cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the differences in outcomes between general and non-general anesthesia in spine surgery: Results from a national registry.

Abstract Objectives Endotracheal/general anesthesia is one of the most commonly used anesthetic techniques when performing thoracic and lumbar surgeries. However, spinal and epidural (non-general) anesthesia have been increasingly employed for lumbar decompressions (LD) and lumbar fusion recently. The objective of this study was to investigate the outcomes of general and non-general anesthesia in patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) and LD using a national registry. Patients and Methods ACS-NSQIP database was queried to identify patients who underwent LD or PLF with general or non-general anesthesia between 2011–2015. Patient characteristics and postoperative variables were compared. Multivariable regression was used to identify predictors of thirty-day readmission, any complication and length of stay (LOS). Three-to-one propensity-score matching and conditional logistic regression were used to adjust for potential bias. Results A total of 60,222 patients who underwent LD were identified; 59,876 (99.4%) received general anesthesia and 342 (0.6%) were given non-general anesthesia. On multivariable conditional regression, type of anesthesia was found to have no significant effect on any of the outcomes analyzed (Readmission: OR:0.90, p = 0.79; Any Complication:OR:0.75, p = 0.75; LOS:Coef.:0.18, p = 0.35). A total of 31,419 patients who underwent PLF were identified; 31,377(99.9%) were given general anesthesia and 42(0.1%) were given non-general anesthesia. Anesthesia type had no significant effect on any of the outcomes analyzed (Readmission: OR:0.78, p = 0.83;Any Complication: OR:0.50, p = 0.40; LOS: Coef.:0.17, p = 0.68). Conclusion Our analysis showed that non-general anesthesia had equivalent outcomes with respect to readmission, LOS and complications compared to general anesthesia in patients undergoing LD or PLF. While the choice of anesthesia type remains a matter of preference, our results show that non-general anesthesia may be practiced safely and is associated with equivalent outcomes.
Financial Eligibility Criteria and Medication Coverage for Independent Charity Patient Assistance Programs.

Importance Although independent charity patient assistance programs improve patient access to costly prescription drugs, recent federal investigations have raised questions about their potential to increase pharmaceutical spending and to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Little is known about the design of the programs, patient eligibility, or drug coverage. Objective To examine the eligibility criteria of the independent charity patient assistance programs and the drugs covered by them. Design, Setting, and Participants Descriptive cross-sectional study of the 6 largest independent charities offering patient assistance programs for patients including, but not limited to, Medicare beneficiaries in 2018. These charities offered 274 different disease-specific patient assistance programs. Drugs were identified for subgroup analysis that had any use reported on the Medicare Part D spending dashboard and any off-patent brand-name drugs that incurred more than $10 000 in Medicare spending per beneficiary in 2016. Exposures Support by independent charity patient assistance programs. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes were the characteristics of patient assistance programs, including assistance type, insurance coverage (vs uninsured), and income eligibility. The secondary outcomes were the cost of the drugs covered by the patient assistance programs and the coverage of expensive off-patent brand-name drugs vs substitutable generic drugs. Results Among the 6 independent charity foundations included in the analysis, their total revenue in 2017 ranged from $24 million to $532 million, and expenditures on patient assistance programs ranged from $24 million to $353 million, representing on average, 86% of their revenue. Of the 274 patient assistance programs offered by these organizations, 168 (61%) provided only co-payment assistance, and the most common therapeutic area covered was cancer or cancer treatment–related symptoms (113 patient assistance programs; 41%). A total of 267 programs (97%) required insurance coverage as an eligibility criterion (ie, excluded uninsured patients). The most common income eligibility limit was 500% of the federal poverty level. The median annual cost of the drugs per beneficiary covered by the programs was $1157 (interquartile range, $247-$5609) compared with $367 (interquartile range, $100-$1500) for the noncovered drugs. Off-patent brand-name drugs (cost: >$10 000) were covered by a mean of 3.1 (SD, 2.0) patient assistance programs, whereas their generic equivalents were covered by a mean of 1.2 (SD, 1.0) patient assistance programs. Conclusions and Relevance In 2018, among 274 patient assistance programs operated by the 6 independent charity foundations, the majority did not provide coverage for uninsured patients. Medications that were covered by the patient assistance programs were generally more expensive than those that were not covered.
It's How You Say It: Identifying Appropriate Register for Chatbot Language Design

Designing chatbots that produce language that is natural and appropriate to a given context is critical in satisfying user expectations. Currently, little is known about how a chatbot's linguistic choices should be designed to conform with the language humans produce in similar contexts. In this paper, we draw on existing sociolinguistic theory to adapt a technique calledregister analysis to (a) characterize the linguistic register used by humans in a specific conversational context; and (b) drive chatbot language design. Our exploratory study investigates the application of register analysis for tourist assistants chatbots and shows how the results could be used to develop them to adopt the appropriate register.
Japanese Soldiers’ Accounts

After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the Japanese military authorities issued strict orders and rules to their troops that accounts and photos revealing atrocities were not allowed for public dissemination. Kazuo Sone (曾根一夫), a Japanese soldier who participated in the Nanjing battles, wrote in his book The Nanjing Massacre and War (南京虐殺と 戦争):
Using novel biomarkers to predict chemotherapy-induced cardiovascular toxicity in patients with breast cancer.

e13002Background: Despite improvement in survival in breast cancer patients from advanced therapies, rates of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity manifesting as a decline in left ventricular ejecti...
Thinning and Burning Effects on Long-Term Litter Accumulation and Function in Young Ponderosa Pine Forests

We measured forest-floor accumulation in ponderosa pine forests of central Oregon and asked whether selected ecological functions of the organic layer were altered by thinning and repeated burning. Experimental treatments included three thinning methods applied in 1989 (stem only, whole tree, no thin—control) in factorial combination with prescribed burning (spring 1991 and repeated in 2002; no burn—control). Forest-floor depth and mass were measured every 4–6 years from 1991 to 2015. Without fire, there was little temporal change in depth or mass for thinned (270 trees ha−1) and control (560–615 trees ha−1) treatments, indicating balanced litterfall and decay rates across these stand densities. Each burn consumed 50–70 percent of the forest floor, yet unlike thinning, postfire accumulation rates were fairly rapid, with forest-floor depth matching preburn levels within 15–20 years. Few differences in forest-floor function (litter decay, carbon storage, physical barrier restricting plant emergence, erosion protection) resulted from thinning or burning after 25 years. An exception was the loss of approximately 300 kg N ha−1 because of repeated burning, or approximately 13 percent of the total site N. This study documents long-term forest-floor development and suggests that common silvicultural practices pose few risks to organic layer functions in these forests. Study Implications: Mechanical thinning and prescribed fire are among the most widespread management practices used to restore forests in the western US to healthy, firewise conditions. We evaluated their effects on the long-term development of litter and duff layers, which serve dual roles as essential components of soil health and as fuel for potential wildfire. Our study showed that thinning and burning provided effective fuel reduction and resulted in no adverse effects to soil quality in dry ponderosa pine forests of central Oregon. Repeated burning reduced the site carbon and nitrogen pools approximately 9–13 percent, which is small compared to C located in tree biomass and N in mineral soil. Litter accumulation after burning was rapid, and we recommend burning on at least a 15–20-year cycle to limit its build-up.
Is Resection of Persistent N2 Disease After Induction Therapy Effective

Non-small cell lung cancer patients with N2 disease should be treated with induction therapy. The feasibility of potential surgery should be assessed prior to starting induction therapy. Surgical resection should only be considered for acceptable surgical candidates with single-station mediastinal nodal disease for whom lobectomy is technically feasible; other patients should receive definitive chemoradiation. Patients who do not progress after induction therapy and have some evidence of response should have the planned surgical resection. Prognosis is significantly better for patients whose mediastinal disease has been cleared, but proceeding with surgery if N2 disease persists after induction therapy is reasonable.
Nazism across Borders: the social policies of the Third Reich and their global appeal: edited by Sandrine Kott and Kiran Klaus Patel, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2018, xi + 436 pp., £85.00/$119.00, ISBN-13: 978-0198828969

Nazism across Borders is an important global history examining mostly unexplored dimensions of the Nazi scheme of domination and the extinction of competition. Nazi plans extended beyond the destru...
So You Want Your Own Tech Comm Department? One Program’s Story of Separating from English

This article describes how one technical communication program succeeded in creating an independent department by separating from English. We describe the context that led to the decision to create...
Enhancing dispatch efficiency of the Nigerian power system: Assessment of benefits

Abstract Although developing countries typically deal with the challenge of mobilizing investments for adding new generation and transmission capacity to cope with high demand growth, there are often opportunities to enhance operation of existing generators and extract significant cost reduction as well as the ability to meet greater demand. This is particularly relevant for the Nigerian power system that has 13 GW of installed capacity but could meet only 5.2 GW of peak demand in 2018 at an average capacity utilization of 27% of its thermal (mostly gas) generation fleet. There are simple steps that can be adopted to restore merit-order based dispatch that can immediately yield an operational cost reduction. Increased plant availability, gas supply to power plants, and removal of uneconomic take-or-pay obligation are increasingly onerous tasks, but with commensurate significantly higher payoffs. We have used a dispatch analysis model to show that merit-order based dispatch within the current constraints can yield an annual benefit of $29 million or 4% of variable costs. With the removal of physical availability constraints around plants and gas supply, benefits increase by an order of magnitude to $309 million, or 19% of total annual costs. If it is possible to get rid of the uneconomic take-or-pay obligations, benefits would further increase to $579 million or over 30% of total annual costs. These are major findings especially if we consider these in the context of tremendous financial stress in the power sector. Although we do not estimate the cost of implementing these measures, there are very little hard investments needed in some of these cases such as establishing a strict merit-order based dispatch or enhancing operational practices to improve plant and gas availability. There are indeed difficult commercial and institutional issues when it comes to renegotiating take-or-pay contracts, albeit the massive benefits in excess of half a billion dollar per year should make it a worthwhile undertaking. Removal of operational and commercial constraints could also allow the Nigerian power system to meet increased demand to the benefit of unserved residents or businesses, and pave the way towards increased penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE) resources. We have shown that an addition of 500 MW solar capacity in the current system will earn reasonable return on investment between 4% and 9% and help to meet increased demand. However, an important precondition for adding large-scale solar is to raise the spinning reserve capability in the system through additional investments in flexible resources, namely, open cycle gas turbines (OCGT), pumped storage hydro or battery storage systems.
The Liturgy of a Scream

cuando mami ora, mami llora.when mom prays,she cries.cuando mami habla de Dios,sus palabras se vuelven gemidos.when mom speaks of God,her words turn into a wailing.why is wailingher language to spe...
Monocytes and dendritic cells in injury and regeneration

Abstract Myeloid cell populations play critical roles in the context of acute kidney injury and recovery. This chapter provides a description of acute kidney injury and an explanation of the various model systems used to study the mononuclear phagocyte system, with a focus on ischemia–reperfusion injury. The role of cellular damage caused by the initial insult and function of infiltrating versus resident cell populations through injury and recovery, or if there is a failure to restore homeostasis, are discussed.
Interferons and cytokines in SLE pathogenesis and therapy

Abstract Cytokines are immune effector molecules that regulate the immune response but also contribute to autoimmunity and are a prime target for therapeutic intervention. This chapter reviews the immunobiology of key cytokines in systemic lupus erythematosus, their regulatory and effector functions, and current progress in therapeutic intervention.
Gestational Intermittent Hypoxia Induces Sex-Specific Impairment in Endothelial Mechanisms and Sex Steroid Hormone Levels in Male Rat Offspring

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent during gestation and is linked with adverse fetal outcomes. We examined whether gestational intermittent hypoxia (GIH), the main feature of OSA, leads to sex-specific alterations in cardiovascular function and vascular mechanisms in the offspring. Pregnant rats exposed to intermittent hypoxia or ambient air from gestation days 10 to 21 and their offspring were used for the study. GIH exposure did not affect water and food intake in dams. Compared to controls, the male and female offspring born to GIH dams were smaller in weight by 14% and 12%, respectively, and exhibited catch-up growth. Cardiac function was not affected in either GIH males or females. At 12 weeks of age, blood pressure was increased in GIH males, but not GIH females, compared to their control counterparts. While mesenteric arterial contractile responses to phenylephrine and endothelin were unaffected in GIH males and females, relaxation response to acetylcholine was reduced in GIH males but not GIH females. Relaxation to sodium nitroprusside was unaffected in both GIH males and females. Total eNOS expression was not affected, but phospho(Ser1177)-eNOS levels were decreased in GIH males. eNOS expression and its phosphorylation status were unaffected in GIH females. Serum testosterone and estradiol levels were higher in GIH males but were unaltered in GIH females. Together, these findings suggest that GIH leads to a sex-specific increase in blood pressure in adult male offspring with blunted endothelium-mediated relaxation, decreased eNOS activity, and elevated sex steroid hormone levels.
IP Bouncer: An End-User Network Privacy Enhancing Tool

Internet Protocol (IP) Bouncer is a novel Information Technology (IT) artifact that exposes unexpected and unwanted network communication initiated by trusted “insider” applications. It closely follows design science guidelines illustrated in the five design principles of the artifact. One of the novel aspects of the design is the key-pair approach used for assessing appropriate or inappropriate network communications. By coupling the context-awareness of the user with online aggregators of blacklists, IP Bouncer offers greater individual and organizational security protection and earlier detection of network anomalies.
Percutaneous Removal of Kidney Stones: Review of 1,000 Cases

AbstractWe report the results of 1,000 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous removal of renal and ureteral stones. Removal was successful for 98.3 per cent of the targeted renal stones and 88.2 per cent of the ureteral stones. Complications, evolution and technique are discussed. Percutaneous techniques are an effective way to handle the majority of renal calculi and these techniques will continue to be important as shock wave lithotripsy becomes more widespread in the United States.
Influence of Added Pyruvate on Brain Metabolism A PASTEUR-LIKE EFFECT, REVERSIBLE BY ELECTRICAL STIMULATION

Abstract Exogenous pyruvate was found to have an inhibitory effect on aerobic glycolysis in guinea pig cerebral cortex slices. Under conditions of electrical stimulation, inhibition by pyruvate was not observed. Pyruvate acts as an oxidant by formation of lactate which may explain the observed lower NADH:NAD ratio. This may relieve the NADH inhibition of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, accelerate the removal of fructose 1,6-diphosphate, and cause the defacilitation of phosphofructokinase. This would account for the observation that, in the steady state, pyruvate caused a rise in glucose 6-phosphate and a fall in fructose 1,6-diphosphate concentrations. Omission of phosphate from the tissue medium, although not sufficient to decrease aerobic glycolysis, had a marked effect on the level of glycolytic intermediates and appeared to increase the effects of pyruvate.
Rotating AC Machines

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Topology Analysis and Parameter Calculations Design Manufacturing Issues Simulation Generators Motors Summary References
The rights of others : aliens, residents, and citizens

Introduction 1. On hospitality: rereading Kant's cosmopolitan doctrine 2. 'The right to have rights': Hannah Arendt and the contradictions of the nation-state 3. The law of peoples, distributive justice and migrations 4. Transformations of citizenship: the case of the European Union 5. Democratic iterations: the local, the national and the global Conclusion References Index.
Chandra Observations and the Mass Distribution of EMSS1358+6245: Toward Constraints on Properties of Dark Matter

Chandra observations of lensing galaxy clusters have now provided accurate dark matter profiles for several objects in which the intracluster medium is likely to be in hydrostatic equilibrium. We discuss Chandra observations of the mass profile of one such cluster, EMSS1358+6245. We find no evidence for flattening of the mass density profile at radii greater than 50/h_50 kpc . This result, and similar findings from Chandra observations of other clusters, appear to rule out models in of dark matter self-interaction proposed to explain the flat cores of low-surface brightness galaxies.
Center for Integrated Manufacturing Decision Systems: an overview

The Center for Integrated Manufacturing Decision Systems at Carnegie Mellon University has been created to perform research in intelligent decision systems for engineering and manufacturing problem solving. The Center's research has two goals: to increase the quality of decisions at each stage of the production manufacturing life cycle, including design, planning, production, distribution, and field service, and to achieve an order-of-magnitude increase in decision making quality by focusing on planning and control systems, which integrate decision making throughout the enterprise. The center has created seven laboratories, each focusing on a portion of engineering/manufacturing decision making: design (the rapid and integrated design of electromechanical parts); production planning (integrating process and facility planning); rapid manufacturing (automating unit process planning programming and control); automated factory scheduling (predictive and reactive detailed scheduling); manufacturing logistics (parts on demand); intelligent measurement and control (multiple process focus); and manufacturing system architecture (representation and communication of factory knowledge and control). Issues and goals for each laboratory are described. >
The PET and DINGO tools for deriving distributed implementations from Estelle

Abstract The combination of the Portable Estelle Translator and the Distributed ImplementatioN GeneratOr tools produces distributed implementations from Estelle specifications. The resulting implementations run as one or more operating system processes distributed over several sites of a target distributed system. In addition, the tools generate elements of an X-Window interface which allows centralized or distributed monitoring of some or all of the running modules.
PROGRESSIVE DEFECTS OBSERVED IN MOUSE SPERM DURING THE COURSE OF THREE GENERATIONS OF SELENIUM DEFICIENCY

Three successive generations of mice were fed a Torula yeast based Se-deficient diet with or without 0.1 ppm Se in the drinking water. The Se-deficient mice, in the course of three generations, showed a decrease in body weight, testis weight, epididymal weight, and sperm production. The percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm increased in successive generations. The majority of sperm defects were found in the midpiece region of the tail. Many of these aberrant sperm were motile. A progressive decrease in fertility was noted during the first two generations of Se deficiency. This system confirms the essential role of Se in spermatogenesis and provides a model for the evaluation of the primary effect of Se deprivation on the structural development of sperm.
Binding of N-methyl isatin β-thiosemicarbazone-copper complexes to proteins and nucleic acids

Abstract N -Methyl isatin β-thiosemicarbazone-copper complexes interact with nucleic acids and proteins as shown by ultraviolet (UV) and visible spectroscopy and Sephadex exclusion chromatography. The Cu ++ ions are most effective; Co ++ ions have less albeit significant activity. Chelating agents, such as Tris and histidine, high NaCl concentration, and dimethyl sulfoxide reduce the binding of the drug-metal complex. The binding constant of the drug-copper complex to calf-thymus DNA was calculated to range between 6.9 × 10 4 and 2.7 × 10 5 M −1 .
Isolated CNS involvement in Ewing's sarcoma

Ewing's sarcoma, an uncommon malignant neoplasm of bone, represents about 10% of all the malignant primary bone tumors. The assumption that subclinical metastases are already present in patients with apparently localized tumor indicates the need for systemic therapy as an integral part of primary treatment. The usual sites of metastases are the lungs and skeletal system. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is rare and is usually seen only in disseminated and fairly advanced disease. We report two patients in whom, after aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy, disease developed in the CNS without local recurrence. In one patient, meningeal involvement with malignant cells was identifiable in the cerebrospinal fluid; in the second patient, who presented with a space-occupying lesion, a diagnosis of arachnoid involvement was made histologically.
variations of dissolved boron in a freshwater–seawater mixing plume (Elbe Estuary, North Sea)

This study is the first to utilize the boron isotopic composition (), in combination with elemental concentrations (like B, Na, and Cl) and salinity, as a sensitive tracer for discerning distinct solute sources and constraining geochemical processes in a freshwater–seawater mixing plume. Two distinct series of water samples, collected in the Elbe Estuary and North Sea (Germany) in September 1994 and during an extreme winter flood event in February 1995, have been examined. Boron isotopic compositions and B concentrations have been determined by negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry with analytical uncertainties of ±0.3‰ (2σmean) and ±1% (2σ), respectively. The least saline brackish water (salinity of <0.50) shows a value of +23.9‰ (0.25 mg B/l), at variance with seawater from the open marine North Sea (salinity of 34.70), which is characterized by a value of +40.3‰ (4.7 mg B/l). The effects of admixture of immense amounts of rainwater during the centennial flood (in February 1995) relative to less extreme meteorologic conditions prevailing earlier (in September 1994) are documented in this study. The flood event led to considerable enrichment in the freshwater–seawater mixing plume (recorded by a shift on the order of at 0.25 mg B/l in the least saline brackish water), accompanied by comparatively minor changes in elemental abundances. Well-defined correlations among values, B concentrations, and salinity are interpreted in terms of binary mixing between riverine input waters and North Sea seawater by a process of straightforward dilution. These relationships favor a model of conservative behavior of boron during estuarine mixing, without involving significant interactions between dissolved and adsorbed boron.
Animal Behavior Science as a Social Science: The Success of the Empathic Approach in Research on Apes

AbstractAnimal behavior science has been practiced traditionally as a natural science and, as such, has had success in studying discrete behaviors of species representatives. However, methodological, philosophical, and ethical problems have plagued animal behavior science for centuries. Researchers of animal behavior who operate within a natural science paradigm can be limited by their adherence to positivist epistemologies and the denial of any emotional connections with their research subjects. In the past three decades a new paradigm, identified here as the empathic approach, has developed in this field, transcending the limitations of traditional approaches. A short description of the work of six ape researchers who employ an empathic approach in their studies illustrates how it is possible to conduct successfully at least some areas of animal behavior science as a social science. Their work is informed by a phenomenological epistemology, ethnographic methods, and an emphasis on group cultures and ind...
Gold Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle Mediated Protein and DNA Codelivery to Plant Cells Via the Biolistic Method

The synthesis and characterization of a gold nanoparticle functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticle (Au-MSN) platform for codelivery of proteins and plasmid DNA to plant tissues using a biolistic particle delivery system is reported. The in vitro uptake and release profiles of fluorescently labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) are investigated. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, Au-MSN with large average pore diameters (10 nm) are shown to deliver and subsequently release proteins and plasmid DNA to the same cell after passing through the plant cell wall upon bombardment. Release of fluorescent eGFP indicates the delivery of active, non-denatured proteins to plant cells. This advance represents the first example of biolistic-mediated codelivery of proteins and plasmid DNA to plant cells via gold-functionalized MSN and provides a powerful tool for both fundamental and applied research of plant sciences.
Controllable microwave transmission in rectangular periodically corrugated waveguide

This experimental investigation reveals a new mechanism for controlling microwave transmission in periodically corrugated waveguide. The measurements show that location of the stopband in the frequency spectrum as well as its width depends on the relative position of two corrugated walls. The stopband and hence transmission vary from zero to a maximum value upon shifting of one periodic wall with respect to another on the half period of the corrugation. The results confirm the theoretical prediction of such spectrum transformation. The experiment demonstrates that the structure can be used to control power transmission in different microwave, photonic and electronic devices.
Monte Carlo (importance) sampling within a Benders decomposition algorithm for stochastic linear programs

This paper focuses on Benders decomposition techniques and Monte Carlo sampling (importance sampling) for solving two-stage stochastic linear programs with recourse, a method first introduced by Dantzig and Glynn [7]. The algorithm is discussed and further developed. The paper gives a complete presentation of the method as it is currently implemented. Numerical results from test problems of different areas are presented. Using small test problems, we compare the solutions obtained by the algorithm with universe solutions. We present the solutions of large-scale problems with numerous stochastic parameters, which in the deterministic formulation would have billions of constraints. The problems concern expansion planning of electric utilities with uncertainty in the availabilities of generators and transmission lines and portfolio management with uncertainty in the future returns.
The socioeconomic gradient in all-cause mortality for women with breast cancer: findings from the 1998 to 2006 National Cancer Data Base with follow-up through 2011.

Abstract Purpose To analyze the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and all-cause mortality among women diagnosed with breast cancer before and after controlling for insurance status, race and ethnicity, stage, treatment modalities, and other demographic and hospital characteristics. Methods Data analyzed included follow-up through 2011 for 582,396 patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2006 with ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive (stage I–IV) breast cancer from the National Cancer Data Base. SES was measured by grouping patients into six income and education-level ZIP code categories. Hierarchical Cox regression models were used to analyze SES survival differences. Results Five- and 10-year survival probabilities for the highest SES group were 87.8% and 71.5%, versus 79.5% and 61.5% for the lowest SES group. Controlling for all covariates reduced the highest-to-lowest SES hazard ratio from 1.69 (95% confidence interval: 1.64–1.74) to 1.27 (95% confidence interval: 1.24–1.31). Results were virtually identical in models that included comorbidity and invasive cancer patients only. Conclusions Differences in insurance status, race, and stage at diagnosis are important components of SES disparities and explain about two-thirds of the initial SES survival disparity. The residual SES effect likely mirrors underlying social determinants of health for all American women.
Structural studies on products of reduction of a nitro-Ni1C3N2-metallocene

Abstract The reduction of 12-nitro-(1,1,2,8,9,9-hexamethyl-3,7,10-14-tetraaza-4,6-oxa-5-hydra-tetradeca-2,7,10-12-tetrene)nickel(II) (Nioyl-NO 2 ), with Zn(s) and NaOH or HCl solution or utilizing Pd-H 2 under most conditions produces an intensely purplee complex ion ϵ (max) at 552 nm which is not the expected amine. This product was found to be a conjugated dimer ion with two Nioyls multiply bonded to a single nitrogen atom. It was shown that the initial reduction produces the amine or amine hydrochloride which oxidizes rapidly in the presence of traces of O 2 under low acidity conditions to the dimer. Under high acidity conditions the amine salt is isolated. The X-ray crystal structures of three complexes are described: [(Nioyl) 2 NH](ClO 4 ) 2 ·2.5CCl 4 , [(Nioyl-NH 3 ) 2 H]ZnCl 4 Cl·3H 2 O, [Nioyl-NH 3 ]H 0.5 (ClO 4 ) 1.5 ·2CH 3 CN·2H 2 O and structural differences are discussed. The 2 e − reduction of [(Nioyl) 2 N] + with dithionite ion reversibly gives the yellow [(Nioyl) 2 NH] + which is extremely sensitive to air oxidation. A postulated reaction sequence is presented and discussed to explain the formation of the highly stable conjugated dimeric purple product.
Modeling a Macrocyclic Bis[Spirodiepoxide] Strategy to Erythronolide A

A concise route to functionalized 14-membered macrolides related to erythronolide A was achieved. Key steps include the simultaneous formation of bis[allenic] substrates, efficient macrolactonization, highly stereoselective oxidation to the corresponding bis[spirodiepoxide], and nucleophilic spirodiepoxide opening. The structure and reactivity of these macrolides, and the strategy that led to their evaluation, are discussed.
Histochemistry and ultrastructure of adrenal cortical development in the golden hamster.

Abstract Adrenal glands were collected from fetuses of golden hamsters at 12 1 2 , 14 1 2 , and 15 1 2 days' gestation and from newborn animals. Samples were prepared for light microscopy, histochemical analyses, and electron microscopy. Ultrastructural differentiation of the fetal adrenal was characterized by the development of zonation and typical steroid-producing cells. At 12 1 2 days' gestation, cortical cells had smooth borders, many polyribosomes, and contained mitochrondria with lamellar cristae. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum was not evident. Signs of functional zonation into deep and superficial zones were evident by 14 1 2 days' gestation. Cortical cells of the superficial zone contained scattered lipid droplets, small Golgi areas, and mitochrondria with lamellar cristae. This zone later developed into the adult zona glomerulosa. The cortical cells of the deep zone were characterized by mitochondria containing tubulovesicular cristate, well-developed Golgi areas, vesicular smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomes. At 15 1 2 days' gestation and in newborn animals the zonation was more prominent, and desmosomes and tight junctions were present between the deep cortical cells. High levels of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and esterase were present in the deep cortex, but lower activity occurred in the superficial zone. The activity of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was low in all specimens.
Weighting biodata to predict success of undergraduate business administration students in introductory data processing: Item analysis and cross-validation of net weights

(This paper has been accepted for publication in the Proceedings, but the photo-ready form was not delivered in time. Copies of the paper should be available upon request at the presentation.)
Functional connectivity changes in the language network during stroke recovery

Objective Several neuroimaging studies have examined language reorganization in stroke patients with aphasia. However, few studies have examined language reorganization in stroke patients without aphasia. Here, we investigated functional connectivity (FC) changes after stroke in the language network using resting-state fMRI and performance on a verbal fluency (VF) task in patients without clinically documented language deficits. Methods Early-stage ischemic stroke patients (N = 26) (average 5 days from onset), 14 of whom were tested at a later stage (average 4.5 months from onset), 26 age-matched healthy control subjects (HCs), and 12 patients with cerebrovascular risk factors (patients at risk, PR) participated in this study. We examined FC of the language network with 23 seed regions based on a previous study. We evaluated patients' behavioral performance on a VF task and correlation between brain resting-state FC (rsFC) and behavior. Results Compared to HCs, early stroke patients showed significantly decreased rsFC in the language network but no difference with respect to PR. Early stroke patients showed significant differences in performance on the VF task compared to HCs but not PR. Late-stage patients compared to HCs and PR showed no differences in brain rsFC in the language network and significantly stronger connections compared to early-stage patients. Behavioral differences persisted in the late stage compared to HCs. Change in specific connection strengths correlated with changes in behavior from early to late stage. Conclusions These results show decreased rsFC in the language network and verbal fluency deficits in early stroke patients without clinically documented language deficits.
Electric-field effects on nematic droplets with negative dielectric anisotropy

Using polarization microscopy, we have investigated the director configurations of droplets of a nematic liquid crystal with negative dielectric anisotropy and perpendicular boundary conditions subjected to electric fields. The droplets were suspended in liquid poly(dimethyl siloxane) and electric fields were applied both parallel and perpendicular to the viewing direction. The resulting director pattern is deduced by comparing the experimental transmission patterns with patterns calculated from various director models. For low fields, we observe a director field which is essentially radial, but with some azimuthal twist superimposed and a radial point (hedgehog) defect at the center. At intermediate fields, the hedgehog defect moves away from the center along the electric-field direction, while at the highest fields a line defect appears which lies along the diameter parallel to the field. Comparison of the transmission patterns with model calculations yields good agreement for the low- and intermediate-field cases, and reasonable agreement for the high-field case.
Docking and biological activity of pteridine analogs: search for inhibitors of pteridine reductase enzymes from Trypanosoma cruzi

Abstract The program DOCK4.0 was used to predict and evaluate the binding mode for a set of inhibitors from a compound library of pteridine analogs against Trypanosoma cruzi pteridine reductase 2 ( Tc PTR2). The docked ligand conformations are, as expected, similar to the observed binding mode of MTX in the crystal structure of the Tc PTR2 inhibitor complex. Dock energy scores are correlated with experimental enzymatic activity data ( K i ) and calculated binding affinities ( K d ) for these inhibitors. The screened compounds showed activity comparable to MTX in enzyme assays. An initial attempt is made to correlate the structure of these compounds to their affinity.
A framework for single machine multiple objective sequencing research

Abstract The majority of single machine sequencing research has assumed that only one objective is to be minimized. The research involving multiple objectives has been limited. Recent studies have shown, however, that production managers often consider multiple objectives when making scheduling decisions. The primary reason for the lack of literature on multiple objective scheduling is the additional complexity encountered when determining the ‘best’ solution. Although a host of general multiple objective optimization procedures exists, the vast majority cannot be efficiently applied to the multiple objective single machine sequencing problem. Most procedures assume continuous decision variables, whereas the single machine sequencing problem requires integer variables. While some of these procedures could be altered to directly address integer models, the overall combinatorial nature of most sequencing problems limits the applicability to sequencing. A comprehensive review of the published literature on the multiple objective single machine sequencing problem is presented in this paper. A framework is presented to categorize each piece of research. Gaps in the body of research are indicated and recommendations are made for areas of future research.
Voyager 1 Has Entered Interstellar Space

“We made it,” Voyager project scientist Ed Stone announced at a 12 September briefing at NASA headquarters in Washington, D. C. NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, the most distant human-made object, is now the first such object to enter interstellar space, the space between the stars. “The 36-year-old probe is now sailing the uncharted waters of a new cosmic sea, and it has brought us along for the journey,” Stone said.
Bipartite and Tripartite Entanglement for Three Damped Driven Qubits

We investigate tripartite entanglement in an open quantum system, specifically three qubits, all of which are damped, and one of which is driven. We address a systematic approach in calculating the entanglement of various bipartite splits using concurrence as a measure of entanglement
Dietary Strategies to Promote Glycogen Synthesis After Exercise

Muscle glycogen is an essential fuel for prolonged intense exercise, and therefore it is important that the glycogen stores be copious for competition and strenuous training regimens. While early r...
Deformation twins in Rene 95

Abstract Microtwinning has been observed in samples of Rene 95 deformed in tension at a strain rate of 10−3 per sec. The evidence suggests the possibility of the pole model proposed recently by Sleeswyk, as the nuclei for twinning during deformation of this material.
Differential Expression of p16INK4A and Cyclin D1 in Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors: A Study of 44 Cases

Salivary gland tumors (SGT) are a heterogeneous group of lesions. There is conflicting data concerning the molecular events involving the tumour suppressor retinoblastoma protein (pRb) pathway in these tumors. Few studies examined the alterations in components of the Rb pathway by immunohistochemical (IHC) methods in benign and malignant SGTs. Furthermore, recent evidence implicates human papillomavirus (HPV) in mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) carcinogenesis. The purpose of our study is to examine p16INK4A and cyclin D1 expression in a variety of benign and malignant salivary gland tumors, and to investigate p16INK4A expression as a surrogate marker for HPV infection in MEC. Our series includes 30 malignant tumors [14 MEC, 6 acinic cell carcinomas (ACC), 5 polymorphous low grade adenocarcinomas (PLGA), 5 (AdCC)] and 14 benign tumors (4 benign cysts, 5 Warthin tumors and 5 pleomorphic adenomas (PA). All cases were tested by IHC for p16INK4A and cyclin D1. Testing for HPV wide spectrum (HPV-WS) was performed by in situ hybridization in all MEC cases. Staining intensity was recorded semi quantitatively (on a scale from 0 to 4+). Fisher’s exact test and Pearson X2 test with a p < 0.05 were used. Cyclin D1 and p16INK4A are expressed similarly in malignant and benign tumors (p = 0.146 and p = 0.543, respectively). None of the MEC cases showed nuclear reactivity for HPV-WS. Statistical analysis showed positive correlation between cyclin D1 and p16INK4A expression. Our findings suggest that p16INK4A overexpression is likely secondary to cyclin D1 gene upregulation or amplification. Further molecular studies are warranted.
Welfare, Work, and Family Well-Being: A Comparative Analysis of Welfare and Employment Status for Single Female-Headed Families Post-Tanf

Welfare reform's emphasis on employment and declining caseloads diverts attention from the lack of success experienced by formerly welfare reliant families who participate in paid work. Using data from the 1997 and 1999 National Survey of American Families, this article investigates the effects of participation in paid work for low-income single-parent female-headed families on three important aspects of family well-being: (1) the ability to pay for rent and utilities, (2) postponing needed medical care, and (3) food hardship. Results indicate that full-time employment does not “pay off” for families who have been off welfare for two or more years when compared to families who have never relied on welfare. These findings suggest that policy makers should pay greater attention to structural conditions and expand work supports in constructing welfare policies that work for all low-income families.
Properties of sweat, burro (Equus asinus) and man

1. 1. Sweat of two burros (Equus asinus) was collected after two desert walks, one at 38°C, one at 41°C. 2. 2. Sweat from one burro was about twice as concentrated as from the other. In that respect and in respect to concentrations of chloride, sodium and potassium their sweat was like that of man. 3. 3. Low concentrations of bicarbonate were present in burros' sweat contrasted with little if any in man's. 4. 4. Urea nitrogen plus ammonia nitrogen were found in higher concentrations in burros' sweat than in man's sweat.
On the ignorance, knowledge, and nature of propositions

Deploying distinctions between ignorance of $$p$$ and ignorance that $$p$$ (is true), and between knowledge of $$p$$ and knowledge that $$p$$ (is true), I address a question that has hitherto received little attention, namely: what is it to have knowledge of propositions? I then provide a taxonomy of ontological conceptions of the nature of propositions, and explore several of their interesting epistemological implications.
Sacrifice, an Ancient Mediterranean Ritual:

Any examination of sacrifice must reckon with the variety and complexity of sacrificial activities and the problems that consequently attend sacrifice employed as an analytical category. Approached...
Single Gene Deletions of Orexin, Leptin, Neuropeptide Y, and Ghrelin Do Not Appreciably Alter Food Anticipatory Activity in Mice

Timing activity to match resource availability is a widely conserved ability in nature. Scheduled feeding of a limited amount of food induces increased activity prior to feeding time in animals as diverse as fish and rodents. Typically, food anticipatory activity (FAA) involves temporally restricting unlimited food access (RF) to several hours in the middle of the light cycle, which is a time of day when rodents are not normally active. We compared this model to calorie restriction (CR), giving the mice 60% of their normal daily calorie intake at the same time each day. Measurement of body temperature and home cage behaviors suggests that the RF and CR models are very similar but CR has the advantage of a clearly defined food intake and more stable mean body temperature. Using the CR model, we then attempted to verify the published result that orexin deletion diminishes food anticipatory activity (FAA) but observed little to no diminution in the response to CR and, surprisingly, that orexin KO mice are refractory to body weight loss on a CR diet. Next we tested the orexigenic neuropeptide Y (NPY) and ghrelin and the anorexigenic hormone, leptin, using mouse mutants. NPY deletion did not alter the behavior or physiological response to CR. Leptin deletion impaired FAA in terms of some activity measures, such as walking and rearing, but did not substantially diminish hanging behavior preceding feeding time, suggesting that leptin knockout mice do anticipate daily meal time but do not manifest the full spectrum of activities that typify FAA. Ghrelin knockout mice do not have impaired FAA on a CR diet. Collectively, these results suggest that the individual hormones and neuropepetides tested do not regulate FAA by acting individually but this does not rule out the possibility of their concerted action in mediating FAA.
Carbon cycle: Wind bias and ocean carbon uptake

The systematic bias in the position and strength of the 'roaring forties' that is found in climate models affects our present ability to predict carbon dioxide uptake by the Southern Ocean.
Observation of Shock Waves in a Strongly Interacting Fermi Gas

We study collisions between two strongly interacting atomic Fermi gas clouds. We observe exotic nonlinear hydrodynamic behavior, distinguished by the formation of a very sharp and stable density peak as the clouds collide and subsequent evolution into a boxlike shape. We model the nonlinear dynamics of these collisions by using quasi-1D hydrodynamic equations. Our simulations of the time-dependent density profiles agree very well with the data and provide clear evidence of shock wave formation in this universal quantum hydrodynamic system.