cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Higher Dispositions for Empathy Predispose Males Toward Careers in Nursing? A Descriptive Correlational Design

Purpose The purpose of this research was to understand male nursing students' empathy traits compared with other university students using the systematizing quotient and empathizing quotient questionnaires. Conclusion Female students have higher empathizing traits than male students. However, when male nursing students were compared with the general population of other male students, they revealed higher empathy traits 3.0 (p < .01) than other males. Practice Implication Empathy plays a significant role in attracting men to a nursing career. Male nurses are not only caring individuals but also have high problem-solving skills in complex environments, demonstrating their strong systemizing characteristics to organize, plan, and implement care.
How to Hunt Quantum Causes

In Bohm’s version of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (E.P.R.) paradox, a source prepares paired spin-1/2 particles in the singlet state. This is a state in which the total spin must be zero. Yet, when a measurement is made along any given direction, each of the particles must yield a value of + 1/2 or — 1/2. Hence when measurements are made along the same direction on both members of a singlet pair, even though the two measurements can be carried out at quite distant places, the outcomes must be strictly anti-correlated. For measurements along two different directions, quantum mechanics also predicts a correlation, though it is not total: $$P\left( {a = \pm 1/2\& b = \pm 1/2} \right) = 1/2{\sin ^2}\left( {\theta /2} \right)$$ $$P\left( {a = \pm 1/2\& b = \pm 1/2} \right) = 1/2 - 1/2{\sin ^2}\left( {\theta /2} \right)$$ where a represents outcomes of spin measurements on the left-hand particle along a given direction, b are outcomes on the right-hand particle along some possibly different direction, and θ is the angle between the two directions. The famous inequalities of J. S. Bell are commonly taken to rule out the one obvious account of these distant correlations — that they are due to the action of a common cause. The justification for this claim involves Reichenbach’s conjunctive fork condition.
Dopamine-β-hydroxylase STEREOCHEMICAL COURSE OF THE REACTION

d-Amphetamine ((S)-2-amino-1-phenylpropane) stereospecifically tritiated at the β-carbon was prepared by hydrogenolysis of the corresponding aziridine in the presence of 3H2 and the configuration of the product was established as (2S)-amino-(1S)-[1-3H]phenylpropane. Dopamine-β-hydroxylase catalyzed the removal of the pro-R hydrogen atom and the production of 1-norephedrine, (2S,1R)-2-amino-1-hydroxyl-1-phenylpropane, from d-amphetamine. Comparison of the chemical structure of the tritiated substrate with that of the product reveals that the reaction goes with over-all-retention of configuration.
Function of cytidine diphosphate-diglyceride and deoxycytidine diphosphate-diglyceride in the biogenesis of membrane lipids in Escherichia coli.

Abstract CDP-diglyceride synthesized by chemical procedures is an efficient donor of phosphatidyl residues for the enzymatic synthesis of phospholipids in cell-free extracts of Escherichia coli. However, prior to the present work, CDP-diglyceride had never been isolated from living cells of E. coli or any other organism. We have, therefore, isolated and characterized the cytosine-containing liponucleotide fraction of E. coli and find it to be a mixture of almost equal amounts of CDP-diglyceride and dCDP-diglyceride. In these experiments, cells growing in the log phase were simultaneously labeled with tritiated cytosine and sn-glycero-3-[32P]phosphate. Under the conditions employed sn-glycero-3-[32P]phosphate was taken up without prior hydrolysis and was rapidly converted to labeled lipids. Since the intracellular pools of phosphatidic acid and of cytosine liponucleotides are very small and turn over very rapidly, the amounts of 32P in these fractions may be assumed to reflect their relative intracellular concentrations. The 32P radioactivity of the phosphatidic acid fraction was about 20 times higher than that of the cytosine liponucleotide fraction. Since phosphatidic acid is itself less than 1% of the lipids of E. coli, the steady state levels of the cytosine liponucleotides must be exceedingly low, supporting the hypothesis that the conversion of phosphatidic acid to cytosine liponucleotides may be rate-making for the biosynthesis of the membrane phospholipids in this organism. The relative activity of CDP-diglyceride and of dCDP-diglyceride for the enzymatic synthesis of phosphatidylserine and of phosphatidylglycerophosphate was found to vary considerably with the concentration of liponucleotide used in the assay system. At concentrations greater than 0.1 mm, dCDP-diglyceride is relatively much more active in the synthesis of phosphatidylglycerophosphate than in the synthesis of phosphatidylserine. Below this concentration, however, dCDP-diglyceride is a more effective substrate in both reactions. The specificity of these enzymes for other nucleotides was studied with synthetic UDP-diglyceride, ADP-diglyceride, and GDP-diglyceride. The non-cytosine derivatives were found to have low, but measurable, activity as phosphatidyl donors for the enzymatic synthesis of phospholipids in extracts of E. coli.
Voltage stability and robustness for microgrid systems

Voltage stability is of essential importance for power grids. The emergence of distributed energy generators, controllable loads, and local-area energy storage capabilities have introduced new scenarios for distribution networks in which classical frameworks for voltage stability may be inadequate. This paper introduces a control-theoretic framework for studying voltage stability and its robustness, as well as optimal power management in distribution systems composed of networked microgrids. The framework involves descriptions of the loads and generators by nonlinear state space models and the network connections by a set of topology-based algebraic equations. The integration of the combined system leads to a general nonlinear state space model for the microgrid systems. Simplified microgrids are used to illustrate the concepts.
The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Semantics

This chapter considers the problem of image meaning from the point of view of image databases. It analyzes the proposition that the meaning of the image is a compositional function of the objects contained in the image. This hypothesis helps in extraction of objects from the images using some suitable computer vision algorithm, resulting in a symbolic description of the objects in the image and their relationship supplemented by whatever ancillary information about the objects one considers necessary. This symbolic description is then manipulated compositionally to obtain a formal description of the meaning of the image, which is stored in a database and used for the subsequent query process. This scheme, if implemented, would culturally make content-based image retrieval a special case of traditional databases, in which the data are obtained automatically from the images, rather than entered manually. The chapter focuses on semiotics—a discipline that studies signs, that is, things that stand for something else, and the general process of signification, that is, the process by which things stand for something else.
Alteration of Aging-Dependent MicroRNAs in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Preclinical Research Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is the most severe fibrotic lung disease and characterized by the accumulation of (myo)fibroblasts and collagen within the alveolar wall resulting in obliteration of the gas-exchange surface. Although the detailed pathogenesis is not understood, recent studies have found that several microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with the progression of lung diseases including IPF. IPF is a fibrotic disease and, most frequently found in an aged population. In this review, the functional roles of miRNAs that are deregulated in IPF progression are discussed together with how aging affects the miRNA signature, altering the fibroblast phenotype and promoting lung fibrosis. Finally, the possibility of targeting miRNAs as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of IPF is discussed. Drug Dev Res 76 : 343–353, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Combining Model and Test Data for Optimal Determination of Percentiles and Allowables: CVaR Regression Approach, Part II

This report makes a more detailed assessment of the CVaR regression method proposed in [3] for determining A-Basis and B-Basis allowables, and quantifying the impact of test data and different analytical models on failure load predictions. Although the method can in principle be applied to any desired quantile, we will focus only on the 10th (B-Basis) in this study. We consider failure data arising from two sources: (1) a controlled environment where data is simulated from different Weibull distributions; (2) a supplied dataset similar to that of [3] augmented with failure load predictions from two additional analytical models (Model S2 and Model S3). Using absolute deviation between true and estimated 10th percentiles and the CVaR regression goodness-of-fit measure introduced in [3] as accuracy-assessment criteria, the key findings are as follows. The accuracy of CVaR regression is relatively insensitive to the number of batches present, but fairly sensitive to the number of test points per batch. There are diminishing benefits in using more than 10 batches, or more than 10 test points per batch, in any one application of CVaR regression. The estimates of A-basis and B-basis are fairly robust, in the sense that they are not severely affected by miscalibrations (biases or errors) in the analytical models. Among the analytical models used as the sole input with no (input) test data, the best performer is Model S, followed by Model S2. Model S3 is the worst performer. The models contribute substantially to percentile prediction when up to 3 test points are used as input. When 4 test points are used as input, the 3 models can be roughly equated to the input information provided by one additional test point.
The Development of Alignment Techniques for the Fabrication of Microelectric Devices

Alternative visual systems for aligning successive circuit patterns in the fabrication of microelectronic devices were developed and evaluated. The experimental evaluation was conducted under both laboratory and production conditions. The study resulted in an optimal alignment mark system in terms of both alignment accuracy and speed.
Fenretinide Induces Ubiquitin‐Dependent Proteasomal Degradation of Stearoyl‐CoA Desaturase in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD, SCD1), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident protein and a rate-limiting enzyme in monounsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, regulates cellular functions by controlling the ratio of saturated to monounsaturated fatty acids. Increase in SCD expression is strongly implicated in the proliferation and survival of cancer cells, whereas its decrease is known to impair proliferation, induce apoptosis, and restore insulin sensitivity. We examined whether fenretinide, (N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide, 4HPR), which induces apoptosis in cancer cells and recently shown to improve insulin sensitivity, can modulate the expression of SCD. We observed that fenretinide decreased SCD protein and enzymatic activity in the ARPE-19 human retinal pigment epithelial cell line. Increased expression of BiP/GRP78, ATF4, and GADD153 implicated ER stress. Tunicamycin and thapsigargin, compounds known to induce ER stress, also decreased the SCD protein. This decrease was completely blocked by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. In addition, PYR41, an inhibitor of ubiquitin activating enzyme E1, blocked the fenretinide-mediated decrease in SCD. Immunoprecipitation analysis using anti-ubiquitin and anti-SCD antibodies and the blocking of SCD loss by PYR41 inhibition of ubiquitination further corroborate that fenretinide mediates the degradation of SCD in human RPE cells via the ubiquitin–proteasome dependent pathway. Therefore, the effect of fenretinide on SCD should be considered in its potential therapeutic role against cancer, type-2 diabetes, and retinal diseases. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 1028–1038, 2014. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Modeling Confined Fluids: An NhPT Molecular Dynamics Method

We present an NhPT MD method developed for systematic investigation of both the structural and dynamical properties of confined fluids without resorting to chemical potential or explicit reservoir. This method allows confined fluids to expand or contract transversely and the same number of fluid molecules to be simulated throughout all surface separations. Its first implementation using confined Lennard-Jones fluid yields step-like changes in surface density, layered configurations, in-plane ordering, and oscillatory perpendicular pressures and transverse diffusivities that are consistent with previous studies. Additionally, a pseudo-Poisson's ratio and transverse isothermal compressibility were calculated. Like other properties, they oscillate at smaller surface separations and approach constant values when the surface separation becomes sufficiently large. The limiting value of the pseudo-Poisson's ratio is interestingly equivalent to that of incompressible continua.
A magnetically retained interim maxillary obturator.

Abstract A technique has been presented for the fabrication of a sectional interim maxillary obturator with retention augmented by a magnet. A tonogram 9, 10 revealed a 32 per cent decrease in hypernasality during speech when the prosthesis was worn (Fig. 12). The positive locking and continuous retentive quality of the prosthesis provided by the magnet permitted normal speech and mastication as well as an improved psychologic state during a very trying rehabilitation period.
Frequency and probability of US-shock and adrenal hypertrophy in the rat

Abstract In a non-response-contingent situation rats were exposed to unavoidable grid shock 12-hr daily for 5 days. For some groups shock always followed the CS (tone-light) but for other groups shock was administered randomly only 50 per cent, or 20 per cent, after CS presentation. Groups were equated for number of shocks received. All shock stress groups showed a reduction of daily food and water intake and body weight loss. Degree of hypertrophy was directly related to frequency, and not probability, of shock presentation.
CHRISTIAN ETHICS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: NEW DIRECTIONS

be increasingly enriched by the discoveries of the neurosciences and psychology; it is also a time when these same discoveries will increasingly vindicate much of what Christian ethics has to offer. Christian ethics has a rich history and the promise of a richer future. Historically, Christian ethics has recognized, and made a case for, our ability as human beings to know what is morally right and wrong, good and evil. This affirmation has a number of implications. For one thing, individuals, institutions, and communities can be, and ought to be, held responsible for their actions, practices, and customs. Also, morality can and ought to be taught, not only in churches, but in all educational settings. Furthermore, ethics is a branch of knowledge that belongs in the curricula of schools, including colleges, universities, and professional schools. Such a view of morality was dominant in American higher education until the late nineteenth century. Julie Reuben has carefully documented and analyzed the loss of this once dominant viewpoint in The Making of the Modern University: Intellectual Transformation and the Marginalization of Morality (1996); the subtitle identifies the major thesis of Reuben's book. In an outlook influenced by the rise and pervasiveness of the modern sciences, ethics was and is no longer uniformly seen as a source of knowledge; facts are one thing, values quite another. Though one can learn what people think about morality and how they behave in the name of morality, claims about how one ought to behave are not as such factual and universally valid, and are thus in contrast with claims based upon scientific research. Ironically, that outlook is now being challenged by the sciences. The recent research of the neurosciences has radically changed what science has to tell us about morality. With the ability to observe events that take place in our brains, it is now possible to verify the accuracy of the perceptions on which moral claims are based. As human beings, we are capable of empathic accuracy: in other words, we are capable of knowing how someone else feels. As human beings, we have a natural tendency to be compassionate, that is, to feel an urge to help someone whom we perceive to be in distress or otherwise in need of some kind of assistance. In short, we are capable of experiencing moral claims
The economic burden of depression

This article provides estimates of direct treatment costs and indirect costs from lost productivity associated with the morbidity and mortality of depression. Data are based on epidemiologic estimates of the prevalence of major depressive illness and on the number of suicides assumed to be secondary to depression. The number of hospitalizations, hospital days, physician and mental health provider visits, home/nursing home costs, and pharmaceutical costs are estimated. The direct and indirect costs are estimated to be approximately $16.3 billion per year. These economic figures provide a lower-bound estimate of the full economic burden of major depression and further emphasize the need for timely recognition and treatment to potentially minimize the negative impact of the illness on society.
The Kaleidoscopic Nature Of Divine Personality In The Hebrew Bible

Over the centuries, rabbis, priests and laity have wrestled with the Bible's various and often conflicting portraits of the God Yahweh. The social sciences suggest that each Yahweh text reflects the needs of the communities that formulated the text. Also, academic research has explored the reception of the complete Bible by religious communities. With the exception of so-called canonical criticism, very little work has been done on the transition between these two stages of the Bible's (and Yahweh's) evolution, from initial composition of texts to complete biblical canon. But canonical criticism usually presumes, a priori , that any text later deemed biblical was in some sense religiously useful from the day of initial composition, became (or continued to be) religiously authoritative as it evolved toward final edited form, and only increased in sacredness as it moved toward canonization. This study disputes that presumption, suggesting that the anthology was produced by a group of literati whose motivation was both socio-ideological and aesthetic, but not religious. This motivation best explains the extreme diversity of Yahweh personalities in the Hebrew canon.
Diversity in the high-tech workplace: diversity and performance in R&D

Some results of surveys of about 2000 scientists and engineers in the R&D units of 18 major US companies are examined. The aim is to determine whether a performance, teamwork, and/or leadership gap exists between native-born white men and women, foreign-born scientists, and native-born minorities. The foreign-born rate themselves higher than the US-born on innovativeness, usefulness, and cooperativeness, but no differently on promotability. Women respondents rate themselves lower on innovativeness, usefulness, and promotability, but higher on cooperativeness. These and other findings are discussed. >
Managing knowledge transfer in international alliances

Although managing knowledge assets is critical for firm success, organizational knowledge is hard to capture, transfer, and make useable. Because knowledge is embedded in organizational structures, processes, procedures, and routines, it is not easy to separate knowledge from the context in which it has been created. In addition, when knowledge is highly tacit, it is difficult to transfer without moving the people who have the knowledge. Thus, even though many studies have argued that the ability to transfer knowledge is a primary source for a firm's competitive advantage, relatively little is known about how to transfer knowledge within and across organizational boundaries. This article explores organizational knowledge transfer and illustrates the discussion with two cases of successful knowledge transfer. Two related and fundamental premises anchor the article: (1) knowledge-transfer effectiveness can be actively managed and improved upon and (2) it is possible to design organizational strategies and structures to support and enhance knowledge sharing. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Edges and line minimally mask width discrimination of rectangles

Abstract We studied the effect of various attributes of masking on size discrimination. We show that contrary to the assumptions of many models, observers can accurately compare the width of a test rectangle shown for only 3 ms to the width of a control rectangle shown for 1 s . We also found that masks even one-tenth the size of the test rectangle were as effective as masks twice the size of the test rectangle, and that edges and lines per se were only minimally effective as masks.
Patients' perspective on the comprehensive preventive health evaluation in veterans with spinal cord injury

Survey research methods. To assess patient satisfaction with the annual comprehensive preventative health evaluation (CPHE) and to determine if the patient's needs were being met. Department of Veterans Affairs National Survey, United States. A total of 853 subjects with spinal cord injuries participated in a mailed survey regarding the annual CPHE. Subjects were asked about satisfaction with the examination, preferences on how the examination is conducted and whether their needs were being met with the examination. In all, 76% of the subjects that responded to the survey had completed a CPHE within the previous year. Subjects cited getting their medication and supplies refilled and talking to the doctor as the top two reasons for completing the evaluation. Subjects indicated that they would most like to discuss their muscle strength and weakness, bladder care, chronic pain, digestion and bowel care issues, and equipment problems during their evaluation. The majority of subjects (81%) indicated that they were satisfied with the CPHE. Subjects that were satisfied with the CPHE were also more satisfied with other aspects of care as well. The majority of respondents had completed a CPHE within the previous year. Most respondents cite health issues related to the spinal cord injury as areas they would most like to discuss during the evaluation. The majority of subjects were satisfied with the conduct of the CPHE.
One-bone forearm procedure for Hajdu-Cheney syndrome: a case report.

One-bone forearm surgery is generally regarded as one of the last available salvage procedures that could be used to treat patients with longitudinal forearm instability secondary to a congenital, oncologic, or a post-traumatic etiology. We performed this procedure on a 23-year-old patient with longitudinal forearm instability secondary to Hajdu–Cheney syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder characterized by generalized ligamentous laxity, skeletal dysplasia, acro-osteolysis, and generalized osteoporosis. The patient developed shoulder pain secondary to overuse 28 months following treatment, and was managed conservatively. Eight years after surgery, the patient had not undergone any additional procedures, had no pain, reported a Quick Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand score of 21, and was completely satisfied with treatment. Although OBF procedure is a radical first-line salvage option, in unique circumstances and appropriate patient selection, it may provide acceptable, durable, and predictable results.
Near-Infrared Spectrum of Low-Inclination Classical Kuiper Belt Object (79360) 1997 CS29

The "cold classical" Kuiper Belt is the only part of the Kuiper Belt where objects show color statistics distinct from the rest of the trans-Neptunian population. Cold classical orbits are also likely to have been among the least dynamically perturbed since the time of accretion. As such, cold classical objects are especially interesting targets for compositional investigation by means of near-infrared spectroscopy. In this paper we report the first published infrared spectrum of a likely member of this unique class of objects. A 1.4–2.5 μm spectrum of the cold classical candidate object (79360) 1997 CS29 obtained at Keck I is spectrally featureless.
The spectral sensitivity of the eye of Aplysia californica

Abstract 1. 1. The response of the eye of Aplysia californica to light stimuli was found to be proportional to the log of the stimulu intensity for the range between threshold and five orders of magnitude above threshold. The response was in the form of triphasic compound action potentials. 2. 2. The sensitivity of the eye to monochromatic light was measured between 400 and 680 mμ and found to be uniformly high below 600 mμ (suggesting possible u.v. sensitivity) and to drop sharply at wavelengths above 600 mμ.
High resolution X-ray experiments

Abstract Accelerators provide highly charged ions for a variety of experimental studies. In applications involving accurate high resolution spectroscopy, care is needed to keep Doppler corrections manageable and reduce satellite problems. Some aspects of the motivation for such work are reviewed along with techniques for trying to produce clean spectra.
Is There Progress in Morality

My question, which is central to the business of moral philosophy, is implicitly addressed by many philosophers, yet explicitly addressed by only a few. In this paper I address the question head-on, and propose a qualified affirmative answer.First, however, it is important to be clear about what is meant by ‘morality’ and ‘progress’, and what the meaning of ‘is’ is. My characterizations will not be exact, but I hope they will be precise enough to specify a domain that can be productively investigated.
Computation of the three-dimensional medial surface dynamics of the vocal folds

To increase our understanding of pathological and healthy voice production, quantitative measurement of the medial surface dynamics of the vocal folds is significant, albeit rarely performed because of the inaccessibility of the vocal folds. Using an excised hemilarynx methodology, a new calibration technique, herein referred to as the linear approximate (LA) method, was introduced to compute the three-dimensional coordinates of fleshpoints along the entire medial surface of the vocal fold. The results were compared with results from the direct linear transform. An associated error estimation was presented, demonstrating the improved accuracy of the new method. A test on real data was reported including computation of quantitative measurements of vocal fold dynamics.
The value of information in a capacitated closed loop supply chain

Abstract We explore the value of information in the context of a firm that faces uncertainty with respect to demand, product returns, recovery yield, and capacity utilization. Capacity is finite and shared between new production and recovery operations. The operational decisions of interest are the quantity of new product to produce, the quantity of returns to recover, and the quantity of returns to dispose. Product recovery is uncertain in that each returned unit can be successfully recovered with a known probability, and otherwise it is discarded at a cost. Demand in a period is satisfied with new production, recovered returns, or a mix of both types. We measure and evaluate the value of information through three information cases that separately address different types of information: demand, recovery yield, and capacity utilization. We find that there is no dominance in value amongst the different types of information, although information on capacity utilization provides the highest average value and exceeds the value of the other two types of information in 55% of the cases studied. We also identify the operating conditions in which each type of information is most valuable, compare the value of information to other types of investments, and also assess robustness with respect to the accuracy of information.
Regional variation of postjunctional alpha-adrenoceptor responses in the developing renal vascular bed of sheep.

Abstract Postjunctional alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor vasoconstrictor responses were evaluated in isolated segments of main renal artery, segmental renal artery, and renal vein from fetal (130-138 d of gestation; term 145 d), newborn (3-15 d age), and nonpregnant adult sheep. Vascular rings were mounted at their optimal resting tension and responses to phenylephrine (alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist) and guanabenz and UK14304 (both alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists) were determined. Optimal resting tension increases with development in the main renal artery, segmental renal artery, and renal vein of sheep. Arterial vessels develop more isometric tension to alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation than to alpha 2-adrenoceptor stimulation, whereas venous segments develop similar isometric tension to alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor stimulation. The segmental renal artery develops more isometric tension to alpha 2-adrenoceptor stimulation than the main renal artery. No large developmental differences exist among vessels in the sensitivity (concentration required for half maximal response, ED50) to alpha-adrenoceptor stimulation except for the renal vein with alpha 2-adrenoceptor stimulation. Maximum isometric tension corrected for vessel cross-sectional area decreases with age for all vessels with both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor stimulation. These findings may reflect developmental differences in receptor number and affinity or differences in vascular smooth muscle function. In addition, these data suggest that whereas both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors mediate vasoconstriction in the renal circulation, they may do so at different sites.
A simplified formulation of photon transport in leaf canopies with scatterers of finite dimensions

A formalism for photon transport in leaf canopies with finite-dimensional scattering centers that mutually cross-shade was recently proposed resulting in an equation set which is rather complicated. In this paper, we propose a simplification of the correction factors that describe the correlation in photon fates. These simplified correction factors permit the derivation of a modified integro-differential transfer equation with two additional terms that arise from considerations of finite size scatterers. A numerical procedure for the solution of this transfer equation in the framework of a successive collisions approach is also presented.
Surface-Anchoring Solitary Waves in Antiferroelectric Liquid-Crystals

Abstract By considering an expression for the energy of a cell containing an antiferroelectric smectic liquid crystal with only nearest-neighbor interactions between layers we conclude that while the transition to and from ferroelectric alignment can propagate as a stable solitary wave in the bulk of the material, under certain conditions a separate surface wave can also exist.
Short- and long-term adverse effects of cocaine abuse during pregnancy on the heart development.

The effect of cocaine on the developing fetus is a topic of considerable interest and debate. One of the potential effects of fetal cocaine exposure is damage to the developing heart. This review p...
Long QT Syndrome During High-Dose Cisapride

The gastrointestinal prokinetic drug, cisapride, is widely used for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis and disorders of gastrointestinal motility. We present a case of acquired QT prolongation, syncope, and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia associated with high doses of cisapride. (Arch Intern Med. 1995;155:765-768)
Reproductive and oncologic outcomes after progestin therapy for endometrial complex atypical hyperplasia or carcinoma.

Objectives This study evaluated fertility and oncological outcomes in women with complex atypical hyperplasia (CAH) or nonmyoinvasive grade 1 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EM) who desired fertility-sparing therapy. Study Design The retrospective cohort study included women younger than 45 years with CAH or EM who desired fertility-sparing treatment at our institution. Only patients for whom both oncological treatment and pregnancy outcomes were available were included. Statistical analyses were performed using a Fisher exact test, Pearson χ 2 test, and Spearman rank correlation test, as appropriate. Results Seventy-five patients were identified, and 23 (13 CAH, 10 EM) met the inclusion criteria. All 23 patients had at least 1 prior pregnancy. Treatment was split between oral progesterone only (38.5% CAH, 40% EM), levonorgestrel intrauterine device only (30.8% CAH, 20% EM), and both (30.8% CAH, 40% EM). After a median follow-up of 13 months (range, 3–74 months), 9 patients (46.2% CAH, 30% EM, P = .39) had persistent/progressive disease. Eight patients (30.8% CAH, 40% EM, P = .69) ultimately had a hysterectomy, and 3 of these (13.0%) were found to have persistent/progressive disease. Median time from diagnosis to hysterectomy was 13 months (range, 4–56 months). Fourteen of the 23 patients utilized assisted reproductive techniques (60.9%); 12 underwent IVF and 2 chose a gestation carrier. Seven clinical intrauterine pregnancies (30.4%) resulting in 6 live births (26.1%) were found in the entire cohort. Conclusion Fertility-sparing treatment for CAH and grade 1 endometrial cancer is feasible with progestin therapy and leads to clinically meaningful rates of pregnancy in young women who desire fertility.
View-dependent approach to MIP for very large data

A simple and yet useful approach to visualize a variety of structures from sampled data is the Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP). Higher valued structures of interest pass in the projection over occluding structures. This can make MIP images difficult to interpret due to the loss of depth information. Animating about the data is one key way to try to decipher such ambiguities. The challenge is that MIP is inherently expensive and thus high frame rates are difficult to achieve. Variations to the original MIP algorithm and classification can help to further alleviate ambiguities and also provide improved image quality and very different visualizations. But they make the technique even more expensive. In addition, they require much parameter searching and tweaking. As today's data sizes are increasingly getting larger, current methods only allow very limited interaction. We explore a view-dependent approach using concepts from image-based rendering. A novel multi-layered image representation storing scalar information is computed at a view sample and then warped to the user's view. We present algorithms using OpenGL to quickly compute MIP and its variations using commodity off-the-shelf graphics hardware to achieve near interactive rates.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Normal and unusual aspects of juvenile artistic development in Klee, Lautrec, and Picasso

This article integrates material from the biographies of three world‐class artists and material from current social‐science research on the development of creative individuals. The author examined the juvenile drawings of Klee, Lautrec, and Picasso. In this article he describes the ways in which these children's drawings are both “unusual”; and ordinary. Reproductions of drawings are included with the text in order to illustrate and support the observations about the development and quality of the three children's work. The concluding section of this article uses Csiks‐zentmihaly's systems approach to giftedness and proposes that more research is needed to examine the drawing development of children from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. Children to be included in such an investigation range from autistic child artists to children from nonwestern cultures in which the visual arts are singled out for support. In developing a broad collection of case studies, such as the ones proposed, the significant ...
Development Journalism in an Asian Setting: A Study of Depthnews

Asian development journalism, centered since 1967 in the Press Foundation of Asia, begins a second quarter-century with a network of over 2,500 journalists trained by the Manila-based foundation, and a regionwide development news service, Depthnews. A content analysis of Depthnews shows the original ideas of development news survive: the service has a high proportion of stories dealing with rural development, health, population, science and news of women; it also seeks non-institutional sources and subjects. By avoiding direct government ties, PFA has maintained regional press credibility, but remains a supplemental service unable to sell itself outside Asia.
Training in Neurorhinology: The Impact of Case Volume on the Learning Curve

This article presents a current view of training in neurorhinology and focuses on the level of evidence for the clinical question of "how many cases are needed to achieve proficiency in endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery?" The authors discuss what defines surgical proficiency, what makes up the learning curve and how it shifts with increasing experience, comparisons of learning curves for different skull base surgeries, and conclude with a discussion and recommendations for achieving high-level proficiency.
SKF-525A on schedule-controlled responding: Not antagonized by naloxone

The effects of SKF-525A (50–200 mg/kg, IM) were determined alone and in the presence of 1 mg/kg of naloxone on multiple fixed-ratio, fixed-interval responding in pigeons. SKF-525A produced a dose-related decrease in responding, which was not antagonized by naloxone. It was concluded that SKF-525A decreased responding by a different mechanism than the narcotic action by which produces analgesia in rats and mice.
Heavy Ions in RHIC — How to Get to Higher Luminosities?

Luminosity mainly depends on the beam intensity of the circulating beams and the beam profiles at the interaction points. By either increasing the total beam current or decreasing its size the instantaneous luminosity can be increased. In addition any method to slow down beam growth and debunching processes will further improve the luminosity which can be integrated over a store. Optimizing beam cleaning procedures such as collimation or abort gap cleaning will further increase the amount of usable luminosity for experiments. This paper will give a brief introduction to some accelerator basics of interest and the luminosity as a function of beam parameters. Limitations to the achievable integrated luminosity as well as future upgrades to overcome these limitations are presented.
An algebraic approach to targeting waste discharge and impure fresh usage via material recycle/reuse networks

This paper introduces an algebraic procedure that targets material-recycle networks. The problem involves the allocation of process streams and fresh sources to process units (sinks) with the objective of minimizing fresh usage and waste discharge. First, observations from the graphical targeting approach are transformed into algebraic insights. Then, a geometrical transformation is developed to account for the possibility of using impure fresh resources. These insights and geometrical transformations are arranged through a cascade analysis, which identifies and adjusts any recycle infeasibilities so as to maximize the recycle opportunities. A systematic non-iterative algebraic approach is developed to identify rigorous targets for minimum usage of impure fresh resources, maximum recycle of process resources and minimum discharge of waste. These targets are identified a priori and without commitment to the detailed design of the recycle/reuse network. The approach is valid for both pure and impure fresh resources. The devised procedure also identifies the location of the material-recycle pinch point and addresses its significance in managing process sources, fresh usage, and waste discharge. Two case studies are solved to illustrate the ease, rigor, and applicability of the developed targeting technique and its relationship to graphical targeting techniques.
Fluorescent phalloidin enables visualization of actin without effects on myosin's actin filament sliding velocity and hydrolytic properties in vitro

Recent reports have demonstrated an activating effect of phalloidin in striated muscle. Furthermore, modeling of X-ray diffraction and crystallographic data suggests that phalloidin binding may induce conformational changes in actin. To determine whether phalloidin affects the mechanics of the actomyosin interaction, the velocity of actin filaments variably labeled with rhodamine-phalloidin was measured. In addition, solution actin-activated myosin subfragment-1 ATPase activity with phalloidin-labeled actin was compared to unlabeled actin. Here we found that phalloidin does not significantly effect actin filament velocity or parameters of ATPase, namely Vmax and K(m). Possible differences between muscle strip data and these in vitro results are discussed.
Geographic variation in the maturity and growth schedules of English sole along the U.S. west coast

Logistic regression analyses showed that the maturity v. length relationship for female English sole Pleuronectes vetulus varied significantly among sampling locations from California to British Columbia in June–September. Stepwise analyses found that latitude, bottom gradient, bottom temperature and sediment type were all significant factors. Regression analyses of age at length from subsamples indicated that latitude, maturity and bottom sediment had significant effects on growth. Data from the aged subsamples showed significant differences among age classes in the length v. maturity relationship with older fish attaining maturity at smaller sizes than younger fish. On a coast wide basis the length and age at 50% maturity were c. 230 mm and 4·7 years respectively. Growth rate and length at 50% maturity have decreased substantially relative to observations from the 1950s, but age at 50% maturity has increased.
An evaluation of the CODABAR symbol in blood-banking automation.

. The CODABAR system has been used in blood banking automation since 1976 when it was introduced by 16 blood centers and transfusion services throughout the United States in a test program coordinated by the American Blood Commission Committee for Commonality in Blood Banking Automation. Since then CODABAR has been used in sample identification on Groupamatic and Technicon automated blood-typing equipment, in the labeling of blood products and in their distribution. It is widely used by a number of blood centers in the United States and has been adopted by the 14 regional blood centers in the United Kingdom, as well as blood centers in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Japan. Some properties of the CODABAR symbol that are relevant to the high accuracy requirements of blood banking are described and preliminary test data are presented.
Pathologic elucidation of the echocardiographic features of Ebstein's malformation of the morphologically tricuspid valve in discordant atrioventricular connections☆

We defined the morphology of the left atrioventricular valve in Ebstein's malformation associated with congenitally corrected transposition to elucidate the approach to diagnosis by echocardiography. We found 14 unequivocal cases out of a total of 3,720 specimens. We noted the atrial arrangement, displacement, and nature of the tricuspid leaflets, and axis of the plane of the tricuspid orifice. We constructed ratios of volume of the atrialized to the functional right ventricle, and of the right to left ventricle, as well as distances of the septal attachments of the atrioventricular junctions to the respective ventricular apices. Three specimens had abnormalities of cardiac position, and 8 had ventricular septal defect. The tricuspid valve plane was rotated 47 +/- 21 degrees from its usual position into the ventricle. The tricuspid valvar tissue was variably attached to the underlying myocardium, with the most severely affected lesion being the mural leaflet followed by the septal leaflet, and the anterior leaflet attachment the least affected. Abnormalities of the tendinous cords and the effective valvar orifice occurred in 3 specimens. The ratio of the atrialized to the functional right ventricular volume was 0.74 +/- 0.49; the ratio of the fetal right to left ventricular volume was 1.18:1 +/- 0.70:1. These data suggest that plastic repairs of the right ventricle would leave a small functional right ventricle, but that valve replacement could restore the volume of the ventricle. Thus, the plane of displacement of the valve in corrected transposition appears less amenable to 4-chamber echocardiography than other forms of Ebstein's malformation. Changes in the echocardiographic planes should display the morphology and also provide some hemodynamic information.
A prospective study of a single-incision sling at the time of robotic sacrocolpopexy

Introduction and hypothesis The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Miniarc Precise® single-incision sling (American Medical Systems, Minnetonka, MN, USA) placed at the time of a robotic sacrocolpopexy.
Reducing Energy Waste for Computers by Human-in-the-Loop Control

Although current cyber physical systems (CPSs) act as the bridge between humans and environment, their implementation mostly assumes humans as an external component to the control loops. We use a case study of energy waste on computer workstations to motivate the incorporation of humans into the control loops. The benefits include better response accuracy and timeliness of the CPS systems. However, incorporating humans into tight control loops remains a challenge as it requires understanding complex human behavior. In our case study, we collect empirical data to understand human behavior regarding distractions in computer usage and develop a human-in-the-loop control that can put workstations into sleep by early detection of distraction. Our control loop implements strategies such as an adaptive timeout interval, multilevel sensing, and addressing background processing. Evaluation on multiple subjects show an accuracy of 97.28% in detecting distractions, which cuts the energy waste of computers by 80.19%.
Analysis of Laminar Forced Convection Condensation Within Thin Porous Coatings

The effect of laminar forced convection on enhanced filmwise condensation within thin inclined porous coatings is numerically investigated. The model simulates two-dimensional condensation within very permeable and highly conductive porous substrates. The Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer model is utilized to describe the flowfield within the porous layer while classical boundary-layer equations are employed in the pure condensate region. The numerical results document the dependence of the temperature field and the heat transfer rate on the governing parameters such as the Reynolds number, the Rayleigh number, the Darcy number, the Jakob number, the Prandtl number, as well as the porous coating thickness and effective thermal conductivity. The results of this study provide valuable fundamental predictions of enhanced film condensation that can be used in a number of practical thermal engineering applications. 28 refs.