cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health Literate Communication: Teach-Back Training for First-Year Medical Students

Abstract BACKGROUND: Effective physician communication skill requires implementation of basic standards of practice, such as empathy, listening, and close attention to non-verbal indicators. Medical students must learn and understand that enhanced communication skills ensure better patient understanding of diagnosis and prognosis, and compliance to treatment plans. Health literate communication techniques like Teach-Back must be part of primary skills training for medical students in the early stage of medical education. The purpose of this study was to measure medical students’ beliefs/knowledge about health literate communication and to evaluate use of Teach-Back skills during patient history taking and examination in the simulation center with standardized patients. METHODS: First-year medical students’ health literacy beliefs/knowledge of health literate communication were measured using pre- and post- Beliefs and Knowledge surveys. A one-hour health literacy skills training intervention lecture was delivered after pre-testing. Students were assessed for use of Teach-Back during the standardized patient encounter. RESULTS: 36 students participated in the study. Median Belief scores increased from 9.25 pre-intervention to 10.00 post-intervention; mean Knowledge scores increased from 8.08 pre-intervention to 10.42 post-intervention with moderate to large effect sizes (beliefs r= .342, knowledge d=1.08). There was a significant post-intervention increase in both belief and knowledge scores, p>.001 with high power (.954). Eleven (11) students used Teach-Back successfully in the simulation center. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students’ beliefs, knowledge, and communication skills may benefit from a one-hour health literacy communication skills training. Primary care skills courses should incorporate health literacy training as a key competence along with existing curricular foci in order to improve health literate patient communication.
Anatomic features and surgical repair of cardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

Objective To investigate the anatomic features and surgical repair of cardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous connection(TAPVC).Methods Twenty-five patients underwent cardiac TAPVC repair between April 1981 and December 2006.Seventeen were males and 8 were females.The operative age ranged from 26 days to 14 years,mean(2.56±3.56)years.The weight ranged from 3.3 kg to 21.0 kg,mean(6.85±10.06)kg.According to Darling method,25 cases were divided into two subgroups(ⅡA and ⅡB).Diagnosis was made in all cases by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization preoperatively.All the patients underwent total correction under cardiopulmonary bypass.Resultb There was no hospital mortality.The main postoperative complications were low cardiac output syndrome and pulmonary edema in two cases.All patients were followed-up with a range of 3 months to 26 years.Heart function of all patients was grade L There was no postoperative pulmonary venous obstruction in these groups.Conclusions The surgical repair should be performed once the diagnosis is made.It is crueial to accurately understand the anatomic features and determine a suitable septum before operation. Key words: Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection; Anatomy; Cardiac surgical procedures
Ingestion of a common plant's leaves leads to acute respiratory arrest and paralysis: a case report

Author(s): Kear, Breelan M.; Lee, Richard W.; Church, Sanford B.; Youssef, Fady A.; Arguija, Anthony | Abstract: Background: Nicotiana glauca is a plant known to cause acute toxicity upon ingestion or dermal exposure due to the nicotinic alkaloid, anabasine. Nicotinic alkaloids cause toxicity by acting as agonists on nicotinic-type acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Initial stimulation of these receptors leads to symptoms such as tachycardia, miosis, and tremors. The effects of high doses of nicotinic alkaloids are biphasic, and eventual persistent depolarization of nAChRs at the neuromuscular junction occurs. This causes apnea, paralysis, and cardiovascular collapse.Case Report: In this report, we present a case of respiratory arrest due to nicotinic alkaloid poisoning from the ingestion of Nicotiana glauca. The diagnosis was suspected after the patient’s family gave a history of the patient ingesting a plant prior to arrival. They were able to also provide a physical sample of the plant.Conclusion: The phone application, “Plant Snap”, determined the plant species and helped confirm the diagnosis. This case describes how modern technology and thorough history taking can combine to provide the best possible patient care.
Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in a renal transplant

Abstract Renal transplant recipients are at greater risk for malignancy than the general population. Historical management of renal cell carcinoma in a renal allograft has been open radical nephrectomy, but over time, graft-preserving and minimally-invasive techniques have been described. We present, in video format, our technique for robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in a transplanted kidney.
Prognostic impact of socioeconomic status compared to overall stage for HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract Objective To estimate the relative prognostic ability of socioeconomic status (SES) compared to overall stage for HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) Materials and methods Data were obtained from the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Study (CHANCE). An empirical 4-category SES classification system was created. Cox proportional hazards models, survival gradients, Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and Harrell’s C index were used to estimate the prognostic ability of SES compared to stage on overall survival (OS). Results The sample consisted of 1229 patients with HPV-negative HNSCC. Patients with low SES had significantly increased risk of mortality at 5 years compared to patients with high SES (HR 3.11, 95% CI 2.07–4.67; p Conclusion SES may have a similar prognostic ability to overall stage for patients with HPV-negative HNSCC. Future research is warranted to validate these findings and identify evidence-based interventions for addressing barriers to care for patients with HNSCC.
Comparison of Anterior and Posterior Surgical Approaches for Treatment of Thoracic Myelopathy.

Objective To study a large multi-institutional sample of patients undergoing anterior versus posterior approaches for surgical decompression of thoracic myelopathy. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried for patients who underwent decompression for thoracic myelopathy between 2007 and 2015 via anterior or posterior approaches. Patients were excluded if they were undergoing surgery for tumors to isolate a degenerative cohort. Demographics, patient comorbidities, operative details, and postoperative complications were compared between the 2 cohorts. Results Although there were no differences in age (P = 0.06), sex (P = 0.72), or American Society of Anesthesiologists class (P = 0.59), there were higher rates of steroid use (P = 0.01) and hematologic disorders that predispose to bleeding (P = 0.04) at baseline in the posterior approach cohort. The posterior approach patients had longer operative times (P = 0.03), but there were no differences in length of stay (P = 0.64). Although there were no significant differences in the rates of major organ system complications or return to the operating room (P = 0.52), the posterior approach cohort displayed a trend toward increased severe adverse complications (29.8% vs. 17.6%, P = 0.28) compared with the anterior approach cohort. Conclusion Although the anterior approach to surgical decompression of thoracic myelopathy demonstrated a lower complication rate, this result did not reach statistical significance. The anterior approach was associated with significantly shorter mean operative time, but otherwise there were no significant differences in operative or postoperative outcomes. These findings may support the favorability of the anterior approach but warrant further investigation in a larger study.
Differences in the Academic Performance Of Italian Universities

Large part of the literature supports the concept that market investment is a key factor of the research performance. Coherently to this idea, quasi-market policies aimed at stimulating entrepreneurial behaviours of higher education institutions (HEIs) have been introduced in many European countries (Jongbloed, 2003), which nevertheless are often characterized by economic imbalances between the regions. In our paper we want to investigate factors affecting inequalities between HEIs performance because of their localization in more or less developed regions; for this aim we test the relationships existing between public policies, market investment and inequalities in HEIs performance, according to three hypotheses:
What awareness isn't: a sentential view of implicit and explicit belief

In their attempt to model and reason about the beliefs of agents, artificial intelligence (AI) researchers have borrowed from two different philosophical traditions regarding the folk psychology of belief. In one tradition, belief is a relation between an agent and a proposition, that is, a propositional attitude. Formal analyses of propositional attitudes are often given in terms of a possible-worlds semantics. In the other tradition, belief is a relation between an agent and a sentence that expresses a proposition (the sentential approach). The arguments for and against these approaches are complicated, confusing, and often obscure and unintelligible (at least to this author). Nevertheless strong supporters exist for both sides, not only in the philosophical arena (where one would expect it), but also in AI. In the latter field, some proponents of possible-worlds analysis have attempted to remedy what appears to be its biggest drawback, namely the assumption that an agent believes all the logical consequences of his or her beliefs. Drawing on initial work by Levesque, Fagin and Halpern define a logic of general awareness that superimposes elements of the sentential approach on a possible-worlds framework. The result, they claim, is an appropriate model for resource-limited believers. We argue that this is a bad idea: it ends up being equivalent to a more complicated version of the sentential approach. In concluding we cannot refrain from adding to the debate about the utility of possible-worlds analyses of belief.
The role of service in higher education

Alexander Astin gives an update on what the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA is learning about volunteerism and community service on campus. What promotes participation? Who benefits? How does participation affect leadership development?
Trusting (and Verifying) Online Intermediaries' Policing

All is not well in the land of online self-regulation. However competently internet intermediaries police their sites, nagging questions will remain about their fairness and objectivity in doing so. Is Comcast blocking BitTorrent to stop infringement, to manage traffic, or to decrease access to content that competes with its own for viewers? How much digital due process does Google need to give a site it accuses of harboring malware? If Facebook censors a video of war carnage, is that a token of respect for the wounded or one more reflexive effort of a major company to ingratiate itself with the Washington establishment? Questions like these will persist, and erode the legitimacy of intermediary self-policing, as long as key operations of leading companies are shrouded in secrecy. Administrators must develop an institutional competence for continually monitoring rapidly-changing business practices. A trusted advisory council charged with assisting the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could help courts and agencies adjudicate controversies concerning intermediary practices. An Internet Intermediary Regulatory Council (IIRC) would spur the development of expertise necessary to understand whether companies’ controversial decisions are socially responsible or purely self-interested. Monitoring is a prerequisite for assuring a level playing field online.
A new slice on an old problem.

Jagota and colleagues show that sectioning the suprachiasmatic nucleus in a different orientation than usual reveals two peaks of circadian activity, consistent with behavioral rhythms in vivo.
Advances in the Molecular Analysis of Soft Tissue Tumors and Clinical Implications

The emergence of high-throughput molecular technologies has accelerated the discovery of novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive molecular markers. Clinical implementation of these technologies is expected to transform the practice of surgical pathology. In soft tissue tumor pathology, accurate interpretation of comprehensive genomic data provides useful diagnostic and prognostic information, and informs therapeutic decisions. This article reviews recently developed molecular technologies, focusing on their application to the study of soft tissue tumors. Emphasis is made on practical issues relevant to the surgical pathologist. The concept of genomically-informed therapies is presented as an essential motivation to identify targetable molecular alterations in sarcoma.
Positive selection in the thymus: an enigma wrapped in a mystery

One of the many mysteries that loomed over the field of immunology in its dark ages (that period prior to characterization of the TCR and peptide binding by MHC molecules) was the process of T cell development and selection of the receptor repertoire in the thymus. The work of Hogquist and
Effect of estrogen on bone mineral turnover in mature female rats as measured by strontium-85.

The hypothesis that daily physiologic doses of estrogen enhance bone mineral retention was tested with strontium-85 in male female and ovariectomized rats. Rats received 25 mc Ci strontium-85 chloride ip and then 5 mcg 17beta-estradiol benzoate in oil daily for 45 days. After the 45 days of estrogen whole body counts and femur counts showed that strontium retention was greater in males (p<.01) than in intact or ovariectomized females but when expressed by body weight retention was lower in the ovariectomized rats. A second experiment included untreated controls and ovariectomized rats restricted to 15 gm food per day. No difference appeared between ovariectomized rats on free or restricted diet. Retention was 12-15% greater (p<.05) in estrogen-treated normal and ovariectomized rats than in untreated controls; 24% greater in estrogen-treated ovariectomized rats on restricted diet than in untreated unrestricted rats. In femurs retention was higher in restricted castrated and unrestricted intact female rats given estrogen than in untreated controls but not increased in the unrestricted ovariectomized group. Holtzman females retained more strontium-85 in experiment 2 than did Sprague-Dawley females in experiment 1
Stokes and anti-stokes hyper-Raman scattering from benzene, deuterated benzene, and carbon tetrachloride

Abstract Hyper-Raman spectra from liquid benzene, deuterated benzene, and carbon tetrachloride are observed using a cw pumped Q -switched mode-locked Nd:YAG laser and a synchronously gated two-dimensional single-photon-counting detector. Both Stokes and anti-Stokes peaks are observed and assigned to hyper-Raman active vibrational modes, some of which are forbidden in the Raman and infrared spectra of benzene and deuterated benzene. The effect of the stimulated Raman process in populating the vibrational levels and modifying the hyper-Raman spectra is discussed.
On the foundations of best approximation theory

Abstract In this paper we excavate the foundations of best-approximation theory with the tools of Bishop's constructive analysis. We prove a general theorem on existence (computability) of best approximations from a given finite-dimensional linear subspace of a normed space E , and illustrate this with the case where E is uniformly convex. The second part of the paper deals with the characterisation and existence of minimax polynomial approximations to elements of C [0, 1], and with the pointwise continuity of the minimax approximation mapping on this space. In particular, the main application of our general existence theorem answers affirmatively the long-open question: Is there a constructive proof of the existence of minimax polynomial approximations?
Analysis of methods for reducing false positives in the automated detection of clustered microcalcifications in mammograms

Clustered microcalcifications are often the first sign of breast cancer in a mammogram. Nevertheless, all clustered microcalcifications are not found by an individual radiologist reading a mammogram. The use of a second reader may find those clusters of microcalcifications not found by the first reader, thereby improving the sensitivity of detecting clustered microcalcifications. Our laboratory has developed a computerized scheme for the detection of clustered microcalcifications, which can act like a second reader, that is undergoing clinical evaluation. This paper concerns the feature analysis stage of the computer scheme, which is designed to remove some of the false-computer detections. We have examined three methods of feature analysis, namely, rule based (the method currently used), an artificial neural network (ANN), and a combined method. In an independent database of 50 images, at a sensitivity of 83%, the average number of false positive (FP) detections per image was: 1.9 for rule-based, 1.6 for ANN, and 0.8 for the combined method. We demonstrate that the combined method performs best because each of the two stages eliminates different types of false positives.
Interstitial keratitis secondary to severe hidradenitis suppurativa: a case report and literature review.

Purpose To report a patient who presented with bilateral interstitial keratitis in association with severe hidradenitis suppurativa. Methods Case report. Results An 18-year-old African American woman with severe active hidradenitis suppurativa of the axillae and groin presented with a 2-week history of bilateral blurry vision. On examination, best-corrected visual acuity was counting fingers in the right eye and 20/70 in the left eye. Slit-lamp examination revealed diffuse vascularization of the corneal stroma with surrounding infiltrates bilaterally. In the left eye, corneal thinning and an epithelial defect were present in an area of infiltrate. Our clinical impression at that time was bilateral interstitial keratitis with secondary bacterial keratitis in the left eye. Topical therapy, prednisolone acetate 1% in the right eye, and ofloxacin in the left eye, was instituted. A systemic workup, including antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, Lyme titer, cytoplasmatic staining antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, perinuclear staining antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Venereal Disease Research Laboratory, rapid plasma reagin, basic metabolic panel, angiotensin-converting enzyme level, and a chest x-ray was negative. Topical steroids were used in the left eye after resolution of the bacterial keratitis. The interstitial keratitis responded to topical steroids and remained in remission after steroid taper. However, bilateral interstitial keratitis recurred coincident with a severe flare of hidradenitis suppurativa within 1 month of discontinuing the topical steroids. A course of subcutaneous adalimumab injections (40 mg/mL every 2 weeks) for hidradenitis suppurativa was implemented. Both her dermatological and ocular conditions responded to this therapy and have remained in remission through 7 months of follow-up. Conclusions Hidradenitis suppurativa is a rare cause of bilateral interstitial keratitis. Patients may experience simultaneous exacerbations of both dermatological and ocular manifestations. Systemic treatment with adalimumab can improve both dermatological and ocular conditions.
Sex hormones regulate the contribution of PKCε and PKA signalling in inflammatory pain in the rat

We have evaluated the contribution of differences in second messenger signalling to sex differences in inflammatory pain and its control by sex hormones. In normal male but not female rats, epinephrine-induced mechanical hyperalgesia was antagonized by inhibitors of protein kinase Cepsilon (PKCepsilon), protein kinase A (PKA) and nitric oxide synthetase (NOS). Similarly, in PKCepsilon knockout mice, a contribution of PKCepsilon to epinephrine-dependent mechanical hyperalgesia occurred in males only. In contrast, hyperalgesia induced by prostaglandin E2, in both females and males, was dependent on PKA and NO. In both sexes, inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal related kinase kinase (MEK) inhibited epinephrine hyperalgesia. In gonadectomized females, the second messenger contributions to epinephrine hyperalgesia demonstrated the pattern seen in males. Administration of oestrogen to gonadectomized females fully reconstituted the phenotype of the normal female. These data demonstrate gender differences in PKCepsilon, PKA and NO signalling in epinephrine-induced hyperalgesia which are oestrogen dependent and appear to be exerted at the level of the beta-adrenergic receptor or the G-protein to which it is coupled.
Altered proteasome structure, function, and oxidation in aged muscle.

SPECIFIC AIMSThe purpose of this research was to identify a potential mechanistic explanation for accumulation of oxidized proteins in aged muscle. The decrease in protein turnover observed in aged muscle points to defects in the proteolytic pathway. We focused on the proteasome, the key protease responsible for the selective degradation of oxidized proteins. This study tests the hypothesis that proteasome function declines with aging.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. Increased immunoproteasome and reduced specific activityThe relative content of the 20S catalytic core was determined by Western immunoblot analysis using antibodies that recognize specific subunits of the proteasome. A 3-fold increase in the constitutively expressed α subunits was measured, indicating that aged muscle contains a significantly greater concentration of the 20S proteasome than young muscle (P<0.05). A parallel 3-fold increase in the cytokine-induced β subunits LMP2 and LMP7 was observed. These results indicate that the 3-fold increase in 2...
Combining Datasets of Satellite-Retrieved Products. Part I: Methodology and Water Budget Closure

AbstractThis study addresses in general terms the problem of the optimal combination of multiple observation datasets. Only satellite-retrieved geophysical parameter datasets are considered here (not the raw satellite observations). This study focuses on the terrestrial water cycle and presents methodologies to obtain a coherent dataset of four water cycle key components: precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, and terrestrial water storage. Various innovative “integration” methodologies are introduced: simple weighting (SW), constrained linear (CL), optimal interpolation (OI), and neural networks (NN). The term “integration” will be used here, not “assimilation,” as no model will be included in the data fusion process. A simple postprocessing filtering (PF) step can be used to impose the water cycle budget closure after the integration method. It is shown that this constraint actually improves the estimation of the water cycle components. The integration techniques are tested using real observation da...
Morphological Differences between Ruptured and Unruptured Basilar Bifurcation Aneurysms

Background Aspect ratio (AP), daughter artery ratio (DA), and lateral angle ratio (LA) have been reported in middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysms to correlate with rupture status. Objective To study the differences in AP, DA, LA, and aneurysm orientation between ruptured and unruptured basilar bifurcation aneurysms. Methods Three-dimensional (3D) angiograms of patients with basilar bifurcation aneurysms were analyzed for AP, DA, and LA. Aneurysm projection was classified as type A if the long axis of aneurysm was along basilar artery and type-B if otherwise. Results Thirty-one ruptured and 17 unruptured aneurysms were analyzed. The APs were significantly different ( p = 0.008), 2.63 ± 1.1 for ruptured aneurysms and 1.7 ± 0.55 for unruptured aneurysms. AP ≥ 1.9 correlated with rupture status with 68% sensitivity and 70% specificity. Type-A configuration was significantly associated with ruptured aneurysms with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.9. LAs were 0.9 ± 0.4 and 1.4 ± 0.8 for ruptured and unruptured aneurysms, respectively, and the difference tended to be significant ( p = 0.56). DAs were 1.25 ± 0.22 and 1.21 ± 0.19 for ruptured and unruptured aneurysms without any statistical difference. Conclusion AP > 1.9, type-A configuration, and lower LA is associated with ruptured basilar bifurcation aneurysms. DA did not differ between ruptured and unruptured aneurysms
Multivariable adaptive control of the bead profile geometry in gas metal arc welding with thermal scanning

This research implements the newly introduced scan welding technique in processes with material deposition. A laboratory station is developed with robotic plasma-arc welding under infrared pyrometry sensing for thermal scanning, and with gas metal arc welding under laser profilometry feedback for material transfer. The dynamics of the weld profile geometry (i.e. the bead width and reinforcement height) are modeled experimentally with respect to the process conditions (weld speed and wire feed). This model serves as the basis for the development of a simple geometry feedback control scheme. A multivariable adaptive control system, based on a generalized one step ahead regulation algorithm is also established and validated experimentally. Application of such bead profile regulation is explored in multipass weld joining, orbital welding, coating hardfacing and rapid manufacturing methods.
Repair of the difficult posterior urethral stricture

Fewer than 10% of strictures which follow pelvic fracture will be complex, the vast majority being amenable to simple perineal anastomotic repair. The complex strictures are best managed in a center experienced in their care and a variety of maneuvers are used for their correction. One-stage anastomotic repairs are still optimal and are applicable to most cases, however, the surgeon must be prepared to elaborate the procedure depending on the intraoperative findings. Substitution urethroplasties (one- or two-stage vascularized flaps) are reserved for salvage in cases in which associated anterior urethral pathology or long urethral defects preclude an anastomotic procedure. Erectile dysfunction and incontinence which may accompany more severe injuries are now manageable by prosthetic and other techniques.
Calcium Enhanced Zoospore Production of Pythium myriotylum in vitro

Pythium myriotylum is the causal organism of Cocoyam Root Rot Disease (CRRD). Significant numbers of zoospores were induced within 1.5 h in cultures in Petri dishes containing P. myriotylum soaked in 0.01 M Ca++ and sterile deionized distilled water. Soaking solutions # 2 and # 3 inhibited the production of zoospores of P. myriotylum. This may be due to the delay in maturation of sporangia and the release of zoospores when the soaking solutions contain sucrose. Significant necrosis of detached cocoyam plantlet roots in 100 ml beakers confirmed the infection of zoospores of two `local white' cocoyam genotypes. Detached `yellow' cocoyam roots in 100 ml beakers of genotype RO3015 resisted infection of P. myriotylum with no necrosis of the inoculated roots, which may indicate resistance. This provides a quick and reliable pathogenicity test of P. myriotylum on susceptible cocoyam detached roots. Necrosis of inoculated detached cocoyam roots could be reliably used to screen cocoyam germplasm for resistance to P. myriotylum.
Pulmonary Hemorrhage and Acute Renal Failure in a Patient With Mixed Connective Tissue Disease

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is considered to have a benign clinical course. Recently, renal disease has been recognized as a frequent complication (20%). This report describes a patient with MCTD who developed pulmonary hemorrhage and acute renal failure. The renal biopsy, in addition to a long-standing membranous nephropathy, revealed a tubulointerstitial nephritis. Immunofluorescent and electron microscopy showed immune complex deposition along the tubular basement membrane. Life-threatening, immune complex-mediated events can occur in the course of MCTD, manifested as pulmonary hemorrhage and tubulointerstitial nephritis.
Magnetospheric Convection in the Nondipolar Magnetic Field of Uranus

A method for determining the magnetospheric convection electric field using simple analytic approximations under the assumption of uniform ionospheric conductivity is described, and applied to Uranus. Magnetic field models including quadrupole and octupole moments are used to determine the shape of the polar caps and the mapping of the electric field and parallel currents between ionosphere and magnetosphere. The asymmetry in the magnetic field models between the northern and southern hemispheres leads to the inclusion of currents between the hemispheres in order to satisfy the assumption of equipotential magnetic field lines. The results show that the quadrupole moment of the Uranian magnetic field strongly influences magnetospheric convection, and that a significant octupole moment will further alter the flow pattern. Even with these modifications the basic flow is sunward in the inner magnetosphere as inferred previously. The total current which flows along field lines between the two hemispheres due to the asymmetry of the magnetic field is comparable in magnitude to that of the region 1 current system. Time dependent calculations including a self-consistent electric field show that ring current shielding of the electric field is important and may have formed the most prominent features in the plasma observations made by Voyager 2. The effectiveness of the shielding can be influenced by the magnetic field model. Other features in the data are characteristic of substorm injection, and the model has been used to show that a combination of plasma injection and electric field shielding may be applicable to the interpretation of the Voyager 2 data.
Gas Permeation and Diffusion Characteristics of MFI-Type Zeolite Membranes at High Temperatures

MFI-type zeolite membranes were prepared by the template-free secondary growth method followed by onstream counter-diffusion or one-side chemical vapor deposition (CVD) modification to eliminate intercrystalline pores. Gas permeation and separation experiments were conducted on unmodified and modified membranes at 25−500 °C. For unmodified MFI-type zeolite membranes, single-gas permeation of H2, He, CO, and CO2 exhibits characteristics of Knudsen diffusion up to 500 °C, and adsorption of CO2 on MFI-type zeolite has a strong effect on ternary gas separation (H2, CO, and CO2) below 300 °C. Counter-diffusion CVD modification is effective in sealing the intercrystalline gaps resulting in defect-free MFI-type zeolite membranes. Permeation of nonadsorbing gases (He, H2, and CO) through counter-diffusion CVD-modified zeolite membranes also exhibits Knudsen diffusion characteristics with very small activation energies for diffusion (0.1−3 kJ mol−1), with gas permeance (diffusivity) decreasing with increasing mole...
Theoretical Study of the Mechanism of Oxidative Addition of Allyl−Ammonium and −Iminium Salts to Low-Valent Metal Complexes. Rationalization of Selective C−N and N−H Bond Activation

A theoretical study has been carried out for the mechanism of the reactions of allylammonium and -iminium substrates with Ni(0) complexes using the B3LYP density functional method. The main findings are as follows: (1) The actual active catalyst in the oxidative addition of ammonium and iminium salts is the bisphosphine−nickel complex. (2) For allylammonium salts the reaction is found to proceed via an associative mechanism (rather than a dissociative path) which involves (i) coordination of the allylammonium cation to the active metal catalyst, (ii) oxidative addition of the C−N bond to the Ni(0) complex, (iii) coordination of NH3 to yield a pentacoordinated intermediate, and (iv) loss of a phosphine ligand. The analogous reaction involving allyliminium salts does not follow the same mechanistic pattern; once the allyliminium cation is coordinated to the metal, the reaction prefers to proceed in a dissociative fashion. This preference is likely to be enhanced in solution. (3) The main difference between...
The evolution of Pauli's exclusion principle

In 1925 the Austrian physicist, Wolfgang Pauli, published the first, restricted, version of what has since come to be called the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP). Quantum Mechanics was being discovered and would be completely formulated within the next 2 years, but the framework within which Pauli was then working was what we call the Old Quantum Theory (see Ruark & Urey, 1964). In that theory atoms were conceived as planetary systems in which negatively charged electrons were bound in Bohr–Sommerfeld quantized orbits around a tiny, massive, positively charged nucleus. Emission of radiation occurred when a bound electron dropped to an orbit of lesser energy, the lost energy being carried away by a Planck–Einstein photon. Absorption of radiation occurred when an incident photon provided just the right energy for an electron to jump to a higher energy orbit. Pauli proposed that, besides the integer-valued quantum numbers (in modern notation) n, l and ml which, together, characterized the size, shape and spatial orientation of an electron’s orbit, the electron also possessed a ‘classically indescribable two valuedness’, represented by an additional two valued quantum number, ms, and no two electrons bound in an atom could have the same set of these four quantum numbers. This insight of Pauli was based on an analysis, published in the preceding year by E.C. Stoner (Enz & von Meyen, 1994, p.168; Duck & Sudarshan, 1997, pp. 43–48), of the phenomenology of atomic spectral lines from the perspective of the Bohr–Sommerfeld theory. In the paper Stoner came within a hairs breadth of enunciating the electron PEP himself. In particular,
PERSPECTIVES ON ICS TRAINING FROM THE TRAINER'S POINT OF VIEW: STREAMLINING THE PROCESS

ABSTRACT The promulgation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-5) has resulted in a significant training mandate for the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard. An outstanding effort has been put forth to roll out the current training regime. Since training is an iterative process of Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE), equal emphasis must be placed on all phases of the process, including analysis. In the haste to roll out training to meet an immediate need, little, if any analysis was conducted. The author suggests that the time may be right to conduct the analysis needed to streamline the current program and provide better training for Coast Guard personnel conducting contingency response operations.
BRINGING WHITE-COLLAR CRIME BACK IN: AN EXAMINATION OF CRIMES AND TORTS*

Criminologists have paid little attention to the study of civil law, a subject closely related to the conceptualization of white-collar crime. Because white-collar violations are generally treated as civil wrongs it has been erroneously assumed that they are not criminal acts. But often there is no difference between criminal and civil law in the way liability is determined, the moral judgments made of violations, the purposes of sanctions, the objects they protect, and in the actual behaviors regulated by these two bodies of law. Crime and tort are no longer meaningful labels for classifying either the underlying behaviors nor the type of legal actions or reactions to these behaviors. A solution to this dilemma is to separate the study of organization and causation of the behavior from a consideration of how the behavior is defined.
Historical evidence for the origin of teaching hospital, medical school and the rise of academic medicine

Historical progression and the development of current teaching hospitals, medical schools and biomedical research originated from the people of many civilizations and cultures. Greeks, Indians, Syriacs, Persians and Jews, assembled first in Gondi-Shapur during the Sasanian empire in Persia, and later in Baghdad during the Golden Age of Islam, ushering the birth of current academic medicine.
Fractal concepts and their applications to gels

Recent progress in the theory of fractal excitations, in the simulation of these excitations, and in experiments on fractal aerogels are reviewed. The paper is an extended abstract intended as a guide to the current literature.
Magnetic spin glass properties of the bi-layer hydrate Na0.3NiO2 · 1.3H2O

Abstract The magnetic properties of the new metal oxide bi-layer hydrate Na0.3NiO2·1.3H2O were investigated. DC and AC magnetic susceptibility measurements revealed the compound to be a spin glass at low temperatures with a freezing point of Tf∼3.5 K. Using the Vogel–Fulcher relationship an activation energy of Ea/k∼71.6 K, a Vogel–Fulcher temperature of To∼1.9 K and a frequency dependence of the freezing temperature consistent with a frustrated magnetic spin-glass rather than a RKKY spin glass were determined. Ni K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) show an absorption edge shift toward higher energies in Na0.3NiO2·1.3H2O compared to Na0.7NiO2 and suggests that Ni occurs in two possible electronic configurations: a combination of 3d7 (S=1/2) and 3d6 (S=0) or 3d7L states, with L representing a hole in the oxygen p-states.
Clostridial toxins in strangulation obstruction and antibiotic-related colitis.

associated colitis. These experiments show that these toxins are identical or similar in both diseases. Eighteen dogs with strangulation obstruction were studied. Closed midjejunal loops were constructed and bowel continuity was reestablished by end-to-end anastomosis. Venous blood supply to the closed loop was divided and ligated. Twelve dogs were sacrificed 18 hr later when specimens of blood, loop fluid, and bowel wall were obtained for cultures; the remaining animals were sacrificed at 3 hr and served as operative controls. Half of the dogs received 1 g of vancomycin 1 day before and 1 hr before operation. Clostridia were isolated from the loop fluids in all but four of nine dogs that had received vancomycin. Bacteria-free loop fluids injected intracecally into hamsters caused diarrhea and colitis as did bacteria-free filtrates of Clostridium sordellii broth cultures isolated from the dogs. The animals pretreated with vancomycin showed ischemic changes in their obstructed bowel loops but their loop fluid was not toxic to hamsters. No vancomycin-treated animals had positive blood cultures, whereas six of nine non-vancomycin-treated dogs grew Clostridium spp. from their blood. These experiments show similarities between the toxins involved in these two diseases and suggest that modalities useful in identifying and treating antibiotic-associated colitis may be applicable to cases of strangulation obstruction.
Effects of denervation on laryngeal muscles: A canine model

The purpose of this study was to chronologically evaluate the changes in functional and histomorphometry of denervated laryngeal muscles. In 14 adult mongrel dogs, a 2.5-cm segment of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve was excised. Videolaryngoscopy and electromyography were performed at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 months under intravenous sedation. The animals were then killed, and the laryngeal muscles were processed for histochemical reactions. The mean muscle fiber diameter, standard deviation, and muscle fiber type composition were determined. The findings indicate that, following recurrent laryngeal nerve sectioning, the canine intrinsic laryngeal muscles undergo denervation atrophy for approximately 3 months, after which reinnervation occurs. The source of reinnervation appears to be from regenerated nerve fibers of the sectioned recurrent laryngeal nerve. The nerve fibers nonselectively reinnervated the abductor and adductor muscles of the larynx.
Cloning, characterization and insertional inactivation of the Lactobacillus helveticus D(−) lactate dehydrogenase gene

A plasmid, designated pSUW100, encoding the D(-)lactate dehydrogenase [D(-)-LDH; NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.28] fromLactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32 was identified from a genomic library by complementation ofEscherichia coli FMJ39. The D(-)LDH gene was localized by Tn5 mutagenesis and subcloning to a 1.4-kb region of pSUW100. A 2-kbDraI fragment of pSUW100 encoding D(-)LDH activity was subcloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. Analysis of this sequence identified a putative 1,014-bp D(-) LDH open reading frame that encodes a polypeptide of 337 amino acid residues with a deduced molecular mass of 38 kDa. The distribution of homology to the CNRZ32 D(-)LDH gene in several lactic acid bacteria was determined by Southern hybridization using an internal fragment of the D(-)LDH gene as a probe. Hybridization was detected in leuconostocs and pediococci but not in lactococci orLactobacillus casei. An integration plasmid was constructed from pSA3 and a 0.60-kb internal fragment of the D(-)LDH gene. This plasmid was used to construct a D(-)LDH-negative derivative ofL. helveticus CNRZ 32 by gene disruption; this derivative was determined as producing only L(+)lactic acid. No significant difference in growth or total lactic acid production was observed between CNRZ32 and its D(-)LDH mutant.
Segmentation using neural networks for automatic thresholding

A neural network solution to the problem of automatic threshold selection for image segmentation is presented. A multilayer perceptron is trained on a set of feature vectors extracted from gray scale imagery. The trained network then emulates the threshold selection behavior of its teacher. The thresholds obtained are used by a region based segmentation algorithm to partition the meaningful objects in the image into regions of constant gray level. Experimental results are given for a set of infrared imagery. 1.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Tuning And Scanning Control System For High Resolution Alexandrite Lasers

An alexandrite laser is spectrally narrowed and tuned by the use of three optical elements. Each element provides a successively higher degree of spectral resolution. The digitally controlled tuning and scanning control servo system simultaneously positions all three optical elements to provide continuous high resolution laser spectral tuning. The user may select manual, single, or continuous modes of automated scanning of ranges up to 3.00/cm and at scan rates up to 3.85/cm/min. Scanning over an extended range of up to 9.999/cm may be achieved if the highest resolution optic is removed from the system. The control system is also capable of being remotely operated by another computer or controller via standard RS-232 serial data link.
Ultrafast laser-induced microexplosions in transparent materials

Submicron-diameter structures can be produced inside many transparent materials by tightly focused 100-fs laser pulses. The ultrafast energy deposition creates very high temperature and pressure inside the region, initiating a 'microexplosion'. Material is ejected from the center and forced into the surrounding volume, forming a void surrounded by densified material. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy show structural changes confined to an area 200 nm in diameter.
Undergraduate Students' Errors in the Administration of Standardized Tests.

One hundred and six students were required to administer the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised (PPVT—R) to the instructor as the culminating exercise in a course in psychoeducational testing. Only 29.2 percent of the students were able to successfully administer the PPVT—R error free. Errors included the mispronunciation of stimulus words, failure to find the highest basal, failure to find the lowest ceiling, and inaccuracies in calculating the scores. It would appear that a one semester course is not sufficient to adequately prepare special education teachers with the necessary skills to be proficient test administrators.
On the Coherence of Inversion

In this paper, I shall evaluate a strategy recently used to try to demonstrate the impossibility of behaviorally undetectable spectrum inversion. After showing that the impossibility proof proves too much, I shall identify where it goes wrong. In turn, I shall explain why someone attracted to functionalist and representationalist assumptions might rightly remain agnostic about the possibility of inversion.
Social and cultural factors associated with asthmatic symptoms in children.

Abstract Epidemiologic data are presented describing differences in rates of asthmatic symptoms by sex among children varying in their social and family characteristics. While the anticipated high rate of symptoms among boys relative to girls was observed in the group as a whole, marked variations in the sex difference appeared between different social and cultural groups. To account for these results, several alternative hypotheses are considered.
Registration of 3D spectral OCT volumes combining ICP with a graph-based approach

The introduction of spectral Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanners has enabled acquisition of high resolution, 3D cross-sectional volumetric images of the retina. 3D-OCT is used to detect and manage eye diseases such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. To follow-up patients over time, image registration is a vital tool to enable more precise, quantitative comparison of disease states. In this work we present a 3D registrationmethod based on a two-step approach. In the first step we register both scans in the XY domain using an Iterative Closest Point (ICP) based algorithm. This algorithm is applied to vessel segmentations obtained from the projection image of each scan. The distance minimized in the ICP algorithm includes measurements of the vessel orientation and vessel width to allow for a more robust match. In the second step, a graph-based method is applied to find the optimal translation along the depth axis of the individual A-scans in the volume to match both scans. The cost image used to construct the graph is based on the mean squared error (MSE) between matching A-scans in both images at different translations. We have applied this method to the registration of Optic Nerve Head (ONH) centered 3D-OCT scans of the same patient. First, 10 3D-OCT scans of 5 eyes with glaucoma imaged in vivo were registered for a qualitative evaluation of the algorithm performance. Then, 17 OCT data set pairs of 17 eyes with known deformation were used for quantitative assessment of the method's robustness.
Dimethylsphingosine and FTY720 inhibit the SK1 form but activate the SK2 form of sphingosine kinase from rat heart

Fractionation of cytosolic sphingosine kinase (SKase) activity by gel filtration chromatography gave rise to a 96-kDa peak that contained only the SK2 form of SKase (by Western analysis) and a broad ca. 46 kDa peak that contained only SK1 forms. SK2 appeared to have a bound accessory protein. When tested with the classic SKase inhibitor dimethylsphingosine (DMS), SK1 was extensively inhibited; however, SK2 was not inhibited but unexpectedly was activated. Activation of SK2 was the result of DMS enhancing the affinity of the enzyme for sphingosine, and, at low concentrations of ATP and sphingosine, activated by more than 100%. Activation of SK2 could be demonstrated in the cytosolic fraction indicating it was unrelated to the purification step. The immunomodulator FTY720 also activated SK2 (although to a lesser extent), but was a potent inhibitor of SK1. SK2 from rat liver and spleen was also not inhibited by DMS. L-Sphingosine and to a lesser extent dihydrosphingosine and phytosphingosine were effective inhibitors of both forms.