cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mortality patterns among women Vietnam-era veterans: results of a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose This research compiled and analyzed the data of two cohorts of women veterans who either served in Vietnam (“Vietnam veteran” cohort, n = 4586) or served elsewhere during the Vietnam War (“non-Vietnam veteran” cohort, n = 5325). All cause and cause-specific mortality were compared between Vietnam and non-Vietnam veteran cohorts, to the U.S. population, and to earlier research. Similar analyses were performed for nurses only. Methods Vital status was determined through December 31, 2004, using primarily the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiary file and the Social Security Administration Death Master File. Selected data were submitted to the National Center for Health Statistics for merging with the National Death Index to obtain cause of death. Cox proportional hazard analysis modeling was used to obtain adjusted relative risks (ARR). SEER∗Stat software was used to compute standardized mortality ratios (SMR) for comparisons to the U.S. population. Results Women Vietnam veterans showed a significant deficit (ARR = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62–0.98) in circulatory system disease relative to non-Vietnam veterans, but significant deficits also were observed when the Vietnam and non-Vietnam cohorts were each compared with women in the U.S. population (SMR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.54–0.77; SMR=0.82, 95% CI 0.73–0.93, respectively). Vietnam veterans had significantly lower mortality than women in the U.S. population for all causes (SMR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.80–0.94). Vietnam veterans were at significantly greater risk of mortality from motor vehicle accidents than non-Vietnam veterans (ARR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.22–5.55) and this appeared to be specific to service in Vietnam based on comparisons to the U.S. population. Patterns did not differ greatly for the analysis on nurse veterans or to earlier mortality studies of these cohorts. Conclusion Mortality from motor vehicle accidents was significantly associated with service in Vietnam. Mortality patterns generally resembled those reported on in the past.
Catalytic and non-catalytic flow-pyrolysis of bibenzyl. Possible homolytic and heterolytic processes on basic CaO

Abstract Short contact-time flow-pyrolysis of bibenzyl has been studied over the surface of glass beads (non catalytic) and CaO-coated glass beads (basic catalyst). In the 520–620°C range, non-catalytic pyrolysis took place, the primary process being homolytic cleavage to form benzyl radicals, although some phenyl and phenylethyl radicals were also formed. Reactions of these radicals yielded toluene, benzene, and ethylbenzene as primary products, and stilbene, styrene, and phenanthrene as secondary products (from C 6 H 5 CHCH 2 C 6 H 5 ). Kinetic analysis indicated a first order reaction with Ea = 47 kcal/mole. Over CaO the pyrolysis took a completely different course at much lower temperatures (400–520°C). Dehydrogenation to stilbene was very favorable, especially at the lower temperatures. However CH 2 CH 2 cleavage was also facilitated by CaO. Kinetic analysis indicated a first order reaction with Ea = 33 kcal/mole. Possible heterolytic dehydrogenation and cleavage processes are discussed, as well as the relationship of the work as one model for rapid coal pyrolysis.
Interferometric tomography for reconstructing three-dimensional transient flow

In order to understand 3D transient flow, it is very essential to apply holographic interferometric tomography. The technique is also advantages in providing nonintrusive measurement capability with reasonable accuracy and spatial resolution. Here, a new computational tomographic algorithm which is termed as Curvilinear Nonlocal Basis Function Method is introduced for reconstruction of flow fields. It is appropriate for reconstruction under various ill-posed conditions involving a limited view angle and an opaque object inside a field with irregular boundaries. The reconstruction technique is tested through computer simulation of experiments as well as a real 3D flow field. The results presented here demonstrate reliable measurement accuracy when the technique is applied for reconstruction of transient 3D flow.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
VitalTrack: A Doppler radar sensor platform for monitoring activity levels

An activity-level monitoring platform is developed using a non-contact Doppler radar sensor. The need for assistive living and smart home technologies will arise due to the increase in the aging population, and non-contact sensing technologies have the potential to revolutionize home healthcare delivery. Based on developments at University of Florida's Radio Frequency Circuits and Systems Research Laboratory, relevant information on how active people are during the day based on their physiological movements is obtained using algorithms and a non-contact Doppler radar sensor. A continuous 5.8 GHz radar wave emitted by the sensor is phase-modulated by the chest wall movement observed. The range of the radar sensor is on the order of 1.8 to 2 meters. Computer vision algorithms are used to detect and track a person as their movements are captured. Experiments were performed to monitor a person's activity levels over periods of time and the analysis of measured results is presented. 1
Linear integral equations with asymptotically almost periodic solutions

Abstract Conditions are given that ensure that bounded solutions of ∫ −ξ ξ x(t − ξ)dA(ξ) = ƒ(t) are asymptotically almost periodic. The result strengthens and extends a recent theorem of Levin and Shea. Generalizations to systems of integral equations as well as to integrodifferential systems are included.
Survey-Defined Patient Experiences With Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease

Background Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is a chronic illness of progressive recurrent sinus disease with nasal polyps and asthma. No population-based comprehensive surveys of patients with AERD have been carried out to assess specific quality-of-life impact or perceptions of treatment benefit. Objective This survey analyzed perceptions and quality of life in those living with AERD and queried patient observations of treatment effectiveness. The survey assessed whether dietary and nutritional support was used to manage AERD, and if so, whether there was a perceived benefit. Methods This survey was publicized through clinics that treat patients with AERD, Web sites, and online blogs. Results Results are reported for 190 patients. Most subjects reported an adverse effect of AERD on quality of life. Chronic nasal symptoms followed by decreased sense of smell were reported to have the greatest impact on quality of life—in 81 (43%) and 74 (39%), respectively. Those who lost their ability to smell (n = 65; 34%) reported that they missed the enjoyment of food and eating the most. A minority indicated that a combination of medications (aspirin, leukotriene receptor antagonist, zileuton, or omalizumab) was more effective than 1 alone. Of those surveyed, 120 (63%) respondents felt that components of their diet contributed to their disease and 147 (77%) respondents reported having reactions after alcohol consumption. Conclusions Patients with AERD live with frustration and report a poor quality of life in spite of several pharmacologic treatments including aspirin desensitization followed by daily aspirin. Despite ongoing medical therapy, the burden of disease in AERD remains high.
Aspects of excretory ultrafiltration in the bivalved molluscs

Abstract 1. 1. Comparative osmotic pressure measurements of the blood and the pericardial fluid in five species of bivalves revealed an osmotic pressure gradient from the pericardial fluid toward the blood. 2. 2. Measurements of the ventricular hydrostatic pressures in the same five species of bivalves indicated that the systolic pressure of the ventricle is smaller than the osmotic pressure gradient. 3. 3. Therefore, ultrafiltration cannot take place across the ventricle into the pericardial cavity.
DISCRIMINATION AMONG STATES OFCONSCIOUSNESS USING EEG SPECTRA

EEG recordings were made during waking (W) and the five sleep stages (REM, 1, 2, 3, and 4) on thirteen young adult males. For each stage, one-minute sections of the pa ietal EEG trace were digitized and subjected to Fourier analysis. The resulting spectral intensities were divided into five frequency bands; delta, theta, alpha, sigma, and beta. Linear discriminators for all six stages were calculated using stepwise multiple regression. The overall percent agreement with visual scoring was very poor, ranging from zero for stage 3 to 91% for stage 4. Linear discrimination between pairs of stages yielded slightly better results, but stages 1 and REM were indistinguishable. Delta is the best overall discriminator, increasing significantly through stages W, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Sigma is unique to sleep and is highest for stage 2. Theta is unimportant and beta plays no role at all. Spectral analysis of the parietal EEG lead is not sufficient to differentiate among the six states of consciousness studied here. The use of detectors for such phasic events as eye movement and K-complexes might aid sleep stage discrimination considerably.
Krypton red laser photocoagulation for subretinal neovascularization.

Abstract One hundred fifty-seven patients with subretinal neovascularization (SRN) were treated in a prospective, nonrandomized, consecutive study with the krypton red laser (KRL). The patients were analyzed with respect to age, etiology of the SRN, location of the SRN, and pre- and post-treatment visual acuity in patients with at least three months follow-up. Previous studies have not investigated KRL photocoagulation within the foveal avascular zone (FAZ). The results of this study compare favorably with other large series in which patients with SRN located outside the FAZ were treated with the argon bluegreen laser (ABGL).
Ribosome structure: revisiting the connection between translational accuracy and unconventional decoding

The ribosome is a molecular machine that converts genetic information in the form of RNA, into protein. Recent structural studies reveal a complex set of interactions between the ribosome and its ligands, mRNA and tRNA, that indicate ways in which the ribosome could avoid costly translational errors. Ribosomes must decode each successive codon accurately, and structural data provide a clear indication of how ribosomes limit recruitment of the wrong tRNA (sense errors). In a triplet-based genetic code there are three potential forward reading frames, only one of which encodes the correct protein. Errors in which the ribosome reads a codon out of the normal reading frame (frameshift errors) occur less frequently than sense errors, although it is not clear from structural data how these errors are avoided. Some mRNA sequences, termed programmed-frameshift sites, cause the ribosome to change reading frame. Based on recent work on these sites, this article proposes that the ribosome uses the structure of the codon-anticodon complex formed by the peptidyl-tRNA, especially its wobble interaction, to constrain the incoming aminoacyl-tRNA to the correct reading frame.
Distribution of trace levels of therapeutic gallium in bone as mapped by synchrotron x-ray microscopy.

Abstract Gallium nitrate, a drug that inhibits calcium release from bone, has been proven a safe and effective treatment for the accelerated bone resorption associated with cancer. Though bone is a target organ for gallium, the kinetics, sites, and effects of gallium accumulation in bone are not known. We have used synchrotron x-ray microscopy to map the distribution of trace levels of gallium in bone. After short-term in vivo administration of gallium nitrate to rats, trace (nanogram) amounts of gallium preferentially localized to the metabolically active regions in the metaphysis as well as the endosteal and periosteal surfaces of diaphyseal bone, regions where new bone formation and modeling were occurring. The amounts measured were well below the levels known to be cytotoxic. Iron and zinc, trace elements normally found in bone, were decreased in amount after in vivo administration of gallium. These studies represent a first step toward understanding the mechanism(s) of action of gallium in bone by suggesting the possible cellular, structural, and elemental "targets" of gallium.
The Influence of Cortisone on Experimental Tuberculosis of Guinea Pigs

The marked effects of cortisone on a disease such as rheumatoid arthritis,’ in which bacterial hypersensitivity is said to play a part, suggested to us that perhaps cortisone would alter the pathogenesis of tuberculosis, a disease in which bacterial hypersensitivity occurs as a prominent feature. The following report is an account of an experiment in which it was found that the administration of cortisone to tuberculous guinea pigs was not beneficial and may even have been harmful. Furthermore, the use of this hormone appeared to inhibit the beneficial effects of a low dose of streptomycin. It was also found that tuberculin hypersensitivity was diminished by the administration of cortisone.
DISSOCIATION OF RESPONSE TO TRIIODOTHYROACETIC ACID IN MYXKDEMA: COMPARISON WITH RESPONSE TO THYROID SUBSTANCE

In order to confirm the previously reported dissociation of the physiologic effects produced by the acetic acid derivatives of thyroxine and of triiodothyronine in patients with myxedema, additional studies of the action of triiodothyroacetic acid (Triac) were made over a prolonged period of time, concentrating on the response of the BMR and the serum cholesterol level. Five patients with myxedema received Triac and 6 patients received thyroid substance. Each compound was administered in increasing dosage and the effect of each dosage was observed for a period of two to three months. The daily dose of Triac varied from an initial 0.5 mg. to a maximum of 4.0 mg. The daily dose of thyroid varied from an initial 15.0 mg. to a maximum of 150.0 mg. in 4 patients; the other 2 patients received only 15.0 mg. daily. In general, dosages of Triac up to 2.0 mg. daily failed to produce a rise in BMR, whereas the concentration of serum cholesterol dropped 30 to 40 per cent from the pretreatment level. With thyroid, th...
Algorithm 773: SSRFPACK: interpolation of scattered data on the surface of a sphere with a surface under tension

SSRFPACK is a Fortran 77 software package that constructs a smooth interpolatory or approximating surface to data values associated with arbitrarily distributed points on the surface of a sphere. It employs automatically selected tension factors to preserve shape properties of the data and avoid overshoot and undershoot associated with steep gradients.
Bacterial Movement Through Fractured Bedrock

The movement of bacteria-laden waters percolating through fractured crystalline bedrock in mountainous terrain was examined to determine whether effluent originating from domestic waste disposal systems could contaminate shallow ground-water supplies. Inoculated waters were injected into holes and/or wells at two geologically different test sites (granitic, metamorphic) to evaluate the extent of microbial filtration in or along bedrock fractures. Microbiological examination of tracer waters, sampled both above and below the zone of saturation, was made. Field studies showed that the direction and rate of movement of contaminated ground waters were controlled largely by the anisotropic nature of the geologic stratum, particularly by the orientation of major bedrock fracture sets. Inoculated waters were found to be readily transported by the ground-water gradient into a downslope well. At one test site, a tracer bacterium traversed a horizontal distance of 94 feet in 24-30 hours. Continued bacteriological analysis of the contaminated well found the organism to be present for at least five days after inoculation of the upslope well. In the zone of aeration, bacteria-laden effluent was found to percolate in or along fractures with inadequate filtration prior to entering the ground water. Studies conducted in metamorphic rock demonstrated that while fecal-type bacteria decreased slightly during percolation through bedrock fractures, total bacterial densities were generally unchanged. From the hydrogeological and microbiological data obtained at both test sites, it can be concluded that moderate percolation rates and minimum distances between water wells and leachfield type waste disposal units are inadequate to protect potable ground-water supplies from contamination in mountainous terrain.
Solid-Liquid Phase Behavior of Ternary Mixtures

The Gibbs Duhem integration technique is extended to calculate ternary phase diagrams at constant temperature and pressure. The technique is used to calculate solid-liquid-vapor phase equilibria for a system selected to roughly model a mixture of two diastereomeric molecules of similar melting point and diameter immersed in a solvent with a lower melting point and a slightly smaller diameter. The cross-species well-depth and diameter between the two diastereomers are varied to determine their impact on the phase equilibria. We find that when the interspecies well-depth is lowered to less than that of either of the diastereomers, the solid phase separates into two solid solutions and consequently there is a region of three-phase coexistence in the ternary phase diagram. We then calculate ternary phase diagrams at a series of temperatures for one set of molecular parameters. For an equimolar mixture of diastereomers, there is a range of temperature and solvent concentration at which only one of the diastereomers will precipitate, thus effecting a separation of the diastereomers. As the temperature is decreased the purity of the precipitate increases.
Critical Path Analysis Considering Temperature, Power Supply Variations and Temperature Induced Leakage

Circuit performance is strongly impacted by environmental conditions under which the circuit operates. In this paper, a worst-case critical path delay analysis technique is presented to consider the inter-dependencies between dynamic power, operating temperature, leakage, power supply variations and circuit delay. To allow for a realistic worst-case analysis of the critical path delays, the dynamic power consumptions of the chip-level circuit blocks are first mapped to the across-chip temperature and leakage distributions. Then, the dependency of the power supply levels along the critical path on the dynamic power consumptions is determined efficiently by locally analyzing the power grid. Finally, the worst-case critical path delay is found by solving constrained nonlinear optimization problems under the user-specified chip power consumption constrains and bounds. These constraints and bounds can be used to represent correlations between switching activities of different circuit blocks, power estimation uncertainty or various power level settings. The proposed technique is demonstrated on several benchmark circuits for which large chip-level thermal models and power grids are efficiently solved to facilitate the required worst-case analysis.
Roll Circulations in the Convective Region of a Simulated Squall Line

Abstract In high-resolution numerical simulations (using horizontal grid spacing less than ∼1 km), the convective region of squall lines will sometimes overturn as quasi-horizontal convective rolls. The authors study one case in detail using output from a simulation with 125-m grid spacing. The rolls have an average spacing of 3 km and are aligned parallel to the vertical wind shear. Individual convective cells often have long-lived, undiluted cores that entrain primarily on the sides of the rolls (i.e., between the roll updraft and downdraft). The following set of conditions is proposed for obtaining roll overturning: the formation of a moist absolutely unstable layer (MAUL); vertical shear of the horizontal wind within the MAUL; an environment without large-amplitude perturbations; and quasi-horizontal flow over the squall line’s surface-based cold pool. Further insight is gained through a series of more idealized simulations wherein a specified MAUL is perturbed by analytic potential temperature pertur...
Identification of neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a discriminatory marker of the hepatocyte‐secreted protein response to IL‐1β: a proteomic analysis

The liver is the major source of proteins used throughout the body for various functions. Upon injury or infection, an acute phase response (APR) is initiated in the liver that is primarily mediated by inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6. Among others, the APR is characterized by an altered protein synthetic profile. We used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to study the dynamics of changes in protein synthesis in hepatocytes exposed to these inflammatory cytokines. Protein profiles were quantified using image analysis and further analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. Our results indicate that IL-1β and IL-6 each induces secreted protein responses with distinct dynamics and dose-dependence. Parallel stimulation by IL-1β and IL-6 results in a protein pattern indistinguishable from the IL-1β pattern, indicating a dominant effect of IL-1β over IL-6 at the doses tested. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) of correlation distances between protein secretion levels revealed two protein pairs that are robustly co-secreted across the various cytokine stimulation conditions, suggesting shared regulatory pathways. Finally, we also used multivariate alternating conditional expectation (MACE) to identify transformation functions that discriminated the cytokine-stimulated and untreated hepatocyte-secreted protein profiles. Our analysis indicates that the expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) was sufficient to discriminate between IL-1β and IL-6 stimulation. The combination of proteomics and multivariate analysis is expected to provide new information on the cellular regulatory networks involved in generating specific cellular responses. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Letter to the Editor-A Search Problem

Efficient policies are discussed for a search in which it is desired to locate a point in an interval with uniform a priori probability density by repeated application of a test to determine whether the point lies to the left or right with different associated costs of the test point.
Ultrastructural Changes in Contralateral Ves tibulo-ocular Neurons Following Vestibular Neurectomy in the Cat

Gacek RR, Lyon MJ, Schoonmaker J. Ultrastructural changes in contralateral vestibulo-ocular neurons following vestibular neurectomy in the cat. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1991; Suppl 477.Twenty contralateral superior vestibular vestibulo-ocular neurons (SVON) from 4 cats were studied morphologically 8 weeks after a right vestibular neurectomy. Nine SVON demonstrated a 35% loss of somal synaptic profiles (SP), normal nuclear and cytoplasmic size, but a slight decrease in organelles responsible for protein synthesis (rough endoplas-mic reticulum and polyribosomes). Eleven SVON showed an 82 % loss of SP, decrease in cell and nuclear size, and significant reduction in rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and polyribosomes. These transneuronal SVON changes are presumed to be the result of commissural pathway degeneration caused by the vestibular neurectomy.
Differential localization of MT1-MMP in human prostate cancer tissue: role of IGF-1R in MT1-MMP expression.

Background MT1-MMP is a metalloproteinase involved in prostate cancer metastasis. The IGF-1R is a tyrosine kinase receptor involved with tumor progression and metastasis. The purpose of this investigation was to examine MT1-MMP and IGF-1R expression and localization in prostate cancer tissues and explore the role of IGF-1R in regulating MT1-MMP in prostate cancer cell lines. Methods Immunohistochemistry was utilized to study MT1-MMP and IGF-1R expression in human prostate tissues. IGF-1R regulation of MT1-MMP expression was determined by gene promoter analysis, quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis following pharmacological inhibition of the receptor in PC-3N cells and treatment of LNCaP cells with androgen and IGF-1. Results MT1-MMP expression was high in the apical regions of the luminal cells in PIN and prostate cancer and less intense in the basalateral regions of benign tissues. IGF-1R was expressed primarily in the basal cells of normal glands and highly expressed in prostate cancer. Inhibition of IGF-1R in PC-3N cells decreased MT1-MMP expression and treatment of LNCaP cells with a synthetic androgen and IGF-1 increased MT1-MMP expression. Conclusions These data demonstrate that MT1-MMP is highly expressed in the apical cytoplasmic regions of the luminal cells in PIN and prostate cancer when compared to basalateral cytoplasmic membrane staining in benign glands. Additionally, we demonstrate that IGF-1R is highly expressed in human prostate carcinoma. These findings suggest that MT1-MMP localization and IGF-1R expression in prostate carcinoma could be predictive biomarkers for aggressive disease and support IGF-1R as a promising therapeutic target to decrease processes of prostate cancer metastasis. Prostate 68: 463–476, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
SCIENCE, MARX, and HISTORY: Are There Still Research Frontiers?

Half a century of political Marxism and Soviet social science deoected Marxist thought from its canonical sources. Communism and Marxism were so intertwined by events of the twentieth century that it is difacult to see what remains of the latter after the demise of the former. Speciacally,three foundational principles—“being determines consciousness,” the Asiatic Mode of Production,and “the ideas of the ruling class are the ruling ideas”—have been corrupted by heartfelt ideological commitments. A review of those principles against the background of Marxist writing on the history of science stakes out research frontiers that remain to be reconnoitered. Marxism has left an indelible mark on many aelds of scholarship, perhaps nowhere more visibly than in the history of science. Ideologue and ideology have enriched the aeld and enlivened discussions of the connections between science and society. Boris Hessen, V. Gordon Childe, and J.D. Bernal led the way, while Joseph Needham’s study of the history of Chinese science and technology is a towering achievement of twentiethcentury scholarship. Now that government by communist parties can be seen in historical perspective it may be timely to review dispassionately these intellectual repercussions in a aeld that has been disproportionately inouenced by Marxist ideas. With the beneat of hindsight it should be possible to see how the principles of the founding fathers were reshaped by the political requirements of the “struggle to create a socialist society,” sometimes resulting in interpretations that were politically correct but canonically obscure.
A quantitative colorimetric assay for semialdehydes.

Abstract We have studied the ability of the enzyme pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase to oxidize aldehydes which are structurally similar to pyrroline-5-carboxylate, the enamine of γ-glutamyl semialdehyde. These studies required the organic synthesis of semialdehydes not commercially available. Accurate quantitation of the concentration of these compounds in solution is necessary because they polymerize upon evaporation to dryness. Reported here is a method for colorimetric measurement of semialdehydes in solution by formation of an oxidized covalent adduct with 4-amino-3-hydrazino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole. This adduct after oxidation produces a product that has an absorption maximum at 302 ± 2 nm. This characteristic absorbance maximum was not found in the spectra of the covalent adducts of simple aliphatic aldehydes with the chromophore. Using glyoxylic acid as standard, the values obtained for the concentration of semialdehydes in solution were independently verified from quantitation of the proton concentration of the oxidized adducts by integration of the area under the peaks of their 1H NMR signals. These latter values were compared to the signal strengths of an internal standard. The values obtained by the colorimetric and NMR techniques were in excellent agreement, thus allowing use of the colorimetric technique as a simple method for routine laboratory analysis of semialdehydes.
How closed captions work

The author describes the coding of closed captions for the hearing impaired, which are included in standard television broadcast signals on line 21 of the standard television broadcast signal. Decoders in adaptors or in special television receivers decode these signals and display the captions on television screens.
Scaling Challenges in NAND Flash Device toward 10nm Technology

The scaling of floating gate cell has been the key driving force in NAND flash market growth over the past two decades. However, the scaling of conventional floating gate technology below 20nm is looking to be very difficult due to some physical and electrical issues. Critical issues of scaling in NAND flash memory technology below 20nm are reviewed. The possible solutions for overcoming scaling challenges are introduced. With these solutions, floating gate NAND flash cell could be shrunk down close to 10nm dimension.
Graduates' Reflections on Their Rural Medical Education: The Upper Peninsula Campus Experience

: A comprehensive graduate evaluation study was conducted by the Upper Peninsula campus of Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine in 1990. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the effects of the program's philosophy, curriculum, and general operational features on the 56 physician graduates from the program during 1978-1989. All practicing graduates were interviewed in their practice locations and residents were interviewed by telephone. Forty-six percent of the upper peninsula graduates are practicing in primary care specialities (family practice, general pediatrics, general internal medicine) and 41 percent are living in cities of less than 50,000 population. The overall findings identify several factors that were significant to the graduates, such as excellent role models, problem-focused curriculum, and early applied clinical work in an ambulatory, primary care, rural setting. Based on the data, the program attracts students who are satisfied with its innovative medical education.
Alanine and proline content modulate global sensitivity to discrete perturbations in disordered proteins

Molecular transduction of biological signals is understood primarily in terms of the cooperative structural transitions of protein macromolecules, providing a mechanism through which discrete local structure perturbations affect global macromolecular properties. The recognition that proteins lacking tertiary stability, commonly referred to as intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), mediate key signaling pathways suggests that protein structures without cooperative intramolecular interactions may also have the ability to couple local and global structure changes. Presented here are results from experiments that measured and tested the ability of disordered proteins to couple local changes in structure to global changes in structure. Using the intrinsically disordered N-terminal region of the p53 protein as an experimental model, a set of proline (PRO) and alanine (ALA) to glycine (GLY) substitution variants were designed to modulate backbone conformational propensities without introducing non-native intramolecular interactions. The hydrodynamic radius (R(h)) was used to monitor changes in global structure. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the GLY substitutions decreased polyproline II (PP(II)) propensities relative to the wild type, as expected, and fluorescence methods indicated that substitution-induced changes in R(h) were not associated with folding. The experiments showed that changes in local PP(II) structure cause changes in R(h) that are variable and that depend on the intrinsic chain propensities of PRO and ALA residues, demonstrating a mechanism for coupling local and global structure changes. Molecular simulations that model our results were used to extend the analysis to other proteins and illustrate the generality of the observed PRO and alanine effects on the structures of IDPs.
Assessment of anxiety in long-term care: examination of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and its short form.

Background Accurate assessment of anxiety in later life is critical, as anxiety among older adults is associated with social and functional impairment and poorer quality of life. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and the GAI-Short Form (GAI-SF) were designed to detect anxiety symptoms among community-dwelling older adults, but the usefulness of the GAI and GAI-SF in long-term care is unknown. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the GAI and GAI-SF among residents at a long-term care facility. Methods Seventy-five nursing home residents completed the GAI and measures of depression, executive functioning, and adaptive functioning. The mean age of residents was 69.60 years (SD = 10.76). Psychiatric diagnoses included dementia, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, sleep disorders, and mental retardation. Results Internal consistency of the GAI was good (α = 0.92) and the GAI-SF was adequate (α = 0.73). GAI and GAI-SF scores were moderately correlated with depression scores, and weakly correlated with adaptive functioning scores and executive functioning scores, suggesting discriminant validity. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with GAI and GAI-SF scores predicting an anxiety disorders diagnosis. Results provided support for the predictive validity of the GAI and GAI-SF. Sensitivity, specificity, and the percentage of individuals correctly classified at various cut-off scores were also calculated. Conclusions Both the GAI and GAI-SF appear to be useful tools for assessing anxiety among nursing home residents with psychological disorders. The GAI-SF may be a viable replacement for the GAI as a screener for anxiety in long-term care.
Effects of Self-Affirmation on Daily Versus Occasional Smokers’ Responses to Graphic Warning Labels

There is growing evidence that self-affirmation can reduce defensive processing of threatening health messages among high risk individuals. However, how self-affirmation might influence low risk individuals is less clear. This study examined the effect of self-affirmation on daily versus occasional smokers’ reactions to graphic on-pack warning labels. Results showed a relatively consistent pattern of interaction wherein self-affirmation decreased favorable reactions to the warning labels among occasional smokers, whereas its effect on daily smokers was mostly nonsignificant. Potential explanations of these findings are offered and their practical implications are discussed.
Dynamic Brain Phantom for Intracranial Volume Measurements

Knowledge of intracranial ventricular volume is important for the treatment of hydrocephalus, a disease in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates in the brain. Current monitoring options involve MRI or pressure monitors (InSite, Medtronic). However, there are no existing methods for continuous cerebral ventricle volume measurements. In order to test a novel impedance sensor for direct ventricular volume measurements, we present a model that emulates the expansion of the lateral ventricles seen in hydrocephalus. To quantify the ventricular volume, sensor prototypes were fabricated and tested with this experimental model. Fluid was injected and withdrawn cyclically in a controlled manner and volume measurements were tracked over 8 h. Pressure measurements were also comparable to conditions seen clinically. The results from the bench-top model served to calibrate the sensor for preliminary animal experiments. A hydrocephalic rat model was used to validate a scaled-down, microfabricated prototype sensor. CSF was removed from the enlarged ventricles and a dynamic volume decrease was properly recorded. This method of testing new designs on brain phantoms prior to animal experimentation accelerates medical device design by determining sensor specifications and optimization in a rational process.
Sleep and affective functioning: Examining the association between sleep quality and distress tolerance among veterans

Abstract Poor sleep quality is common among veterans, and associated with numerous negative consequences. Although sleep may play a critical role in next-day emotion regulation functioning, it is currently unclear how sleep quality relates to distress tolerance. As such, the current study cross-sectionally examined the association between sleep quality and distress tolerance (measured behaviorally and via self-report) among 94 military veterans with cannabis use disorder. Results indicated that Perceived Sleep Quality was associated with self-reported distress tolerance and increased frustration on a distressing task, after accounting for covariates. The current study's findings should be replicated utilizing prospective designs, but are initially consistent with theoretical models suggesting that sufficient sleep quality is necessary for appropriate affective functioning, and have clinical implications given the negative effects of poor sleep quality on general psychological functioning.
Liquefied natural gas

‘My proposition is that pricing will determine whether this country gets into LNG imports in a big way.’
Theseus, Incorporated: Philosophy of Mind, Material Constitution, and the Ontology of the Criminal Law

Recent attacks on corporate criminal liability employ reductionistic reasoning familiar to the exclusion problem of mental causation and eliminative solutions to the problem of material constitution. Recent defenses of non-reductive physicalism and other solutions to the problem of material constitution, however, offer a way for the criminal law to make sense of corporate properties that are multiply realizable in the actions of a corporation’s employees. The criminal law is an appropriate vehicle for correcting replacement-of-employees-survivable, reasons-responsive teleological structures that contribute to the commission of crimes by a corporation’s employees. Group psychology has good claim to be a legitimate special science, and the criminal law presupposes higher-order entities and rejects the sort of exclusion principle that would put different-level entities in competition. However, corporate criminal liability should be subject to a good-faith-compliance (“bad apple”) defense that would preclude corporate punishment if a corporation can show that its policies, custom, climate, and culture did not contribute to a crime. Various objections to corporate criminal liability, rooted in various theories of punishment, can be resisted. The criminal law can act against corporate existence, liberty, property, and reputation just as it can act against these interests of individuals. The teleology of a corporate culture can be deterred, embody moral norms, instantiate virtues and vices, and receive communication just as can the mind of a conscious human being. Corporations with changing culture have the functional equivalent of emotions like remorse. Corporate culture lies downstream of presumably-free human actions in a way analogous to the way character traits for which most libertarians would allow individuals to be responsible lie downstream of presumably-free earlier actions. The genuine existence of corporations and corporate actions, while consistent with corporate rights or corporate “personhood,” does not require them in all contexts and for all purposes. Theories of corporate law such as the nexus of contracts and shareholder-, director-, or stakeholder-primacy, while relevant to the distribution of control and/or benefits within a corporation and the extent to which such law should be mandatory or simply a default rule, do not undermine the justification for corporate punishment here.
Clinical manifestation of human metapneumovirus infection in Korean children

목 적 : 2000년이후human metapneumovirus (hMPV)는 하기도 호흡기 감염을 일으키는 주요 바이러스로 인식되고 있다. 급성 호흡기 감염으로 입원한 소아 환자들에서의 hMPV의 역학 및 임상적 특징, 그리고 혈액학적 특징 및 hMPV에 감염되지 않은 환자와의 비교, 중복 감염등을 통해 hMPV의 특징을 파악하고자 하였다. 방 법 : 2010년 2월부터 2012년 1월까지 급성 호흡기 증상으로 입원한 환아 1,554명의 비인두 흡인을 통해 객담 검체를 채취하여 RT-PCR을 시행 후 hMPV가 검출된 99명의 환아들의 임상 기록지를 후향적으로 검토하여 이들의 임상 증상 및 검사 소견을 분석 비교 하였다. 결 과 : 1,554명 중 1,004명(64.6%)에서 호흡기 바이러스가 검출되었다. 그 중 hMPV가 양성인 환자는 99명으로 양성 검체의 9.8%였다. hMPV에 감염된 환자의 평균 연령은 25.0개월이었으며 해마다 유행 정도는 다르나 4월부터 6월에 주로 발현하였으며 발열기간이 다른 바이러스 보다 길고 호흡기 증중을 보였으며, 천명(wheezing)이 특징적 임상 증상이었다. 진단으로 폐렴이 가장 많았지만, 12개월 이하의 연령군에서는 모세기관지염이 가장 흔하였다. 혈액학적 검사소견은 ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), CRP (C-reactive protein) 모두 hMPV에 감염된 환자군에서 정상 범위 보다 상승된 소견을 보였다. hMPV의 단독 감염과 중복 감염을 비교해 보았을 때 임상증상 및 혈액 검사 소견에서 통계학적 차이를 보이지 않았다. 결론 : hMPV는 폐렴을 일으키는 주요 원인 바이러스이며 13개월 이상부터 48개월 이하의 연령에서 호발하며 평균 연령은 25개월이며 4월에서 6월까지 유행하는 양상을 보였다. 천명이 임상적 특징이며, hMPV에 대하여 우리나라에서의 보고는 점차 증가되고 있으나 아직은 생물학적, 유전학적 특징과 관련된 임상 분석이 더 필요하다. 【Purpose : The aim of this study was to determine the frequency, epidemiology and the clinical manifestation of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection in Korean children. Methods : From February 2010 to January 2012, we collected nasopharyngeal aspiration from 1,554 children who were hospitalized for acute lower respiratory tract infections at the Department of Pediatrics, Severance Children's Hospital. hMPV was detected by performing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The medical records of the patients with positive results were retrospectively reviewed. Results : We detected hMPV in 99 of the 1,554 hospitalized children. The mean age of the hMPV infected children was 25 months, and 87% of the illnesses occurred between April and June. The most common diagnoses were pneumonia (73%) and bronchiolitis (16%). The clinical manifestations included cough, fever, respiratory distress, hoarseness, tachypnea, and wheezing. Coinfection with other respiratory viruses was found in 43 children (43%). Conclusion : hMPV is one of the major virus causing acute respiratory tract infection in the age between 13 months and 48 months old with peaks during April to June. Reports of hMPV in Korea has been increasing but additional studies are required to define the epidemiology and the extent of disease caused by hMPV to determine future development of this illness in Korean children.】
Where Have All the “Workers” Gone? A Critical Analysis of the Unrepresentativeness of Our Samples Relative to the Labor Market in the Industrial–Organizational Psychology Literature

In this article, we demonstrate that samples in the industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology literature do not reflect the labor market, overrepresenting core, salaried, managerial, professional, and executive employees while underrepresenting wage earners, low- and medium-skill first-line personnel, and contract workers. We describe how overrepresenting managers, professionals, and executives causes research about these other workers to be suspect. We describe several ways that this underrepresentation reduces the utility of the I-O literature and provide specific examples. We discuss why the I-O literature underrepresents these workers, how it contributes to the academic–practitioner gap, and what researchers can do to remedy the issue.
Manipulation of Charge Transfer Across Semiconductor Interface. A Criterion That Cannot Be Ignored in Photocatalyst Design

The Perspective focuses on photoinduced electron transfer between semiconductor–metal and semiconductor–semiconductor nanostructures and factors that influence the rate of electron transfer at the interface. The storage and discharge properties of metal nanoparticles play an important role in dictating the photocatalytic performance of semiconductor–metal composite assemblies. Both electron and hole transfer across the interface with comparable rates are important in maintaining high photocatalytic efficiency and stability of the semiconductor assemblies. Coupled semiconductors of well-matched band energies are convenient to improve charge separation. Furthermore, semiconductor and metal nanoparticles assembled on reduced graphene oxide sheets offer new ways to design multifunctional catalyst mat. The fundamental understanding of charge-transfer processes is important in the future design of light-harvesting assemblies.
Effects of Simvastatin on Blood Adiponectin and Hypersensitive C Reactive Protein Levels in Patients with Unstable Angina

【Objective】To investigate the effects of simvastatin on blood adiponectin and hypersensitive C reactive protein(hsCRP) levels in patients with unstable angina.【Methods】Sixty-three patients with unstable angina were randomly divided into two groups: control group(n=31) and simvastatin group(n=32) treated for 2 weeks.Serum adiponectin and hsCRP levels were measured before and after 2 weeks' intervention.Fifty healthy persons were enrolled as controls.Adiponectin was measured with ELISA and hsCRP with immune turbidimetry.【Results】① Compared with healthy controls,serum adiponectin levels in patients with unstable angina were significantly lower(P0.01) and levels of hsCRP were higher(P0.01);②Patients in simvastatin group had higher adiponectin and lower hsCRP levels compared with control group(P0.05).【Conclusion】Patients with unstable angina have lower adiponectin and higher hsCRP levels than healthy controls,and treatment with simvastatin has beneficial effects on the above cytokines.
Therapeutic Ratings and End‐of‐Phase II Conferences: Initiatives to Accelerate the Availability of Important New Drugs Kenneth I. Kaitin, PhD

To facilitate the availability of important new therapeutic agents, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the mid-1970s began assigning therapeutic ratings to investigational new drugs and holding end-of-phase II conferences with drug sponsors. To determine whether these initiatives are associated with faster approvals, we examined new drug application (NDA) review times of new chemical entities (NCEs) approved during the 12-year period 1978 through 1989. Mean NDA review time for 1A drugs (22.5 months) was 22% shorter than that for 1B drugs (28.7 months), which in turn was 25% shorter than that for 1C drugs (38.4 months). For drugs approved during the recent 4-year period 1986 through 1989, however, the gap between 1A and 1C review times has narrowed considerably from 19 to 9 months. When drugs were grouped by FDA reviewing division, 1A drugs had the shortest mean review time in each division except the Cardio-Renal Division; in that division, 1B drugs had the shortest mean review time. Mean NDA review time for drugs that had end-of-phase II conferences (28.6 months) was 15% shorter than that for drugs without such conferences (33.7 months). These results suggest that NCEs that receive 1A or 1B ratings and are the subject of end-of-phase II conferences benefit by having shorter review times.
An Autoinhibited Dimeric Form of BAX Regulates the BAX Activation Pathway

Pro-apoptotic BAX is a cell fate regulator playing an important role in cellular homeostasis and pathological cell death. BAX is predominantly localized in the cytosol, where it has a quiescent monomer conformation. Following a pro-apoptotic trigger, cytosolic BAX is activated and translocates to the mitochondria to initiate mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. Here, cellular, biochemical, and structural data unexpectedly demonstrate that cytosolic BAX also has an inactive dimer conformation that regulates its activation. The full-length crystal structure of the inactive BAX dimer revealed an asymmetric interaction consistent with inhibition of the N-terminal conformational change of one protomer and the displacement of the C-terminal helix α9 of the second protomer. This autoinhibited BAX dimer dissociates to BAX monomers before BAX can be activated. Our data support a model whereby the degree of apoptosis induction is regulated by the conformation of cytosolic BAX and identify an unprecedented mechanism of cytosolic BAX inhibition.