cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global opportunities on 239 general surgery residency Web sites.

Background: Many general surgical residency programs lack a formal international component. We hypothesized that most surgery programs do not have international training or do not provide the information to prospective applicants regarding electives or programs in an easily accessible manner via Web-based resources. Materials and methods: Individual general surgery program Web sites and the American College of Surgeons residency tool were used to identify 239 residencies. The homepages were examined for specific mention of international or global health programs. Ease of access was also considered. Global surgery specific pages or centers were noted. Programs were assessed for length of rotation, presence of research component, and mention of benefits to residents and respective institution. Results: Of 239 programs, 24 (10%) mentioned international experiences on their home page and 42 (18%) contained information about global surgery. Of those with information available, 69% were easily accessible. Academic programs were more likely than independent programs to have information about international opportunities on their home page (13.7% versus 4.0%, P ¼ 0.006) and more likely to have a dedicated program or pathway Web site (18.8% versus 2.0%, P < 0.0001). Half of the residencies with global surgery information did not have length of rotation available. Research was only mentioned by 29% of the Web sites. Benefits to high-income country residents were discussed more than benefits to low- and middle-income country residents (57% versus 17%). Conclusions: General surgery residency programs do not effectively communicate international opportunities for prospective residents through Web-based resources and
Distributed and autonomous control of the FREEDM system: A power electronics based distribution system

A truly distributed and autonomous control strategy is proposed for the FREEDM System-a power electronics based distribution grid. The proposed control strategy requires no communication between and among all grid assets. By utilizing available local quantities (V, f) as a way to communicate among all connected devices, the strategy contains a novel dual droop control loops between the medium voltage feeder and dispatchable resources such as energy sources, storages. The proposed control is put forward to achieve intelligent power management of the FREEDM system under all modes of operation. This is a pre-requisite to use FREEDM system as a transformative platform for plug-and-play of energy (aka Energy Internet). Simulation results verify the autonomous nature of the proposed control.
Individualized virtual humans for social skills training

Virtual humans are now being used as role players for a variety of domains that involve social skills. In this paper, we discuss how such systems can provide individualized practice through dynamically adjusting the behaviors of virtual humans to meet specific learner needs.
Characterization of Leonid meteor head echo data collected using the VHF‐UHF Advanced Research Projects Agency Long‐Range Tracking and Instrumentation Radar (ALTAIR)

[1] The Leonid meteor shower, which was predicted to hit storm-like activity on 17 November 1998, was observed using radar and optical sensors at the Kwajalein Missile Range in order to study potential threats to orbiting spacecraft. Meteor head echo data were collected during the predicted peak of the “storm” primarily using the Advanced Research Projects Agency Long-Range Tracking and Instrumentation Radar (ALTAIR). ALTAIR is a dual-frequency radar at VHF (160 MHz) and UHF (422 MHz) that is uniquely suited for detecting meteor head echoes due to high sensitivity, precise calibration, and the ability to record radar data at a high rate (Gb/min). ALTAIR transmits right-circular (RC) polarized energy and records left-circular (LC) sum, RC sum, LC azimuth angle difference, and LC elevation angle difference channels; these four measurements facilitate the determination of three-dimensional target position and velocity as a function of radar cross section and time. During the predicted peak of the storm, ALTAIR detected 734 VHF head echoes in 29 min of data and 472 UHF head echoes in 17 min of data, as well as numerous specular and nonspecular ionization trails. This paper contains analysis on the head echo data, including dual-frequency statistics and the variability of head echo decelerations. We also include results from the analysis of the radius-density parameter, which shows a strong correlation with deceleration.
Lobular (polymorphous low-grade) carcinoma of minor salivary glands: A clinicopathologic study of twenty cases

Abstract Twenty cases of a recently described adenocarcinoma of minor salivary gland—lobular carcinoma—are reviewed. This distinctive lesion occurs most frequently on the palate of patients in their sixth and seventh decades and displays no apparent sex or race predilection. Histomorphologically, the tumor is characterized by cytologic uniformity, bland nuclear chromatin, and low mitotic rate. Its lobular configuration and marked infiltrative tendency, often by single-filed tumor cells, are reminiscent of lobular carcinoma of the breast. Follow-up data indicate a favorable prognosis and are in accord with findings of previous investigators. The possible relationship of this lesion to adenoid cystic carcinoma is discussed.
Ladies first ? firm-level evidence on the labor impacts of the East Asian crisis

In a crisis, do employers place the burden of adjustment disproportionately on female employees? Relying on household and labor force data, existing studies of the distributional impact of crises have not been able to address this question. This paper uses Indonesia's census of manufacturing firms to analyze employer responses and to identify mechanisms by which gender differences in impact may arise, notably differential treatment of men and women within firms as well as gender sorting across firms that varied in their exposure to the crisis. On average, women experienced higher job losses than their male colleagues within the same firm. However, the aggregate adverse effect of such differential treatment was more than offset by women being disproportionately employed in firms hit relatively less hard by the crisis. The null hypothesis that there were no gender differences in wage adjustment is not rejected. Analyzing how employer characteristics impact labor market adjustment patterns contributes to the understanding of who is vulnerable in volatile times.
HIGH INTEGRATION MICROCONTROLLER YIELDS TOTAL VEHICLE COMMUNICATION SOLUTION

Vehicle control needs are consistently increasing to meet customer performance and cost requirements. As a result, single processor systems have expanded to multiple controller solutions. With the advent of distributed processing, high speed efficient data communication methods are required. Intel's single device solution provides an innovative answer for these needs. This paper describes the architectural features of the Intel 8044 microcontroller and shows its strengths in a total networked vehicle powertrain control application, including: spark, fuel, transmission and road-to-surface traction control.
Vocation and Desire: George Eliot's Heroines

Questions the image of George Eliot as a conservative moralist, and finds in her writing elements of anger, subversion, wit and eroticism. Also looks looks at the implications of her work for contemporary feminism. This book should be of interest to students and teachers of English literature and women's writing.
Timing Optimization Through Clock Skew Scheduling

This book details timing analysis and optimization techniques for circuits with level-sensitive memory elements. It contains a linear programming formulation applicable to the timing analysis of large scale circuits and includes a delay insertion methodology that improves the efficiency of clock skew scheduling. Coverage also provides a framework for and results from implementing timing optimization algorithms in a parallel computing environment.
Characterization of Self-Assembling Encapsulation Complexes in the Gas Phase and Solution

The interaction of quaternary ammonium ion guests with self-assembling hosts was examined by 1H NMR and ESI-MS experiments. The hosts consist of four identical, self-complementary subunits, reversibly joined in a capsular assembly through hydrogen bonding. Both approaches show the ammonium ions to be encapsulated, held within the hollow shell of the capsule. Competition experiments with a series of different guest ions reveal a characteristic size selectivity. The NMR and MS methods are complementary: MS easily reveals the formation of heterotetramers from different subunits that could not be determined by NMR, while NMR allowed competitive encapsulations of neutral and ionic guests that were not possible to detect with MS. These competition experiments gave a lower limit of ca. 3.6 kcal/mol for the contribution of cation−π interactions involved in the encapsulation of the ionic guests.
Ethylene-Binding Sites Generated in Yeast Expressing the Arabidopsis ETR1 Gene

Mutations in the ETR1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana confer insensitivity to ethylene, which indicates a role for the gene product in ethylene signal transduction. Saturable binding sites for [14C]ethylene were detected in transgenic yeast expressing the ETR1 protein, whereas control yeast lacking ETR1 showed no detectable ethylene binding. Yeast expressing a mutant form of ETR1 (etr1-1) also showed no detectable ethylene binding, which provides an explanation for the ethylene-insensitive phenotype observed in plants carrying this mutation. Expression of truncated forms of ETR1 in yeast provided evidence that the amino-terminal hydrophobic domain of the protein is the site of ethylene binding. It was concluded from these results that ETR1 acts as an ethylene receptor in Arabidopsis.
Efficient FIB caching using minimal non-overlapping prefixes

The size of the global Routing Information Base (RIB) has been increasing at an alarming rate. As a direct effect, the size of the global Forwarding Information Base (FIB) has experienced rapid growth. This increase raises serious concerns for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as the FIB memory in line cards is much more expensive than regular memory modules, so frequently increasing this memory capacity for all the routers is prohibitively costly to an ISP. Previous research on Internet traffic indicates that a very small number of popular prefixes receive most of the Internet's traffic, making "caching" a possible solution to reduce the FIB size. However, FIB caching may cause a cache-hiding problem where a packet's longest-prefix match in the cache differs from that in the full FIB, and thus the packet will be forwarded to the wrong next hop. Motivated by these observations, we propose an efficient FIB caching scheme that stores only non-overlapping FIB entries into the fast memory (i.e., a FIB cache), while storing the complete FIB in slow memory. Our caching scheme achieves a considerably higher hit ratio than previous approaches while preventing the cache-hiding problem. It can also handle cache misses, cache replacement, and routing updates efficiently. Moreover, we have implemented the proposed caching scheme using the OpenFlow platform, which allows a local or remote route controller to manage routes in the cache. We use real traffic of a regional ISP and a Tier1 ISP to carry out our experiments. Our simulation results show that with only 20K prefixes in the cache (5.28% of the actual FIB size), the hit ratio of our scheme is higher than 99.95%. Our OpenFlow implementation achieves a hit ratio near 99.94%, which approaches the performance of the simulated results.
Collaboratively teaching a multidisciplinary course

In spring 1996 two colleagues and I collaboratively taught an experimental multidisciplinary introductory-level honors speech communications course. The semester-long 4.5 credit course covered public speaking, presentation software, and philosophical soundness. The course demonstrated to students and faculty how technology can serve the humanities.
Prolonged jaundice in the newborn associated with congenital myxedema; a syndrome of practical importance.

Summary The author accounts for 10 cases of congenital myxedema with simultaneous icterus neonatorum prolongatus. From his series of cases and a critical analysis of the diagnostic criteria of icterus neonatorum prolongatus, the author draws the following conclusions: (1) The simultaneous occurrence of two comparatively rare conditions, such as congenital myxedema and icterus neonatorum prolongatus of prolonged duration, makes it highly probable that this is no chance coincidence. The further nature of the relationship between these two disorders is discussed. The general inhibition of the maturing of the functions of the organs and the reduction of the rate of the metabolic processes which distinguish the newly born with deficient thyroid function, may explain why icterus neonatorum of unusually long duration can then occur. The possibility of an infectious origin, where both the thyroid gland and the liver are injured simultaneously, is also discussed. That this may occur, is shown by a case published by FRANCE, in which a virus infection simultaneously gave rise to lesions of the liver and of the thyroid gland with simultaneous jaundice and thyroid deficiency as sequelae. Such a pathogenesis was most probably not present in the cases described here. (2) The syndrome of congenital myxedema and icterus neonatorum prolongatus of marked duration is of practical significance in drawing attention to the possibility of a thyroid deficiency and thereby facilitating an early diagnosis of congenital myxedema. Icterus neonatorum prolongatus is, however, probably no constant phenomenon in congenital myxedema. (3) Icterus neonatorum prolongatus in the cases described here, appears to have been of the physiological type of jaundice However, the term physiological should not be employed unreservedly in icterus neonatorum prolongatus having a duration of 6 weeks or more.
Use of rotating (cine) planar projection images in the interpretation of a tomographic myocardial perfusion study.

The use of the rotating projection data is strongly encouraged. It is recommended that the planar image cine of all SPECT perfusion studies be reviewed on two occasions—once by the nuclear technologist immediately after the image acquisition for issues related to technical quality (ie, patient motion or excessive subdiaphragmatic activity) and again by the physician during the interpretive session1. Use of rotating projection data should increase recognition of potential artifacts and thus optimize test specificity. Therefore the number of falsepositive SPECT study results will be minimized, potentially reducing hospital costs and patient morbidity. Additionally, important noncardiac processes can be identified, providing further diagnostic information.
Active Risk Budgeting in Action: Understanding Hedge Fund Performance

As investors begin to adopt Active Alpha Investing, their demand for hedge funds is likely to increase. In order to fully embrace this style of investing, investors need a framework to analyze hedge fund risk and return. This article proposes such a framework. The framework identifies the impact of market returns versus active returns, the differences in active returns across hedge fund strategies, as well as the relative confidence that investors place in alternative strategies. Hedge funds will continue to play an important role in investor portfolios and this framework is designed to help investors isolate the key decisions that they must make.
FPGA-based hardware acceleration for Boolean satisfiability

We present an FPGA-based hardware solution to the Boolean satisfiability (SAT) problem, with the main goals of scalability and speedup. In our approach the traversal of the implication graph as well as conflict clause generation are performed in hardware, in parallel. The experimental results and their analysis, along with the performance models are discussed. We show that an order of magnitude improvement in runtime can be obtained over MiniSAT (the best-in-class software based approach) by using a Virtex-4 (XC4VFX140) FPGA device. The resulting system can handle instances with as many as 10K variables and 280K clauses.
The Effects of Steady State and Pulsed Nuclear Radiation on GaAs Tunnel Diodes

Studies were made on the utility of gallium arsenide tunnel diodes for equipment which must operate in both reactor and nuclear weapon environments. The results of experiments to determine the effects of radiation produced by steady-state and pulsed nuclear reactor on experimental tunnel diodes are described and compared with the theory governing tunnel diode behavior, lt was concluded that current densities of at least 500 amp/cm3 should be maintained to minimize radiation effects, Results are presented in graph form. (M.C.G.)
A physics based nonlinear dynamical model for the solar wind driven magnetosphere-ionosphere system

Abstract The predictive performance of a six-dimensional nonlinear dynamical model of the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system is compared to magnetospheric activity data. The model couples the basic energy components of the night-side magnetotail to the ionosphere by the region 1 currents. It predicts both the state of the geotail and the ionospheric westward electrojet index from the value of the solar wind speed. Except for the ionospheric dissipation, the system is both Kirchhoffian and Hamiltonian. This ensures that the solar wind input power is divided into physically realizable sub power components, a property not shared by signal processing filters. All the model parameters can be calculated analytically for different substorm scenarios. Agreement between the predicted and observed magnetospheric indices improves significantly when the system is coupled to particle simulations to produce realistic parameters for the model. Including the nonlinear increase of the ionospheric conductance with power deposited in the ionosphere is also essential.
Crystallization behavior of cupola slag glass-ceramics

Abstract The slag formed from cast iron manufacture via a cupola furnace was found to form an X-ray diffraction amorphous mass after moderate quenching. The devitrification behavior and mechanical properties of cupola slag glass-ceramics were investigated as a function of thermal processing, utilizing XRD, SEM, TEM, DTA and dilatometry, interactively. The crystalline phase primarily responsible for superior mechanical properties was identified as a wollastonite structured solid solution, which appeared at 950°C, with a microstructure of intertwined fibrous growth. At higher temperatures (∼ 1120°C), diopside formed which resulted in a deterioration of mechanical properties. Hardness data indicated a 1.5- to 2-fold increase in the Vickers hardness values by suitable thermal processing.
Human granulocyte ribonuclease

Abstract Human granulocytes contain an RNase which is thermostable at pH 4.2 and thermolabile at pH 8.5. It has a pH optimum at 6.5. It exhibits highest preference for the secondary phosphate esters of uridine 3′-phosphates. It has no action on uridine 2′: 3′-cyclic phosphates. Poly (A) and poly (G) are inert to its action. Its rate of hydrolysis of poly (C) is about 1% of that of poly (U). It differs from bovine pancreatic RNase and human serum RNase. Because of its unique specificity, this enzyme might serve as a biochemical marker in certain granulocyte disorders.
Classroom Explorations: Pendulums, Mirrors, and Galileo’s Drama

What do you see in a mirror when not looking at yourself? What goes on as a pendulum swings? Undergraduates in a science class supposed that these behaviors were obvious until their explorations exposed questions with no quick answers. While exploring materials, students researched Galileo, his trial, and its aftermath. Galileo came to life both in their presentations about him, and in the context of lab investigations by the emerging class community. Questions and experiments evolved continually; differing perspectives on science and authority were exchanged respectfully. In rediscovering their own capacity for wonder, students developed as critical explorers of the world.
Copper-laser oscillator with adjoint-coupled self-filtering injection

A new injection-controlled laser resonator developed to achieve diffraction-limited beam quality for high-gain short-pulse lasers is reported. The resonator is seeded with a short-pulse laser signal by adjoint-coupled injection. The two-times diffraction-limited injection beam is self-filtered through a prepulse cavity propagation to improve its beam quality. The use of a self-imaging unstable resonator diminishes the edge-diffraction-induced beam deterioration. A beam quality of 1.1-1.3 times diffraction limited is achieved throughout the entire 70-ns laser pulse of a 30-W copper-vapor laser.
Tone-dependent vasodilator responses to proadrenomedullin NH2-terminal 20 peptide in the hindquarters vascular bed of the rat.

Abstract Champion, H. C., M. A. Czapla, D. E. Friedman, D. G. Lambert, W. A. Murphy, D. H. Coy and P. J. Kadowitz. Tone-dependent vasodilator responses to proadrenomedullin NH 2 -terminal 20 peptide in the hindquarters vascular bed of the rat. Peptides 18(4) 513–519, 1997.— Responses to proadrenomedullin NH 2 -terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) were investigated in the systemic and hindquarters vascular bed of the rat. Intravenous injections of PAMP and adrenomedullin (ADM) produced dose-related decreases in systemic arterial and hindquarters perfusion pressure, which were not altered by α -receptor or adrenergic nerve terminal blocking agents. PAMP was 100-fold less potent than ADM, and hindquarters vasodilator responses to both peptides were similar in innervated and denervated preparations. When baseline tone was increased with phenylephrine and U46619 or decreased with sodium nitroprusside, vasodilator responses to PAMP and ADM were correlated with the basal level of tone, suggesting that responses to both peptides are dependent on the baseline level of vasoconstrictor tone in the hindquarters vascular bed of the rat.
How goals and beliefs lead people into and out of depression.

There is evidence that beliefs (cognitive vulnerabilities) and goals (to prove self-worth) contribute to depression but little consideration of how they work in tandem. Synthesizing research on bel...
A Standardized Model of Partial Thickness Scald Burns in Mice

Abstract Background.Large mammal partial thickness wound models were developed primarily for their anatomical similarity to human wounds, yet lack the economy, ease of handling, and statistical power afforded with rodent models. Previous small mammal models of partial thickness burn injury have failed to demonstrate complete reepithelialization in less than 3 weeks. We present a murine partial thickness scald model with a reepithelialization rate comparable to that of porcine wound models. Methods.Thirty-eight adult male mice were secured in a burn template allowing exposure of a 2 × 3-cm area of the shaved dorsum to 60°C water for 45 s, followed by 4°C water for 45 s. Four wounds were harvested daily on Postburn Days 1–7, 10, and 14 for histologic evaluation. Results.Histologic evidence of partial thickness dermal injury with sparing of dermal appendage epithelial cells was seen in all wounds. Of 134 wound sections evaluated 26 contained some areas of full thickness dermal injury, with only 8 of these 26 sections showing full thickness injury in 50% or more of the cross-sectional area of the wounds. Complete wound reepithelialization was seen between Postburn Days 10 and 14. The viable dermal thickness in all burn cross sections was at least 40–80 μm, and up to 1400 μm in reepithelialized wounds. Conclusions.This murine model of partial thickness scald injury provides a standardized thermal wound with consistent depth of injury, low mortality, and a reepithelialization rate between 10 and 14 days. A simple protocol allows easy production of 30–50 wounds daily with one technician.
Pericentric Chromatin Is an Elastic Component of the Mitotic Spindle

Summary Background Prior to chromosome segregation, the mitotic spindle bi-orients and aligns sister chromatids along the metaphase plate. During metaphase, spindle length remains constant, which suggests that spindle forces (inward and outward) are balanced. The contribution of microtubule motors, regulators of microtubule dynamics, and cohesin to spindle stability has been previously studied. In this study, we examine the contribution of chromatin structure on kinetochore positioning and spindle-length control. After nucleosome depletion, by either histone H3 or H4 repression, spindle organization was examined by live-cell fluorescence microscopy. Results Histone repression led to a 2-fold increase in sister-centromere separation and an equal increase in metaphase spindle length. Histone H3 repression does not impair kinetochores, whereas H4 repression disrupts proper kinetochore function. Deletion of outward force generators, kinesins Cin8p and Kip1p, shortens the long spindles observed in histone-repressed cells. Oscillatory movements of individual sister chromatid pairs are not altered after histone repression. Conclusions The increase in spindle length upon histone repression and restoration of wild-type spindle length by the loss of plus-end-directed motors suggests that during metaphase, centromere separation and spindle length are governed in part by the stretching of pericentric chromatin. Chromatin is an elastic molecule that is stretched in direct opposition to the outward force generators Cin8p and Kip1p. Thus, we assign a new role to chromatin packaging as an integral biophysical component of the mitotic apparatus.
Beyond Knee-Jerk Environmental Thinking: Teaching Geographic Perspectives on Conservation, Preservation and the Hetch Hetchy Valley Controversy.

Attention to scale, use of space and connections between places and regions are general, yet distinctive, geographical concepts that may be employed in introductory level human-environment geography courses to distinguish them from other environmental studies offerings. This article demonstrates how attention to the aforementioned concepts provides fresh insight into the notions of exploitation, conservation and preservation for many environmental studies students. Furthermore, it is suggested that the Hetch Hetchy Valley controversy, commonly used in many US environmental studies textbooks to demonstrate the difference between conservation and preservation, is actually quite problematic when critically assessed from alternative geographic perspectives.
What is the yield of intraoperative ultrasonography during partial hepatectomy for malignant disease

Abstract BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) during hepatic resection for malignancy changes the operative plan or identifies occult unresectable disease in a large proportion of patients. This study was undertaken to reassess the yield of IOUS in light of recent improvements in preoperative staging. STUDY DESIGN: Patients with potentially resectable primary or metastatic hepatic malignancies subjected to exploration, bimanual palpation of the liver, and IOUS were evaluated prospectively. Intraoperative findings were recorded, and preoperative imaging studies were reanalyzed by radiologists blinded to the intraoperative findings. The extent of disease based on preoperative imaging was compared with the intraoperative findings. RESULTS: From October 1997 until November 1998, 111 patients were evaluated. At exploration, a total of 77 new findings or findings different than suggested on the imaging studies were identified in 61 patients (55%), the most common of which was additional hepatic tumors (n = 37). Thirty-five of 77 (45%) new findings were identified by IOUS alone and 10 (13%) by palpation alone; the remainder were identified by both palpation and IOUS. Forty-seven of 61 patients (77%) underwent a complete resection despite new intraoperative findings, with a modification (n = 28) or no change (n = 19) in the planned operation. Twenty-one patients (19%) had new findings identified only on IOUS. Thirteen of these patients underwent resection with no change in the operative plan, six underwent a modified resection and two were considered to have unresectable disease based solely on the findings of IOUS. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with hepatic malignancies submitted to a potentially curative resection, new intraoperative findings or findings different than suggested on preoperative imaging studies are common. But resection with no change in the operative plan or a modified resection is still possible in the majority of patients despite such findings. The findings on IOUS alone rarely lead to a change in the operative plan.
Protein folding kinetics exhibit an Arrhenius temperature dependence when corrected for the temperature dependence of protein stability

The anomalous temperature dependence of protein folding has received considerable attention. Here we show that the temperature dependence of the folding of protein L becomes extremely simple when the effects of temperature on protein stability are corrected for; the logarithm of the folding rate is a linear function of 1/T on constant stability contours in the temperature–denaturant plane. This convincingly demonstrates that the anomalous temperature dependence of folding derives from the temperature dependence of the interactions that stabilize proteins, rather than from the super Arrhenius temperature dependence predicted for the configurational diffusion constant on a rough energy landscape. However, because of the limited temperature range accessible to experiment, the results do not rule out models with higher order temperature dependences. The significance of the slope of the stability-corrected Arrhenius plots is discussed.
The stability of confined radio jets - The role of reflection modes

The linear stability of a confined radio jet is reinvestigated. The roles of both absolute (temporal) and convected (spatial) instability are considered, and it is demonstrated that the two are related through the group velocity. The dispersion relation is analyzed asymptotically for the fundamental and reflection modes. Numerical results are presented for pinching modes. A geometrical interpretation of the modes is presented in terms of the propagation angle and is visualized by contour plots of the pressure perturbation. A confined jet theta M = arc sine (1 + sq rt eta)/M, where eta is the ratio of the internal to the external gas density and M is the Mach number of the jet. The connection between these linear modes and the cross-shaped shock patterns which are seen in laboratory jets, and the implications of these calculations for the development of large-scale features in extragalactic radio jets, are discussed.
Diphenylhydantoin binding to brain lipids and phospholipids.

Abstract Partition coefficients for diphenylhydantoin (DPH) were determined using four organic solvents and a 0.1 M phosphate buffer. Values ranged from 25.5 for chloroform to 0.02 for hexane. When chloroform-methanol-soluble brain lipids were added, there was a marked enhancement of DPH entry into hexane; 2 mg lipid resulted in an almost equal distribution between hexane and buffer. Proteolipids produced a similar but quantitatively small change. Neutral fat, cholesterol and glycolipids w had no effect on DPH distribution. A number of commercially available phospholipids were tested and all increased the hexane/aqueous partition coefficient of DPH, although there was considerable variation among the several phospholipids employed. Neither total DPH concentration nor the addition of cations influenced this distribution. These results provide strong evidence for binding of DPH to phospholipids.
Cutaneous sarcoidosis therapy updated

The widely accepted standard therapy for cutaneous sarcoidosis includes corticosteroids, antimalarials, and methotrexate. However, a better understanding of the basic immunopathogenic properties of sarcoidosis has elucidated a number of steps critical to the persistence and progression of disease that may be vulnerable to treatment by targeted therapy. This article reviews both standard and newer therapeutic options for cutaneous sarcoidosis.
Metallothionein and bioaccumulation of cadmium in juvenile bluegills exposed to aqueous and sediment-associated cadmium

I evaluated metallothionein (MT), free (unbound) hepatic cadmium, and whole-body concentration of cadmium as indicators of cadmium exposure in juvenile bluegills Lepomis macrochirus. Fish were exposed to aqueous cadmium in two 28-d bioassays (bioassay I, 0.0 to 8.4 ng Cd/L; bioassay II, 0.0 to 32.3 ng Cd/L) in an intermittent-flow diluter. The experimental design was completely randomized, with two replicates in each of eight treatments (seven cadmium exposures and one water control; 25 juvenile bluegills per replicate). Total cadmium concentrations were measured in various bluegill liver fractions and in whole bluegills to assess the partitioning of cadmium after the 28-d exposure. Concentrations of free cadmium and MT in bluegill livers and cadmium concentration in whole bluegills were positively correlated with aqueous cadmium concentration and were suitable as indicators of exposure. Free cadmium concentration in bluegill liver was a more sensitive indicator than MT or whole-body concentration during both bioassays, based on the lowest observed effect concentration of cadmium.
Entrepreneurial narrative and a science of the imagination

Abstract This article is an introduction to a special issue on entrepreneurial narrative that provides theoretical and empirical links between scholarship in narrative and entrepreneurship as well as demonstrates how theories and methods in narrative may be applied to the study of entrepreneurship as a phenomenon. A conjecture that narrative perspectives might lead to a “science of the imagination” is offered.
Metabolic Syndrome: A New Multidisciplinary Service Line

That obesity in the USA has reached epidemic proportions is undeniable: one in three American adults is obese. High levels of obesity yield adverse microeconomic and macroeconomic effects, but assessing the viability of bariatric surgery in this respect requires careful consideration of its efficacy, its economic costs, and the benefits of the surgery. Metabolic syndrome is a microcosm of multiple disease states; the diseases that fall under the umbrella of the metabolic syndrome are, like obesity, becoming more prevalent. Epidemic obesity in part reflects inadequate utilization of bariatric surgery and inadequate coordination of efforts by the healthcare system. An integrated delivery network (IDN) is the best current model to achieve healthcare goals for patient subsets that are deemed important. Our overweight population, both with and without the metabolic syndrome, constitutes such a group because of the fraction of the general population they compose, the inherent costs to the healthcare system that their comorbid conditions generate, and the lost productivity to our economy that the treatment of these conditions entail. In this paper, we show a metabolic syndrome service line that will benefit both the individual hospital and the healthcare system. Pathways accepted for bariatric practices can be used, with modification, for the creation of a metabolic syndrome IDN. Implementation of such a system would benefit patients, caregivers, and society.
8,5'-Cyclopurine-2'-deoxynucleosides in DNA: mechanisms of formation, measurement, repair and biological effects.

8,5′-Cyclo-2′-deoxyadenosine (cdA) and 8,5′-cyclo-2′-deoxyguanosine (cdG) are among the major lesions formed in DNA by hydroxyl radical attack on 2′-deoxyadenosine and 2′-deoxyguanosine, respectively, followed by intramolecular cyclization between C5′ and C8. Mechanisms of formation of these unique tandem lesions were elucidated. The 8,5′-cyclization causes an unusual puckering of the sugar moiety giving rise to significant distortion in the DNA double helix. Methodologies were developed for the measurement of these lesions in DNA by mass spectrometry coupled either with gas chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography. Both techniques allowed identification and quantification of both R- and S-diastereomers of cdA and cdG in DNA in vitro and in vivo. Because of the 8,5′-covalent bond between the sugar and base moieties in the same nucleoside, cdA and cdG are repaired by nucleotide excision repair rather than by base excision repair. Thus, these lesions may play a role in diseases with defective nucleotide excision repair. Their biological effects include blocking DNA polymerases, inhibition of gene expression, transcriptional mutagenesis among others. Accumulation of cdA and cdG was observed in tissues in vivo in connection to disease and environmental conditions, suggesting an important role for these lesions in disease processes including carcinogenesis and neuronal death.
Environmental and Energy Implications of Plug-In Hybrid-Electric Vehicles

We analyze the effect of charging a significant number of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) in the United States using presently available night-time spare electric capacity in the shortterm and new base-load capacity in the long term. Nationwide, there is currently ample spare night-time utility capacityto charge even a large fleet of PHEVs. Using the mix of generating plants expected to be used for PHEV charging, we find that, while driving on battery power, PHEVs compared to their conventional hybrid counterparts reduce CO2 emissions by 25% in the short term and as much as 50% in the long term. The shortterm fractional increase in demand for margin fuels such as natural gas is found to be roughly twice the fractional penetration of PHEVs into the nationwide light-duty vehicle fleet. We also compare, on an energy basis, the CO2 savings of replacing coal plants versus replacing conventional vehicles with PHEVs. The result is found to depend critically on the fuel economy of the vehicles displaced by the PHEVs.
A study of the cytoplasm in insect ova

The cytoplasm of the ova of ten species of insects, distributed among the Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Orthoptera, and Neuroptera, has been studied. The Golgi bodies and chondriosomes were traced. They increase in number by fragmentation, but whether they may also arise de novo was not determined. They play no visible part in the formation of yolk or fat or any other structures or substances. Fat and yolk apparently arise independently in the cytoplasm. Vacuoles, which may stain with neutral red, may be present, but they are independent of the Golgi bodies. There is no vacuome in the sense in which Parat and others use the term. The Golgi bodies and chondriosomes are interpreted as substances rather than structures and as intermediate products of metabolism. Other bodies of unknown nature and function are present. The yolk nucleus of Gelastocoris is interpreted as a synthetic center.
Can collapsed stars close the Universe

Can black holes and other collapsed objects contribute enough mass to close the Universe (i.e., to bring the density of the Universe up to the critical density, rho/subc/). If the black holes are the collapsed remnants of an early generation of massive stars, current observations of the nightsky brightness may be used to place an upper limit on the mass contributed by such objects. We show that the density contributed by collapsed objects must be less than 0.01 rho/subc/ unless the stars formed before an epoch of 10$sup 9$ yr (z>5). Even more stringent limits may be set for many of the models considered. (AIP)
The use of in vitro procedures in teratology.

The capabilities of investigators in the fields of teratology and toxicology are greatly enhanced by the use of tissue culture procedures in unraveling the mechanisms of drug action. Techniques currently available for the culture of postimplantation mammalian embryos permit evaluation of their metabolic responses to potential teratogens even when the length of time embryos survive and develop in culture is too short to allow a conventional teratologic survey of malformations. A simple procedure for culturing mouse embryos during early organogenetic stages is described in this report that will be of value to teratolegists; it avoids the requirements of special glassware and equipment by using ordinary capped test tubes which are rotated to maintain an efficient nutritional and gaseous environment. Some studies conducted with this procedure to monitor the metabolism of embryo during the first 24 h of culture are summarized. Another aspect of tissue culture, organ culture, provides further manipulative capability by which embryonic organs can be maintained for long periods of time during which they develop and differentiate to an extent that their morphological and biochemical responses to a teratogen can usually be made. Comparative effects of several teratogenic agents and the relative concentration of each that produces a similar degree of response are summarized. It is concluded that organs are more sensitive to teratogens in culture than they are in vivo, and that different teratogens possess enough specificity to isolate their simple growth-retarding effect from the role they play in disturbing other specific developmental events.
Mechanical Property Measurement of 0.5-µm CMOS Microstructures

Measurements are reported on the mechanical properties of high-aspect-ratio micromechanical structures formed using a conventional 0.5-µm CMOS process. Composite structures are etched out of the CMOS dielectric, aluminum, and gate-polysilicon thin films using a post-CMOS CHF3:O2 reactive-ion etch and followed by a SF6:O2silicon etch for release. Microstructures have a height of 5 µm and beam widths and gaps down to 1.2 µm. Properties are strongly dependent on the relative metal and dielectric content of the beams. Beams with three metal conductors and polysilicon have an effective Young’s modulus of 62 GPa, residual stress of -29 MPa, and an average out-of-plane radius of curvature of 1.9 mm. Maximum Young’s modulus variation is 3 GPa die-todie, and is 9 GPa between two runs. Die-to-die variation of stress and stress gradient is poor for many beam compositions, however local matching on a die is very good. Cracking is induced in a resonant fatigue structure at 620 MPa of repetitive stress after over 50 million cycles.
Performance study of n-MOS natural transistor fabricated by low thermal budget process

Abstract Natural n-MOS transistor and MOS capacitor test structures have been fabricated by the low temperature process design for better control on device dimensions. Si-SiO 2 interface properties and performance of LPCVD gorwn polysilicon gate natural transistor has been studied through MOS C-V analysis and physical-electrical modeling. Transistor behavior at cryogenic temperatures has also been analysed through MOS C-V characteristics and one dimensional transport equations.
Two-Dimensional and Multi-Experimental Modeling of Polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells

We use two-dimensional simulations to explore if charged columnar grain boundaries (GBs) in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells increase device performance. Although the simulations confirm that charged GBs can increase photocurrent by forming minority-carrier collection channels, this generally occurs at the expense of overall efficiency. Furthermore, improvements in photocurrent require significant GB minority collection beyond a diffusion length of the space-charge region. This collection from deep within the base can be detected by quantum efficiency (QE) spectra, electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) experiments, near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), and fast photoluminescence decay. Simulations of all these experiments indicate that GB charge sufficient to significantly increase photocurrent collection is generally inconsistent with actual observations.
How far is Confucius an Aristotelian?: Comments on May Sim’s Remastering Morals with Aristotle and Confucius

May Sim’s new book Remastering Morals with Aristotle and Confucius is a much needed work—it brings together two founding fathers of their own respective civilizations in the East and the West, Confucius and Aristotle, in a comparative study. Their works have set the basic tones of Western and Chinese philosophies, and their far-reaching influences are both regaining visible vitality today. Yet until May Sim’s work there was no systematic comparative study done between these two. And it was no coincidence that almost at the same time when May Sim’s book was published, another book of a similar scale on the same subject was published—I am referring to YU Jiyuan’s book, The Ethics of Confucius and Aristotle. As Yu says in his Preface, such an endeavor is extremely difficult, for it requires the author “not only to deal with scholarly issues on both sides, but also to tackle thorny theoretical problems that the comparison itself generates, such as cross-cultural translatability and commensurability” (Yu: ix). I want to commend May Sim’s courage and effort in offering us such a groundbreaking work. As a person who is able to “learn a second tradition from the inside,” she is one of the few people in the world who are in an advantageous position to serve as a bridge person between these two philosophers. The book is nicely laid out and very clearly written. I appreciate May Sim’s approach, which aims not merely at finding similarities and differences between Aristotle and Confucius, but also at incorporating critical examinations to see how the two philosophers might inspire or learn from each other. This constructive approach makes her book more interesting and inspiring, though it also exposes more controversial sides of the study. In comparison, I find that Sim’s book engages much more recent scholarship on Confucianism and has more of her own assessments of the two philosophers than Yu’s does, whereas Yu’s book gives more detailed analysis of the two philosophers based on his reading, yet contains relatively less of his own assessments.
Relating CKM Parametrizations and Unitarity Triangles

Concise variable transformations between the four angles of the CKM matrix in the standard representation advocated by the Particle Data Group and the angles of the unitarity triangles are derived. The behavior of these transformations in various limits is explored. The straightforward extension of this calculation to other representations and more generations is indicated. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Endoscopic Transnasal Approach to the Pterygopalatine Fossa

Objective To describe an endoscopic transnasal approach to the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF). Design Case series of 3 patients. Setting An academic medical center. Patients One patient presented with an asymptomatic PPF schwannoma. The second patient presented after a sudden onset of complete unilateral vision loss with a complete ipsilateral sphenoid sinus opacification and radiographic signal abnormality in the PPF and inferior orbital fissure. The third patient had a history of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland, and was found to have new-onset facial numbness. Intervention One patient had a complete excision of a schwannoma by means of an endoscopic transnasal approach. The other 2 patients had wide exposure and biopsies of the PPF. One patient had a revision procedure through the same approach with further lateral exposure to the area of the inferior orbital fissure. Results All patients had successful endoscopic approaches for tumor removal (case 1) and biopsy (cases 2 and 3) of the PPF. The second patient had a repeat endoscopic biopsy 1 week later to obtain more tissue for diagnostic purposes. None of the patients had any major vascular complications. At follow-up, 2 of 3 patients had persistent sensory deficits. Conclusions The endoscopic transnasal approach to the PPF is a safe and effective method for biopsy and removal of PPF masses. The endoscopic approach improves access and visualization, and has the potential to reduce complications compared with open approaches. Image guidance is helpful in these cases.