cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Qualitative Analysis of a Cultural Dexterity Program for Surgeons: Feasible, Impactful, and Necessary.

Objectives Ineffective cross-cultural communication contributes to adverse outcomes for minority patients. To address this, the authors developed a novel curriculum for surgical residents built on the principle of cultural dexterity, emphasizing adaptability to clinical and sociocultural circumstances to tailor care to the needs of the individual patient. This study’s objective was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and perception of this program upon conclusion of its first year. Design, Setting, and Participants The curriculum was implemented at 3 general surgery programs. The flipped classroom model combined independent study via e-learning modules with interactive role-playing sessions. Sessions took place over 1 academic year. Four focus groups were held, each with 6 to 9 participants, to gain feedback on the curriculum. Focus groups were recorded and transcribed, and the data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results Five major themes emerged: (1) Role modeling from senior colleagues is integral in developing communication/interpersonal skills and attitudes toward cultural dexterity. (2) Cultural dexterity is relevant to the provision of high-quality surgical care. (3) Barriers to providing culturally dexterous care exist at the system level. (4) “Buy-in” at all levels of the institution is necessary to implement the principles of cultural dexterity. (5) The shared experience of discussing the challenges and triumphs of caring for a diverse population was engaging and impactful. Conclusion Early implementation of the curriculum revealed that the tension between surgical residents’ desire to improve their cultural dexterity and systemic/practical obstacles can be resolved. Combining surgically relevant didactic materials with experiential learning activities can change the paradigm of cross-cultural training.
Husserl’s Theory of Judgment: A Critique of Brentano and Frege

A significant portion of Husserl’s Fifth Logical Investigation is devoted to a discussion of the relationship within judgments between their assertive and predicative components. Husserl takes Brentano’s account of this relationship as his point of departure. I propose to consider Husserl’s commentary on Brentano’s theory as a criticism not only of Brentano but also by implication of Frege. Both of these authors consistently construe judgment as the taking of a stand with regard to some propositional content. Husserl criticizes this position on the premise that our judgments are in fact directed primarily upon perceived things and situations in the world and only secondarily upon the propositions framed in our judgments. He also traces this misplaced priority on propositional content to the modern tendency to disassociate predication from pre-predicative intuitions. I shall develop the thesis that Husserl’s account of judgment is in effect an updated version of Aristotle’s theory. There is no evidence that Husserl was significantly influenced by a reading of the relevant texts of Aristotle. Moreover, several themes that come into play in his discussion of judgment have a distinctly modern flavor and import. Husserl speaks from a perspective shaped by modern epistemological and logical concerns. Nevertheless, his theory of judgment succeeds in integrating what is best in modern thought within a revitalized appreciation of the Aristotelian understanding of judgment.
Magnitude and Mechanism of Charge Enhancement of CH··O Hydrogen Bonds

Quantum calculations find that neutral methylamines and thioethers form complexes, with N-methylacetamide (NMA) as proton acceptor, with binding energies of 2–5 kcal/mol. This interaction is magnified by a factor of 4–9, bringing the binding energy up to as much as 20 kcal/mol, when a CH3+ group is added to the proton donor. Complexes prefer trifurcated arrangements, wherein three separate methyl groups donate a proton to the O acceptor. Binding energies lessen when the systems are immersed in solvents of increasing polarity, but the ionic complexes retain their favored status even in water. The binding energy is reduced when the methyl groups are replaced by longer alkyl chains. The proton acceptor prefers to associate with those CH groups that are as close as possible to the S/N center of the formal positive charge. A single linear CH··O hydrogen bond (H-bond) is less favorable than is trifurcation with three separate methyl groups. A trifurcated arrangement with three H atoms of the same methyl group i...
Molecular matching and treatment strategies for lung cancer at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center: A three year review of a molecular tumor board.

e20585Background: Matching of actionable tumor mutations with targeted therapy has been shown to increase response rates and prolong survival in lung cancer patients. Drug development and trials ta...
Nanomaterials: New Agrotechnology Tools to Improve Soil Quality?

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are proposed as a new tool to enhance the quality and characteristics of agricultural soils. ENMs are under high scrutiny because of the controversial information about their potential benefits and risks. A significant part of the scientific community considers ENMs within the same group than naturally produced nanomaterials (NPNMs), which have interacted with plants, animals, and microorganisms since ancient times. While, others consider ENMs as a threat with unpredictable consequences if used without the proper regulations and specifications. This chapter reviews recent studies on the application of ENMs in soils and assesses advantages and disadvantages, challenges, and perspectives as well as scientific knowledge of ENM applications for food production and to improve soil quality.
Preliminary Design of the Interaction Region Beam Transport Systems for JLEIC

The Jefferson Lab Electron Ion Collider (JLEIC) is a proposed new machine for a nuclear physics research. As proposed, it will deliver between 15 and 65 GeV center of mass energy collisions between electrons and nuclei. It uses the existing CEBAF accelerator as a full energy injector to deliver 3-10 GeV electrons into a new electron collider ring. An all new ion accelerator and collider complex will deliver up to 100 GeV protons, or 40 GeV/nucleon ions. The machine will have luminosity goals of above 10 33 cm -2 sec -1 in the whole energy range. The two collider rings use a unique figure eight layout to deliver a high degree of polarization in both beams. The machine will ultimately include room for two interaction regions. The crossing angle in the primary interaction region will be 50 mrad. This paper will describe the requirements and preliminary designs for both the ion and electron beam transport systems in the most complex 32 m region around the interaction point. The beam transport system includes three separate cryostats housing over 37 superconducting magnets operating at 4.5 K. The design of these cryostats must be closely integrated with the elements of the JLEIC detector.
Links between sexuality, impulsivity, compulsivity, and addiction in a large sample of university students.

Objective Non-heterosexual populations experience poorer mental health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts. Few studies, however, have examined how mental health varies across the continuum of sexual orientation. Nor has any study examined possible links between sexual orientation and traits of impulsivity and compulsivity, which contribute to functional impairment across a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders. To address these limitations, the present study sought to identify addictive and impulsive/compulsive problems associated with sexuality in a university sample. Methods A 156-item anonymous survey was distributed via email to 9449 students at a public university in the United States. Sexual orientation was assessed using the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid, a modification of the Kinsey scale. Current use of alcohol and drugs, mental health status, and academic performance were also assessed, along with valid trait measures of impulsivity and compulsivity. Results Same-sex attractions were significantly correlated with a range of mental health problems and substance use. Additionally, same-sex attraction was significantly correlated with certain behavioral addictions (compulsive sexual behavior and binge eating disorder) as well as impulsive/compulsive traits. There was no relationship between academic performance and sexual attraction. Conclusion Same-sex sexuality is associated with impulsive/compulsive behavior and addiction. These health disparities may be related to stable individual differences in self-control.
Improved gray matter surface based spatial statistics in neuroimaging studies

Neuroimaging often involves acquiring high-resolution anatomical images along with other low-resolution image modalities, like diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Performing gray matter statistics with low-resolution image modalities is a challenge due to registration artifacts and partial volume effects. Gray matter surface based spatial statistics (GS-BSS) has been shown to provide higher sensitivity using gray matter surfaces compared to that of skeletonization approach of gray matter based spatial statistics which is adapted from tract based spatial statistics in diffusion studies. In this study, we improve upon GS-BSS incorporating neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) based search (denoted N-GSBSS) by 1) enhancing metrics mapping from native space, 2) incorporating maximum orientation dispersion index (ODI) search along surface normal, and 3) proposing applicability to other modalities, such as functional MRI (fMRI). We evaluated the performance of N-GSBSS against three baseline pipelines: volume-based registration, FreeSurfer's surface registration and ciftify pipeline for fMRI and simulation studies. First, qualitative mean ODI results are shown for N-GSBSS with and without NODDI based search in comparison with ciftify pipeline. Second, we conducted one-sample t-tests on working memory activations in fMRI to show that the proposed method can aid in the analysis of low resolution fMRI data. Finally we performed a sensitivity test in a simulation study by varying percentage change of intensity values within a region of interest in gray matter probability maps. N-GSBSS showed higher sensitivity in the simulation test compared to the other methods capturing difference between the groups starting at 10% change in the intensity values. The computational time of N-GSBSS is 68 times faster than that of traditional surface-based or 86 times faster than that of ciftify pipeline analysis.
Primary Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Upper Eyelid in an African American Female: A Rare Clinical Entity. A Case Report and Literature Review.

Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma (PMA) of the eyelid is a rare eccrine gland cancer with an incidence of 0.07 per million person-years. We report a case of a 62-year-old African American female who presented with a tender lesion over her left upper eyelid which was gradually progressive over four years. It was initially presumed to be benign but histopathology after excision was suggestive of a mucinous colloid carcinoma with positive margins. She underwent repeat excision with wide margins and reconstruction and immunohistochemical studies were suggestive of PMA. Workup for metastatic disease and rare possibility of underlying occult malignancy was negative. PMA is uncommon, more so in the African American population and in females. Given the uncommon occurrence of this tumor and similarities in histopathology to colon and breast cancers, underlying occult malignancies need to be ruled out prior to confirming the diagnosis of PMA. The most effective treatment modalities are Mohs micrographic surgery or excision with frozen section control of margins with regular follow up over a prolonged period of time. However, there are no large clinical studies with regard to treatment and follow up. More literature on this tumor would therefore be beneficial to clinicians.
Expansion of the Profit-Split Method: The Wave of the Future

Recognizing the reality that multinational corporations are centrally managed and not groups of entities that operate independently of one another, the OECD base erosion and profit-shifting project is considering expanded use of the profit-split method. This article provides background on why expanded use of the profit-split method is sorely needed. In particular, resource-constrained tax authorities in many countries are unable to administer or intelligently analyze and contest transfer pricing results presented by multinational groups. Most importantly, this article suggests a simplified profit-split approach using set concrete and objective allocation keys for commonly used business models that should be welcomed by multinational groups and tax authorities alike.
Recent trends in embryo disposition choices made by patients following in vitro fertilization

To assess longitudinal trends in in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients’ choices for disposing of cryopreserved embryos. This is a retrospective cohort study of embryo disposition forms submitted between January 2000 and February 2020 at a university-based fertility clinic. Primary outcome was disposition decision. Binary and multivariable logistic regression were performed to determine odds ratios (OR) for decisions according to female age, education, race, religion, state of residence, area deprivation index based on zip code, and IVF pregnancy history. We also assessed disposition year, storage duration, and number of stored embryos. Forms were reviewed from 615 patients; 50.6% chose to discard embryos, 45.4% donated to research, and 4.1% chose reproductive donation. In the regression model, two factors were significantly associated with donation to research: female listing “no preference” or declining to list religious preference (OR 2.56, 95%CI 1.44–4.54) and live birth of multiples after IVF (OR 1.58, 95%CI 1.05–2.36). Before 2012, females younger than age 30 at storage were equally likely to choose to donate embryos to research as discard them. However, between 2013 and 2020, females younger than 30 were significantly more likely to discard than donate embryos for research (OR 2.87, 95%CI 1.13–7.28). Since 2013, the majority of patients younger than 30 at storage have chosen to discard cryopreserved embryos. Before then, patients were more likely to donate embryos for research. To ensure sufficient embryos are available for research, young patients, who are most likely to have cryopreserved embryos, should be counseled about options for donation.
Ethics of government regulation of IT - how to view them and the implications

People have homes to shelter and protect their valuables. They are contained, and some even have alarm systems. Most people choose to lock up their money in a bank account so that no one can steal it from under the mattress. As a matter of convenience, when the computer came along, people's personal information got stored in a computer system. This is very much like the way money is saved in a wallet. Others want to get that valuable commodity (whether it is the money in a purse or the information from a website). Then, along came the government, who decided that it was time to put some laws in place. These laws were meant to protect consumers from theft or violation of their information when it is stored on computers. The purpose of this paper is to decide if the government is doing enough to protect the public by asking the following: are we safe from computer hackers, and is the government doing enough to prepare?
PSSM: achieving secure memory for GPUs with partitioned and sectored security metadata

In this paper, we investigate the secure memory architecture for GPUs and point out that conventional CPU secure memory architecture can not be directly adopted to the GPUs. The key reasons include: (1) accessing the security metadata, including encryption counters, message authentication codes (MACs) and integrity trees, requires significant memory bandwidth, which may lead to severe bandwidth competition with normal data accesses and degrade the GPU performance; (2) contemporary GPUs use partitioned memory organization, which results in storage and coherence problems for encryption counters and integrity trees since different partitions may need to update the same counter/integrity tree blocks; and (3) the existing split-counter block organization is not friendly to sectored caches, which are commonly used in GPU for bandwidth savings. Based on these observations, we propose partitioned and sectored security metadata (PSSM), which has two components: (a) using the offset addresses (referred to as local addresses) within each partition, instead of the virtual or physical addresses, to generate the metadata so as to solve the counter or integrity tree storage and coherence problem and (b) reorganizing the security metadata to make them friendly to the sectored cache structure so as to reduce the memory bandwidth consumption of metadata accesses. With these proposed schemes, the performance overhead of secure GPU memory is reduced from 59.22% to 16.84% on average. If only memory encryption is required, the performance overhead is reduced from 29.53% to 5.18%.
CoolVox: Advanced 3D convolutional neural network models for predicting solar radiation on building facades

Data-driven models have become increasingly prominent in the building, architecture, and construction industries. One area ideally suited to exploit this powerful new technology is building performance simulation. Physics-based models have traditionally been used to estimate the energy flow, air movement, and heat balance of buildings. However, physics-based models require many assumptions, significant computational power, and a considerable amount of time to output predictions. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) with prefabricated or simulated data are likely to be a more feasible option for environmental analysis conducted by designers during the early design phase. Because ANNs require fewer inputs and shorter computation times and offer superior performance and potential for data augmentation, they have received increased attention for predicting the surface solar radiation on buildings. Furthermore, ANNs can provide innovative and quick design solutions, enabling designers to receive instantaneous feedback on the effects of a proposed change to a building’s design. This research introduces deep learning methods as a means of simulating the annual radiation intensities and exposure level of buildings without the need for physics-based engines. We propose the CoolVox model to demonstrate the feasibility of using 3D convolutional neural networks to predict the surface radiation on building facades. The CoolVox model accurately predicted the radiation intensities of building facades under different boundary conditions and performed better than ARINet (with average mean square errors of 0.01 and 0.036, respectively) in predicting the radiation intensity both with (validation error = 0.0165) and without (validation error = 0.0066) the presence of boundary buildings.
Groundwater pumping causes salinization of coastal streams due to baseflow depletion: Analytical framework and application to savannah river, GA

Abstract Groundwater-surface water interactions and associated water management issues are complicated by the risk of salinization along coastlines. Groundwater pumping can be a driving factor of streamflow depletion and allow for increased stream saltwater intrusion. In this study, we develop an analytical framework combining two analytical approaches to calculate the length of saltwater intrusion at high slack water and the stream depletion rate due to groundwater pumping. We test this framework using data from the Savannah River in southeastern U.S and use it to explore saltwater intrusion in the surface water system. The analytical approach produces an accurate estimate of the position of the salt front at approximately 56 km inland. Current pumping rates decrease streamflow by less than 1%, resulting in an increase in the saltwater intrusion length of 100 m. Increased groundwater pumping scenarios, however, show a risk of extending the saltwater intrusion length up to 4 km inland. In these cases, effects from pumping-induced saltwater intrusion would equal or exceed the impacts of sea-level rise or geomorphic change. Salinity is a critical factor in the ecological balance of this estuarine ecosystem and this analytical approach allows for investigation of hypothetical groundwater development in the region. We show, for the first time, the direct link between groundwater pumping and coastal stream salinity that should be an important management consideration all along developed coastlines.
RESTORATION OF HUMAN IMPACTED LAND-WATER ECOTONES

Scientific perspectives and management techniques applied to land-water ecotones in three regions of North America are reviewed. In the Pacific Northwest, the Arid West, and the Laurentian Great Lakes, the riparian and nearshore areas have functions that make them unusually valuable for fish and wildlife, commercial or aesthetic considerations. The science and practice of resource management, however, differs strongly in quality and quantity among these regions. Small-scale conflicts of resource allocation have begun to be addressed through local legislation and management policies, but attempts to coordinate effective basin-level and regional management approaches are as yet poorly developed. Much basic information about the ecological role of riparian and nearshore habitats is required, as are methods to study and model land-water interactions at medium to large scales of time and space. It seems likely that in spite of some useful generalizations that may apply at continental or global scales, much of the most important management information will be formulated and calibrated on a regional scale.
Politics, Grandfathers and Fish

more than unpacked from his first vice-presidential campaign, but already he had taught me that in this life only three things are worth arguing about: land, religion, and politics. Land, not only because he was an occasional farmer, but also because it was what the other two were all about. Without land, how could you know enough about living and dying to talk about religion? And politics was what people used to squeeze you off the land. So politics became a sort of holy war between us and them. Since he was one of a handful of Democrats in a Republican county, "us" meant the family and "them" referred to the host of Republicans who lived around him. He had enforced that vision on the surrounding countryside, according to neighbors, by piling brush on his highest hill from 1928 until word came in 1932 of Hoover's defeat, and then, around a fire that could be seen for twenty miles, by whooping and shouting until he lost his voice.
Courts: In and Out of Sight, Site, and Cite

This lecture addresses how traditions of adjudication influenced democratic values, and how contemporary democracies have transformed but failed to make good on adjudication’s promises. I trace the shift from Renaissance “rites” and spectacles of power to post-enlightenment “rights” or open courts and impartial judges. After mapping the expansion and “triumph” of adjudication, represented through the building of courts as purpose-built and segregated space, I detail its decline. Through contemporary outsourcing, devolution, and privatization of court processes, the public dimensions of adjudication are diminishing. In the 1840s, Jeremy Bentham based his call for “publicity” in courts on claims of accuracy and legitimacy; I will argue that, for the twenty-first century, adjudication is itself a democratic practice and can serve democratic ends, and hence, that its decline is a problem for democracies.
A global study of O2(1Δg) airglow: Day and twilight

Aircraft measurements of O2(1Δg) emission made over a 10-yr period provide information on the variation of ozone with latitude and season in the altitude region 50–90 km. Between 50 and 70 km there appears to be little variation (< ± 25%) whereas the abundance between 80 and 90 km exhibits a large seasonal change north of 30°N and much less at lower latitude. At mid and high latitude the column abundance above ∼ 80 km changes from ⩽ 1 × 1014 cm−2 in summer to about 3 × 1014 cm−2 in winter. There are occasional enhancements in both the day and twilight airglow which almost always occur in association with auroral activity or, at least, where such activity is statistically most likely. These enhancements appear to reflect a corresponding increase in the ozone mixing ratio in the upper stratosphere. While the gradient in ozone mixing ratio with latitude is generally small at altitudes between 50 and 90km there are occasions when a temporary latitude structure can be seen, particularly above 80 km.
A Convenient Synthesis of 2,4(3H,5H)-Furandione (β-Tetronic Acid)

Abstract The chemical versatility of 2,4(3H,5H)-furandione (β-tetronic acid, 1) and its synthetic applicability are of considerable current interest1b,2a-k. The multifunctional character of this small molecule confers an intriguing synthetic potential which has prompted us to develop synthetic schemes utilizing it as a synthon for certain heterocyclic systems.
Rates of Return Tend Toward Equality: Capital Budgeting and Resource Allocation in Basic Microeconomics

Under competition, the rate of return on investment tends toward equality in all industries. Introductory and intermediate microeconomics textbooks are sketchy in explaining how capital is allocated by financial markets. Capital budgeting techniques, primarily net present value, deserve a more prominent role. This article suggests ways in which financial economics can be integrated into undergraduate courses to illuminate entry into (and exit from) industries in response to profit opportunities, as an essential part of economists' narration of resource allocation in a capitalistic, market economy.
Employee Voice before Hirschman: Its Early History, Conceptualization, and Practice

A person reading the scholarly employee voice literature could easily conclude the subject did not exist before Albert Hirschman wrote Exit, Voice and Loyalty (1970). His book is repeatedly cited as the root stem of the field (for example, Wall and Wood 2007: 1336; Morrison 2011: 380), with the implication being that no one before him had given articulation to the concept. A Google search on the term 'voice' reveals in a matter of seconds, however, that this is a serious case of historical myopia. Yes, Hirschman deserves credit for being the first to develop a formal theory of voice, albeit limited to people in their role as consumers in product markets. Accordingly, Freeman and Medoff (1984) also deserve credit because they were the first to take Hirschman's theoretical ideas and apply them to employees in labor markets. Unacknowledged and unrecognized, however, is a long train of writing on employee voice that predates Hirschman and Freeman and Medoff by a century and more. In this chapter I give a brief overview and synthesis of the early writing on employee voice. Part of the mission is to sketch a missing component in the history of thought, a discussion which I believe most readers will find interesting and useful in its own right. This historical analysis also has an instrumental purpose, however, which is to shape, inform, and critique the present-day research program on employee voice.
Comparative genome mapping of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) reveals greater similarity to rat (Rattus norvegicus) than to the lab mouse (Mus musculus).

Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and congeneric species are the most common North American mammals. They represent an emerging system for the genetic analyses of the physiological and behavioral bases of habitat adaptation. Phylogenetic evidence suggests a much more ancient divergence of Peromyscus from laboratory mice (Mus) and rats (Rattus) than that separating latter two. Nevertheless, early karyotypic analyses of the three groups suggest Peromyscus to be exhibit greater similarities with Rattus than with Mus. Comparative linkage mapping of an estimated 35% of the deer mouse genome was done with respect to the Rattus and Mus genomes. We particularly focused on regions that span synteny breakpoint regions between the rat and mouse genomes. The linkage analysis revealed the Peromyscus genome to have a higher degree of synteny and gene order conservation with the Rattus genome. These data suggest that: 1. the Rattus and Peromyscus genomes more closely represent ancestral Muroid and rodent genomes than that of Mus. 2. the high level of genome rearrangement observed in Muroid rodents is especially pronounced in Mus. 3. evolution of genome organization can operate independently of more commonly assayed measures of genetic change (e.g. SNP frequency).
Transonic flight and wind-tunnel buffet onset investigation of the F-8D aircraft

1 Ball, H. W., "Calibration of the 100-inch Hypervelocity Tunnel F," AEDC-TDR-63-46 (AD298279), March 1963, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. 2 Griffith, B. J. and Weddington, E. D., "Recent Refinements and Advancements of Hypersonic Testing Techniques in the 100inch Tunnel F of the von Kdrmdii Gas Dynamics Facility," Proceedings of the Fourth Hypervelocity Techniques Symposium, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn., Nov. 15-16, 1965. 3 Osgerby, I. T. and Smithson, H. K., "Operation of AEDCVKF 100-inch Hotshot Tunnel F with Air as a Test Gas and Application to SCRAM jet Testing," AEDC-TR-67-242 (AD664906), Dec. 1967, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn.; also presented at the Fifth Hypervelocity Techniques Symposium, Univ. of Denver, Colo., March 1967. 4 Ball, H. W., "Initial Operation of the Pilot Counterflow Test Unit (I)," AEDC-TR-65-132 (AD465893), July 1965, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. 5 Haun, J. H. and Ball, H. W., "Calibration of the Shock Tunnel Component of Counterflow Range (I) at Mach 7.5," AEDC-TR-66-64 (AD632816), May 1966, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. 6 Hilsenrath, J. and Klein, M., "Tables of Thermodynamic Properties of Air in Chemical Equilibrium Including Second Virial Corrections from 1500°K to 15,000°K," AEDC-TR-65-68 (AD612301), March 1965, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. 7 Grabau, M. and Brahinsky, H. S., "Thermodynamic Properties of Air from 300 to 6000°K and from 1 to 1000 Amagats," AEDC-TR-66-247 (AD646172), Jan. 1967, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. 8 Lewis, C. H. and Burgess, E. G., Ill, "Charts of Normal Shock Wave Properties in Imperfect Air," AEDC-TDR-64-43 (AD433958), March 1964, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. 9 Pergament, H. S., "A Theoretical Analysis of Non-Equilibrium Hydrogen-Air Reactions in Flow Systems," AIAA, Paper 63-113, White Oak, Md., 1963. Whitfield, J. D. and Norfleet, G. D., "Source Flow Effects in Conical Hypervelocity Nozzles," AEDC-TDR-62-116 (AD276124), June 1962, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. 11 Arthur, P. D. et al., "Flat Plate Turbulent Heat Transfer at Hyper velocities," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 3, No. 10, Oct. 1966, pp. 1549-1551. 12 Osgerby, I. T., Smithson, H. K., and Wagner, D. A., "Development of a Double-Oblique-Shock SCRAM jet Model in a Shock Tunnel," AEDC-TR-69-59, Aug. 1969, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn.
An Innate Path to Human B Cell Tolerance

Self-reactive B cells are eliminated during development by antibody-affinity selection and receptor-editing mechanisms. Work by Isnardi et al. (2008) in this issue of Immunity suggests that removal of autoreactivity from the immature B cell pool also requires innate immunity pathways.
Application submission date reflects applicant quality.

Purpose Applications for general surgery residency are submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) beginning in early September. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the date of application submission could be used in the screening of an applicant for general surgery residency. Methods The 2007 ERAS data for an independent program that accepts 2 categorical residents per year was evaluated. International medical graduates were excluded because no international applicants were considered for interviews. Applicants for preliminary positions were also excluded. The remaining graduates from medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) who applied for categorical positions were evaluated based on United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores and on medical school performance, as well as on the quality of their personal statements and letters of recommendation. Medical school performance was determined from dean's letters and transcript information, and each applicant was classified as outstanding, average, or poor. The date of application submission was compared with USMLE scores and medical school performance. The lag time to submit an application was also evaluated and compared with whether a student was offered an interview and the assessment of the quality of that interview. Results were evaluated using analysis of variance and the Pearson correlation test to evaluate for significance. Results A total of 155 applications from LCME-accredited schools for categorical positions were received. The mean lag time to application for students with an outstanding medical school performance was 15.2 ± 15.5 days compared with 37.4 ± 26.2 days for poorly performing students (p Conclusions The results of our study suggest that the date of application submission can provide important screening information about an applicant for general surgery residency. If nearly all high-quality applications are received in September, programs could begin the interview process in early November, which gives students an opportunity to visit more programs and increase their exposure to a broader variety of training options.
Autoshortloop feedback regulation of pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion by its metabolite, GnRH-(1-5).

Given the central role of the decapeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in reproductive function, our long-term objective is to delineate the underlying mechanism regulating these reproductive processes. The outcome of GnRH secretion is in part dependent on the proteolytic metabolism of this decapeptide. In contrast to the belief that the metabolism of GnRH serves only as a degradative process that removes excess GnRH, we have shown that a metabolite of the decapeptide, GnRH-(1–5), can directly regulate GnRH gene expression and reproductive behavior. To further characterize the effect of GnRH-(1–5) on GnRH neuronal function, we determined whether GnRH-(1–5) can directly regulate GnRH secretion and pulsatility using an in vitro perifusion system. We compared the effect of GnRH-(1–5) on GnRH secretion in the immortalized GnRH neuron (GT1-7 cell line), whole rat hypothalamic explant, and enzymatically dispersed rat hypothalamic cells. Tissue preparations were perifused continuously for 9 h during which a 3-h challenge with GnRH-(1–5) was administered (4–6 h). The results show that treatment with GnRH-(1–5) increased (p < 0.05) the mean GnRH secretion and the amplitude of the pulses but not the pulse frequency. The present study supports the notion that GnRH-(1–5) is functionally capable of regulating the reproductive neuroendocrine system.
IP Strategy: The impact of litigation and internal R&D on the external acquisition of IP

IP strategy has become a core part of modern operations of technology firms. Firms looking to build an IP portfolio have two choices internal development option and external acquisition option. In this paper we study the second option – the inorganic external acquisition of patents. Using a resource based view of the firm we suggest that as patent litigation and internal patenting goes up so does the external acquisition of patents. The effect of this litigation on acquisition of patents is mitigated by the internal development of patents. We find support for our hypotheses based on data from the pharmaceutical industry.
Variation in fluctuating asymmetry among nine damselfly species

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), measured as random deviations from bilateral symmetry, likely results from developmental disturbances by internal or environmental stresses. However, comparisons of FA in single damselfly species (Odonata: suborder Zygoptera) from stressed environments have often been inconclusive. We measured levels of FA among multiple species of damselflies from the same environment to determine the relative roles of environmental stress and species-specific developmental instability. Damselflies of nine species were collected from a central Texas wetland. Calculations of their FA were based on cell counts of four clearly defined areas (venation patterns) in fore and hind wings. Significant FA of venation occurred in both sexes, both wing positions, and in each of four venation patterns of all nine species. Levels of FA were not significantly different between sexes or between wing positions for any of the nine species. However, FA varied significantly among the four venation patterns. Patte...
Variability of radiative cooling during the Asian summer monsoon and its influence on intraseasonal waves

Abstract Infrared radiative cooling rates are calculated over the Asian summer monsoon between 5°S–20°N and 40°–135°E at a spatial resolution of 5° × 5° for the summer seasons of 1984 and 1987. A medium spectral resolution infrared radiative transfer model with specified temperature, moisture, clouds, and trace gas distributions is used to obtain the cooling rate profiles. Cloud distributions for the two summers are obtained from Indian National Satellite measurements. Seasonal mean and intraseasonal variations of clouds and radiative cooling rates over a 21–76-day range of periods are examined. The analysis identifies centers over the central and eastern Indian Ocean, and western Pacific Ocean, along the equator, and along 15°N, where seasonal mean cloud amounts range from 40% to 80% with cloud tops mostly in the middle and upper troposphere. Intraseasonal variability of clouds is also large over these centers (% variances >25%). Consistently, seasonal mean cooling rates are at a maximum (3°–5°C day−1) i...
Actions of iontophoretically applied morphine on hypothalamic thermosensitive units.

The effects of iontophoretically applied morphine and naloxone were examined on 62 neurons in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus (POAH) of urethane-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Thirty-four temperature-insensitive cells responded variably to morphine application. Four cells were excited, 19 inhibited and 11 remained unaffected. Morphine increased the firing rate 12 of 20 warm-sensitive cells. The other 8 were unaffected. None were inhibited. The spontaneous activity of 7 cold-sensitive cells was decreased by morphine application. One cell was unaffected and none were excited. Naloxone (≤ 15 nA) antagonized morphine's excitatoory effects on warm-sensitive cells and its inhibitory effects on cold-sensitive cells. Naloxone failed to antagonize any of morphine's actions on temperature-insensitive cells. Our results demonstrate that morphine excited warm-sensitive cells, which are assumed to mediate heat-dissipation responses, and inhibited cold-sensitive cells, which are assumed to mediate heat-gain responses. These actions parallel morphine's hypothermic action in the intact animal and, therefore, suggest that morphine lowers body temperature by exerting a coherent action on POAH warm- and cold-sensitive neurons. Since these effects were antagonized by naloxone, the action of morphine on warm- and cold-sensitive cells seems to be mediated by an opiate receptor.
Adoption and disposition of new and used computers in Lima, Peru

Abstract The purpose of this study is to understand the importance of personal computers (PCs), new and used, as well as post-consumer management options in the residential sector in developing countries using Peru's capital, Lima, as a case study. Part of this study aims to understand how the growth of secondary markets for PCs satisfies demand of computer services in the residential sector. To achieve these goals a probabilistic survey was carried out in Metropolitan Lima. 600 households were interviewed in this survey. Households were divided into socio-economic levels (SEL) A–E, with A being the wealthiest and most educated and E being the least. Results show that ownership of computers in the residential sector is closely related to SEL, for example, for the highest SEL, SEL A, 93% of households owned a computer, however, only 1% of the households owned a computer in the lowest SEL, SEL E. Regarding the penetration of used computers in households, results show that for SEL A, B, C and D the ratio of used versus new computer ownership increases while SEL decreases. In addition, 68% of the households without a PC at home (HPC−) reported that economic constraint of expense is the main reason to not own one. The survey indicates that people in Lima are increasingly using computers for education, business and entertainment. In general people show a preference to buy a new computer but cost considerations have led to the diffusion of used computers in lower income groups. The penetration rate of used computers in Lima's residential sector is low at this time. People's negative perception of the reliability of used equipment and willingness to pay for new computers affects this penetration rate. Also, residents reported that landfills is the least chosen option, for end-of-life computers, monitors and electronics, with self-reuse and storage being the most selected.
An Experimental Analysis of Social Traps.

Abstract Social traps, such as the overgrazing of pasturelands, overpopulation, and the extinction of species, are situations where individuals in a group respond for their own advantage in a manner damaging to the group. A laboratory analog was devised to simulate conditions that produce social traps. The traps were constructed by superimposing schedules of reinforcement. Single responses were followed by multiple consequences which were opposite in valence, with the negative consequence delayed. Subjects in groups of three could respond individually for points that applied toward class credit. Each ten presses of a button added one point to the subject's total and subtracted one point from a common pool. The pool was replenished with points at fixed rates. If subjects responded for points faster than the replenishment rates, the pool would empty and the experiment would terminate before subjects could accumulate maximum credit. In addition, the maximum pool size and the ability to communicate were varied. Main effects were found for both, which indicated the least effective resource management occurred when the pool was small and no communication allowed. An analysis of cumulative records showed differing response patterns across conditions.
Prevention, protection, and the intrarenal renin-angiotensin systems.

The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor antagonists, or aldosterone antagonists can have important beneficial effects on the progression of renal disease associated with glomerular and interstitial fibrosis, especially if the adverse side effects (eg, hyperkalemia) can be minimized. Because it appears that chronic renal insufficiency and proteinuria may well be cardiovascular risk factors, it is exciting to note that recent large scale epidemiologic studies (Heart Outcomes and Prevention Evaluation [HOPE]) have shown both cardioprotective and renoprotective effects of ACE inhibition. It appears paradoxic that such renoprotective effects are clearly evident in diabetes mellitus in which the plasma renin activity may be suppressed. Even in this setting, it appears that there is activation of the renal angiotensin system(s), and inhibitions of these intrarenal systems are involved in the renoprotective effects of these agents. Recent studies have identified nearly all of the components needed to generate angiotensin II in the renal luminal compartment, and suggest that there may be a direct effect through AT 1 receptors on NaCl transport In the distal nephron. The possibility that the components of this intraluminal renin-angiotensin system may be acutely regulated by variations in dietary salt intake provides an opportunity to better understand the normal maintenance of salt balance. Whether or not inhibition of these pathways is involved in the renoprotective effects of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor antagonists is an important issue to be addressed.
Increased Positive Electrostatic Potential in p-Hydroxybenzoate Hydroxylase Accelerates Hydroxylation but Slows Turnover†

Para-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase is a flavoprotein monooxygenase that catalyzes a reaction in two parts: reduction of the enzyme cofactor, FAD, by NADPH in response to binding p-hydroxybenzoate to the enzyme, and oxidation of reduced FAD with oxygen to form a hydroperoxide, which then oxygenates p-hydroxybenzoate. These different reactions are coordinated through conformational rearrangements of the isoalloxazine ring within the protein structure. In this paper, we examine the effect of increased positive electrostatic potential in the active site upon the catalytic process with the enzyme mutation, Glu49Gln. This mutation removes a negative charge from a conserved buried charge pair. The properties of the Glu49Gln mutant enzyme are consistent with increased positive potential in the active site, but the mutant enzyme is difficult to study because it is unstable. There are two important changes in the catalytic function of the mutant enzyme as compared to the wild-type. First, the rate of hydroxylation of p-hydroxybenzoate by the transiently formed flavin hydroperoxide is an order of magnitude faster than in the wild-type. This result is consistent with one function proposed for the positive potential in the active site-to stabilize the negative C-4a-flavin alkoxide leaving group upon heterolytic fission of the peroxide bond. However, the mutant enzyme is a poorer catalyst than the wild-type enzyme because (unlike wild-type) the binding of p-hydroxybenzoate is a rate-limiting process. Our analysis shows that the mutant enzyme is slow to interconvert between conformations required to bind and release substrate. We conclude that the new open structure found in crystals of the Arg220Gln mutant enzyme [Wang, J., Ortiz-Maldonado, M., Entsch, B., Massey, V., Ballou, D., and Gatti, D. L. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99, 608-613] is integral to the process of binding and release of substrate from oxidized enzyme during catalysis.