cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient-specific, touch-based registration during robotic, image-guided partial nephrectomy

Image-guidance during partial nephrectomy enables navigation within the operative field alongside a 3-dimensional roadmap of renal anatomy generated from patient-specific imaging. Once a process is performed by the human mind, the technology will allow standardization of the task for the benefit of all patients undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. Any surgeon will be able to visualize the kidney and key subsurface landmarks in real-time within a 3-dimensional simulation, with the goals of improving operative efficiency, decreasing surgical complications, and improving oncologic outcomes. For similar purposes, image-guidance has already been adopted as a standard of care in other surgical fields; we are now at the brink of this in urology. This review summarizes touch-based approaches to image-guidance during partial nephrectomy, as the technology begins to enter in vivo human evaluation. The processes of segmentation, localization, registration, and re-registration are all described with seamless integration into the da Vinci surgical system; this will facilitate clinical adoption sooner.
Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer Performed During the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Delay in time to esophagectomy for esophageal cancer has been shown to have worse peri-operative and long-term outcomes. We hypothesized that COVID-19 would cause a delay to surgery, with worse perioperative outcomes, compared to standard operations. All esophagectomies for esophageal cancer at a single institution from March-June 2020, COVID-19 group, and from 2019 were reviewed and peri-operative details were compared between groups. Ninety-six esophagectomies were performed in 2019 vs 37 during March-June 2020 (COVID-19 group). No differences between groups were found for preoperative comorbidities. Wait-time to surgery from final neoadjuvant treatment was similar, median 50 days in 2019 vs 53 days during COVID-19 p = 0.601. There was no increased upstaging, from clinical stage to pathologic stage, 9.4% in 2019 vs 7.5% in COVID-19 p = 0.841. Fewer overall complications occurred during COVID-19 vs 2019, 43.2% vs 64.6% p = 0.031, but complications were similar by specific grades. Readmission rates were not statistically different during COVID-19 than 2019, 16.2% vs 10.4% p = 0.38. No peri-operative mortalities or COVID-19 infections were seen in the COVID-19 group. Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer was not associated with worse outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic with minimal risk of infection when careful COVID-19 guidelines are followed. Prioritization is recommended to ensure no delays to surgery.
Can Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Be Used As Contemporary and Effective Skill for an Exceptional Manager in an Organization?

As the world of business becomes more competitive because of globalization, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is emerging as an effective tool that helps managers to learn and manage the firm in order that they may increase their competitiveness in the market. It is therefore no surprise that NLP in a business context continues to grow rapidly, as NLP is increasingly becoming acknowledged as one of the best available sources of knowledge on people-skills. This is important, as employees are the most important asset of a firm so using NLP skills to maintain a good relationship with employees is crucial. Hence, the acquisition of NLP skills by the managers would make them successful.
Development of a Scoring System to Differentiate Amiodarone-Induced Liver Injury From Alcoholic Steatohepatitis.

OBJECTIVES Amiodarone-induced liver injury (AILI) is histopathologically similar to alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH). We sought to elucidate their histologic differences and develop a scoring system to differentiate these two entities. METHODS A cohort of 17 AILI and 17 ASH cases was included in the initial study. Cases from three different institutions were included for further validation. RESULTS Macrovesicular steatosis was usually below 10% of the liver parenchyma in AILI. Hepatocyte ballooning degeneration was more common in ASH than in AILI. "Balloon-like" hepatocyte was more common in AILI than in ASH. Lobular neutrophilic inflammation, satellitosis, and cholestasis were more common in ASH. Mallory-Denk bodies and pericellular fibrosis in AILI were mainly located in zone 1 compared with a panacinar or zone 3 distribution in ASH. A scoring system was developed in which points were assigned to different histologic features; a total sum of less than 5 suggests AILI, more than 5 is ASH, and 5 is equivocal. This scoring system was then evaluated on a test cohort comprising 14 AILI cases, in which 13 cases were correctly assigned with a score less than 5. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing AILI in the test cohort were 92.9%, 91.7%, and 92.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This scoring system can aid pathologists to differentiate AILI from ASH.
A Biokinematic Model for Workplace Design

The spatial relationships between an operator and his working environment must be evaluated early in the design process. To aid the designer in this evaluation, a computerized biokinematic model of the operator has been developed to determine reach feasibility and predict the configuration of aseated operator performing a task sequence. The development, validation, and applications of the model are discussed.
Utilizing Radiofrequency Identification Technology to Improve Safety and Management of Blood Bank Supply Chains

Abstract Introduction: The importance of efficiency in the supply chain of perishable products, such as the blood products used in transfusion services, cannot be overstated. Many problems can occur, such as the outdating of products, inventory management issues, patient misidentification, and mistransfusion. The purpose of this article was to identify the benefits and barriers associated with radiofrequency identification (RFID) usage in improving the blood bank supply chain. Materials and Methods: The methodology for this study was a qualitative literature review following a systematic approach. The review was limited to sources published from 2000 to 2014 in the English language. Sixty-five sources were found, and 56 were used in this research study. Results: According to the finding of the present study, there are numerous benefits and barriers to RFID utilization in blood bank supply chains. RFID technology offers several benefits with regard to blood bank product management, including decreased tran...
Knowledge and Skills Needed by Management Graduates

There are many possible skills that can be acquired in Master’s and Bachelor’s degree programs in business schools. Some of those skills are content-oriented and often discipline specific. Others are process-oriented and cross disciplinary.
Material based splashing of water drops

The splashing of a water drop is a fascinating phenomenon that results from a variety of complex interactions between the drop and the material it impacts. In general, the distribution of droplets of a splash depends on the drop size and velocity; the surface roughness, rigidity, and wetness; and the angle of impact. Given the number of factors involved, it is difficult to develop an analytical model for the splash distribution. Instead, we take an empirical approach. We have measured the splashing behaviors of 22 different materials that are commonly found in the real world. These materials can be broadly classified as rough (e.g., wood and brick), smooth (e.g., marble and glass), flexible (e.g., silk and paper), and miscellaneous (e.g., water and moss). We have developed a stochastic model for splash distribution that builds upon empirical models previously developed in fluid dynamics and meteorology. Our model is simple and only requires 7 coefficients for generating splashes for head-on impact for a material. A more general model for generating splashes for arbitrary impact angles (due to surface inclination or wind) requires 54 coefficients. The models of different materials may be combined to generate physically plausible splashes for novel materials that have not been measured. Our model is applicable for rendering splashes due to rain as well as water drops falling from large heights such as windowsills, trees, and rooftops.
Image Makers: Advertising, Public Relations and the Ethos of Advocacy

Image Makers: Advertising, Public Relations and the Ethos of Advocacy. Robert Jackall and Janice M. Hirota. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. 333 pp.
The influence of climate on root depth : A carbon cost-benefit analysis

[1] The depth of the active root zone identifies the portion of the subsurface that exchanges soil water with the atmosphere. The depth of this zone is determined by a number of factors, and this work focuses on the drivers related to water and climate. An analytical expression for a water-optimal root depth is developed by equating the marginal carbon cost and benefit of deeper roots. Soil-moisture dynamics are driven by stochastic rainfall, and the predicted root depth is a function climate, soil, and vegetation characteristics. Consistent with results from the field, deep roots coincide with environments for which precipitation and potential evapotranspiration are approximately equal. For water-limited ecosystems, increases in the wetness of the climate produce deeper roots, and root depth is more sensitive to changes in the depth of rain events than to their frequency. In wet environments, the opposite is true; root depth generally decreases with increasing wetness and shows greater sensitivity to changes in rainfall frequency than intensity.
An In Vitro Evaluation of the Efficacy of the More Frequently Used Antacids with Particular Attention to Tablets

Summary 1.A comparison of the antacid efficacy of aluminum hydroxide in liquid and tablet form by an ‘in vitro' evaluation technique, shows the liquid form to be superior to the tablet form. 2.Aluminum, in the form of dihydroxy aluminum aminoacetate, evaluated for antacid efficacy in liquid and tablet form, is found to be as effective in both forms as liquid aluminum hydroxide preparations. 3.Mixtures of glycine and calcium carbonate, and of dry skimmed milk and calcium carbonate are found to be effective antacids if used in relatively large amounts. 4.Aluminum hydroxide gel combined with milk of magnesia is a much more effective antacid than aluminum hydroxide gel alone. Varying the milk of magnesia content permits also control of bowel movement.
When Does Negativity Demobilize? Tracing the Conditional Effect of Negative Campaigning on Voter Turnout

Do negative campaign advertisements affect voter turnout? Existing literature on this topic has produced conflicting empirical results. Some scholars show that negativity is demobilizing. Others show that negativity is mobilizing. Still others show that negativity has no effect on turnout. Relying on the psychology of decision making, this research argues and shows that this empirical stalemate is due to the fact that existing work ignores a crucial factor: the timing of exposure to negativity. Two independent empirical tests trace the conditional effect of negativity. The first test relies on data from the 2004 presidential campaign. The second test considers the effect of negativity over a broader period of time by considering elections 1976 to 2000. Taken together, both tests reinforce that negativity can only demobilize when two conditions are met: (1) a person is exposed to negativity after selecting a preferred candidate and (2) the negativity is about this selected candidate.
How a lesson on microscopes supports learning about light in elementary schools

One of the goals of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) is workforce development. If K-12 students are to be ready for the jobs of the 21st century they must be able to work with tools such as microscopes. This study was conducted to determine if the NNIN lesson Taking a Closer Look at Objects helped grades K-5 students connect what they were learning about light and its uses, to how microscopes work. The results of this study indicate that the lesson not only helped students improve their knowledge of how light is used but also helped them become more knowledgeable about how microscopes work. Students learning how light is used to form an image in an optical microscope, lays the foundation for them to learn how other microscopes such as the Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope are used to form images. This knowledge is important in supporting the continued research and development in the field of nanoscale science and engineering.
Performance evaluation of PID power system stabilizer for synchronous generator

The excitation control of a synchronous generator using proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) control is considered. The proposed PID power system stabilizer uses the generator frequency and voltage deviations to provide a supplementary signal for the excitation control. The gains of the PIC controller are calculated for complete pole placement. Digital simulation of synchronous machine subject to a disturbance is performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller. It is found that the proposed PID stabilizer outperforms the traditional power system stabilizer currently used by most power plants. >
Dissolution Behaviors and Applications of Silicon Oxides and Nitrides in Transient Electronics

Silicon oxides and nitrides are key materials for dielectrics and encapsulation layers in a class of silicon-based high performance electronics that has ability to completely dissolve in a controlled fashion with programmable rates, when submerged in bio-fluids and/or relevant solutions. This type of technology, referred to as “transient electronics”, has potential applications in biomedical implants, environmental sensors, and other envisioned areas. The results presented here provide comprehensive studies of transient behaviors of thin films of silicon oxides and nitrides in diverse aqueous solutions at different pH scales and temperatures. The kinetics of hydrolysis of these materials depends not only on pH levels/ion concentrations of solutions and temperatures, but also on the morphology and chemistry of the films, as determined by the deposition methods and conditions. Encapsulation strategies with a combination of layers demonstrate enhancement of the lifetime of transient electronic devices, by reducing water/vapor permeation through the defects.
Relations Between Women's Depressive Symptoms and Perceptions of Infant Distress Signals Varying in Pitch.

Fifteen nondepressed, 15 moderately depressed, and 15 severely depressed women rated tape-recordings of a newborn infant's hunger cry digitally altered to increase in fundamental frequency in 100 Hz increments. Cries were rated on 4 perceptual (e.g., arousing-not arousing) and 6 caregiving rating scale items (e.g., cuddle, feed) used in previous studies (Zeskind, 1983). Analyses of variance showed that, as cry pitch increased, cries were rated as more arousing, aversive, urgent, and sick sounding. Highest pitched cries received highest levels of caregiving interventions. Severely depressed women rated cries as less perceptually salient and less likely to elicit active caregiving responses. Interaction effects showed that severely depressed women were least responsive to highest pitched cries. These results suggest that women's depression may alter perceptions of infant distress signals, especially at times of greater infant distress.
Chemistry of Organic Nitrates: Thermal Chemistry of Linear and Branched Organic Nitrates

The objective of our research was to measure accurate rate constants for the thermal, unimolecular decomposition of organic nitrates. Our research confirms that the rate-determining step is homolytic cleavage of the weak O−N bond to form alkoxy radical and NO2, but the rate constants reported in the past are incorrect. The alkoxy radical and NO2 engage in secondary reactions that ultimately generate stable products such as carbonyl and nitro compounds. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were used to monitor the time dependent loss of organic nitrate and to characterize the products of the thermal reaction. Past research indicates that oxygen slows the rate of homolytic O−N bond cleavage to form radicals. Our research shows that the rates are the same in nitrogen as they are in air. The reaction in air produces α−β unsaturated ketones/aldehydes, which are not generated in a nitrogen atmosphere. The unsaturated ketone/aldehydes complicate the IR analysis, giving the ...
18.3: Microcavity Plasma Devices for Display Applications: Independently Addressable Arrays with Improved Luminous Efficacy

Independently addressable arrays of microcavity plasma devices have been fabricated and tested. This presentation reports data demonstrating that these devices provide a basis for alternative PDP cell structures of improved luminosity. The radiant output of Si arrays yields values for the luminous efficacy exceeding 7 lumens/W at 800 Torr of a Ne/50% Xe mixture. Measurements of the unoptimized radiant output of 500 × 500 (250,000) arrays of Si microplasma devices, operating in Ne/(5–50)% Xe mixtures and photoexciting (in transmission mode) a 20 μm thick film of green phosphor, yield values of the luminous efficacy up to 7.2 ± 0.6 lumens/W for a Ne/50% Xe mixture (total pressure of 800 Torr) excited by a 20 kHz sinusoidal voltage waveform. Sustaining voltages ranging from ∼250 to 340 V (RMS) yield luminance values up to ∼2000 cd-m−2 for Ne/50% Xe mixtures without incorporation of MgO. Recent laser spectroscopic measurements of Xe2 (a3∑u+ absorption in the visible and near-infrared suggest steps to be taken in PDP cell design, particularly as the Xe content in Ne/Xe mixtures is increased.
Single-mode fiber for high power applications with small bend radii

A fiber design is proposed that addresses bend loss, high power and handleability concerns for fibers deployed in high power devices and associated pigtails. If bending is tight enough to leak power from the core into the glass cladding, a coating with a sufficiently low index traps this potentially dangerous power in the cladding. The coating is also designed to keep cladding power from damaging downstream devices and terminations. Loss due to tight bends is minimized by use of a glass design with a small mode-field diameter. This glass design further suppresses the high power failure mode. Over the high power coating is a thick layer of a toughened polymer coating which provides a significant increase in mechanical protection over most commercial coatings.
Abnormal expression of transcription factor activator protein-2α in pathologic placentas

Summary Recent studies from our laboratory have indicated that the transcription factor activator protein-2 α plays a critical role in the differentiation of human villous cytotrophoblast cells to syncytiotrophoblast cells. However, little is known about the expression of activator protein-2 α in placentas from pathologic pregnancies. This study compares the expression of activator protein-2 α in placentas from high-risk pregnancies to gestational age–matched controls. Paracentral sections from grossly unremarkable areas of 10 placentas from each group of pregnancies complicated by mild preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, and fetal growth restriction and 10 control cases of placentas from normal pregnancies matched for gestational age were double immunostained for activator protein-2 α and E-cadherin. The total numbers of cytotrophoblast cells and syncytiotrophoblast nuclei and the numbers of activator protein-2 α –positive and activator protein-2 α –negative nuclei in both of these cell types were counted by 2 pathologists blinded to disease status, in 10 representative ×40 high-power fields for each placenta. Abnormal placental maturation in most of pathologic pregnancies was evidenced by a 1.5- to 1.7-fold lower expression ratio of syncytiotrophoblast cell to cytotrophoblast cell. Activator protein-2 α in syncytiotrophoblast cells was lower in mild preeclampsia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and fetal growth restriction ( P P =.3). Because activator protein-2 α has been shown to be critical for villous cytotrophoblast cell differentiation, our findings suggest that abnormalities in the activator protein-2 α cascade of transcription factors and/or signaling molecules may contribute to the pathogenesis of the abnormal maturation in placentas in certain types of high-risk pregnancies. The different pattern of activator protein-2 α expression in mild and severe preeclampsia clearly suggests that these conditions may have 2 independent pathogenic mechanisms.
The Russian Geographical Society, the “Amur Epoch,'”and the Great Siberian Expedition 1855–18631

ABSTRACT The history of exploration has hitherto focused largely on the description of the explorations themselves and on an analysis of their scientific-geographical findings. The fact that such exploration often is intrinsically related to political and social factors characterizing the society out of which it originates is consequently obscured, if not entirely neglected. This paper attempts to demonstrate that the genesis and the very purpose of the Great Siberian Expedition cannot be understood apart from the political and ideological climate of the 1840s and 1850s in Russia. It shows that the rapid and powerful growth of nationalist sentiment at this time was the main inspiration for the work of the young Russian Geographical Society. This sentiment dictated the exclusive task for geographers to study the Russian fatherland and, more specifically, it lent a special imperative to the study of Russian Asia. Members of the Society came to see this latter endeavor as a means for them to fulfill their pa...
Evidence of hydrous differentiation and crystal accumulation in the low-MgO, high-Al 2 O 3 Lake Basalt from Medicine Lake volcano, California

The late Pleistocene Lake Basalt of Medicine Lake volcano, California is comprised of variably porphyritic basalt and basaltic andesite flows and scoria. These eruptives are similar in composition and phenocryst abundance to the low-MgO, high-Al2O3 mafic magmas common in convergent margin settings. The petrogenesis of the magmas that produced the Lake Basalt has been inferred from field relations, melting experiments and subsequent major and trace element modeling. Their formation involved both hydrous differentiation and plagioclase accumulation and thus the Lake Basalt can be used to constrain the relative contributions of these processes to the production of high-Al2O3 arc basalt. Phenocryst-poor lavas of the Lake Basalt formed by hydrous differentiation; their compositions and observed phenocrysts were reproduced in 1 kbar, H2O-saturated melting experiments. Anorthite-rich plagioclase compositions of the lavas of the Lake Basalt necessitate crystallization from melts with between 4 and 6 wt% dissolved H2O. Phenocryst-rich lavas of the Lake Basalt, with 18 modal% phenocrysts and greater, formed by plagioclase accumulation in magmas similar to the phenocryst-poor lavas. This interpretation is supported by the depleted incompatible element abundances and enriched Sr/Zr ratio of the more porphyritic lavas relative to the phenocryst-poor lavas. We model the formation of the Lake Basalt as a two-stage process that combines a differentiation model and a plagioclase accumulation model. Stage one involved hydrous fractionation, granitic assimilation and mixing with undifferentiated parent magma. This process generated lavas with up to 19.2 wt% A12O3 and 7 modal% phenocrysts. In stage two, plagioclase accumulated in these liquids and produced more aluminous and porphyritic lavas with up to 21.8 wt% A12O3 and 33 modal% phenocrysts.
μSR experiments in heavy electron systems

The salient features of heavy electron systems are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of the μSR technique for studying heavy electron properties are discussed. Three current areas of heavy electron physics are emphasized: the symmetry of the superconducting state, the interplay of magnetism and superconductivity, and the role of impurity substitutions in changing heavy electron properties. Experiments in (U, Th) Be13, URu2Si2 and UPt3 are discussed.
SU-FF-T-126: Comparison of Tangential Fields with Non-Coplanar Irradiation for Partial Breast Treatment

Purpose: To Compare DVH for 4–5 non‐coplanar beam arrangement with tangential beams using forward FNF (field‐in‐field) planning technique for partial breast treatment and investigate the effect of setup uncertainty and patient motion on DVH. Method and material: Five breast patients with right and left lesion are chosen randomly for the planning comparison with partial breast treatment protocol RTOG ♯0413. Four or five non coplanar beams arrangement is compared with the tangential two beam arrangement using field in field technique with Varian eclipse treatment planning system. CTV is defined as surgical cavity +1.5 cm to chest wall, excluding 5 mm from skin; PTV is defined as 1.0 cm margin around CTV. PTV_eval (PTV, exclude chest wall and 5mm away from skin) is used for the DVH evaluation. Organ motion effects are investigated with adjusting beams isocenter 5mm up and down, with the same fields' apertures. Results: Non‐coplanar planning spares more ipsilateral normal breast than FNF, however non‐coplanar treatment requires longer treatment time and prone to have higher setup error and patient motion. For smaller breast (e.g. separation 20cm), non‐coplanar planning improves PTV coverage by >2–3% compared with FNF. Magnitude of DVH differences between organ motion and ideal position are similar for normal tissues in both planning technique. PTV‐EVAL is more influenced by organ motion in non‐coplanar plan compared with FNF for both small and large breast treatments. Conclusion: Both non coplanar and forward FNF methods meet the RTOG ♯0413 dose volume requirement. Forward FNF planning can provide comparable local control rate as well as with reduced treatment and verification time. Forward FNF planning is preferred for smaller breast, e.g., separation smaller than 20 cm.
Integrating accounts of speech production: the devil is in the representational details

This commentary focuses on two key aspects of Hickok's proposal that distinguish it from other theories of speech production. Unlike many other accounts, auditory targets play a central and early role in speech production. This proposal also adopts a generally reductionist approach to the production of speech, relying almost exclusively on sensory and motor processes to represent sound structure. This eliminates various levels of phonological representation that play key roles in theories motivated by psycholinguistic and cognitive neuropsychological research. The general and specific issues raised by Hickok's approach are examined within two specific areas: the structure of sound representations and patterns of performance in "conduction aphasia." The key innovation of the Hickok proposal is the central and prominent role of auditory targets in speech pro- duction. Based on the notion that an auditory target is the "ultimate goal of a speech act" (p. 14), and auditory targets are "elevated" from their traditionally more peripheral role within many motor, psycholinguis- tic and cognitive neuropsychological proposals. In these accounts, auditory representations are typically involved solely in the monitoring of speech output and, therefore, enter the speech production process only subsequent to the generation of some form of production target. Instead, Hickok proposes that auditory targets play a central and early role in speech production. Specifically, as soon as one moves beyond the semantic/lemma level of representation the word production process is driven by both auditory (and motor) information, regardless of whether the task itself involves auditory input. In other words, auditory targets play a similar role in spontaneous speech, picture naming and oral reading as they do in a task such as repetition where there is an explicit external auditory target. As we discuss below, there are a number of repres- entational consequences of Hickok's proposal, which is a generally reductionist approach to speech production that relies almost exclusively on sensory (auditory and soma- tosensory) and motor processes to represent sound struc- ture. Specifically, there is a significant "flattening" of the representational structures, eliminating the various levels of phonological representation that psycholinguistic and cognitive neuropsychological research has posited play key roles in moving from semantic representations to motor processes. Below we discuss some general and specific issues raised by such an approach, focusing on two areas: the structure of sound representations and patterns of performance in "conduction aphasia".
Subsonic Euler flows in a divergent nozzle

We characterize a class of physical boundary conditions that guarantee the existence and uniqueness of the subsonic Euler flow in a general finitely long nozzle. More precisely, by prescribing the incoming flow angle and the Bernoulli’s function at the inlet and the end pressure at the exit of the nozzle, we establish an existence and uniqueness theorem for subsonic Euler flows in a 2-D nozzle, which is also required to be adjacent to some special background solutions. Such a result can also be extended to the 3-D asymmetric case.
Oxazoline-oxazinone oxidative rearrangement. divergent syntheses of (2S,3S)-4,4,4-trifluorovaline and (2S,4S)-5,5,5-Trifluoroleucine.

Stereoselective syntheses of the valuable fluorinated amino acids (2S,3S)-4,4,4-trifluorovaline and (2S,4S)-5,5,5-trifluoroleucine have been achieved starting from 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-methylbutanoic ...
Physicochemical factors affecting larval fish densities in Mississippi River floodplain ponds, Louisiana (U.S.A.)

We collected water-quality data from 15 artificial floodplain ponds along the Mississippi River during May 1988 and quantified shoreline length, shoreline sinuousity, volume, and depth variation. Ponds regarded as high-quality nurseries (based upon larval fish densities) contained higher dissolved oxygen concentrations and lower total organic carbon concentrations than ponds of lower nursery quality (p < 0.02). High-quality nurseries also maintained higher conductivity and turbidity than low-quality nurseries (p < 0.05). Results indicated that dissolved oxygen and pH probably fluctuated less in high quality nurseries and therefore provided better conditions for survival and growth of larval fishes. Total organic carbon and conductivity were directly related to pond morphometry (p < 0.004) and affected dissolved oxygen and pH in ponds. Large, high-volume ponds with sinuous shorelines and variable depths tended to contain both high conductivities and low total organic carbon concentrations. Pond morphometry may have affected water quality and subsequently determined the nursery value of artificial floodplain ponds.
Seed treatment and water purification by the synergical effect of gliding arc plasma and photocatalytic film

In recent time low temperature plasma discharge is ordinarily used in material engineering for surface treatment of various kind of material but it has already been used also for other applications, such as degradation of mycotoxin, sterilization of thermally sensitive medical devices, seed germination enhancement etc. Also many types of advanced oxidation processes (AOP) are used in wide range of applications, for instance for biodegradation of pollutants, water cleaning, sterilization etc. In the paper the possibilities of using of low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma discharge (APD) and AOP based on photocatalysis in some environmental friendly applications is presented. The possibilities of APD using for degradation of mycotoxin has been already presented but any influence of the APD on quality of the infected and treated seeds was studied. Thus the comparison of nutriments contents of treated and untreated seeds was the aim of the paper. The synergistic effect of contemporary using of photocatalysis and APD of Gliding Arc type on biodegradation of pollutant in water is also presented.
What Capital Cities Say About State and Nation Building

In late 1997 Kazakhstan—at tremendous expense—shifted its capital city from scenic Almaty to windswept Akmola (later renamed Astana). Why would an elite undertake to move its capital city from one location to another? I will suggest that it is fruitful to view capital relocation—that is, the physical move of the central state apparatus—as a response to the challenges posed by a state's cultural geography. Capital relocation is an attractive strategy for post-colonial elites who face particularly acute state and nation building dilemmas. The capital shift in Kazakhstan was unique in post-Soviet space, and this uniqueness tells us much about the different nature of post-Soviet space versus other post-colonial contexts. In turn, this allows us to characterize the terrain upon which identity politics occurs.
An Interactive Web-Based 3D Environment for Assembly Training

The role of multimedia enriched web-based applications is being widely accepted as an effective training and instruction mechanism for technical training. Individualized training tools can be created to fit the trainee’s needs. The use of three-dimensional visualization for the web-based training environments plays a key role in building an effective and highly interactive training application. There are still needs to overcome problems regarding the integration of multimedia objects such as three-dimensional animation and simulation. The main objective of this research is to develop the training system with the help of the latest multimedia tools and using the internet as a delivery media. The use of the three-dimensional visualization adds a significant improvement in web-based environment for technical and engineering trainings. In order to accomplish the goals of this research, two kinds of environments are established. Although, the training sections of both the environments are same, there is a difference in terms of editing the position and appearance of the solid models inside the training environment. In the first environment, there is always need of multimedia specialist to edit the position and appearance of the solid models inside the environment. Second environment is provided with a text-based HTML file to provide the easy editing tool for controlling the solid models inside the training environment.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Development and implementation of clinical trial protocol templates at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Background A clinical research protocol document must reflect both sound scientific rationale as well as local, national and, when applicable, international regulatory and human subject protections requirements. These requirements originate from a variety of sources, undergo frequent revision and are subject to interpretation. Tools to assist clinical investigators in the production of clinical protocols could facilitate navigating these requirements and ultimately increase the efficiency of clinical research.Purpose The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) developed templates for investigators to serve as the foundation for protocol development. These protocol templates are designed as tools to support investigators in developing clinical protocols.Methods NIAID established a series of working groups to determine how to improve its capacity to conduct clinical research more efficiently and effectively. The Protocol Template Working Group was convened to determine what protocol te...
Differentiation of cognitive abilities as a function of neuroticism level: A measurement equivalence/invariance analysis

Abstract This paper investigates the differentiation of cognitive abilities as a function of neuroticism. Specifically, we examine Eysenck and White's [Eysenck, H.J., and White, P.O. (1964). Personality and the measurement of intelligence. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 24, 197–201.] hypothesis that cognitive abilities are less differentiated at high levels of neuroticism than they are at low levels of neuroticism. In spite of its potential importance, this hypothesis has only received limited research attention. Although a recent series of papers has found some initial support for the neuroticism-differentiation hypothesis, these studies have relied on correlational techniques. The current paper uses a more rigorous structural equation modeling technique to explicitly test for measurement invariance to determine whether the structure of cognitive abilities differs between high and low neuroticism levels, as measured by two self-report scales. Results from two datasets provide convincing evidence for complete measurement invariance across different levels of neuroticism, thus disconfirming the neuroticism-differentiation hypothesis.
An AES analysis of oxide films on iron

Abstract The Auger spectra of the iron oxides have been investigated. The relative amplitudes of the Auger lines from oxygen and iron have been determined for FeO, Fe 3 O 4 , α-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 , and FeOOH. It was found that the amplitude ratio s of the O (510 eV)/Fe (703 eV) lines was, to a first approximation, directly proportional to the ratio of oxygen and iron in the chemical formula. Structure was observed in the spectra resulting from the Fe M 2,3 VV transition. Different spectra were observed for Fe, FeO, Fe 3 O 4 , Fe 3 O 3 , and FeOOH; however, the same spectra were obtained for α- and γ-Fe 2 O 3 .
Vertebral Body Erosion and Subsequent Back Pain Secondary to a Vena Cava Filter.

Background: A patient with multiple open lumbar procedures, the most recent of which was complicated by symptomatic pulmonary embolus, underwent placement of an inferior vena cava filter (IVCF). Two years after placement, she developed low back pain with radicular symptoms. CT of the lumbar spine demonstrated vertebral body erosion from the IVCF strut. In this brief report, we describe L2 vertebral body erosion, radiographic findings, and a brief review of the literature. Objective: To describe radiographic findings of vertebral body erosion from IVCF as well as review the literature regarding this and other complications of IVCF placement. Methods: Retrospective, single patient chart review. Results: The patient's IVCF was successfully removed without complication. The pain and radicular symptoms resolved by one month follow-up. Conclusions: Based on the literature, most IVCFs with evidence of bony erosion are removed except when patient comorbidities, goals of care, or a complete absence of symptoms make removal inadvisable.
Positive derivations on archimedean lattice-ordered rings

It is known that the only positive derivation on a reduced archimedean f-ring is the zero derivation. We investigate derivations on general archimedean lattice-ordered rings. First, we consider semigroup rings over cyclic semigroups and show that, in the finite case, the only derivation that is zero on the underlying ring is the zero derivation and that, in the infinite case, such derivations are always based on the derivative. Turning our attention to lattice-ordered rings, we show that, on many algebraic extensions of totally ordered rings, the only positive derivation is the zero derivation and that, for transcendental extensions, derivations that are lattice homomorphisms are always translations of the usual derivative and derivations that are orthomorphisms are always dilations of the usual derivative. We also show that the only positive derivation on a lattice-ordered matrix ring over a subfield of the real numbers is the zero derivation, and we prove a similar result for certain lattice-ordered rings with positive squares.
State-delayed matrix differential-difference equations

Abstract Matrix differential-difference equations involving delayed state terms are solvable by the decomposition method without linearization.
Validation of semiautomated and locally resolved aortic wall thickness measurements from computed tomography.

Objective Aortic wall thickness (AWT) is important for anatomic description and biomechanical modeling of aneurysmal disease. However, no validated, noninvasive method for measuring AWT exists. We hypothesized that semiautomated image segmentation algorithms applied to computed tomography angiography (CTA) can accurately measure AWT. Methods Aortic samples from 10 patients undergoing open thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair were taken from sites of the proximal or distal anastomosis, or both, yielding 13 samples. Aortic specimens were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned. After staining with hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome, sections were digitally scanned and measured. Patients' preoperative CTA Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM; National Electrical Manufacturers Association, Rosslyn, Va) images were segmented into luminal, inner arterial, and outer arterial surfaces with custom algorithms using active contours, isoline contour detection, and texture analysis. AWT values derived from image data were compared with measurements of corresponding pathologic specimens. Results AWT determined by CTA averaged 2.33 ± 0.66 mm (range, 1.52-3.55 mm), and the AWT of pathologic specimens averaged 2.36 ± 0.75 mm (range, 1.51-4.16 mm). The percentage difference between pathologic specimens and CTA-determined AWT was 9.5% ± 4.1% (range, 1.8%-16.7%). The correlation between image-based measurements and pathologic measurements was high (R = 0.935). The 95% limits of agreement computed by Bland-Altman analysis fell within the range of −0.42 and 0.42 mm. Conclusions Semiautomated analysis of CTA images can be used to accurately measure regional and patient-specific AWT, as validated using pathologic ex vivo human aortic specimens. Descriptions and reconstructions of aortic aneurysms that incorporate locally resolved wall thickness are feasible and may improve future attempts at biomechanical analyses.
Metallothionein Inhibits Peroxynitrite-induced DNA and Lipoprotein Damage

Previous studies have demonstrated that metallothionein functions as an antioxidant that protects against oxidative DNA, protein, and lipid damage induced by superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, and nitric oxide. The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that metallothionein also protects from DNA and lipoprotein damage induced by peroxynitrite, an important reactive nitrogen species that causes a diversity of pathological processes. A cell-free system was used. DNA damage was detected by the mobility of plasmid DNA in electrophoresis. Oxidation of low density lipoprotein was measured by a thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance, which was confirmed by lipid hydroperoxide assay. Plasmid DNA damage and low density lipoprotein oxidation were induced by 3-morpholinosydnomine, which produces peroxynitrite through the reaction between nitric oxide and superoxide anion or by synthesized peroxynitrite directly. DNA damage by 3-morpholinosydnomine was prevented by both metallothionein and superoxide dismutase, whereas the damage caused by peroxynitrite was prevented by metallothionein only. The oxidation of low density lipoprotein by 3-morpholinosydnomine and peroxynitrite was also significantly inhibited by metallothionein. This study thus demonstrates that metallothionein may react directly with peroxynitrite to prevent DNA and lipoprotein damage induced by this pathological reactive nitrogen species.
A Women's Berlin. Building the Modern City

A Women's Berlin. Building the Modern City By Despina Stratigakos University of Minnesota Press, 2008 ISBN 978-0-8166-5323-2 $24.95USD, Paperback, pp. 239, with illustrations Feminist art history c...
Micropuncture study on the effects of lithium on proximal and distal tubule function in the rat kiney

Micropuncture studies were performed in rats infused with LiCl to induce stable plasma lithium concentrations of 2–3 mEq/l, or with an equivalent amount of NaCl. In free flow experiments LiCl reduced proximal tubule fractional reabsorption of sodium and potassium. Reduced reabsorption of bicarbonate, as reflected by a decrease in TF/Pcl, was also observed. Proximal fractional reabsorption of chloride, however, was not affected. The TF/PIn at the end proximal tubule was 2.6±0.2 (mean ±SEM) in controls and 2.1±0.1 in experimental animals (P<0.025). In the distal portions of the nephron lithium treatment caused a fall in fractional reabsorption of water and sodium, while potassium secretion was stimulated in the distal tubule. Previous studies have indicated that lithium influences antidiuretic hormone stimulated water transport in the collecting duct. These experiments demonstrate that lithium also affects the transport of water and electrolytes in multiple nephron segments, including the proximal and distal convolution.
Transmethylation of phosphatidylethanolamine: an initial event in embryonic chicken lens fiber cell differentiation

Agents that induce differentiation of lens epithelial cells into lens fiber cells in vitro transiently stimulate the transmethylation of phosphatidylethanolamine. Inhibition of transmethylation by 3-deazaadenosine results in a corresponding inhibition of the cell elongation that characterizes lens fiber formation, suggesting that phospholipid methylation plays an essential role in the differentiation of these cells.
Stimulation of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity in rat liver microsomes by phosphatidylcholine.

Abstract Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACCAT) activity of rat liver microsomes was stimulated by phosphatidylcholine. The stimulatory effect varied with the composition of the phosphatide: dimyristyl-, dipalmityl-, distearyl- and dioleylphosphatidylcholine were stimulatory, whereas dicaproyl- and dilinoleylphosphatidylcholine were not. The results suggest that increased fluidity of the membrane induced by phosphatide is probably not involved in the stimulation of cholesterol esterification. Phosphatide exerted its effect directly on the microsomes and did not extract cholesterol or ACCAT from the microsomes to an appreciable extent. Hydrolysis of microsomal phosphatide suppressed ACCAT activity. Enztme activity was restored with the addition of phosphatidylcholine. The results suggest that phosphatide may be required for cholesterol esterification.
Graphical specification of user interfaces with behavior abstraction

The Application Display Generator (ADG) is a graphical environment for the design and implementation of embedded system user interfaces. It is a major component of the Graphical Specification Subsystem (GSS) in Lockheed's Express knowledge-based software development environment. ADG gives non-programmers simple and flexible methods for graphically specifying the presentation and behavior of embedded system user interfaces. In the ADG methodology arbitrary presentations are attached to abstract object behaviors. This approach makes it possible to provide unconstrained presentations, intelligent user support, rapid prototyping, and flexible facilities for composing complex objects.