cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combining sulfonylureas and other oral agents

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a progressive disorder, and although oral monotherapy is often initially successful, it is associated with a high secondary failure rate, which contributes to the development of long-term diabetes complications resulting from persistent hyperglycemia. For patients not taking insulin, accumulating evidence suggests that combination therapy using oral antidiabetic agents with different mechanisms of action may be highly effective in achieving and maintaining target blood glucose levels. Low-dose combination therapy may be associated with fewer side effects than higher-dose monotherapy and may achieve similar or better glycemic control. The best-studied combination is that of sulfonylurea compounds plus metformin, a therapeutic approach that addresses both underlying defects in the disorder: insulin deficiency and insulin resistance. Other multidrug regimens under investigation are sulfonylurea compounds plus either alpha-glucosidase inhibitors or thiazolidinediones, and combinations of various insulin-sensitizing agents. For many patients, combination oral therapy may be used appropriately as primary management early in the course of type 2 diabetes, along with diet modification and exercise. Later in the course of the disease, the use of combinations of oral agents may delay the need for insulin while maintaining glycemic control, thus making aggressive oral treatment more acceptable for many patients.
Control properties of semantic coding in a lexical decision task

Decisions about whether pairs of letter strings are both words or not are typically faster for pairs of semantically related words than unrelated words ( Meyer & Schvaneveldt, Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1971, 90, 227–234 ). Previous studies used orthographically legal, pronounceable nonwords in this task. In two experiments it was shown that the semantic relatedness effect is greatly reduced when orthographically illegal, unpronounceable strings were used as negative items. This finding supports the conclusion that options may be exercised on which of the codes representing a letter string are used in making lexical decisions.
Predicting Interpersonal Behavior from a Measure of Expectancy for Interpersonal Control

Recent research in interpersonal skills and processes led to the exploration of the feasibility of predicting interpersonal behavior from an expectancy measure. The development of an instrument to ...
Grain boundary effects on the electrical behavior of Al-poly-Si Schottky-barrier solar cells

Schottky-barrier diodes using aluminum on p-type polycrystalline silicon have been fabricated. The contrast of the orientation of neighboring grains is observed after chemical etching of the surface. Comparing the surface morphology of the substrate with the electronic behavior of the Schottky diode, we are able to identify the influence of grain boundaries. It is found that the low-angle boundary has little effect on the I-V characteristics since near ideal Schottky I-V curves are obtained. The barrier height is calculated to be 0.83 V which is higher than that of the single-crystal substrate. The ideality factor is 1.17 for a device containing a twin and low-angle boundaries. The high-angle grain boundary, however, significantly alters both the I-V and low-frequency C-V plots. The experimental data indicate that recombination centers and traps are introduced, resulting in an increase in recombination current and a reduction of the effective mobility. The conduction mechanisms for the two types of diodes are clearly distinguishable both in the dark and under illumination. In the photovoltaic operation under a tungsten lamp, we obtain an open-circuit voltage of 0.48 V and a fill factor 0.51. It appears that the chemical etching along with Schottky-barrier fabrication will provide a useful method to study the polycrystalline substrate for low-cost solar cell applications.
Liquid crystalline networks via living cationic polymerization of 11-[(4-cyano-4'-biphenyl)oxy]undecanyl vinyl ether with 11-vinyloxyundecanyloxy methacrylate

Living cationic copolymerization of 11-[(4-cyano-4′-biphenyl)oxy]undecanyl vinyl ether (6–11) with 11-vinyloxyundecanyloxy methacrylate (16-11) leads to copolymers poly[(6–11)-co(16-11)]X/Y (where X/Y is the mol ratio between the two monomers in copolymer) containing methacryloyl side groups. All copolymers are crosslinked upon annealing via the thermal induced polymerization of their methacryloyl side groups. The copolymers with X/Y=6/4 to 9/1 lead after crosslinking to liquid crystalline networks exhibiting a SA mesophase.
Rational Expectations and the Theory of Macroeconomic Policy: An Exposition of Some of the Issues.

Turnovsky observes that “the rational expectations hypothesis has had a profound impact on macroeconomic theory and policy during the past decade.” Tracing briefly the evolution of the ideas involved, he concludes that “… a consensus view is emerging that in fact under quite plausible conditions the policy neutrality proposition does not hold; therefore, there is still scope for policy rules to play an important role in stabilizing output.”The mathematics used in the article is expository rather than analytical, requiring of the reader only somewhat more than the usual amount of persistence, faith in the author's interpretation of the literature, and a willingness to accept the integrity of economic models as representative of the real world. This is “required” reading for those teaching macroeconomics.
An analysis of ash and isotopic carbon discrimination (Δ13C) methods to evaluate water use efficiency in apple

Apple cultivars are selected for fruit quality, disease and insect resistance, not water use efficiency (WUE), however, the need for more water use efficient crops is accelerating due to climate change and increased competition for water resources. WUE be calculated from short-term gas exchange measurements of photosynthesis (A) and transpiration (Ec) and expressed as A/Ec (instantaneous water use efficiency; WUEInst), or on a whole plant basis, measuring leaf, fruit and wood dry matter (DM) together with a measurement of water use (WU), and expressed as DM/WU. Plant ash and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) have been correlated with water use efficiency in herbaceous plants. The purpose of this study was to measure WUEInst and seasonal WUE of mature and productive apple trees in the field and evaluate WUE correlations with ash and Δ13C. WUEInst was measured in whole tree gas exchange studies and from seasonal dry matter yield studies in ‘Empire’ apple for 2005, 2007 and 2009. Leaf ash and Δ13C were positively correlated with mean tree photosynthetic rate (A) and transpiration (Ec) but only leaf Δ13C was negatively correlated with WUEInst. In seasonal dry matter yield studies, leaf ash and Δ13C responses were highly negatively correlated with WUE based on the annual fruit yield/seasonal potential transpiration (Ef), termed WUEFrt. There were also highly significant correlations between leaf and shoot ash with leaf and shoot Δ13C. Both leaf ash and Δ13C were useful in identifying extremes in apple WUE and leaf ash can be used at a much lower cost with a high through-put potential.
Ultrastructural, morphometric and associated observations on experimental mastitis in cattle.

Abstract Lactating cattle were inoculated with streptococci or with staphylococci by the intramammary route. The course of the disease produced was monitored by clinical and milk examinations and the cattle killed for examination 48 h. or 96 h. after inoculation. A characteristic mastitis was produced in all cases. Ultrastructural studies on streptococcal infections showed a relatively low level of pathological change in the secretory cells, but degenerative changes in cocci ingested by neutrophils and in cocci observed in cells incorporated in the epithelium. In staphylococcal infection, gross degenerative changes were observed throughout the mammary tissue while the cocci were normal in appearance. Morphometric analysis of streptococcal infection showed that acini shrank in size, largely due to a decrease in size of the lumens. Secretory cell volume remained constant, but there was an increase in leucocytes within the epithelium.
A new approach for forest decline assessments: maximizing detail and accuracy with multispectral imagery

Remote sensing of forest condition is typically based on broadband vegetation indices to quantify coarse categories of canopy condition. More detailed and accurate assessments have been demonstrated using narrowband sensors, although with more limited image availability. While differences in sensor capabilities are obvious, I hypothesized that multispectral imagery may be able to detect more subtle canopy stress symptoms if a new calibration approach was considered. This involves three major changes to traditional decline assessments: (1) calibration with more detailed field measurements, (2) consideration of narrowband derived indices adapted for broadband calculation, and (3) a multivariate calibration model. Testing this approach on Landsat-5 (TM) imagery in the Catskills, NY, USA, a five-term linear regression model (r2 = 0.621, RMSE 0.403) based on a unique combination of vegetation indices sensitive to canopy chlorophyll, carotenoids, green leaf area, and water content was able to quantify a broad r...
The specific infectivity of tobacco mosaic virus

Abstract Comparative studies are made between the dip method of inoculation, by which Nicotiana glutinosa L. leaves are rub-injured prior to immersion into a tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) suspension, and the usual rub method of inoculation, by which a TMV suspension is rubbed directly on a leaf. Inactivation of TMV with antiserum is considerably more efficient when measured by the dip method than by the rub method. A study of the ultraviolet inactivation of a TMV-antiserum mixture suggests that TMV-antibody aggregates are left intact and are infectious by the dip method whereas the aggregates are dispersed into single infectious particles by the rub method. A decrease in infectivity with antiserum, as measured by the rub method, is attributed only to specific inactivation of TMV with antibody. A decrease in infectivity, as measured by the dip method, is a function of both the degree of aggregation, controlled by varying the molecular (A:G) ratio of antibody to virus, and the specific inactivation of TMV with antibody. A correlation between the decrease in infectivity and the size of the aggregates at specific A:G ratios suggests that, at the least, one out of ten TMV particles in a purified preparation is infectious.
Validations of CFD Code for Density-Gradient Driven Air Ingress Stratified Flow

Air ingress into a very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR) is an important phenomenon to consider because the air oxidizes the reactor core and lower plenum where the graphite structure supports the core region in the gas turbine modular helium reactor (GT-MHR) design, thus jeopardizing the reactor’s safety. Validating the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code used to analyze the air ingress phenomena is therefore an essential part of the safety analysis and the ultimate computation required for licensing. An experimental data set collected by ETH Zurich on a lock exchange experiment (Grobelbauser et al., Lowe et al. 2002; Lowe et al. 2005; and Shin et al. 2004) was selected for the validation. The experiment was based on a series of lock exchange flows with gases of different density ratios varying from 0.046 to 0.9 in a closed channel of a square cross-section. The focus was on the quantitative measurement of front velocities of the gravity current flows. The experiment results cover the full range of gas intrusions—heavy as well as light—for the gravity current flows in the lock exchange situations. FLUENT CFD code (ANSYS Fluent 2008) was used. The calculated results showed very good agreement with the experimental data. A number of tables and comparison plots are included to summarize the estimated current speeds. The current speed obtained by experimental data was 1.25 m/s and that of the simulation was 1.19 m/s. This result indicates that the deviation of the simulation is only 4.8% that of the experimental data.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Alcohol and Crime Among Religious Youth

Abstract This is a study of 528 adolescents who regularly attend churches affiliated with primary Protestant denominations in a Midwestern state. The purpose is to determine if the delinquency syndrome argument has more validity in a religious sample than noted in the general population of youth. The findings support the delinquency syndrome argument in this sample of religious youth, and show that religiosity is relevant to alcohol use and not to crime.
Effects of pretest manipulation on elevated plus-maze behavior in adolescent and adult male and female Sprague–Dawley rats

The elevated plus-maze (EPM) is vulnerable to variations in pretest circumstances when testing adult rodents. Because of an increasing interest in adolescence, the present experiments examined the impact of pretest manipulations on anxiety levels in the EPM among adolescent and adult Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes. In Exp. 1, animals removed from their home cage and immediately placed on the EPM were compared to rats tested following 30 min of social isolation, or following 30-min exposure to a novel context. These pretest manipulations only modestly decreased anxiety levels at both ages. In Exp. 2, more varied pretest conditions were examined: testing directly from the home cage; testing following 30 min of social isolation in a novel environment; or a large saline injection and rehousing 18 h prior to a 30-min period of social isolation in a novelty situation before testing. In adults, anxiety levels decreased linearly as pretest perturbation increased, whereas adolescents showed comparable levels of anxiety with both the moderate and large perturbations. As a result, observed age differences in anxiety differed as a function of pretest circumstances. Therefore, caution is urged when using the EPM for across-age comparisons of anxiolytic and anxiogenic effects of pharmacological or other manipulations.
Orienting Body Coordinate Frames Using Karhunen-Loe`ve Expansion for More Effective Structural Simplification

Previous work by the authors developed a junction-inactivity-based structural simplification technique for bondgraph models. The technique is highly sensitive to the orientation of the body coordinate frames in multibody systems: improper alignment of body coordinate frames may prohibit a significant simplification. This paper demonstrates how the Karhunen-Loeve expansion can be used to automatically detect the existence of and to find the transformation into body coordinate frames that render the bond-graph of a multibody system more conducive to simplification. The conclusion is that the Karhunen-Loeve expansion complements well the junction-inactivity-based structural simplification technique when multibody dynamics are involved in the system.© 2006 ASME
Simultaneous multiple regularization parameter selection by means of the L-hypersurface with applications to linear inverse problems posed in the wavelet transform domain

In this paper, we introduce the L-hypersurface method for use in linear inverse problems. The new methods is intended to select multiple regularization parameters simultaneously. It is a multidimensional extension of classical L-curve method and hence does not require any specific knowledge about the noise level or signal semi-norm. We give examples of the L-hypersurface method applied the linear inverse problems posed in the wavelet domain and evaluate the performance of the new method on a signal restoration experiment.
An inexpensive technique for cleaning small-volume pollen samples using density separation in common plastic tubing

Abstract Palynologists have long used thin-walled plastic tubing folded into the shape of a “U” for centrifuging large samples in heavy liquids. An inexpensive holder is here described which allows ordinary soft plastic laboratory tubing to be used as centrifuge containers during density-separation treatment of small sample volumes. The technique is useful for carrying out a final cleaning of those difficult pollen samples which contain mineral debris even after HF steps have been used.
Simplified method for quantitation of angiotensin peptides in tissue.

A simple method for extraction, separation, identification and quantitation of angiotensin-like immunoactivity from tissue is described. Homogenized acetic acid extracts of tissue samples were lyophilized and reconstituted in mobile phase. Separation was performed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on a phenyl silica gel column with an eluent consisting of 20% acetonitrile in 0.1 M aqueous ammonium phosphate buffer, pH 4.9. Elution of standard peptides under isocratic conditions revealed clear resolution of angiotensin I, II and III and the (1–7) and (3–8) peptides. Recoveries of labeled angiotensin peptide standards from the extraction step were >90%. Radioimmunoassay of relevant peaks revealed detectable levels of angiotensin I-, II- and III-like immunoactivity in single rat hypothalami and brain stems.
GFAP expression induced by dopamine D(2) receptor agonists in the rat pituitary intermediate lobe.

This study was conducted to determine if intermediate lobe glial-like cells are affected by compounds that regulate melanotrope biosynthetic activity via the dopamine D2 receptor. Glial-like cells were stellate, and expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin in cell bodies and processes as revealed by immunohistochemistry. Following bromocriptine and quinpirole treatments, the number of cell bodies and processes expressing vimentin did not change, whereas those expressing GFAP increased, although never to exceed the number of vimentin containing structures. The percent of cells and processes coexpressing GFAP and vimentin also increased. The GFAP response was reversible by haloperidol treatment following the agonist treatment. Haloperidol treatment alone did not change GFAP expression. Thus, following D2 receptor agonist treatment, GFAP was induced in pre-existing vimentin-positive glial cells. Dopamine D2 receptor mRNA and protein were detected in melanotropes, but not in cells expressing GFAP or vimentin. Although glial-like cells may express dopamine D2 receptor mRNA and protein below the detection levels of our methods, the possibility of an indirect effect via dopamine D2 receptor agonists acting on melanotropes needs to be considered.
Association between Acculturation and Binge Drinking among Asian-Americans: Results from the California Health Interview Survey

Objective. Evaluate the association between acculturation and binge drinking among six Asian-American subgroups. Methods. A cross-sectional analysis of public access adult portion of 2007, 2009, and 2011/2012 California Health Interview Survey data was conducted. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were utilized with any binge drinking in the past year as the outcome variable and language spoken at home and time in USA as proxy measures of acculturation. Results. A total of 1,631 Asian-Americans (N = 665,195) were identified as binge drinkers. Binge drinking was positively associated with being first generation South Asian (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.55, 5.98) and monolingual (English only) Vietnamese (OR = 3.00; 95% CI = 1.58, 5.70), especially among females. Other factors associated with increased binge drinking were being female (Chinese only), not being current married (South Asian only), and being an ever smoker (all subgroups except South Asians). Conclusion. First generation South Asians and linguistically acculturated Vietnamese, especially females, are at an increased risk of binge drinking. Future studies and preventive measures should address the cultural basis of such health risk behaviors among Asian-American adults.
Support personnel in schools: characteristics and importance

Purpose – Despite the critical role of support personnel in education, the literature about their supervision has been less than informative. In an effort to provide additional guidance to school leaders seeking to improve the supervision of such personnel, the purpose of this paper is to examine and compare three distinct groups of support personnel: school custodians/janitors, school secretaries, and paraprofessionals in special education.Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with two analyses. One is that of the general importance of the role of support personnel in public schools in the USA. The other consists of a brief argument as to why the literature about the supervision of support personnel has not been overly informative. The paper proceeds with descriptions of three distinct support personnel groups.Findings – The examination of three support personnel groups highlights the visibility of the school custodian/janitor, the multi‐dimensional responsibilities of the school secretary, and ...
CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CORRELATIONS IN FAMILIAL HAEMATURIA (FH)

The findings are reported in 38 patients with FH. Those with neurosensory deafness, heavy proteinuria or chronic renal failure in the patient and/or family generally had a progressive clinical course. Their biopsies showed segmental glomerular sclerosis usually with interstitial foam cells; on electron microscopy (EM) there was usually fibrillary replication of the lamina densa with a ‘basket weave’ pattern. These adverse features were more pronounced when there was deafness in the patient or family, although families without deafness are considered to fall within the spectrum of Alport's syndrome. In contrast, patients from families showing neither deafness, heavy proteinuria nor chronic renal failure ran a non-progressive course (FH). Their biopsies showed little or no glomerular changes other than attenuation of the lamina densa on EM. Deafness, heavy proteinuria, segmental sclerosis and foam cells were not often present before the age of 10 years in children with Alport's syndrome, whereas the ‘basket weave’ pattern of the lamina densa was found in all three children biopsied under 5 years old. We therefore emphasize the importance of EM in the differential diagnosis from benign FH.
Relationship between arterial diameter and perfused tissue volume in myocardial microcirculation: a micro-CT-based analysis

The volume of myocardial tissue that is perfused by an epicardial coronary artery has been shown to be predictably related to the diameter of the epicardial arterial lumen. However, to what extent ...
Sky input horn for a far-infrared interferometer

A unique optical design consisting of a compound parabolic concentrator and an elliptical concentrator joined at their throats is discussed. The optic has a number of advantages over conventional infrared telescopes for applications in interferometry and photometry. Ray-tracing results are presented.
A tracking procedure for determining the cat's frequency discrimination.

Abstract A tracking procedure was used to investigate the time required to train cats to discriminate between a frequency-modulated tone and a steady tone. The animal was reinforced with food on a VR schedule only when the steady tone was present and the animal pressed the correct bar (one of two). After reinforcement, the steady tone usually changed to a frequency-modulated signal; by pressing the other bar, the tone could be changed to its steady state and the reinforcement then obtained as before. A major difficulty was the lack of control by the auditory stimulus on the cat's responses. This problem was solved by introducing interpress time outs which forced the animal to hesitate after every press. The use of light cues to signal the time outs and the correct bar to press accelerated the rate at which the training progressed. With cats, this conditioning procedure apparently requires a much longer training period before the actual threshold determinations than the more commonly used avoidance conditioning procedures. However, when animals are to be tested repeatedly over a period of several months or longer, the procedure may prove the more desirable one because it reduces experimental neurosis.
Payment schedule, sequence of choice, and cooperation in the Prisoner’s Dilemma game

Eighty college Ss in like-sexed dyads played a 100 trial Prisoner’s Dilemma game with a nonmatrix format. Payment schedule and sequence of choices were each varied at two levels and were not found to be related to the amount of cooperation to a statistically significant extent. Sex of the dyad was not related to cooperation, which supported previous data from games of less than 100 trials. The overall level of cooperation was comparable to the two previous studies using the same format.
Influence of Acuity on Physical Therapy Outcomes for Patients With Cervical Disorders

Abstract Boissonnault WG, Badke MB. Influence of acuity on physical therapy outcomes for patients with cervical disorders. Objectives To assess the influence of symptom acuity on functional outcomes, pain, and patient perception of recovery after a physical therapy (PT) program for cervical disorders and to determine what variables are associated with patient function at discharge. Design Retrospective case series. Setting Outpatient settings at a tertiary care facility. Participants Patients (N=220) who were seen for PT between June 2003 and November 2005. Interventions A customized rehabilitation program was developed for each patient based on examination findings and included a combination of the following interventions: mobilization or manipulation, flexibility exercises, strengthening exercises, endurance exercises, massage techniques, and heat and cold modalities. Main Outcome Measures Functional outcome, functional improvement, perceived pain, and perceived improvement scores in the CareConnections Outcomes System (formerly TAOS) database. Results Persons whose symptom duration was greater than 6 months (chronic group) had significantly less functional improvement than persons whose symptom duration was less than 1 month (acute group). The median percentage improvement score for patient perceived recovery was also significantly lower for the chronic group than for the acute group. There was no significant difference in the percentage decrease in pain among the acute, subacute (symptom duration, 1−6mo), and chronic groups. In regression analyses, a model with age ( P =.001), symptom duration ( P =.05), and inclusion of mobilization and manipulation interventions ( P =.02) fit the data well and explained 35.6% of the variance in functional outcome score for all 3 groups combined. Conclusions Patients showed improvements in function after a rehabilitation program for cervical disorders. Patient functional score at discharge is influenced by age, symptom duration, and inclusion of mobilization or manipulation treatments.
Determination Of The Structure Of Uncertainty Management Networks

Uncertainty management (aggregation and propagation of support) plays an important role in multi-criteria decision processes. The support for a decision may depend on supports for (or degrees of satisfaction of) several different criteria, and the support for each criterion may in turn depend on degrees of satisfaction of other sub-criteria, and so on. Thus, the decision process can be viewed as a hierarchical network, where each node in the network aggregates the support for a particular criterion. The inputs to each node are supports for each of the sub-criteria supplied by knowledge sources, and the output is the aggregated support for the criterion. In order to aggregate and propagate supports in such networks, one needs to know the nature of each node in the network (i. e., the proper type of aggregation connective at each node), as well as the structure of the network (i. e., the connections between the nodes). In this paper, we examine an iterative scheme for determining the structure and nature of such networks, given the desired behavior of the network. We propose the use of aggregation functions based on fuzzy set theory, as they have some very attractive properties.
Maternal Knowledge and Maternal Behavior Control as Predictors of Preadolescent Behavioral Competence

The present article examined relationships between maternal knowledge, maternal behavior control, and preadolescent behavioral competence over time. Four years of self-report data were collected from 133 mothers and their preadolescents, beginning when the preadolescents were in 4th grade. Knowledge, behavior control, and behavioral competence were assessed at all 4 time points. The results for preadolescent-reported variables suggested that maternal knowledge and preadolescent behavioral competence were reciprocally related, but maternal behavior control and preadolescent behavioral competence were not significantly related. Mother-reported maternal knowledge and behavior control were generally not associated with mother-reported preadolescent behavioral competence. Thus, the present study identified a longitudinal, reciprocal association between knowledge and preadolescent behavioral competence, for preadolescent reports of these variables.
From the sexual psychopath statute to "Megan's law": psychiatric knowledge in the diagnosis, treatment, and adjudication of sex criminals in New Jersey, 1949-1999.

L'A. decrit l'histoire d'un centre de diagnostic et de traitement de criminels sexuels dans le New Jersey aux Etats-Unis et etudie le role de la connaissance psychiatrique dans le discours des delinquants sexuels durant de periode de 1949 a 1999
Delay Analysis of VLSI Interconnections Using the Diffusion Equation Model

The traditional analysis of signal delay in a transmission line begins with a lossless LC representation, which yields a wave equation governing the system response; 2-port parameters are typically derived and the solution is obtained in the transform domain. In this paper, we begin with a distributed RC line model of the interconnect and analytically solve the resulting diffusion equation for the voltage response. A new closed form expression for voltage response is obtained by incorporating appropriate boundary conditions for interconnect delay analysis. Calculations of 50% and 90% delay times for various cases of interest (e.g., open-ended RC line) give substantially different estimates from those commonly cited in the literature, thus suggesting revised delay estimation methodologies and intuitions for the design of VLSI interconnects. The discussion furthermore provides a unifying treatment of the past three decades of RC interconnect delay analyses.
Observations on the Fluorometric Measurement of Creatine Kinase Activity

Twenty patients’ serums have been analyzed by both the Sax-Moore ( 1 ) and Conn-Anido ( 2 ) creatine kinase methods. No significant difference in enzyme activity was found. In our hands, the Conn-Anido procedure, as originally described, gave variable results and high background fluorescence. The presence of high alkaline or acid phosphatase activities in specimens analyzed by the Sax-Moore procedure does not cause spurious elevations of creatine kinase.
New analytical methods for a learning healthcare system: a message from the guest editor.

Whether one reads Computerworld or Institute of Medicine issue briefs, it’s clear that most now accept the idea that existing electronic clinical data (ECD) and other health records can be used to manage and improve the processes, outcomes, and the quality of health care. Indeed the increasing popularity of the term “learning healthcare system” signals the broad acceptance of the idea that routinely collected clinical data can – indeed should – be used to advance knowledge and support continuous learning. But despite what the big data enthusiasts say, none of this is easy without the appropriate analytical methods. This commentary introduces the seven papers in eGEMs’ second special issue, which are the result of invitations to researchers who have participated in EDM Forum activities as well as an open call for paper in early summer 2013. These papers offer a beginning snapshot of the ways innovative thinkers across the country are developing methodology to advance the national dialogue on the use of ECD to conduct CER, support QI, and generally to improve outcomes in a learning healthcare system.
Longitudinal Stability and Masticatory Function of Human Dentition1

In view of the need for a multidisciplinary approach to study the effect of aging on the oral cavity, “The Veterans Administration Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Study of Oral Health in Healthy Veterans” or the Dental Longitudinal Study (DLS) was initiated in 1968, as an associated research program of the larger “VA Normative Aging Study.”. The current report presents a review of the literature of masticatory performance and relevant experimental data from the DLS on dentition and age-related changes in performance levels. These data sets demonstrate that in volunteers with natural dentition, there was a slight, but significant, decrease in masticatory performance while dentitions with prostheses showed little change. It appears that when appreciable declines in masticatory function occur, significant alterations also occur in certain perceptual and sensory measures associated with food hedonics and consumption behavior. Generally, these perceptual changes reflect an alteration in taste and texture preferences; phenomena which persist even after appropriate restorative therapy with either removable partial or complete dentures. Information collected in some of our studies suggests that dentate-impaired persons, with and without a dental prosthesis, may self-impose certain dietary restrictions which, in time, can compromise their nutritional status and ultimately place them at health risk. These longitudinal results are attempting to provide a comprehensive description of oral phenomena and represent a unique study of the oral aging process.
Unrealistically optimistic consumers: A selective hypothesis testing account for optimism in predictions of future behavior

We propose that when predicting future behavior, consumers selectively (but unwittingly) test the hypothesis that they will behave ideally. This selective hypothesis testing perspective on unrealistic optimism suggests that estimates of future behavior should be similar to those made by individuals who assume that conditions will be ideal. Moreover, consumers who initially provide estimates assuming that conditions will be ideal should recognize that the world is not ideal and so should test a more realistic hypothesis. In line with these predictions, we find that ideal-world estimates (e.g., In an ideal world, how often will you exercise next week?) do not differ from standard estimates (e.g., How often will you exercise next week?). We also find that individuals who initially estimate their behavior in an ideal world subsequently make more realistic predictions.
Assigning Schema Labels Using Ontology And Hueristics

Bioinformatics data is growing at a phenomenal rate. Besides the exponential growth of individual databases, the number of data depositories is increasing too. Because of the complexity of the biological concepts, bioinformatics data usually has complex data structures and cannot be easily captured with relational model. As a result, various flat-file formats have been used. Although easy for human interpretation, flat-file formats lack of standards and are hard to be recognized automatically. As a result, manually written parsers are widely used to extract data from them. This has limited the readiness of the data for data consuming programs, such as integration systems. This paper presents a data mining based approach for automatically assigning schema labels to the attributes in a flat-file biological dataset. In conjunction with our prior work on semi-automatically identifying the delimiters and automatically generating parsers, automatic schema labeling offers a novel and practical solution for integrating biological datasets on-the-fly. Our approach for schema labeling is based on unsupervised learning, and uses a feature representation of an attribute by most frequently occurring data values in it. We combine the use of a biological ontology with heuristics. We are able to deal with noise in the datasets by using cutoff functions. Detailed experimental results from three datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the use of data mining for biological applications
A cost-effective maximum likelihood receiver for multicarrier systems

Equalization structures for maximum likelihood (ML) reception of data transmitted over intersymbol interference channels are studied. The equalizer that is best for the ML receiver is derived from a general theory of decision-aided equalization. The resulting optimum equalizers are linear and do not use previous decisions. If the equalizer complexity is permitted to be infinite, then a general optimum class of structures is derived that includes the decision feedback equalizer and the lesser-known autoregressive moving average filters. When a complexity constraint is also imposed on the equalizer, one of the structures in this class will be best for a given ML receiver. The best structure is found by a simple search procedure, which is given. The results indicate that near-optimum performance can be achieved by using this approach at a great computational reduction. >
Time Spent Together and Relationship Quality: Long-Distance Relationships as a Test Case

Although many studies have shown associations between the amount of time spent together and relationship satisfaction, none has established the causal direction of the association. While time spent together may cause increased satisfaction, it is equally likely that greater satisfaction causes couples to spend more time together. Recent research that experimentally increased the amount of time couples spent together found no increase in relationship satisfaction. The present study looks at relationships that spend less time together—long-distance relationships (LDRs)—and examines their relationship quality compared to geographically proximal relationships (PRs). A multivariate analysis of variance compared self-reported levels of relationship satisfaction, intimacy, dyadic trust and the degree of relationship progress, between 194 individuals in premarital LDRs and 190 premarital PRs. The analysis found no significant differences. This suggests that the amount of time a couple spends together does not its...
GENDER, GENDER ROLE, AND CREATIVITY

Undergraduate students (136) were assessed with 3 measures of creative ability and a gender role measure to explore relationships between gender, gender role, and creativity. Male participants’ performance on the creativity measures generally was better than that of females, with significant differences in 2 specific creativity tasks. Androgynous individuals’ creative productions were judged to be superior to those of participants representing other gender role categories. Further analysis revealed the highest levels of creativity in men who strongly identified with feminine gender role characteristics, with androgynous women recording the next highest scores. Undifferentiated men and women, and highly feminine women achieved low creativity scores. Both men and women who reported strongly masculine gender role characteristics surpassed the performance of undifferentiated participants.
Does bilingualism improve cognitive aging? Commentary on Virginia Valian's target article: Bilingualism and cognition

We applaud Valian's (2014) thoughtful analysis of the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that have thus far contributed to our knowledge about the role of bilingualism in cognitive aging. In evaluating the literature as summarized by Valian, we think it is useful to distinguish between the following four research questions and representative analytic approaches: (1) cross-sectional associations between bilingualism and executive function (e.g., regression), (2) longitudinal associations between bilingualism and change in executive function (e.g., growth curve modeling), (3) bilingualism as a predictor of dementia incidence (e.g., time-to-event analysis), and (4) bilingualism as a source of cognitive reserve (e.g., comparisons of brain pathology between bilinguals and monolinguals matched on cognitive performance).
Mouse chromosome 12

Chromosome (Chr) 12 is a newcomer in the linkage genetics of the mouse. None of the classical linkage groups of the mouse map there, despite the suggested association of Va (LG XVI, now known to map to Chr 3) and the Chr 12 arm of the Rb(8.12)5Bnr Robertsonian chromosome (Cattanach and Moseley 1973). No genes were correctly assigned to Chr 12 until the late 1970s, when a combination of linkage genetics and somatic cell hybrid analysis placed the Aat-Igh linkage group (Taylor et al. 1974) at the distal end of the chromosome (Hengartner et al. 1978; Meo et al. 1980; D'Eustachio et al. 1980), and Arnheim and co-workers (1982) mapped a DNA length variant associated with the ribosomal RNA gene cluster on the chromosome to a site near the centromere. Perhaps because of its recent origin, the map of the chromosome depends to an unusually large extent on the analysis of backcross progeny segregating for multiple DNA markers (for example, Birkenmeier et al. 1988; Blank et al. 1988; Glaser et al. 1989; Seldin et al. 1989). As a result, it is straightforward to build an internally consistent linkage map that spans the chromosome. At the same time, the map is poor in welllocalized visible mutations. The 78 genes mapped to the chromosome, by a combination of linkage genetics, analysis of somatic cell hybrids, and in situ hybridization studies, are listed in Table 1. Four assumptions allow two conclusions to be drawn as to the expected size of Chr 12. Assuming a constant relationship between physical size of the chromosome at metaphase and genetic size, Chr 12, which represents 4.63% of the haploid metaphase chromosome length (Nesbitt and Francke 1973), should have a genetic length of 74 cM (assuming a haploid genome size of 1600 cM; Carter 1955). Assuming a constant relationship between physical size and
Sensitivity and robust stability of general input-output systems

The author considers a general model of an input-output system that is governed by nonlinear operator equations which relate the input, the state, and the output of the system. This model encompasses feedback systems as a special case. Assuming that the governing equations depend on a parameter A which is allowed to vary in a neighborhood of a nominal value A/sub 0/ in a linear space, the author studies the dependence of the system behavior on A. A system is considered insensitive if, for any fixed input, the output depends continuously on A. Similarly, the system is robust if it is stable for each A in a neighborhood of A/sub 0/. Stability is defined as an appropriate continuity of the input-output operator. The results give various sufficient conditions for insensitivity and robustness. Applications of the theory are discussed, including the estimation of the difference of operator inverses, and the insensitivity and robust stability of a Hilbert network, a feedback-feedforward system, a traditional feedback system, and a time-varying dynamical system described by a linear vector differential equation on (0, infinity ). >
Nutrition Support in Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is considered to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with obesity (BMI >30) and significant comorbidities. The research is promising for successful long-term weight loss, improvement in coexisting medical conditions, improved functional status and quality of life as well as reduced healthcare costs. There is great responsibility on the part of the patient and their medical providers to ensure these successful outcomes. Different bariatric procedures that include restrictive, malabsorptive, or both mechanisms for weight loss may contribute to altered metabolic complications and nutritional deficiencies. In addition, morbid obesity is associated with a high prevalence of micronutrient deficiency. Adequate pre- and postoperative assessment, nutrition intervention and education, and monitoring are essential to prevent potential problems.
DNA Markers Linked to Eastern Filbert Blight Resistance from a Hazelnut Selection from the Republic of Georgia

The hundred-year history of the european hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) industry in the Pacific northwestern United States is threatened by eastern filbert blight (EFB) caused by the fungus Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Muller. Marker-assisted selection has been extensively used for 'Gasaway' resistance in the hazelnut breeding program at Oregon State University. Concern over possible breakdown of this single resistance gene provides an incentive to look for new sources of resistance. OSU 759.010, aselection from the Republic of Georgia, has remained free of EFB after inoculations over several years. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers linked to resistance were identified by screening primers against three resistant seedlings, three susceptible seedlings, and the parents of a segregating seedling population. For the progeny OSU 759.010 · OSU 653.068, 13 linked markers were identified. The markers most closely linked to resistance were 695-1800 on the proximal side and H12-640, 373- 700, 349-450, and F08-700 on the distal side. Four of the five markers also segregated in the progeny OSU 759.010 · OSU 665.076, whereas H12-640 was monomorphic. Segregation for disease response in the first population showed a surplus of resistant seedlings, approaching a 3:1 ratio, with closely linked RAPD markers showing similar ratios. In the second population, the observed segregation for disease response and associated markers did not deviate from the expected 1:1 ratio. Based on cosegregation with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, resistance from OSU 759.010 was assigned to linkage group 2. Resistance to EFB from 'Gasaway' and 'Ratoli' was previously mapped to linkage groups 6 and 7, respectively. Therefore, OSU 759.010 provides a novel source of EFB resistance and markers 695- 1800, 373-700, 349-450, and F08-700 have potential for use in marker-assisted selection to pyramid EFB resistance alleles.
Heterogeneity in the relationship between the built environment and driving: Focus on neighborhood type and travel purpose

Abstract Global concern about fossil fuel use and associated environmental externalities has led many governments to consider actions that encourage their residents to drive less. This research uses empirical analysis of travel survey data to estimate the relationship between built environment characteristics and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in California. The work improves upon past research in two key ways. First, it employs a novel approach to control for residential self-selection, categorizing neighborhoods into types and using these as the alternatives in a predictive model of neighborhood type choice. Second, it focuses on exploring and understanding heterogeneity in the relationship between the built environment and VMT across two dimensions – neighborhood type and travel purpose. The results show that VMT sensitivity to built environment characteristics does depend on both neighborhood type and the purpose of travel, in ways that are intuitive but had not previously been estimated. This calls into question the usefulness of prior research that provides only single point estimates of the relationships between travel choices and the built environment. Though these relationships may be small on average, this work shows that for certain trip types and in certain neighborhood types, the built environment is strongly related to travel choices.