cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Establishing Predictive Criterion Validity of the Parkinson's Disease Caregiver Strain Risk Screen-10.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Studies reveal that caring for persons with Parkinson's disease affects informal caregivers psychologically and physically, yielding negative impacts on caregiving abilities. The purpose was to establish predictive criterion validity of the Caregiver Strain Risk Screen-10 (CSRS-10), a tool designed to monitor risk for strain in informal caregivers of persons with Parkinson's disease. METHODS Caregivers (N = 137) of persons with Parkinson's disease completed surveys that included CSRS-10 and Pennebaker Inventory of Limbic Languidness, to measure strain risk and frequency of physical health symptoms, respectively. RESULTS Hierarchical regression indicated that higher CSRS-10 scores were predictive of greater frequency of physical health symptoms in caregivers. CONCLUSIONS The study established predictive criterion validity of CSRS-10, further demonstrating it as an effective evidence-based tool for assessing risk for strain in this informal caregiver population.
Bargaining over Data: When Does Making the Buyer More Informed Help?

Data are critical to decision making for many businesses, and there is a growing market for proprietary data that can improve business decisions. It is not surprising, therefore, that a growing lis...
Adverse childhood experiences increase risk for prescription opioid misuse

The United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic, with a significant portion of the burden associated with prescription opioids. In response, the CDC released a Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, which promotes access to treatment for opioid use disorder. Decades of research have linked childhood adversity to negative health and risk behavior outcomes, including substance misuse. Our present study builds upon this work to examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and prescription opioid misuse. We compiled data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System implemented by Montana and Florida in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Logistic regressions (run in 2017) tested the associations between ACEs and subsequent prescription pain medicine/opioid misuse outcomes in adulthood. ACEs were prevalent, with 62.7% of respondents in Montana and 50% in Florida reporting at least one ACE. The presence of ACEs was positively associated with prescription opioid misuse across both samples. Respondents reporting three or more ACEs had increased odds of taking opioids more than prescribed, without a prescription, and for the feeling they cause. Our results support a strong link between ACEs and prescription opioid misuse. Opportunities to prevent opioid misuse start with assuring safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments in childhood and across the lifespan to prevent ACEs from occurring, and intervening appropriately when they do occur. Substance use prevention programs for adolescents, appropriate pain management and opioid prescribing protocols, and treatments for opioid use disorder can address ACEs by enhancing treatment safety and effectiveness and can reduce the intergenerational continuity of early adversity.
Stacking Switch to Achieve Low-Trigger and High-Holding-Voltage-Clamp Characteristics

New stacking cell design topologies are introduced in this article to achieve effective electrostatic discharge on-chip protection while meeting relatively high-holding-voltage and low-trigger-voltage characteristic requirements. A resistive silicon-controlled-rectifier (SCR) device forming the stacking structures is initially presented, which combines resistive and SCR-like current–voltage characteristics. By embedding this resistive SCR along with the existing optimized low-holding-voltage baseline devices, the overall stacking structure can achieve the requirement of high current-handling capability and high-holding-voltage tolerance without increasing the trigger voltage.
Evaluating a Novel Telescoping Catheter Set for Treatment of Central Venous Occlusions.

Background Central venous occlusive disease (CVOD) is a prevalent problem in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and can lead to access malfunction or ligation for symptomatic relief. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the TriForce® Peripheral Crossing Set (Cook Medical), a novel reinforced telescoping catheter set designed to provide additional support for crossing difficult central venous occlusions. Methods This is a single-center retrospective study from a quaternary referral center. We identified 37 patients over a 17-month period who underwent 56 attempts at endovascular recanalization for the treatment of central venous occlusion. Technical success rates, procedural data, and outcomes were compared between those undergoing recanalization using traditional wire/catheter sets versus the TriForce catheter set. Results Average age was 48 ± 2 years. Comorbidities were similar between the two cohorts and included ESRD (61%), deep venous thrombosis (30%), and May-Thurner syndrome (7%). Forty attempts were made with traditional wire/catheter sets and 16 attempts with the TriForce catheter set to treat 2.1 ± 0.2 and 1.9 ± 0.3 occluded venous segments, respectively (P = 0.74). Technical success rates were significantly higher for the group undergoing recanalization using the TriForce catheter (69% versus 38%, P = 0.04) and 4 patients were successfully recanalized using the TriForce catheter set after a failed attempt with traditional wire/catheter sets. Mean fluoroscopy time and radiation dose were 13 ± 3 min and 14,623 ± 2,775 μGy∗m2 for traditional techniques versus 30 ± 6 min and 30,408 ± 10,433 μGy∗m2 for the novel telescoping catheter set (P = 0.01 and 0.09, respectively). Freedom from reintervention at 1 year was 60% for the TriForce cohort versus 44% for the traditional wire/catheter cohort (P = 0.25). Conclusions The novel TriForce reinforced telescoping catheter set is a useful adjunct that may improve recanalization rates of CVOD compared with traditional wire/catheter sets.
Multivariate Spatial Feature Selection in fMRI

Multivariate neuroimaging analyses constitute a powerful class of techniques to identify psychological representations. However, not all psychological processes are represented at the same spatial scale throughout the brain. This heterogeneity is apparent when comparing hierarchically organized local representations of perceptual processes to flexible transmodal representations of more abstract cognitive processes such as social and affective operations. An open question is how the spatial scale of analytic approaches interacts with the spatial scale of the representations under investigation. In this article, we describe how multivariate analyses can be viewed as existing on a spatial spectrum, anchored by searchlights used to identify locally distributed patterns of information on one end, whole brain approach used to identify diffuse neural representations at the other, and region-based approaches in between. We describe how these distinctions are an important and often overlooked analytic consideration and provide heuristics to compare these different techniques to choose based on the analyst's inferential goals.
Continental Divisions: Charting Race and Class Differences in Attitudes Towards Drug Legalization and Law Enforcement

This piece fills an important gap in the debate between advocates of tough drug law enforcement policies and critics who counter that such policies indisproportionately impact African Americans and their communities. Neither side supports its respective position with critical data to answer what are necessarily empirical questions. This piece takes a step toward providing that data by empirically assessing how African Americans mediate the dilemma of being victimized by the problems associated with illegal drug use and marketing while at the same time being victimized by the high costs of drug law enforcement. The data show that African American views are too complex to be captured by a single-faceted policy that either favors or rejects tough drug law enforcement outright. Paradoxically, the data reveal that African Americans favor a criminal response to the drug problem while simultaneously disfavoring harsher sentences for criminal offenders. The paper argues that the current drug law enforcement policy, which relies heavily on tough sentences, does not respond to the sensibilities of African Americans. It also argues that opponents of the get-tough-on-drug-crime policies underestimate African American support for a criminal justice response to the drug problem they experience. The paper concludes by calling for policies that better conform to the attitudes of the African American community, arguing that such policies will ultimately be more effective than current ones.
Crisis, Disorder and Management: Smart Cities and Contemporary Urban Inequality

This chapter draws on theories of sovereignty to explore how Smart Urbanism excludes in the name of inclusion. We focus on the powerful mix of symbols, fears, desires and ambivalences that come together in Smart Urbanism to present it as a viable, desirable and inevitable answer to the crisis of the urban. Crisis figures prominently in this process. Indeed, conceptions of futurity and the power of sovereign decision revolve around the delineation of crises and forms of disorder, and the possible modes of managing, mitigating, resolving or surviving them. The paper offers concrete examples of how urban planners and policy makers draw upon ideas about the management of crisis and disorder to continually transform natural, social and built environments. It does so to show how those who claim to transform, order, build and preserve humanity’s urban future end up sustaining the inherited hierarchies that generate its present crises.
Dielectric behavior discovered in electrically conductive thick film

Electrically conductive thick films are used for electrical interconnections in electronic packaging. They also serve as functional coatings for materials and structures. Although the conduction behavior has long been addressed, the dielectric behavior of these films has not been previously reported. The dielectric behavior impedes conduction. This work reports the dielectric behavior of a conductive thick film made from a paint comprising 7.9 vol.% graphite flakes, 89 vol.% volatile solvent (comprising mainly acetone and isobutyl acetate) and 1.7 vol.% acrylic resin binder. After evaporation of the volatile solvent upon drying, the flakes substantially touch one another without being sintered and form a conductive thick film in solid form. The film thickness is approximately 25 µm and contains graphite flakes at volume fraction approximately 37.5%. The relative permittivity at 10 kHz is 5 × 105 andthe DC resistivity is 0.38 Ω.cm along the length of the film. The permittivity is much greater than that previously reported for monolithic polycrystalline graphite, partly due to the much higher resistivity. The low degree of electrical connectivity in the film compared to the monolithic graphite hinders conduction, but it promotes polarization, due to the carrier–atom interaction that is responsible for the polarization occurring at the sites of low electrical connectivity, i.e., the interface between the graphite flakes in the film. The permittivity is also much higher than that of previously reported graphite flake film in the direction perpendicular to the film, due to the long excursion distance along the length of the film of this work.
The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Children in East Asia and the Pacific: A UNICEF Perspective (2009–2010)

East Asia’s rebound from the economic impact of the global recession is undoubtedly underway. This is impressive considering that despite intra-regional differences, the cumulative impact of the global food price rises, commodity price fluctuations and economic crises on the East Asia and the Pacific Region (EAPR) had been swift and severe. But even as economic recovery may be underway, it is important to note that the social impact of the crisis is yet to be fully assessed. For children, temporary deprivations caused by multiple shocks today may have permanent repercussions. Hence it is important to analyze how the crisis has affected children and continually monitor this to formulate effective policy responses. This chapter aims to explore these issues by (1) outlining the transmission channels of the crises to EAPR countries, (2) assessing the implications of the transmitted shocks on children and child poverty, and (3) highlighting some notable responses mounted by governments with UNICEF assistance in some cases to avert or mitigate these impacts.
Law’s History: American Legal Thought and the Transatlantic Turn to History

Introduction: the historical study of law in the United States Part I. The European Background: 1. The historical nineteenth century 2. German legal scholarship 3. English legal scholarship: Sir Henry Maine Part II. The Historical Turn in American Legal Scholarship: 4. Henry Adams and his students: the origins of professional legal history in America 5. Melville M. Bigelow: from the history of Norman Procedure to protorealism 6. Holmes the historian 7. Thayer on the history of evidence 8. Ames on the history of the common law 9. The history of American constitutional law 10. The historical school of American jurisprudence Part III. Maitland, Pound, and Pound's Successors: 11. Maitland: the maturity of English legal history 12. Pound: from historical to sociological jurisprudence 13. Pound's successors: twentieth-century interpretations of late nineteenth-century American legal thought.
The inheritance of pyloric stenosis explained by a multifactorial threshold model with sex dimorphism for liability

The inheritance of pyloric stenosis is explained by a multifactorial threshold model with an underlying assumption that the liability for the disease is distributed in males and females showing a sex dimorphism. From the available data on familial occurrences of pyloric stenosis, it is shown, that an extra maternal effect is not required to explain the familial risk of pyloric stenosis, as opposed to the earlier literature. Explicit expressions for familial risks of a discontinuous trait exhibiting dimorphism of liability are presented, based on a model originally proposed by Rice et al [1981], which do not require the approximation of univariate normality of a conditional bivariate normal distribution.
Familial granulocytopenia and associated immunoglobulin abnormality. Report of three cases in young brothers.

A fatal disease is reported in three brothers, all of whom died with overwhelminginfection. The disease was characterized by persistent granulocytopenia, bone-marrow maturation arrest, and abnormalities in the immunoglobulins. The course was punctuated by episodes of leukocytosis of unknown cause. A defect in phagocytosis was demonstrated with in vitro studies of the neutrophils. The defect in phagocytosis may represent a variation in “the impotent neutrophil syndrome” related to the physiological function of γ-globin.
Incremental specification of views across databases

In an environment consisting of a large number of databases, it can no longer be reasonable to assume that construction of users' views could rely on an a priori static partial or global schema integration. Approaches which are based on integrated mechanisms are obviously intractable (if not impossible) within a large size environment. The authors propose an approach where users are allowed to dynamically investigate information and incrementally specify their views. The idea is to use a functional approach to model the construction of views. Further, their approach provides a mechanism by which views adapt to the evolution of the information space. This mechanism relies on dynamic triggers to fulfil this goal. >
Enterprise-wide computing with Java

As the first language designed from the bottom up with networking and distributed computing in mind, Java makes it easy for computers to cooperate. The explosive growth in e-commerce applications is fueling the growth of Java and Java is now in a position to deliver enterprise-wide solutions. This paper focuses on the requirements of enterprise-wide computing and how Java supports these requirements using its support for object-oriented programming, developing client-server applications, multithreaded servers, security, and distributed objects.
The analyst's use of clinical data, and other issues of confidentiality.

In addition to reviewing and expanding on issues involved on the subject of confidentiality, this paper focuses on the vicissitudes of asking a patient's permission to use clinical material in public and other reports.
An Event-Level Analysis of the Sexual Characteristics and Composition Among Adults Ages 18 to 59: Results from a National Probability Sample in the United States

ABSTRACT Introduction Although studies of specific groups of individuals (e.g., adolescents, “high risk” samples) have examined sexual repertoire, little is known, at the population level, about the sexual behaviors that comprise a given sexual encounter. Aim To assess the sexual behaviors that men and women report during their most recent sexual event; the age, partner and situational characteristics related to that event; and their association with participants' evaluation of the sexual event. Methods During March–May 2009, data from a United States probability sample related to the most recent partnered sexual event reported by 3990 adults (ages 18–59) were analyzed. Main Outcome Measures Measures included sexual behaviors during the most recent partnered sexual event, event characteristics (i.e., event location, alcohol use, marijuana use, and for men, erection medication use), and evaluations of the sexual experience (pleasure, arousal, erection/lubrication difficulty, orgasm). Results Great diversity exists in the behaviors that occur during a single sexual event by adults, with a total of 41 combinations of sexual behaviors represented across this sample. Orgasm was positively related to the number of behaviors that occurred and age was related to greater difficulty with erections and lubrication. Men whose most recent event was with a relationship partner indicated greater arousal, greater pleasure, fewer problems with erectile function, orgasm, and less pain during the event compared with men whose last event was with a nonrelationship partner. Conclusion Findings demonstrate that adults ages 18 to 59 engage in a diverse range of behaviors during a sexual event and that greater behavior diversity is related to ease of orgasm for both women and men. Although both men and women experience sexual difficulties related to erectile function and lubrication with age, men's orgasm is facilitated by sex with a relationship partner whereas the likelihood of women's orgasm is related to varied sexual behaviors. Herbenick D, Reece M, Schick V, Sanders SA, Dodge B, and Fortenberry JD. An event-level analysis of the sexual characteristics and composition among adults ages 18 to 59: Results from a national probability sample in the United States. J Sex Med 2010;7(suppl 5):346–361.
Disability advocacy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

This article frames a discussion of disability advocacy in Kinshasa by arguing the importance of disability rights legislation for the quality of life of people with disabilities and by outlining the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s situation as a nation characterized by conflict. The author provides an overview of the recent positive steps the government has taken to affirm the rights of its citizens with disabilities, discusses the strong disability advocacy movement based in the capital city of Kinshasa, and identifies some of the challenges to Congolese disability rights legislation.
Brood defense and filial cannibalism in the spottail darter (Etheostoma squamiceps): the effects of parental status and prior experience

Male spottail darters (Etheostoma squamiceps) defend nest sites in which females deposit eggs over the course of several weeks. In laboratory experiments, I tested three predictions of the hypothesis that the presence of eggs increases the value of a nest site to male spottail darters: (1) males should preferentially defend nests with eggs over empty nests, and males that sired the eggs should (2) spend more time defending them and (3) consume less of their broods than should alloparent males. Parent males were tested using eggs they were guarding in the field; alloparents included males that were not defending eggs immediately prior to the experiment (inexperienced), and males that were defending eggs in the field when captured but were given eggs sired by a different male (experienced). In choice experiments in which males were offered nest sites differing only in the presence of eggs, males preferred to defend nest sites with eggs regardless of parental status. Parent males spent significantly more time defending eggs and consumed less of their broods than did inexperienced alloparent males. Experienced alloparent males were similar to parent males in brood defense but had levels of filial cannibalism similar to inexperienced males, suggesting that prior experience may influence brood defense but not egg consumption.
Pregnancy‐associated aplastic anemia ‐Report of 3 cases

: 3 patients with pregnancy-associated aplastic anemia are reported. Management throughout most of the pregnancy consisted of supportive care. In 2 patients an improvement in blood counts occurred after delivery and, in 1 of these, the pancytopenia recurred during a subsequent pregnancy. In 1 case no improvement occurred after delivery and the patient ultimately required an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The outcome of these 3 cases demonstrates that pregnancy-associated aplastic anemia can be managed successfully. The improvement that often occurs after delivery suggests a pathogenetic role for pregnancy in the development of this disease.
Temperature dependence of oxygen-broadening of ozone ν3 rovibrational transitions

We report O2 broadening coefficients for rovibrational transitions in the nu3 band of ozone for temperatures between 165 and 280 K. We assumed a power-law dependence of the temperature for these coefficients, with a temperature exponent n. For the 25 transitions we measured, the average value of gamma-0 is 0.071/cm/atm and the average for n is 0.67.
Single-Molecule Quantum-Dot Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots are promising for single-molecule biological imaging due to their outstanding brightness and photostability. As a proof of concept for single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) applications, we measured FRET between a single quantum dot and a single organic fluorophore Cy5. DNA Holliday junction dynamics measured with the quantum dot/Cy5 pair are identical to those obtained with the conventional Cy3/Cy5 pair, that is, conformational changes of individual molecules can be observed by using the quantum dot as the donor.
STRUCTURE OF MOLTEN MERCURIC HALIDES

The results of investigations on the structure and constitution of the mercuric halides in the molten state are reported. Considered are the physical properties and the conditions necessary to form associated groups (complex ions and molecules), with particular reference to mercuric bromide. (W.J.H.)
A study on the profile of HVDC insulators-mathematical modeling and design considerations

The effects of underrib configuration on the flashover voltage of contaminated HVDC (high-voltage direct-current) insulators are analyzed. Mathematical models are developed to characterize the behavior of multiple discharges sustained along a contaminated surface. The effectiveness of the insulator leakage length is investigated by predicting the discharge path between neighboring underrib tips. An empirical equation is developed to estimate the effectiveness of the creepage length of a profile segment in terms of its physical dimensions. It is confirmed that the effective leakage length as a direct influence on the critical flashover voltage. A method for application of the effectiveness of the insulator leakage length for profile design considerations has been developed. The method yields the optimum number of underribs required for a given insulating space. >
Enhancement of therapeutic potential of TRAIL by cancer chemotherapy and irradiation: mechanisms and clinical implications

Activation of cell surface death receptors by their cognate ligands triggers apoptosis. Several human death receptors (Fas, TNF-R1, TRAMP, DR4, DR5, DR6, EDA-R and NGF-R) have been identified. The most promising cytokine for anticancer therapy is TRAIL/APO-2L, which induces apoptosis in cancer cells by binding to death receptors TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5. The cytotoxic activity of TRAIL is relatively selective to cancer cells compared to normal cells. Signaling by TRAIL and its receptors is tightly regulated process essential for key physiological functions in a variety of organs, as well as the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Despite early promising results, recent studies have identified several TRAIL-resistant cancer cells of various origins. Based on molecular analysis of death-receptor signaling pathways several new approaches have been developed to increase the efficacy of TRAIL. Resistance of cancer cells to TRAIL appears to occur through the modulation of various molecular targets. They may include differential expression of death receptors, constitutively active Akt and NFkappaB, overexpression of cFLIP and IAPs, mutations in Bax and Bak genes, and defects in the release of mitochondrial proteins in resistant cells. Conventional chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive drugs, and irradiation can sensitize TRAIL-resistant cells to undergo apoptosis. Thus, these agents enhance the therapeutic potential of TRAIL in TRAIL-sensitive cells and sensitize TRAIL-resistant cells. TRAIL and TRAIL-receptor antibodies may prove to be useful for cancer therapy, either alone or in association with conventional approaches such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This review discusses intracellular mechanisms of TRAIL resistance and various approaches that can be taken to sensitize TRAIL-resistant cancer cells.
The state-space model of the HIV epidemic with variable infection in the homosexual populations

In this paper we derive a state-space model for the HIV epidemic with variable infection in homosexual populations. In this model the stochastic dynamic system model is the stochastic model which is described in terms of chain multinomial distributions whereas the observation model is a statistic model based on the AIDS incidence data. As an example, we have applied the model to the San Francisco homosexual population to estimate and project the HIV prevalence and AIDS cases. Our results revealed that the Kalman filter estimates of AIDS cases had traced the observed numbers extremely well. For the HIV prevalence in the San Francisco homosexual population, our results showed that the curve peaked around 1985 and then decreased to a low level around 1992; after that the curve started to increase and provided another peak around the year 2000.
Probabilistic Graphical Models as Tools for Evaluating the Impact of Usage-Context on the Environmental Performance of Products

Environmentally conscious design is focused on reducing the environmental impact of engineered systems, but common practice in life cycle analysis overlooks the relationship between a product’s usagecontext and its environmental performance. Existing studies rarely consider operational variability or the correlation between performance, design, and usage variables. Probabilistic graphical models (PGMs) provide the capability of not only evaluating uncertainty and variability of product use, but also correlating the results with the product’s features and usage context. This discussion explores the use of PGMs as a tool for evaluating operational variability in products and including the results in life cycle inventories. The tool is illustrated for environmentally conscious product design through an example study of an electric kettle.
The care of the mentally ill, and psychiatric nursing in Malta

Resume Le premier hopital Maltais comportant des lits pour les malades mentaux a ete cree en 1575 par les Chevaliers de Saint Jean. Les patients y etaient tres mal traites: on les enchainait au mur et le personnel les battait sans pitie parce qu'on les croyait possedes de demons. On ne soignait d'ailleurs pas moins cruellement les malades mentaux dans d'autres pays d'Europe. Un jalon important a ete pose dans l'histoire des maladies mentales a Malte en 1838, quand le Dr. Chetcuti commenca a traiter humainement les patients. Il les delivra de leurs chaines et entraves et restreignit la pratique de la reclusion. Un nouvel asile fut construit en 1861. C'est l'actuel hopital psychiatrique d'Attard. On doute s'il convenait: il etait surpeuple et le personnel etait sale et illettre. Des progres reels ont ete faits au debut des annees quarante de notre siecle avec l'introduction des barbituriques, de la comatherapie a l'insuline et de la therapie electroconvulsive. Tous les traitements physiques peuvent etre administres a l'Hopital du Mont Carmel, mais les conditions presidant a un traitement social et environnemental y font encore defaut. Les dispositions ont change ces dernieres annees. Avec l'aide de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Sante, on a commence de donner des cours de nursing psychiatrique a tout le personnel infirmier, la majorite n'ayant recu aucune formation de ce genre. Les departements ont ete remodeles et renoves et on y a etabli graduellement un environnement therapeutique. Une ligue d'amis a ete fondee, dont le premier objectif est d'interesser le public a l'hopital et d'en accroitre les ressources. Un comite a ete constitue pour recommander des regles qui serviraient de base a une loi sur la sante mentale, dont on espere qu'elle entrera bientot en vigueur.
Applications of Small Computers in Nuclear Spectroscopy

Two data-acquisition systems are described; both are built around small digital computers and are designed for use in nuclear spectroscopy experiments. The computers are used for storage of data, graph plotting, control of hardware devices and CRT displays, and for routine arithmetical operations required in the preliminary analysis of experimental data. Both computer systems can be easily operated by relatively inexperienced personnel. Most routine operations can be controlled with simple multiposition selector switches, although more specialized operations are carried out with a question-and-answer routine on the typewriter. Operations involving CRT display can be initiated with the light pen. With this procedure, routine operation of the computer requires little more training than is needed to operate a pulse-height analyzer.
A Six Year Head-to-Head Comparison of Osteopathic and Allopathic Applicants to a University-Based, Allopathic General Surgery Residency

Objective The number of osteopathic physicians is increasing as is the number applying to allopathic general surgery residency programs. A lack of knowledge of osteopathic schooling leads to a potential applicant bias in favor of allopathic applicants, but the 2 groups have not been compared head to head. Design Applications over a 6-year period to an allopathic general surgery residency program were reviewed. Demographics, examination scores, employment, education, and research experience were catalogued into a database. Allopathic applicants were compared with osteopathic applicants utilizing statistical analysis. Setting A university teaching hospital. Participants Allopathic and osteopathic applicants to an allopathic general surgery residency program. Results A total of 1290 applications were reviewed; 1155 allopathic and 135 osteopathic applications. Other than race, the 2 cohorts are similar in age, gender, and citizenship. The groups are not significantly different with regard to the number of letter of recommendations, volunteer activities, scholarly works, and advanced degrees. Graduates of both proceed directly to residency. A significantly higher percentage of allopathic graduates reported their United States medical licensing examination (USMLE) scores, yet when osteopaths released their USMLE transcript, they scored significantly higher on the USMLE Step 1 examination and required fewer attempts to pass. These differences do not apply to the USMLE Step 2 examination. Conclusions No single screening tool exists for selecting a successful general surgery resident. We are seeing increased numbers of osteopathic applicants. Many criteria used to evaluate applicants do not apply to osteopathic applicants, but our comparison of common selection variables on the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application did not demonstrate an overall difference. While our analysis demonstrated a statistically higher USMLE Step 1 score by osteopathic applicants, they may only self-report favorable data.
Editorial: From Russia--With Love

This PDF file contains the editorial “Editorial: From Russia--With Love” for OE Vol. 30 Issue 12
The Search for Hadamard Matrices

(1963). The Search for Hadamard Matrices. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 70, No. 1, pp. 12-17.
Control Elements in Dynamically-Determined Selectivity on a Bifurcating Surface

The mechanism and the nature of the dynamically determined product selectivity in Diels−Alder cycloadditions of 3-methoxycarbonylcyclopentadienone (2) with 1,3-dienes was studied by a combination of product studies, experimental kinetic isotope effects, standard theoretical calculations, and quasiclassical trajectory calculations. The low-energy transition structures in these reactions are structurally balanced between [4πdiene + 2πdienone] and the [2πdiene + 4πdienone] modes of cycloaddition. The accuracy of these structures and their bispericyclic nature is supported by the experimental isotope effects. Trajectories passing through these transition structures can lead to both [4πdiene + 2πdienone] and [2πdiene + 4πdienone] cycloadducts, and the mixture of products obtained varies with the structure of the diene. The factors affecting this selectivity are analyzed. The geometry of the transition structure is a useful predictor of the major product, but the selectivity is also guided by the shape of the e...
Life-span studies of dominance and aggression in established colonies of laboratory rats.

Abstract Six mixed-sex colonies of Long-Evans rats were observed at 100-day intervals from colony formation at 100 days of age until all colony members died. Long-term stable dominance relations were observed among males in four colonies while two colonies which had low initial levels of aggression continued to show low intracolony conflict at all ages and no clear dominance relationships. Agonistic interactions among females and between males and females were relatively infrequent and no dominance hierarchy among females was apparent. The aggression of resident males toward intruders increased from 201–601 days of age, but declined overall at age 701. Nevertheless, older males which fought intruders did so as readily as they had when they were young and the few animals that reached 800 days of age continued to attack intruders. Although no systematic decline in total duration or intensity of offense was found across age, there was some evidence of impaired motor performance by older males.
RESEARCH NOTE LOSS OF COLOR AND FIRMNESS DURING THERMAL PROCESSING OF CANNED SNAP BEANS

Kinetic parameters were determined for the loss of color and firmness of snap beans during thermal processing. The D250 and the z-values for the loss of color were found to be 12.6 min and 91°F, respectively. Firmness loss was determined as the peak back extrusion force. The D250 and the z-values for the loss of firmness were 3.4 min and 106°F, respectively. The magnitudes of the kinetic parameters are in the range of values reported in the literature.
Extrapolation errors in linear model trees

Prediction errors from a linear model tend to be larger when extrapolation is involved, particularly when the model is wrong. This article considers the problem of extrapolation and interpolation errors when a linear model tree is used for prediction. It proposes several ways to curtail the size of the errors, and uses a large collection of real datasets to demonstrate that the solutions are effective in reducing the average mean squared prediction error. The article also provides a proof that, if a linear model is correct, the proposed solutions have no undesirable effects as the training sample size tends to infinity.
Reconsidering Association Testing Methods Using Single-Variant Test Statistics as Alternatives to Pooling Tests for Sequence Data with Rare Variants

Association tests that pool minor alleles into a measure of burden at a locus have been proposed for case-control studies using sequence data containing rare variants. However, such pooling tests are not robust to the inclusion of neutral and protective variants, which can mask the association signal from risk variants. Early studies proposing pooling tests dismissed methods for locus-wide inference using nonnegative single-variant test statistics based on unrealistic comparisons. However, such methods are robust to the inclusion of neutral and protective variants and therefore may be more useful than previously appreciated. In fact, some recently proposed methods derived within different frameworks are equivalent to performing inference on weighted sums of squared single-variant score statistics. In this study, we compared two existing methods for locus-wide inference using nonnegative single-variant test statistics to two widely cited pooling tests under more realistic conditions. We established analytic results for a simple model with one rare risk and one rare neutral variant, which demonstrated that pooling tests were less powerful than even Bonferroni-corrected single-variant tests in most realistic situations. We also performed simulations using variants with realistic minor allele frequency and linkage disequilibrium spectra, disease models with multiple rare risk variants and extensive neutral variation, and varying rates of missing genotypes. In all scenarios considered, existing methods using nonnegative single-variant test statistics had power comparable to or greater than two widely cited pooling tests. Moreover, in disease models with only rare risk variants, an existing method based on the maximum single-variant Cochran-Armitage trend chi-square statistic in the locus had power comparable to or greater than another existing method closely related to some recently proposed methods. We conclude that efficient locus-wide inference using single-variant test statistics should be reconsidered as a useful framework for devising powerful association tests in sequence data with rare variants.
Refining 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for marine particulate samples: Storage conditions and extraction recovery

Abstract Solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has recently been used to characterize phosphorus species within marine particles. However, the effects of sample collection, storage and preparation have not been thoroughly examined. In this study, samples of settling particulates collected from a 1200-m sediment trap located in Monterey Bay, California, were subjected to various storage options (i.e., no storage, refrigeration, freezing, and oven-drying and grinding) prior to extraction for solution 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Freezing, refrigerating and drying samples for periods of up to 6 months prior to extraction with 0.25 M NaOH + 0.05 M Na2EDTA increased the concentration of extracted P by an average of 16% relative to samples extracted without storage. Pre-extraction storage also introduced some minor changes in P speciation, by increasing the percentage of orthophosphate by up to 15% and decreasing the percentage of pyrophosphate by up to 5%, relative to the abundances of these P species in samples extracted without storage. Drying caused the biggest changes in speciation, specifically decreasing more extensively the relative percentage of pyrophosphate compared to other treatments. Nevertheless, observed changes in speciation due to sample storage within a specific sample were small relative to differences observed among samples collected sequentially in the same area, or reported differences among samples collected at different locations. Samples were also analyzed by solid-state 31P-NMR spectroscopy before and after extraction, to examine extraction-related changes in P speciation. Comparison of solution with solid-state 31P NMR indicates that extraction with NaOH–EDTA removes the majority of organic esters, but only a variable portion of phosphonates (39–67%). In addition, there was preferential extraction of Ca-associated phosphate over Mg-, Fe- and Al-associated phosphate. Solution 31P NMR enables much higher resolution of P species within samples, particularly when it is important to speciate orthophosphate monoesters and diesters, or if polyphosphates are present. However, combining solid-state 31P NMR with solution 31P NMR spectroscopy for marine particles should be conducted when examining inorganic P speciation and the abundance of phosphonates.
Influence of charge and steric bulk in the C-24 region on the interaction of bile acids with human apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter.

The human Apical Sodium-dependent Bile Acid Transporter (hASBT) is a potential target for drug delivery, but an understanding of hASBT substrate requirements is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of ionic character and steric bulk in the C-24 region of bile acid conjugates in governing interaction with hASBT. Ionic character was studied using chenodeoxycholate (CDCA) conjugates of glutamic acid and lysine, which varied in charge (monoanionic, dianionic, cationic, neutral, and zwitterionic) and location of charge (proximal or distal to C-24). Steric effects were evaluated using ester conjugates that varied in ester substituent size (methyl, benzyl, and t-butyl) and location (proximal and/or distal). Conjugate interaction with hASBT was assessed via transport and inhibition studies, using a hASBT-MDCK monolayer. Monoanionic, cationic, and neutral conjugates of CDCA exhibited high inhibitory potency (Ki 100 μM). Conjugates with a single bulky ester substituent proximal or distal to C-24 region exhibited high inhibition potency. However, two bulky substituents practically abolished interaction. In transport studies, monoanionic conjugates were high affinity hASBT substrates. Meanwhile, cationic and zwitterionic conjugates were not substrates for hASBT. Overall, C-24 ionic character influenced interaction with hASBT. Although the presence of a single negative charge was not essential for interaction with hASBT, monoanionic conjugates were favored for hASBT-mediated transport compared to cationic and zwitterionic conjugates.
The Response of Sea Surface Topography to the 1976 El Niño

Abstract The response of sea level in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during the 1976 El Nino event is analyzed and compared with the response during the stronger El Nino event in 1972. Monthly mean maps of sea surface topography illustrate the large horizontal scale of the internal wave associated with El Nino. Strong equatorial trade winds in 1975 increase sea level in the western Pacific. The relaxation of the wind in January 1976 allows an internal wave to form and proceed eastward, raising sea level along the eastern side of the ocean. This is followed by a year-long decline of sea level in the west, by an intensification of the North Equatorial Countercurrent and by a slackening of the South Equatorial Current. Strengthening of the winds in January 1977 terminates the 1976 event very rapidly. An estimate of the volume change of the warm upper layer gives a rate of 27 × 1061 m3 s−1 for the draining of warm water from the western Pacific Ocean over a one-year period. The 1976 El Nino event is concentrate...
Attenuation of androgenic regulation by brefeldin A in androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells

Abstract Objectives To investigate the effects of an antibiotic brefeldin A (BFA) on androgen-regulated cellular events in androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells, focusing on PSA (prostate-specific antigen) status, cell growth, and bioactivity of androgen receptor (AR). Materials and methods Androgen-responsive human prostate cancer LNCaP cells were employed and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) was used as an androgenic mediator to induce androgen-modulated cellular events. Effects of BFA on synthesis and secretion of PSA, cell growth, and AR activity were assessed using Tandem PSA assay, trypan blue exclusion method, and AR binding assay, respectively. Results BFA (30 ng/ml) dramatically (90%) blocked secretion of PSA and also reduced cell growth by >75% under non-androgen-regulated condition. Under androgen-stimulated condition using DHT (1 nM), both the cellular and secreted PSA levels as well as cell growth was significantly elevated or stimulated by DHT (compared with controls); however, BFA was capable of completely inhibiting such DHT-stimulated cellular events. In addition, AR binding assay revealed that AR activity has been drastically (∼90%) diminished by BFA, likely resulting in interruption of DHT-mediated events. Conclusions BFA is capable of attenuating androgenic regulation in LNCaP cells such as androgen-stimulated PSA synthesis/secretion and cell growth. This BFA-blocked androgen action appears to be primarily attributed to severe inactivation of AR with BFA because AR is a crucial factor for relaying androgenic messages (to DNA). Therefore, BFA could be considered a promising agent for a more effective treatment of hormone-dependent prostate cancer.
Exposing unforeseen consequences of software change

Changing source code can have unintended effects on a program's behavior. Seemingly trivial changes have incurred significant cost, distress, and catastrophe: that is, the concern about the consequences of a change is not merely theoretical. At the same time, many -- perhaps most -- software changes do not cause problems in practice, instead improving the program's behavior in intended ways. The changes that improve program behavior clearly collectively outweigh those that harm it. Nevertheless, nobody would argue that programmers make changes with certainty about the future behavior of a program. This is in part due to Dijkstra's observation from decades ago about the conceptual gap between the static program and the dynamic execution process. This observation led to many aspects of structured programming, most notably the aggressive use of one-in/one-out control structures such as if-then-else statements and while loops. However, for a number of reasons, the source-behavior relationship has become more opaque rather than less so, leaving programmers with relatively little help in distinguishing between changes leading to intended versus unintended behaviors. To aid programmers facing these difficulties, we have developed an approach that takes a pair of program versions, models each version's source code as static call graphs and each version's behavior as dynamic call graphs, partitions these four dependence graphs based on their set intersections, and identifies partitions that tend to expose changes that are likely to have unforeseen consequences on the program's source-behavior relationship. This is joint work with Reid Holmes.