Sex differences and aging of the vertebral column

Morphological changes in the adult human skeleton have been recognized as useful for estimating the age at death. In the vertebral column, the development of osteophytes has been shown to be a general indicator of age, although substantial variation has been documented. The technique used for estimating age from osteophyte development is based exclusively on males and it is unknown whether patterns of osteophyte development are comparable between the sexes. This study examines sex differences in osteophyte development in the thoracic and lumbar regions of 384 individuals from the Terry Collection. Males and females in this sample show remarkably similar patterns of age-related changes in osteophyte development; however, females show greater variability in osteophyte stage for a given age. This was confirmed with age-matching a subsample of 128 individuals. Therefore, slightly larger confidence intervals should be used when assessing age from the vertebral column in females.     

Mental Disorder, Violence, and Gender

Recent studies have reported comparable rates of violence among men and women with mental disorder, raising important issues for clinical risk assessment. This study examines the relationship between gender and violence using data from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study. Patients in acute psychiatric wards were interviewed 5 times over the year following their discharge to the community. Results showed some differences between men and women in the violence committed immediately following discharge, with rates for men being higher. But the prevalence of violence over the 1 year was similar for female and male discharged patients. However, there were substantial gender differences in the situational context of the violence committed. Men were more likely to have been drinking or using street drugs, and less likely to have been adhering to prescribed psychotropic medication, prior to committing violence. The violence committed by men was more likely to result in serious injury than the violence committed by women, and men were more likely than women to be arrested after committing a violent act. Women were more likely to target family members and to be violent in the home.     

Examining Legislative Cue‐Taking in the US Senate

We examine congressional cue‐taking theory to determine its extent, conditionality, and various forms in the US Senate. Using a novel data‐collection technique (timed C‐SPAN footage), we focus on temporal dynamics via event history analysis. Examining the effects of senator characteristics across 16 votes from the 108th Congress, we find that committee leadership and seniority generally predict cue‐giving, while other types of characteristics predict cue‐giving on certain types of votes. Our results underscore the importance of considering the order and timing of voting when studying congressional behavior.     

The University and the Start-Up:Lessons from the Past Two Decades

This paper explores one of Edwin Mansfield's enduring interests: the interface between academia and industry. It highlights some key lessons regarding the management of university-based spin-outs, drawing on a variety of sources. I highlight the challenges that the spin-off process poses, the impracticality of directly financing firms through internal venture funds, and the ways in which universities can add value to faculty ventures.