cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formal Mentorship as an Opportunity to Expand the Urology Pipeline: Under Represented Trainees Entering Residency (UReTER) Program Evaluation 2020-2021.

ABSTRACT Objective To rank percentages of underrepresented residents in surgical subspecialties and understand the experience of mentees and mentors who participated in the inaugural University of California, San Francisco Urology UnderRepresented Trainees Entering Residency (UReTER) Mentorship Program for Black, Indigenous, and/or LatinX medical students applying into urology. Methods Medical student mentees across the country were recruited via social media and email listservs. Demographic information and photos of mentors were presented on the UReTER website. Medical students could choose a mentor, and once matched, both parties were notified. A survey was emailed to all participants on Urology Match Day 2021. Result The 2018 –2019 ACGME Databook showed underrepresented minority residents made up 7.6% of urology residents, lagging behind neurosurgery, vascular surgery, general surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. 71 mentees and 101 mentors volunteered for the UReTER Mentorship Program (71 mentor-mentee couplets). Overall response rate was 51% [33 mentors and 32 mentees]. Of mentees who completed the survey, 16 (47%) participated in the 2021 Urology Match; 15 (94%) matched and 6 (38%) felt that UReTER helped them match. Conclusion Feedback on this pilot program was very positive including a high match rate among those who participated. Future changes to the program include expanded student outreach, increased structure, broadened mentor network. The implementation of a low-cost program to increase underrepresented applicants into Urology has great potential to increase representation and improve the field. This program can and should be replicated in all subspecialties.
Adversarial Online Learning With Variable Plays in the Pursuit-Evasion Game: Theoretical Foundations and Application in Connected and Automated Vehicle Cybersecurity

We extend the adversarial/non-stochastic multi-play multi-armed bandit (MPMAB) to the case where the number of arms to play is variable. The work is motivated by the fact that the resources allocated to scan different critical locations in an interconnected transportation system change dynamically over time and depending on the environment. By modeling the malicious hacker and the intrusion monitoring system as the attacker and the defender, respectively, we formulate the problem for the two players as a sequential pursuit-evasion game. We derive the condition under which a Nash equilibrium of the strategic game exists. For the defender side, we provide an exponential-weighted based algorithm with sublinear pseudo-regret. We further extend our model to heterogeneous rewards for both players, and obtain lower and upper bounds on the average reward for the attacker. We provide numerical experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of a variable-arm play.
The Sodium-Potassium Blood Pressure Trial in Children. Design, recruitment, and randomization: the children and adolescent blood pressure program.

Abstract The Sodium-Potassium Blood Pressure Trial in Children (NaKS), is a clinical trial in a healthy, free living population of children and adolescents. It is designed to test the hypotheses that a reduction in dietary sodium and/or an increase in potassium intake will decrease the rate of rise in blood pressure during normal maturation in children and adolescents with high normal blood pressure. Screening was conducted in 19,452 students in grades 5–8 in Minneapolis and St. Paul between January 1986 and May 1987. After screening, 3,223 students were found to have blood pressures that fulfilled the initial eligibility criteria for the study, and of these, 643 (20.0%) attended the orientation meeting, i.e., the first clinic visit. A total of four clinic visits, designed to test the willingness and capability of the potential participants to comply with the study protocol were conducted prior to randomization. At the conclusion of the four prerandomization visits, 243 children (7.5% of the initially eligible children) agreed to be randomized to one of four trial groups: low-sodium diet; potassium supplement administration; placebo-treated control group; and a no-treatment control group (to test the effect of acclimatization on blood pressure measurements) that will not be seen after randomization until the 4-year termination of the study. The first participants was randomized into the study on June 17, 1986, and the last on December 29, 1987. The potassium and placebo capsules are administered double-masked. Participants will be examined and receive intervention instruction four times yearly for 4 years counted from the date of their randomization. All groups were comparable with regard to distribution of school district, sex, and race and with respect to baseline physical characteristics. Results from this study will provide information about the feasibility and effect of dietary intervention during childhood and adolescence on the prevention of essential hypertension.
The thinking eye

Purpose – To discuss and review the shift to computer enhanced self‐monitoring CCTV surveillance systems of public spaces and the social implications of this shift.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the research and evaluation literature concerning CCTV surveillance systems culling out the history of public space CCTV systems and the concerns associated with first and second generation CCTV surveillance.Findings – The main difference between first and second generation surveillance is the change from a “dumb camera” that needs a human eye to evaluate its images to a computer‐linked camera system that evaluates its own video images. Second generation systems reduce the human factor in surveillance and address some of the basic concerns associated with first generation surveillance systems such as data swamping, boredom, voyeurism, and profiling. Their enhanced capabilities, though, raise new concerns, particularly the expansion of surveillance and its intrusiveness.Research limitations/implications ...
Characteristics of Time and Frequency Measurement

The characteristics of time and frequency measurements are discussed. The discussion begins with an overview of the definitions and units used in time and frequency metrology. It continues by describing several measurement systems and techniques, and the types of oscillators used as time and frequency standards.
Prevalence of acanthosis nigricans and its association with hyperinsulinemia in New Mexico adolescents.

Abstract Purpose: To determine whether the association between acanthosis nigricans (AN) and hyperinsulinemia is independent of obesity and other variables. Methods: A convenience sample of 675 New Mexico middle school students was screened to determine the presence of AN, obesity, and other variables, including: ethnicity, parental history of diabetes, and level of physical activity. Fasting glucose and insulin levels were drawn on 233 students to determine the association between risk factors and hyperinsulinemia. Results: Acanthosis nigricans (AN) was present in 18.9% of students screened. Twenty-one percent of the subsample had hyperinsulinemia. Based on these results, the estimated prevalence of hyperinsulinemia among all middle school students in New Mexico was 8.9%. Forty-seven percent (47.2%) of students who had AN and were obese had hyperinsulinemia, compared with 2.4% of students who did not have either of these conditions. In multiple logistic regression analysis, AN and obesity were independently and positively associated with hyperinsulinemia, whereas physical activity was protective. Conclusions: The high prevalence of risk factors in this population makes diabetes prevention a priority for public health action. AN screening is an easily performed, noninvasive method for identifying adolescents at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Using Movies in Pastoral Counseling

This article uses a case study of a bereaved woman to illustrate the potential benefits of using movies as an adjunctive therapy in pastoral counseling. The article also references the literature on bibliotherapy and cinematherapy while summarizing relevant findings from studies for the use of movies in clinical practice. This article offers both suggestions and cautions for practitioners. At this time, research suggests that a considered therapeutic use of movies can be beneficial for personal growth.
Wire antennas-simple and powerful

Summary form only given. The history of the wire antenna and methods for analyzing it are traced through the 20th century. The relative merits of the various integral equations applicable to the wire antenna (and scatterer) and of the methods for solving them are delineated. Techniques for modeling the antenna source are described and the difficulties caused by the "slice or delta-function generator" are explained. Schemes for evaluation of the exact kernel are listed as are the consequences of employing the average or approximate kernel. Extensions to curved-wire antennas and to complex wire structures are summarized. A few of the many applications of simple wire antennas are also mentioned.
How ion channels sense mechanical force: insights from mechanosensitive K2P channels TRAAK, TREK1, and TREK2

The ability to sense and respond to mechanical forces is essential for life and cells have evolved a variety of systems to convert physical forces into cellular signals. Within this repertoire are the mechanosensitive ion channels, proteins that play critical roles in mechanosensation by transducing forces into ionic currents across cellular membranes. Understanding how these channels work, particularly in animals, remains a major focus of study. Here, I review the current understanding of force gating for a family of metazoan mechanosensitive ion channels, the two-pore domain K(+) channels (K2Ps) TRAAK, TREK1, and TREK2. Structural and functional insights have led to a physical model for mechanical activation of these channels. This model of force sensation by K2Ps is compared to force sensation by bacterial mechanosensitive ion channels MscL and MscS to highlight principles shared among these evolutionarily unrelated channels, as well as differences of potential functional relevance. Recent advances address fundamental questions and stimulate new ideas about these unique mechanosensors.
Microbial colonization of an in situ sediment cap and correlation to stratified redox zones.

In situ capping is a management technique for contaminated sediments involving the placement of clean material at the sediment−water interface. This work combined porewater geochemical profiling with quantitative microbial data to investigate the intrinsic microbial colonization of a sand cap. Geochemical characterization using voltammetric microelectrodes indicated vertical stratification of biogeochemical processes within a capped sediment column. Following dissection of the column, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) enumerated microbial populations within each discrete redox zone and was accompanied by terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) to elucidate general community shifts. Bacteria and Archaea were present within the cap according to qPCR, with higher concentrations generally observed in the underlying sediment. Iron-reducing populations were detected and quantified using newly designed qPCR primer pairs for Anaeromyxobacter spp. and Shewanella spp. and published primer sets fo...
Isoelectric focusing of IgG eluted from multiple sclerosis and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis brains

Elevated IgG distributed in oligoclonal bands is characteristically observed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). Similarly, IgG in bands has been detected in neutral saline (NS) and acid eluates of brain material from these two diseases. We have now used isoelectric focusing (IEF) to compare IgG eluted from control brain, three plaques and a white matter pool of an MS brain, and three regions of an SSPE brain. A direct peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgG staining technique was used to stain IgG exclusively and to visualize the minute amounts of IgG obtained from individual MS plaques. Eluates from individual MS plaques have distinct IgG patterns; in contrast, those from separate SSPE brain areas have essentially identical IgG patterns. The identical IgG patterns in three areas of SSPE brain suggest a common response to the same antigen. The different IgG patterns among MS plaques suggest: (1) variable response to the same 'MS antigen' in each plaque, (2) response to different MS antigens in different plaques, (3) synthesis of 'nonsense' antibodies irrelevant to the pathogenesis of MS in each plaque, or (4) some combination of the above.
Bending stress and dissipation in subducted lithosphere

[1] Oceanic lithosphere undergoes permanent deformation during subduction once the stresses exceed the elastic limit. Departures from elastic behavior occur by brittle failure in the shallow lithosphere and by a combination of low- and high-temperature creep at greater depths. We combine laboratory-based rheological models with estimates of slab shape from earthquake hypocenters to quantify the bending stress and dissipation in subduction zones. The peak stress occurs at the depth of the brittle-ductile transition, which is controlled mainly by lithospheric age. Integrals of the stress over the thickness of the plate are used to evaluate the resistive bending force and the bending moment. A representative value for the resistive force on old oceanic lithosphere is 3 × 1012 N m−1, which is comparable in magnitude to ridge push but opposite in direction. Both the bending force and moment are remarkably insensitive to the rate of subduction. In fact, the bending moment can be approximated using a simple power law rheology and a stress exponent of n ≈ 14. Such a large exponent implies that the lithosphere behaves like a perfectly plastic solid. For most subduction zones the bending moment saturates along the entire plate. As a consequence, the bending stress does not influence the development of curvature during subduction. This behavior may explain why the curvature of subducted lithosphere is nearly independent of age.
Engineering space-variant inhomogeneous media for polarization control

Novel devices for converting a linear polarization state to radial or azimuthal polarization states are realized by use of space-variant inhomogeneous media on a subwavelength scale. The two designs presented use form birefringence to locally transform the polarization state. The devices are fabricated in a GaAs substrate for operation in the far-infrared wavelength range. The experimental characterization is in good agreement with the designs, demonstrating high conversion efficiency.
Measuring and Modeling Package Interconnects Using Vector Network Analyzers and Time Domain Transforms

The design of electronic packaging interconnects requires precise knowledge of the RF performance in an end use environment. Separating the effects of test fixtures and measurement error from the actual interconnect performance has been a difficult prospect. Vector network analyzers have the capability of measuring the reflection coefficient, or return loss, of a device, then applying an inverse Fourier transform to obtain a time domain response of the device. This response, similar to a time domain reflectometer trace, can be manipulated to remove the unwanted responses of fixtures and transitions, generating a true picture of the desired interconnect frequency response. While this technique has been demonstrated using microwave network analyzers, it can be applied to lower cost RF network analyzers if care is used on designing and calibrating test fixtures.
Superinduction by cycloheximide of mitogen-induced secreted proteins produced by Balb/c 3T3 cells

We describe here some of the characteristics of the regulation of a group of secretory proteins whose secreted levels rise within 2-4 h of adding fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), or serum to quiescent Balb/c 3T3 cells. The levels of these secretory proteins are regulated similarly to the interferons. When cycloheximide is present during the induction period, the amounts of [35S]methionine incorporated into five of these proteins that we have called "superinducible proteins" (SIPs) is increased 2-5-fold. Superinduction of the SIPs is seen also in response to polyribol-polyriboC, the classical inducer of interferons. None of the SIPs, however, are immuno-precipitated by anti-beta-interferon antibody. Induction and superinduction of the SIPs is inhibited by actinomycin D. Superinduction occurs at concentrations of cycloheximide that inhibit protein synthesis by at least 85%. The SIPs are not major intracellular proteins; they are barely detectable in cellular fractions. Their induction is, however, correlated with the ability of the polypeptide growth factor to stimulate DNA synthesis; EGF, FGF, and serum induce the SIPs, whereas insulin does not, and insulin alone weakly stimulates DNA synthesis in these cells. Because FGF, EGF, and serum cause the SIPs to be produced at concentrations of cycloheximide that inhibit 85% of bulk protein and DNA synthesis, it follows that the SIPs are produced directly from the action of the growth factor and not as a consequence of increased growth. Although probably not interferons, in analogy to the lymphokines, the SIPs could be a set of autocrine or paracrine factors that rapidly convey the growth or differentiation signal between cells.
The dose-dependent effects of ingested chrysotile on DNA synthesis in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and pancreas of the rat.

Abstract The effects of single oral administration of saline suspensions of chrysotile A to fasting male albino rats on DNA synthesis in the GI tract, pancreas, and liver were studied after a subsequent interval of 3 days. Incorporation of [ 3 H]TdR was elevated in the whole stomach, duodenum, and jejunum following administration of chrysotile in the dose range of 5 to 100 mg/kg; incorporation in the liver was, however, reduced. There was no change in pancreatic and colonic [ 3 H]TdR uptakes following administration of chrysotile. Preliminary data suggest that physicochemical alterations of chrysotile by gastric acid may influence its subsequent effects on DNA synthesis.
High-Pressure Polymorph of Iron

An x-ray diffraction study of iron under pressure has shown that alpha-iron (body-centered cubic) transforms to hexagonal-close-packing (designated epsilon-iron) at 130 kb, room temperature. The volume change for the transformation is -0.20 ± 0.03 cm2/ mole. The slope for the gamma-epsilon phase boundary has been calculated to be 2 ± 1°C/kb. The molar volume of iron decreases from 7.10 cm3/mole (density = 7.85 g/cm3) at room pressure to 6.10 ± 0.08 cm3/mole (density = 9.1 ± 0.1 g/cm3) at 200 kb and room temperature. The extrapolation of the gamma-epsilon phase boundary, consistent with shock wave data, suggests that it may have an influence on the properties of the earth9s core
Neonatal splenectomy and survival of mice.

DURING the past decade many clinical reports have suggested that splenectomized infants and children show increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. These reports lead to the suggestion that splenectomy in neonatal life might have a greater effect on the immunological capacity of an animal than does splenectomy in adult life. Dissenting reports have appeared and the subject remains controversial1,2.
Electrochemical and surfaced-enhanced Raman spectroscopic investigation of CO and SCN- adsorbed on Au-core-Pt-shell nanoparticles supported on GC electrodes

Core−shell Au−Pt nanoparticles were synthesized by using a seed growth method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV−vis spectroscopy. Aucore−Ptshell/GC electrodes were prepared by drop-coating the nanoparticles on clean glassy carbon (GC) surfaces, and their electrochemical behavior in 0.5 M H2SO4 revealed that coating of the Au core by the Pt shell is complete. The electrooxidation of carbon monoxide and methanol on the Aucore−Ptshell/GC was also examined, and the results are similar to those obtained on a bulk Pt electrode. High quality surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of both adsorbed CO and thiocyanate were observed on the Aucore−Ptshell/GC electrodes. The potential-dependent SERS features resemble those obtained on electrochemically roughened bulk Pt or Pt thin films deposited on roughened Au electrodes. For thiocyanate, the C−N stretching frequency increases with the applied potential, yielding two distinctly different dνCN/dE. From −0.8 to ...
Counterfeit Medical Devices: The Money You Save Up Front Will Cost You Big in the End.

Savvy Internet and e-mail marketers often tempt physicians with “best price” promotional offers to purchase medical devices that are “just like hot-selling models” of name-brand devices. Featured technologies run the gamut and include cold lipolysis, laser lipolysis, fractional radiofrequency microneedles, fractional CO2 laser, intense pulsed light hair removal, cavitation, and microdermabrasion. Such devices are being sold at a fraction of the list price of the name-brand products, have no consumables, and can be purchased with the click of a mouse. If it sounds like there must be a catch, there is. The majority of inexpensive products featured in promotional e-mail blasts and other Internet advertisements are counterfeit devices manufactured in China and imported into the United States under false pretenses. Counterfeit devices also originate from other countries, including Korea, Japan, and Spain. Devices are considered “counterfeit” if they infringe on patent rights, if they piggyback off well-known trademarks and branding, and/or if they have been falsely claimed to have clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or to be affiliated with clinical studies. For all these reasons and more, their use in a physician’s practice raises serious ethical and legal issues. A major hub for such products is Alibaba, a Chinese online marketplace akin to a combination of Amazon and eBay. Alibaba offers hundreds of thousands of counterfeit systems claiming to be VelaShape™, UltraShape®, and Zerona® and nearly 200 000 counterfeit …
Synthesis of thin films using energetic ions

When thin films are deposited from plasma with a significant a degree of ionization or under ion bombardment, the energy of the incident ions can be used as an effective means for engineering microstructures. Ion energy has been increasingly used as a deposition parameter. The introduction of plasma immersion ion implantation has made ion-assisted processes more amenable for industrial implementation because it has diminished the complexity of hardware, and allowed larger areas and complex shapes to be treated. Here we discuss the impact of energetic particles on the microstructure and properties of films produced by filtered cathodic arc (FCA) and magnetron sputter (MS) deposition with ion assist. Amorphous hard carbon films with high content of sp3-hybridization were prepared using both techniques under optimum ion bombardment conditions to maximize the content of tetrahedral-bonded carbon. Techniques for controlling film properties by altering the nano-structure are presented. The effect of energetic particles on conventional and sculptured thin-films is also discussed and examples of metallic and ceramic films are presented and discussed in light of atomic mechanisms.
Ice patch discovery: a joint effort.

I would like to clarify a statement made in Kevin Krajick's article “Melting glaciers release ancient relics” (News Focus, 19 April, p. [454][1]). Krajick states that I was the sole discoverer of the ice patch phenomenon. The discovery was made in a combined effort by my wife Kristin and me. It was Kristin who initially noticed this incredible phenomenon. Because I am a wildlife biologist versed in caribou ecology, I appreciated the significance of this occurrence ([1][2]). Both people involved in this initial discovery should be properly credited. 1. [↵][3]1. G. Kuzyk 2. et al. , Arctic 52, 214 (1999). [OpenUrl][4][GeoRef][5][Web of Science][6] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.296.5567.454 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [4]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DArctic%26rft.stitle%253DArctic%26rft.volume%253D52%26rft.issue%253D2%26rft.spage%253D214%26rft.epage%253D219%26rft.atitle%253DIn%2Bpursuit%2Bof%2Bprehistoric%2Bcaribou%2Bon%2BThandlat%252C%2Bsouthern%2BYukon%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [5]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=2001018869&link_type=GEOREF [6]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000081059200010&link_type=ISI
Some new biautomatic Coxeter groups

Abstract A Coxeter system is called two-dimensional if every parabolic subgroup of rank at least 3 is infinite. We apply results of Niblo and Reeves and of B.T. Williams to show that Coxeter groups with two-dimensional systems are biautomatic if the corresponding presentation contains no visible Euclidean “triangle” groups. This provides a partial positive answer to a question posed by Niblo and Reeves in [G. Niblo, L. Reeves, Coxeter groups act on CAT ( 0 ) cube complexes, J. Group Theory 6 (3) (2003) 399–413].
Some aspects of the marine geochemistry of uranium

Abstract The uranium concentrations in marine calcareous material of a biological origin varied between 0.0X and 0.X p.p.m. with the exception of corals which had concentrations of several p.p.m. The aragonitic oolites and aragonite precipitated from sea-water had values similar to those of the corals. A geochronology based on the growth of ionium (thorium-230) from uranium is applicable not only to corals, as previous investigators have pointed out, but also to oolites. Several examples of “oolite ages” are given. The uranium content of ferromanganese minerals from pelagic deposits is of the order of from 4 to 5 p.p.m.
Alliances, Imperfect Markets, and Major-Power Trade

The “new” trade theory and standard trade theory make different predictions about the composition and distribution of trade flows. Empirical evidence suggests that an increasing share of international trade consists of differentiated products, a consequence of increasing returns to scale. Nonetheless, the existing political science literature typically assumes that the conditions of standard theory hold. As such, the literature ignores the dynamic-inconsistency problem that imperfect markets can create. In doing so, it also ignores the fact that imperfect markets can shift the political prerequisites of open international markets. In this article we examine these shifts. We argue that alliances can support an optimal level of trade when scale economies rather than differences in relative factor endowments motivate it. Our empirical results support this argument, indicating that alliances exert a stronger influence on trade in goods produced under conditions of increasing rather than constant returns to scale.Earlier versions of this article were presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston; the 2002 Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, New Orleans; and seminars at the University of Chicago (PIPES), the University of Colorado, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. For helpful comments and suggestions, we are grateful to participants in these seminars and to Regina Baker, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, William Clark, Benjamin Cohen, Christina Davis, Eric Fisher, Avery Goldstein, Stephen Kobrin, Lisa Martin, Patrick McDonald, Helen Milner, Robert Powell, Dan Reiter, Anne Sartori, Branislav Slantchev, and Beth Yarbrough. We are also grateful to Regina Baker and Patrick McDonald for research assistance.
HIV-1 infection and pathogenesis in a novel humanized mouse model

The Rag2-γC double-knockout (DKO) mouse lacks T, B, and natural killer (NK) cells, and allows development of a functional human immune system with human CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (DKO-hu HSCs). Normal human T, B, and dendritic cells are present in peripheral blood, thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes. We report that both CCR5 and CXCR4 are expressed on human immature and mature T cells. DKO-hu HSC mice allow efficient HIV-1 infection with plasma high viremia. High levels of productive infection occur in the thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes. Human CD4+ T cells are gradually depleted by HIV-1 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, HIV-1 infection persists in infected DKO-hu HSC mice for at least 19 weeks, with infectious HIV-1 in lymphoid tissues. Thus, the DKO-hu HSC mouse can serve as a relevant in vivo model to investigate mechanisms of HIV-1 infection and immunopathogenesis as well as to develop anti–HIV-1 therapeutics.
A model of global convection in Jupiter's magnetosphere

Voyager observations of Jupiter's magnetosphere are compared with the planetary wind model in which corotation must break down outside some Alfven critical radius and a centrifugally driven wind outflow must develop. It is found that the model does not agree with the observations. A new global convection model for the Jovian magnetosphere is proposed, based on models of quasi-stationary plasma convection in the earth's magnetosphere. The model predicts a substantial dawn-dusk asymmetry in the structure, dynamics, and plasma composition of the magnetopause and magnetosheath. The model also predicts a region of cross-tail flow in the nightside plasma sheet containing a substantial admixture of solar wind plasma.
Association of family stress with natural killer cell activity and the frequency of illnesses in children.

Objective To examine prospective associations between chronic stress in the parent-child and family systems and subsequent rates of illnesses and the activity of natural killer (NK) cells in children. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting The Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, Rochester, NY, from July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2003. Participants One hundred sixty-nine socioeconomically and racially diverse children (aged 5-10 years) and their parents. Parents completed measures of their psychiatric symptoms and stress in the family every 6 months. Children's blood samples were obtained for NK cytotoxicity assays every 6 months. Main Outcome Measures Parent-reported total child illnesses and febrile illnesses and results of NK cell cytotoxicity assays. We estimated adjusted illness rate ratios and adjusted mean differences in NK activity. Results Elevated parental psychiatric symptoms occurring with family stressors were associated with more total illnesses (rate ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.22) and febrile illnesses (rate ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.13-1.64) in children. Natural killer cell function was enhanced in children whose parents reported more chronic stress (estimate, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.05-0.26). Natural killer cell function was not associated with short-term changes in stress. Stress-illness relationships were not associated with stress-related alterations in NK cell function. Conclusions Chronic family stress was associated with increased illnesses in children. Unlike older adults, children living with elevated chronic stress had enhanced rather than decreased NK cytotoxicity, suggesting chronic stress may have different effects on the developing immune system. Impaired parental functioning may be a mechanism linking family stress with adverse effects on children's health.
The executive mind

Bill, you've been serving as the chief operating officer for the Boston College MBA program for the past six years. You've also written about a quality you associate with the greatest leaders that you call “executive mind.” How do you define this kind of thinking?
The prevalence of traumatic brain injuries after minor blunt head trauma in children with ventricular shunts

Study objective We compare the prevalence of clinically important traumatic brain injuries and the use of cranial computed tomography (CT) in children with minor blunt head trauma with and without ventricular shunts. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective observational cohort study of children with blunt head trauma presenting to a participating Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network emergency department. For children with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores greater than or equal to 14, we compared the rates of clinically important traumatic brain injuries (defined as a traumatic brain injury resulting in death, neurosurgical intervention, intubation for more than 24 hours, or hospital admission for at least 2 nights for management of traumatic brain injury in association with positive CT scan) and use of cranial CT for children with and without ventricular shunts. Results Of the 39,732 children with blunt head trauma and GCS scores greater than or equal to 14, we identified 98 (0.2%) children with ventricular shunts. Children with ventricular shunts had more frequent CT use: (45/98 [46%] with shunts versus 13,858/39,634 [35%] without; difference 11%; 95% confidence interval 1% to 21%) but a similar rate of clinically important traumatic brain injuries (1/98 [1%] with shunts versus 346/39,619 [0.9%] without; difference 0.1%; 95% confidence interval −0.3% to 5%). The one child with a ventricular shunt who had a clinically important traumatic brain injury had a known chronic subdural hematoma that was larger after the head trauma compared with previous CT; the child underwent hematoma evacuation. Conclusion Children with ventricular shunts had higher CT use with similar rates of clinically important traumatic brain injuries after minor blunt head trauma compared with children without ventricular shunts.
Writing for Friends and Family: The Interpersonal Nature of Blogs

This research explores variables related to the use of personal-journal style blogs for interpersonal goals. A random sample of bloggers completed surveys exploring how the combination of extraversion and self-disclosure affect strong tie network size, which in turn serves as motivation to use blogs as an alternative communication channel. Bloggers who exhibit both extraversion and self-disclosure traits tend to maintain larger strong-tie social networks and are more likely to appropriate blogs to support those relationships. Age, gender, and education have no relationship to network size, blog content, or the use of blogs as a relationship maintenance tool. These results contribute to the continuing discussion about the impact that the Internet and its tools are having on relationships by suggesting that, rather than promoting isolation, computer-mediated communication tools such as blogs often function to enhance existing relationships.
Detecting social cliques for automated privacy control in online social networks

As a result of the increasing popularity of online social networking sites, millions of people spend a considerable portion of their social life on the Internet. The information exchanged in this context has obvious privacy risks. Interestingly, concerns of social network users about these risks are related not only to adversarial activities but also to users they are directly connected to (friends). In particular, many users want to occasionally hide portions of their information from certain groups of their friends. To satisfy their users' needs, social networking sites have introduced privacy mechanisms (such as Facebook's friend lists) that enable users to expose a particular piece of their information only to a subset of their friends. Unfortunately, friend lists need to be specified manually. As a result, users frequently do not use these mechanisms, either due to a lack of concern about privacy, but more often due to the large amount of time required for the necessary setup and management. In this paper, we propose a privacy control approach that addresses this problem by automatically detecting social cliques among the friends of a user. In our context, a social clique is a group of people whose members share a significant level of social connections, possibly due to common interests (hobbies) or a common location. To find cliques, we present an algorithm that, given a small number of friends (seed), uses the structure of the social graph to generate an approximate clique that contains this seed. The cliques found by the algorithm can be transformed directly into friend lists, making sure that a piece of sensitive data is exposed only to the members of a particular clique. Our evaluation on the Facebook platform shows that our method delivers good results, and the cliques that our algorithm identifies typically cover a large fraction of the actual social cliques.
Registering real and virtual imagery

Registering a virtual scene with a real scene captured by a video camera has a number of applications including visually guided robotic navigation, surveillance, military training and operation. The fundamental problem involves several challenging research issues including finding corresponding points between the virtual and the real scene and camera calibration. This paper presents our research in defining and mapping a set of reliable image features for registering the two imageries, extracting and selecting reliable control points for the construction of intrinsic and extrinsic camera parameters. A number of innovative algorithms are presented followed by extensive experimental analysis. An application of registering virtual database image with video image is presented. The algorithms we developed for calculating and matching linear structured features and selecting of reliable control points are applicable to image registration beyond virtual and real imageries.
Factor structure of the overcontrolled-hostility scale of the MMPI.

Conducted a factor analysis of the 31-item Overcontrolled-Hostility (O-H) scale in a sample of 200 incarcerated male prisoners. Five major factors were derived: Absence of Manifest Symptomatology, Denial, Chronic Hostility, Persistent Dreaming, and Social Compliance. Subscales comprised of high-loading items (greater than or equal to .30) were constructed for each factor, and the personality correlates of each were determined.
The fiber connections of the temporal lobe with emphasis on the rhesus monkey.

The temporal lobe has three functionally distinct areas which have minimal interconnections within the lobe, but extensive connections with other parts of the brain. The superior temporal gyrus contains primary and association auditory areas. Inferotemporal cortex is exclusively a visual association area. The temporal pole is Involved in social behavior. In addition, the superior temporal sulcus functions as a sensory integration araa. From a review of the literature, a schema is proposed for organizing the reciprocal connections of the three functional areas into a series of loops which follow both cortical and subcortical routes. The afferent and efferent connections of the temporal lobe, phylogenesis, and deficits from lesions are discussed.
Pavlovian contingencies and resistance to change in a multiple schedule.

According to theoretical accounts of behavioral momentum, the Pavlovian stimulus—reinforcer contingency determines resistance to change. To assess this prediction, 8 pigeons were exposed to an unsignaled delay-of-reinforcement schedule (a tandem variable-interval fixed-time schedule), a signaled delay-of-reinforcement schedule (a chain variable-interval fixed-time schedule), and an immediate, zero-delay schedule of reinforcement in a three-component multiple schedule. The unsignaled delay and signaled delay schedules employed equal fixed-time delays, with the only difference being a stimulus change in the signaled delay schedule. Overall rates of reinforcement were equated for the three schedules. The Pavlovian contingency was identical for the unsignaled and immediate schedules, and response—reinforcer contiguity was degraded for the unsignaled schedule. Results from two disruption procedures (prefeeding subjects prior to experimental sessions and adding a variable-time schedule to timeout periods separating baseline components) demonstrated that response—reinforcer contiguity does play a role in determining resistance to change. The results from the extinction manipulation were not as clear. Responding in the unsignaled delay component was consistently less resistant to change than was responding in both the immediate and presignaled segments of the signaled delay components, contrary to the view that Pavlovian contingencies determine resistance to change. Probe tests further supported the resistance-to-change results, indicating consistency between resistance to change and preference, both of which are putative measures of response strength.
A new look at creative finance

Abstract In his seminal work, Stegman contended that creative finance is an inefficient means of financing low‐income housing production. As evidence, he cited the high transaction costs associated with the complex financing structures that make a low‐income housing development feasible. In this article, we extend Stegman's work by examining the impacts of creative finance over time. We rely on data gathered as part of an evaluation of 36 housing developments sponsored by nonprofits. The data indicate that most of the developments in our study remained financially viable in part because of their reliance on creative finance. We find evidence supporting three positive impacts of creative finance: the establishment of long‐term partnerships, the increased community acceptance of low‐income housing developments, and the improved technical skills of organization staff. We also find that none of the long‐term negative impacts are inherent in creative finance and offer four suggestions on minimizing them.
A quantitative histologic analysis of collagen subtypes : The primary obstructed and refluxing megaureter of childhood

Objectives. To analyze and identify collagen subtypes in the primary obstructed and refluxing megaureter of childhood. Methods. Anticollagen monoclonal antibodies to collagen types I, III, and IV were used in control ureters (n = 4), obstructed (n = 7), and refluxing (n = 13) megaureters. Additionally, all were stained with Masson’s trichrome to further define the extracellular matrix. After staining and serial sectioning, representative ureteral sections, focusing on the muscularis and lamina propria regions, were digitized and analyzed with a color image analysis system. Results. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated increases in collagen types I and III for both obstructed and refluxing megaureters compared with controls (P <0.05). Collagen type IV was not detected in statistically significant amounts in any ureter. In control ureters most was type I (83% ± 9%) collagen. Obstructed megaureters produced similar results with virtually all collagen being type I (84% ± 26%) with very little type III collagen present, 5.3% ± 3%. Refluxing megaureters contained only 55% ± 15% type I collagen. However, there was an increase in type III collagen (16% ± 4%) versus (4.5% ± 2%) in controls (P <0.05). Conclusions. These data suggest that the greater contribution of type III collagen may play a role in the pathophysiology of refluxing megaureters. Because type III collagen is a less distensible fiber, it may cause an intrinsically stiffer ureter and play a role in the lower surgical success in the reimplantation of refluxing megaureters.
The Development and Validation of a Qur’an-Based Instrument to Assess Islamic Religiosity: The Religiosity of Islam Scale

Previous efforts to develop instruments to measure Islamic religiosity have been relatively unsuccessful. These instruments have extended a Christian instrument or Western concepts to study Muslims, and have failed to report acceptable psychometric properties or have included items that are more political in nature. We present a new instrument, the Religiosity of Islam Scale (RoIS), that attempts to remedy these flaws. The RoIS is a 19-item instrument with two subscales: Islamic Beliefs and Islamic Behavioral Practices. Supportive reliability and validity data are reported. A brief discussion of current sociopolitical considerations for conducting research with Muslims in the United States is offered.
Sparticle masses as a probe of gut physics

We show that the spontaneous breaking of intermediate-scale gauge symmetries at scale MI or MGUT) ⪢ mW induced by soft supersymmetry-breaking terms μ12, m0, A ⋍ O(mW) causes sizable D-term contributions O(mW) to all low-energy scalar masses (squarks, sleptons and higgses) which possess non-vanishing charges under the broken generators. Using this fact one can discriminate, based on the low-energy spectrum, between various popular intermediate-scale or grand-unified gauge groups. We prescribe a corrected procedure for computing large logarithmic corrections to the low-energy potential which includes leading logarithms generally neglected in previous calculations.
Online, continuous monitoring of the sensitivity of the LCST of NIPAM-Am copolymers to discrete and broad composition distributions

Abstract The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of NIPAM/Acrylamide copolymers was monitored during synthesis using second generation ACOMP (automatic continuous online monitoring of polymerization reactions) for a series of discrete starting compositions. A full sweep of NIPAM/Am compositions was subsequently obtained in a semi-batch feed of NIPAM into Am, allowing LCST behavior to be assessed over all compositions of the two copolymers. A separate Simultaneous Multiple Sample Light Scattering (SMSLS) instrument was used to assess compositional polydispersity via the broadening of the LCST temperature transition as compositional heterogeneity of samples increases. This was achieved by combining LCST data as a function of composition and added salt into a master equation. Extended period SMSLS monitoring of the aggregates formed when the LCST is reached showed they are reversible on the short time scale of hours, but are irreversible for homopolymer NIPAM with salt and for copolymers on the scale of days.