cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bile duct injuries: a contemporary survey of surgeon attitudes and experiences.

The incidence of bile duct injury (BDI) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy has not changed significantly in the past 2 decades despite increased operative experience and technical refinement. We sought to evaluate surgeon-specific factors associated with BDI and to assess how surgeons manage injuries. An online survey was sent to surgeons belonging to the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons via e-mail. Survey items included personal experience with BDI and how injuries were addressed. Statistical analysis was performed to identify factors associated with BDI. The survey was sent to 3411 surgeons with 559 complete responses (16.5%). The mean age of respondents was 48.7 years with an average time in practice of 16.1 years. Most respondents (61.2%) had fellowship training. Forty-seven percent of surgeons surveyed experienced a BDI in their career with 17.1% of surgeons experiencing multiple BDIs. The majority of BDIs were identified in the operating room (64.5%); most injuries (66.9%) were repaired immediately. When repair was undertaken immediately, 77.4% of these repairs were performed in an open technique. A majority of surgeons (57.7%) felt that BDIs could theoretically be repaired laparoscopically and 25% of those surgeons had done so in practice. In multivariate logistic regression, any type of fellowship training was associated with a decreased risk of BDI (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.34–0.76). Compared with those in non-academic practice, surgeons in academic practice were at a significantly decreased risk of having experienced a BDI (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.42–0.92). Nearly half of those surveyed, experienced a BDI during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Community and private practice setting were associated with an increased risk of BDI, while fellowship training and academic practice setting conferred a protective effect. A majority of surgeons felt that BDI could be repaired laparoscopically and 25% had done so in practice.
A Cooperative Spectrum Sensing Scheme Based on Compressive Sensing for Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, a cooperative spectrum sensing scheme based on compressive sensing is proposed. In this scheme, secondary users (SUs) are organized in clusters. In each cluster, SUs forward their compressed signals to the cluster head. Then, the cluster heads report the local sensing data to the fusion center to make the final decision. Analog to information converter is adopted to acquire the received SUs signals. The proposed scheme is evaluated using several metrics, including probability of detection, compression ratio, probability of error, and processing time. The simulation results are compared with those of other cooperative sensing schemes. With our proposed scheme, cooperative spectrum sensing achieves a high probability of detection of 97%, a processing time of 2ms, a low compression ratio of 10%, and low error rate of 35 %. These results show that our proposed method outperforms the spectrum sensing without compressive sensing.
Stigma and Architecture

Insofar as people with disabilities work and live in settings that are less attractive and that are identifiable as “for the handicapped,” they are likely to remain outside mainstream society. As stated by (Wolfensberger and Thomas (1983): if handicapped [sic] people were served in valued locations that had positive names and appearances, and if they were involved together with valued people in valued activities, then [they] … might come to be [more] valued as members of society, believed to belong to the community, and expected to be competent, contributive and productive. (p. 35)
Predictive Modeling of Thoracic Radiotherapy Toxicity and the Potential Role of Serum Alpha-2-Macroglobulin.

Background: To investigate the impact of alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), a suspected intrinsic radioprotectant, on radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis using multifactorial predictive models. Materials and Methods: Baseline A2M levels were obtained for 258 patients prior to thoracic radiotherapy (RT). Dose-volume characteristics were extracted from treatment plans. Spearman's correlation (Rs) test was used to correlate clinical and dosimetric variables with toxicities. Toxicity prediction models were built using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression on 1,000 bootstrapped datasets. Results: Grade ≥2 esophagitis and pneumonitis developed in 61 (23.6%) and 36 (14.0%) patients, respectively. The median A2M level was 191 mg/dL (range: 94-511). Never/former/current smoker status was 47 (18.2%)/179 (69.4%)/32 (12.4%). We found a significant negative univariate correlation between baseline A2M levels and esophagitis (Rs = -0.18/p = 0.003) and between A2M and smoking status (Rs = 0.13/p = 0.04). Further significant parameters for grade ≥2 esophagitis included age (Rs = -0.32/p 0.5 (p < 0.0001). The only significant non-dosimetric parameter for grade ≥2 pneumonitis was sex (Rs = -0.32/p = 0.037) with higher risk for women. For pneumonitis D15 (lung) (Rs = 0.19/p = 0.006) and D45 (heart) (Rs = 0.16/p = 0.016) had the highest correlation. LASSO models applied on the validation data were statistically significant and resulted in areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.84 (esophagitis) and 0.78 (pneumonitis). Multivariate predictive models did not require A2M to reach maximum predictive power. Conclusion: This is the first study showing a likely association of higher baseline A2M values with lower risk of radiation esophagitis and with smoking status. However, the baseline A2M level was not a significant risk factor for radiation pneumonitis.
Inter-facility transfer of patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and GCS 14-15: The pilot study of a screening protocol by neurosurgeon to avoid unnecessary transfers.

Abstract We sought to evaluate feasibility and cost-reduction potential of a pilot screening program involving neurosurgeon tele-consultation for inter-facility transfer decisions in TBI patients with GCS 14–15 and abnormal CT head at a community hospital. The authors performed a retrospective comparative analysis of two patient cohorts during the pilot at a large hospital system from 2015 to 2017. In “screened” patients (n = 85), images and examination were reviewed remotely by a neurosurgeon who made recommendations regarding transfer to a level 1 trauma center. In the “unscreened” group (n = 39), all patients were transferred. Baseline patient characteristics, outcomes, and costs were reviewed. Patient demographics were similar between cohorts. Traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage was more common in screened patients (29.4% vs 12.8%, P = 0.02). The presence of midline shift >5 mm was comparable between groups. Among screened patients, 5 were transferred (5.8%) and one required evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma. In unscreened patients, 7 required evacuation of subdural hematoma. None of the screened patients who were not transferred deteriorated. Screened patients had significantly reduced average total cost compared to unscreened patients ($2,003 vs. $4,482, P = 0.03) despite similar lengths of stay (2.6 vs. 2.7 days, P = 0.85). In non-surgical patients, costs were less in the screened group ($2,025 vs. $2,939), although statistically insignificant (P = 0.38). In this pilot study, remote review of images and examination by a neurosurgeon was feasible to avoid unnecessary transfer of patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and GCS 14–15. The true potential in cost-reduction will be realized in system-wide large-scale implementation.
Innovative Approaches to Battling Resident Burnout in a Urology Residency Program

AbstractIntroduction:Data suggest many U.S. physicians experience burnout, affecting up to 65% of U.S. urology resident physicians. We implemented a multifaceted Urology Resident Wellness Curriculu...
Whitney Comorbidity Index to monitor health status for adults with cerebral palsy: validation and thresholds to assist clinical decision making

AIM To validate the Whitney Comorbidity Index (WCI), which was recently developed to monitor disease status for adults with cerebral palsy (CP), and to identify WCI scores associated with an increased mortality risk using a representative sample of adults with CP. METHOD Data from 2016 to 2018 were used from a random 20% sample from the fee-for-service Medicare database for this retrospective cohort study. The WCI was examined as unweighted (WCIunw ) and weighted (WCIw ) among adults at least 18 years old with CP. Cox regression models were developed with mortality as the outcome after adjusting for demographics. A concordance statistic (C-statistic) of at least 0.70 was considered as showing sufficient validity. The hazard ratio of mortality for each WCI score was estimated. Secondary analyses were performed for subgroups with co-occurring epilepsy and/or intellectual disabilities. RESULTS For the entire group (n=16 728) and subgroups, the WCI showed sufficient validity (C-statistic 0.73-0.81). For the entire group, the mortality rate was elevated for a score of 1 compared with 0 from the WCIunw (hazard ratio 3.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.52-6.17) and WCIw (hazard ratio 4.08; 95% CI 1.69-9.85), and became larger with each WCI score. Results were similar for the subgroups. INTERPRETATION The WCI is a valid marker for health/disease status for adults with CP. Several WCI score thresholds were identified to assist in clinical decision making for preventive medicine and intervention implementation. What this paper adds The Whitney Comorbidity Index (WCI) is valid among 16 728 adults with CP. The WCI is valid for those with co-occurring epilepsy and/or intellectual disabilities. Thresholds of the WCI score were identified to assist clinical decision making.
Physical therapist's beliefs, practice patterns and barriers to the incorporation of mindfulness meditation into management of individuals with chronic dizziness.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess physical therapist's beliefs, practice patterns, and barriers of incorporation of mindfulness meditation into the management of individuals with chronic dizziness. Methods An electronic survey was sent to physical therapists with experience treating individuals with dizziness and vestibular disorders. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were conducted. Results The majority of respondents agree that anxiety limits functional and participation outcomes with individuals with chronic dizziness and adoption of a mindfulness meditation practice could be helpful to address this. However, a much smaller percentage of respondents reported currently using these techniques a majority of time during their clinical practice. Conclusion Barriers exist that prevent the widespread implementation of meditation and mindfulness in physical therapy practice. Potential limiting factors highlight that further research is needed to explore these barriers and evaluate the outcomes of patients with chronic dizziness when meditation is applied in practice.
Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly.

Tunisie: Une democratisation au-dessus de tout soupcon? (Tunisia: A Democracy above All Suspicion?). Amin Allal and Vincent Geisser, eds. Paris, France: CNRS Editions, 2018. 472 pp. €26.00 paper (E...
Mexican American Colonization during the Nineteenth Century: A History of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

This study is a reinterpretation of nineteenth-century Mexican American history, examining Mexico's struggle to secure its northern border with repatriates from the United States, following a war that resulted in the loss of half Mexico's territory. Responding to past interpretations, Jose Angel Hernandez suggests that these resettlement schemes centred on developments within the frontier region, the modernisation of the country with loyal Mexican American settlers, and blocking the tide of migrations to the United States to prevent the depopulation of its fractured northern border. Through an examination of Mexico's immigration and colonisation policies as they developed in the nineteenth century, this book focuses primarily on the population of Mexican citizens who were 'lost' after the end of the Mexican American War of 1846–8 until the end of the century.
The Significance of Weyl’s Das Kontinuum

In his 1918 monograph Das Kontinuum, Hermann Weyl initiated a program for the arithmetical foundations of mathematics. In the years following, this was overshadowed by the foundational schemes of Hilbert’s finitary consistency program and Brouwer’s intuitionistic redevelopment of mathematics. In fact, not long after his own venture, Weyl became a convert to Brouwerian intuitionism and criticized his old teacher’s program. Over the years, though, he became more and more pessimistic about the practical possibilities of reworking mathematics along intuitionistic lines, and pointed to the value of his own early foundational efforts. Weyl’s work in Das Kontinuum has come to be recognized for its importance as the opening chapter in the actual development of predicative mathematics, whose extent has been plumbed both mathematically and logically since the 1960s.
Super-resolution chemical imaging with dynamic placement of plasmonic hotspots

We demonstrate dynamic placement of plasmonic “hotspots” for super-resolution chemical imaging via Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). A silver nanohole array surface was coated with biological samples and illuminated with a laser. Due to the large plasmonic field enhancements, blinking behavior of the SERS hotspots was observed and processed using a Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) algorithm enabling localization to within 10 nm. However, illumination of the sample with a single static laser beam (i.e., a slightly defocused Gaussian beam) only produced SERS hotspots in fixed locations on the surface, leaving noticeable gaps in any final image. But, by using a spatial light modulator (SLM), the illumination profile of the beam could be altered, shifting any hotspots across the nanohole array surface in sub-wavelength steps. Therefore, by properly structuring an illuminating light field with the SLM, we show the possibility of positioning plasmonic hotspots over a metallic nanohole surface on-the-fly. Using this and our SERS-STORM imaging technique, we show potential for high-resolution chemical imaging without the noticeable gaps that were present with static laser illumination. Interestingly, even illuminating the surface with randomly shifting SLM phase profiles was sufficient to completely fill in a wide field of view for super-resolution SERS imaging of a single strand of 100-nm thick collagen protein fibrils. Images were then compared to those obtained with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Additionally, we explored alternative methods of phase shifting other than holographic illumination through the SLM to create localization of hotspots necessary for SERS-STORM imaging.
Constrained Pole Placement using Projective Controls Technique

Projective controls method is used to place the poles of a closed loop system within a circle in the left half plane. The design procedure is noniterative and the solution is obtained via linear quadratic (LQ) design for a transformed system.
Corrosion Behavior of Ebrite and SS430 in Coal Syngas with Loaded Current

To understand the corrosion behavior of solid oxide fuel cell interconnect under current effects, two ferritic alloys, Ebrite and SS430, were investigated with a 0.5 A/cm2 loading current. The samples were exposed to coal syngas (29.1CO+28.5H2+11.8 CO2+27·6H2O+2.1N2+0.01CH4) at 800°C for 500 h. Surface and cross-section morphologies, chemical compositions, and conductivities of the oxide scales were studied. It was found that the oxide films formed on the different sides of the sample have similar phases. However, oxide films' thicknesses and surface morphologies are significantly different.
Dense Features for Semi-Dense Stereo Correspondence

We present a new feature based algorithm for stereo correspondence. Most of the previous feature based methods match sparse features like edge pixels, producing only sparse disparity maps. Our algorithm detects and matches dense features between the left and right images of a stereo pair, producing a semi-dense disparity map. Our dense feature is defined with respect to both images of a stereo pair, and it is computed during the stereo matching process, not a preprocessing step. In essence, a dense feature is a connected set of pixels in the left image and a corresponding set of pixels in the right image such that the intensity edges on the boundary of these sets are stronger than their matching error (which is the difference in intensities between corresponding boundary pixels). Our algorithm produces accurate semi-dense disparity maps, leaving featureless regions in the scene unmatched. It is robust, requires little parameter tuning, can handle brightness differences between images, nonlinear errors, and is fast (linear complexity).
Comparing Judicial Institutions: Using an Inquisitorial Trial Simulation to Facilitate Student Understanding of International Legal Traditions.

This article proposes a new role-playing exercise for public law courses: a mock- trial simulation using the European inquisitorial system of trial procedure. By exposing students to an alternative method of conducting a trial, numerous pedagogical benefits can be obtained, including stimulating critical thinking regarding the potential inefficien- cies in the American trial system. The article provides an overview of the inquisitorial trial system, and also sets out the procedures for conducting the simulation and conducting assessment.
Microbial desulfurization of dibenzothiophene: A sulfur‐specific pathway

Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain IGTS8 metabolizes dibenzothiophene, a model compound for organic sulfur in fossil fuels, in a sulfur-specific manner. Two routes of desulfurization have been identified. Under growth conditions, the intermediates are dibenzothiophene sulfoxide, dibenzothiophene sulfone, 2′-hydroxybiphenyl-2-sulfonate, and 2,2′-dihydroxybiphenyl. Stationary phase cells produce 2-hydroxybiphenyl as the desulfurized product and use the 2′-hydroxybiphenyl-2-sulfonate, rather than the sulfonate, as key intermediate.
Bifurcations which destroy the out-of-phase mode in a pair of linearly coupled relaxation oscillators

Abstract This paper presents two mechanisms, the Hopf bifurcation and the infinite period bifurcation, which lead to non-existence of the out-of-phase mode of oscillation in a pair of identical van der Pol relaxation oscillators with diffusive coupling in the displacements and velocities. We show that the out-of-phase mode is associated with a periodic solution in a two dimensional invariant out-of-phase manifold. Phase plane techniques are used to find the region of parameter space where this periodic solution exists and how it is destroyed at the boundaries of this region.
Properties of the 5'-terminus of tRNAHis: kinetics of polynucleotide kinase catalyzed exchange and effect of dephosphorylation on the aminoacylation reaction.

Abstract Bacteriophage T4 induced polynucleotide kinase was found to be ineffective in transferring 32P from [γ-32P]ATP to the 5′-terminus of 5′-phosphorylated E. coli tRNAHis using the ADP mediated exchange reaction. However, prior dephosphorylation with alkaline phosphatase allowed polynucleotide kinase catalyzed phosphorylation of tRNAHis. Contrary to reports for other tRNA species, alkaline phosphatase catalyzed 5′-terminus dephosphorylation destroys the amino acid accepting ability of tRNAHis. Aminoacylation competency of the tRNAHis is restored after phosphorylation with polynucleotide kinase.
A computer code for the study of spherically-symmetric cosmological space-times

We describe an Eulerian, explicit computer code for the study of spherically-symmetric cosmological space-times on a Robertson-Walker background. The Einstein equations and the relativistic-hydrodynamic equations are written down for such a space-time using the “3+1” formalism of Arnowitt, Deser, and Misner [1]. Time slices are selected by the constant-mean-curvature criterion. Numerical techniques utilized in the code, as well as several code tests, are discussed, with emphasis on the difficulties encountered and their possible causes and cures.
Catalytic investigations with the stopped-flow gas chromatographic reactor

Abstract The potential of the stopped-flow gas chromatographic reactor (SFGCR) for catalytic investigations was examined through application to methanation studies over alumina-supported nickel and ruthenium catalysts at 375–500 K. It was found that for the SFGCR, the significance of transport resistances could be evaluated more readily than is generally possible with steady state differential flow reactors. Methods for determining the effects of stopped-flow intervals and reversible desorption of reactant on observed rates were also developed. It was demonstrated that for these systems the SFGCR could be operated such that only surface reaction phenomena contributed measurably to observed reaction rates. Rate behavior could be explained by surface heterogeneity, which was substantiated by results from temperature-programmed reaction studies and stopped-flow experiments at varying metal dispersions. The SFGCR was demonstrated to be useful for rapid screening for catalytic activity and structure sensitivity as well as measurement of small rates of reaction.
Similarity Relations for Low Pressure Glow Discharges in Noble Gases

A simple three level atomic model that includes excitation, ionization, stepwise ionization, and diffusion is used to determine similarity relations for low pressure noble gas discharges. A two-temperature electron energy distribution is also included in the model. Similarity relations involving the reduced electric field, the electron main body temperature, the electron tail temperature, and the pressure-radius product are developed. It is found that the reduced electric field and the electron tail temperature depend on the discharge current as well as the pressure-radius product. Good agreement is obtained between the similarity relation predictions and experimental results in helium and neon discharges.
Subgrid scale stress models for the large-eddy simulation of rotating turbulent flows

Abstract The modeling of the subgrid scale stresses is considered from a theoretical standpoint with a view toward developing models that are more suitable for the large-eddy simulation of rotating turbulent flows. It is proven, as a rigorous consequence of the Navier-Stokes equations, that such models must be generally invariant under the extended Galilean group and must be frame-indifferent in the limit of two-dimensional turbulence which can be approached in a rapidly rotating framework. Furthermore, it is shown that a significant increase in the rotation rate must be accompanied by a substantial reduction in the energy dissipation rate of the turbulence. Vorticity subgrid scale stress models as well as several other commonly used models are shown to be in serious violation of one or more of these constraints and, hence, are not generally suitable for the description of rotating flows. Alternative models with the correct physical properties are discussed and compared.
Effects of popularity and quality on the usage of query suggestions during information search

Many search systems provide users with recommended queries during online information seeking. Although usage statistics are often used to recommend queries, this information is usually not displayed to the user. In this study, we investigate how the presentation of this information impacts use of query suggestions. Twenty-three subjects used an experimental search system to find documents about four topics. Eight query suggestions were provided for each topic: four were high quality queries and four were low quality queries. Fake usage information indicating how many other people used the queries was also provided. For half the queries this information was high and for the other half this information was low. Results showed that subjects could distinguish between high and low quality queries and were not influenced by the usage information. Qualitative data revealed that subjects felt favorable about the suggestions, but the usage information was less important for the search task used in this study.
Single-shot compressive spectral imaging with a dual-disperser architecture

This paper describes a single-shot spectral imaging approach based on the concept of compressive sensing. The primary features of the system design are two dispersive elements, arranged in opposition and surrounding a binary-valued aperture code. In contrast to thin-film approaches to spectral filtering, this structure results in easily-controllable, spatially-varying, spectral filter functions with narrow features. Measurement of the input scene through these filters is equivalent to projective measurement in the spectral domain, and hence can be treated with the compressive sensing frameworks recently developed by a number of groups. We present a reconstruction framework and demonstrate its application to experimental data.
Failure analysis of recurrent disease following complete cytoreduction and perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer.

Background The aim of this study was to analyze the anatomic distribution, timing, and outcomes of recurrent disease after complete cytoreduction and perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (PIC) for peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal origin.
Key challenges confronting internal medicine in the early twenty-first century.

Medical care in any era and in any location is a function not only of the state of medical science, but also of the social, political, and economic system in which it exists (1). At a time when both applications to US medical schools (2) and applications to internal medicine residencies among US medical school graduates are declining (3), physicians in the practice of internal medicine have never been more challenged. Although the explanations for these challenges are varied and sometimes controversial, the result is that the practice of internal medicine will likely undergo substantial changes in the next 10 to 20 years. This essay, which in part synthesizes a number of predictions by others (4 –15), attempts to identify 10 key issues confronting internal medicine in the 21st century. Certain caveats are in order. First, the 10 issues are sometimes related to each other (eg, changes in health insurance may greatly increase consumerism) but are often independent. Second, some of the issues are specific to internal medicine whereas others are more generic. Third, neither the 10 issues nor their associated discussion can pretend to be comprehensive, and all must remember that “prediction is hazardous, especially about the future.” Finally, there is an underlying assumption that internal medicine should survive as a discipline, a starting point that some may find obvious and others not. Nevertheless, an understanding of these key issues (Table 1) may help guide discussion as internal medicine considers new approaches to meet its goal of improving medical care and health.
Separation of adenosine 3′,5′-phosphata derivatives on thin layers of ECTEOLA cellulose

Abstract Thin layers of ECTEOLA on vinyl sheeting were used to separate derivatives of cyclic-AMP. The complete separation of the compounds studied (cyclic-AMP, AMP, adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine) made it possible simply to cut the area containing any given compound from the chromatogram. With the use of labeled precursors the incorporation of radioactivity into the various compounds could be determined by eluting with alkali in a scintillation vial and adding scintillation fluid without removing the chromatographic medium.
Large-scale properties of unstable systems governed by the Kuramoto-Sivashinksi equation

The dynamic renormalization-group method is developed for investigation of correlations generated by the Kuramoto equation with random initial conditions. It is shown that elimination of modes from domain $\ensuremath{\Lambda}lkl\ensuremath{\infty}$ generates the random force and "viscosity" which is positive in the $d=1$ and negative in the $d\ensuremath{\ge}2$ cases. The stable fixed point is found in the $d=1$ system while the theory is asymptotically free when $d=3$. No fixed point exists in the $d=2$ case which explains the patterns formation obtained from computer simulations.
Positive Emotions and the Success of Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) works because it discovered the use of positive emotions as a therapeutic tool 50 years before academic psychology discovered positive psychology. First, AA's emphasis on admitting dependence on and attachment to others, leads to the positive emotion of love and second, the recognition that to keep it you have to give it away, leading to the positive emotion of joy. The first three Steps of AA involve turning oneself over to a trusted other as long as it is not “me” (AA has always been clear that the definition of “God” was the alcoholic's choice) is to allow oneself to feel loved. The second component of AA is guiding new members toward joy via the last two Steps of AA. The 12th step, of course, is “As the result of these Steps: we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles (positive emotions) in all our affairs.” Secure attachment (a.k.a. love), as extrapolated from brain-imaging studies of mother–child attachment, is like addiction associated w...
Cloning and phylogenetic analysis of the genes encoding acetohydroxyacid synthase from the archaeon Methanococcus aeolicus.

Abstract The gene for acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) was cloned from the archaeon Methanococcus aeolicus. Contrary to biochemical studies [Xing, R. and Whitman, W.B. (1994) J. Bacteriol. 176, 1207–1213] the enzyme was encoded by two open reading frames (ORFs). Based on sequence homology, these ORFs were designated ilvB and ilvN for the large and small subunits of AHAS, respectively. A putative methanogen promoter preceded ilvB-ilvN, and a potential internal promoter was found upstream of ilvN. ilvB encoded a 65-kDa protein, which agreed well with the measured value for the purified enzyme. ilvN encoded a 19-kDa protein, which fell within the range of Mr of small subunits from other sources. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of ilvB showed a close relationship between the AHAS of Bacteria and Archaea, to the exclusion of other enzymes in this family, including pyruvate oxidase, glyoxylate carboligase, pyruvate decarboxylase, and the acetolactate synthase found in fermentative Bacteria. Thus, this family of enzymes probably arose prior to the divergence of the Bacteria and Archaea. Moreover, the higher plant AHAS and the red algal AHAS were related to the AHAS II of Escherichia coli and the cyanobacterial AHAS, respectively. For this reason, these genes appear to have been acquired by the Eucarya during the endosymbiosis that gave rise to the mitochondrion and chloroplast, respectively. One of the ORFs in the Methanococcus jannaschii genome possesses high similarity to the M. aeolicus ilvB, indicating that it is an authentic AHAS.
Transcript length heterogeneity at the small heat shock protein genes of Drosophila.

Abstract Expression of the small heat shock protein (hsp) genes can be induced in cultured Drosophila cells by high temperature shock and by exposure to physiological doses of the insect molting hormone ecdysterone. Northern blot analysis was performed in order to compare the size of small hsp transcripts synthesized in response to these two stimuli. Transcripts from several other genes were also examined. Two types of length heterogeneity were observed for the small hsp gene transcripts. One involved the synthesis of what are designated as long form transcripts during heat shock; small hsp messenger RNAs extended at the 3′ end by some 1.5 × 103 base-pairs. The second type of size heterogeneity observed is based on differences in the length of the poly(A) tail. The results of S1 nuclease protection analysis provided evidence that different initiation sites are not used for hsp 22 mRNA transcription in response to the two stimuli.
Fibrinogen Unfolding Mechanisms Are Not Too Much of a Stretch

Molecular explanations for the extraordinary elasticity and extensibility of fibrin fibers are still lacking. Now, Zhmurov et al. (2011) use force spectroscopy experiments, and innovative simulations that match the time and force scales of these experiments, to study fibrinogen behavior under an applied force providing deeper insights into this process.
Open Questions about Jets and Heavy Flavor in Heavy Ion Collisions

Abstract During the course of the conference, a number of questions about jets and heavy flavor production in heavy ion collisions were discussed. Some were solved, but the open questions are summarized here.
Deposition of diamond from alcohol precursors in an electron cyclotron resonance plasma system

Microstructural control is a critical issue in the use of diamond films in a variety of engineering applications. Using a novel, electrostatic-based particle seeding process, we have investigated the deposition of diamond films with varying areal nucleation densities. Depositions were performed at low pressures (1.000 and 1.500 Torr) in a modified electron cyclotron resonance plasma system. Methyl alcohol was the primary diamond precursor species. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to evaluate microstructure and composition characteristics. Comparisons in deposition characteristics were made based on relative nucleation density and gas-phase composition.
Plasma heating in reversed field pinches at the fundamental ion cyclotron frequency

The possibility of plasma heating in reversed field pinches (RFP) by radio-frequency (rf) waves at ω≈ωci is studied. A simple cylindrical RFP equilibrium which is symmetric in poloidal and axial directions is considered. RF fields are excited with given poloidal and axial wave numbers by a model antenna. The plasma dielectric properties are described by a hot plasma dielectric tensor in the limit of zero Larmor radius. Collisionless absorption by plasma ions is assumed. The power deposition distribution in the plasma is examined for different plasma parameters. Results demonstrate that effective heating of the central part of the plasma at ω≈ωci is possible for some range of parameters when the m=−1 poloidal mode is excited. This is a hot plasma effect; it disappears in the cold plasma limit.
MUSICAL OPERATING ROOMS: MINI‐CASES OF HEALTH CARE DISPUTES

This article contains two brief cases about health‐care disputes, designed for executive education audiences who work in health care. One case is a dispute between a doctor and a hospital administrator over authority to control nursing assignments. The other case is about doctors competing for access to operating room space. These cases are used to discuss underlying causes of the disputes and participants' strategies for managing these disputes. The teaching note focuses on using the power, rights, and interests model from Ury, Brett, and Goldberg (1988) as a way to organize the discussion.
Theory of reals for verification and synthesis of hybrid dynamical systems

Real numbers are used to model all physical processes around us. The temperature of a room, the speed of a car, the angle of attack of an airplane, protein concentration in a cell, blood glucose concentration in a human, and the amount of chemical in a tank are a few of the countless quantities that arise in science and engineering and that are modeled using real-valued variables. Many of these physical quantities are now being controlled by embedded software running on some hardware platform. The resulting systems could possibly be communicating and coordinating with other such systems and reacting actively to changes in their environment. The net result is a complex cyber-physical system. Several such systems operate in safety-critical domains, such as transportation and health care, where failures can potentially cause a lot of financial as well as human life loss. Formal verification and synthesis are both indispensable components of any methodology for designing and efficiently developing safe cyber-physical systems.
Breaking tolerance to tumors with dendritic cell-based immunotherapy.

Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells known, capable of priming both naive CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes. In their immature state DC are especially efficient at ingesting dying cells and processing their antigens while in their mature state DC express high levels of both MHC class I and II antigens as well as a variety of costimulatory molecules needed to induce a primary T cell response. In addition to stimulating adaptive T cell responses, DC can stimulate NK cells and B cells. Their dual role in innate and adaptive immunity led us to explore their potential utility in tumor immunotherapy. The results of clinical trials in which autologous DC loaded with tumor antigen are administered to tumor-bearing patients have been promising, but overall immunologic potency and clinical efficacy have been unsatisfactory. It has become clear that more potent and more efficient DC based immunotherapies are needed, preferably based on in vivo targeting of DC rather than in vitro manipulation followed by systemic administration of the cells. Recent studies in animal models suggest that DC can be loaded with antigen and activated in vivo in a manner that results in potent antitumor immunity. Two approaches to DC targeting are described in this review, both of which have been shown to overcome immune tolerance to tumors and induce dramatic tumor regression.
Effects of phyllotaxy on biomechanical properties of stems of Cercis occidentalis (Fabaceae)

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Phyllotaxy, the arrangement of leaves on a stem, may impact the mechanical properties of woody stems several years after the leaves have been shed. We explored mechanical properties of a plant with alternate distichous phyllotaxy, with a row of leaves produced on each side of the stem, to determine whether the nodes behave as spring-like joints. METHODS Flexural stiffness of 1 cm diameter woody stems was measured in four directions with an Instron mechanical testing system; the xylem of the stems was then cut into node (former leaf junction) and nonnode segments for measurement of xylem density. KEY RESULTS Stems had 20% greater flexural stiffness in the plane perpendicular to the original leaf placement than in the parallel plane. The xylem in the node region was more flexible, but it had significantly greater tissue density than adjacent regions, contradicting the usual correlation between wood density and stiffness. CONCLUSIONS Nodes can behave as spring-like joints in woody plants. For plagiotropic shoots, distichous phyllotaxy results in stems that resist up-and-down bending more than lateral back-and-forth movement. Thus, they may more effectively absorb applied loads from fruits, animals, wind, rain, and snow and resist stresses due to gravity without cracking and breaking. Under windy conditions, nodes may improve damping by absorbing vibrational energy and thus reducing oscillation damage. The effect of plant nodes also has biomimetic design implications for architects and material engineers.
NMDA RECEPTOR DOWN-REGULATION BY PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 IN THE FETAL GUINEA PIG BRAIN DURING HYPOXIA. |[bull]| 2248

Previous studies have shown that hypoxia modifies the characteristics of the NMDA receptor in the guinea pig fetus brain possibly by activation of phospholipase A2. The present study tests the hypothesis that phospholipase A2 action by hydrolyzing membrane phospholipids will alter the characteristies of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor ion-channel. 3H-MK-801 binding characteristics (Bmax = number of receptors, Kd = dissociation constant) were used as indices of NMDA receptor ion-channel modification. Studies were conducted on normoxic and hypoxic term fetuses from pregnant guinea pigs exposed to 21% or 7% oxygen for 60 min. Brain tissue hypoxia in the fetus was documented biochemically by decreased levels of ATP and phosphocreatine. Normoxic (n =6) and hypoxic (n=6) P2 membranes prepared from cerebral cortex were incubated with 5 mM CaCl2 and 1 μg/ml phospholipase A2 at 32°C for 30 min. Following incubation, membranes were washed and 3H-MK-801 binding was performed at 32°C for 3 hr. in a medium containing 100 μg protein, 100 μM glutamate, 100 μM glycine, 20 mM HEPES (pH 7.0) and 3H-MK-801 (0.5 to 50 nM). Phospholipase treatment decreased the Bmax in both normoxic (1.23± 0.08 vs 0.49 ± 0.11 pmoles/mg protein, p<0.01) and hypoxic(0.87 ± 0.06 vs 0.48 ± 0.07 pmoles/mg protein, p<0.01) membranes. demonstrating that phospholipase A2 down-regulates the number of receptors in both the normoxic and hypoxic tissues. In contrast Kd value significantly increased in hypoxic (4.42 ± 0.17 vs 15.38 ± 1.37 nM, p<0.001) but was unaffected in the normoxic brain(9.59 ± 0.55 vs 10.99 ± 1.77 nM). The decrease in receptor affinity suggests a differential action of phospholipase A2 on hypoxic membranes possibly due to the alteration in membrane phospholipids during hypoxia. We speculate that by changing the affinity of the ion-channel, phospholipase A2 may regulate the NMDA receptor function during hypoxia. Funded by NIH-HD-20337, MOD #6-FY94-0135, UCPR 506-93.
BEM-NIRFAST: Open source software for 3D Image-guided near-infrared spectroscopy using boundary element method

NIRFAST is open source software for near infrared (NIR) imaging using finite element method for modeling light diffusion tissue. Recently, we integrated an add-on to NIRFAST based on boundary-element method (BEM) solution to the diffusion equation. This toolbox requires only surface discretization of the imaging domain as opposed to volume meshing, geared towards 3D NIR spectroscopy. The software is Matlab-based and provides a framework for surface meshing, forward model, reconstruction and data and solution visualization capabilities as well as ability to run in parallel environments using OpenMP standard. This was validated in simulations, experiments and applied to in-vivo clinical data and was made open-source for the near infrared imaging community.
Characterization and growth factor requirements of SJL lymphomas. II. Interleukin 5 dependence of the in vitro cell line, cRCS‐X, and influence of other cytokines

Follicular B cell lymphomas of SJL mice [reticulum cell sarcoma (RCS)] are dependent on syngeneic Ly-1,2- T cells for their growth. These T cells produce a number of lymphokines in response to stimulation with γ-irradiated RCS cells including interleukin (IL) 2, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IL 4 and IL 5, some of which may be required for growth of the tumor. Previous studies have shown that an RCS cell line, cRCS-X, can be maintained in vitro indefinitely, if the cultures are supplemented with Y-irradiated lymph node (LN) cells or with a preparation of human B cell growth factor (BCGF). In the present studies, the growth requirements of this cell line were analyzed in more detail in short-term assays of both [3H]thymidine incorporation and colony formation in agarose. Recombinant murine IL 5 caused dose-dependent proliferation of cRCS-X cells similar to that induced with BCGF. The level of colony formation by cRCS-X cells induced by optimal concentrations of BCGF was not increased further by the addition of IL 5, suggesting that the two factors act via a common mechanism. IL 1 and IFN-y each enhanced cRCS-X proliferation induced by BCGF or IL 5 in both assays. The effects of IL 1 plus BCGF, IFN-γ plus BCGF, and IL 1 plus IL 5 were clearly synergistic. Preincubation of cRCS-X cells with IL 1 enhanced their ability to proliferate in response to BCGF or IL 5 in [3H]thymidine incorporation assays, but the reverse sequence of cytokine addition showed no effect of IL 1. No such effect was seen with IFN-gM. Indeed, IL 1 and IFN-gM appeared to affect BCGF-induced cRCS-X growth by different mechanisms and their combined effects were greater than that of IL 1 or IFN-gM added separately. None of the other cytokines studied, including IL 2, IL 3, IL 4, IL 6, tumor necrosis factor-γ, granulocyte monocyte-colony-stimulating factor or transforming growth factor-β, had any detectable effect on cRCS-X cells, either alone or in combination with BCGF or IL 5. Like IL 5, SJL γ-irradiated LN cells induced cRCS-X colony-forming units (CPU) in a dose-dependent manner. IL 1, or the combination of IL 1 plus IFN-γ, clearly synergized with LN cells in the induction of cRCS-X CFU, suggesting that LN cells contribute IL 5. The level of CFU induced by an optimal dose of BCGF was enhanced further in the presence of LN cells and IL 1. However, this was not observed when both IL 1 and IFN-γ were added to the medium, in which case the level of CFU induced by an optimal dose of BCGF was not further enhanced by the addition of an optimal dose of γ-irradiated LN cells. In combination with previous observations, these data support the hypothesis that RCS growth in vivo and in vitro is dependent on and promoted by IL 5 and IFN-γ produced by syngeneic RCS-specific helper T cells, and IL 1 produced by macrophages.
Exploring the relationship between self-efficacy and retention in introductory physics

The quantitative results of Sources of Self-Efficacy in Science Courses-Physics (SOSESC-P) are presented as a logistic regression predicting the passing of students in introductory Physics with Calculus I, overall as well as disaggregated by gender. Self-efficacy as a theory to explain human behavior change [Bandura [1977] Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215] has become a focus of education researchers. Zeldin and Pajares [Zeldin & Pajares [2000] American Educational Research Journal, 37(1), 215] and Zeldin, Britner, and Pajares [2008] Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(9), 1036–1058] found evidence that men and women draw on different sources for evaluation of their self-efficacy in science fields. Further, self-efficacy is one of the primary dimensions of students' overall science identity and contributes to their persistence in physics [Hazari, Sonnert, Sadler, & Shanahan, 2010Journal of Research in Science Teaching 47(8), 978–1003]. At Florida International University we have examined the self-efficacy of students in the introductory physics classes from the perspective of gender theory, with the intention of understanding the subtleties in how sources of self-efficacy provide a mechanism for understanding retention in physics. Using a sequential logistic regression analysis we uncover subtle distinctions in the predictive ability of the sources of self-efficacy. Predicting the probability of passing for women relies primarily on the vicarious learning experiences source, with no significant contribution from the social persuasion experiences, while predicting the probability of passing for men requires only the mastery experiences source. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 1096–1121, 2012
The absolute ought and the unique individual

The referent of the transcendental and indexical “I” is present non-ascriptively and contrasts with “the personal I” which necessity is presenced as having properties. Each is unique but in different ways. The former is abstract and incomplete until taken as a personal I. The personal I is ontologically incomplete until it self-determines itself morally. The “absolute Ought” is the exemplary moral self-determination and it finds a special disclosure in “the truth of will.” Simmel's situation ethics is useful for making more precise Husserl's ethical position.