cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inequality and Determinants of Earnings in Malaysia, 1984–1997*

Using three large nationally-representative Malaysian Household Income Surveys from 1984, 1989 and 1997, the present paper examines inequality and determinants of earnings. During the period 1984–1997, Malaysia's real per capita GDP increased by approximately 70percent, the participation rates for both men and women went up among all age groups, and the average number of years of schooling increased by 1.2years. There was a significant relative wage improvement among the bottom deciles. The rate of return to an additional year of schooling remained high (at 10percent), despite the huge increase in the supply of the highly educated. The stable overall rate, however, masks an increased rate of return on women's education, and a decreased rate for men. Wage discrimination against women amounts to 16–20percent, and the bias has increased in 1997. The pro-Chinese earning ethnic bias is estimated at 31percent.
Comparison of l-Carnitine and l-Carnitine HCL salt for targeted lung treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) as inhalation aerosols: Design, comprehensive characterization, in vitro 2D/3D cell cultures, and in vivo MCT-Rat model of PH.

Abstract Disrupted l -Carnitine (L-Car) homeostasis has been implicated in the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). L-Car has been administered orally and intravenously causing systemic side effects. To the authors’ knowledge, there are no reports using L-Car or L-Car HCl as an inhaled aerosol through the respiratory route in a targeted manner either from dry powder inhaler (DPI) or liquid delivery system. The purpose of the comprehensive and systematic comparative study between L-Car and L-Car HCl salt was to design and develop dry powder inhalers (DPIs) of each. This was followed by comprehensive physicochemical characterization, in vitro cell viability as a function of dose on 2D human pulmonary cell lines from different lung regions and in vitro cell viability on 3D small airway epithelia human primary cells at the air-liquid interface (ALI). In addition in vitro transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) in air-interface culture (AIC) conditions on 2D human pulmonary cell line and 3D small airway epithelia human primary cells was carried out. In vitro aerosol dispersion performance using three FDA-approved human DPI devices with different device properties was also examined. Following advanced spray drying under various conditions, two spray drying pump rates (low and medium) were found to successfully produce spray-dried L-Car powders while four spray drying pump rates (low, medium, medium-high, and high) all resulted in the production of spray-dried L-Car HCl powders. Raw L-Car and L-Car HCl were found to be crystalline. All SD powders retained crystallinity following spray drying and polymorphic interconversion in the solid-state was identified as the mechanism for retaining crystallinity after the advanced spray drying process. All SD powders aerosolized readily with all three human DPI devices. However, the in vitro dispersion parameters for the SD powders was not conducive for in vivo administration to rats in DPIs due to hygroscopicity and nanoaggreation. In vivo rat studies were successfully accomplished using inhaled liquid aerosols. Safety was successfully demonstrated in vivo in healthy Sprague Dawley rats . Furthermore, therapeutic efficacy was successfully demonstrated in vivo in the monocrotaline (MCT)-rat model of PH after two weeks of daily L-Car inhalation aerosol treatment.
Caregiver willingness to provide care in the ICU: A concept analysis.

AIM The purpose of this paper is to conceptually define "caregiver willingness" for application to a family member providing care to a critically ill loved one during an intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization. BACKGROUND Delivering care to a family member may have psychological benefits for both the caregiver and the critically ill loved one; however, the willingness of family members to provide care is an elusive concept. Examination of the "caregiver willingness" concept will help to advance nursing science. DESIGN Walker and Avant's eight step strategy guided identification of the defining attributes, empirical referents, antecedents, and consequences of "caregiver willingness." DATA SOURCE Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and Psychology and Behavioral Health Collections were used to search for literature published between 2000 and 2020. REVIEW METHODS A literature search was conducted using keywords, such as "caregiver," "willingness," "willing to care," "family or families or relatives or siblings or caregiver," and "critically ill or intensive care or ICU or critical care." RESULTS A definition of caregiver willingness was constructed and defined as "a family member or significant other's affirmation or acknowledgment of openness to engage in the physical and/or emotional supportive care of a loved one who is critically ill and cannot perform self-care." CONCLUSION The definition provides a foundation for instrument development to measure caregiver willingness and possible theory expansion for family engagement and caregiving in the ICU.
Perioperative management of pheochromocytoma.

PHEOCHROMOCYTOMAS ARE pharmacologically volatile, potentially lethal catecholamine-containing tumors of chromaffin tissue.1 They are usually found in the adrenal medulla, but they may occur wherever chromaffin tissue is located. Chromaffin cells are associated with the celiac, mesenteric, renal, adrenal, hypogastric, testicular, and paravertebral sympathetic nerve plexus. The major sites where pheochromocytomas occur are the adrenal medulla (90%), the paraganglia cells of the sympathetic nervous system, and the organ of Zuckerkandl.2 Approximately 10% of sporadic and 50% of familial adrenal tumors are bilateral, and approximately 10% of pheochromocytomas are multiple in location at the time of presentation.3 Paragangliomas are derived from neural crest cells that migrate in close association with autonomic ganglion cells, and all paragangliomas have the capacity to secrete catecholamines.4,5 Functional paragangliomas that secrete norepinephrine can occur and present similarly to pheochromocytoma. The proportion of catecholamine-secreting paragangliomas is thought to be high for adrenal pheochromocytomas, intermediate for aorticosympathetic and visceroautonomic tumors, and low for paragangliomas of the head and neck, also known as glomus tumors.5 Paragangliomas may present as painless swellings in the neck overlying the carotid bifurcation. These are also called carotid body tumors or chemodectomas.5 Of paragangliomas, 10% are malignant, but they can be locally invasive and can cause cranial nerve palsies.4 The resection of a pheochromocytoma or biochemically active paraganglioma has great potential for intraoperative and postoperative complications owing to release of catecholamines during manipulation of the tumor. Significant hemodynamic and metabolic effects are associated with a sudden decrease in catecholamine levels after removal of a tumor.6 In a series of 138 patients undergoing resection of pheochromocytoma tumors in a variety of anatomic locations between 1926 and 1970, surgical mortality was 2.9%.7 Desmonts et al8 reported a 3.9% mortality rate in their series of 102 patients between 1964 and 1976. A more recent series of 143 patients who underwent pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma resection showed no mortality and the absence of perioperative myocardial infarctions or cerebrovascular accidents.9 Advances in localization techniques, medical management, and anesthetic management have resulted in improved surgical outcomes.10 PRESENTATION
MedFuseNet: An attention-based multimodal deep learning model for visual question answering in the medical domain.

Medical images are difficult to comprehend for a person without expertise. The scarcity of medical practitioners across the globe often face the issue of physical and mental fatigue due to the high number of cases, inducing human errors during the diagnosis. In such scenarios, having an additional opinion can be helpful in boosting the confidence of the decision maker. Thus, it becomes crucial to have a reliable visual question answering (VQA) system to provide a ‘second opinion’ on medical cases. However, most of the VQA systems that work today cater to real-world problems and are not specifically tailored for handling medical images. Moreover, the VQA system for medical images needs to consider a limited amount of training data available in this domain. In this paper, we develop MedFuseNet, an attention-based multimodal deep learning model, for VQA on medical images taking the associated challenges into account. Our MedFuseNet aims at maximizing the learning with minimal complexity by breaking the problem statement into simpler tasks and predicting the answer. We tackle two types of answer prediction—categorization and generation. We conducted an extensive set of quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate the performance of MedFuseNet. Our experiments demonstrate that MedFuseNet outperforms the state-of-the-art VQA methods, and that visualization of the captured attentions showcases the intepretability of our model’s predicted results.
Molecular Biology of Contraction Blockade by Active Scaffolds

Maximum blocking of contraction and highest quality of regeneration coincided with use of a single scaffold, dermis regeneration template (DRT), with narrowly defined structure. Features required for regenerative activity of DRT were the pore size (in the range 20–125 µm), degradation half-life (optimally 14 ± 7 days), and a density of ligands for collagen-binding integrins α1β1 and α2β1 that exceeded approximately 200 µΜ α1β1 or α2β1 ligands. Pore size controls cell entry into the scaffold and provides adequate specific surface for cell adhesion; the half-life provides a time window during which cells and scaffold can make contact; and the ligand density of collagen-binding integrins α1β1 and α2β1 enables the adhesive interaction between integrins and scaffold surface which affects profoundly the assembled morphology and function of contractile cells. The facts confirm the presence of an insoluble surface with high degree of specificity, which modifies the phenotype of contractile cells. These considerations introduce the concept of surface biology, a biology that derives its functions from specific interactions of cells with an insoluble solid surface.
The Diego factor in a Puerto Rican family: a case of anti-Diego.

The Diego blood group factor was shown to be present in a family of Puerto Ricans. 609 other Puerto Ricans were Diego negative. The fourth reported case of anti-Diego is presented. The antibody was unusual in that it was discovered incidentally and did not cause hemolytic disease of the newborn.
The effects of base ratio and conceptual structure on accuracy in multiplicative situations

We examined the effects of base ratio and conceptual structure on accuracy in multiplicative situations. Forty-eight 3rd and 5th graders solved 36 problems that varied in base ratio and conceptual structure. ANOVA results indicated that conceptual structure made a greater impact on accuracy than did the size of the base ratio. The effect of structural constraint on accuracy supports the call for deeper conceptual instruction and learning in mathematics education.
Human vitreal prostaglandin levels and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: To determine the association of prostaglandins E1 (PGE1), E2 (PGE2), and F2-alpha (PGF2-alpha) with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in human vitreous. Methods: We collected human vitreous samples from eyes undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy with vitreous hemorrhage (N=13) and for other reasons including macular gliosis and Stage IV idiopathic macular holes (N=7). Vitreal prostaglandins E1, E2, and F2-alpha were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results: Eyes with PDR had significantly lower vitreal levels of PGE1 (74.77 pg/ml +/− 15.70) compared to those without PDR (91.86 pg/ml +/− 13.36) (p=0.025) using t-test analysis. Eyes with PDR also had significantly lower levels of PGE2 (127.52 pg/ml +/− 70.52) compared to those eyes without PDR (194.43 pg/ml +/− 57.10) (p=0.045). In addition, eyes with PDR had significantly lower levels of PGF2-alpha (34.62 pg/ml +/− 11.56) compared to those eyes without PDR (51.43 pg/ml +/− 18.44) (p=0.021). Panretinal photocoagulation in diabetic eyes did not have an effect on vitreal concentrations of PGE1 (p=0.588), PGE2 (p=0.460) and PGF2-alpha (p=0.351), but sample size was too small. Conclusions: Diabetic eyes with PDR had significantly lower vitreal levels of PGE1, PGE2 and PGF2-alpha compared to controls consistent with decreased production of these prostaglandins by the endothelial cells of diabetic eyes. Laser treatment did not appear to have a significant effect on vitreal concentrations of these prostaglandins, but sample size was small. The lower concentration of these vasodilatory prostaglandins may reflect the vasculature's inability to produce these substances and the vasoconstrictive state of the end-stage diabetic eye with PDR.
The Role of Shame in Symptom Formation

Let me first express my delight at the chance to discuss the psychoanalysis of shame and guilt with neuro-behavioral scientists. I have been devoting the past 25 years of my life to these two grisly states — in my view human beings’ principal moral emotions. And of course it does not take much thinking to realize that the reason I have had to focus on shame and guilt is that in psychoanalytic work and psychotherapeutic work of any kind these are the two prevailing emotions with which clients address us.
Conceptual Graphs - Past, Present, and Future

It has been ten years since John Sowa's book Conceptual Structures: Information Processing in Mind and Machine was first published. Since that time, the representational language known as Conceptual Graphs has been adopted by researchers all over the world for a wide variety of tasks. This tenth anniversary is an appropriate time to look at the growth and evolution of conceptual graphs, the changes in the field of knowledge representation, and the significance of the kind of ontological engineering involved in representing knowledge for intelligent systems.
Deletion of Lactose Repressor Carboxyl-Terminal Domain Affects Tetramer Formation

Abstract The carboxyl-terminal sequence of the lac repressor protein contains heptad repeats of leucines at positions 342, 349, and 356 that are required for tetramer assembly, as substitution of these leucine residues yields solely dimeric species (Chakerian, A. E., Tesmer, V. M., Manly, S. P., Brackett, J. K., Lynch, M. J., Hoh, J. T., and Matthews, K. S. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 1371-1374; Alberti, S., Oehler, S., von Wilcken-Bergmann, B., Kramer, H., and Muller-Hill, B. (1991) New Biol. 3, 57-62). To further investigate this region, which may form a leucine zipper motif, a family of lac repressor carboxyl-terminal deletion mutants eliminating the last 4, 5, 11, 18, and 32 amino acids (aa) has been constructed. The -4 aa mutant, in which all of the leucines in the presumed leucine zipper are intact, is tetrameric and displays operator and inducer binding properties similar to wild-type repressor. The -5 aa, -11 aa, -18 aa, and -32 aa deletion mutants, depleted of 1, 2, or all 3 of the leucines in the heptad repeats, are all dimeric, as demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography. Circular dichroism spectra and protease digestion studies indicate similar secondary/tertiary structures for the mutant and wild-type proteins. Differences in reaction with a monoclonal antibody specific for a subunit interface are observed for the dimeric versus tetrameric proteins, indicative of exposure of the target epitope as a consequence of deletion. Inducer binding properties of the deletion mutants are similar to wild-type tetrameric repressor at neutral pH. Only small differences in affinity and cooperativity from wild-type are evident at elevated pH; thus, the cooperative unit within the tetramer appears to be the dimer. "Apparent" operator binding affinity for the dimeric proteins is diminished, although minimal change in operator dissociation rate constants was observed. The diminution in apparent operator affinity may therefore derive from either 1) dissociation of the dimeric mutants to monomer generating a linked equilibrium or 2) alterations in intrinsic operator affinity of the dimers; the former explanation is favored. This detailed characterization of the purified mutant proteins confirms that the carboxyl-terminal region is involved in the dimer-dimer interface and demonstrates that cooperativity for inducer binding is contained within the dimer unit of the tetramer structure.
Control of Lysine Biosynthesis in Yeast by a Feedback Mechanism

Homocitric acid (β-hydroxy-β-carboxyadipic acid; HC) is accumulated by a lysine-requiring yeast mutant when grown in a chemically defined medium, supplemented with limited amounts of lysine. A study of the formation of HC in relation to the depletion of lysine from the growth medium indicates that HC accumulated only when the concentration of lysine was low. The enzymatic formation of HC from α-ketoglutarate plus acetyl-coenzyme A in cell-free extracts of the same organism was also inhibited by lysine. The inhibitory effect of lysine on the formation of HC in both whole cells and cell-free extracts is indicative of the functional existence of a feedback control mechanism in the pathway for lysine biosynthesis in yeast.
Collimators for laser plasma x-ray sources

Several novel approaches to collimating x-rays have been proposed in the last few years. Although some show promise as collimators for point x-ray sources, little work has so far been done on their integration with laser plasmas. Here we discuss their potential and possible applications.
Wafer-Scale Fabrication of Single Polypyrrole Nanoribbon-Based Ammonia Sensor

Ultra-long (>1 cm) polypyrrole (PPy) nanoribbons were batch-synthesized to predetermined locations on 4 inch Si wafers and flexible polyimide film with controlled thicknesses and widths via modified Lithographically Patterned Nanowire Electrodeposition (LPNE), which combines top-down “photolithography” and bottom-up “electrodeposition”. The excessive lengths and lithographic approach enable subsequent patterning of electrodes for direct device fabrication. Electrical transport properties were investigated by temperature-dependent measurements, and back-gated FET measurements were performed to study the properties with respect to the conductivity of PPy nanoribbons. To demonstrate the utility of this approach these nanoribbon devices were interrogated as gas sensors in a conductometric fashion. They displayed excellent sensitivity toward ammonia vapor with a detection limit in the sub ppm. The sensitivity toward ammonia vapor was tuned by the conductivity of the PPy nanoribbons via chemical de/doping.
On-board and/or ground-based gyroless accelerometer calibration with uncertain spacecraft inertia for NASA's Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) Mission

Several methods are presented for the on-board and/or ground-based calibration of accelerometers for the spacecraft (s/c) of the NASA Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) Mission during mission operation. It is shown that a single lumped bias (represented by 3 parameters) is sufficient to represent all nine accelerometer calibration parameters for sensor bias, orthogonal misalignment and shift in accelerometer position with respect to the s/c center of mass. Dynamic filters/observers are shown to fail if not provided an accurate inertia tensor for estimation. A batch process filter calibration technique is applied to estimate s/c states and is robust against parametric (s/c inertia) uncertainties. Analytical simulations show that the batch method is able to correct accelerometer readings to within 1 micro-g of true acceleration. Preliminary experimental results show qualitative supporting trends for the batch calibration method.
Measuring technological change with characteristics-space techniques

Abstract The economic model of production and production cost is extended to encompass heterogeneous outputs. The normal goods model shows how input usage varies as the rate of output changes. The extended model concerns output per unit of output —the way costs change as more outputs (the characteristics of goods) are packaged per unit of goods. The extended characteristics-space production model is used to integrate a variety of engineering approaches to measuring technological change. All are shown to provide information about pieces of the production or cost surfaces for heterogeneous goods. The model is also applied to uses of hedonic functions for measuring technological change, and some of the theoretical and interpretative difficulties of these new approaches to measuring technical change are assessed.
Hyperlink analysis for the Web

Hyperlink analysis algorithms significantly improve the relevance of the search results on the Web, so much so that all major Web search engines claim to use some type of hyperlink analysis. However, the search engines do not disclose details about the type of hyperlink analysis they perform, mostly to avoid manipulation of search results by Web-positioning companies. The article discusses how hyperlink analysis can be applied to ranking algorithms, and surveys other ways Web search engines can use this analysis.
Effect of strain on tolerance of low dissolved oxygen of channel X blue catfish hybrids

Abstract Four groups of female channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) x male blue catfish ( I. furcatus ) hybrids were compared for tolerance of critically low dissolved oxygen, 0.6 ppm. Genotype–environment interactions ( P P
Experimental implications for the Spiral of Silence

Abstract Tests of Noelle-Neumann’s Spiral of Silence theory have resulted in equivocal findings on many of the key assumptions on which the theory is built. Either qualified support or no support for this theory has been the case in much of the literature, often leaving its utility in question. The present study tests the core propositions of the Spiral of Silence theory in an experimental, fictitious “climate of opinion.” In manipulating the “climate of opinion” and in analyzing its influence upon several key variables, this study expands Noelle-Neumann’s concept of public opinion into a more robust theoretical construct to include macro, micro, and group level opinion and its influence on survey respondents. The results of the experiment produced mixed evidence on propositions about the direct influence of the climate of opinion upon respondents’ formation of opinions and perceptions of the climate of opinion and their peer group’s opinion. Limited support was also found for the proposition that the climate of opinion affects individuals’ willingness to express their opinion in public. However, no support was found for the theoretical claim that the climate of opinion affects individual’s perception of current or future trends of opinion.
Oak Creek Killings: The Denial of a Culture of Oppression

Force without justice is tyrannical. Justice without force is gainsaid, because there are always offenders; force without justice is condemned. It is necessary then to combine justice and force; and for this end make what is just strong, or what is strong just. And thus being unable to make what is just strong, we have made what is strong just. (Blaise Pascal, Pensees et opuscules, 1670, frag. 298)
Output-feedback sliding-mode control with generalized sliding surface for civil structures under earthquake excitation

The paper presents a control scheme based on the sliding-mode-control approach. The analytical formulation focuses on the development of (1) a convenient, systematic and general scheme to achieve the so-called regular form of the equations of motion required to uncouple the control actions from the sliding motion description, (2) a systematic treatment of control redundancy where the number of sliding constraints imposed are less than the number of independent control actions, and (3) a method to improve sliding surface design by incorporating auxiliary dynamic systems. Both full-state-feedback and output-feedback cases are considered. In the output-feedback formulation, a generalized procedure is developed so that arbitrary combinations of unavailable system states (unmeasured displacements or velocities, for example) need not participate in the design of the sliding surface or the controller. A controller design utilizing only bounding information on the intensity of ground motion and the unmeasured states is proposed. The analytical formulation developed herein is applied to a 10-storey building structure to obtain the numerical results. The advantages of introducing auxiliary systems in the design of the sliding surface and the corresponding controller are noted. The results for both full-state-feedback and output-feedback cases are presented and compared to demonstrate applicability of the proposed control scheme. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prophetic Pragmatism? Post-Conflict Educational Development in Aceh and Mindanao

This essay critically examines the relevance of Cornel West's (1989) conception of prophetic pragmatism as a theoretical framework for educational development in post-conflict settings torn by religious, socioeconomic, and cultural tensions. It examines the concept through the conflict and post-conflict experiences of the Indonesian province of Aceh and the Muslim provinces of the southern Philippines. These 2 regions struggle with educational development after emerging from decades of secessionist conflict with democratic or democratizing central governments. It suggests that prophetic pragmatism usefully accounts for the relevant dimensions of these 2 historical cases and concludes with a brief sketch of how the concept could inform relevant strategies for educational redevelopment in these 2 post-conflict settings.
Effects of voxel size on detection of lateral geniculate nucleus activation in functional magnetic resonance imaging.

To study the effect of voxel size on the detection of lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) activation during visual stimulation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 1.5 T. Ten normal subjects were scanned during visual stimulation with flashing goggles, four times, with four different voxel sizes. The data were spatially normalized, and LGN activation was identified in the standard coordinates in each subject. When the statistical analysis was performed without global normalization, activation of LGN was detected in both hemispheres in all subjects. However, when global normalization was used, activation of LGN was found in only six subjects in whom the activation could be most frequently detected at the smallest voxel size. Our results suggest that LGN activation can be observed within the range of spatial resolution commonly used in conventional fMRI studies, although postprocessing may affect the detectability of LGN activation in fMRI. These findings may be useful in studying LGN activity in patients with visual disturbance. Jpn J Ophthalmol 2004;558–564 © Japanese Ophthalmological Society 2004
Expression of non-open reading frames isolated from phage display due to translation reinitiation

An unusual 38 codon sequence was previously isolated from a random peptide library by binding to growth hormone binding protein in phage display. This sequence, ”H10,” and several variants did not contain open reading frames, but expressed a β-galactosidase reporter 10–40% as well as control in both the original reading frame from phage display and the frame −1 to it. Inspection of the sequence suggested that expression in the –1 frame resulted from initiation at a downstream ATG in that frame, present in H10 and its variants, subsequently confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis. Unexpectedly, mutagenesis of that out-of-frame downstream ATG also increased expression in the original non-open reading frame by two- to threefold, creating a TTG codon adjacent to an existing in-frame TTG codon, suggesting downstream translational reinitiation at a putative TTG start. We undertook an extensive site-directed mutagenesis approach and report that this hypothesis is almost certainly correct. Features required for th...
Tissue Response to Surgical Energy Devices

Objectives There is little data available on the effects of energy-based surgical devices (ESD) on tissues other than arteries and veins. As such, we quantified the lateral thermal damage associated with contemporary ESD: the Harmonic ACE, a prototype bipolar device known as the Gyrus Trisector, the Harmonic LCS-C5, and the LigaSure V. Methods We divided 24 domestic pigs into 4 groups, 1 group for each ESD tested. Segments of bladder, stomach, small bowel, colon, ureter, peritoneum, arteries, and veins were exposed to each ESD. The tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and evaluated by an experienced pathologist to quantitate the lateral energy spread associated with each device. We measured blade temperatures of each device using the IR-Flex thermal camera. Results The Trisector developed the lowest mean blade temperature (97.84°F), whereas the LigaSure’s was the second lowest (103.14°F). The ACE and LCS-C5 created the highest blade temperatures, measuring 220.5°F and 205.6°F, respectively. The Trisector’s mean full thickness and superficial lateral energy damage were 6.3 mm and 7.0 mm, respectively, whereas the Ligasure’s was 4.5 mm and 5.9 mm, respectively. For the ACE, however, mean full thickness and superficial energy spread were 2.4 mm and 2.8 mm, respectively, whereas the LCS-C5’s were 3.1 mm and 4.3 mm, respectively. Conclusions The Harmonic ACE and LCS-C5 produced the least thermal damage in the tissues tested. ESD-associated tissue energy damage is not directly related to blade temperature, but is likely the result of several factors including blade temperature, transection time, tissue properties, and the vascularity of each transected tissue.
In vivo nicotine exposure in the zebra finch: A promising innovative animal model to use in neurodegenerative disorders related research

Nicotine improves cognitive enhancement and there are indications that neurodegenerative (age-related) cognitive disorders could be treated with nicotine-based drugs. The zebra finch is a well-recognized model to study cognitive functioning; hence this model could be used to study the effects of nicotine in neurodegenerative cognitive disorders. However, nicotine's in vivo physiological and behavioral effects have never been studied in the zebra finch. Here we present the first in vivo nicotine study in zebra finches. We evaluated the dose-response effects of nicotine on locomotor activity, song production, food intake and body weight. A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for quantification of nicotine and cotinine in feces. The subcutaneous nicotine drug regiment (0.054-0.54mg/kg) induced physiologically significant values of nicotine and cotinine. The mid (0.18mg/kg) and high (0.54mg/kg) dose of nicotine promoted the development and expression of a sensitized response of song production and locomotor activity. Food intake and body weight were not affected following nicotine exposure. In conclusion, the zebra finch can be used as an innovative animal model not only in nicotine-related research studying cognitive functioning, but also in studies examining nicotine dependence and addictive mechanisms.
SU-DD-A3-04: Strategies for Respiratory-Compensated Treatment of Lung Lesions

Purpose: The CyberKnife Synchrony system allows respiratory motion compensated treatment of lung lesions implanted with fiducials, using a model of the relative motion of the fiducials and infrared diodes on the chest. Often implantation of fiducials in the lesion is not feasible because of the potential for pneumothorax. We compare the following two alternative strategies 1. Synchrony treatment with fiducials in the anterior chest wall 2. Non‐Synchrony treatment with fiducials in the posterior chest wall Method and Materials: The lung lesion patients were scanned using a GE Lightspeed Multi‐Slice scanner to obtain 300 1.25mm thick slices through the area of interest during one breath‐hold. This was performed three times covering full inspiration, full expiration, and mid‐inspiration. Fiducials were implanted percutaneously in the anterior and posterior chest wall. The lesion and position of the fiducials were delineated on all three sets of CT scans. If the motion of the lesion tracked the motion of the anterior chest wall fiducials, then a Synchrony plan was developed to treat the lesion as drawn on the mid‐inspiration CT scan. If the lesion motion did not track with the anterior chest wall fiducials then a non‐Synchrony plan was developed that treated the lesion as seen on all three sets of CT scans using the fiducials in the posterior chest wall for tracking. Results: Using anterior chest wall fiducials, the lesion motion tracked to within 1–2mm in X and Y, and 5–6mm in Z. The target was extended in Z to accommodate this. For non‐Synchrony treatments the target volumes increased by 60 to 75% and the prescription isodose volumes increased by 65 to 90%. Conclusion: The treatment of lung lesions presents a difficult challenge especially if fiducials cannot be implanted in the lesion to allow full Synchrony treatment, but the techniques described will still allow treatment.
The Orientation Period Essential for New Registered Nurses’ Adaptation

The purpose of this research study was to explore adaptation in new registered nurses using the Roy adaptation model as the guiding conceptual framework. This quantitative study employed a random sampling of new nurses in the state of North Carolina. Personal attributes of the new registered nurses and characteristics of their work setting were modeled with four measures considered suitable proxies for adaptation. Being in a formal orientation period significantly supported the new nurses’ overall adaptation. This may represent the benefit of social support, including education, which seems to facilitate adaptation.
Statistical software packages for windows: A market survey

This paper presents the main results of a market analysis concerning statistical software packages that are available on the Microsoft Windows platform. In addition to the features inherent in the software packages, the numerical accuracy and the computing speed of the programs are considered. Suitable data will be recorded and analyzed with descriptive data analysis methods. Finally, a representation of the market in a twodimensional space is provided.
Requirement for JAK/STAT signaling throughout border cell migration in Drosophila

The evolutionarily conserved JAK/STAT signaling pathway is essential for the proliferation, survival and differentiation of many cells including cancer cells. Recent studies have implicated this transcriptional pathway in the process of cell migration in humans, mice, Drosophila and Dictyostelium. In the Drosophila ovary, JAK/STAT signaling is necessary and sufficient for the specification and migration of a group of cells called the border cells; however, it is not clear to what extent the requirement for cell fate is distinct from that for cell migration. We found that STAT protein is enriched in the migrating border cells throughout their migration and is an indicator of cells with highest JAK/STAT activity. In addition, stat(ts) mutants exhibited border cell migration defects after just 30 minutes at the non-permissive temperature, prior to any detectable change in the expression of cell fate markers. At later times, cell fate changes became evident, indicating that border cell fate is labile. JAK/STAT signaling was also required for organization of the border cell cluster. Finally, we show that both the accumulation of STAT protein and nuclear accumulation are positively regulated by JAK/STAT activity. The activity of the pathway is negatively regulated by overexpression of a SOCS protein and by blocking endocytosis. Together, our findings suggest that the requirement for STAT in border cells extends beyond the initial specification and delamination of cells from the epithelium.
Numerical methods in fusion research

The numerical models used in fusion research are briefly reviewed. The application of implicit difference techniques to problems in resistive magnetohydrodynamics, transport and the Fokker-Planck equation is discussed.
Reactivity studies of trimethylaluminum, trimethylgallium, and trimethylindium with a series of five silylamines: molecular structure of trans-[Me2InN(Me)SiMe3]2

Abstract Equimolar mixtures of Me3M (M=Al, Ga, In) with five silylamines, N(SiMe3)3, HN(SiMe3)2, MeN(SiMe3)2, Me2NSiMe3, and HN(Me)SiMe3, were prepared in benzene-d6 and toluene-d8 solutions and variable temperature 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy was utilized to deduce the capacity of these systems to form stable complexes under varying degrees of amine silylation. Approximate values for the cone angles of the bound amines are extrapolated from NMR data and from literature trends. The 1,2-elimination reactions of MMe3 with HN(Me)SiMe3 at 90°C (120°C for the Ga analogue) afford mixtures in solution of cis- and trans-[Me2MN(Me)SiMe3]2 which crystallizes in the trans form. In solution, the dimers equilibrate to mixtures of cis and trans geometrical isomers. The trans isomer is the predominant isomer for all three analogues. The equilibration process follows reversible first-order kinetics for each dimer. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for the trans to cis equilibration have been determined and are discussed in terms of an intramolecular ring opening mechanism. The molecular structure of trans-[Me2InN(Me)SiMe3]2 has been determined by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The molecule is dimeric and lies on a crystallographic center of symmetry.
Corpectomy followed by the placement of instrumentation with titanium cages and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 for vertebral osteomyelitis.

Object The treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis includes antibiotics with or without surgical intervention. The decision to place instrumentation into an infected spinal column remains controversial. The use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein–2 (rhBMP-2) in patients with osteomyelitis is also extremely controversial. The authors review their experience in performing corpectomy and fusion with titanium cages and rhBMP-2 in patients with vertebral instability and/or neurological compromise due to vertebral osteomyelitis. Methods Data obtained in 15 patients treated between 2001 and 2005 were included in this analysis. Nine patients presented primarily with axial pain and six with radiculopathy or myelopathy. Seven patients had an associated epidural abscess. The cervical spine was affected in six patients, the thoracic spine in five, and the lumbar spine in four. All patients underwent corpectomy of the involved vertebral bodies; the authors then performed spinal reconstruction, placing a titan...
Cranial chondrosarcoma in a paddlefish, Polyodon spathula (Walbaum)

Abstract. A large, focally extensive tumour was observed on the posterior aspect of the head of a 14 year-old paddlefish, Polyodon spathula (Walbaum), taken from Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, USA. A morphologic diagnosis of chondrosarcoma was made based on the biology, radiographic examination and cellular anaplasia of the mass. The lack of attachment of the tumour of the axial skeleton suggests origin in the dermal bones characteristic of this species. This constitutes the first record of a tumour with these characteristics from cartilaginous non-elasmobranch or elasmobranch fishes.
SAFAL: A MapReduce Spatio-temporal Analyzer for UNAVCO FTP Logs

UNAVCO is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded consortium that facilitates geoscience research and education using geodesy. It is responsible for the collection, archiving and distribution of data from GPS sites installed in every continent of the world. In addition to GPS data, UNAVCO collects borehole seismic, strain meter, meteorological, and digital imagery data. One of UNAVCO's largest programs is the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), the geodetic component of the NSF funded Earth scope program. PBO consists of over 1100 continuous GPS sites plus 80 borehole strain and seismic sites. In this paper, we present SAFAL, a Spatio-temporal Analyzer of FTP Access Logs collected by UNAVCO's data center. We developed SAFAL using Hadoop/MapReduce. The motivation for this work was to build an efficient system able to quickly identify trends in GPS data usage. The system is able to processes millions of lines of data in minutes. It supports queries such as: (i) what is the most downloaded GPS site, (ii) who is downloading the data most, or (iii) what periods of data are of greatest interest. Answers to these and similar queries are useful for planning network growth, allocating Web resources, and tracking hot topics in geoscience research. They also may be extremely useful to help UNAVCO illuminate dark data.
A momentum-dependent potential approximated by the Morse function for studying nuclear systematics

The Schroedinger equation with a momentum-dependent potential has been solved to yield the single-particle energies for neutrons and protons in bound nuclear systems. A nonlocal nucleon-nucleus potential is reduced to a momentum-dependent potential which is further transformed to an energy-dependent effective potential. The effective potential is approximated by an analytically solvable potential, the well-known Morse function. The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions are obtained in closed forms in terms of the Morse parameters. From this method the following well-known results have been obtained: (i) The radii of neutron and proton distribution are different. For light nuclei the radius for proton distribution is larger than that of the neutron distribution, and for medium and heavy nuclei, the order reverses. (ii) The magnitudes of the single-particle energies increase with A but for deep bound states, they level off at large A, thus exhibiting the saturation property of nuclear forces. (iii) Within the major shells the single-particle levels cross each other, which is consistent with the observed data. (iv) The single-particle energies are found in good agreement with the experimental values. (v) The magic numbers resulting from these calculations are in complete agreement with the observed ones. (vi) The so-called semimagic numbers Z or N = 6, 16, 40, and 58 are also noted in the appropriate regions. (vii) The spin-orbit splittng increases as l increases and slightly decreases as A increases.
Analytically Useful Spectra Excited in an Atmospheric Pressure Active Nitrogen Afterglow

An atmospheric pressure active nitrogen (APAN) discharge has been utilized for producing characteristic molecular emissions from nonmetallic species introduced into the afterglow region of the discharge. The addition of inorganic S-, P-, B-, Cl-, and Br-containing compounds into the afterglow has resulted in the formation of excited S2, PN, BO, NCl, and NBr species, respectively. Intense molecular Br2 emission and I2 emission, as well as atomic I emission, have also been observed. Preliminary analytical utilization of the molecular or atomic emissions observed revealed that the APAN afterglow may serve as a potentially useful detector for the aforementioned elements.
Gender, Politics, and The Triumph of Mestizaje in Early 20th Century Nicaragua

The �myth of Nicaragua mestizo,� this Uncommon sense notion that Nicaragua had long been an ethnically homogenous society is one of the elite's most enduring hegemonic achievements. The creation of this nationalistic discourse in Nicaragua depended upon the increasing disarticulation of the Comunidades Indigenas. The delegitimization of indigenous authenticity, in turn, was related to the development of a democratic discourse of equal rights and citizenship that effectively suppressed specific indigenous rights to communal land and political autonomy. The article also underscores how gender influenced the mestizaje process, especially through the discursive feminzation of Indian males. Finally, the article points to some of the political consequences of the enshrinement of mestizaje in Central America
Descartes' Rule of Signs: Another Construction

(1999). Descartes' Rule of Signs: Another Construction. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 106, No. 9, pp. 854-856.
Relationship of folate binding to chemoreception inParamecium

Paramecia respond to some soluble chemicals in their environment. Cells change their swimming pattern to accumulate in or disperse from these chemicals. Attractants of one class, which includes the folate anion, hyperpolarize the cell relative to the membrane potential in control solution (Van Houten 1979). The mechanism of transduction of the chemical cue (folate) into its characteristic electrical cue is unknown. This study investigates the role of specific binding in this transduction. While the role of uptake cannot be unequivocally established (DiNallo et al. 1980), the role of binding in chemoreception is more clear and appears to be a necessary step in the chemosensory transduction pathway. Evidence for this comes from concomitant loss of saturable folate binding with loss of chemoresponse both in mutant d4-534 and assays of binding and chemoresponse in the presence of cyclic AMP. Normal folate binding toParamecium tetraurelia is characterized by a Kd of approximately 29 μM and a binding site number of approximately 6.7 × 10−11 mol/mg protein.
Dynamics of Bearing Shaft Systems

The objective of this study was to develop a bearing model which can be combined with shafts, gears etc. to virtually investigate the motion and loading of the elements in the bearing. Models for ball, cylindrical and tapered rolling bearing dynamics have been designed, developed and combined with rigid and flexible shafts subject to various loading conditions and eccentric masses. The results from this investigation demonstrated that for rotating shaft bearing systems, the motion and the loads on the rolling elements are significantly different than that predicted by static and / or quasi-static type analysis. Results from shaft bearing system, where shaft may be supported by combinations of ball and rolling element bearings will be demonstrated. Cage motion and stability under various load and speed combinations will be discussed.© 2005 ASME
A comparative analysis of IPO proceeds under alternative regulatory environments

Abstract We study the effect on IPO proceeds of uniform-price restrictions and restrictions on the allocation of oversubscribed issues. Our model suggests that underwriters, given the opportunity to allocate IPOs among both regular and retail investors, would maximize proceeds by using a combination of price and allocation discrimination. Uniform-price restrictions increase the cost of soliciting information from regular investors and, when combined with evenhanded distribution restrictions, make information gathering impossible. We also provide conditions under which either adverse selection or the cost of soliciting information is likely to be the dominant force behind IPO discounting.
Small-Sample Comparisons of Exact Levels for Chi-Squared Goodness-of-Fit Statistics

Abstract The small-sample properties of three goodness-of-fit statistics for the analysis of categorical data are examined with respect to the adequacy of the asymptotic chi-squared approximation. The approximate tests based on the likelihood ratio and Freeman-Tukey statistics yield exact levels that are typically in excess of the nominal levels for moderate expected values. In contrast, the Pearson statistic attains exact levels that are quite close to the nominal values. The reason for the large number of rejections for the likelihood ratio and Freeman-Tukey statistics is related to their handling of small observed counts.