cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Call Features on Corporate Bond Yields

Financial research has often found that the impact of a call provision on bond required yield is statistically insignificant, despite the fact that fundamental theory maintains that optionality controlled by the issuer should increase the required yield. Theories of why issuers include a call provision suggest a possible explanation in that call provisions may reduce agency costs and provide signaling effects. These agency and signaling effects may serve to reduce the required yield, thus offsetting the conventional optionality effects of the call. This research supports this view—inclusion of a call provision does signal positive prospects.
Clustering RNA structural motifs in ribosomal RNAs using secondary structural alignment

RNA structural motifs are the building blocks of the complex RNA architecture. Identification of non-coding RNA structural motifs is a critical step towards understanding of their structures and functionalities. In this article, we present a clustering approach for de novo RNA structural motif identification. We applied our approach on a data set containing 5S, 16S and 23S rRNAs and rediscovered many known motifs including GNRA tetraloop, kink-turn, C-loop, sarcin–ricin, reverse kink-turn, hook-turn, E-loop and tandem-sheared motifs, with higher accuracy than the state-of-the-art clustering method. We also identified a number of potential novel instances of GNRA tetraloop, kink-turn, sarcin–ricin and tandem-sheared motifs. More importantly, several novel structural motif families have been revealed by our clustering analysis. We identified a highly asymmetric bulge loop motif that resembles the rope sling. We also found an internal loop motif that can significantly increase the twist of the helix. Finally, we discovered a subfamily of hexaloop motif, which has significantly different geometry comparing to the currently known hexaloop motif. Our discoveries presented in this article have largely increased current knowledge of RNA structural motifs.
Evaluation of techniques for 0νββ-decay experiments, and prospects for direct observation

Abstract The data from neutrino oscillations yield values for neutrino mixing angles and squares of the differences of neutrino mass eigenvalues. These imply that if neutrinos are Majorana particles, the half-lives for neutrinoless double-beta 0 ν β β decay should be within the sensitivity of well-designed experiments. In this paper, some of the proposed experimental techniques will be analyzed using criteria that allow comparison of their relative merits. The target sensitivity of the physics reach of a one-ton scale experiment is defined as the ability to cover the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy.
The role of reactive oxygen species in PDT efficacy

While the first reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed during photodynamic therapy (PDT) is singlet molecular oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), other ROS are formed downstream including superoxide anion radical (•CO 2 - ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and hydroxyl radical (•OH). In this study, we examined the role of H 2 O 2 in the phototoxic response to PDT in murine leukemia L388 cells. Inhibition of catalase activity, a major pathway to H 2 O 2 detoxification, led to enhanced apoptosis and cell death. Addition of exogenous catalase offered protection from phototoxicity as did chelation of Fe +2 , a co-factor in •OH production from H 2 O 2 . These results indicate the H 2 O 2 formed during PDT plays a role in PDT efficacy.
The effect of a vitaminlike homolog of riboflavin on succinic acid dehydrogenase activity of brain.

The riboflavin homolog 7-ethyl-8-methyl-10-(D-ribityl)isoalloxazine (7-ethyl-8-methyl-flavin; Fig. 1) 1 is able to serve as the sole flavin in the nutrition of the rat 2. Females receiving only 7-ethyl-8-methyl-flavin, produce litters of the usual size consisting of normal appearing young, but the young die during the first 3 days after birth 3.Kim and Lambooy 4 have shown that 7-ethyl-8-methyl-flavin causes a reduction of succinic acid dehydrogenase (SDH) activity in tissues of healthy rats. The evidence 4 suggested that the coenzyme form of the homolog is able to replace riboflavin in the enzyme at a rate which is reasonably consistent with the half-life of the mitochondrion. These phenomena led to observations that the half-life of decay of rat liver SDH is approximately 14 days while that of the kidney is of the order of 100 days.It might be argued that the large difference in the half-lives of SDH decay in the liver and kidney are not related to the reproductive cycle of the mitochondria in the tissu...
Lung cancer incidence and survival among HIV-infected and uninfected women and men.

Objectives To determine the lung cancer incidence and survival time among HIV-infected and uninfected women and men.
Gender Profiling: A Gendered Race Perspective on Person–Position Fit

The current research integrates perspectives on gendered race and person–position fit to introduce the concept of a gender profile. We propose that both the “gender” of a person’s biological sex and the “gender” of a person’s race (Asians are perceived as feminine and Blacks as masculine) help comprise an individual’s gender profile—the overall femininity or masculinity associated with their demographic characteristics. We also propose that occupational positions have gender profiles. Finally, we argue that the overall gender profile of one’s demographics, rather than just one’s biological sex, determines one’s fit and hirability for feminine or masculine occupational roles. The current five studies establish the gender profiles of different races and sexes, and then demonstrate that individuals with feminine-typed and masculine-typed gender profiles are selected for feminine and masculine positions, respectively. These studies provide new insights on who gets ahead in different environments.
Resale price maintenance contracts with retailer sales effort: Effect of flexibility and competition

In Resale Price Maintenance (RPM) contracts, the manufacturer specifies the resale price that retailers must charge to consumers. We study the role of using a RPM contract in a market where demand is influenced by retailer sales effort. First, it is well known that RPM alone does not provide incentive for the retailer to use adequate sales effort and some form of quantity fixing may be needed to achieve channel coordination. However, when the market potential of the product is uncertain, RPM with quantity fixing is a rigid contract form. We propose and study a variety of RPM contracts with quantity fixing that offer different forms of flexibility including pricing flexibility and quantity flexibility. Second, we address a long-time debate in both academia and practice on whether RPM is anti-competitive in a market when two retailers compete on both price and sales effort. We show that depending on the relative intensity of price competition and sales effort competition, RPM may lead to higher or lower retail prices compared to a two-part tariff contract, which specifies a wholesale price and a fixed fee. Further, the impact of RPM on price competition and sales effort competition is always opposite to each other. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006
Barth syndrome: TAZ gene mutations, mRNAs, and evolution.

Barth syndrome (MIM 302060) is an X-linked condition that includes dilated cardiomyopathy, neutropenia, failure to thrive, abnormal mitochondria, and 3-methylglutaconic aciduria. The mutated gene, TAZ, first described in 1996, appeared to produce a large set of alternatively spliced mRNAs with initiations of transcription upstream of exons 1 and 3. Since then, disease-causing mutations have been found in all exons including, most recently, a missense mutation in the controversial exon 5. Because of the initially described second initiation of transcription in intron 2, with in-frame initiation of translation in exon 3, we hypothesized that subjects with mutations in exons 1 and 2 would produce more normal “short product” that might attenuate their phenotype. Moreover, it was of interest to determine which splice variants were potentially functional as exon 5 is not present in yeast and rodents, and the variant lacking this exon is the most abundant. Using RT-PCR, we characterized TAZ mRNAs in cultured lymphocytes from nine subjects with Barth syndrome and two healthy controls. The TAZ genes and mRNAs of primates were also included. We found the following: (1) there is only one site for initiation of transcription, and the normal alternatively spliced assortment is limited to full-length, Δ5, Δ7, Δ5Δ7; (2) there are two alternative splice sites within introns 1 and 2 that could potentially produce an in-frame product; (3) exon 5 evolved into “exonhood” in the primate lineage after the split between Old World monkeys and hominoid primates; and (4) our results suggest that only two functional protein variants exist in lymphocytes: Δ5 and full-length. Although exon 5 does not appear to be required for TAZ function in yeast and monkeys, its evolution to a highly conserved spliced exon in hominoid primates and the recent finding of an exon 5 mutation in a patient with Barth syndrome suggest that the full-length variant is important to TAZ function. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Above- and belowground controls on water use by trees of different wood types in an eastern US deciduous forest.

Stomata control tree transpiration by sensing and integrating environmental signals originating in the atmosphere and soil, and co-occurring species may differ in inherent stomatal sensitivity to these above- and belowground signals and in the types of signals to which they respond. Stomatal responsiveness to environmental signals is likely to differ across species having different types of wood (e.g., ring-porous, diffuse-porous and coniferous) because each wood type differs in the structure, size and spatial distribution of its xylem conduits as well as in the scaling of hydraulic properties with stem diameter. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of variation in soil water availability and atmospheric evaporative demand on stomatal regulation of transpiration in seven co-occurring temperate deciduous forest species representing three wood types. We measured whole-tree sap flux and soil and atmospheric variables in a mixed deciduous forest in central Pennsylvania over the course of a growing season characterized by severe drought and large fluctuations in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit ( D). The relative sensitivity of sap flux to soil drying was ~2.2–2.3 times greater in the diffuse-porous and coniferous species than in the ring-porous species. Stomata of the ring-porous oaks were only about half as responsive to increased D as those of trees of the other two wood types. These differences in responsiveness to changes in the belowand aboveground environment implied that regulation of leaf water potential in the ring-porous oaks was less stringent than that in the diffuse-porous angiosperms or the conifers. The results suggest that increases in the frequency or intensity of summer droughts in the study region could have multiple consequences for forest function, including altered successional time courses or climax species composition and cumulative effects on whole-tree architecture, resulting in a structural and physiological legacy that would restrict the ability of trees to respond rapidly to more favorable growth conditions.
Consumption and Everyday Life

Consumption and Everyday Life. HUGH MACKAY, ed. London: Sage, 1997. 368 pp., references, figures, tables, index.
Infusing Technical Communication and Teamwork within the ECE Curriculum

This paper highlights a unique approach to infusing formal training and practice in oral and written communication and teamwork development in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Utah. Faculty and graduate (Ph.D.) students from the College of Humanities have teamed up with faculty from engineering to develop communication and teamwork instruction that is integrated into the existing engineering curriculum. These skills are used as a vehicle to provide better understanding of engineering concepts and their applications.
Move on!: smooth muscle cell motility paired down.

See related article, pages 817–825 A cardinal feature of the response to injury within the muscularized, adult blood vessel wall is the transformation of an highly organized, isometric, cytoskeletal archetype, housed within vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), to one that supports cell migration, the function of which is to elicit repair.1 Such reorganization of the SMC cytoskeleton permits cells to move from the comfort of their controlled environment, which includes the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) and their neighboring cells, to the site of injury. Cytoskeletal remodeling also initiates other functions required for the injury-repair response, including SMC proliferation, and the creation of a provisional ECM that supports cell motility, growth and survival.2,3 For the most part, these and many other repair-related processes, including the recruitment and differentiation of inflammatory and stem cells to sites of injury,4,5 are coordinated through changes in cell-cell and cell–matrix adhesion, which collectively act with numerous other intrinsic and extrinsic factors, to stimulate or repress programs of signal transduction and gene expression. Sometimes, however, overexuberant responses to injury lead to hyper-repair of blood vessels, leaving them occluded and functionless.1,6 Thus, identifying molecules and pathways that control cytoskeletal homeostasis and remodeling represents a critical step in comprehending how blood vessels develop, and how SMCs contained therein adapt to injury in the fetal-, neo-, and postnatal periods. With respect to the general cellular mechanisms leading to increased SMC motility, reorganization of the cytoskeleton relies on the recruitment of multiple signaling and adaptor proteins to focal or fibrillar adhesion sites that reiteratively form, deconstruct and regenerate themselves, allowing cells to detach and reattach to the existing and provisional matrix on which they exert a tractional force.7 In essence, adhesion sites not only contain solid-state, cytoskeleton-enriched scaffolds that transmit force from the outside of …
Review : Single-Cell mRNA Amplification: Implications for Basic and Clinical Neuroscience

The application of molecular biological techniques to the study of single cells has provided a unique window for exploring the mechanisms that underlie integrated cellular function. Analysis of gene expression in indi vidual cells of the central nervous system is critical to understanding how distinct cell populations with differing chemical and anatomic phenotypes respond to pharmacological agents or are altered in disease states. Quantification of mRNA by single-cell analysis gives a high-resolution picture of changes in gene expression within individual cells, whereas more conventional types of mRNA analysis may obscure subtle changes in gene expression because of a lack of change in surrounding cells that are included in the mRNA sample. In addition, the sensitivity for detecting low levels of mRNA is enhanced when individual versus groups of cells are analyzed. With the advent of various mRNA amplification strategies, it is now possible to determine the mRNA composition or "expression profile" of ind...
Growth Characteristics of Nial Intermetallic Layers on III-V Type Substrate

We studied interfacial behavior of coherent NiAl intermetallic layers on compound semiconductor heterostructures qualitatively via computer simulations using the embedded atom method. From the static simulations, a tentative model structure at the interface between the NiAl (CsCl type) and zincblende structure is proposed. The real time epitaxial growth simulations using the molecular dynamics technique show the effects of various parameters on the growth sequence along with other interesting results like surface diffusion and melting.
LaCrosse viral encephalitis mimics herpes simplex viral encephalitis

Temporal lobe abnormalities, findings commonly associated with herpes simplex virus encephalitis, were observed in a male 10 years of age found to have LaCrosse virus encephalitis. Diagnostic features included magnetic resonance imaging revealing abnormal signal intensity in the bilateral frontotemporal regions, and left-sided periodic lateralizing epileptiform discharges. LaCrosse virus encephalitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of viral encephalitis associated with structural and electrographic temporal lobe lesions, represented by periodic lateralizing epileptiform discharges. The recently developed LaCrosse RNA polymerase chain reaction for cerebrospinal fluid may enable rapid diagnosis, prevent the need for treatment with acyclovir, and give parents an encouraging prognosis.
When the standards aren't standard: Evidence-based medicine in the Russian context

This paper examines the uses of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in post-Soviet Russia through the use of semi-structured interviews. It asks what it means to talk about practicing evidence-based medicine in a setting where the context of practice presents considerable barriers to the implementation of EBM principles. Drawing on interviews with Russian physicians, medical students and users of the healthcare system, the paper argues that in post-Soviet Russia EBM serves as a strategic discourse for segments of the medical profession. With the collapse of the U.S.S.R. the healthcare system has been going through a period of crisis, and Russian physicians are finding that they have to redefine their professional identity with respect to the domestic and the international context and have to seek new sources for legitimating their professional position. The western origins of EBM endow this rhetoric with considerable power in the Russian context and render it a very useful tool in the project of redefinition.
Fibre-optic thermometer using semiconductor-etalon sensor

A fibre-optic thermometer is described which uses a thick-film SiC sensing etalon. The etalon's temperature-dependent phase shift is determined by analysing its spectral reflectance, using an LED and a tunable Michelson interferometer. Temperatures from 20 to 1000°C are measured with better than 0.5 deg C resolution.
Fine-needle aspiration cytology of lymphoproliferative disorders in the immunosuppressed patient: the diagnostic utility of in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus.

We examined the diagnostic utility of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in the immunosuppressed patient with particular attention to the value of in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA (EBER), a test frequently performed on tissue sections in this setting. Six patients with adenopathy were identified: three with prior solid organ transplantation, two with prior bone marrow transplantation, and one with human immunodeficiency virus. Cytologic findings in involved tissues were positive for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in one case, suspicious or atypical in three cases, negative/reactive in one case, and nondiagnostic in one case due to insufficient material. Two aspirates had a polymorphous lymphoid appearance; three showed predominantly monomorphous lymphoid morphology. Retrospectively, 4/4 FNA cell blocks were positive for EBER in a large proportion of atypical lymphoid cells. Together with the cytologic findings, EBER detection allows for more specific classification of these FNA samples as EBV-associated lymphoid proliferations.
Reply to “Comments on ‘Erroneous Model Field Representations in Multiple Pseudoproxy Studies: Corrections and Implications’”

The commenters confirm the errors identified and discussed in Smerdon et al., which either invalidated or required the reinterpretation of quantitative results from pseudoproxy experiments presented or used in several earlier papers. These errors have a strong influence on the spatial skill assessments of climate field reconstructions (CFRs), despite their small impacts on skill statistics averaged over the Northern Hemisphere. On the basis of spatial performance and contrary to the claim by the commenters, the Regularized Expectation Maximization method using truncated total least squares (RegEM-TTLS) cannot be considered a preferred CFR technique. Moreover, distinctions between CFR methods in the context of the discussion in the original paper are immaterial. Continued investigations using accurately described and faithfully executed pseudoproxy experiments are critical for further evaluation and improvement of CFR methods.
The Normative Pattern of Erich Fromm's Escape from Freedom

T HE THEORY O LIBERAL DEMOCRACY has lost much of its persuasive power partially because of the belief that it fails to cope adequately with the insights and discoveries of modern psychology.' One familiar and influential attempt to provide liberal theory with new theoretical footing is Erich Fromm's Escape from Freedom.2 Some fifteen years in circulation, the book has gained such wide and spontaneous acceptance by political scientists, sociologists, and social psychologists that explicit acknowledgment of its rhetoric and argument has become increasingly dispensable. Yet, however much the work may now be in the academic as well as in the public domain, some of the implications of its dominant themes remain unexamined a fact especially deplorable if it could be shown that in crucial respects they are inimical to a political theory recognizing both the ultimacy of the individual person and those institutions which sustain his moral freedom to work toward ideal ends. Uncovering and exploring one specific part of Fromm's perspective, deliberately ignoring innumerable brilliant insights, may perhaps show how an outlook such as his will tend to support a closed social order, one destructive of human personality and Fromm's obviously humane sentiments quite to the contrary of liberal democracy, its theory and institutions. Even though this exploration is confined to his treatise, it should affect and possibly qualify research incorporating Fromm's assumptions and outlook. Erich Fromm neither designs nor pleads for any particular social order. His aim is restricted, scientific and analytical. He professes to be concerned primarily not with any normative arrangement for man and society, not with any theory of the state and the citizen's
Histochemical Investigation of the Modal Specificity of Taste

The taste mechanism was investigated in a primate (Macaca mulatta). Based on the hypothesis that intracellular enzymes contribute to the transduction of tastes to electric impulses by taste cells, a histochemical survey of the activity of several enzymes was made on taste buds from regions of the mouth associated with sweet, salt, sour, and bitter tastes. Considerable differences were noted among the modalities, which confirmed the hypothesis. An exclusively bitter enzyme was identified.
The Importance of Engraftment in Flap Revascularization: Confirmation by Laser Speckle Perfusion Imaging

Background The delivery of proangiogenic agents in clinical trials of wound healing has produced equivocal results, the lack of real-time assessment of vascular growth is a major weakness in monitoring the efficacy of therapeutic angiogenesis, and surgical solutions fall short in addressing the deficiency in microvascular blood supply to ischemic wounds. Therefore, elucidation of the mechanisms involved in ischemia-induced blood vessel growth has potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications in wound healing. Materials and Methods Three surgical models of wound ischemia, a cranial-based myocutaneous flap, an identical flap with underlying silicone sheeting to prevent engraftment, and a complete incisional flap without circulation were created on C57BL6 transgenic mice. Laser speckle contrast imaging was utilized to study the pattern of ischemia and return of revascularization. Simultaneous analysis of wound histology and microvascular density provided correlation of wound perfusion and morphology. Results Creation of the peninsular-shaped flap produced a gradient of ischemia. Laser speckle contrast imaging accurately predicted the spatial and temporal pattern of ischemia, the return of functional revascularization, and the importance of engraftment in distal flap perfusion and survival. Histologic analysis demonstrated engraftment resulted in flap revascularization by new blood vessel growth from the recipient bed and dilatation of pre-existing flap vasculature. Conclusions Further research utilizing this model of graded wound ischemia and the technology of laser speckle perfusion imaging will allow monitoring of the real-time restitution of blood flow for correlation with molecular biomarkers of revascularization in an attempt to gain further understanding of wound microvascular biology.
Comparison of ulnar shortening osteotomy and the wafer resection procedure as treatment for ulnar impaction syndrome.

A retrospective review was performed that compared the results of 2 different surgical treatments for ulnar impaction syndrome in 22 patients over a 6-year period. Ulnar shortening osteotomy and wafer distal ulna resection (wafer resection procedure) were each performed in 11 patients based on the preference of 3 individual hand surgeons. All patients presented with ulnar wrist pain and positive ulnar variance on either neutral rotation or pronated-grip x-rays and each failed conservative management. At a minimum follow-up time of 18 months, 9 patients had good to excellent results following ulnar shortening osteotomy compared with 8 following the wafer resection procedure. This difference was not statistically significant. All patients regained functional wrist motion and 21 of the 22 patients had satisfactory pain relief. There was 1 poor result in the wafer group that required revision to complete resection of the distal ulna. Five secondary procedures were required in the osteotomy group to remove painful hardware and union was delayed in 2 patients. Although ulnar shortening osteotomy provides effective treatment for ulnar impaction syndrome, the wafer resection procedure provides favorable pain relief and restoration of function but without the potential for nonunion or hardware removal. (J Hand Surg 2000; 25A:55-60.
Biometric Feature Extraction in a Multi-Camera Surveillance System

Advanced, multi-camera surveillance systems present a practical and effective means of automatically detecting, tracking, and characterizing various people, events, activities, and situations. Recently, considerable focus has been placed on the tracking and analysis of human motion and, specifically, on the measurement of diverse biometrics for authentication and identification [1]. In this article we concentrate on the use of gait as a biometric and provide an introduction to a unique system for its robust tracking, extraction, and subsequent analysis.
Rapid Method To Determine Intracellular Drug Concentrations in Cellular Uptake Assays: Application to Metformin in Organic Cation Transporter 1–Transfected Human Embryonic Kidney 293 Cells

Because of the importance of intracellular unbound drug concentrations in the prediction of in vivo concentrations that are determinants of drug efficacy and toxicity, a number of assays have been developed to assess in vitro unbound concentrations of drugs. Here we present a rapid method to determine the intracellular unbound drug concentrations in cultured cells, and we apply the method along with a mechanistic model to predict concentrations of metformin in subcellular compartments of stably transfected human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. Intracellular space (ICS) was calculated by subtracting the [(3)H]-inulin distribution volume (extracellular space, ECS) from the [(14)C]-urea distribution volume (total water space, TWS). Values obtained for intracellular space (mean ± S.E.M.; μl/10(6) cells) of monolayers of HEK cells (HEK-empty vector [EV]) and cells overexpressing human organic cation transporter 1 (HEK-OCT1), 1.21± 0.07 and 1.25±0.06, respectively, were used to determine the intracellular metformin concentrations. After incubation of the cells with 5 µM metformin, the intracellular concentrations were 26.4 ± 7.8 μM and 268 ± 11.0 μM, respectively, in HEK-EV and HEK-OCT1. In addition, intracellular metformin concentrations were lower in high K(+) buffer (140 mM KCl) compared with normal K(+) buffer (5.4 mM KCl) in HEK-OCT1 cells (54.8 ± 3.8 μM and 198.1 ± 11.2 μM, respectively; P < 0.05). Our mechanistic model suggests that, depending on the credible range of assumed physiologic values, the positively charged metformin accumulates to particularly high levels in endoplasmic reticulum and/or mitochondria. This method together with the computational model can be used to determine intracellular unbound concentrations and to predict subcellular accumulation of drugs in other complex systems such as primary cells.
The Effect of Insurance Type on Patient Access to Carpal Tunnel Release Under the Affordable Care Act.

Purpose To assess the effect of insurance type (Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance) on access to hand surgeons for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods The research team called 240 hand surgeons in 8 states (California, Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina). The caller requested an appointment for her fictitious mother to be evaluated for CTS and possible surgical management through carpal tunnel release (CTR). Each office was called 3 times to assess the responses for Medicaid, Medicare, or Blue Cross Blue Shield. From each call, we recorded whether an appointment was given and whether there were barriers to an appointment, such as the need for a referral. Results Twenty percent of offices scheduled an appointment for a patient with Medicaid, compared with 89% for Medicare and 97% for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Patients with Medicaid had an easier time scheduling appointments (28% vs 13%) and experienced fewer requests for referrals (25% vs 67%) in states with expanded Medicaid eligibility. Neither Medicaid nor Medicare reimbursement for CTR was significantly correlated with the incidence of successful appointments. Although the difference in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for CTR was small, the appointment success incidence for Medicare was approximately 5 times higher. Conclusions Despite the passage of the Affordable Care Act, patients with Medicaid have reduced access to surgical care for CTS and more complex barriers to receiving an appointment. Although Medicaid was accepted at a higher rate in states with expanded Medicaid eligibility, a more robust strategy for increasing access to care may be helpful for patients with Medicaid. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
Laser Irradiation of Tissue

The rapid development of laser technology has provided the biomedical community with a variety of intense sources of electromagnetic radiation in the visible and infrared spectrum. When laser radiation strikes tissue, it absorbs a portion of the incident energy. The absorbed energy elevates the temperature of the tissue, and if the temperature increase is sufficiently high, irreversible damage, such as enzyme inactivation or protein denaturation, occurs. Further increases in the amount of energy absorbed may burn or even vaporize the tissue. The high-power densities that can be realized with the focused laser beam provide a unique surgical tool for cutting or destroying tissue.
Competitive homolytic and heterolytic decomposition pathways of gas‐phase negative ions generated from aminobenzoate esters

An alkyl-radical loss and an alkene loss are two competitive fragmentation pathways that deprotonated aminobenzoate esters undergo upon activation under mass spectrometric conditions. For the meta and para isomers, the alkyl-radical loss by a homolytic cleavage of the alkyl-oxygen bond of the ester moiety is the predominant fragmentation pathway, while the contribution from the alkene elimination by a heterolytic pathway is less significant. In contrast, owing to a pronounced charge-mediated ortho effect, the alkene loss becomes the predominant pathway for the ortho isomers of ethyl and higher esters. Results from isotope-labeled compounds confirmed that the alkene loss proceeds by a specific γ-hydrogen transfer mechanism that resembles the McLafferty rearrangement for radical cations. Even for the para compounds, if the alkoxide moiety bears structural motifs required for the elimination of a more stable alkene molecule, the heterolytic pathway becomes the predominant pathway. For example, in the spectrum of deprotonated 2-phenylethyl 4-aminobenzoate, m/z 136 peak is the base peak because the alkene eliminated is styrene. Owing to the fact that all deprotonated aminobenzoate esters, irrespective of the size of the alkoxy group, upon activation fragment to form an m/z 135 ion, aminobenzoate esters in mixtures can be quantified by precursor ion discovery mass spectrometric experiments.
Redeeming Peninnah: A Freeing Translation of צרתה in 1 Samuel 1.6

In English versions of 1 Samuel 1.6 the nearly universal translation of the word צרתה is “her rival wife.” The case presented here is that the rendering based on the noun צר “adversary” is incorrect when compared to the possible alternative noun צרה “affliction.” Five major arguments are presented: the identification of and initial problems with the traditional understanding of צר as the base, analysis of the use of the term in both the Hebrew Bible and a single identical form in Ben Sira, viability of the use of צרה in the context of 1 Sam 1.6 when all other uses in the Hebrew Bible are considered, comparison with the Septuagint translation, and assessment of the narrative which addresses the goals and roles of the characters as they function with each possible translation.
Methodology for Preliminary Design of Electrical Microgrids

Many critical loads rely on simple backup generation to provide electricity in the event of a power outage. An Energy Surety Microgrid TM can protect against outages caused by single generator failures to improve reliability. An ESM will also provide a host of other benefits, including integration of renewable energy, fuel optimization, and maximizing the value of energy storage. The ESM concept includes a categorization for microgrid value proposi- tions, and quantifies how the investment can be justified during either grid-connected or utility outage conditions. In contrast with many approaches, the ESM approach explic- itly sets requirements based on unlikely extreme conditions, including the need to protect against determined cyber adversaries. During the United States (US) Department of Defense (DOD)/Department of Energy (DOE) Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security (SPIDERS) effort, the ESM methodology was successfully used to develop the preliminary designs, which direct supported the contracting, construction, and testing for three military bases. Acknowledgements Sandia National Laboratories and the SPIDERS technical team would like to acknowledge the following for help in the project: * Mike Hightower, who has been the key driving force for Energy Surety Microgrids * Juan Torres and Abbas Akhil, who developed themore » concept of microgrids for military installations * Merrill Smith, U.S. Department of Energy SPIDERS Program Manager * Ross Roley and Rich Trundy from U.S. Pacific Command * Bill Waugaman and Bill Beary from U.S. Northern Command * Melanie Johnson and Harold Sanborn of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construc- tion Engineering Research Laboratory * Experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory« less
Left atrial wall imaging using a novel black-blood late gadolinium enhancement sequence

Background Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is commonly used clinically to identify myocardial infarct or scar as a hyper-enhanced region. However, the blood pool also remains bright in such images, masking adjacent bright tissue. LGE has also been used extensively to image fibrosis in the left atrium (LA) in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, identification of LA wall in LGE is challenging due to the thin wall of LA and high signal of the blood pool in the LA. We recently developed a novel black-blood LGE (BB-LGE) sequence (Fig. 1) which uses an optimized combination of inversionrecovery and T2-preparation (T2-prep) prepulses to simultaneously null the healthy myocardium and blood signals by leveraging the higher T2 of blood. In this study, we sought to assess the feasibility of BB-LGE in imaging of LA.
Superatom Electron Configuration Predicts Thermal Stability of Au25(SR)18 Nanoclusters

The exceptional stability of ligand-stabilized gold nanoclusters such as Au25(SC6H13)18–, Au39(PR3)14X6–, and Au102(SR)44 arises from the total filling of superatomic electron shells, resulting in a “noble-gas superatom” electron configuration. Electrochemical manipulation of the oxidation state can add or remove electrons from superatom orbitals, creating species electronically analogous to atomic radicals. Herein we show that oxidizing the Au25(SR)18– superatom from the noble-gas-like 1S21P6 electron configuration to the open-shell radical 1S21P5 and diradical 1S21P4 configurations results in decreased thermal stability of the compound, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Similar experiments probing five oxidation states of the putatively geometrically stabilized Au144(SR)60 cluster suggest a more complex relationship between oxidation state and thermal stability for this compound.
Abstract 3249: Intersectin 1 is required for neuroblastoma tumorigenesis

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a malignant tumor deriving from the neural crest and is responsible for 13% of cancer-related deaths in children. Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) play a central role in NB tumorigenesis. PI3Ks activate AKT, which regulates survival and stabilizes the MYCN oncogene. Both MYCN and AKT are markers for poor prognosis in NBs. Inhibiting PI3Ks with pan-inhibitors blocks malignant progression in vivo; however, these inhibitors have high toxicity that limits their use in NB treatment. Though there are three classes of PI3Ks, only Class I isoforms have been implicated in NB tumorigenesis. We have previously found that the scaffold protein intersectin 1 (ITSN1) interacts with PI3KC2α and regulates its activation as well as AKT activation in neuronal cell lines. In addition, ITSN1 overexpression is transforming in rodent fibroblasts. Thus, we examined the role of the ITSN1-PI3KC2α pathway in human NB tumorigenesis. ITSN1 and PI3KC2α are highly expressed in primary human neuroblastoma tumors of varying stage and MYCN amplification status. In addition, both ITSN1 and PI3KC2α are expressed in NB tumor cell lines derived from high grade NB tumors. Silencing ITSN1 dramatically inhibited the anchorage-independent growth of NB tumor cells in vitro and tumor formation in xenograft assays in vivo independent of MYCN status. Conversely, heterologous overexpression of ITSN1 increased the formation of soft agar colonies. These results suggest that ITSN1 functions as an oncogene in NB cells. Furthermore, PI3KC2α overexpression restores anchorage-independent growth of ITSN1-depleted NB cells demonstrating that PI3KC2α mediates ITSN19s tumorigenic properties. This study reveals a new pathway, i.e., ITSN1-PI3KC2α, involved in regulating the pathogenesis of NBs and suggests that this pathway may represent a new target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of NB patients. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3249. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3249
A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Caminalcules. IV. Congruence and Character Stability

-The taxonomic congruence of phenetic and cladistic classifications is tested, as is the closeness of estimated cladograms to the true cladogram as a function of the number of characters employed, using the Caminalcules as an example. This group of "organisms" was generated artificially according to principles believed to resemble those operating in real organ-
Synthesis and characterization of noncentrosymmetric main chain hydrogen bonded macromolecules incorporating a 4-pyridone hydrogen bond acceptor

The syntheses and characterization of a series of noncentrosymmetric main chain hydrogen bonded macromolecules are described, which contain 4-pyridone hydrogen bond acceptor units. These macromolecules possess strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding as demonstrated using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR. The phase transitions of the macromolecules depend on the identities of the hydrogen bond donor, lateral substituent, and linker chain.
Null Point Calorimeter Sweeps with Comparisons to Thermal FEA Model Predictions

This paper presents experimental data of null point calorimeter sweeps conducted in the 60 MW Interaction Heating Facility at NASA Ames Research Center. The test setup, test conditions, and current data reduction methods are described. Finite element analysis model computations of the null point cavity temperature are also presented to demonstrate the need for application of an inverse heat conduction model to the null point calorimeter geometry. Simulations have been performed with the commercial finite element analysis software package COMSOL Multiphysics using a two-dimensional axisymmetric geometry. Two distinct IHF test conditions—one at 433 W/cm 2 and the other at 802 W/cm 2 , as measured with a 10.16 cm diameter hemispherical slug calorimeter— are considered. The heat flux distribution on the exposed surface of the null point calorimeter has been numerically computed with CFD. This heating distribution is normalized by the area- averaged heat flux over the flat face of the null point sensor. The heat flux is scaled at each time step and imposed as a boundary condition in the finite element model in order to compute the temperature at the null point cavity. The computed results differ from the measured temperature by up to 35%—a deviation sufficiently large to encourage further characterization of the methods by which heat flux is computed from the null point temperature data.
Older Users and In-Vehicle Navigation Map Design Elements

This study investigated digital map reading performances of older and younger participants across map concepts. Participants answered questions related to their map reading while driving in a simulator. Mixed ANOVA analyses were completed on the dependent variables: response time, self-reported difficulty, and eye glance behavior. There was a significant difference in response time, with older participants requiring longer time to respond. Although no significant differences were found for eye glance duration towards the map, there were significant differences for the number of eye glances toward the maps with older participants glancing at the maps twice as often as younger participants. Younger participants had significantly longer glance durations towards the driving scene. It is suggested that the higher number of glances reflects the older participants' need to retain the information in working memory. This proves useful in better understanding the cognitive and visual processes of older drivers while reading digital maps.
Examining Differences between Homebound Older Adult Pet Owners and Non-pet Owners in Depression, Systemic Inflammation, and Executive Function

ABSTRACTHomebound older adults are prone to depression, which is linked to systemic inflammation that promotes executive function decline. A companion animal may reduce the negative biobehavioral processes asso- ciated with depression, inflammation, and reduced executive function in homebound older adults. The primary aim of this study was to examine dif- ferences between homebound older adult pet owners and non-pet owners in depression, salivary C-reactive protein (CRP), and executive function. The secondary aim was to determine if the level of attachment to pets was as- sociated with depression, salivary CRP, and executive function. The study was cross-sectional and investigated homebound older adult pet owners and non-pet owners (n = 88) using psychometrically reliable and valid instru- ments (Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form and CLOX 1). Salivary CRP was assessed with immunoassay. Level of attachment to pets was measured using a Likert scale (0–10). Mean age for the total sample was 75 years (SD ...
Microbial Contamination of Barreled Purified Water of the Inspection Samples and Randomly Selected Samples

Objective To analysis and compare the sanity condition and the microbial contamination of barreled purified water between randomly selected and inspection samples. Method 280 barreled purified water samples selected randomly and 121 barreled purified water inspection samples send in by supermarkets and factories are analyzed under the GB criterion and assessed by GB sanitation standards. Microbial indexes of the two groups of samples were compared and analyzed. Result The eligibility of barreled purified water samples selected randomly and inspection samples is 74.3% and 90.1%, respectively. There are significant differences between the two results by the statistic analysis(X2=12.73,P0.001). Conclusion The risk of potential pollution of barreled purified water exceeds the standard level and will endanger public health.
Text is a Text is a Text

Interpreting postmodern literary texts increasingly means entering into the current conversation of critical theory: the debate over the nature and status of postmodernism itself and over the status of the subject, of master narratives and, finally, of language as well. The critic generally interrogates the author's critique of the practice of privileging traditional binary oppositions that serve as institutional and linguistic loci of power and control. But an inherent trap awaits any postmodernist reading of a postmodernist text: certain foundationalist assumptions inform all applied theory. As Kurt Godel proved in mathematics, theory is bound to the internal limits of its logic, even when the theory itself acknowledges its own limits and espouses contingency. The application of contemporary theory must then involve leaving out information to be consistent or leaving out information to be complete. Brilliant as a critic's examination of a literary text may be, the question remains: is it possible to read texts in some shorthand form and still manage to maintain the same information content as the texts being read? Both Godel's theorem, which Pynchon alludes to in Gravity's Rainbow, and the concept of algorithmic transcomputability, the idea that some information cannot be compressed into shorthand form, suggest not.
A Thermochemical Hydrophobic Oleophilic form of Biomass for Oil and Chemical Absorption

A new absorbent has been developed for oil spills. It attracts oil and chemicals and floats on water indefinitely. It can then be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner or recycled. The new absorbent is called “Sea Sweep” and extensive research has been done on it under an EPA Small Business Innovation Research grant.