cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extent of lymphadenectomy achieved by various modifications of neck dissection: a pathologic analysis.

Objectives: Quantify the extent of lymphadenectomy achieved by the various modifications of neck dissection based on microscopic pathologic analysis. Study Design: Retrospective review of neck specimens of patients who underwent neck dissection for head and neck malignancies at our institution over a 5-year period. Methods: Charts and pathology report findings on patients who underwent neck dissection were reviewed. Patients who received preoperative chemotherapy or radiation therapy to the neck were excluded. The number of lymph nodes documented by pathologic microscopic examination for each specimen was recorded. Results: There were 164 neck specimens on 135 patients (29 patient had simultaneous bilateral neck dissection). Those were divided into four groups based on the non-lymphatic structures preserved. There were 58 radical neck dissections (radical neck dissections) (group 1), 50 modified radical neck dissections sparing the eleventh cranial nerve (group 2), 15 modified radical neck dissections sparing the eleventh cranial nerve and internal jugular vein (group 3), and 33 modified radical neck dissections sparing the eleventh cranial nerve, internal jugular vein, and sternocleidomastoid muscle (group 4). The remaining 8 had other modifications of radical neck dissection. The mean number of lymph nodes found per specimen was 34 in group 1, 27 in group 2, 31 in group 3, and 22 in group 4. We performed one-way between-group analysis of variance (ANOVA). Pair-wise comparisons of means were carried out subsequent to ANOVA utilizing the Fisher Exact Test. Group 4 was significantly different from all other groups. Additionally, group 2 significantly differed from group 1. Conclusions: The extent of lymphadenectomy achieved by neck dissection decreases as the number of nonlymphatic structures preserved in the neck increases. The impact of this finding on the pathologic staging or prognosis needs further analysis.
Psychometric and Piagetian intelligences: Toward resolution of controversy

Abstract Whether “psychometric” and “Piagetian” kinds of intelligence, as measured by instruments designed to measure these constructs, are the same or different is regarded as a question of whether they have the same or different courses of development with age. While factor analysis may not be fully adequate for investigation of this question, use of this technique with variables reflecting chronological age variation must involve elimination of the age effect in order to assess relations among the constructs measured. Humphreys and Parsons (1979) were justified in partialing out age in their reanalysis of a study by Stephens, McLaughlin, Miller, and Glass (1972), to show that the two constructs are highly correlated and possibly identical in the sample studied. Reanalyses of studies by DeVries and Kohlberg (1977) and by DeVries (1974) yield somewhat conflicting results on the identity between psychometric and Piagetian intelligences. The former study does not yield a convincing separation between them, whereas the latter suggests that they can be distinguished, though substantially correlated and both loaded with a general factor. Problems in further investigating the issue are discussed.
Introduction: The Persistence of Class and the Continuing Relevance of Class Analysis in Contemporary Capitalist Society

L'A. estiment que les chercheurs, apres l'effondrement du communisme en Europe de l'Est, ont affirme un peu tot la fin du marxisme et la mort de la theorie des classes sociales et de celle de la lutte des classes. Il replique a un article de Terry Clark et Seymour Martin Lipset ainsi qu'a un autre article de Jan Pakulski qui soutiennent dans leurs analyses ce type de position. L'A. presente son livre «Class structure and social transformation» dans lequel il soutient que la lutte des classes est bien encore reelle, qu'elle est a la base de la societe capitaliste et qu'au cours du XX e siecle l'exploitation sociale demeure un phenomene fondamental
Pre-clinical efficacy and dosing of an AAV8 vector expressing human methylmalonyl-CoA mutase in a murine model of methylmalonic acidemia (MMA)

We demonstrate that human methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MUT), delivered using an AAV serotype 8 vector, rescues the lethal phenotype displayed by mice with MMA and provides long-term phenotypic correction. In addition to defining a lower limit of effective dosing, our studies establish that neither a species barrier to mitochondrial processing nor an apparent immune response to MUT limits the murine model as an experimental platform to test the efficacy of human gene therapy vectors for MMA.
Simultaneous linear extension of Continuous functions

Abstract A topological space X is said to have property D∗c, where c ⩾ 1 is a real number, if for each closed subspace F of X there is a linear function Φ: C ∗ (F) → C ∗ (X) such that (1) Φ(⨍) extends ⨍, and (2)  Φ  ⩽ c , i.e.,  Φ(⨍) ⩽c⨍ for ⨍ ϵ C ∗ (F) . We give a necess ary condition for a space to have property D∗c and then obtain the following results. There exists a semimetrizable cosmic (hence hereditarily Lindelof) space which does not have any property D∗c. For each odd integer m > 1 there exists a space which has property D∗m but not property D∗c for any c A space having property D∗c for some c βN does not have any property D∗c.
Teaching Environmentally Conscious Design and Manufacturing at the Undergraduate Level: A Georgia Tech Perspective

In this paper, an overview is given of the history and current implementation of an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering course titled “ME 4171 - Environmentally Conscious Design and Manufacturing” at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This course was developed in late 1993 and has been taught every year since as an elective in Mechanical Engineering. The course is designed to give the students an opportunity to learn about environmentally conscious design and manufacture, the growing national and international efforts in reducing the environmental impact of products, and how environmental considerations affect the design’s technical, economical and quality requirements, and vice versa. In this paper, the philosophy behind the course, its objectives and outcomes, and its structure are discussed. The rationale for the course content is given in context of national and international developments in the area. Recommendations for curricular development are also provided.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Quantitative analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine insecticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated hydrocarbons and polynitrohydrocarbons in spiked samples of soil, water and plasma by selected-ion monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Abstract A broad range of pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated hydrocarbons (PCHs), polynitrohydrocarbons (PNHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine (OCs) insecticides were simultaneously analyzed in spiked soil, water or plasma samples by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Water and plasma samples containing the pollutants were extracted by a solid-phase extraction (SPE) method using florisil columns. The soil samples, fortified with the toxicants, were extracted with water, methanol or dichloromethane (DCM). The water extract was processed by the SPE method. The methanol and DCM samples were dried, dissolved in acetonitrile and subjected to the SPE extraction. The extracted samples were analyzed by GC–MS programmed to monitor selected ions. The deuterium labelled compounds were used as the internal standards. The chromatographic profile of total ions indicated complete separation of some compounds such as isophorone, naphthalene, all PCBs, most OC insecticides and PNHs; high M r PAHs and some PCHs were partially or incompletely separated. The chromatographic profile of individual ion indicated good separation of each ion. The minimum detection limit ranged from 1 to 4 pg injected when 1 or 2 ions were monitored or from 20 to 200 pg injected when 20 ions were monitored. The SPE method that provided 60–105% recovery of pollutants from water samples, provided only 2–60% recovery from plasma samples. This may be due to the binding of pollutants to plasma proteins. Water recovered 1–30%, while methanol or DCM recovered 65–100% of the pollutants added to the soil samples. The use of internal standards corrected for the loss of pollutants from plasma or soil.
3D spatio-temporal analysis for compressive sensing in magnetic resonance imaging of the murine cardiac cycle

This paper explores a three-dimensional compressive sensing (CS) technique for reducing measurement time in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the murine (mouse) cardiac cycle. By randomly undersampling a single 2D slice of a mouse heart at regular time intervals as it expands and contracts through the stages of a heartbeat, a CS reconstruction algorithm can be made to exploit transform sparsity in time as well as space. For the purposes of measuring the left ventricular volume in the mouse heart, this 3D approach offers significant advantages against classical 2D spatial compressive sensing.
Comparison of mohs micrographic surgery and wide excision for extramammary Paget's disease.

Background. Extramammary Paget's disease is a rare cutaneous adenocarcinoma that occurs in an apocrine gland distribution mainly in the anogenital region. Objective. To formulate treatment recommendations for this rare disease, we examined clinical and follow-up data of patients with it. Methods. A retrospective review is given about the treatment and outcome for 95 patients at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and Scottsdale, Arizona, between 1976 and 2001. The literature regarding diagnosis and treatment of this disease is also reviewed. Results. Of the 95 patients, 86 had primary disease and 9 had recurrent disease. At mean follow-up (wide excision, 65 months; Mohs surgery, 24 months), disease had recurred in 18 of 83 (22%) who underwent standard wide excision, compared with recurrence in 1 of 12 (8%) who had the Mohs micrographic excision. Conclusion. Mohs micrographic surgery compares favorably with wide excision. Intraoperative immunostaining with cytokeratin 7 is helpful in delineating disease, as are preoperative scouting biopsies and photodynamic diagnosis.
The long term implications and constraints of alternate energy policies

Abstract The complexity of the current energy situation is such that conventional analysis does not provide sufficient foundation upon which to base energy-policy decisions. We have used an overview perspective in analyzing how a diverse range of phenomena, such as population, price, inflation, transportation, agriculture, international trade and city design, are linked to energy policy. A principle tool used in the study is the hierarchical simulation model SPECULATER. Contrary to the “conventional wisdom”, present U.S. energy prices are exceedingly low, whether the standard of comparison is the historical level of U.S. energy prices or current energy prices in other countries, which are 3 to 115 times more expensive after correcting for ability to pay. We do not suggest that higher energy prices are not inflationary, but rather that lower energy prices are also inflationary. Widening the analytical scope reveals that the “benefits” of low energy prices are more illusionary than real. What may appear to be an immediate benefit of a particular policy often turns out to be a subsequent disaster. Unless policies are aimed at promoting long-term stability instead of short-term benefit, the difficult decisions we are facing today will seem trivial compared to the agonizing decisions we stand to face in the future. Simulations using SPECULATER indicate some of the long-term implications of current energy policy. For example, a policy in which gasoline prices decline slightly until 1980 and then increase only with inflation leads to a year 2000 wheat price that is 21% higher than that produced by a policy which advocates an increase in the price of gasoline to $1.00 by 2000. Both policies would still require large imports of oil and, consequently, would push U.S. agricultural system to a point where necessary production levels could only be met by massive increases in capital (both human and monetary), energy and water. Alternatively, an energy policy that would increase gasoline prices to a level similar to that in West Germany (about three times current U.S. prices, after correcting for ability to pay) would result in lower wheat prices, since consumption would be decreased, with concomitant decreases in oil imports and wheat exports. Failure of policy-makers to support a strong energy policy (culminating in decreased consumption and ultimately general conservation) will result in a diversity of other problems becoming more serious. Capital promises to be a critical factor in the future, as do water, health care service, and the U.S. international trade balance. In short, “cheap” energy is not cheap; energy will be paid for a true price in some roundabout fashion, either in the supermarket, through increased taxes, loss of jobs, lack of health care services, etc.
The renin-angiotensin system and ACE inhibitors in the peri-operative period

Anaesthetists will encounter more patients in the peri-operative period on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor therapy because of their efficacy in the treatment of hypertension and cardiac failure. Pre-operative therapy with ACE inhibitors has been associated with severe hypotension after the induction of and during anaesthesia. While ACE inhibitors have not been found especially useful in managing the haemodynamic consequences of laryngoscopy and intubation, they may have a role when induced hypotension is required to minimize blood loss. It is now apparent that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a critical role in the defence of blood loss, and thus ACE inhibitors may have a deterimental effect in the peri-operative period in this respect. High thoracic epidural anaesthesia may not only have its well-known sympatholytic effect, but may also inhibit activation of the RAS system. However, on the positive side, ACE inhibitors have been shown to diminish the activation of cardiovascular mediators in cardiac surgical patients, are probably renoprotective during aortic surgery and have been shown to reduce myocardial infarct size after coronary occlusion in dogs, suggesting a possible myocardial protective effect. Thus further studies will be required to determine the exact role of ACE inhibitors in the peri-operative period.
Ammonia and disinhibition in cat motor cortex by ammonium acetate, monofluoroacetate and insulin-induced hypoglycemia

Summary Ammonia intoxication abolished the suppression of action potential generation by cortical postsynaptic inhibition due to the inactivation of neuronal Cl − extrusion. The disinhibition by ammonia intoxication occurred when ammonia concentrations in the cerebral cortex were increased to 320% of normal. Fluoroacetate poisoning and insulin-induced hypoglycemia, which are known to increase ammonia concentrations in the CNS and previously have been shown to inactivate Cl − extrusion in spinal motoneurons, abolished the suppression of action potential generation by cortical postsynaptic inhibition like ammonia intoxication. This disinhibition occurred at unchanged cerebral ammonia concentrations. The effect of fluoroacetate and insulin-induced hypoglycemia on cortical postsynaptic inhibition is either due to a direct, i.e. not ammonia mediated, inactivation of neuronal Cl − extrusion or due to a disturbance of the synaptic mechanisms mediated by the transmitter of cortical inhibition, GABA. Toxic-metabolic encephalopathies which increase cerebral ammonia concentrations beyond 320% of normal may produce a dysfunction of the CNS due to inactivation of neuronal Cl − extrusion leading to ineffective cortical inhibition. However, in fluoroacetate poisoning and insulin-induced hypoglycemia increased ammonia concentrations in the CNS have only a secondary role in initiating a dysfunction of the CNS since disinhibition occurs before ammonia concentrations increase.
The computer as a tool in instructional computing: Students as software architects

The computer-rich environment that exists when every student has a computer provides a variety of new opportunities for instructional use of computers, including new opportunities for the use of microcomputer application programs. After arguing that computer programming has a limited role in instructional computing, this paper describes the assumptions, development, and structure of a psychology course in which students make use of the microcomputer and its application programs as a tool in software design. However, programming is not required. Rather, the personal computer and its application programs provide an environment in which the student has the freedom to develop software design and explore course content without being constrained by the mind-numbing minutiae involved in programming a rigid, inflexible tutee.
Iron-Loaded Magnetic Nanocapsules for pH-Triggered Drug Release and MRI Imaging

Magnetic nanocapsules were synthesized for controlled drug release, magnetically assisted delivery, and MRI imaging. These magnetic nanocapsules, consisting of a stable iron nanocore and a mesoporous silica shell, were synthesized by controlled encapsulation of ellipsoidal hematite in silica, partial etching of the hematite core in acid, and reduction of the core by hydrogen. The iron core provided a high saturation magnetization and was stable against oxidation for at least 6 months in air and 1 month in aqueous solution. The hollow space between the iron core and mesoporous silica shell was used to load anticancer drug and a T1-weighted MRI contrast agent (Gd-DTPA). These multifunctional monodispersed magnetic “nanoeyes” were coated by multiple polyelectrolyte layers of biocompatible poly-l-lysine and sodium alginate to control the drug release as a function of pH. We studied pH-controlled release, magnetic hysteresis curves, and T1/T2 MRI contrast of the magnetic nanoeyes. They also served as MRI contr...
A Multi-Scale Method for Dynamics Simulation in Continuum Solvent Models I: Finite-Difference Algorithm for Navier-Stokes Equation

A multi-scale framework is proposed for more realistic molecular dynamics simulations in continuum solvent models by coupling a molecular mechanics treatment of solute with a fluid mechanics treatment of solvent. This article reports our initial efforts to formulate the physical concepts necessary for coupling the two mechanics and develop a 3D numerical algorithm to simulate the solvent fluid via the Navier-Stokes equation. The numerical algorithm was validated with multiple test cases. The validation shows that the algorithm is effective and stable, with observed accuracy consistent with our design.
Inactivation of FIP200 Leads to Inflammatory Skin Disorder, but Not Tumorigenesis, in Conditional Knock-out Mouse Models

FIP200 (focal adhesion kinase family interacting protein of 200 kDa) has been shown to interact with other proteins to regulate several intracellular signaling pathways. To study a potential role of FIP200 in tumorigenesis and possibly other disease processes in vivo, we created and analyzed murine mammary tumor virus-Cre-mediated FIP200 conditional knock-out (CKO) mice. We found that deletion of FIP200 in mammary epithelial cells did not result in spontaneous development of breast cancer. Moreover, deletion of FIP200 did not further accelerate or inhibit lymphomagenesis induced by inactivation of p53 in mice. Interestingly, however, FIP200 and p53 double conditional knock-out (dCKO) mice exhibited significant hyperplasia of epidermis (acanthosis), thickening of the cornified layer (hyperkeratosis), and increased vascularity in the dermis. FIP200 CKO mice also showed similar, although less severe, skin defects as dCKO mice. Analyses of primary keratinocytes isolated from dCKO mice did not detect increased proliferation of these cells in vitro, suggesting that epidermis hyperproliferation is not epidermal cell-autonomous but may be a consequence of increased inflammation triggered by immune cells in vivo. Consistent with this possibility, we found infiltration of leukocytes including T cells, macrophages, and granulocytes into the dermis and epidermis, associated with activation of NF-κB and increased expression of several proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in skin of the dCKO mice. We further found that cultured FIP200 KO keratinocytes showed reduced NF-κB phosphorylation in response to tumor necrosis factor α stimulation, suggesting a paracrine regulation of aberrant NF-κB activation in the skin microenviroment of dCKO and FIP200 CKO mice. Together, these results demonstrate that ablation of FIP200, although not promoting tumorigenesis, can lead to skin inflammatory disorders, suggesting a novel function of FIP200 in the maintenance of normal skin homeostasis in vivo.
Organogels and Low Molecular Mass Organic Gelators

Nanostructured materials have many forms. One that has been somewhat neglected until recently is organogels, especially those whose three-dimensional structural networks are based on the self-assembly of low molecular-mass organic gelators (LMOGs). These thermoreversible materials consist of a small amount of LMOG and an organic liquid. Because of the wide diversity of structures of molecules known to function as LMOGs and the dearth of direct information concerning how they pack in their gel assemblies, it has been difficult to decipher the salient features that constitute an LMOG. The stepwise simplification of LMOG structures and the development of methods to determine their packing in organogels at the micrometer-to-angstrom distance regimes are discussed for the simplest known LMOGs to the more complex, such as CEP (see Figure), which is known to form molecular wires when gelling chloroform. Work from the laboratory of the authors is emphasized. In addition, an overview of current and potential applications for these materials is presented.
Using virtual reality technology in organizational behavior research

Conventional research methodologies that use written vignettes to present stimuli have been criticized as lacking in realism. We propose the use of highly immersive virtual reality (VR) technology to overcome limitations of written vignettes and other traditional methodologies. We also illustrate how VR technology can be effectively used to investigate various topics in organizational behavior and industrial/organizational psychology. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biochemical Factors Governing the Steady-State Estrone/Estradiol Ratios Catalyzed by Human 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases Types 1 and 2 in HEK-293 Cells

Human 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase types 1 and 2 (17βHSD1 and 17βHSD2) regulate estrogen potency by catalyzing the interconversion of estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2) using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) cofactors NAD(P)(H). In intact cells, 17βHSD1 and 17βHSD2 establish pseudo-equilibria favoring E1 reduction or E2 oxidation, respectively. The vulnerability of these equilibrium steroid distributions to mutations and to altered intracellular cofactor abundance and redox state, however, is not known. We demonstrate that the equilibrium E2/E1 ratio achieved by 17βHSD1 in intact HEK-293 cell lines is progressively reduced from 94:6 to 10:90 after mutagenesis of R38, which interacts with the 2′-phosphate of NADP(H), and by glucose deprivation, which lowers the NADPH/NADP+ ratio. The shift to E2 oxidation parallels changes in apparent Km values for purified 17βHSD1 proteins to favor NAD(H) over NADP(H). In contrast, mutagenesis of E116 (corresponding to R38 in 17βHSD1) and changes in intracellular cofactor ratios do not alter the greater than 90:10 E1/E2 ratio catalyzed by 17βHSD2, and these mutations lower the apparent Km of recombinant 17βHSD2 for NADP(H) only less than 3-fold. We conclude that the equilibrium E1/E2 ratio maintained by human 17βHSD1 in intact cells is governed by NADPH saturation, which is strongly dependent on both R38 and high intracellular NADPH/NADP+ ratios. In contrast, the preference of 17βHSD2 for E2 oxidation strongly resists alteration by genetic and metabolic manipulations. These findings suggest that additional structural features, beyond the lack of a specific arginine residue, disfavor NADPH binding and thus support E2 oxidation by 17βHSD2 in intact cells.
Three solutions of the protein solubility problem

Three simple equations are presented, which describe the variation of protein solubility (S) with changes in salt concentration, in terms of either the salt molality (M), the salt activity (ax), or the water activity (aw). Each equation yields, essentially independent, estimates of the numbers of salt ions (delta vx) and water molecules (delta vw) involved in the dissolution of a mol of the protein. The equations can be used to elucidate the physical significance of the parameters in other empirical equations for protein solubility.
Room Temperature Tensile Ductility in Powder Processed B2 FeAi Alloys

It has been shown that it is possible to obtain significant room temperature tensile ductility in FeAl alloys using iron-rich deviations from stoichiometry. A comparison of the room temperature tensile and compressive behaviors of Fe−50at% Al and Fe−40at% Al shows that FeAl is brittle at higher Al contents because it fractures along grain boundaries before general yielding. Lower aluminium contents reduce the yield stress substantially and hence some ductility is observed before fracture. Addition of boron results in measurable improvements in ductility of Fe−40at% Al and is accompanied by an increase in transgranular tearing on the fracture surface, suggesting a grain boundary strengthening mechanism. Increasing the cooling rate following annealing at 1273 K results in a large increase in the yield strength and a corresponding decrease in ductility.
Implementing preventive and environmental community interventions.

Community-oriented professionals have much to offer in amelioring pressing, widespread health problems. Interventive ap proaches having the most potential might be those whose goals are directed toward building in strengths and competencies in individuals and groups to prevent onset of disorders, and modifying environmental irritants predisposing to pathology while strengthening environmental components conducing toward health. The present article reviews these projects which illustrate these approaches. The programs focus on preventing the onset of smoking m high school youngsters, reducing smoking behaviors in public settings, and decreasing dog droppings on public pathways. Several guiding principles in implementing these preventive interventions are delineated.
Scheduling weighted packets with deadlines over a fading channel

We consider scheduling weighted packets with time constraints over a fading channel. Packets arrive in an online manner. Each packet has a value and a hard deadline by which it should be sent. The fade state of the channel determines the throughput obtained per unit of time and the channel's quality may change over time. In this paper, we design both offline and online algorithms to maximize weighted throughput, which is defined as the total value of the packets sent by their respective deadlines. We first present polynomial-time exact offline algorithms for this problem. Then, we present online algorithms and their competitive analysis, as well as the lower bounds of competitive ratio. Our work is the first one addressing weighted throughput for this important problem in the areas of information theory and communication.
Stratigraphy and Depositional History of the Gaptank Formation (Pennsylvanian), West Texas

The base of the Gaptank Formation is redefined as the base of the conglomerate member, and the underlying Chaetetes -bearing limestone member is transferred to the Haymond Formation. This change gives the Gaptank Formation a more distinctive lithologic base having greater areal continuity. The Gaptank Formation is subdivided into a conglomerate member (bottom) and a limestone member (top) that intertongue, in part, with a sandstone and shale member (middle). Gaptank strata display cyclical repetition and illustrate differences in deposition arising from differences in subaqueous topography. Three submarine land forms persisted as distinctive depositional sites: a shallow shelf (undaform), a sloping surface (clinoform), and a basin (fondoform). Progressive basinward extension of the shallow-shelf areas resulted in more widespread shallow-water environments during deposition of the Gaptank Formation. In outcrop, many individual Gaptank limestone beds can be traced laterally from a shallow-shelf facies into a shelf-edge facies, then into an upper-slope facies. Other modifications in the sedimentary pattern resulted from gentle warping in different areas and at different times during deposition. Comparison of lithologic and depositional features in the Gaptank Formation with those of the late Pennsylvanian strata along the eastern shelf of the Midland basin in central and north-central Texas shows striking similarities.
Laparoscopy for Abdominal Emergencies

The role of laparoscopy has been reviewed for these conditions: abdominal trauma, acute abdomen, abdominal pain of uncertain etiology, appendicitis and the acute abdomen in the intensive care unit patient. Laparoscopy should only be performed in trauma patients who are hemodynamically stable and who have some evidence for abdominal injury, such as a positive peritoneal lavage or a positive CT scan. Laparoscopy is an excellent procedure for determining whether a knife or missile has penetrated the peritoneum. For penetrating wounds in the chest and upper abdomen, laparoscopy also allows excellent evaluation of the diaphragm. In blunt trauma, laparoscopy identifies the majority of injuries, but there has been a 5-15% incidence of missed injuries to the small bowel and colon. The acute abdomen is generally caused by perforation, acute inflammation or intestinal obstruction. Of the various types of perforation, diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy is most applicable for duodenal perforation. Acute perforati...
Including patients with diabetes mellitus or coronary artery bypass grafting decreases the association between heart rate variability and mortality after myocardial infarction.

Abstract Background Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) is often assumed to be associated with mortality in all patients after myocardial infarction (MI), independent of clinical factors or time after MI. Method HRV was determined from Holter tapes in the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST). Patients were 71 ± 120 days after MI. A total of 735 pre-therapy tapes were analyzed in patients who had ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) suppressed on the first treatment. The period of follow-up was 362 ± 243 days (69 deaths). The association of clinical and demographic factors and 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime HRV to mortality in all patients, patients without coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery between the qualifying MI and the Holter monitoring, and patients with neither CABG nor diabetes mellitus was determined with univariate Cox regression analysis. Results For the entire group and the subgroup without CABG, the strongest association was with increased daytime normalized high frequency power (NHF day). Further excluding patients with diabetes mellitus strengthened the association of HRV with mortality rate. Decreased natural logarithm (ln) 24-hour total and ultra low frequency (ULF) power were the strongest predictors of mortality. The best cutoff point for ln ULF for separating survivors and non-survivors was determined. After including a history of MI, congestive heart failure, or both as co-factors, ln ULF ≤7.85 identified patients at approximately 4-times the relative risk of mortality, but did not risk-stratify patients without prior MI or history of congestive heart failure. Conclusions HRV predicts mortality rate in a broad range of times after MI. Excluding patients with CABG after MI or with diabetes mellitus significantly strengthens the association of HRV with mortality. HRV measures beyond the peri-infarction period, with clinical factors, can identify subgroups at an elevated risk of mortality.
Non-duality and the Integration of Mindfulness into Psychotherapy: Qualitative Research with Meditating Therapists

As behavioral and cognitive psychotherapy traditions increasingly incorporate mindfulness concepts and practices, it is important to notice changes occurring in the cross-cultural translation of the ideas and practices from their Buddhist origins. The current study explored this issue utilizing a qualitative research method to collect data from seven “information-rich” participants. These participants were psychotherapists with long-term mindfulness practices; all integrating mindfulness into their psychotherapy work. They had, on average, 31 years of mindfulness meditation practice as a component of a larger spiritual practice. Participants were interviewed about their mindfulness practices, their therapeutic work, and their perspectives on how mindfulness in their spirituality-based meditation practices differs from and informs their psychotherapy work. A review of findings is presented as well as in-depth exploration of a selected meta-theme; participants all, at times, demonstrated a non-dualistic worldview and discussed the ideas of relative and ultimate reality. These views affected their use of language and contributed to the presence of dialectical and paradoxical responses. These concepts are important to consider as the development of therapist training in mindfulness-based treatment delivery evolves.
IN SITU DISTRIBUTION OF GOLD IN ORES USING HIGH-RESOLUTION X-RAY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

High-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) is the industrial equivalent of medical computed axial tomography (CAT) scanning and provides a mechanism for nondestructive, three-dimensional analysis of ore samples. HRXCT produces two-dimensional images ("slices") that reveal the interior of an object as if it had been sliced open along the image plane for viewing. By acquiring a contiguous set of slices, a density map for all or part of a sample volume can be obtained, allowing three-dimensional inspection and measurement of features of interest. HRXCT can resolve details as small as a few tens of microns, even when imaging objects are made of high-density materials. Because the HRXCT technique differentiates mineral grains largely based on their contrasting densities, these studies are particularly effective in the study of gold and other extremely high density grains in contrast to typical rock-forming minerals and other metallic minerals. Imaging of typical stockwork ore from the Grasberg porphyry deposit identified native gold grains as small as 13 μ m in diameter. All of the gold grains are associated with chalcopyrite masses, indicating that both copper and gold concentrations occupy the same fracture porosity and thus appear to have been precipitated during the same mineralization event. These reconnaissance investigations suggest considerable potential for HRXCT studies to contribute to the understanding of ore-forming systems and to practical applications such as ore dressing to maximize precious metal recovery.
Robust automatic modulation classification using cumulant features in the presence of fading channels

Automatic modulation classification (AMQ is a scheme to automatically identify the modulation types of the transmitted signals by observing the received data samples in the presence of noise and fading channels. Nowadays, AMC plays an important role in both cooperative and non-cooperative communication applications. Very often, multipath fading channels result in the severe AMC performance degradation or induce large classification errors. The negative impacts of multipath fading channels on AMC have been discussed in the existing literature but no solution has ever been proposed so far to the best of our knowledge. In this paper, we propose a new robust AMC algorithm, which applies higher-order statistics (HOS) in a generic framework for blind channel estimation and pattern recognition. The advantage of our new algorithm is that, by carefully designing the essential features needed for AMC, we don't really have to acquire the complete channel information and therefore it can be feasible without any a priori information in practice. The Monte Carlo simulation results show that our new AMC algorithm can achieve the much better classification accuracy than the existing AMC techniques
The structure and development of a wing-tip vortex

Experiments have been performed on the tip vortex trailing from a rectangular NACA 0012 half-wing. Preliminary studies showed the vortex to be insensitive to the introduction of a probe and subject only to small wandering motions. Meaningful velocity measurements could therefore be made using hot-wire probes.Detailed analysis of the effects of wandering was performed to properly reveal the flow structure in the core region and to give confidence in measurements made outside the core. A theory has been developed to correct mean-velocity profiles for the effects of wandering and to provide complete quantitative estimates of its amplitude and contributions to Reynolds stress fields. Spectral decomposition was found to be the most effective method of separating these contributions from velocity fluctuations due to turbulence.Outside the core the flow structure is dominated by the remainder of the wing wake which winds into an ever-increasing spiral. There is no large region of axisymmetric turbulence surrounding the core and little sign of turbulence generated by the rotational motion of the vortex. Turbulence stress levels vary along the wake spiral in response to the varying rates of strain imposed by the vortex. Despite this complexity, the shape of the wake spiral and its turbulent structure reach an approximately self-similar form.On moving from the spiral wake to the core the overall level of velocity fluctuations greatly increases, but none of this increase is directly produced by turbulence. Velocity spectra measured at the vortex centre scale in a manner that implies that the core is laminar and that velocity fluctuations here are a consequence of inactive motion produced as the core is buffeted by turbulence in the surrounding spiral wake. Mean-velocity profiles through the core show evidence of a two-layered structure that dies away with distance downstream.
Silicide Formation By High Dose Transition Metal Implants Into Si.

We report preliminary results of a study on silicide formation by means of high dose transition metal implants into Si (100) single crystals. 100 keV Cr+, Fe+, Co+ and Ni+ were implanted at room temperature. For the Cr+, Fe+ and Ni+ implants, no silicide formation was observed after implantation. However, both Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) results clearly indicated the existence of CrSi2 after the Cr-Si samples were annealed 4 hours at 550°C. In the case of the Fe+ and Ni+ implants, FeSi2 and NiSi2 were identified by XRD after annealing the implanted samples half an hour at 400°C. A layer of CoSi of about 1000 A was observed in the as implanted Co-Si samples by both RBS and XRD. Ni+ ions accelerated to 150 keV were implanted at 350°C. A much broader distribution and higher retention of Ni was obtained in this case, showing evidence of long range atomic diffusion. NiSi and polycrystalline silicon were observed by XRD in the as implanted samples. The possibility of high dose ion implantation as a suitable technique for producing transition metal silicides is discussed.
Particle-in-cell simulation of the pulsed sheath in a trench

Ion dynamics in and around a plasma-filled rectangular trench are studied using a two-dimensional (2-D) particle-in-cell simulation. It is found that ion loops form in the trench as ions transit the plasma sheath. These loops correspond to the traveling ion density pulse seen in a previous fluid simulation (Sheridan).
Representations of categories and their applications

We define for each small category C a category algebra RC over a base ring R and study its representations. When C is an EI-category, we develop a theory of vertices and sources for RC-mod, which parameterizes the indecomposable RC-modules. As a main application, we use our theory to find formulas for computing higher (inverse) limits over C.
Model for Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction Involving Mitochondrial Oxygen Sensing

Abstract —We tested whether mitochondria function as the O 2 sensor underlying hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV). In buffer-perfused rat lungs, rotenone, myxothiazol, and diphenyleneiodonium, which inhibit mitochondria in the proximal region of the electron transport chain (ETC), abolished HPV without attenuating the response to U46619. Cyanide and antimycin A inhibit electron transfer in the distal region of the ETC, but they did not abolish HPV. Cultured pulmonary artery (PA) myocytes contract in response to hypoxia or to U46619. The hypoxic response was abolished while the response to U46619 was maintained in mutant (ρ 0 ) PA myocytes lacking a mitochondrial ETC. To test whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from mitochondria act as signaling agents in HPV, the antioxidants pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate and ebselen and the Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase inhibitor diethyldithiocarbamate were used. These abolished HPV without affecting contraction to U46619, suggesting that ROS act as second messengers. In cultured PA myocytes, oxidation of intracellular 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH) dye increased under 2% O 2 , indicating that myocytes increase their generation of H 2 O 2 during hypoxia. This was attenuated by myxothiazol, implicating mitochondria as the source of increased ROS during HPV. These results indicate that mitochondrial ATP is not required for HPV, that mitochondria function as O 2 sensors during hypoxia, and that ROS generated in the proximal region of the ETC act as second messengers in the response.
Surviving the Corporate Jungle: The Apprentice as Equipment for Living in the Contemporary Work World

This essay explores the reality television series The Apprentice as equipment for living helping viewers navigate anxieties attendant to changes in the nature of work. Tracing the series’ implied audiences, the paper distinguishes between the success strategies suggested by different reading positions. “Surface” readings assert the enduring relevance of the traditional work ethic as a response to employment contingency, while “savvy readings” instead uncover the importance of artifice in response to the aestheticization of work. Each reading suggests productive strategies for success, but is also limited by the manner in which it takes the contemporary work situation for granted.
BEYOND SPECIES RICHNESS: EXPANDING BIODIVERSITY-ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING THEORY IN DETRITUS-BASED STREAMS

Initial research informing biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (B–EF) theory focused largely on terrestrial plant species richness effects on productivity. Recent studies in stream ecosystems have further advanced understanding of B–EF beyond species richness by testing effects of species diversity (richness and composition) at multiple trophic levels. Recent metaanalyses of stream B–EF studies across multiple trophic levels found stronger evidence for composition- than richnessfunctioning relationships. Here, we further examine effects of resource and consumer diversity on stream organic matter processing (OMP) to identify general patterns and potential mechanisms of non-additivity across spatial and temporal heterogeneity. We also review multi-trophic consumer response patterns to resource diversity to assess how consumer diversity responses compare to independent resource and consumereffects on OMP in streams. Consistent emergent patterns include: (1) Top-down (i.e. consumer) diversity effects are common among vertebrate, invertebrate and microbial trophic levels and are generally explained by species evenness; (2) bottom-up (i.e. resource) diversity effects are mediated by species evenness and vary both spatially and temporally and (3) consumer responses to resource diversity that best explain resource diversity effects are predominantly seen at the microbial level. Resource and consumer diversity effects are driven by dominance of functionally distinct taxa. However, response of consumers to resource diversity only partially explain resource diversity effects, suggesting functional differences between how naturally colonizing and manipulated consumer assemblages use OM resources. The challenges facing general ecology and the advancement of B–EF theory include an improved understanding of how environmental heterogeneity and temporal and spatial variation influence B–EF patterns. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is carbamazepine associated with NAG elevations suggestive of renal disease

Abstract Elevations of urinary N -acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG) were found in previous studies of epileptic patients using carbamazepine. Since NAG can be a sensitive indicator of urinary tract problems, it was postulated that carbamazepine could be causing urinary tract damage. To explore this issue further, 27 mood disorder patients who were taking carbamazepine were compared to 171 mood disorder patients who were not using carbamazepine. There were no significant differences in NAG levels between the two groups. A hypothesis is presented which states that the elevated NAG levels found in some seizure patients could be associated with abnormalities of serotonin metabolism.
Attribution of Dispositional States by 12-Month-Olds

The ability to interpret the behavior of other individuals is essential for effective social functioning. Many investigators now believe that even young infants can recognize that agents act toward goals. Here we report three experiments suggesting that 12-month-old infants not only can recognize goal-related action, but also can interpret future actions of an actor on the basis of previously witnessed behavior in another context. The possibility that this inference is made through the attribution of mental states is discussed.
Correction coefficients for partial volume effects of a PET/CT scanner: An empirical study

2520 Objectives Tracer activity concentrations in tissues are often used in disease evaluation by way of standard uptake values (SUV’s). However, the partial volume effects associated with finite resolutions of PET/TC scanners can result in severe loss of counts of small size regions. In this research project, we empirically calculated the correction coefficients for the partial volume effects of a PET/CT scanner. Methods An American College of Radiology PET/CT phantom with cylinders diameter sizes of 25, 16, 12 and 8 mm was scanned six (6) times with activity concentrations of 30.8, 17.8, 10.4, 8.1, 6.6 and 5.2 kBq/mL. All scans were acquired on a GE Discovery STE 16 slices in 3D mode and time duration of 4 min. each. The PET/CT axial images were used to obtain the tracer activity concentrations by drawing regions of interest (ROI’s) around each activity area. All activity concentrations obtained from the scans were then decay corrected to the original concentrations obtained from the well counter. The ROI’s data from each cylinder at specific times were then averaged and analyzed. Results The activity concentration losses (mean ± SD) for the 25, 16, 12 and 8 mm cylinders diameter sizes were 18.9 ± 3.6%, 30.8 ± 5.9%, 48.2 ± 5.6% and 69.4 ± 4.7%, respectively. For this particular scanner, the correction coefficients for partial volume effects of area sizes of 25, 16, 12 and 8 mm were 1.2, 1.4, 1.9, and 3.3, respectively. Conclusions For better accuracy of tumors evaluations when SUV’s are uesd, empirical correction factors for PET/CT scanners due to partial volume effects should be obtained, as shown through this experiment, and applied according to the tumor sizes.