cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a test blueprint for the National Association of Industrial Technology certification exam

The primary purpose of this study was to develop a test blueprint that would serve to identify core content, subject areas, and competencies needed to update the NAIT Certification Exam. The original certification program was established by the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) in 1991, and eight areas were identified: (1) Quality Control; (2) Production Planning and Control; (3) Industrial Supervision; (4) Industrial Finance and Accounting; (5) Industrial Safety; (6) Plant Layout and Material Handling; (7) Time And Motion Study; and (8) Industrial Communications. A prototype testing was conducted in an attempt to improve the reliability of the test, and in 1995 the Certification Committee recommended: (1) editing questions for clarification; (2) deleting 80 inappropriate questions; (3) adding approximately 40 new questions; and (4) collapse the exam into four content areas to increase test validity. The problem addressed in this study is the need to determine if the earlier test development reflects current NAIT Certification Exam requirements. The current exam was developed ten years ago, and there has been a clear need to address rapid changes in technology and its uses. A modified Delphi technique was used to identify core content, subject areas, and competencies. Two Delphi Rounds were conducted in which 14 panelists identified 13 core competency areas: (1) Leadership Skills For Supervisors; (2) Teamwork; (3) Fundamentals of Management; (4) Safety Management; (5) Technical Graphics/CADD; (6) Quality; (7) Electronics; (8) Human Resource Management; (9) Technical Writing; (10) Written Communication; (11) Verbal Communication; (12) Computer Integrated Manufacturing and, (13) Manufacturing Automation.
ANALYSIS OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN FOODSTUFFS BY GFAAS WITH ZEEMAN CORRECTION

A discussion is presented on the state of the art and perspectives of use of GFAAS with Zeeman correction in the analysis of trace elements in foodstuffs. Particular attention is devoted to the direct analysis of food matrices, limiting the preparative phase to simple dilution of the sample with adequate matrix modifier, when possible. This decreases the risk of contamination and the time necessary for the analytical procedure. Examples of the applications of Zeeman GFAAS are reported in the analysis of trace elements in foodstuffs of both animal and vegetable origin with the emphasis on the analytical advantages and possibilities of routine use in the food industry.
The association of sleep-disordered breathing and sleep symptoms with quality of life in the Sleep Heart Health Study.

This study assessed the extent to which sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS), and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) were associated with impairment of quality of life (QoL) using the SF-36. Participants (n=5,816; mean age=63 years; 52.5% women) were enrolled in the nation-wide population-based Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) implemented to investigate sleep-disordered breathing as a risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. Each transformed SF-36 scale was analyzed independently using multiple logistic regression analysis with sleep and other potential confounding variables (e.g., age, ethnicity) included as independent variables. Men (11.6%) were significantly more likely to have SDB compared to women (5.6%), while women (42.4%) were significantly more likely to report DIMS than men (32.5%). Vitality was the sole SF-36 scale to have a linear association with the clinical categories of SDB (mild, moderate, severe SDB). However, individuals with severe SDB indicated significantly poorer QoL on several SF-36 scales. Both DIMS and EDS were strongly associated with reduced QoL even after adjusting for confounding variables for both sexes. Findings suggest 1) mild to moderate SDB is associated with reduced vitality, while severe SDB is more broadly associated with poorer QoL, 2) subjective sleep symptoms are comprehensively associated with poorer QoL, and 3) SF-36 mean score profiles for SDB and sleep symptoms are equivalent to other chronic diseases in the U.S. general population.
Cytosolic delivery of macromolecules: 4. Head group-dependent membrane permeabilization by pH-sensitive detergents

Abstract Three tertiary amine-based detergents with zero, one, or two hydroxyl groups at various positions in their head group were characterized for their ability to promote the cytosolic delivery of macromolecules. Critical micellar concentrations (CMC) and membrane-bound pKa values of the lipid constructs increased with increasing head group polarity, ranging from 1–5 μM and 5.9 to 6.3, respectively. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and calcein leakage experiments revealed that when the amine group is protonated introduction of –OH moieties to detergent head groups enhanced their ability to interact with and permeabilize anionic, endosome-mimicking vesicles. Different formulations of a diethanolamine-based lipid (DEL) were further evaluated for pH-dependent hemolytic activity and ability to promote cytosolic delivery of macromolecules in vitro. Intact liposomes containing DEL at its maximum limit of incorporation were less efficient than DEL-containing micelles in promoting hemoglobin leakage from human erythrocytes at acidic pH. In HeLa cells, DEL-containing detergent micelles facilitated efficient cytosolic release of endocytosed macromolecules such as fluorescein-labeled dextran of MW 10 kDa. This observation was further corroborated by a functional assay based on antisense-mediated up-regulation of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Taken together, our findings emphasize the key role of polar head groups and micellar architecture of pH-sensitive detergents in mediating endosomal permeabilization and the efficient cytosolic delivery of macromolecules.
Prophylactic Antibiotics for Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

Surgical site infections with elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy are less frequent and less severe, leading some to suggest that prophylactic antibiotics are no longer indicated. We compared the incidence of surgical site infections prior to and following an institutional practice change of withholding prophylactic antibiotics for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Between May 7, 2013, and March 11, 2015, no prophylactic antibiotics were given to patients selected for elective cholecystectomy by two surgeons at a single center. The only patients excluded were those who received antibiotics prior to surgery for any reason. All others, including those at high risk for infection, were included. The incidence and severity of infections were compared to historical controls treated with prophylaxis by the same two surgeons from November 6, 2011, to January 13, 2013. There were 268 patients in the study group and 119 patients in the control group. Infection occurred in 3.0% in the study group compared to 0.9% in the controls (p = 0.29). All infections were mild except one. Based on these data, the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not supported.
Cryptanalysis and improvement of blind signcryption scheme based on elliptic curve

Blind signcryption schemes are the extension of signcryption schemes. They are used to protect the privacy and identity of the sender from other users, especially in electronic voting and electronic cash payment systems. A number of blind signcryption schemes are introduced over the years and some of them are proved to be insecure. In this Letter, the authors analysed a recently proposed blind signcryption scheme based on elliptic curves and proved it is insecure. Their analysis showed that the proposed scheme is unable to provide the claimed security attributes of message integrity, authentication, unforgeability, and signer non-repudiation. After successful cryptanalysis, they introduced a modified version of this scheme to overcome the security flaws and weakness.
Cyclooxygenase-2 and Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Are Overexpressed in Mucinous Pancreatic Cysts.

OBJECTIVES Expression of prostaglandin biosynthetic pathway enzymes in mucinous pancreatic cysts is unknown. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition is a potential cancer chemoprevention strategy for these lesions. We evaluated the expression of COX-2, cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), and protein kinase B (AKT) in the epithelium of pancreatic cysts and correlated enzyme expression with aspirin (ASA) use and cyst fluid prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentration. METHODS Pathology of 80 resected pancreatic cysts was reviewed. Expression of COX-2, cPLA2, and AKT was quantified by tissue immunohistochemistry immunoreactivity scores (IRSs). IRS values were compared between cyst types and (in 30 cases) with matched cyst fluid PGE2 concentrations. RESULTS The mean IRS was higher in the epithelium of mucinous vs nonmucinous cysts for COX-2 (6.1 ± 4.7 vs 3.2 ± 2.8, P = 0.01) and cPLA2 (6.9 ± 3.0 vs 2.9 ± 2.9, P < 0.001). Cyst epithelial COX-2 expression was higher in mucinous cysts with low-grade dysplasia vs those with high-grade dysplasia or invasive carcinoma (IRS 8.0 ± 3.9 vs 1.5 ± 2.9, P < 0.001), whereas the opposite was found for cPLA2 (6.2 ± 3.0 vs 8.6 ± 2.3, P = 0.005). Cyst fluid PGE2 concentrations did not correlate with either the IRS or a history of low- to moderate-dose ASA use. CONCLUSIONS COX-2 and cPLA2 are overexpressed in the epithelium of mucinous pancreatic cysts. COX-2 and/or cPLA2 inhibition might prevent the emergence or progression of mucinous pancreatic cysts, but higher doses of ASA or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be necessary to substantially inhibit cyst epithelial COX-2 activity.
Sex Differences in Tolerability to Anti-Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 Therapy in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Are We All Equal?

Background Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have emerged as a serious clinical issue in the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Risk factors for irAEs remain controversial. Therefore, we studied sex differences in irAEs in patients treated with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy. Materials and methods All patients with metastatic melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with anti-PD-1 therapy at Mayo Clinic Rochester and Florida from 2015 to 2018 were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test was used for time-to-event analysis. Results In 245 patients with metastatic melanoma, premenopausal women were more likely to experience irAEs (all grades) compared with postmenopausal women and men (67% vs. 60% vs. 46%), primarily because of an increase in endocrinopathies (33% vs. 12% vs. 10%, respectively). In patients with NSCLC (231 patients), women (all ages) were also more likely to develop irAEs of all grades (48% vs. 31%). Women with NSCLC were more likely to develop pneumonitis (11% vs. 4%) and endocrinopathies (14% vs. 5%). No differences in grade ≥3 toxicities were seen across sexes in both cohorts, but women were more likely to receive systemic steroids for the treatment of irAEs compared with men. Better progression-free-survival was observed in women with NSCLC and irAEs (10 months vs. 3.3 months) compared with women without irAEs. Conclusion Women with metastatic melanoma and NSCLC are more likely to experience irAEs compared with men. We also observed differences between sexes in the frequency of certain irAEs. Larger studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms underlying these associations. Implications for practice The results of this study suggest that women may be at a higher risk for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) compared with men when treated with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 therapy. In addition, women were more likely to develop certain irAEs, including endocrinopathies and pneumonitis. Close follow-up of women undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors will allow clinicians to diagnose these treatment-related complications early, potentially reducing their associated morbidity and mortality. In addition, a possible association between irAEs and response to therapy was observed.
Cross-verification of neoclassical transport solutions from XGCa against NEO

Radial neoclassical transport from the global gyrokinetic code XGC has been cross-verified against the local drift-kinetic neoclassical code NEO in NEO's local regime using a Grad-Shafranov equilibrium with a circular boundary. XGC shows excellent agreement with NEO, except for a difference of approximately 10% in the ion heat flux. Close investigation reveals that this difference is due to the simplification in NEO to use the same Coulomb logarithm ln Λ to represent all particle species, while XGC uses different formulas for collisions between different species [J. D. Huba, NRL Plasma Formulary (Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 2018)]. When XGC uses NEO's Coulomb logarithm, excellent agreement in the ion heat flux is recovered. The present work not only crossverifies the equation solvers in two codes, but also verifies that the gyrokinetic and the drift-kinetic equations agree and that the linearized and nonlinear Coulomb collision operators agree in the mild gradient, local regime.
Unraveling the osteocyte in CKD-MBD post–renal transplantation

Changes in indices of mineral metabolism, bone protein expression, and bone turnover were assessed between pre– and post–renal transplant bone biopsies obtained 12 months apart. Circulating sclerostin and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) levels decreased, and a low bone turnover state was highly prevalent on follow-up. In contrast, bone sclerostin expression increased, whereas FGF-23 bone expression was unchanged/decreased. These findings underscore the limitations of circulating biomarkers and the critical role of bone biopsy to understand osteocyte biology in chronic kidney disease–mineral bone disorder.
Pseudospectra of Loewner Matrix Pencils.

Loewner matrix pencils play a central role in the system realization theory of Mayo and Antoulas, an important development in data-driven modeling. The eigenvalues of these pencils reveal system poles. How robust are the poles recovered via Loewner realization? With several simple examples, we show how pseudospectra of Loewner pencils can be used to investigate the influence of interpolation point location and partitioning on pole stability, the transient behavior of the realized system, and the effect of noisy measurement data. We include an algorithm to efficiently compute such pseudospectra by exploiting Loewner structure.
A modern course on parallel and distributed processing

The rapid advances in both the development and the use of parallel computing systems has led to the need for highly trained professionals with a knowledge of both the hardware and the software aspects of parallel and distributed computing. We present a course aimed at preparing students for the demands of the workplace by giving them hands-on experience working with parallel computers and software. Additionally, this course emphasizes the essential connections between Computer Science and other disciplines, such as Biology, Biochemistry, Physics and Astronomy, where the use of parallel computing is commonplace.
Prevalence of Cardiac Risk Factors in Patients Prescribed Azithromycin before and after the 2012 FDA Warning on the Risk of Potentially Fatal Heart Rhythms.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To measure the prevalence of cardiac risk factors among patients prescribed azithromycin before and after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning on May 17, 2012, on the risk of potentially fatal heart rhythms associated with the drug. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data. DATA SOURCE Truven Health Analytics MarketScan database. PATIENTS A total of 12,971,078 unique patients with 23,749,652 azithromycin prescriptions dispensed between January 2009 and June 2015 were included. Patients had to be continuously enrolled in a health plan for at least 365 days (baseline) before the date of azithromycin dispensing (index date). Cohorts were assigned based on the index dates of the azithromycin prescriptions, either before (January 1, 2009-May 1, 2012) or after (June 1, 2012-June 30, 2015) the FDA warning was issued. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS A cardiac risk factor included either a cardiac condition (heart failure or dysrhythmias) or concurrent use of drugs that prolong the QT interval. The unit of analysis was each prescription of azithromycin. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the prevalence of cardiac risk factors. Mean age of the patients was 40.1 ± 21.3 years old, with 60.8% females. Prior to the FDA warning, 11,596,022 (48.8%) azithromycin prescriptions were identified, and 12,153,630 (51.2%) were identified after the warning. The prevalence of a preexisting cardiac condition was 7.3% versus 7.9% (p<0.0001) before and after the FDA warning, respectively. Concurrent use of a QT-interval-prolonging drug was 23.3% versus 24.2% (p<0.0001) before and after the FDA warning, respectively. After controlling for confounders, the odds of having a cardiac risk factor after the FDA warning were significantly lower (odds ratio 0.938, 95% CI 0.936-0.940) compared with before the FDA warning. CONCLUSION Despite the 2012 FDA warning, a nontrivial number of azithromycin prescriptions was prescribed concurrently in patients with preexisting a cardiac condition (1 of 12 azithromycin prescriptions) and in those using a QT-interval-prolonging drug (1 of 5 azithromycin prescriptions). After adjusting for confounders, the odds of cardiac risk factors being present in patients prescribed azithromycin were modestly lower after the warning; however, the prevalence remained essentially unchanged before and after the FDA warning was issued.
IMPACT OF CHANGE IN PULMONARY ARTERY PULSATILITY INDEX ON ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY AFTER PERCUTANEOUS MITRAL VALVE REPAIR

The pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi) is a novel hemodynamic index with an emerging role in predicting RV failure. Its utility in the percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR) population has not been studied. We hypothesized that a higher change in PAPi (ΔPAPi) following PMVR, reflecting
Health care reform and competing visions of medical care: antitrust and state provider cooperation legislation.

This Article examines the competing visions of medical care represented by the professional paradigm and the market-based economic paradigm and considers the implications of those visions for the development of public policy. The first Part identifies the premises underlying the professional model and the influences that have bolstered each model. Notably, application of antitrust law to the health care marketplace has contributed to the growing role of the market paradigm in the health care industry and thus has figured largely in the debate over health care reform. The second Part discusses recently enacted state legislation designed to facilitate cooperation among health care providers such as hospitals. These laws purport to provide antitrust immunity under the "state action" doctrine.
Comparative analysis of nanomechanical features of coronavirus spike proteins and correlation with lethality and infection rate.

The novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has spread rapidly around the world. Its causative virus, SARS-CoV-2, enters human cells through the physical interaction between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of its spike protein and the human cell receptor ACE2. Here, we provide a novel way in understanding coronavirus spike proteins, connecting their nanomechanical features - specifically its vibrational spectrum and quantitative measures of mobility - with virus lethality and infection rate. The key result of our work is that both, the overall flexibility of upward RBD and the mobility ratio of RBDs in different conformations, represent two significant factors that show a positive scaling with virus lethality and an inverse correlation with the infection rate. Our analysis shows that epidemiological virus properties can be linked directly to pure nanomechanical, vibrational aspects, offering an alternative way of screening new viruses and mutations, and potentially exploring novel ways to prevent infections from occurring.
Single mRNA Tracking in Live Cells

Asymmetric distribution of mRNA is a prevalent phenomenon observed in diverse cell types. The posttranscriptional movement and localization of mRNA provides an important mechanism to target certain proteins to specific cytoplasmic regions of their function. Recent technical advances have enabled real-time visualization of single mRNA molecules in living cells. Studies analyzing the motion of individual mRNAs have shed light on the complex RNA transport system. This chapter presents an overview of general approaches for single particle tracking and some methodologies that are used for single mRNA detection.
Product Life Cycle

The product life cycle is defined and applications are presented. Keywords: strategic behavior; industry life cycle; product differentiation
The pursuit of equality through education finance reform

Previous research on how court-ordered equalization affects public school expenditures has not yielded a clear pattern of results. While the literature agrees that court-ordered reform improves equality, there is disagreement over the impact of reform on education expenditures. One of the most comprehensive studies to date is that of Murray et al. (1998), but their results are quite sensitive to specification. Once court-ordered reform is treated as an endogenous variable, two-stage regression analyses show that reform achieves its direct aim of leading to a more equal distribution of expenditures across school districts, but it does not increase average per-pupil expenditures. A consideration of the history of education finance in the United States helps determine why court-ordered reform does not bring about dramatic changes. Contrary to what much of the literature suggests, state governments have had a role in education finance since the 19th Century, and they assumed a large responsibility for education finance during the Great Depression. Since that time there has been a steady increase in the state government share of education revenue, but without sudden changes during the period of court-ordered reform. Regression analysis shows that the state share of education revenue typically increases on the order of 10% after court-ordered reform, with some states having much larger increases. In addition, a case study of education finance reform in Texas shows a state with political actors who do not wish to reform but who are being forced by the courts to consider changes to their system of education finance. I argue that large changes were never to be expected as state governments have a long history of involvement in education finance, and to greatly increase that substantial role would prove quite difficult. In addition, these cases feature political actors being forced to reform a system that was already in equilibrium, and as has been shown in the literature, state legislatures are able to find ways of circumventing such limitations. Finally, these results also support the idea that court cases often reinforce a current trend in public policy rather than serving as a catalyst to begin a new movement.
Glutamine Supplementation in Parenteral Nutrition and Intensive Care Unit Patients: Are We Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater?

Clinical research in many fields of medicine, including the intensive care unit (ICU), has demonstrated numerous therapies to be efficacious when targeted to patients with clear clinical or biologic need for the therapy. However, as the eternal search for the “magic bullet” therapy continues to improve outcome in all patients, we often transfer therapies that have been successful in targeted patient groups to all patients aiming for the mythical “goliath trial.” This phenomenon was recently observed with aspirin therapy to reduce myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. 1 Aspirin has unquestionably been shown to reduce subsequent vascular and cardiac events when given following a previous MI or stroke. 2 However, when given to all patients, regardless of whether they had had a previous MI or stroke, aspirin was shown to markedly increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and was determined not to be ideal for all patients. 1 This finding did not change the fact that any years of data still demonstrated that aspirin is still clearly indicated in patients following MI or stroke, but the risk of bleeding outweighed the benefit of daily aspirin when given to patients without a clear preexisting data-driven indication. As a result, did we tell all of our patients to stop taking aspirin? Of course not! We only refined our knowledge and learned to use aspirin more safely in the right patients. Our experience in the ICU has been quite similar. This author would roughly estimate that there have been approximately 79 large trials of sepsis therapies of >1000 patients over the past 20 years. Of these, 72 have been negative (no effect of therapy), and 6 showed harm of studied therapy. The 1 study (The Prowess Trial) 3 that showed benefit then, unfortunately, was shown not to be beneficial in 2 subsequent trials. What can we learn from this? First, when we attempt to extend successful previous trials into the “goliath” trial, we often disregard the original inclusion/ exclusion criteria of the previous successful trials to include “all patients” and enroll larger numbers. This was true in the aspirin trials attempting to prove all patients should take a daily aspirin, not just those at high risk for subsequent MI or stroke. This, of course, was not successful. 1
Leveraging data by electronic study automation: a new paradigm in pre-clinical cancer research through animal study data sharing

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4417 The current paradigm in cancer research for animal study data collection, management and publication has changed little in the last 50 years. However, recent technological developments have led to new possibilities among the research community to the extent that the benefits of adopting the new methods often outweigh the barriers of implementing them. Historically, animal study (AS) data are collected manually using combinations of paper notebooks and electronic spreadsheets. As a consequence, data cannot be accessed and shared effectively because: 1) data recorded in lab notebooks remain un-indexed and inaccessible once collected; 2) spreadsheets often contain only primary measurement data and are stored in data silos, 3) AS conditions, methods and model details are recorded inconsistently, in insufficient detail, and reside in multiple locations and formats. The lack of data digitization and standard content, format and storage conventions makes AS data access and cross-study comparisons impractical within and across research organizations. This constitutes a systematic, unintentional, and yet preventable waste of data, information, organizational knowledge, time and resources. The net result is that the majority of animal data are not only unavailable within the research institution itself, but to the research community at large. Many thousands of “failed” or unpublished animal studies represent billions of dollars of cumulative research that is not shared. This massive body of information is tremendously valuable yet remains entirely untapped, primarily due to three reasons: 1) the heterogeneity of data formats and forms, 2) the lack of automated data collection, and 3) the proprietary nature of data. Animal Study Management Software (ASMS) addresses these issues and provides new opportunities to the research community. ASMS automates and standardizes the organization of AS data, design, conditions, conduct details and results into a searchable database, and, in effect, solves the problems of data loss and accessibility. Additionally, ASMS standardization of data into a single, digital form could in turn enable for the first time the voluntary sharing and pooling of AS data from many research institutions into a centralized, web-based study repository. Standardization and digitized data gives investigators, journals, and institutions the opportunity to publish their non-proprietary data, both negative and positive results. By having the details on historical studies available, researchers could obviate needless repetition of studies, expedite model implementation projects, refine current animal models and build on existing work. The net result would be a significant improvement in information sharing, much more efficient use of limited research resources and ultimately a decreased time to identify, develop and market new therapeutics for cancer.
Restricted eating with weight loss selectively decreases extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and alters dopamine response to amphetamine, morphine, and food intake

Weight loss is known to alter food intake and drug self-administration, but the neural basis of this is unknown. Therefore, we studied effects of weight loss on neurochemistry of a brain mechanism involved in behavior reinforcement. In rats reduced 20-30% below normal weight, basal extracellular dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) decreased up to 50% (p
Executive Coaching: Developing Managerial Wisdom in a World of Chaos

Systems and Psychodynamics - Concepts for Coaches A Conceptual Understanding and Definition of Executive Coaching Creating and Using a Reflective Containment The Core Method of Coaching Coaching and the Psychodynamics of Executive Character and Organizations Chaos and its Role in Individual and Organizational Regression Working with Human Emotion and Cognition Working with Client Defences Working with Client Conflicts.
Complications of 2,775 Urological Laparoscopic Procedures: 1993 to 2005

Purpose: We assessed the complications associated with urological laparoscopic surgery at a single high volume center during a 12-year period.Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart analysis was performed, focusing on complications associated with 2,775 laparoscopic surgeries occurring between 1993 and 2005. These included radical nephrectomy (549), partial nephrectomy (345), donor nephrectomy (553), simple nephrectomy (186), pyeloplasty (301), nephroureterectomy (105), retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (86), renal ablation (81), adrenalectomy (106) and radical prostatectomy (463). Complication data were tabulated according to case number, procedure type, patient age, the American Society of Anesthesiologists score, conversion status, length of hospitalization, Clavien classification system and annual complication rate during the study. Statistical analysis was performed with Fisher’s exact and chi-square tests.Results: A total of 614 complications (22.1%) occurred within each group, broken down ...
A PREPARATIVE METHOD FOR THE ISOLATION OF CARBOXYL TERMINAL TRYPTIC PEPTIDES FROM PROTEINS

A method has been developed for isolating glycinamide-blocked carboxyl-terminal tryptic peptides from proteins. It has been successfully applied to four proteins of known carboxyl-terminal sequence, yielding the carboxyl-terminal peptide in up to 68% yield. The separation method is designed to be selective for the desired peptide and to handle any quantity of protein.
Freeze-Thaw Durability of Microwave Cured Air-Entrained Concrete

The strength development of concrete can be greatly accelerated by curing with microwave energy. Microwave curing can therefore be beneficial to construction operations such as concrete precasting and repair. To provide freeze-thaw durability for infrastructure applications, air entrainment has to be introduced. In this investigation, the freeze-thaw resistance of microwave cured air-entrained concrete is measured, and compared to that of air-entrained concrete under normal curing. Their compressive strength at 14 days and air-void characteristics are also measured and compared. The test results indicate that microwave curing can impair the freeze-thaw durability of high w/c concrete but not for low w/c concrete. Also, under microwave curing, the decrease in strength due to air entrainment becomes more significant. Based on these observations, it is recommended that for microwave cured air-entrained concrete, a low w/c ratio should be employed.
Ab Initio Calculations of the Ground Electronic States of Polyiodide Anions

Equilibrium bond lengths, harmonic frequencies, electron affinities, and dissociation energies (as appropriate) were determined for I, I-,I2, I2-, and I3- by CCSD(T) and four DFT methods (BLYP, BPW91, B3LYP, and B3PW91) using a basis set consisting of a relativistic effective core potential and a triple-zeta plus 2df polarization functions (ECP-TZ(2df)) for the valence electrons. Comparison of the DFT results with the CCSD(T) results and available experimental information indicates that the B3PW91 approach does particularly well describing the bonding in these species. B3PW91/ECP-TZ(2df) calculations of I5- in linear (D∞h) and bent (C2v) geometries indicate that the linear structure is a low-energy transition state lying only about 0.1−0.2 eV above the C2v global minimum-energy structure. Harmonic frequencies and infrared and Raman intensities are calculated for both structures and compared to available experimental information.
Tree root development : the role of models in understanding the consequences of arbuscular endomycorrhizal infection

Le developpement de tout systeme racinaire est en definitive fonction de la quantite de glucides qui y sont transportes, de la vitesse de croissance des racines individuelles, du taux d'initiation de racines laterales par les racines existantes et du taux de survie des racines. Tous ces parametres peuvent etre influences par l'infection par les mycorhizes arbusculaires vasculaires (AM) avec une intensite qui varie selon les champignons impliques []
Pharmacokinetics and brain penetration of LF-3-88, (2-[5-[5-(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxyl)-3-pyridyl]-3-isoxazolyl]ethanol), a selective α4β2-nAChR partial agonist and promising antidepressant.

LF-3-88 (2-[5-[5-(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxyl)-3-pyridyl]-3-isoxazolyl]ethanol) was identified as a highly selective α4β2-nAChRs partial agonist, with a K(i) value of 0.4nM and EC(50) value of 110nM. A sensitive and selective ultra high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS-MS) method was developed and validated to study the pharmacokinetics profile of this compound in mice. Protein precipitation with acetonitrile was used to prepare the plasma and brain samples, and the recovery was greater than 90%. The inter-day and intra-day accuracy and precision of the quantitative method ranged from 95% to 106% for plasma and from 93% to 105% for brain homogenates. The precision of the assay was 93%) for 24h on the bench top at room temperature, and for at least 3 weeks at 4°C and -80°C. The UHPLC-MS-MS assay was applied to the measurement of plasma and brain levels of LF-3-88 following oral administration to male Balb/c mice. Plasma concentrations of LF-3-88 and brain levels were dose-dependent with half-lives of approximately 60min and 180min, respectively, indicating good oral bioavailability and penetration of the blood-brain barrier.
Gas chromatographic determination of some polar water pollutants using porous polymers

Abstract The use of porous polymers to separate water soluble organic pollutants by gas chromatography was investigated. Chromosorb 105 showed some interesting properties with acetic acid solutions of varying concentrations. Chromosorb 104 proved effective in the separation of methanol, acetaldehyde, hexafluoroacetone, and acetic acid. Headspace analysis and extraction with 1,2‐dichloroethane proved of little value. Absorption of these compounds in distilled water with a midget impinger proved impractical since these compounds were removed upon aeration.
Measurement of Biogenic Sulfur Emissions from Soils and Vegetation: Application of Dynamic Enclosure Methods with Natusch Filter and GC/FPD Analysis

Emission rates of reduced sulfur gases from vegetation and soils were measured in various regions of the United States during the summer of 1985. The predominant sulfur gases emitted were hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide and dimethylsulfide. Typically, vegetative (forests, crops, etc.) emission fluxes varied between approximately 10 and 60 ng S m-2 min-1. Biogenic sulfur fluxes from mollisol and histisol soils averaged 15 and 217 ng S m-2 min-1, respectively. Salt water marsh fluxes with a geometric mean of 293 ng S m-2 min-1 were the highest measured. These biogenic sulfur fluxes are somewhat lower than those measured during the SURE study at some of the same sites. The natural sulfur emission fluxes reported herein together with those data included in the two accompanying manuscripts provide the basis for developing a national inventory of reduced sulfur emissions from soils, crops and trees. When combined these data also will provide a foundation for deriving uncertainty limits associated with these flux estimates.
Interactive study lessons to complement anova

AbstractUsing the IBM Interactive Instructional System (IIS) software a series of interactive study modules for students taking a course in analysis of variance (ANOVA) techniques was developed. Four classes over four years of implementation were evaluated. Students responded positively to the interactive lessons and there were significant increases in unit examination performance as compared with preimplementation classes. The adult student appears apprehensive of the interactive mode initially but accepts it through practice.
Low quantum-yield molecular fluorescence. Aromatic hydrocarbons in solution at 300 K

Abstract Low quantum-yield fluorescence spectra are presented for a number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in solution at 300 K in the region 240–370 nm. This emission corresponds to fluorescence from highly excited singlet states directly to the ground state. Strong evidence is presented for emission from vibrationally unrelaxed states.
Employment Discrimination in Organizations: Antecedents and Consequences

This article reviews the research on employment discrimination in organizations. It focuses on discrimination perceptions, charges, and lawsuits and discusses the consequences of discrimination. Among the conclusions are the following: (a) The proportion of claimants filing under different antidiscrimination statutes differs by race; (b) the area needs theories that can explain wide variance in perceptions of events; (c) the consequences of discrimination are best viewed from individual, group, and organizational levels; and (d) if the results of instruments are used in legal settings, social scientists should pay careful attention to reliability and validity, as well as standards of legally admissible evidence.
Allylamine cardiotoxicity: I. Sequence of pathologic events.

Allylamine, given to adult male rats in drinking water at a concentration of 0.005, 0.05, or 0.1% for 21–104 days, caused dose-dependent myocardial and vascular lesions, although no consistent histopathologic changes were observed in other organs. Treated animals also demonstrated decreased weight gain and diminished fluid consumption which were dose dependent. An “H2O match” experiment in which control rats were given amounts of water equivalent to the decreased volume of fluid ingested by animals given 0.1% allylamine indicated that dehydration alone does not cause the degree of decreased weight gain or the cardiovascular lesions observed in allylamine-treated animals. When animals given 0.1% allylamine were sacrificed at appropriate intervals, acute myocardial lesions were observed as early as 4 days, and progressive fibrous lesions consistently developed by 21 days. The myocardial lesion began as small areas of multifocal subendocardial myocardial necrosis; extension of necrosis continued and was followed by fibrosis which, when extensive, resulted in an apical aneurysmal scar which frequently was grossly evident. Vascular arterial lesions consisting of medial thickening and hyalinization occurred predominantly within scarred areas but were not observed before 21 days of allylamine consumption. Coronary arteries were studied by morphometry in rats given 0.1% allylamine for 21 days; these studies indicated that a subtle medial hypertrophy occurs in medium and large sized vessels in hearts which do not display an evident morphologic vascular lesion. Serum creatine phosphokinase activity in rats given allylamine rose sporadically with occasional four-to fivefold increases in individual animals, most likely reflecting this focal and progressive necrotizing process of the myocardium. When a single dose of allylamine (50, 100, or 150 mg/kg) was given by gavage, acute morphologic myocardial lesions were observed 24 hr later at the two higher but not the lowest dose; serum creatine phosphokinase activity appeared elevated at the lower dose levels. These studies demonstrate that myocardial necrosis and fibrosis begin in the first few days of allylamine consumption and precede significant morphologic vascular lesions.
PERCEPTUAL LEARNING OF VIEW-INDEPENDENCE IN VISUO-HAPTIC OBJECT REPRESENTATIONS

We previously showed that cross-modal recognition of unfamiliar objects is view-independent, in contrast to view-dependence within-modally, in both vision and haptics. Does the view-independent, bisensory representation underlying cross-modal recognition arise from integration of unisensory, view-dependent representations or intermediate, unisensory but view-independent representations? Two psychophysical experiments sought to distinguish between these alternative models. In both experiments, participants began from baseline, within-modal, view-dependence for object recognition in both vision and haptics. The first experiment induced within-modal view-independence by perceptual learning, which was completely and symmetrically transferred cross-modally: visual view-independence acquired through visual learning also resulted in haptic view-independence and vice versa. In the second experiment, both visual and haptic view-dependence were transformed to view-independence by either haptic-visual or visual-haptic cross-modal learning. We conclude that cross-modal view-independence fits with a model in which unisensory view-dependent representations are directly integrated into a bisensory, view-independent representation, rather than via intermediate, unisensory, view-independent representations.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Treatment of Dementia Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Objectives Numerous studies have documented disparities in health care utilization between non-Hispanic White and minority elders. We investigated differences in anti-dementia medication use between non-Hispanic White and minority community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries with dementia.
Quantifying Environmental Control on Tropical Cyclone Intensity Change

Abstract Composite analysis is used to examine environmental and climatology and persistence characteristics of tropical cyclones (TCs) undergoing different intensity changes in the western North Pacific (WPAC) and North Atlantic (ATL) ocean basins. Using the cumulative distribution functions of 24-h intensity changes from the 2003–08 best-track data, four intensity change bins are defined: rapidly intensifying (RI), intensifying, neutral, and weakening. The Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System daily 0000 and 1200 UTC global analysis and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager data are then used as proxies for the real atmosphere, and composites of various environmental fields believed relevant to TC intensity change are made in the vicinity of the TCs. These composites give the average characteristics near the TC, prior to undergoing a given intensity change episode. For the environmental variables, statistically significant differences are examined between RI storms and the...
The endometrium and the role of three-dimensional sonohysterography

In this review, the echo-pattern of the endometrium under different conditions is discussed. These include: factors associated with regression and expansion of the endometrium and the importance of...
A SIMPLE AND RAPID METHOD FOR THE DETECTION AND ENUMERATION OF PHAGES OF BACTEROIDES FRAGILIS HSP40 IN FOODS AND SEWAGE1

The phage-host model of Bacteroides fragilis HSP40 has been documented as a potential index of human sewage and enteroviruses in sewage samples. However, this organism is an obligate anaerobe, which significantly limits the convenience of this model. The objectives of this study were to develop a simple method for the detection and enumeration of phages of B. fragilis HSP40 without using cumbersome anaerobic methods, to compare the novel method to the standard plaque assay (PA), and to enumerate phages naturally occurring in foods and sewage using both methods. Oxyrase enzymeTM (OE) was used at 0.5 U/ml in the growth medium of B. fragilis HSP40 before aerobic incubation. A double tube for phage (DTP) was developed and compared to the standard PA throughout the study. An enrichment procedure for samples was tested using 0.5 U/ml OE. Results indicated that the DTP could detect plaque forming units (PFU) of phages of B. fragilis HSP40 within 12–18h, with a sensitivity of 1 PFU/ml. The need for anaerobic incubation was totally eliminated by using OE and applying the DTP. Phage counts using DTP and PA were highly correlated (R2= 0.99–1.00) in spiked peptone water and ground beef. Enrichment of samples with OE enhanced phage recovery from spiked ground beef. With the DTP and PA, phages of B. fragilis HSP40 were detected from sewage, oysters, mushrooms and chicken. No such phage was detected from fresh ground beef before and after enrichment with either method. The DTP method was simpler than the PA, and it can be recommended for rapid screening of foods for fecal contamination and potential presence of viruses.
Candidate mechanical stimuli for hypertrophy during volume overload.

A myocyte system that senses and responds to mechanical inputs might be activated by any number of features of the time-varying length or force signals experienced by the myocytes. We therefore cha...
Asymptotic behavior of curvature of surface elements in isotropic turbulence

The asymptotic behavior of the curvature of material elements in turbulence is investigated using Lagrangian velocity‐gradient time series obtained from direct numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence. Several material‐element ensembles of different initial curvatures and shapes are studied. It is found that, at long times, the (first five) moments of the logarithm of characteristic curvature (C) and shape factor (S) asymptote to values that are independent of the initial curvature or shape. This evidence strongly suggests that the asymptotic pdf’s of the curvature and shape of material elements are stationary and independent of initial conditions. Irrespective of initial curvature or shape, the asymptotic shape of a material surface is cylindrical with a high probability.
Document constancy and persistence: A study of Web pages in library and information science domain

A selection of ninety English language library and information science organization Web sites and their associated pages are analyzed. A majority of Web sites are located on the .org generic top-level domain or the country code top-level domain of the country of origin (to include .int). The Web sites and pages were monitored for ninety- one days beginning November 2, 2010. The data suggest that while Web sites may fluctuate in size on a day to day basis, there is a general tendency toward accretion of pages. Web pages on these organizational Web sites appear to be more persistent than on the Web in general. There is significant variation in constancy as measured by the cosine similarity algorithm.