cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Central Venous Catheterization Simulation for Medical Training

Central Venous Catheterization (CVC) involves the insertion of a catheter through the subclavian or jugular vein and into the heart when the patient requires a large influx of drugs. With the target veins so close to the lungs and vital arteries, mistakes during this procedure can be fatal. Unfortunately, it is particularly challenging for students to learn this procedure and is often practiced by novice students on live patients as current simulators are ineffective. Simulators on the market are expensive, inconvenient, and often anatomically inaccurate, leading to improper student training. To address the shortcomings of current simulators, our patent-pending design includes features such as a fully rotatable head and proper anatomical landmarks. Our training simulator is ultrasoundable and can replicate both the pulsing of the arteries and the expanding of the veins under changes in fluid pressure. In addition, our simulator comes with training software allowing for tracking of students as they progress through the curriculum. We are currently performing usability testing of our prototype. Novice residents and expert practicing doctors perform CVC on our simulator for assessment of accuracy, ease of use, and training effectiveness in comparison to commercially available simulators.
Negative illusions: conceptual clarification and psychological evidence concerning false consciousness

The concept of false consciousness is reviewed from a historical perspective and discussed in light of recent theoretical advances in socialist and feminist political philosophy. False consciousness is defined as the holding of false beliefs that are contrary to one's social interest and which thereby contribute to the disadvantaged position of the self or the group. It is argued that considerable psychological evidence for false consciousness exists and that a thorough understanding of the phenomenon integrates several lines of research on the problem of political acquiescence. Six basic types of false consciousness are proposed: (1) Failure to perceive injustice and disadvantage, (2) Fatalism, (3) Justification of social roles, (4) False attribution of blame, (5) identification with the oppressor, and (6) Resistance to change. Because the concept of false consciousness is likely to arouse suspicion because of its Marxian origins, several theoretical and methodological objections to the scientific study of false consciousness are raised and addressed
The ultrastructure of multilamellar bodies and surfactant in the human lung.

Normal tissues from human lungs were dehydrated through Epon 812 resin to retain many of the lipids and carbohydrates in thin section. The three-dimensional structure of the multilamellar body was determined. The paired layer of phospholipid heads (PH) is 36A thick; the layer of fatty-acid tails (FA) is 31A, the same as reported previously for non-human primates and rodents. The human multilamellar body is apparently unique: the lamellae of the major focus divide into two or three lamellae; the matrix material of the core is without vesicular bodies and a projection core is present. When compared with those of the rat, human tissues contain a greater number of lamellar foci and fewer lamellae per focus. The presence of a peripheral layer of lamellae, an ever-present external limiting membrane, and the fusion of multilamellar bodies are also characteristic. Tubular myelin surfactant has the same appearance as in other mammals.
Physicochemical studies on polydeoxyribonucleotides containing defined repeating nucleotide sequences

Absorbance-temperature transition, analytical buoyant density, and circular dichroism studies are reported on a variety of high molecular weight doublestranded DNA polymers containing defined repeating nucleotide sequences. These studies provide further evidence that the structure of a DNA is dictated by its primary nucleotide sequence. The DNA's studied include three homopolymer pairs, five repeating dinucleotide DNA's and four repeating trinucleotide DNA's. Equilibrium absorbance-temperature studies over a 100-fold salt concentration range reveal the following: (1) DNA's which have the same base composition but different nucleotide sequences (sequence isomers) do not show identical helixcoil transitions. Sequence isomeric DNA's† have Tm values differing by as much as 9 deg. C. (2) For sequence isomeric polymers, the DNA containing both purines and pyrimidines on each of the complementary strands is more stable than the isomer containing only purines on one strand and only pyrimidines on the complementary strand. This generalization is valid for 80% of the cases examined. (3) All polymers undergo a single helix-random coil transition over a narrow temperature range at all salt concentrations studied. (4) The transitions are virtually completely reversible, particularly at salt concentrations above 0.1m-Na+. (5) Poly d(I-C)·poly d(I-C)‡ shows a marked increase in the breadth of the melting transitions as the salt concentration is raised. A similar behavior for poly d(A-T)·poly d(A-T) has been reported. Density gradient analyses were performed on the DNA polymers. The ordering of polymer densities in Cs2SO4 solution is similar to that previously reported for CsCl gradients. In comparing sequence isomeric DNA's (for example poly dA · poly dT and poly d(A-T)·poly d(A-T)), the DNA which is more thermostable is always less dense in a CsCl gradient analysis. Circular dichroism studies on eleven different DNA polymers show that nucleotide sequence strongly affects spectra. Semi-empirical nearest-neighbor calculations are used to attempt to predict some spectra. Only moderate agreement between calculated and observed spectra is found, thus providing further evidence that the configuration of all polymers is not the same. However, the inclusion of certain approximations facilitates the prediction of the circular dichroism spectrum of naturally occurring DNA from the experimentally obtained polymer spectra. The calculated spectrum for salmon sperm DNA is in excellent agreement with its observed spectrum. The synthesis and characterization of a new DNA polymer, poly d(G-C)·poly d(G-C), is described. The possible biological implications of the influence of nucleotide sequence on DNA physicochemical properties are discussed.
Optimization of Thermal-Hydraulic Reactor System for SMRs via Data Assimilation and Uncertainty Quantification

This paper discusses the utilization of an uncertainty quantification methodology for nuclear power plant thermal-hydraulic transient predictions, with a focus on small modular reactors characteriz...
Simulation of Transitional Boundary-Layer Development on a Highly-Loaded Turbine Cascade With Advanced RANS Modeling

This paper documents computational simulations of the flow over a modern, highly-loaded turbine vane, including boundary-layer transition. Accurate prediction of transition has traditionally been difficult for commonly available RANS-based turbulence models. The present simulations used an advanced version of a three-equation eddy viscosity model recently developed and documented by the current authors. The new model is an elliptic single-point method, developed based on considerations of the universal character of pre-transitional boundary layers that have recently been published in the open literature. Simulations were performed at an engine-realistic chord Reynolds number (2.3×105 ) and with varying freestream turbulence intensities of 0.6, 10, and 19.5%. Detailed comparisons are made within the developing boundary layer, on both the suction and pressure surfaces, between the simulations and high-fidelity experimental measurements that have been previously documented in the open literature. Comparison of both mean velocity and Reynolds stress profiles indicates that the new model shows potential for predicting boundary layer development, including development of pre-transitional fluctuations and subsequent breakdown to turbulence.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Ether phospholipid asymmetry in Clostridium butyricum.

Phospholipid asymmetry has been studied in the cell membrane of Clostridium butyricum IFO 3852. More than two-thirds of the phosphatidylethanolamine, which is predominantly in the plasmalogen form, was found to be in the outer monolayer by phospholipase C hydrolysis or by reaction with trinitrobenzenesulfonate. The diacyl and plasmalogen forms of phosphatidylethanolamine were similarly distributed. The glycerol acetal of phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen was more asymmetrically localized in the outer monolayer than was phosphatidylethanolamine. Cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol appeared to be largely confined to the inner monolayer.
Analysis of the F-1 Acoustic Liner

An analytical study was performed to re-evaluate data obtained during the F-1 Acoustic Absorber program. The acoustic liner had failed to produce substantial improvements in stability. Oscillatory-pressure, temperature and gas sampling data obtained from liner firings were employed to calculate the damping produced by the liner and the potential for increasing the damping by varying the liner dimensions. The results indicate the damping can be substantially increased. The liner damping was predicted by calculating temporal damping-coefficient contributions due to the liner.
Taking the inventory inside single cells

Despite having an increasingly accurate parts list for biological cells, much is left to discover about how these parts act together to create functional cells, and how distinct individual cells interact to create functional tissues and organs. Biologists are increasingly aware of the cell-to-cell variability in molecule copy numbers—a trend that is revealed by several new techniques, including one that permits counting molecules in single cells.
Drug release kinetics, cell uptake, and tumor toxicity of hybrid VVVVVVKK peptide-assembled polylactide nanoparticles.

Abstract An exciting approach to tumor delivery is encapsulation of the drug in self-assembled polymer–peptide nanoparticles. The objective of this work was to synthesize a conjugate of low molecular weight polylactide (LMW PLA) and V6K2 peptide and investigate self-assembly, drug release kinetics, cell uptake and toxicity, drug pharmacokinetics, and tumor cell invasion with Doxorubicin (DOX) or paclitaxel (PTX). The results for PLA-V6K2 self-assembled NPs were compared with those of polyethylene glycol stabilized PLA (PLA-EG) NPs. The size of PLA-V6K2 and PLA-EG NPs was 100 ± 20 and 130 ± 50 nm, respectively, with polydispersity index of 1.04 and 1.14. The encapsulation efficiency of DOX in PLA-V6K2 and PLA-EG NPs was 44 ± 9% and 55 ± 5%, respectively, and that of PTX was >90 for both NP types. The release of DOX and PTX from PLA-V6K2 was slower than that of PLA-EG, and the release rate was relatively constant with time. Based on molecular dynamic simulation, the less hydrophobic DOX was distributed in the lactide core as well as the peptide shell, while the hydrophobic PTX was localized mainly to the lactide core. PLA-V6K2 NPs had significantly higher cell uptake by 4T1 mouse breast carcinoma cells compared to PLA-EG NPs, which was attributed to the electrostatic interactions between the peptide and negatively charged moieties on the cell membrane. PLA-V6K2 NPs showed no toxicity to marrow stromal cells. DOX-loaded PLA-V6K2 NPs showed higher toxicity to 4T1 cells and the DNA damage response, and apoptosis was delayed compared to the free DOX. DOX or PTX encapsulated in PLA-V6K2 NPs significantly reduced invasion of 4T1 cells compared to those cells treated with the drug in PLA-EG NPs. Invasion of 4T1 cells treated with DOX in PLA-V6K2 and PLA-EG NPs was 5 ± 1% and 30 ± 5%, respectively, and that of PTX was 11 ± 2% and 40 ± 7%. The AUC of DOX in PLA-V6K2 NPs was 67% and 21% higher than those of free DOX and PLA-EG NPs, respectively. DOX-loaded PLA-V6K2 NPs injected in C3HeB/FeJ mice inoculated with MTCL syngeneic breast cancer cells displayed higher tumor toxicity than PLA-EG NPs and lower host toxicity than the free DOX. Cationic PLA-V6K2 NPs with higher tumor toxicity than the PLA-EG NPs are potentially useful in chemotherapy.
Traceable Dimension Metrology by AFM for Nanoscale Process Control

Your 32nm is different from my 32nm! The paradoxical statement reflects one of the most essential debates in the field of nanoscale dimension metrology for process control in the modern nanoelectronic manufacturing industry. This baffling debate is all about accuracy and traceability of dimension measurement systems used on production floors. As the circuit geometry and density continues to scale to the 45nm node and below, the metrology bias and uncertainty play a more significant role, and the characterization becomes more difficult. This article assesses the capability of atomic force microscope (AFM) as an accurate inline calibration metrology tool and the correlation of AFM measurement to NIST traceable standards. It introduces the methodology of adopting AFM as a traceable reference tool for CD SEM and optical scatterometry used in inline process control. The focus is on height, linewidth, and pitch calibrations due to their critical but challenging roles for process control in today’s nanoelectronic manufacturing. Care must be taken to minimize the impact from factors that affect the traceability and accuracy in the AFM system, including tip width calibration, tip wear, tip shape effect, contamination, and linewidth roughness.
Properties of Gluon Jets:. a Review

The properties of gluon jets are reviewed from an experimental point of view. The measured characteristics are compared to theoretical expectations. Although neither data nor models for the gluon jets are in the mature stage, there are remarkable agreements and also intriguing disagreements between experiment and theory. Since much interesting data have begun to emerge from various experiments and the properties of gluon jets are deeply rooted in the basic structure of non-Abelian gauge theory, the study of gluon jets casts further light on our understanding of QCD. Finally, the future prospects are discussed.
MEASUREMENTS OF PERMEABILITY IN HUMAN CALCANEAL TRABECULAR BONE

2.36 cm diameter cores of trabecular bone (n = 22), oriented in the mediolateral direction, were obtained from fresh-frozen calcanei of 16 cadavers ranging in age from 32 to 89 yr. The cores were defatted and tested to determine values for permeability along the cylinder axis. Permeability values (0.4-11 x 10(-9)m2) were found to be strongly correlated with specimen porosity (78-92%) through a linear relationship (r2 = 0.91). These results provide essential information for the biphasic or poroelastic modeling of fluid-filled trabecular bone at this location.
Ectomycorrhizal fungal sporocarp diversity and discovery of new taxa in Dicymbe monodominant forests of the Guiana Shield

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi historically were considered poorly represented in Neotropical forests but in the central Guiana Shield substantial areas are dominated by leguminous ECM trees. In the Upper Potaro Basin of Western Guyana, ECM fungi were sampled for 7 years during the rainy seasons of 2000–2008 in three 1-ha plots in primary monodominant forests of the ECM canopy tree Dicymbe corymbosa (Fabaceae subfam. Caesalpinioideae). Over the plot sampling period sporocarps of 126 species of putative or confirmed ECM fungi were recovered. These taxa represented 13 families and 25 genera of primarily Agaricomycetes, but also Ascomycota (Elaphomycetaceae), the majority of which are new to science. Russulaceae contained the most species (20 Russula; 9 Lactarius), followed by Boletaceae (8 genera, 25 spp.), Clavulinaceae (17 Clavulina), and Amanitaceae (16 Amanita). An additional 46 species of ECM fungi were collected in forests of the Upper Potaro Basin outside the study plots between 2000 and 2010, bringing the regional number of ECM species known from sporocarps to 172. This is the first long-term ECM macrofungal dataset from an ECM-dominated Neotropical forest, and sporocarp diversity is comparable to that recorded for ECM-diverse temperate and boreal forests. While a species accumulation curve indicated that ECM sporocarp diversity was not fully recovered inside of the plots, ~80% of the total species were recovered in the first year. Sequence data from ECM roots have confirmed the ECM status of 56 taxa represented by corresponding sporocarp data. However, >50% of ECM fungal species from roots remain undiscovered as sporocarps, leading to a conservative estimate of > 250 ECM species at the Potaro site. Dicymbe forests in Guyana are a hotspot for ECM fungal diversity in the Neotropics.
Myosin heavy chain gene expression in normal and hyperplastic human prostate tissue.

BACKGROUND Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is common among aging men. Over 80% of males 50–60 years and older have various degrees of bladder outlet obstruction secondary to BPH. Despite the tremendous medical impact of BPH, its molecular pathophysiology remains unclear. Current BPH research focuses on steroid hormonal effects, stromal-epithelial cell interaction, and oncogenes and growth factors. But little is known about the potential prostatic smooth muscle (SM) alterations that may occur during stromal hyperplasia. METHODS To study SM phenotypic modulation in hyperplastic prostatic growth, we isolated and characterized the 3′ end of human SM myosin heavy chain (SMMHC) cDNA as a molecular probe. Expression of SMMHC and nonmuscle myosin heavy chain (NMMHC) in human prostates was analyzed using Western blot, Northern blot, and in situ hybridization to determine if BPH tissue expresses significantly less SMMHC and more NMMHC than a normal prostate. In addition, a competitive, reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was adapted to quantify SMMHC and NMMHC mRNA expression at the sensitivity level of 10−21 mole per mg of wet tissue. RESULTS Western blot, Northern blot, and in situ hybridization results reveal that both SMMHC and NMMHC are expressed in the human prostate, while SMMHC is the predominant form found in normal prostate stroma. Results from competitive RT-PCR analysis indicate that NMMHC mRNA expression is approximately 10−20 mole/mg of tissue. The SMMHC mRNA expressed is approximately 10−18 mole/mg. No significant difference was found when NMMHC mRNA expression was compared between normal and BPH periurethral tissues. However, SMMHC expression was reduced almost fivefold in BPH compared to normal prostate, despite an increase in prostatic stromal mass. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest the pathogenesis of BPH is associated with a unique type of SM proliferation. Such proliferation is characterized by downregulation of SMMHC mRNA expression but without upregulation of NMMHC mRNA expression, the pattern seen in proliferating SM cells in culture and in other pathologic forms of SM hyperplasia (e.g., atherosclerosis). These findings support a model of BPH typified by active smooth muscle proliferation early in the disease process, and supports clinical observations that suggest ongoing prostate growth of the prostate is minimal in older men. Therapeutic strategies to prevent disease progression should therefore focus on early phases of prostatic growth. Prostate 44:193–203, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A strategy for analysing mixed and pooled exponentials

It is shown that a linear plot of the mean residual life on the failure rate characterizes the mixture of two exponentials. This plot is used to estimate the two components in the mixing distribution with the two largest mixing proportions. The EM algorithm is then used with these as initial values to obtain the MLE. Gradient plots are used to see if a higher-order fit is needed. A heuristic is given on how to use the gradient plots to identify components in the higher-order fit when this is the case. Graphs of an assignment function are then used to determine if the data are from a mixed model or simply the effect of pooling.
Invariant recovery of curves in m-dimensional space from sparse data

We address the problem of reconstructing a smooth curve from sparse and noisy information that is invariant to the choice of the coordinate system. Tikhonov regularization is used to form a well-posed mathematical problem statement, and conditions for an invariant reconstruction are given. The resulting functional minimization problem is shown to be nonconvex. Approximations to the invariant functional are often used to form a convex problem that can be solved efficiently. Two common approximations, those of cubic and weighted cubic splines, are detailed, and examples are given to show that the approximations are often invalid. To form a valid approximation to the invariant functional we propose a two-step algorithm. The first step forms a piecewise-linear curve, which is invariant to the coordinate system. This piecewise-linear curve is then used to construct a parameterization of the curve for which we can make a valid approximation to the invariant functional. Examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm, and two example applications for which the invariant property is important are given.
Marital Conflict and Differential Treatment of Siblings

Sibling differential experience of the family environment has recently come to the forefront of both the family and the developmental literatures. One hypothesized determinant of such treatment is marital conflict. The present report used structural family therapy as a theoretical framework to examine the relation between marital conflict and differential treatment of siblings in a sample of married couples with preschool and elementary-school children. The results did find a significant, though modest, relation between marital conflict and differential treatment, suggesting that positive marital communication in an environment of mutual respect serves to lower the rate of differential treatment of siblings within the family.
Encouraging Multiple Forms of Scholarship in Faculty Reward Systems: Have Academic Cultures Really Changed?.

The author summarizes the findings from a study of 729 chief academic officers who identify both catalysts and barriers to the reform of faculty reward systems.
Science, Politics, and Prejudice: The Dynamics and Significance of British Anthropology’s Failure to Confront Nazi Racial Ideology:

For two years in the turbulent mid-1930s, the Royal Anthropological Institute co-convened an expert committee tasked with scientifically evaluating Nazi claims about race. Called the Race and Cultu...
Achievement and Ascription in Educational Attainment: Genetic and Environmental Influences on Adolescent Schooling

The classic ("status attainment") model of educational and occupational attainment suffers from three related shortcomings when used as a tool for comparative or policy-oriented research on social mobility: (1) ambiguity of model parameters as measures of opportunity for achievement vs. ascription; (2) vulnerability to incomplete specification of family background; and (3) confounding of environmental and genetic influences. These issues can be addressed in part by using a ("behavior genetic") model that distinguishes variance components associated with genetic endowment, shared (or common) family environment, and unshared (or specific) environment. Size of the genetic component (heritability) measures opportunity for achievement; size of the shared environment component (environmentality) measures social ascription. A multivariate behavior genetic model of adolescent verbal IQ, grade point average and college plans is estimated using data for six types of adolescent sibling pairs living in the same household: MZ twins, DZ twins, full siblings, half siblings, cousins and non-related siblings. Results show large genetic components, relatively small shared environmental components, and large unshared environmental components for all three outcomes. Parameters of the behavior genetic model can be used to compare mobility regimes across social contexts and the model therefore provides an important tool for comparative social mobility research.
Like Me … Like Me Not: The Role of Physician Likability on Service Evaluations

The authors investigate the influence of physician likability on service evaluations. Past research suggests that source likability is a peripheral cue and as such might be inappropriate for high-involvement services. However, the present study suggests that, given positive performance, physician likability has a significant influence on service evaluations. Managerial implications and future research directions conclude the paper.
Unsupervised learning of generalized names

We present an algorithm, NOMEN, for learning generalized names in text. Examples of these are names of diseases and infectious agents, such as bacteria and viruses. These names exhibit certain properties that make their identification more complex than that of regular proper names, NOMEN uses a novel form of bootstrapping to grow sets of textual instances and of their contextual patterns. The algorithm makes use of competing evidence to boost the learning of several categories of names simultaneously. We present results of the algorithm on a large corpus. We also investigate the relative merits of several evaluation strategies.
On the sphere-decoding algorithm II. Generalizations, second-order statistics, and applications to communications

In Part I, we found a closed-form expression for the expected complexity of the sphere-decoding algorithm, both for the infinite and finite lattice. We continue the discussion in this paper by generalizing the results to the complex version of the problem and using the expected complexity expressions to determine situations where sphere decoding is practically feasible. In particular, we consider applications of sphere decoding to detection in multiantenna systems. We show that, for a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), rates, and numbers of antennas, the expected complexity is polynomial, in fact, often roughly cubic. Since many communications systems operate at noise levels for which the expected complexity turns out to be polynomial, this suggests that maximum-likelihood decoding, which was hitherto thought to be computationally intractable, can, in fact, be implemented in real-time-a result with many practical implications. To provide complexity information beyond the mean, we derive a closed-form expression for the variance of the complexity of sphere-decoding algorithm in a finite lattice. Furthermore, we consider the expected complexity of sphere decoding for channels with memory, where the lattice-generating matrix has a special Toeplitz structure. Results indicate that the expected complexity in this case is, too, polynomial over a wide range of SNRs, rates, data blocks, and channel impulse response lengths.
Lamellar morphology of random metallocene propylene copolymers studied by atomic force microscopy

Four sets of propylene based random copolymers with co-units of ethylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octene, and a total defect content up to similar to 9 mol% (including co-unit and other defects), were studied after rapid and isothermal crystallization. Etched film surfaces and ultrarnicrotomed plaques were imaged so as to enhance contrast and minimize catalyst and co-catalyst residues. While increasing concentration of structural irregularities breaks down spherulitic habits, the formation of the gamma polymorph has a profound effect on the lamellar morphology. Lamellae grown in the radial axis of the spherulite and branches hereon are replaced in gamma-rich copolymers with a dense array of short lamellae transverse or tilted to the main structural growth axis. This is the expected orientation for gamma iPP branching from a seeds. Spherulites are formed in copolymers with non-crystallizable units ( 1-hexene and 1-octene) up to similar to 3 mol% total defect content and were observed up to similar to 6 mol% in those with partially crystallizable comonorners (ethylene and 1-butene). However, lamellae were observed in all the copolymers analyzed, even in the most defective ones, highlighting the important role of the gamma polymorph in propagating lamellar crystallites in poly(propylenes) with a high concentration of defects. Long periods measured from AFM and SAXS are comparatively analyzed.
The effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) on fatty acid oxidation in hepatocytes isolated from neonatal piglets

In the present study, the effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) on long-chain fatty acid oxidation by hepatocytes isolated from suckled neonatal pig liver (a low ketogenic and lipogenic tissue) was tested. Incubation of hepatocytes with AICAR (0.5 mM) in the presence of 1 mM of carnitine and 10 mM of glucose for 1 hour at 37°C had no significant effect on total [1-14C]-palmitate (0.5 mM) oxidation (14CO2 and 14C-Acid soluble products (ASP)). Consistent with the fatty acid oxidation, carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity and inhibition of its activity by malonyl-CoA (10 μM) assayed in cell homogenate also remained constant. However, addition of AICAR to the hepatocytes decreased 14CO2 production by 18% compared to control (p < 0.06). The reduction of labeled carboxylic carbon accumulated in CO2 caused a significant difference in distribution of oxidative products between 14CO2 and 14C-ASP (p < 0.03) compared with the control. It was also noticed that acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) was increased by AICAR (p < 0.03), indicating that ACC might drive acetyl-CoA toward fatty acid synthesis pathway and induce an increase in distribution of fatty acid carbon to 14C-ASP. Addition of insulin to hepatocyte incubations with AICAR did not change the oxidative product distribution between CO2 and ASP, but further promoted ACC activity. The increased ACC activity was 70% higher than in the control group when citrate was absent in the reaction medium and was 30% higher when citrate was present in the medium. Our results suggest that AICAR may affect the distribution of metabolic products from fatty acid oxidation by changing ACC activity in hepatocyte isolated from suckled neonatal piglets; however, the basis for the increase in ACC activity elicited by AICAR is not apparent.
Reevaluating Foreign-Imposed Regime Change

Alexander Downes and Jonathan Monten’s article “Forced to Be Free? Why ForeignImposed Regime Change Rarely Leads to Democratization” offers important contributions to the study of foreign-imposed regime change (FIRC).1 The authors should be commended for their use of advanced empirical methods to tackle such an important substantive question. According to Downes and Monten, past research on the democratizing effect of foreign-imposed regime change has overemphasized the characteristics of the intervener and underemphasized the existing preconditions for democracy in the state targeted for intervention. Rather than the FIRC itself, it is these preconditions, Downes and Monten suggest, that explain whether a given state will or will not democratize. That is, their argument posits that targets of FIRC that democratize would have done so independently of the foreign intervention. Although Downes and Monten offer promising results in support of their hypotheses, two factors should make scholars skeptical of the conclusions drawn from their interpretation of the evidence. First, even though Downes and Monten duly explore the efacacy of varieties of FIRC, they omit the most critical analytical category related to the dependent variable. In evaluating the ability of FIRC to produce democracy, one should focus on cases of foreign-imposed democratization (FID) where the intervener intended to replace a nondemocratic regime with a democratic one. Second, the nature of FIRC operations has changed over time in ways unaccounted for by Downes and Monten. For historical and theoretical reasons outlined in this letter, FIRC carried out before World War I looks signiacantly different from FIRC carried out since 1918. A closer examination of the targets of FID after World War I reveals a fairly remarkable success rate: thirteen out of seventeen targets transitioned to consolidated democracies within ten years of the intervention (see table 1). Such a record should give us pause before concluding that FIRC has little or no independent effect on a state’s democratization prospects. Correspondence: Foreign-Imposed Regime Change
Swiss banking confidentiality: perceptions vs. reality

Switzerland has long been known as a world leader in the financial services arena. However, in recent years the Swiss banking industry has come under considerable attack, in particular with regard to money laundering, Holocaust accounts and European Union tax evasion issues. This article examines Swiss banking confidentiality, reports perceptions of a sample of US Americans with regard to banking secrecy, and compares and contrasts perceptions with reality. The results of this study indicate that the general public holds negative perceptions of Swiss banking practices. This article should serve to correct misperceptions of Swiss banking held by the public at large and should be of particular interest to those involved in Swiss banking and the marketing of financial services.
Temporal Resolution of the Aging Tactile Sensory System

Oral and nonoral tactile fusion thresholds were obtained for 39 subjects ranging in age from 12 to 76 yr. Regression analysis of the data indicated a trend for fusion thresholds to become poorer with age. Further statistical testing indicated mean threshold and variability differences between subjects when they were placed into four groups according to age.
Electrocatalytic nonoxidative dimerization of methane over Ag electrodes

Abstract The electrocatalytic nonoxidative dimerization of CH 4 to C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 6 was studied in a continuous stirred tank reactor at 600–750°C and atmospheric total pressure. The electrochemical reactors were one- and two-chamber cells configured as Ad|SCY|Ag where the ionic conductivity of the ytterbia-doped strontia-ceria (SCY) electrolyte was studied. The presence of H 2 O or O 2 was found to increase the protonic conductivity of the electrolyte. The oxygen-ion transport number of the SCY was small (0.02-0.03) while that of protons dominated (0.60-0.98). By applying current to the cell, the reaction rate of CH 4 dehydrogenation to C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 6 was enhanced to as much as 8 times the open-circuit rate.
Regeneration of corticospinal axons in the rat.

In the rat, afew long descending motor tracts capable of carrying an impulse and causing apropagated impulse in the ipsilateral sciatic nerve will regenerate after complete spinal cord transection. In this experiment such regeneration was found in both treated and control animals. Orthograde axonal transport of tritiated proline injected into the motor cortex labels only the corticospinal tracts in the rat spinal cord. Scintillation counts of measured lengths of spinal cord can be used as a measure of the number of labeled corticospinal axons. Comparison of radioactivity per unit length of measured cord segments taken from above and below the site of a previous spinal cord transection can give a reliable estimate of the number of labeled axons that regenerated and crossed the site of injury. Using this test we have demonstrated that some corticospinal axons had regenerated six months after spinal cord transection in control animals, animals made tolerant to degenerating spinal cord antigens, and animals treated with cyclophosphamide. A group treated with a single 75 mg per kilogram dose of cyclophosphamide 24 hours after spinal cord transection showed the best evidence of corticospinal tract regeneration. Feringa ER, Shuer Lhl, Vahlsing HL, et a1 Regeneration of corticospinal axom in the rat. Ann Neurol2 315-321, 1977 In several recent experiments we have demonstrated electrophysiological evidence of regeneration of long descending motor tracts in the rat spinal cord after immunosuppressive therapy [ 1, 2, 41. Evidence for such regeneration was found in animals treated with a variety of methods to alter their immune response, but the best results were obtained in animals given a large single injection of cyclophosphamide 1 hour after spinal cord transection. Functional recovery in terms of walking behavior was not observed, but following a midthoracic spinal cord rransection, electrical stimulation of the descending motor pathways in the high cervical cord resulted in a propagated impulse in the ipsilateral sciatic nerve with conduction velocity identical or very close to that in animals which had never had a spinal cord lesion. This experiment was an effort to verify and to improve the regenerative potential of intraspinal axons in spinal cord transected animals and to search for additional evidence of descending motor tract regeneration. Materials and Methods Rats in this study were derived from Wistar rats and were inbred for 74 generations of brother-sister matings to assure isogeneic animals; skin transplantation studies have demonstrated that the rats are in fact isogeneic. Four animal groups were studied. Each animal had a complete spinal cord transection at 6 weeks of age. The completeness of the spinal cord transection was always verified by two investigators. Group 1 contained 13 rats that had no treatment prior to spinal cord transection and were given a single intraperitoneal injection of 0.4 ml of isotonic saline 1 hour after the
Survey Analysis of the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination

Objective: To determine how other program directors use the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores in the resident evaluation process. Design: A cover letter and a printed one-page survey of eight questions about individual residency programs, the use of ABSITE scores in the evaluation process, minimum score for advancement, and actions taken, if any, for failure to meet required scores; space was provided for comments. Setting: Two hundred seventy directors of surgical residency programs. Participants: Two hundred thirty-one (86%) directors of general surgery residency programs. Main Outcome Measures: The responses received in this questionnaire were similar to those received in the 1983 survey given by the American Board of Surgery. Results: The majority of directors require their residents to take the ABSITE, but they differ greatly in their methods to retain or dismiss a resident, to evaluate the program and the cognitive knowledge of the residents, and to measure resident performance. Conclusions: The actions taken by program directors in their use of ABSITE scores vary widely, with a noticeable difference found when comparing the methods between the university and community hospital directors. Our survey findings show that there is still no uniform standard or agreement as to how the scores should be used, even though the ABSITE has been in existence for 20 years. (Arch Surg. 1996;131:412-415)
Risk of Congenital Malformations Associated with Proximity to Hazardous Waste Sites

Concern about environmental pollutants has increased; however, it remains unclear whether chronic exposures to toxic chemicals in the environment occur at doses sufficient to produce adverse health effects in humans. To date, community studies have not adequately addressed this question. In this study, the authors linked two existing data bases of the New York State Department of Health to evaluate the relation between congenital malformations and residential proximity to hazardous waste sites in New York State. A total of 9,313 newborns with congenital malformations and 17,802 healthy controls living in proximity to 590 hazardous waste sites in 1983 and 1984 were evaluated. After the authors controlled for several possible confounding factors, results indicated that maternal proximity to hazardous waste sites may carry a small additional risk of bearing children with congenital malformations (odds ratio (OR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.06-1.18). Higher malformation rates were associated with both a higher exposure risk (no exposure risk: OR = 1.00; low exposure risk: OR = 1.09, 95% Cl 1.04-1.15; high exposure risk: OR = 1.63, 95% Cl 1.34-1.99) and documentation of off-site chemical leaks (not exposed: OR = 1.00; exposed, but no leaks at site: OR = 1.08, 95% Cl 1.02-1.15; exposed, and leaks found at site: OR = 1.17, 95% Cl 1.08-1.27). The increased rates detected may be important in terms of their public health implications. Further research is necessary to strengthen causal inferences regarding the teratogenicity, of waste site exposure.
Deletion of CD14 attenuates Alzheimer's disease pathology by influencing the brain's inflammatory milieu

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ)-containing plaques within the brain that is accompanied by a robust microglial-mediated inflammatory response. This inflammatory response is reliant upon engagement of innate immune signaling pathways involving the toll-like receptors (TLRs). Studies assessing the roles of TLRs in AD pathogenesis have yielded conflicting results. We have assessed the roles of the TLRs through genetic inactivation of the TLR2/4 coreceptor, CD14, in a transgenic murine model of AD. Transgenic mice lacking CD14 exhibited reduced insoluble, but not soluble, levels of Aβ at 7 months of age. This corresponded with decreased plaque burden resulting from a reduction in number and size of both diffuse and thioflavin S-positive plaques and an overall reduction in the number of microglia. These findings are inconsistent with the established actions of these receptors. Moreover, loss of CD14 expression was associated with increased expression of genes encoding the proinflammatory cytokines Tnfα and Ifnγ, decreased levels of the microglial/macrophage alternative activation markers Fizz1 and Ym1, and increased expression of the anti-inflammatory gene Il-10. Thus, the loss of CD14 resulted in a significant change in the inflammatory environment of the brain, likely reflecting a more heterogeneous population of microglia within the brains of the animals. The reduction in plaque burden was not a result of changes in the expression of various Aβ degrading enzymes or proteins associated with Aβ clearance. These data suggest that CD14 is a critical regulator of the microglial inflammatory response that acts to modulate Aβ deposition.
Adolescent Parents’ Partner Conflict and Parenting Alliance, Fathers’ Prenatal Involvement, and Fathers’ Engagement With Infants

The present study modeled the associations between adolescent mothers’ and young fathers’ perceptions of partner conflict, parenting alliance, fathers’ prenatal involvement, and father engagement with infants using a sample of 127 adolescent mothers and their partners. This study hypothesized that (a) higher quality parenting alliances would be associated with increased father engagement with infants, (b) prenatal partner conflict would have a negative spillover effect on the parenting alliance and father engagement during infancy, and (c) fathers’ prenatal involvement would be positively associated with parenting alliance and engagement during infancy. The results showed that mothers’ perceptions of parenting alliance during infancy were robust correlates of father engagement, mothers’ perceptions of prenatal partner conflict had a negative spillover effect on parenting alliance and father engagement with the infant as perceived by mothers, and fathers’ and mothers’ perceptions of fathers’ prenatal invol...
Coherent scalar-field oscillations in an expanding universe

Motivated by the cosmological importance of coherent (classical), scalar-field oscillations in the context of the invisible axion and the new inflationary-universe scenario, we analyze, in general, the classical evolution of a scalar field in an isotropic and homogeneous cosmology. For a scalar potential of the form $V(\ensuremath{\varphi})=a{\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{n}$, the energy density of the scalar-field oscillations decreases as ${R}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{6n}{(n+2)}}$ when the oscillations are rapid compared to the expansion rate ($R=\mathrm{cosmic}\mathrm{scale}\mathrm{factor}$). We also investigate the effect of higher-order terms in the potential perturbatively, and analyze the decay of the coherent field oscillations due to quantum particle creation.
A Connection between Lie Algebra Roots and Weights and the Fock Space Construction

The bulk of my talk today will be presented in the spirit of pure mathematics -as a systematic account of the properties of certain Lie algebras of linear operators. The study of these Lie algebras was inspired by the study of the physics literature and to a considerable extent can be regarded as a unification, systematization, and reorganization of algebraic techniques which have already been discovered and found useful by physicists working on a variety of physical problems. I hope in doing this I have turned up some useful novelties. However it is difficult to be certain about this because of the very nature of the physical literature. Physicists are much more inclined to learn methods of attacking problems than to formulate and apply general theorems. Indeed, I believe that the physicists in solving their problems have in effect discovered a number of theorems interesting to but unknown to mathematicians and hidden away by not being explicitly formulated.
Structural integrity after rotator cuff repair does not correlate with patient function and pain: a meta-analysis.

Background: The correlation between the structural integrity of rotator cuff repair and the clinical outcome for the patient remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between patient function and structural integrity of the rotator cuff after repair. Methods: A systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted for Level-I and Level-II studies showing outcome measures after rotator cuff repair and an imaging assessment of the structural integrity of the repair. Data extracted included patient demographics, tear size, repair type, clinical outcome measures, and repair integrity. Statistical analysis was performed to compare outcomes in patients on the basis of the structural integrity of repair at the time of the latest follow-up. Results: Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the latest analysis. Of the 861 patients who underwent rotator cuff repair with a minimum of a one-year follow-up, 674 patients (78.3%) had intact repairs at the time of latest follow-up. There was no difference in tear size between patients with intact repairs and those with retears (p = 0.866). The University of California Los Angeles shoulder score, the Constant score, and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score increased and the visual analog scale score decreased in patients regardless of the structural integrity of the repair. Patients with intact repairs had higher Constant scores by 8.93 points (p < 0.0001) and higher University of California Los Angeles shoulder scores by 2.95 points (p = 0.0004). Postoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores were no different in patients with intact repairs or retears (p = 0.15). Postoperative visual analog scale scores were 0.93 points lower in patients with intact repairs (p = 0.01). Patients with intact repairs had increased strength in forward elevation by 2.40 kilograms (5.29 pounds) (p < 0.00001) and had a trend toward increased strength in shoulder external rotation (p = 0.06). Although these results are significant, the differences are not clinically important on the basis of the validation of these outcome measures. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that there is not a clinically important difference in validated functional outcome scores or pain for patients who have undergone rotator cuff repair regardless of the structural integrity of the repair. Patients with intact repairs do have significantly greater strength than those with retears. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.