreversible transitions or incommunicability between states, respectively. In both cases, the solutions are essentially irreversible linear chains, but with upper bounds on the number of states set by the amount of available energy. We therefore conclude that a physical system for which signal reliability is important should employ a linear architecture, with the number of states (and thus the reliability) determined by the intrinsic energy constraints of the system.
Influence of heating mode on three-dimensional mantle convection

Numerical models of three-dimensional thermal convection in highly viscous spherical shells with different combinations of internal and basal heating consistently have upwelling concentrations in the form of cylindrical plumes and downwelling in planar sheets. As the proportion of internal heating increases, the number of upwelling plumes increases, and downwelling sheets become more vigorous and time-dependent. With any amount of basal heating, the entire convective pattern, during its evolution, is anchored to the upwelling plumes. As the proportion of internal heating increases, the heat flow carried by the upwelling plumes remains a large fraction of the basal heat flow. Downwelling sheets carry only a minor fraction (approximately 30 percent) of the basal heat flow (even when the shell is entirely heated from below), but they advect almost all of the internally generated heat. The relatively large number of plumes in the earth's mantle (inferred from hotspots), the possibility that downwelling slabs are vigorous enough to penetrate the lower mantle, and the small fraction of terrestrial surface heat flow carried by plumes all suggest that the mantle is predominantly heated from within.
Evaluation of the protein anabolic properties of certain orally active anabolic agents based on nitrogen balance studies in rats.

The anabolic and androgenic properties of steroids of clinical interest were evaluated in multiple dose level studies. The anabolic estimates were arrived at on the basis of nitrogen balance studies; the androgenic activities were based on the increase in weight of the ventral prostate gland of the immature rat following a 10-day dosage regimen. A summary of the anabolic activity based on the ability to support nitrogen retention, the androgenic activity, and the ratio of the two (estimates +SE) is given in Table 1, which shows that isoxazole conjugation duplicated pyrazole conjugation importantly in separating the desired anabolic activity from the unwanted masculinizing activity of methy landrostanolone.
Internet-Scale Code Search

Internet-Scale Code Search is the problem of finding source on the Internet. Developers are typically searching for code to reuse as-is on a project or as a reference example. This phenomenon has emerged due to the increasing availability and quality of open source and resources on the web. Solutions to this problem will involve more than the simple application of information retrieval techniques or a scaling-up of tools for code search. Instead, new, purpose-built solutions are needed that draw on results from these areas, as well as program comprehension and software reuse.
Ocular biometry and open-angle glaucoma: the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study.

Purpose To examine the associations among myopic refractive error (MRE), corneal power (CP), axial length (AL), and the prevalence of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in an adult Latino population. Design Population-based, cross-sectional epidemiologic study. Participants A total of 5927 Latinos aged 40 years and older in the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES). Methods Myopic refractive error was defined as a non-cycloplegic sphero-cylindrical refractive error of ≤−1 diopter (D). Axial length was measured by A-scan ultrasound. Corneal power was measured using a Humphrey auto-refractor. Open-angle glaucoma was diagnosed by a combination of optic nerve and visual field changes. Pseudophakic and aphakic eyes were excluded from the analysis. The associations among MRE, AL, CP, and the prevalence of OAG were calculated using a logistic regression model, adjusting for age, gender, intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, diabetes mellitus, family history of glaucoma, and lens nuclear opacification (NO). Main Outcome Measures Odds ratios (OR) for the prevalence of OAG. Results After adjusting for covariates, persons with greater MRE (OR 1.82; confidence interval [CI], 1.20–2.77; P = 0.005), longer AL (OR 1.25; CI, 1.03–1.50; P = 0.02), and flatter corneas (OR 1.21; CI, 1.08–1.35; P = 0.0007) were associated with a higher prevalence of OAG when compared with those with emmetropic refractive error, shorter AL, and steeper corneas. Conclusions Persons with an MRE, flatter corneas, and longer ALs should be considered to be at higher risk of having OAG. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
A quadrisection-based combined place and route scheme for standard cells

A description is given of a placement technique based on hypergraph quadrisection. The authors have developed a standard cell placement procedure based on recursively dividing the netlist into four parts, while minimizing the division cost. They have combined two ideas for placement. One is the extension of the min-cut bisection algorithm to handle quadrisection. The second idea is the simultaneous calculation of min-cut quadrisection and hierarchical global routing. The implementation details are discussed. The results show the implementation to be competitive with simulated annealing. >
Mortality in childhood-onset epilepsy.

Objectives To evaluate mortality in children with newly diagnosed epilepsy, to determine the risk of death, and to identify predictors of death from the point of diagnosis. Design Prospective community-based cohort of 613 children with newly diagnosed epilepsy. The outcome measure was death. χ2Tests were used for bivariate analyses and the Cox proportional hazards model for multivariable analyses. Standardized mortality ratios were used to quantify the excess mortality in the cohort relative to the population. Results Thirteen deaths occurred during 4733 person-years of follow-up, for a crude death rate of 2.7 per 1000 person-years (0.52 per 1000 person-years in those with nonsymptomatic epilepsy and 12.6 per 1000 person-years in those with symptomatic epilepsy). Ten deaths were associated with the underlying cause of the seizures, 2 were associated with the occurrence or probable occurrence of seizures, and 1 was unrelated to seizures or the underlying disorder. On multivariable analysis, symptomatic etiology (rate ratio, 10.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1-49.6) and epileptic encephalopathy (rate ratio, 13.3; 95% CI, 3.4-51.7) were independently associated with mortality. The overall standardized mortality ratio for the cohort was 7.54 (95% CI, 4.38-12.99). In children with symptomatic epilepsy, the standardized mortality ratio was 33.46 (95% CI, 18.53-60.43), and in those with nonsymptomatic epilepsy, it was 1.43 (95% CI, 0.36-5.73). Conclusions Children with epilepsy have an increased risk of death. Most deaths occur in children with severe underlying conditions and are not directly related to the occurrence of seizures.