cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examples of cell-like decompositions of the infinite-dimensional manifolds σ and Σ

Abstract Denote by σ the subspace of Hilbert space {(xi)ϵl2:xi=0 for all but finitely many i}. Examples of cell-like decompositions of σ are constructed that have decomposition spaces that are not homeomorphic to σ. At one extreme is a cell-like decomposition G of σ produced using ghastly finite dimensional examples such that the decomposition space σ⧸G contains no embedded 2-cell but (σ⧸G)× R is homeomorphic to σ. At the other extreme is a cell-like decomposition G of σ satisfying: (a) the nondegeneracy set NG={gϵG:g≠point} consists of countably many arcs (necessarily tame); (b) the nondegeneracy set NG is a closed subset of the decomposition space σ⧸G; (c) each map f:B2→σ⧸G of a 2-cell into σ⧸G can be approximated arbitrarily closely by an embedding; (d) σ⧸G is not homeomorphic to σ but (σ⧸G)× R is homeomorphic to σ. The fact that both conditions (a) and (b) can be satisfied (and have (d) hold) is directly attributable to σ’s incompleteness as a topological space.
Idiopathic arterial calcification in infancy, pathology, diagnosis and treatment modalities

Idiopathic Arterial Calcification Infancy is a well-documented rare entity that usually occurs within the first few months of life. Use of CT as a primary investigative modality in the diagnosis of IACI has not been frequently reported. In our case, using CT scan, arterial calcification in the chest and abdomen was demonstrated and the diagnosis was made easily. Causes of death, imaging and treatment modalities were reviewed from literature.
Theory and application of Marsaglia's monkey test for pseudorandom number generators

A theoretical analysis is given for a new test, the “Monkey” test, for pseudorandom number sequences, which was proposed by Marsaglia. Selected results, using the test on several pseudorandom number generators in the literature, are also presented.
Geo-location inference on news articles via multimodal pLSA

The fast evolution and adoption of social media creates an increasingly need for location based services. Location inference on news or events becomes an essential problem. This paper addresses the problem by extracting location involved topics (geo-topic) using both text content and visual content. This paper proposes a geo-topic extraction framework for geo-location inference, including location name entity recognition, location related image association and a multimodal location dependent pLSA geo-topic model. Experiments have shown that our fused model improves the f-score in geo-location inference by 10% compared with single modality based models.
Spin density of the canted moment in α-Fe2O3

The spin density ferromagnetic component of the canted moment in hematite was measured with polarized neutrons and found to differ from that of the Fe3+ ion.
Perioperative Management of von Willebrand's Disease in Otolaryngologic Surgery

von Willebrand's disease (VWD) is the most common hereditary bleeding disorder. Unchecked or improperly managed, VWD-associated hemorrhage can lead to catastrophic surgical outcome. Based on the authors' recent experience with 21 procedures in 12 patients, a contemporary protocol for successful perioperative management of VWD in otolaryngologic surgery is presented. In patients with VWD type 1 or 2a, desmopressin, a synthetic vasopressin analog, is administered both pre- and postoperatively to release von Willebrand factor (VWF) from storage sites. In type 2b or 3, a factor VIII concentrate rich in VWF is administered. In addition, a 10- to 14-day course of intravenous and/or oral Amicar (Immunex Corp., Seattle, WA) may be prescribed postoperatively. Intraoperatively, the surgical laser is used to further decrease blood loss and augment hemostasis. This medical and surgical protocol minimizes the risk of hemorrhage and of transfusion-related complications through the judicious use of preoperative and postoperative coagulation replacement products. Using these guidelines in a variety of otolaryngologic cases, the authors have had no bleeding complications at their institution.
Near-atomic-resolution cryo-EM for molecular virology.

Electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) is a technique in structural biology that is widely used to solve the three-dimensional structures of macromolecular assemblies, close to their biological and solution conditions. Recent improvements in cryo-EM and single-particle reconstruction methodologies have led to the determination of several virus structures at near-atomic resolution (3.3 - 4.6 A). These cryo-EM structures not only resolve the Cα backbones and side-chain densities of viral capsid proteins, but also suggest functional roles that the protein domains and some key amino acid residues play. This paper reviews the recent advances in near-atomic-resolution cryo-EM for probing the mechanisms of virus assembly and morphogenesis.
Comparison of revision surgeries for one- to two-level cervical TDR and ACDF from 2002 to 2011

Background context Cervical total disc replacement (TDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) provide comparable outcomes for degenerative cervical pathology. However, revisions of these procedures are not well characterized. Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the rates, epidemiology, perioperative complications, and costs between the revision procedures and to compare these outcomes with those of primary cases. Study design This study is a retrospective database analysis. Patient sample A total of 3,792 revision and 183,430 primary cases from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2002 to 2011 were included. Outcome measures Incidence of revision cases, patient demographics, length of stay (LOS), in-hospital costs, mortality, and perioperative complications. Methods Patients who underwent revision for either one- to two-level cervical TDR or ACDF were identified. SPSS v.20 was used for statistical analysis with χ2 test for categorical data and independent sample t test for continuous data. The relative risk for perioperative complications with revisions was calculated in comparison with primary cases using a 95% confidence interval. An alpha level of less than 0.05 denoted statistical significance. Results There were 3,536 revision one- to two-level ACDFs and 256 revision cervical TDRs recorded in the NIS database from 2002 to 2011. The revision cervical TDR cohort demonstrated a significantly greater LOS (3.18 vs. 2.25, p<.001), cost ($16,998 vs. $15,222, p=.03), and incidence of perioperative wound infections (13.6 vs. 5.3 per 1,000, p<.001) compared with the ACDF revision cohort (p<.001). There were no differences in mortality between the revision surgical cohorts. Compared with primary cases, both revision cohorts demonstrated a significantly greater LOS and cost. Furthermore, patients who underwent revision demonstrated a greater incidence and risk for perioperative wound infections, hematomas, dysphagia, and neurologic complications relative to the primary procedures. Conclusions This study demonstrated a significantly greater incidence of perioperative wound infection, LOS, and costs associated with a TDR revision compared with a revision ACDF. We propose that these differences are by virtue of the inherently more invasive nature of revising TDRs. In addition, compared with primary cases, revision procedures are associated with greater costs, LOS, and complications including wound infections, dysphagia, hematomas, and neurologic events. These additional risks must be considered before opting for a revision procedure.
Skeletal Muscle MicroRNA and Messenger RNA Profiling in Cofilin-2 Deficient Mice Reveals Cell Cycle Dysregulation Hindering Muscle Regeneration

Congenital myopathies are rare skeletal muscle diseases presenting in early age with hypotonia and weakness often linked to a genetic defect. Mutations in the gene for cofilin-2 (CFL2) have been identified in several families as a cause of congenital myopathy with nemaline bodies and cores. Here we explore the global messenger and microRNA expression patterns in quadriceps muscle samples from cofillin-2-null mice and compare them with sibling-matched wild-type mice to determine the molecular pathways and mechanisms involved. Cell cycle processes are markedly dysregulated, with altered expression of genes involved in mitotic spindle formation, and evidence of loss of cell cycle checkpoint regulation. Importantly, alterations in cell cycle, apoptosis and proliferation pathways are present in both mRNA and miRNA expression patterns. Specifically, p21 transcript levels were increased, and the expression of p21 targets, such as cyclin D and cyclin E, was decreased. We therefore hypothesize that deficiency of cofilin-2 is associated with interruption of the cell cycle at several checkpoints, hindering muscle regeneration. Identification of these pathways is an important step towards developing appropriate therapies against various congenital myopathies.
ROLE OF HIGHER NERVOUS ACTIVITY IN SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH : The 53th Annual Scientific Session of the Japanese Circulation Society

The brain receives and catalogues myriads of information from within and without the organism. These inputs promote neural integration of bodily function through a multiplicity of cybernetic feedback loops. Higher nervous activity shapes the contours of perceived well-being and determines the course and progress of disease. Behavioral and neural factors play an important role in cardiovascular function and are especially relevant to the problem of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Clinical data attesting to the role of biobehavioral factors in SCD derive from a diversity of sources. It has long been known that bereavement increases the prevalence of cardiac fatality. Business failure rates are strongly related to increased mortality among persons aged 55 and over. Recession in economic activity, with increasing unemployment, is associated with augmented death rates from ischemic heart disease. In extensive surveys conducted among London civil servants, Rose and Marmot found not only the level but the type of employment to be a factor determining coronary heart disease mortality. Blue collar workers had a 3.6 times greater chance of dying from heart disease than an age-matched population in the higher ranks of civil service. A man's employment status was a stronger predictor of risk for dying from coronary heart disease than any of the usual risk factors, such as smoking, blood pressure, height-weight ratio, leisure time activities, glucose tolerance, or plasma cholesterol. Operation of behavioral factors is also suggested by the time of occurrence of sudden death. Among 3, 983 men followed for more than 30 years, Rabkin and co-workers observed an excess proportion of fatalities on Mondays. No such pattern was noted for cancer mortality. Not only the day of the week but the time of day appears to be a factor. Muller and co-workers found a significant preponderance in the occurrence of myocardial infarction and sudden death from 6:00 AM to noon. They could not implicate operation of circadian rhythm, but suggested a role for augmented autonomic neural discharge associated with early morning activities following waking from sleep. The longitudinal epidemiologic studies of the Health Insurance Plan of New York (HIP) have indicated an important association between behavioral and psychologic factors and the prevalence of sudden cardiac death. The level of education was a critical determinant of fatality. Patients who had less than 8 years of formal schooling and exhibited complex ventricular premature beats during the single hour of heart rhythm monitoring experienced a three-fold greater occurrence of sudden death compared to better educated men with the same level of ventricular arrhythmia. Psychologic variables were identified which preempt the role of education as risk indicators for sudden fatality. In these patients, a lack of education ceased to carry risk for sudden death when social isolation and a high degree of life stress were factored into the analysis.
Tough ultra bend-insensitive fiber having compressive residual stress at surface of pure-silica cladding

UBIF having compressive residual stress at cladding surface without additional layer is newly developed, which realizes both 13 times longer lifetime at 1.3mm-radius bending and 100 times lower 25-years failure probability at 5mm-radius bending compared with those of conventional UBIF.
Book Review of: Crisis and Trauma: Developmental Ecological Intervention .

Book reviewed in this article: Crisis and Trauma: Developmental-Ecological Intervention by Barbara G. Collins & Thomas M. Collins (Eds.), 2005
HEAT TRANSFER IN FLOW PAST CYLINDERS AT Re < 150—PART II: EXPERIMENTS AND THEORY FOR VARIABLE FLUID PROPERTIES

Experimental measurements are made for cooling Dowtherm G in flow past a cylinder. Numerical calculations are made for the same fluid and compared with the data. Numerical calculations are also made for a range of Prandtl numbers when the viscosity depends on temperature in the same fashion as for Dowtherm G. These calculations are correlated to provide a new correlation for variable-property fluids covering a wider range of parameters than existing correlations.
Evidence for conformational differences in aqueous and crystalline structures of α-bungarotoxin and cobratoxin

Abstract Laser Raman spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the structures of α-bungarotoxin (Bungarus multicinctus) and cobratoxin (Naja naja siamensis) in H2O and D2O solutions. Structures of the aqueous neurotoxins are compared with one another and with the X-ray crystal structures. The results indicate that the solution and crystal molecular structures of cobratoxin are in substantial agreement with one another, but those of α-bungarotoxin are not. Raman data provide no evidence for strained disulfides in aqueous α-bungarotoxin, although strained CSSC dihedral angles are indicated for the X-ray crystal structure. The data are interpreted as evidence for a strained molecular conformation of α-bungarotoxin in the crystal, which converts to a relaxed, more energetically favorable conformation in aqueous solution. Raman spectra also suggest more β-strand secondary structure in aqueous α-bungarotoxin (47 ± 5%) than in the crystalline form (
Global aging and the allocation of health care across the life span.

By the middle of this century, China will have 332 million people 65 years old or older, more elderly people than there were on the whole globe in 1990. Though China, like many developing countries...
Can money and morality mix in medicine

The escalation of health care costs in the United States has become a problem now that business and taxpayers are paying larger shares of these costs. Many believe that the only way to cope with rising costs is to institute explicit rationing of access to health care services. Proposals to ration based upon age, "sin" exclusions, physician gatekeeper incentives, patient ability to pay, and community values all have shortcomings. An alternative approach to controlling costs that emphasizes efficiency by cutting administrative and malpractice overhead costs and universally providing those medical services that have proven patient benefit is proposed. Physicians must take a more active role in the debate to ensure that patient needs are met and that expenditures are directed toward effective therapies.
Relationship of atmospheric deposition to the water chemistry and biota of treehole habitats

The authors monitored water chemistry of rain, stemflow, and treehole invertebrate communities in three landscape-scale regions in Pennsylvania receiving high, but different, atmospheric inputs of hydrogen and sulfate ions. They predicted that treeholes in the westernmost plateau region receiving the highest levels of those ions would have different water chemistry than those in other regions. The authors found that the plateau region had significantly lower pH and higher [SO{sub 4}] than the central valley and easternmost ridge regions. This was correlated with higher [SO{sub 4}] in plateau rain. Higher [SO{sub 4}] in stemflow than rain indicated substantial dry deposition, and correlation of stemflow [SO{sub 4}] and treehole [SO{sub 4}] indicated that dry deposition influenced water chemistry of treeholes. Treehole [NO{sub 3}] differed with time and region and was highest in August. Other chemical parameters in rain and stemflow were correlated with treehole water chemistry. Treehole [Mg] followed the pattern in stemflow, which was also correlated with rain [Mg]. However, higher [Mg], [Ca], and [K] in treehole water than in aqueous inputs indicated contribution of these cations via alternate pathways, such as the breakdown of leaf litter. No regional effects of deposition on treehole fauna were found, however, treehole insect densitiesmore » and species richness were related to water volume, [SO{sub 4}], [Na], and dissolved organic carbon (DOC).« less
Iontophoresis of nicotine in vitro: pulsatile drug delivery across the skin?

Abstract Transdermal delivery systems containing nicotine are now being used as aids in smoking cessation programs. This route of administration results in blood nicotine levels which increase gradually with time before reaching maximal levels and then slowly tapering off. Typically, however, 3–4 h are required before an amount of nicotine, equivalent to that delivered by a single cigarette, is absorbed transdermally. If one accepts that the kinetics of nicotine delivery are important to the likely success of a smoking cessation program, one is led to the hypothesis that the input process of the drug should be more rapid than that presently achieved by the approved transdermal systems. Here, we report on an attempt to accelerate nicotine absorption using iontophoresis. Anodal delivery of nicotine from a solution at pH 7.4 using reasonable current densities resulted in considerable enhancement of nicotine transport in vitro across hairless mouse skin. Extrapolation of this result to a 30-cm 2 patch implies that a ‘cigarette's worth’ ( ∼ 1 mg) of drug could be delivered within 30 min. At least 10 min of continuous current passage at 0.5 mA/cm 2 was required to produce this rate of delivery. The total charge delivered determined the amount of nicotine crossing the skin, whereas the amplitude of the current controlled the initial rate of drug delivery. Iontophoretic delivery appeared optimal at neutral pH. There was a nonlinear relationship associated with donor nicotine concentration. Decreasing the competitor sodium ions improved the amount of nicotine delivered, whereas substituting less mobile calcium ions did not. It follows that, by controlling the parameters of a putative iontophoretic nicotine formulation, rapid and pulsatile transdermal drug delivery may be achievable.
Groupings by locality in community ecology and paleoecology: tests of significance

Harper, Charles W. Jr. 1978 07 15: Groupings by locality in community ecology and paleoecology: tests of significance. Lethaia, Vol. 11, pp. 251–257. Oslo. ISSN 0024–1164. Ecologic sample localities are commonly classified into groups on the basis of their species content; distinctive groups of localities are then commonly used to define discrete biofacies or communities. Yet, such locality groups and, by extension, the communities or biofacies inferred from them are almost never tested for statistical significance. Two approximate randomization tests are proposed as a step in this direction. One evaluates whether or not a given data set on which one or more locality groups are based exhibits a degree of clustering by locality that is statistically significant. The second evaluates the statistical significance of the degree of mappability exhibited by a given collection of inferred locality groups.
Redox-mediated reciprocal regulation of SERCA and Na+–Ca2+ exchanger contributes to sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ depletion in cardiac myocytes

Myocardial failure is associated with increased oxidative stress and abnormal excitation-contraction coupling characterized by depletion of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) stores and a reduction in Ca(2+)-transient amplitude. Little is known about the mechanisms whereby oxidative stress affects Ca(2+) handling and contractile function; however, reactive thiols may be involved. We used an in vitro cardiomyocyte system to test the hypothesis that short-term oxidative stress induces SR Ca(2+) depletion via redox-mediated regulation of sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) and the sodium-Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) and that this is associated with thiol oxidation. Adult rat ventricular myocytes paced at 5 Hz were superfused with H(2)O(2) (100 microM, 15 min). H(2)O(2) caused a progressive decrease in cell shortening followed by diastolic arrest, which was associated with decreases in SR Ca(2+) content, systolic [Ca(2+)](i), and Ca(2+)-transient amplitude, but no change in diastolic [Ca(2+)](i). H(2)O(2) caused reciprocal effects on the activities of SERCA (decreased) and NCX (increased). Pretreatment with the NCX inhibitor KB-R7943 before H(2)O(2) increased diastolic [Ca(2+)](i) and mimicked the effect of SERCA inhibition with thapsigargin. These functional effects were associated with oxidative modification of thiols on both SERCA and NCX. In conclusion, redox-mediated SR Ca(2+) depletion involves reciprocal regulation of SERCA and NCX, possibly via direct oxidative modification of both proteins.
Microscopic calculation of pre-equilibrium emission

Abstract Previous TDHF calculations have shown that a pre-equilibrium emission of nucleons should be seen for asymmetric collisions of nuclei. Recent calculations indicate that the added effect of two-body collisions is to enhance this pre-equilibrium emission, it being seen also for symmetric collisions. More detailed calculations of this phenomenon are presenied here. The two-body collisions are treated by the time-relaxation method. This method is reviewed, and a revised formula for the relaxation time is introduced. Calculations are made in a slab geometry. For real nuclei, as much as 6% of all nucleons are estimated to be emitted at a beam energy of E c.m. = 20 MeV/ A . The energy distribution of the emitted nucleons relates to a temperature of 13 MeV at this energy. At 5 MeV/ A , the emission is reduced to about 1 %.
Complications and function of the continent ileostomy at the Cleveland Clinic.

We have reviewed the results of continent ileostomy management in 168 patients treated from 1977 to 1985: 83 men and 85 women ranging from 16 to 69 years of age (median, 35 yr). One hundred fifty patients were diagnosed as having ulcerative colitis originally (14 later manifested Crohn's disease), 7 had familial polyposis coli, 1 Crohn's disease, and 10 continent urostomies. Twenty-four patients were referred with pouches made elsewhere. A total of 252 operations were undertaken to construct or reconstruct the ileostomies, with a postoperative mortality rate of 0.04% (1 case). Postoperative complications following pouch construction or revision included bowel obstruction (5.2%), hemorrhage (2.8%), and sepsis (4.8%), while valve necrosis occurred in 4 patients and there were 5 fistulas. Twenty-nine percent of patients developed pouchitis, all treated medically. Valve extrusion occurred in 17% of cases, late fistulas in 7.1%, valve prolapse in 3%, and peristomal sepsis in 11%. Reoperation rates were 42.5% in the first 3 years of the series, 38.5% in the next 5 years, and 6.5% in the last year. The use of Marlex® mesh in pouch construction was effective in stabilizing the valve, but led to a prohibitively high incidence of late complications and was abandoned in 1984. Ten pouches have been excised (8 of 15 done for Crohn's disease) and a total of 6 patients have died. Of the 152 patients alive with a pouch, 91% were continent. Results are encouraging and support the use of the continent ileostomy in patients unsuited for ileoanal pouch procedures.
Serum prostate-specific antigen and the biologic progression of prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives We have previously shown that serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is proportional to prostate cancer volume and that progression of prostate cancer is proportional to volume, but other investigators have not found serum PSA to be as useful in predicting pathologic stage at the time of radical prostatectomy. Because our series is the only study to examine prospectively all radical specimens at 3-mm intervals, we have examined the relationship between serum PSA and the morphologic indicators of cancer progression in our first 350 radical prostatectomies. Methods Preoperative serum PSA level was tabulated in 350 consecutive patients with prostate adenocarcinoma and compared with morphologic variables in the radical prostatectomy specimen. Morphologic variables included cancer volume, histologic grade, capsular penetration, seminal vesicle invasion, and lymph node metastasis. Results Serum PSA showed strong correlation with all morphologic variables, which were highly intercorrelated. Serum PSA level was strongly correlated with cancer volume, histologic grade, and frequency of regional spread to lymph nodes. Close intercorrelations found between all variables were translated into a scale relating each level of serum PSA elevation to stage of disease in morphologic terms. Using this scale, serum PSA level can contribute to patient evaluation and treatment decisions in men with prostate cancer. Conclusions. Serum PSA is primarily determined by prostate cancer volume and secondarily by the percentage of high-grade cancer (Gleason grades 4 and 5) in the prostate. Because of this basic relationship, serum levels of PSA provide a clinically useful estimate of morphologic findings in the prostate. Serial PSA determinations should reflect the growth of the cancer as well as the gradual evolution of more malignant cells with the passage of time. The use of a serum PSA-based rating scale can contribute to patient evaluation and treatment decisions in men with prostate cancer.
Wave power potential along the Atlantic coast of the southeastern USA

Abstract The wave power potential along the southeast Atlantic coast of the United States of America bounded by latitudes 27° N and 38° N and longitudes 82° W and 72° W (i.e. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida) is investigated. The available data from National Data Buoy Center wave stations in the given area are examined. Temporal trends of the wave heights, wave periods and the wave power are analyzed for a time scale of weeks. The time series from the wave stations are downsampled with a 15-day moving average filter with near 50% overlapping to study the seasonal trends. Power calculated from hourly significant wave heights and average wave periods is compared to power calculated using spectral wave density. It is found that a factor of 0.61 needs to be applied to the wave power calculated from hourly significant wave heights and average periods in order to get the same results with the power calculated from spectral wave density. The mean power within 50 km of the shore is determined to be ∼9 kW/m, whereas higher power (∼15 kW/m) is available further offshore.
A systematically coarse-grained solvent-free model for quantitative phospholipid bilayer simulations.

We present an implicit solvent coarse-grained (CG) model for quantitative simulations of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayers. The absence of explicit solvent enables me...
Interaction between Posture, Color, and the Radiative Heat Load in Birds

The effect of the angle of incidence on the radiative heat load was determined for light and dark plumage. As the angle of incidence to the solar radiation source increases the difference in heat transfer between light and dark plumage disappears. Thus, by postural adjustment, a dark bird may become thermally white with regard to the radiative heat load.
Human protein tyrosine phosphatase‐σ: Alternative splicing and inhibition by bisphosphonates

Two forms of the transmembrane human protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP sigma), generated by alternative splicing, were identified by cDNA cloning and Northern hybridization with selective cDNA probes. The larger form of PTP sigma is expressed in various human tissues, human osteosarcoma, and rat tibia. The hPTP sigma cDNA codes for a protein of 1911 amino acid residues and is composed of a cytoplasmic region with two PTP domains and an extracellular region that can be organized into three tandem repeats of immunoglobulin-like domains and eight tandem repeats of fibronectin type III-like domains. In the brain, the major transcript of PTP sigma is an alternatively spliced mRNA, in which the coding region for the fibronectin type III-like domains number four to seven are spliced out, thus coding for a protein of 1502 amino acid residues similar to the rat PTP sigma and rat PTP-NE3. Using in situ hybridization, we assigned hPTP sigma to chromosome 6, arm 6q and band 6q15. The bacterial-expressed hPTP sigma exhibits PTPase activity that was inhibited by orthovanadate (IC50 = 0.02 microM) and by two bisphosphonates used for the treatment of bone diseases, alendronate (ALN) (IC50 = 0.5 microM) and etidronate (IC50 = 0.2 microM). In quiescent calvaria osteoblasts, micromolar concentrations of vanadate, ALN and etidronate stimulate cellular proliferation. These findings show tissue-specific alternative splicing of PTP sigma and suggest that PTPs are putative targets of bisphosphonate action.
Challenges of the 80-hour resident work rules: collaboration between surgeons and nonphysician practitioners

Decreasing reimbursement, an ongoing malpractice crisis, workrule limits for surgical residents, and an increased focus on patient safety at a national level have created new obstacles to the traditional surgical residency education program. Historically, surgical education involved a huge commitment on the part of residents: commitment of time, of effort, and of financial opportunity costs. The response to all of these problems at many institutions was to hire nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other healthcare providers. As this process evolves, it is important to determine how these additions to the surgical teams have changed resident education, patient outcomes, and patient and staff satisfaction. There is growing evidence that nurse practitioners and physician assistants can work collectively with physicians in collaborative practice models to optimize surgical outcomes. Collaboration is the art of working together to achieve a common goal. The goal of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians is to combine the knowledge and skills of all health care specialists to enhance patient care. However, as dozens of new nurse practitioners and physician assistants begin to take over many of the tasks historically reserved for surgical residents, it is important to ensure that roles are well-defined, lines of communication are clear, and the chain of command does not become confusing to those on the surgical teams. In the national
56.4: Invited Paper: Scaling‐Up PECVD System for Large‐Size Substrate Processing

With the prevailing of large panel TFT monitors, and most recently, LCD-TVs, large-size substrate processing becomes the mainstream of TFT-LCD production. To enable this trend of ever-increasing large area processing, AKT has successfully developed multiple generations of PECVD systems for volume production. This paper discusses the scaling up challenges from the equipment manufacturer's perspective, with the focus on the process scalability, system design optimization, productivity enhancement, and cost-of-ownership reduction.
Service time estimation in multiple-rate IEEE 802.11 WLANs with and without opportunistic cooperative mechanism under unsaturated load conditions

Wireless media servers and real-time applications are becoming increasingly popular in most homes. Wireless network latency is a key factor in many applications. The objective of this paper is to derive an analytical framework to estimate the latency in terms of the average service time of the most used multiple-rate wireless link protocol, i.e., IEEE 802.11. A number of analytical models for IEEE 802.11 exists in the literature. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, no general analytical model exists that jointly models IEEE 802.11 latency under the assumption of using multiple transmission rates and unsaturated load traffic. Additionally, the proposed model can also be extended to cooperative variants of IEEE 802.11 which exploit the presence of both multiple nodes and multiple transmission rates to improve network performance. In particular, in this paper, the extension to model COBRA MAC, an opportunistic cooperative variant of IEEE 802.11 is presented. The derived model is validated against simulation results, revealing good match between model and simulation. Also, results showing the performance benefits achieved by COBRA MAC over IEEE 802.11 are presented.
Tannic acid-induced alterations in mouse growth and pituitary melanocyte-stimulating hormone activity.

Abstract Male albino mice were fed a diet containing 5 or 8% ( w w ) tannic acid in ground laboratory chow. Initial weights of mice ranged from 7 to 18 g and the duration of feeding from 3 to 8 wk. Body weights were taken at weekly intervals for all animals. At autopsy weights were taken of the testes, adrenals and pituitary glands and the latter were reserved for subsequent frog skin bioassay of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH). The two test groups with initial body weights of 17.5–18.3 g demonstrated depressed growth initially, but had reached the body weight of untreated mice at time of autopsy. These groups showed no meaningful difference in testes, adrenal or pituitary weights or in pituitary MSH activity. Animals with the lowest initial weights (7–11.3 g) had continued depressed growth until the time of autopsy and exhibited a significant increase in pituitary MSH activity. It appears that young mice may be more susceptible to the effects of feeding tannic acid. The increase in pituitary MSH activity may be considered as evidence of the toxic effect of prolonged feeding of tannic acid, possibly occurring at the level of the hypothalamus.
A discriminant analysis of whissell's new testament data : On the statistical trail of the author of hebrews

Discriminant analyses of data on 6 dimensions from Whissell's analyses of 27 books of an English translation of the New Testament seem to support Clement of Alexandria's contention that Luke was involved in the authorship, but it is difficult after centuries to rule out definitively a few other contenders.
The Impact of Technology and Communications upon International and Transnational Terrorism

The purpose of this inquiry is to examine the nature of terrorism, primarily in European and Western industrial nations. Specifically the article (1) examines the impact that has resulted from technological advances in communication and weapons and (2) discusses the necessity of international cooperation in the effort to defeat terrorism. The article documents that terrorism is a serious threat to Western democracies including the United States as well as an international threat. The conclusion of the article is that it has become more difficult to counter terrorism due to technological advances which have delivered greater destructive power into the hands of a few fanatics. The primary technological effects discussed are (1) those relating to communication which has enabled terrorists to establish a “world-wide network” and (2) the addition of toxins and nuclear weapons to the arsenal of the terrorist. As an international problem, however, the difficulty of countering terrorism is not rooted in the techn...
Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Current and Future Applications in the Urinary Bladder

Mesenchymal stem cells can be isolated from almost any adult tissue. In this paper we focus on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells which have captured the interest of researchers since their introduction because of the promising potential of tissue regeneration and repair. They are known for their ability to self-renew and differentiate into diverse lineages while maintaining low immunogenicity. The exact mechanisms behind how these cells work still remain unclear, and there is a continuing shift in the paradigms that support them. There has been extensive research in multiple organ systems; however, the genitorurinary system has been vastly underrepresented. This article discusses the background behind bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and they are currently being applied to the urinary bladder in the realm of tissue engineering. We also postulate on their future applications based on the current literature in other organ systems.
Rapidly Conducted Atrial Fibrillation Complicating Surgical Coronary Revascularization in a Patient with Intermittent Pre‐Excitation

This report describes a case of atrial fibrillation conducted rapidly over a bypass tract postoperatively in a 73-year-old man subsequently shown to have intermittent pre-excitation. The determinants of atrioventricular bypass tract conduction and potential for dynamic functional change in bypass properties are reviewed. This article challenges the widely held clinical belief thai patients with intermittent pre-excitation are unlikely to experience rapidly conducted atrial fibrillation.
General computational spectroscopic framework applied to Z-pinch dynamic hohlraum K-shell argon spectra

We describe a general computational spectroscopic framework for interpreting observed spectra. The framework compares synthetic spectra with measured spectra, then optimizes the agreement using the Dakota toolkit to minimize a merit function that incorporates established spectroscopic techniques. We generate synthetic spectra using the self-consistent nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium atomic kinetics and radiative transfer code Cretin, relativistic atomic structure and cross section data from Hullac, and detailed spectral line shapes from Totalb. We test the capabilities of both our synthetic spectra model and general spectroscopic framework by analyzing a K-shell argon spectrum from a Z-pinch dynamic hohlraum inertial confinement fusion capsule implosion experiment. The framework obtains close agreement between an experimental spectrum measured by a time integrated focusing spectrometer and the optimal synthetic spectrum. The synthetic spectra show that considering the spatial extent of the capsule and including the effects of optically thick resonance lines significantly affects the interpretation of measured spectra.
Creating Mature Thinkers in Interior Design: Pathways of Intellectual Development

Critical thinking skills are essential to meeting the economic, sustainable, and social challenges of the future. The purpose of this study was to explore critical thinking in interior design students using the W. G. Perry (1968) scheme, a model of epistemic cognitive development describing how thinking in college students progresses from black-and-white absolutes to a contextual understanding of knowledge. The authors present findings from a study involving 32 beginning and intermediate interior design students who were empirically assessed on global and design-specific thought development using the Measure of Intellectual Development (Widick & Knefelkamp, 1974) and the Measure of Designing (Portillo, 1987), respectively. The study objectives were to examine thought development in interior design students, investigate the relationship between global and design thinking, and explore relationships between thought development, student performance, and class standing. The results supported three levels of thought development: dualistic, transitional, and multiplistic with overall thinking appeared to be more advanced than thinking in design. The study also revealed both types of thinking significantly related to studio performance and class standing. The Perry model appears to have strong potential for understanding thought development in interior design students.
A family of regular fractional factorial designs with maximum resolution

In many practical situations, it is preferable to have a maximum resolution fractional factorial design. However there are no general solutions on constructing an s n-k fractional factorial design with maximum resolution. In this paper, we focus on s n-3 fractional factorial designs. Using the techniques of finite projective geometry, we are able to construct maximum resolution s n-3 designs , some examples of maximum resolution s n-3 designs are also given.
Who is Ignorant? Rural Mothers Who Feed Their Well-Nourished Children or the Nutrition Experts? The Tanzania Story

Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) was the direct cause in 10000 and the underlying cause of an estimated 50% of 120000 deaths of under-5s in Tanzania in 1975-76. Poverty and infectious disease interacting with insufficient nutrition play important roles. "Ignorance" as a factor must be qualified since many mothers are quite knowledgeable about good nutrition practices related to the use of local foods even if they are not familiar with "Western" practices. Not enough effort has been made to involve mothers in the formulation of nutrition programs given the fact that 70% of under-5s in Tanzania are well nourished. Several factors contribute to this desirable situation: 1) Prolonged breastfeeding is very normal. In 1977 99% of Tanzania children were breastfed at 6 months of age and 77% of mothers still breastfeed at 18 months. 2) A variety of thin porridges (maize sorghum millet eulesine banana cassava baobab rice) are routinely given as weaning foods and when supplemented with cows milk and butter (widely eaten foods when available) are quite nutritious. 3) Many rural mothers grow their own food in a garden or distant plot. 4) Traditional customs favor special care and diet for mothers of newborns marital stability and close physical proximity of mother and infant. 5) Postpartum abstinence polygamy and prolonged lactation help to limit parity. An example is given of the sensibleness of low income Tanzanians choosing cassava leaf (which is rich in protein) over the expensive and prestigious (but nutritionally useless) cabbage favored by upper-class Tanzanians. The problems of poverty and infectious disease must be attacked directly but "ignorance" as a health problem should be qualified. There should be more research into and encouragement of already existing positive nutritional practices and an attempt to elevate the status of women.
Populus chitinase genes: structure, organization, and similarity of translated sequences to herbaceous plant chitinases.

Poplar trees have at least two different chitinase genes, win6 and win8, which are systemically wound-inducible and belong to multigene families [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86: 7895–7899]. On one genomic clone that we have partially sequenced, there are three win6 genes which are transcriptionally oriented in the same direction. Between two of the win6 genes is a gene that we have designated chitinase X (chiX), which appears to be a pseudogene belonging to a multigene family distinct from win6 and win8. The win6 and chiX genes we have sequenced contain two AT-rich introns that correspond in location to those in a basic chitinase gene from tobacco. The predicted Win6 proteins have a putative signal peptide, a cysteine-rich ‘hevein’ domain, a hinge region, and a catalytic domain as described in Shinshi et al. [Plant Mol Biol 14: 357–368]. The predicted Win8 protein, by contrast, completely lacks a hinge region. Both Win6 and Win8 are expected to be highly acidic (with a calculated net charge of −15 to −17), whereas ChiX proteins are likely to be basic. Based on an inferred phylogeny, the catalytic domain of ChiX is more closely related to the basic chitinases of herbaceous plants than are either Win6 or Win8.
The Architecture of Government in the Face of Terrorism

2001, the post–Cold War security bubble anally burst. In the preceding ten years, the United States and its major allies failed to identify and invest in the prevention of“A-list” security problems that could affect their way oflife, po sition in the world, and very survival. Instead they behaved as ifgulled into a beliefthat the key security problems ofthe post–Cold War era were ethnic and other internal conoicts in Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, East Timor, and Kosovo. Peacekeeping and peacemaking in these places, although engaging important humanitarian concerns, never addressed the vital security interests ofthe United States, and none ofthese conoicts could begin to threaten its sur vival. As ifto conarm this point, the of acial military strategy ofthe United States during the last decade centered not on peacekeeping but on the challenge ofaghting two Desert Storm reruns, one in Korea and one in the Persian Gulf, at the same time. The two-major-theater-war doctrine at least had the virtue ofaddressing threats to vital U.S. allies and interests. But as the decade wore on, it was increasingly apparent that although important interests were at stake in both major theaters, in neither was U.S. survival in question. The A-list seemed empty, so policy and strategy focused on B- and C-level problems instead. 1 A-list threats, such as the threat posed by the Soviet Union for the preceding half-century—were indeed absent, but only if threat is understood as the imminent possibility ofattack deaned in traditional military terms. Iftaken in stead to denote looming problems that could develop into Cold War–scale dangers, the A-list contained at least four major underattended items in the
Regulation of early and delayed radiation responses in rat small intestine by capsaicin-sensitive nerves

Purpose: Mast cells protect against the early manifestations of intestinal radiation toxicity, but promote chronic intestinal wall fibrosis. Intestinal sensory nerves are closely associated with mast cells, both anatomically and functionally, and serve an important role in the regulation of mucosal homeostasis. This study examined the effect of sensory nerve ablation on the intestinal radiation response in an established rat model. Methods and Materials: Rats underwent sensory nerve ablation with capsaicin or sham ablation. Two weeks later, a localized segment of ileum was X-irradiated or sham irradiated. Structural, cellular, and molecular changes were examined 2 weeks (early injury) and 26 weeks (chronic injury) after irradiation. The mast cell dependence of the effect of sensory nerve ablation on intestinal radiation injury was assessed using c-kit mutant (Ws/Ws) mast cell–deficient rats. Results: Capsaicin treatment caused a baseline reduction in mucosal mast cell density, crypt cell proliferation, and expression of substance P and calcitonin gene–related peptide, two neuropeptides released by sensory neurons. Sensory nerve ablation strikingly exacerbated early intestinal radiation toxicity (loss of mucosal surface area, inflammation, intestinal wall thickening), but attenuated the development of chronic intestinal radiation fibrosis (collagen I accumulation and transforming growth factor β immunoreactivity). In mast cell–deficient rats, capsaicin treatment exacerbated postradiation epithelial injury (loss of mucosal surface area), but none of the other aspects of radiation injury were affected by capsaicin treatment. Conclusions: Ablation of capsaicin-sensitive enteric neurons exacerbates early intestinal radiation toxicity, but attenuates development of chronic fibroproliferative changes. The effect of capsaicin treatment on the intestinal radiation response is partly mast cell dependent.
Extension of the Hansen–Woodyard Condition for Endfire Leaky-Wave Antennas

The Hansen-Woodyard condition is modified to include attenuation, making it applicable to leaky-wave antennas. The optimum phase constants are found for two cases, one based on the array factor only and the other including the element pattern. The optimum radiation efficiency for maximizing the endfire gain is also found in both cases. The effects of material loss on the optimization of endfire gain is also discussed.