cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Future or Fancy? An Empirical Study of Public Benefit Corporations

The public benefit corporation (“PBC”) is one of the most hyped developments in corporate law, due to the PBC’s unique social purpose. Unlike the traditional corporation, directors of PBCs are required under their fiduciary duties to consider the impact of their decisions on a range of stakeholders and communities. This new form is hailed by many as a framework for a reformed capitalism. Critics, on the other hand, have assailed PBCs as unworkable—at best allowing corporations to “greenwash,” providing a thin disguise for ordinary corporate profit-seeking behavior. What has been lacking in this debate is evidence about whether and how the new form is being adopted. We fill this gap with an empirical study of early-stage investment in PBCs. Early-stage investment, consisting of venture capital and similar funds, presents an interesting test case for PBC funding, because these investors have profit-maximizing incentives and fiduciary duties of their own. Using our novel dataset, we can discern whether for-profit investment is occurring in PBCs, and if so, whether it is different in kind from ordinary early stage investment. We find that PBCs are receiving investment at significant rates, and that funding is coming from typical sources of venture capital—including traditional, profit-seeking VC firms. We also find that VC firms are investing in more consumer-facing industries, as well as investing smaller amounts than traditional investments at the same stage, raising concerns about greenwashing. While the ultimate arc of the PBC remains uncertain, our results show that it is gaining acceptance as an investment that can earn an acceptable rate of return—though, as we argue, the PBC status itself may be a secondary factor in VCs’ decisions. We use these results to develop a theory of future PBC development, which asserts that in the medium term, investment in PBCs is likely to remain siloed in smaller, newly formed firms. We conclude that widespread adoption of the form will take time, as network effects build and experience with the form becomes embedded within the entrepreneurial and legal ecosystem. The PBC is not a failure. But it is in its infancy, and any full embrace will take a significant period of time.
BOWEL RESECTION (BR) AT THE TIME OF PRIMARY CYTOREDUCTION IMPROVES DISEASE-FREE SURVIVAL IN EPITHELIAL OVARIAN CANCER (EOC) PATIENTS AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCEPTABLE MORBIDITY

RESULTS: ELISA demonstrated greater HIF-1alpha levels in hypoxia versus normoxia in all cell lines (p 0.01): CT26 (6.7-fold), AsPC1 (7.3fold), PLC5 (5.4-fold), HCT8 (8.8-fold), and RF1 (5.9-fold). All tested cell lines demonstrated greater HIF-1alpha levels in hypoxia by western blot. Luciferase activity was higher in hypoxic cells transfected with the 10xHRE promoter (p 0.01): CT26 (33-fold), AsPC1 (49-fold), PLC5 (29-fold), HCT8 (65-fold), and RF1 (30-fold). HIF-1alpha staining was confined to tumor-bearing regions of CT26 liver metastases.
Apple ALMT9 Requires a Conserved C-Terminal Domain for Malate Transport Underlying Fruit Acidity

Malate accumulation in the vacuole largely determines apple (Malus domestica) fruit acidity, and low fruit acidity is strongly associated with truncation of Ma1, an ortholog of ALUMINUM-ACTIVATED MALATE TRANSPORTER9 (ALMT9) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). A mutation at base 1,455 in the open reading frame of Ma1 leads to a premature stop codon that truncates the protein by 84 amino acids at its C-terminal end. Here, we report that both the full-length protein, Ma1, and its naturally occurring truncated protein, ma1, localize to the tonoplast; when expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and Nicotiana benthamiana cells, Ma1 mediates a malate-dependent inward-rectifying current, whereas the ma1-mediated transmembrane current is much weaker, indicating that ma1 has significantly lower malate transport activity than Ma1. RNA interference suppression of Ma1 expression in ‘McIntosh’ apple leaves, ‘Empire’ apple fruit, and ‘Orin’ apple calli results in a significant decrease in malate level. Genotyping and phenotyping of 186 apple accessions from a diverse genetic background of 17 Malus species combined with the functional analyses described above indicate that Ma1 plays a key role in determining fruit acidity and that the truncation of Ma1 to ma1 is genetically responsible for low fruit acidity in apple. Furthermore, we identified a C-terminal domain conserved in all tonoplast-localized ALMTs essential for Ma1 function; protein truncations into this conserved domain significantly lower Ma1 transport activity. We conclude that the truncation of Ma1 to ma1 reduces its malate transport function by removing a conserved C-terminal domain, leading to low fruit acidity in apple.
Variational approximation for importance sampling

We propose an importance sampling algorithm with proposal distribution obtained from variational approximation. This method combines the strength of both importance sampling and variational method. On one hand, this method avoids the bias from variational method. On the other hand, variational approximation provides a way to design the proposal distribution for the importance sampling algorithm. Theoretical justification of the proposed method is provided. Numerical results show that using variational approximation as the proposal can improve the performance of importance sampling and sequential importance sampling.
Exposing health inequities: Surreal snapshots from the Grand Canyon to global COVID-19 pandemic

The story presented here is central to social work because it is about crisis. Across diverse fields of practice, social workers regularly engage in crisis intervention. The story that follows is a...
Catalytic activity and water stability of the MgO(111) surface for 2-pentanone condensation

Abstract Nanomaterials derived from earth-abundant metal oxides have gained tremendous interest as catalysts; although, water stability remains a challenge. This study examines MgO(111) surfaces for 2-pentanone condensation and their evolution during D2O hydration. Catalyst screening confirmed the high activity of fresh MgO(111) for 2-pentanone condensation relative to conventionally prepared MgO(100). Computational modeling suggests that the (111) surface is readily hydroxylated, and that surface hydroxyls help stabilize the surface and reduce the barrier for 2-pentanone condensation. Vapor-phase D2O hydration after 3 min increased MgO(111) hydroxyls and retained surface area and activity; however, after 1 h, deuteroxide formation reduced the surface area and activity by >30 %. After 24 h, deuteroxide growth slowed down, and surface area and activity remained stable. This suggests MgO(111)-derived hydroxide may be the dominant surface responsible for 2-pentanone condensation following water exposure. Thermal regeneration of the 24-h sample restored 86 % of the surface area and 94 % of the activity.
Relationship between behavioral inhibition and approach motivation systems (BIS/BAS) and intrinsic brain network connectivity in adult cannabis users

Dampened behavioral inhibition and overactive behavioral approach motivation systems (i.e. BIS/BAS) are associated with cannabis use disorder (CUD), although the underlying neural mechanisms of these alterations have not yet been examined. The brain's executive control network (ECN) plays a role in decision-making and is associated with BIS/BAS. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that altered ECN resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) underlies dysfunctional behavioral inhibition and approach motivation in cannabis users. To that end, we collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans in 86 cannabis using adults and 59 non-using adults to examine group differences in the relationship between ECN rsFC and BIS/BAS. Our results showed that BIS was positively correlated with left ECN rsFC in cannabis users, while it was positively correlated with right ECN rsFC in non-users. There was a trend-level moderation effect of group on the association between BIS/BAS and ECN rsFC, showing a weaker association in BIS/BAS and ECN rsFC in cannabis users compared to non-users. An exploratory mediation analysis found that the severity of CUD mediated the relationship between users' BIS scores and left ECN rsFC. These findings suggest that cannabis use may lead to dysregulation in typical ECN functional organization related to BIS/BAS.
The Readable Delaware General Corporation Law 2021-2022

VisiLaw is a system for marking statutes to make them easier to read. This paper contains a short introduction to VisiLaw and a complete, VisiLaw-marked, copy of the Delaware General Corporation Law. The corporation law is current through end of the legislative session on June 30, 2021. It assumes that the Governor signs Senate Bill 113 on August 1, as scheduled. VisiLaw markings visually separate sentences and clauses within sentences, making it easy to see where each begins and ends. The ability to see sentence structure at a glance makes it possible to read clauses one at a time, without losing orientation in the overall structure. Within each constituent clause, underlining identifies a skeletal sentence – subject, verb, direct object and a few other words. The underlining enables the reader to quickly get the gist, and understand the structure, of the constituent clauses. The Readable Delaware General Corporation Law is published in hard copy and available on Amazon.
Actions may speak louder than words: Comparing methods of assessing children's spontaneous focusing on number.

Abstract Young children vary widely in the extent to which they attend to numerical information in their everyday environments without explicit prompting. This tendency to spontaneously focus on numerosity has been linked to children’s math skills in past work. However, various measures have been used to quantify children’s spontaneous focusing on numerosity (SFON) in previous studies, some of which rely on children’s behavioral responses and others of which rely on verbal responses. Furthermore, these measures are not consistently related to one another or to children’s math skills. In this study, we compared children’s SFON as demonstrated through their behaviors and verbal responses during a set of imitation tasks in a sample of 107 3- and 4-year-olds. We found that children behaviorally demonstrate SFON (e.g., stamping the same number of spikes on a dinosaur as an experimenter) more frequently than they discuss number during the same tasks, but the two indices of SFON were significantly associated when accounting for variability in children’s overall speech. Furthermore, we found that children’s SFON through their actions was significantly predicted by prior math skills, whereas SFON through speech was not. These findings indicate that SFON may be a multifaceted construct, although more work is needed to extend these findings to other common SFON tasks.
Holonomy Groups of Prime Order

We now give some examples of how to apply the general classification scheme of Chapter III. By Theorem 5.2 of Chapter II, we can pick any group we want for the holonomy group Φ. It is, of course, trivial to see that the only Bieberbach groups with trivial holonomy groups (i.e. Φ = {1}) are the free abelian groups, so the only compact riemannian manifolds with trivial holonomy group are the flat tori. Notice that we did not have to say that the riemannian manifold was “flat” since by Theorem 3.2 of Chapter II, any manifold with a finite (or even merely totally disconnected) holonomy group must have zero curvature.
Starburst Episodes Near the Galactic Center

It was suggested that the Galactic center experienced a giant explosion about 1.5 107 yrs ago, releasing ~ 1056 ergs, perhaps due to a starburst involving more than ~ 105 supernovae. This scenario can be tested through a search for the resulting γ-ray line emission or a search for the radio pulsars produced during the starburst.
Torsional vibration of a penny-shaped crack in a transversely isotropic material

ABSTRACT The dynamic problem of a transversely isotropic medium containing a penny-shaped crack under torsional vibration is solved in terms of an infinite integral that is evaluated through a contour integration to be discontinuous in nature. The dynamic solutions reduce to the associated static solutions when the forcing frequency vanishes for an isotropic material. An exact expression for the dynamic stress intensity factor is obtained in terms of the frequency factor and the anisotropic material constants. The maximum values of the normalized dynamic stress-intensity factor are shown to occur at different frequencies with the same amplitude of 2.2 times the associated static stress-intensity factor. The distortion of the dynamic crack surface displacement from the associated static displacement depends also on the forcing frequency and the material anisotropy.
Observing lingering hyporheic storage using electrical resistivity: variations around stream restoration structures, Crabby Creek, PA

Time-lapse geophysical surveys can map lingering hyporheic storage by detecting changes in response to saline tracer. Tracer tests were conducted in Crabby Creek, an urban stream outside Philadelphia, to examine the influence of stream restoration structures and variable sediment thickness. We compared electrical resistivity surveys with extensive well sampling (57 wells) in two 13.5-m-long reaches, each with a step drop created by a J-hook. The two step drops varied in tracer behaviour, based on both the well data and the geophysical data. The well data showed more variation in arrival time where the streambed sediment was thick and was more uniform where sediment was thin. The resistivity in the reach with thin sediment showed lingering tracer in the hyporheic zone both upstream and downstream from the J-hook. In the second reach where the sediment was thicker, the lingering tracer in the hyporheic zone was more extensive downstream from the J-hook. The contrasting results between the two reaches from both methods suggested that sediments influenced hyporheic exchange more than the step at this location. Resistivity inversion differed from well data in both reaches in that it showed evidence for tracer after well samples had returned to background, mapping lingering tracer either upstream or downstream of a step. We conclude that resistivity surveys may become an important tool for hyporheic zone characterization because they provide information on the extent of slow moving fluids in the hyporheic zone, which have the potential to enhance chemical reactions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tolerancia, democracia y derecho

Una manera de entender la filosofia consiste en considerarla como una actividad que tiene que ver antes con el significado de las palabras que con la verdad. De las palabras que la ciencia utiliza sin definir, de las que emplea la propia filosofia sin hacerse cargo de su significado, e incluso de aquellas palabras reputadas importantes que se usan en el habla comun de las personas. Desde esa perspectiva, este trabajo examina las palabras "tolerancia", "derecho" y "democracia", y llama la atencion acerca de que la primera designa una virtud, la segunda un fenomeno cultural de caracter normativo y cuya nota distintiva es la coercibilidad, y la tercera una forma de gobierno. Por ultimo, el trabajo, junto con relacionar de algun modo esos tres conceptos entre si, los vincula tambien con la imperfeccion. Con la imperfeccion tanto de los individuos como de las sociedades que estos forman. En sintesis, se sostiene que es porque somos imperfectos que necesitamos del derecho, que optamos por la democracia y que nos comportamos tolerantemente con los demas. A proposito de la tolerancia, el trabajo concluye con las compasivas imagenes que Voltaire utiliza en la parte final de su famosa obra sobre la materia.
Molecular Kinetics and Physical Gas Dynamics

Detailed analyses of non-equilibrium effects in hypersonic high-temperature and high-altitude phenomena require a clear understanding of the concepts and methods of the kinetic theory of gases. In this chapter, the Boltzmann equation and its extensions to polyatomic gases and mixtures are presented. The most prominent analytical, numerical, and physical methods for the solution of the Boltzmann equation are outlined. It is shown that the Navier–Stokes equations of fluid mechanics can be derived from the Boltzmann equation in the limit of near-continuum, near-equilibrium conditions. Keywords: kinetic theory; Boltzmann equation; Chapman-Enskog theory; transport properties
Status and Physics of the Fermilab TEVATRON

The first superconducting proton synchrotron became operational in 1983. Since then, extensive fixed target and colliding beam facilities have been added to create the TEVATRON. Here we describe the fixed target physics program, largely from the major runs of 800 GeV in 1985 and 1987. The first collider run of \(\bar pp \) at 1.8 TeV took place from January–May 1987. The operation and physics results of the collider will also be presented. Finally, an outline of future improvements will be given.
Thick film electrostatic printing (solar cell fabrication)

A noncontact, electrostatic, thick film circuit printing technique, developed for the metallization of edge-defined film-fed-growth (EFG) solar cells, is discussed. The conventional thick-film solar cell inks were modified by adding 10-20% terpineol solvent. The effects of ink viscosity, applied voltages, nozzle diameter, and nozzle-to-substrate distance on line definition and ink flow rate were investigated. A simple theoretical model for the electrostatic ink ejection was derived. The minimum line width obtained was 3 mil. The use of multilayer printing increased the line film thickness. The maximum line width obtained was about 20-30 mil for a single run. The system is now completely computer-controlled and capable of printing films onto solar cell substrates reliably and with a high degree of accuracy. Multiple layer prints can be made with good layer-to-layer registration. >
Deep Recombination: RNA and ssDNA Virus Genes in DNA Virus and Host Genomes

Viruses are notorious for rapidly exchanging genetic information between close relatives and with the host cells they infect. This exchange has profound effects on the nature and rapidity of virus and host evolution. Recombination between dsDNA viruses is common, as is genetic exchange between dsDNA viruses or retroviruses and host genomes. Recombination between RNA virus genomes is also well known. In contrast, genetic exchange across viral kingdoms, for instance between nonretroviral RNA viruses or ssDNA viruses and host genomes or between RNA and DNA viruses, was previously thought to be practically nonexistent. However, there is now growing evidence for both RNA and ssDNA viruses recombining with host dsDNA genomes and, more surprisingly, RNA virus genes recombining with ssDNA virus genomes. Mechanisms are still unclear, but this deep recombination greatly expands the breadth of virus evolution and confounds virus taxonomy.
Permafrost, Infrastructure, and Climate Change: A GIS-Based Landscape Approach to Geotechnical Modeling

Abstract Increases in air temperature have occurred in most parts of the Arctic in recent decades. Corresponding changes in permafrost and the active layer have resulted in decreases in ground-bearing capacity, which may not have been anticipated at the time of construction in permafrost regions. Permafrost model was coupled with empirically derived solutions adopted from Soviet and Russian construction standards and regulations to estimate the bearing capacity of foundations under rapidly changing climatic conditions, in a variety of geographic and geologic settings. Changes in bearing capacity over the last 40 years were computed for large population and industrial centers within different physiographic and climatic conditions of the Russian Arctic. The largest decreases were found in city of Nadym, where the bearing capacity has decreased by more than 40%. A smaller, but considerable decrease of approximately 20% was estimated for Yakutsk and Salekhard. Spatial model results at a regional scale depict ...
The plain man's guide to plate tectonics

This article reviews the basic ideas of sea-floor spreading and plate tectonics and the main lines of evidence which have led to their widespread acceptance. The earth is treated as a heat engine which is driven by its internal radioactive heat production; plate tectonic processes involve the conversion of thermal energy to mechanical energy and mechanical energy to thermal energy several times. Two topics are selected for treatment in more detail: mantle ‘plumes’ and collision orogeny.
(R)-beta,gamma-fluoromethylene-dGTP-DNA ternary complex with DNA polymerase beta.

β,γ-Fluoromethylene analogues of nucleotides are generally considered to be useful mimics of the natural substrates for DNA polymerases, but direct structural evidence defining their active site interactions has not been available. In addition, the effect of introducing a new chiral center (the CHF carbon) has been unexplored. We report here structural studies of the diastereomeric β,γ-CHF analogues (R, 3; S, 4) of dGTP interacting with the active site of DNA pol β, a repair enzyme that plays an important role in base excision repair (BER) and oncogenesis. The conjugation of dGMP 5‘-morpholidate with a tetrabutylammonium salt of (fluoromethylene)bisphosphonic acid (6b, prepared like its difluoro analogue 7b via fluorination of tetraisopropyl methylenebisphosphonate carbanion with Selectfluor) gives a 1:1 mixture of 3 and 4 (by 19F NMR, pH 10). The β,γ-CF2 (2) and β,γ-CH2 (1) dGTP analogues were also synthesized. Crystallization from a solution containing 3 + 4 together with a preformed DNA pol β complex o...
Effect of L-leucine on p-aminohippurate accumulation by mammalian renal cortical slices.

Abstract The effect of several amino acids (L-glutamate, L-phenylalanine, L-leucine, glycine, L-tryptophan, L-histidine, L-valine) on p -aminohippurate accumulation was evaluated in rat, mouse and rabbit kidneys. Only leucine was found to enhance p -aminohippurate accumulation in rat and mouse renal cortical slices but not in rabbit slices. Leucine had no effect on tetraethylammonium accumulation. In rat renal cortical slices, leucine increased the uptake and decreased the runout of p -aminohippurate, each effect contributing to the increase in p -aminohippurate accumulation. The apparent K m of p -aminohippurate uptake was decreased by leucine with no change in the apparent V . Aminooxyacetate (an inhibitor of transamination of leucine) partially depressed the stimulating effect of leucine on p -aminohippurate accumulation, whereas α -ketoisocaproic acid (a metabolite of leucine formed by transamination) enhanced p -aminohippurate accumulation, suggesting that the metabolism of leucine in kidney slices may be necessary for the stimulating effect on p -aminohippurate transport.
Teaching Medical Students About Adoption and Foster Care

Abstract This article reports that an elective training for medical students regarding the ways that adoption and foster care may affect patients they will see in their future medical practice is effective, perceived by students to be a valuable experience, and may contribute to good medical practice. As a follow-up to recommendations from a Massachusetts Task Force on Adoption-which identified the need to promote educational programs on adoption and foster careweekly skills-building classes were designed to increase medical students' awareness of how frequently adoption and foster care may play a role in patients' lives. This course aims to increase students' ability to communicate with, and analyze and interpret information from members of adoption and/or foster care triads through a series of presentations by adoption and foster care experts, who include doctors with specialties in international adoption medicine, behavioral health issues of children who were adopted, specialized care for children in f...
On the Dimensionality of Two-Question Format Likert Attitude Scales

Abstract Previous research indicates that Likert items do not result in unidimensional ordinal rating scales nor do they consistently permit the separation of Content and Intensity dimensions. An alternative strategy is to present a separate Content (agree or disagree) item immediately followed by an Intensity (strongly or not strongly) item. Panel data from the 1992 and 1994 American National Election Studies are used to study this strategy. The results indicate that Content and Intensity are sometimes confounded with the two-part questions, and also that the joint responses to the Content and Intensity questions do not generally constitute a unidimensional scale.
Asymptotic distributions of impulse response functions in short panel vector autoregressions

This paper establishes the asymptotic distributions of the impulse response functions in panel vector autoregressions with a fixed time dimension. It also proves the asymptotic validity of a bootstrap approximation to their sampling distributions. The autoregressive parameters are estimated using the GMM estimators based on the first differenced equations and the error variance is estimated using an extended analysis-of-variance type estimator. Contrary to the time series setting, we find that the GMM estimator of the autoregressive coefficients is not asymptotically independent of the error variance estimator. The asymptotic dependence calls for variance correction for the orthogonalized impulse response functions. Simulation results show that the variance correction improves the coverage accuracy of both the asymptotic confidence band and the studentized bootstrap confidence band for the orthogonalized impulse response functions.
Reconstruction of posttraumatic elbow instability

Successful reconstruction of posttraumatic elbow instability depends on restoration of the anatomic contributors to stability. The osseous and articular structures are paramount. The radial head and coronoid should be repaired or reconstructed and the olecranon (proximal ulna) should be repaired in
Analytical model to estimate the subthreshold swing of SOI FinFET

This paper presents an analytical model to approximate the subthreshold swing of a SOI-FinFET device. The model considers only the capacitive coupling inside the structure of the device and does not take the doping attenuation of the channel into consideration because the channel of SOI-FinFET is either undoped or lightly doped. The devolved model can be used to analyze the impacts of various device parameters on the subthreshold behavior of SOI-FinFET. It is deducted that by optimizing the internal geometric parameters it is possible to achieve a subthreshold swing (S) or inverse subthreshold slope value close to 60mv/decade for SOI-FinFET. For the existing and emerging MOS devices the value of S is much higher than 60mv/decade (the theoretical minimum for silicon devices).
On feedback stabilization of the tokamak plasma vertical instability

For more than a decade the instability intrinsic to vertically elongated tokamak plasmas has been relatively well understood. Controllers that stabilize this instability have been in routine use at experimental devices since the 1980's. However, most analysis of this instability has used low order approximations, often just one state, from which understanding of the much higher order system is extrapolated. We expand on [Walker & Humphreys (2006a). A multivariable analysis of the plasma vertical instability in tokamaks. In Proceedings of the 45th IEEE conference on decision & control (pp. 2213)] using a full multivariable model to provide a rigorous treatment of this problem, including the case in which some control coils are superconducting. The results are consistent with the physics knowledge routinely used by specialists in designing vertical stabilization. We examine two models of the tokamak-and-plasma system, one assuming the plasma has mass, the other assuming zero mass. Although the with-mass model is more correct, the massless model is most often used in control analyses. We examine multiple systems distinguished by whether there are superconducting control coils, the magnitude of the instability, and how strongly conductors are coupled. PD feedback is used as the prototype controller to study these models. Answers to stability questions depend critically on whether the plasma is assumed to have mass, but undergo only minor changes with the presence of superconducting coils. Examples show analyses using a massless plasma model can reach erroneous conclusions. Since the problem is unfamiliar to the general control community, tutorial information provides insight into the origin of the problem.
Accumulation of N-acylethanolamine glycerophospholipids in infarcted myocardium.

A new phospholipid was detected in the infarcted areas of canine myocardium 24 h after ligation of the left descending branch of the coronary artery. Both the central and peripheral areas of the infarct contained significant amounts of this lipid (4-6& of lipid phosphorus), but it was not present in the apparently normal portions of the same tissue. The lipid was isolated and characterized by its infrared spectrum, by chemical degradation and by comparison with synthetic and semi-synthetic standards. It was identified as a mixture of N-acylethanolamine glycerophospholipids consisting of diacyl-, alk-1-enylacyl- and alkylacylglycerol species. The N-acyl groups were mainly 16 : 0 and 18 : 0 with smaller proportions of 18 : 1 and 18 : 2. The relative decrease of ethanolamine glycerophospholipids in the infarcated areas and the similarity in their molecular species suggests a percursor-product relationship between these phospholipids.
Work‐related musculoskeletal symptoms among sheet metal workers

We report results of two pilot studies of the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and work tasks in sheet metal workers. These two studies were undertaken as pilot investigations to determine if symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome or other work-related musculoskeletal symptoms are present in sheet metal workers, and to determine if we could begin to identify the factors in sheet metal work that cause them. In the first study, telephone interviews were conducted with 18 disabled sheet metal workers; the second survey entailed self-administered questionnaires completed by 47 active and retired sheet metal workers. Among the disabled workers, rotator cuff cases reported the greatest percent of time spent hanging duct, an overhead task commonly carried out during field work. Carpal tunnel cases reported more hand tool use than the rotator cuff cases. The questionnaire survey of active and retired workers found the proportion of time spent in a sheet metal shop (contrasted with field work) to be positively associated with hand symptoms; sheet metal workers who spent at least 65% of their time in the shop had an odds ratio of 3.4 for symptomatic hand cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) (p = 0.12). The proportion of time spent hanging duct was positively associated with both neck and shoulder symptoms, with odds ratios of 7.9 (p = 0.08) and 2.7 (p = 0.16), respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Application of physical adsorption thermodynamics to heterogeneous chemistry on polar stratospheric clouds

Laboratory isotherms for the binding of several nonheterogeneously active atmospheric gases and for HCl to water ice are translated into adsorptive equilibrium constants and surface enthalpies. Extrapolation to polar conditions through the Clausius Clapeyron relation yields coverage estimates below the percent level for N2, Ar, CO2, and CO, suggesting that the crystal faces of type II stratospheric cloud particles may be regarded as clean with respect to these species. For HCl, and perhaps HF and HNO3, estimates rise to several percent, and the adsorbed layer may offer acid or proton sources alternate to the bulk solid for heterogeneous reactions with stratospheric nitrates. Measurements are lacking for many key atmospheric molecules on water ice, and almost entirely for nitric acid trihydrate as substrate. Adsorptive equilibria enter into gas to particle mass flux descriptions, and the binding energy determines rates for desorption of, and encounter between, potential surface reactants.
Does Insulin Species Modify Counterregulatory Hormone Response to Hypoglycemia

Objective To examine whether pork and human insulin induce different counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia. Research Design and Methods The responses to a mild hypoglycemic stimulus were determined in 35 healthy young adults with the glucose-clamp technique to ensure standardization of glucose and insulin levels. Either pork ( n = 15) or human ( n = 20) regular insulin was infused (0.8 mU·kg −1 ·min −1 ) to lower plasma glucose from 4.7 ± 0.07 to 3.3 ± 0.04 mM (both groups) over ∼ 40 min. Plasma glucose was maintained at that level (with variable rate glucose infusion) for an additional 60 min. Results Steady-state insulin levels were similar in both groups (316 ± 50 vs. 280 ± 29 pM, pork vs. human). Before insulin administration, basal counterregulatory hormone levels were indistinguishable. Most importantly, after plasma glucose was lowered, hormonal responses were nearly identical. No significant differences in peak values of epinephrine (1769 ± 404 vs. 1775 ± 311 pM, pork vs. human), norepinephrine (1.64 ± 0.23 vs. 1.87 ± 0.20 nM, pork vs. human), glucagon (163 ± 29 vs. 175 ± 20 ng/L, pork vs. human), growth hormone (14 ± 3 vs. 17 ± 3 μ/L, pork vs. human), or cortisol (543 ± 83 vs. 458 ± 28 nM, pork vs. human) occurred. Conclusions Our data suggest that pork and human insulin produce a comparable and robust hormonal response in healthy adults under conditions of controlled hypoglycemia.
Use of Nintendo Wii Fit™ in the rehabilitation of outpatients following total knee replacement: a preliminary randomised controlled trial.

Abstract Objectives To determine whether Nintendo Wii Fit™ is an acceptable adjunct to physiotherapy treatment in the rehabilitation of balance, lower extremity movement, strength and function in outpatients following total knee replacement. Design Preliminary randomised controlled trial. Setting Outpatient department of a rehabilitation hospital. Participants Adult outpatients following total knee replacement. Interventions The study group received a physiotherapy session followed by 15minutes of Wii Fit gaming activities. The games encouraged lateral and multidirectional weight shifting, and provided visual feedback regarding postural balance. The control group received a physiotherapy session followed by 15minutes of lower extremity strengthening and balance training exercises. Main outcome measures Length of outpatient rehabilitation, 2-minute walk test, knee range of motion, timed standing, Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale, Lower Extremity Functional Scale and Numeric Pain Rating Scale, all measured on admission and every 2 weeks until discharge. A patient satisfaction survey was completed at discharge. Results Seventeen males (34%) and 33 females (66%) with a mean age of 68 (standard deviation 11) years participated in the study. No significant differences in age, gender, days since surgery or length of outpatient rehabilitation were found between the groups. In addition, there were no significant differences in pain ( P =0.220), knee flexion ( P =0.951), knee extension ( P =0.492), walking speed ( P =0.855), timed standing tasks ( P =0.289), Lower Extremity Functional Scale ( P =0.079), Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale ( P =0.523) or patient satisfaction with therapy services ( P =0.201) between the groups. Conclusions Wii Fit is potentially acceptable as an adjunct to physiotherapy intervention for outpatients following total knee replacement, provided the games chosen challenge balance and postural control, and use the lower extremities. Further research is needed to establish whether video games as a therapy adjunct increase patient motivation and compliance with rehabilitation goals. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01548664.
Environmental Fate of Polyhexamethylene Biguanide

Polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) is used as a bacteriocidal agent in a variety of applications from medical devices to pools, but is highly toxic to some aquatic species. The stability of PHMB in various environmental matrices was examined. 80% of PHMB was present in fortified creek samples after 20 days, but bound immediately to soils with the exception of sandy soil. PHMB was absorbed to below detectable levels by weathered concrete within 12 h. In addition, one over the counter wound care product containing PHMB was evaluated to assess environmental leaching; detectable levels (20 μg/mL) were still present after 1 week.
Altered vesicular glutamate transporter expression in the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia.

Background Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental illness with profound emotional and economic burdens for those afflicted and their families. An increasing number of studies have found that schizophrenia is marked by dysregulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission. While numerous studies have found alterations of postsynaptic molecules in schizophrenia, a growing body of evidence implicates presynaptic factors. Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) have been identified and are known to package glutamate into vesicles in the presynaptic terminal for subsequent release into the synaptic cleft. Recent studies have shown that VGLUTs regulate synaptic activity via the amount of glutamate released. Accordingly, we hypothesized that VGLUTs are altered in schizophrenia, contributing to dysfunction of presynaptic activity. Methods Using in situ hybridization and Western blot analysis, we investigated alterations in VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 transcript and protein expression in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of subjects with schizophrenia and a comparison group. Results We found increased VGLUT1 transcript and reduced VGLUT1 protein expression in the ACC, but not DLPFC, in schizophrenia. Vesicular glutamate transporter 2 was unchanged at both levels of gene expression. We did not find changes in VGLUT1 messenger RNA (mRNA) or protein levels following 28-day treatment of rats with haloperidol (2 mg/kg/day), suggesting that our findings in schizophrenia are not due to an effect of antipsychotic treatment. Conclusions Overall, our data suggest decreased glutamate release in the ACC, as well as discordant regulation of VGLUT1 expression at different levels of gene expression.
Threshold ionization dynamics of the hydrogen atom in crossed electric and magnetic fields

In crossed electric and magnetic fields the hydrogen atom undergoes a transition to chaotic scattering associated with a critical point in the Hamiltonian flow. The stability of the critical point is determined and leads to an accurate prediction of the transition to scattering that is independent of the magnetic-field strength. Nevertheless, observed variations in the apparent ionization threshold with magnetic-field strength are explained.
Empathy in the physician's pain practice: benefits, barriers, and recommendations.

Although numerous characterizations of empathy exist, a common one describes empathy as “putting oneself in another person's shoes and getting a sense (i.e., a cognitive-emotional grasp) of that person's perspective and what he or she is experiencing, feeling, and thinking. Put very simply, empathy entails taking the role of the other and seeing the other from his or her internal frame of reference” (p. 217) [1]. Empathy, therefore, is not sympathy or feeling sorry for another, nor is it only respectfully listening to the patient talk. It is, as Carl Rogers famously asserted, an “as if ” phenomenon wherein I imagine not what this experience would be like for me, but rather what it would be like as if I could live in this other person's world and feel and interpret that person's experiences as he or she does (pp. 210–211) [2]. (For various characterizations of empathy, see Appendix 1.) As the following will show, empathy is a decidedly ethical construct: its utilization is singularly respectful of the patient's personhood. An empathic approach will elicit a patient's choices or aid in empowering the patient to exercise his or her autonomy. Because a fundamental empathic goal is to deepen and nurture the patient–provider relationship such that benefits can obtain, empathy becomes a healing clinical modality in itself. Last, because empathy usually employs a nonthreatening and nonjudgmental approach, its practitioners desist from “prejudging” the client's behaviors, beliefs, or attitudes. The empathic approach treats all patients equally: as persons worthy of unconditional respect. The goal of this essay is to explore the phenomenon of empathy from the perspective of the physician's pain practice. Beginning with an account of how an empathic stance can be extremely therapeutic in a pain management practice, this article will then discuss common barriers to …
Toxic potential of non-ortho and mono-ortho coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls in Aroclors®, seals, and humans

Mono-ortho and non-ortho coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were analyzed in Aroclors®, seals, and humans by graphitized carbon, a recently developed HPLC method (Hong et al. 1992b) and high-resolution gas chromatography with electron capture detection (HRGC/ECD). The concentration data were multiplied by potency factors derived from aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) induction to give 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents. The ability to separate coplanar PCBs from the majority of PCBs has allowed the use of TCDD toxicity equivalence to compare the relative dioxin-like potency of PCB residues in the complex mixtures. The most active mixtures, Aroclors® 1254, 1248, and 1242, contained 42–54% by weight of chlorine. The results demonstrate that the apparent dioxin-like potency of PCB residues in Aroclors®, seals, and humans is dominated by three congeners, 3,3′,4,4′-tetra-, 2,3,3′,4,4′-, and 3,3′,4,4′,5-pen-tachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC nos. 77, 105, 126).
“What My Doctor Didn't Tell Me”: Examining Health Care Provider Advice to Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women on Gestational Weight Gain and Physical Activity

Background Appropriate gestational weight gain (GWG) is vital, as excessive GWG is strongly associated with postpartum weight retention and long-term obesity. How health care providers counsel overweight and obese pregnant women on appropriate GWG and physical activity remains largely unexplored.
Microwave-assisted solventless single and double addition of HP(O)Ph2 to alkynes

Abstract Microwave radiation has been used to promote the addition of diphenylphosphine oxide to alkynes. The addition reactions were carried out using homogeneous and polymer-supported Group 9 catalysts such as (PPh 3 ) 3 RhCl, [Rh(cod)Cl] 2 , and Rh/supported triphenyl phosphine. Solventless reactions involving terminal alkynes were extremely rapid, and high yields of the alkenylphosphine oxides were obtained in 2 min using microwave radiation. The hydrophosphinylation of internal alkynes such as 4-octyne was also rapid (20 min). For comparison, addition reactions were carried out using conventional heating with the solid supported catalysts. The supported catalyst prepared from oligo(vinyl diphenylphosphine- co -vinyl diphenylphosphine oxide- co -vinyl chloride) was reused seven times to promote the addition of HP(O)Ph 2 to 1-heptyne with >90% conversion obtained in each case.
Intra-arrest cooling with delayed reperfusion yields higher survival than earlier normothermic resuscitation in a mouse model of cardiac arrest.

Summary Background Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) represents an important method to attenuate post-resuscitation injury after cardiac arrest. Laboratory investigations have suggested that induction of hypothermia before return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) may confer the greatest benefit. We hypothesized that a short delay in resuscitation to induce hypothermia before ROSC, even at the expense of more prolonged ischemia, may yield both physiological and survival advantages. Methods Cardiac arrest was induced in C57BL/6 mice using intravenous potassium chloride; resuscitation was attempted with CPR and fluid administration. Animals were randomized into three groups (n = 15 each): a normothermic control group, in which 8 min of arrest at 37 °C was followed by resuscitation; an early intra-arrest hypothermia group, in which 6.5 min of 37 °C arrest were followed by 90 s of cooling, with resuscitation attempted at 30 °C (8 min total ischemia); and a delayed intra-arrest hypothermia group, with 90 s cooling begun after 8 min of 37 °C ischemia, so that animals underwent resuscitation at 9.5 min. Results Animals treated with TH demonstrated improved hemodynamic variables and survival compared to normothermic controls. This was the case even when comparing the delayed intra-arrest hypothermia group with prolonged ischemia time against normothermic controls with shorter ischemia time (7-day survival, 4/15 vs. 0/15, p Conclusions Short resuscitation delays to allow establishment of hypothermia before ROSC appear beneficial to both cardiac function and survival. This finding supports the concept that post-resuscitation injury processes begin immediately after ROSC, and that intra-arrest cooling may serve as a useful therapeutic approach to improve survival.
Hyperkalemia: An adaptive response in chronic renal insufficiency.

Hyperkalemia: An adaptive response in chronic renal insufficiency. Background Hyperkalemia is a common feature of chronic renal insufficiency, usually ascribed to impaired K + homeostasis. However, various experimental observations suggest that the increase in extracellular [K + ] actually functions in a homeostatic fashion, directly stimulating renal K + excretion through an effect that is independent of, and additive to, aldosterone. Methods We have reviewed relevant studies in experimental animals and in human subjects that have examined the regulation of K + excretion and its relation to plasma [K + ]. Results Studies indicate that ( 1 ) extracellular [K + ] in patients with renal insufficiency correlates directly with intracellular K + content, and ( 2 ) hyperkalemia directly promotes K + secretion in the principal cells of the collecting duct by increasing apical and basolateral membrane conductances. The effect of hyperkalemia differs from that of aldosterone in that K + conductances are increased as the primary event. The changes in principal cell function and structure induced by hyperkalemia are indistinguishable from the effects seen in adaptation to a high K + diet. Conclusions We propose that hyperkalemia plays a pivotal role in K + homeostasis in renal insufficiency by stimulating K + excretion. In patients with chronic renal insufficiency, a new steady state develops in which extracellular [K + ] rises to the level needed to stimulate K + excretion so that it again matches intake. When this new steady state is achieved, plasma [K + ] remains stable unless dietary intake increases, glomerular filtration rate falls, or drugs are given that disrupt the new balance.
The Personal Threat of Environmental Problems as Predictor of Environmental Practices

In the 1990 Orange County (CA) Annual Survey, residents who perceive that environmental problems pose a very serious threat to their health and well-being are more likely to engage overall in environmental practices and, specifically, to recycle, conserve water, buy environmentally safe products, and limit their driving. Personal environmental threat is a better predictor of overall environmental practices than are demographic variables and political factors. Perceived environmental threat is highest among younger residents, women, liberals, and Democrats. Future directions for research on perceived environmental threat in particular, and environmental concern in general, are discussed.