cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding Confounding in Research

1. Kantahyanee W. Murray, PhD* 2. Anne Duggan, ScD† 1. *Ruth H. Young Center for Children and Families, University of Maryland School of Social Work, Baltimore, Md. 2. †Department of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md. The association between indoor smoking and asthma exacerbation is well established. You learn that one of your asthmatic patients is exposed regularly to indoor smoking. Your patient's mother attributes her daughter's asthma exacerbations to the high level of air pollution in the community in which they live. You think that indoor smoking is a major contributor to her asthma exacerbations but are unable to convince the mother. You decide to search the literature for studies that have examined whether air pollution confounds the relationship between indoor smoking and asthma exacerbations. When establishing relationships of cause and effect, internal validity represents the truthfulness of conclusions about causal relationships. Internal validity means that a true cause-and-effect relationship exists between an exposure (the cause) and outcome (the effect) variable. Confounding is one of several threats to the internal validity of a research study. (1) Confounding is defined as a possible source of bias in studies in which an unmeasured third variable (the confounder) is related to the exposure of interest (although not causally) and causally related to the outcome of interest. (2) Understanding confounding is critical in determining what inferences can be drawn from study findings. Is indoor smoking a cause of asthma exacerbation or is a third factor (eg, air pollution) the true cause? Failure to detect confounding can lead …
Oscillation-free ballistocardiography; a simple technic and a demonstration of its validity.

Body motion resulting from cardiac forces may be recorded as displacement, velocity or acceleration by a variety of methods. None of these is identical with the cardiac force curve because of distortion due to body oscillations. Schwarzschild devised an electronic mixer that combines displacement, velocity, and acceleration in any proportion desired. This device permits recording ballistocardiograms that are free of oscillations due to body resonance. Validity of the technic was established by the identity of strain gage records of forces applied to a log phantom with simultaneous records obtained with the method presented.
Treatment of Syphilis, 1993

Data on treatment of patients with syphilis were reviewed in preparation for revision of the Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment Guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published studies of treatment regimens available and practical for use today were reviewed, particularly in regard to the following issues: treatment for primary, secondary, and latent stages of syphilis; treatment for syphilis during pregnancy; treatment for syphilis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients; and serological criteria for evaluating response to treatment. The results of treatment and the methodological quality of the studies was considered. Most treatment recommendations must be based on expert judgment and with reliance on the clinical experience over 4 decades. For the treatment of early syphilis in HIV-uninfected patients, this is probably sufficient. Data about HIV-infected patients are insufficient both for determining whether current therapy is adequate and for recommendation of an alternative if a change in therapy is deemed necessary.
Redundancy criteria for constrained completion

We study the problem of completion in the case of equations with constraints consisting of first-order formulae over equations, disequations, and an irreducibility predicate. We present several inference systems which show in a very precise way how to take advantage of redundancy notions in the context of constrained equational reasoning. A notable feature of these systems is the variety of tradeoffs they present for removing redundant instances of the equations involved in an inference. This combines in one consistent framework almost all practical critical pair criteria, including the notion of Basic Completion. In addition strict improvements of currently known criteria are developed.
Therapists' Resistance to Understanding the Importance of Technology for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy

Professional and nonprofessional communities have raised numerous concerns about the potential deleterious effects modern technology can have upon children and adolescents. Although such concern is understandable, it is important for mental health professionals to be aware of their own resistances and fears about such technology. Modern technology, as do all technologies, holds the potential to disrupt established power relationships between the young and the not so young. This can be humbling at best. This article cautions those who work with children to be mindful that we risk overpathologizing children's investment in technology out of our fears of losing power and of our envy of the ever-expanding technological advantages the young enjoy and will continue to enjoy after we are gone. The better informed we become about the semantics and syntax of this new world, the better we can understand and communicate with the children we are entrusted to help.
Polymorphisms of MICA recognized by human alloantibodies

MICA antigens are polymorphic glycoproteins expressed on the surface of human endothelial cells and other cells. Antibodies against MICA have been found in transplant recipients and were found to be associated with decreased survival of kidney allografts. In the present work, we investigated the polymorphisms that are recognized by antibodies against MICA. Soluble MICA recombinant proteins representing 11 common alleles, two hybrid alleles, and two single amino acid mutated alleles were produced. Patterns of reactivity were determined with MICA bound to Luminex beads. In some studies, sera containing antibodies against MICA were absorbed by cell lines transfected with MICA*001, MICA*002, MICA*008, and MICA*009 or with untransfected cells, followed by testing of antibody reactivity against MICA proteins bound to beads. The monoclonal antibodies and sera used in this study were found to recognize up to 14 distinct MICA epitopes as demonstrated by their differential absorption/reactivity patterns. Among these, nine epitopes correlated with a single unique amino acid: one shared two signature amino acids, one shared three signature amino acids in close proximity, and three epitopes involved multiple amino acids in a nonlinear sequence. Two groups of public epitopes (MICA-G1 and MICA-G2) were characterized. MICA shared epitopes were determined by reactivity loss in single MICA antigen bead assays by absorption with MICA transfectants. Since these epitopes may be targets for antibody binding and possibly antibody-mediated allograft rejection, epitope identification may help understand the development of MICA antibodies and to identify suitable donors for sensitized transplant recipients.
Measurement of Different Forms of Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Plasma

Background: We evaluated assays to measure both total tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and the three principle forms of tPA in plasma: active tPA, tPA complexed with plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1), and tPA complexed with C1-inhibitor. Methods: Active tPA was measured by use of an indirect amidolytic assay and immunofunctional assays. tPA/PAI-1, tPA/C1-inhibitor, and total tPA antigen were measured by use of microtiter plates coated with anti-tPA antibodies and, respectively, anti-PAI-1, anti-C1-inhibitor, and anti-tPA antibodies conjugated to peroxidase. Results: The immunofunctional tPA assay detected 1 U/L (0.001 U/mL) tPA and recovered 108% ± 12% of active tPA added to samples containing high (mean, 60 000 IU/L) PAI-1 activities vs a detection limit of 10 U/L (0.01 U/mL) and 13% ± 25% recovery for the indirect amidolytic tPA activity assay. For measurement of tPA/PAI-1 complex, polyclonal anti-PAI-1 conjugates recovered 112% ± 20% of the expected tPA/PAI-1 vs recovery of only 38% ± 16% when monoclonal anti-PAI-1 conjugates were used. Of three methods tested, two total tPA antigen assays correlated well ( r 2 = 0.85) and showed recoveries near 100%, whereas the third method showed lower correlations, higher intercepts, and falsely high recovery. A single anti-tPA capture antibody that performed the best in the individual assay evaluations was used to measure the different forms of tPA in 22 samples with a range of tPA and PAI-1 values. The sum of the molar concentrations of active tPA, tPA/PAI-1, and tPA/C1-inhibitor using the optimized methods was equal to 94% ± 7% of measured total tPA. Conclusion: Optimized assays based on a single anti-tPA capture antibody can be used to accurately measure the major forms of tPA in plasma.
LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE COATINGS

The use of Titanium Dioxide (TiO 2 ) ultrafine particulates as coating for concrete pavement have received considerable attention in recent years as these coatings can trap and absorb organic and inorganic air pollutants by a photocatalytic process. Despite these promising benefits, the promotion of TiO 2 coatings based on a single factor such as air quality does not provide a complete evaluation of this technology and may omit critical environmental factors that should be considered in sustainable material selection decision-making process. The objective of the research reported in this paper was to determine the life-cycle assessment of TiO 2 coating technology. To achieve this objective, a life-cycle inventory (LCI) that quantifies the energy, abiotic raw material inputs, and emission of TiO 2 coatings from cradle to grave was developed. Based on this inventory, life-cycle impact assessment of TiO 2 coatings for concrete pavement was determined using the BEES impact assessment model. Results showed that the use of titanium dioxide coating reduces the environmental impact of four main categories: acidification, eutrophication, criteria air pollutants, and smog formation. However, during production phases and due to the consumption of fossil energy, titanium dioxide will cause an increase in global warming, fossil fuel depletion, water intake, ozone depletion, and impacts on human health. Based on the overall environmental performance of this product, life cycle assessment shows that titanium dioxide coating has an overall negative score of –0.70 indicating that the addition of this surface layer will have an overall positive effect on the environment.
Multigrid Monte Carlo methods

This paper is intended to be a tutorial on multigrid Monte Carlo techniques, illustrated with two examples. Path-integral quantum Monte Carlo is seen to take only a finite amount of computer time even as the paths are discretized on infinitesimally small scales. A method for eliminating critical slowing down completely — even for models with discrete degrees of freedom, as in Potts models, or discrete excitations, such as isolated vortices in the XY model — is presented.
Minimizing electricity costs by sharing energy in sustainable microgrids

Buildings account for over 75% of the electricity consumption in the United States. To reduce electricity usage and peak demand, many utilities are introducing market-based time-of-use (TOU) pricing models. In parallel, government programs that increase the fraction of renewable energy are incentivizing residential consumers to adopt on-site renewables and energy storage. Connecting on-site renewables and energy storage between homes forms a sustainable microgrid capable of generating, storing, and sharing electricity to balance local generation and consumption in residential areas. In this paper, we investigate how to minimize the costs of electricity from a utility for a microgrid under market-based TOU pricing models. In particular, we (i) present a system architecture for an energy-sharing microgrid; and (ii) develop optimal energy-sharing algorithms for homes within the microgrid. We conduct an extensive evaluation under two typical TOU pricing models that use data from more than 40 homes. Our results indicate that our system reduces the costs of Alternating Current (AC) electricity by 20%, even for homes with similar energy usage patterns.
Behavior and Symptom Change Among Women Treated with Placebo for Sexual Dysfunction

ABSTRACT Introduction In clinical trials of drug treatments for women's sexual dysfunction, placebo responses have often been substantial. However, little is known about the clinical significance, specificity, predictors, and potential mechanisms of placebo response in sexual dysfunction. Aim We aimed to determine the nature and predictors of sexual function outcomes in women treated with placebo for female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD). Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the placebo arm of a 12‐week, multisite, randomized controlled pharmaceutical trial for FSAD (N = 50). We analyzed the magnitude, domain specificity, and clinical significance of sexual function scores at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks (post‐treatment). We examined longitudinal change in sexual function outcomes as a function of several baseline variables (e.g., age, symptom‐related distress) and in relation to changes in sexual behavior frequency during the trial. Main Outcome Measure Female Sexual Function Index total score. Results The magnitude of change at post‐treatment was clinically significant in approximately one‐third of placebo recipients. Effect sizes were similar across multiple aspects of sexual function. Symptom improvement was strongly related to the frequency of satisfying sexual encounters during treatment. However, the relationship between sexual encounter frequency and outcome varied significantly between participants. Conclusions. A substantial number of women experienced clinically significant improvement in sexual function during treatment with placebo. Changes in sexual behavior during the trial, more so than participant age or symptom severity at baseline, appeared to be an important determinant of outcome. Contextual and procedural aspects of the clinical trial may have influenced outcomes in the absence of an active drug treatment. Bradford A and Meston CM. Behavior and symptom change among women treated with placebo for sexual dysfunction. J Sex Med 2011;8:191–201.
What in the World is Curriculum Theory

(1982). What in the world is curriculum theory? Theory Into Practice: Vol. 21, Curriculum Theory, pp. 18-22.
A Statistical Model to Forecast Short-Term Atlantic Hurricane Intensity

An alternative 24-h statistical hurricane intensity model is presented and verified for 13 hurricanes during the 2004–05 seasons. The model uses a new method involving a discriminant function analysis (DFA) to select from a collection of multiple regression equations. These equations were developed to predict the future 24-h wind speed increase and the 24-h pressure drop that were constructed from a dataset of 103 hurricanes from 1988 to 2003 that utilized 25 predictors of rapid intensification. The accuracy of the 24-h wind speed increase models was tested and compared with the official National Hurricane Center (NHC) 24-h intensity forecasts, which are currently more accurate on average than other 24-h intensity models. Individual performances are shown for Hurricanes Charley (2004) and Katrina (2005) along with a summary of all 13 hurricanes in the study. The average error for the 24-h wind speed increase models was 11.83 kt (1 kt 0.5144 m s 1 ) for the DFA-selected models and 12.53 kt for the official NHC forecast. When the DFA used the correctly selected model (CSM) for the same cases, the average error was 8.47 kt. For the 24-h pressure reduction models, the average error was 7.33 hPa for the DFA-selected models, and 5.85 hPa for the CSM. This shows that the DFA performed well against the NHC, but improvements can still be made to make the accuracy even better.
Understanding and applying a resource-based relative value system to your neurosurgical practice.

The payment policy for United States physicians was formerly based on determination of customary and prevailing charges from their fee schedules. Rapidly growing health care expenditures in the 1980s led to a fundamental change in payment reimbursement in which the new system was based on the resource costs to the physician for providing health care services. This reform highlights the significant regulatory morass that has come to burden the health care industry. One of the most critical changes in physician reimbursement was caused by the Congressional mandate that led to the development of a resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) for the creation of the Medicare physician fee schedule. Most physicians, however, have limited familiarity with the RBRVS system, which now serves as the basis for Medicare-related physician reimbursement as well as many third-party payers. A historical review of the development of the RBRVS will serve as the basis for applying the methodology to improve the effectivenes...
Scalability of sub-100 nm thin-channel InAs PHEMTs

We have experimentally investigated the role of thinning down the channel thickness and using high InAs composition as a channel material, which aims to improve the electrostatic integrity of the device as well as high frequency characteristics of the device. To do so, we have fabricated InAs PHEMTs with t ch = 10 nm, together with reference In 0.7 Ga 0.3 As PHEMTs with t ch = 13 nm. In comparison with reference In 0.7 Ga 0.3 As ones, InAs PHEMTs with t ch = 10 nm exhibit excellent electrostatic integrity of the device down to L g = 30 nm regime, such as subthreshold swing (S=75 mV/dec), DIBL = 84 mV/V and g m_max = 1.9 mS/mm at V DS = 0.5 V. Besides, InAs PHEMTs with L g = 30 nm show outstanding f T = 600 GHz and f max = 490 GHz at V DS = 0.5 V. More importantly, InAs PHEMTs exhibit a far better scaling behaviors, down to L g = 30 nm regimes. Indeed, InAs is a promising choice of the channel material for future THz and logic applications.
Clustering of B and T Epitopes Within Short Sequence Regions of the Nieotinic Acetylcholine Receptor

The epitope repertoire of B cells, due to their selective ability to process their specific antigen and the potential bias imposed on the resulting peptides by the surface immunoglobulins bound to the antigen, may influence the T-helper repertoire. Immunization of C57B1/6 mice with Torpedo acetylcholine receptor (TAChR) causes experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). Anti-TAChR CD4+ cells recognize epitopes within three sequence regions of the TAChR a subunit (“dominant epitopes’). Immunization of mice with denatured or synthetic TAChR antigens sensitizes CD4+ cells to other TAChR sequence regions (‘cryptic epitopes’). We investigated here whether clustering of B and T epitopes within the same short sequence segments occurs during the anti-TAChR response, as previously described for the response to hexogenous antigens unrelated to homologous self proteins. Twelve 19–20 residue synthetic sequences of the TAChRα, β and δ subunits, containing dominant or cryptic CD4+ epitopes for C57B1/6 mice, were tested for ability to induce anti-peptide antibody production. C57B1/6 mice were immunized with the individual peptides. Ten peptides stimulated antibody production. Therefore >80% of these short TAChR sequences also contain B epitopes. Therefore also in the anti-TAChR response leading to EAMG T and B cell epitopes frequently reside within the same short sequence segment.
SOCIAL CAPITAL AND POLITICS

▪ Abstract This review evaluates the most recent studies of social capital in political science and argues that they have strayed considerably from the original treatment of social capital, which casts it as endogenous. Recent treatments have recast social capital as a feature of political culture and thereby treat values as exogenous. These two approaches emanate from incompatible premises and have fundamentally different implications. Thus, efforts to combine the two approaches are rendered unproductive by inevitable inconsistencies of internal logic. Moreover, empirical tests of the exogenous social capital approach are deficient: They are selective in their use of data and employ ad hoc procedures at crucial junctures. We therefore urge a return to the treatment of social capital as endogenous.
Inducing Jurors to Disregard Inadmissible Evidence: A Legal Explanation Does Not Help*

Three experiments investigated mock jurors' ability to disregard inadmissible prior conviction evidence and hearsay. In Experiments 1 and 2, college students listened to an audiotape enacting a theft trial. The critical evidence favored the prosecution and was objected to by the defense. In three different conditions the judge either ruled the evidence admissible, ruled it inadmissible, or ruled it inadmissible and explained the legal basis for the ruling. In a fourth condition no critical evidence was presented. The critical witness' credibility was also manipulated. With prior conviction evidence but not hearsay the legal explanation “backfired.” In addition, the critical witness' credibility did not affect subjects' ability to disregard inadmissible evidence. The results of Experiment 3 suggest that the legal explanation may have affected the use of hearsay and prior conviction evidence differently because of subjects' dissimilar preconceptions of the fairness of using the two evidence items to assess guilt.
On the complexity of parallelizing sequential circuits using the parallel-prefix method

The parallel-prefix method uses a tree of identical processing nodes to calculate in parallel, the state and output response of a finite-state machine (FSM) to a finite-length input sequence. Traditionally, each computing node in the tree has been required to perform multiplication of binary matrices. In this paper, we show that under appropriate modifications of the input-output mappings at the leaf nodes of the tree, the operation of each node can be reduced to the operation of the unique finite semigroup that is associated with the given FSM. In terms of this view, previous parallel-prefix approaches for sequential circuits have treated the worst case scenario, in which the order of the associated semigroup is exponential in the number of states of the given FSM.
Measurement and Modeling of the Impedance Characteristics of Porous La1 − x Sr x CoO3 − δ Electrodes

Porous La 1-x Sr x CoO 3-δ (LSC) electrodes having Sr composition x = 0.4 (LSC-64) and x = 0.2 (LSC-82) were fabricated on Sm-doped ceria electrolytes, and studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy between T = 650-750°C and p O2 = 0.01-1.0 atm. The faradaic portion of the impedance was found to exhibit Gerischer or Gerischer-like characteristics, indicating colimitation by kinetics and transport. The characteristic resistance and frequency response was analyzed using a transport and reaction model that considers parallel bulk and surface diffusion of oxygen, as well as three-dimensional transport effects near the electrode electrolyte interface. In the case of LSC-64, measured characteristics appear to be largely consistent with a bulk transport path, based on independent measurements of the thermodynamic, kinetic, and transport properties of LSC-64. In the case of LSC-82, which has a much lower bulk vacancy concentration under the same conditions, results were inconsistent with an entirely bulk transport path. Results for LSC-82 could be rationalized assuming a parallel surface transport path, where surface mobility is governed by some kind of interstitial or adatom diffusion mechanism.
In memoriam Donald S. Fredrickson, MD: 1924-2002.

Dr Donald S. Fredrickson (Figure), who died on June 7, 2002, was an internationally recognized authority on disorders of lipid metabolism and, in the words of National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Elias Zerhouni, “a towering influence in the scientific community”1 (personal communication, NIH, July 23, 2002). In the past half century, Dr Fredrickson’s accomplishments in basic science, clinical investigation, and public service transformed the field of cardiovascular medicine and advanced the conduct of research. But Don Fredrickson is also the man who, in 1965, first invited me to work with him and Dr Robert I. Levy in the Molecular Disease Branch of the NIH. This marked the beginning of my research career. With the death of Don Fredrickson, an era has ended, and we who knew him have lost a friend and colleague. Donald S. Fredrickson, MD; photo courtesy of NIH. Don’s accomplishments in science and medicine helped create the field of lipidology, an entirely new discipline. His earliest research interests focused on sterol metabolism. Subsequently, he concentrated on the structure and metabolism of the plasma lipoproteins, their role in transporting fats, and the genetic factors regulating their metabolism and concentration in the blood (personal communication, NIH, July 23, 2002). At the Molecular Disease Branch of the NIH, which he headed from 1966 to 1974, Don and his colleagues were involved in discoveries that included separating apolipoproteins A, B, and C into their component parts and characterizing and sequencing apolipoproteins A-II, C-I, C-II, and C-III.2–9⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓ In addition, he discovered two genetic disorders: Tangier disease (TD), which is characterized by an absence of HDL,10 and cholesteryl ester storage disease, a lysosomal enzyme deficiency.11,12⇓ The study of TD has since become a key to our understanding of lipoprotein metabolism. …
Studies on creep crack growth using the T∗-integral

Abstract In this paper, the relevance of the parameters T ∗ , C ∗ , and TC in characterizing creep crack growth is examined. Experimental data on creep crack growth in a 316 stainless steel single-edge notch specimen is numerically simulated, and the variations of various parameters during crack growth are ascertained. The results, while not being totally conclusive, point to the potential of the new parameter T ∗ in characterizing creep crack growth under nonsteady creep (not pure power law creep) as well as in situations wherein time-independent plastic strains in addition to creep strains, are significant.
Psychosomatic Aspects of Cancer: An Overview.

An overview of research on the psychosomatic aspects of cancer indicated that earlier psychoanalytic interpretations which focused on intrapsychic elements have given way to considerations of rehabilitation of victims of cancer and assistance with the complex emotional reactions of patients to terminal disease and of patients' families both to the disease and to death.
Performance features of the PA7100 microprocessor

The PA7100 CPU, the first precision-architecture, reduced-instruction-set-computer (PA-RISC) architecture implementation to combine an integer core and floating-point coprocessor into a single-chip format, is described. It incorporates superscalar execution and supports clock rates of up to 100 MHz in standard 0.8- mu m CMOS. Features such as a flexible primary cache organization and multiprocessing capability allow the device to be scaled to a variety of system applications, price ranges, and performance levels. The microprocessor instruction execution pipeline, cache design, translation look-aside buffer (TLB) for virtual address translation, floating-point unit, and system interface bus are discussed. The design, test, and verification methods used in the development of the PA7100 are reviewed. >
Estrogen receptor acetylation and phosphorylation in hormone responses

Histone acetylation is thought to facilitate binding of transcription factors (TFs) to specific target DNA sequences by destabilizing nucleosomes bound to the promoter region of a target gene. In addition, non-histone proteins including a subset of TFs and co-activators are acetylated by p300/CBP and P/CAF. The regulation of estrogen signaling by direct estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) post-translational modification reveals a novel role for histone acetyltransferase in hormone signaling. ERα is acetylated and phosphorylated and phosphorylation occurs at multiple sites in response to kinase signaling. The finding that mutations with the ERα hinge domain lysine residues enhance hormone sensitivity suggests these residues may be involved in ligand-dependent transcriptional repression or transcriptional attenuation. Phosphorylation and acetylation of the ER regulates hormone signaling and is being assessed for a role in resistance to anti-estrogen therapy of ERα-positive patients.
Conflicts Between Young Adolescents With Type I Diabetes and Their Parents

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. The purposes were to describe sources of parent-adolescent conflict in families of young adolescents with type I diabetes and to determine if the sources of conflict were similar to those in a comparable nondistressed group from an earlier study. DESIGN AND METHODS. A descriptive study of 161 adolescents with type I diabetes and their parents examined conflict using the Issues Checklist. RESULTS. Adolescents with type I diabetes and their families were similar to a non-distressed population in their ranking of quantity, intensity, and frequency by intensity scores. Issues generating the highest frequency of discussion were comparable to those reported in the nondistressed group, with the exception of topics regarding what time to have meals and to watch television. Intensity of discussion was also comparable, with the exception of topics regarding getting up in the morning and bothering the parents. Adolescent report of conflict with the mother was significantly lower overall for the adolescents with type I diabetes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Conflict is expected between young adolescents and parents, and having type I diabetes does not heighten conflict with parents with respect to general adolescent issues. Understanding this principle should help healthcare workers recognize usual adolescent–parent conflict and use similar approaches to address these conflicts as are used with nondistressed families.
Ecology of two geographically restricted Astragalus species (Fabaceae), A. bibullatus and A. tennesseensis, of the eastern United States

Abstract Jerry M. Baskin (Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506-0225, U.S.A.; jmbask0@uky.edu) & Carol C. Baskin (Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506-0225, U.S.A.; ccbask0@uky.edu and Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546-0321, U.S.A.). Ecology of two geographically restricted Astragalus species (Fabaceae), A. bibullatus and A. tennesseensis, of the eastern United States. Brittonia 57: 345–353. 2005.—Astragalus bibullatus is endemic to limestone glades in the Central Basin of Tennessee, and except for one population in Illinois, A. tennesseensis is endemic to limestone glades in the Central Basin and in the Moulton Valley of Alabama. However, A. tennesseensis has been extirpated from four counties in Illinois, from its only known site in Indiana, from one county in Tennessee, and from one county in Alabama. Astragalus bibullatus is closely related to the geographically widespread Great Plains taxon A...
Stomach Carcinoma Surveillance Counterpoint: USA

The combined 5-year survival rate for all newly diagnosed gastric cancer patients in the United States is about 24 % [1]. The mortality rate is high because two-thirds of Americans initially present with TNM stage III–IV disease, not only making it more difficult to achieve resection with uninvolved margins, but also increasing the probability of systemic spread. Cure is only achieved through a combination of gastrectomy and lymphadenectomy with or without neo-adjuvant and/or perioperative chemotherapy. In the USA, only about one-quarter of newly diagnosed patients undergo curative-intent resection [2]. Though this intervention undoubtedly improves the prognosis, it is by no means a panacea, as the 5-year survival rate of patients treated with curative intent is 47–60 % and recurrence occurs in 15–37 % [3] (Table 20.1).
Improving Your Appellate Briefs: The Best Advice from the Bench, the Bar, and the Academy

The busy lawyer looking to improve as a brief writer can consult numerous articles addressing various aspects of writing appellate briefs. But judge-written articles appearing in state bar journals are often too short and superficial to help. Some offer overly general advice and neglect to provide examples, while others address just one aspect of brief writing. Conversely, law review articles on brief writing, typically written by law professors, tend to be long and only tangentially related to law practice. This article, however, distills the best advice from practitioners, judges, and professors, respectively, about writing briefs. It draws on the author’s teaching and brief writing, and on the academic writing and practical experience of others, to offer instructional tips designed to improve all aspects of appellate briefs. Therefore, both the bewildered novice and the grizzled veteran practitioner can benefit from it. So can the legal writing teacher seeking a comprehensive, yet concise guide to brief writing to share with students.
The Physical Educator's Role in Enacting the Mandated School Wellness Policy: School Nutrition

“N ew federal regulations celebrated in schools.” While a more unlikely headline might be hard to imagine, school physical educators should be delighted with the recently mandated school wellness policies. For the physical education profession, these policies offer new ways of improving student health. The root causes of such health threats as obesity and inactivity are clearly identifi ed: students are eating too much of the wrong kinds of food and moving too little. Unfortunately, effective strategies for solving these problems are harder to identify. Access to healthy foods in public schools is critical. Schools provide most of the total daily dietary intake of food and nutrients for many children (Gleason & Suitor, 2003). Because the vast majority of children in the United States spend most of their day in public schools, teachers can certainly infl uence students’ eating habits. What children learn about nutrition in schools almost certainly plays a role in their food choices outside of school, and these choices will affect both the quality and length of their future life (Olshansky et al., 2005). Efforts to promote healthy and active lifestyles will not succeed without changing students’ diets. The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 may prove to be a signifi cant catalyst both for improving children’s health and for rethinking the role of the public school physical education teacher. In this article we will examine some of the nutritional issues that physical educators should consider addressing.
The Development of Engineering Radiative Heat Transfer

The history of the development of thermal radiation heat transfer is reviewed from the early studies of the characteristics of radiation through the recognition of the infrared portion of the spectrum, Maxwell’s equations, and on to Planck’s derivation of the blackbody energy spectrum and the impact of that analysis on the development of modern physics. More recent developments and applications in response to important applications in spacecraft, propulsion systems, high temperature systems, manufacturing, and contemporary microscale systems are reviewed, and the rapid development of the field during the last half of the 20th century is outlined. Present and emerging research areas are briefly reviewed.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Divided Attention and Television Commercials: An Experimental Study

To test the distraction hypothesis of Festinger and Maccoby, an experiment was conducted in which subjects were shown a videotape containing a television commercial. They were visually or behaviora...
Metal-induced conformational changes of human metallothionein-2A: a combined theoretical and experimental study of metal-free and partially metalated intermediates.

Electrospray ionization ion mobility mass spectrometry (ESI IM-MS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal new insights into metal-induced conformational changes and the mechanism for metalation of human metallothionein-2A (MT), an intrinsically disordered protein. ESI of solutions containing apoMT yields multiple charge states of apoMT; following addition of Cd2+ to the solution, ESI yields a range of CdiMT (i = 1–7) product ions (see Chen et al. Anal. Chem. 2013, 85, 7826–33). Ion mobility arrival-time distributions (ATDs) for the CdiMT (i = 0–7) ions reveal a diverse population of ion conformations. The ion mobility data clearly show that the conformational diversity for apoMT and partially metalated ions converges toward ordered, compact conformations as the number of bound Cd2+ ions increase. MD simulations provide additional information on conformation candidates of CdiMT (i = 0–7) that supports the convergence of distinct conformational populations upon metal binding. Integrating the IM-MS a...
Serum prolactin levels in fetal and neonatal hamsters and the relationship to maternal levels.

SummaryImmunoreactive prolactin was measured by RIA in 13.5-15.5 day gestation fetal and 0.5-3.5 day neonatal hamster serum and found to significantly reflect rises and falls in maternal levels. On the average, fetal and neonatal levels were 37% of maternal prolactin serum levels. 125I-PRL injected into 13.5-15.5 day pregnant hamsters was demonstrated to cross the placenta and enter fetal circulation. Ten min after injection, fetal serum levels were calculated to be an average of 3.9% of the radioactivity recorded in maternal serum. There is a strong possibility that fetal prolactin serum levels may be, at least in part, attributed to a maternal source.
Individual differences in boldness influence patterns of social interactions and the transmission of cuticular bacteria among group-mates.

Despite the importance of host attributes for the likelihood of associated microbial transmission, individual variation is seldom considered in studies of wildlife disease. Here, we test the influence of host phenotypes on social network structure and the likelihood of cuticular bacterial transmission from exposed individuals to susceptible group-mates using female social spiders ( Stegodyphus dumicola ). Based on the interactions of resting individuals of known behavioural types, we assessed whether individuals assorted according to their behavioural traits. We found that individuals preferentially interacted with individuals of unlike behavioural phenotypes. We next applied a green fluorescent protein-transformed cuticular bacterium, Pantoea sp., to individuals and allowed them to interact with an unexposed colony-mate for 24 h. We found evidence for transmission of bacteria in 55% of cases. The likelihood of transmission was influenced jointly by the behavioural phenotypes of both the exposed and susceptible individuals: transmission was more likely when exposed spiders exhibited higher ‘boldness’ relative to their colony-mate, and when unexposed individuals were in better body condition. Indirect transmission via shared silk took place in only 15% of cases. Thus, bodily contact appears key to transmission in this system. These data represent a fundamental step towards understanding how individual traits influence larger-scale social and epidemiological dynamics.
Epidemiological Analysis of Other Infectious Diarrhea in Jinshan District of Shanghai during 2006-2010

[Objective]To analyze the epidemiological analysis of other infectious diarrhea in Jinshan district of Shanghai during 2006-2010,provide the scientific evidences for making prevention and control measures. [Methods]The data of other infectious diarrhea cases reported by national diseases information management system were analyzed by descriptive epidemiology method. [Results]During 2006-2010,1 599 cases of other infectious diarrhea were reported in Jinshan district,the annual incidence rate ranged from 38.10/lakh to 56.95/lakh,which showed a single-peak distribution.62.93% of patients were people aged 20~49 years old,and most of cases were workers and farmers.The peak season was from June to October.The cases diagnosed by laboratory testing accounted for 58.53% of the total reported cases.Among cases which were diagnosed with clear pathogen,72.72% infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus and 25.71% infected with Salmonella. [Conclusion]From 2006 to 2010,the high incidence of other infectious diarrhea in Jinshan district was observed in summer and autumn,young adults were the high-risk population,and Vibrio parahaemolyticus was the important factor influencing the distribution of other infectious diarrhea cases.
The prevalence survey of hydatid disease in Midong district of Rumqi city in 2012

Objective:To understand the prevalence of hydatid disease in Midong district,and provide the basis for control and prevention for hydatid disease.Methods: B ultrasound examination and determination of serum(ELISA) were employed in this investigation.Results: The investigation on infection and prevalence of children showed the infection rate was 0.87%(8/923).The prevalence survey of population showed the morbidity was 0.11%(7/6101).The antigen detection of dog feces showed the infection rate of dog was 1.11%(10/904).The livestock investigation showed the infection rate was 20.7%(207/1000).Conclusion: The infection rate and morbidity of hydatid disease in Midong district were relatively low.
After Horizontal Gene Transfers, Metabolic Pathways May Need Further Optimization: Effective use of a horizontally transferred pathway can require co-evolutionary changes in the host or pathway

One surprising discovery of the genome sequencing era is the sheer ubiquity of horizontal gene transfers (HGT), particularly among bacteria. Genetic material encoding single enzymes and entire metabolic pathways has moved between distantly related species, with important consequences for microbial evolution, physiology, and ecology. HGT facilitated the rise of antibiotic resistance, the emergence of new bacterial species, and the adaptation of microbes to new ecological niches. By drawing on the metabolic potential of this “flexible genome,” novel microorganisms are capable of adopting a diverse array of phenotypes.
Joint Routing, Channel Assignment, and Link Scheduling

Introduction Wireless multihop radio networks such as ad hoc, mesh, or sensor networks are formed of autonomous nodes communicating via radio. Wireless networks have drawn lots of attention in recent years because of their potential applications in various areas. For example, wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are being used as the last mile for extending Internet connectivity for mobile nodes. Many U.S. cities (e.g., Medford, Oregon; Chaska, Minnesota; and Gilbert, Arizona) have already deployed mesh networks. AWA, the Spanish operator of WLANs, will roll out commercial WLANs and mesh networks for voice and data services. Several companies, such as MeshDynamics, have recently announced the availability of multihop, multiradio mesh-network technology. These networks behave almost like wired networks because they have infrequent topology changes, limited node failures, and so forth. For WMNs or WSNs, the aggregate traffic load of each routing node also changes infrequently. A unique characteristic of wireless networks is that the radio sent out by a wireless terminal will be received by all the terminals within its transmission range and also possibly cause signal interference to some terminals that are not intended receivers. In other words, the communication channels are shared by the wireless terminals. Thus, one of the major problems facing wireless networks is the reduction of capacity that is due to interference caused by simultaneous transmissions. Using multiple channels and multiple radios can alleviate but not eliminate the interference. This raises the scalability issue of WMNs.
When Should Surgeons Quit Operating

The importance and variety of the many decisions which practicing operative surgeons are obliged to make throughout their career is discussed, together with the multiple factors which may influence those decisions, and to what extent those factors are adversely affected as the surgeon’s age. Since the 1986 legislation against age discrimination, there are no uniformly accepted regulations or guidelines for determining when surgeons should quit operating. Studies to justify rules or recommendations for retirement from active major surgical operative and patient management have addressed this issue increasingly during the past five decades, but have not yet produced definitive answers to the question. Safety and competency do not correlate uniformly with age, and currently the decision has been largely left to the discretion of the surgeon. Efforts to examine surgeons objectively for cognitive and technical skills and proficiency, eyesight, eye–hand coordination, strength, endurance, and other indices that might validate the safety, efficacy, competence, judgment, and wisdom of the surgeon have not been embraced to date by the surgical community, but are beginning to gain support from professional societies, governing and credentialing bodies, hospitals, and other healthcare institutions. Resolution of the multiple complex issues which must occur to solve this vexing problem and to answer this important question, which is critical both to patients and to the surgeons, is forthcoming.
Defective Graphene and Graphene Allotropes as High-Capacity Anode Materials for Mg Ion Batteries

Although rechargeable Mg ion batteries have recently received renewed interest as a promising alternative to Li ion batteries, the Mg metal used for anodes in state-of-the-art Mg ion batteries is not compatible with conventional battery electrolyte solvents. On the other hand, graphite electrode materials function well with common battery electrolyte solvents, but Mg intercalation into graphite is very difficult. In the case of two-dimensional (2D) carbon-based materials, pristine graphene, the most well-studied 2D material, is known to have no capacity for Li or Mg. Here we demonstrate the potential of defective 2D carbon-based structures to be used as high-capacity anode materials for Mg ion batteries. Adsorption of divalent Mg ions on defective graphene and graphene allotropes is predicted by first-principles density functional theory. Our results show enhanced Mg adsorption on both defective graphene and graphene allotropes. Moreover, we show that Mg storage capacity can be improved by increasing the ...